Merkabeans are very fair skinned people, with milky white flesh or light pinkish skin with freckles. Their hair is generally a shade of red, though blonde or auburn is not uncommon ether. Blue eyes are the most common eye color for Merkabeans, ranging from pale blue to blue gray. Green or gray eyes are occasionally seen as well but are not as common as blue. Dark hair or eyes are quite uncommon in Merkabah; it is usually only seen in southern Merkabah and even then is often seen as a sign of foreign ancestry. For the most part, a Merkabean's features are similar to those of people from north western Europe. The average Merkabean male is around 5'7" while 5'2" is the female average.
Merkabean women most often wear long dresses in shades of light brown, off white, or gray - though undyed is most common. The dress usually has sleeves that extend to the elbow or down to the wrist. Sometimes Merkabean women will wear just a skirt with a simple white or brown blouse. When a long dress is worn it is usually in combination with a belt or simple cord worn around the waste. Hooded leather cloaks are usually worn in the winter, sometimes with shawls beneath. Clothing is usually made of wool or linen. Sandals are common footwear for women, as are simple soft leather shoes or boots that resemble moccasins. Women usually do not cut their hair, letting it grow to great lengths. They usually allow their hair to flow naturally or wear it in a simple pony tail, though some women may braid their hair as well.
Men usually wear simple undyed wool tunics that come down to about knee level and have sleeves of varying length. Some men, particularly those in cold parts of Merkabah may wear leather pants as well. Soft leather boots are common footwear for men, though sometimes hard leather boots may be worn as well. As with Merkabean women, in the winter men will usually keep themselves warm with leather cloaks. Men also tend to grow their hair long, usually down to the shoulder and sometimes even longer, sometimes tied into a pony tail but more frequently allowed to flow. They also grow shaggy beards.
The most common exceptions to the above clothing styles are the clergy of Merkabah. Male members of the clergy usually wear long woolen robes dyed either a shade of green, dark gray, or black (depending on rank and order) and wear a chain as a belt. Anashim, the nuns of Merkabah, wear similar robes in a shade of light gray, and have a simple cord for a belt instead of the chain. Both wear leather cloaks in inclement weather, though unlike they lay people with their natural colors, cloaks worn by the clergy are always dyed black. Male members of the clergy keep their heads and faces clean shaven, though the Anashim simply keep their hair cut at about shoulder length and keep it tied in a short pony tail. Male members of the clergy wear thick leather boots, usually in a shade of dark gray or black, while Anashim wear sandals or moccasins just as laywomen do.
The lowest rank of male clergy, the Albiim, are mere boys who are younger than the age of 15. They wear naturally colored wool robes fitting the above description. When an Albi reaches the age of 15, he is promoted to the rank of Sihonite and his robe is dyed dark gray. Adonim receive dark green robes as a sign of status. The Mahstadim wear black robes as does an Arbite, though the Arbite also wears a gray tabard over his robe. The Ephodim wear green robes with black tabards while the Vah Ephod wears a green robe trimmed in black with a black tabard and wears a the golden Midnight Sun symbol of Morick as a necklace. Apharim wear civilian clothing with a dark gray tabard.
Akan-Ji
The Akan-Ji are naturally a dark skinned caucasian middle eastern looking people. They generally have black or dark brown hair, brown eyes, and swarthy or olive colored skin. Their hair is generally kinky, frizzy, curly, or extremely wavy - though some have straighter hair. The tend to have larger down turned noses with a prominent arch, high cheek bones, and thin lips. Because the Akan-Ji have conquered and assimilated many other cultures and have taken in and bred with slaves from around the world, many Akan-Ji bare foreign blood and don't always have the same features of their ancestors. Some Akan-Ji have straight hair, some have facial features that are distinctively foreign, a rare few even have blue or green eyes or lighter hair colors. There is no stigma to having unusual features or having foreign blood - in fact - exotic traits are often seen as desirable. Because of the fairly high population density in Orhanek Akan combined with reliance on grains without a balanced diet, most Akan-Ji are short and scrawny - the average man being around 5'3" tall and the average woman being about 4'10" or so. The nobility, who have access to what ever food the could desire, tend to be about four or five inches taller on average than the slaves and peasantry.
Through out the empire and among the castes, fashion varies tremendously. There are a few universals though. Colors are very popular among the Akan-Ji, and the more colorful and vibrant one's clothing is the higher rank one usually has. Slaves are forbidden by law to wear any colors other than gray, white, or brown. Free men often wear to or three vibrant colors on their clothing, while nobles wear elaborate garments of many colors including jewelry. Long flowing robes and billowing garments are popular as well, including poofy shirts and pants.
Men and women must cover their lower halves in public, to show bare legs is considered very rude and to show the feet or genitalia is particularly indecent. For women the breasts must be covered in public, but generally more concealing clothing is considered more proper. Harem girls sometimes expose more flesh indoors - as long as no man can see aside from the eunuchs. The female foot is seen as particularly sexual and is almost never exposed to anyone but the women's husband or master.
How men cut there hair is to a large degree based on caste and social status. The most lowly slaves whose job it is to do harsh manual labor are required to keep their hair shorn short, as well as their beards. Eunuch keep their faces shaved, at least in the event that they have facial hair at all. Eunuchs also shave their heads except for the top where they leave it several inches long or as a topknot. Male sex slaves shave their faces and grow their hair long, usually midway down their back, often keeping it in a ponytail or braid. Zirli, warrior slaves, keep their beards very short and neatly trimmed and keep their heads shaved. Free common men usually grow full beards but shave off their mustaches, they also grow their hair to about shoulder length and either keep it in a short ponytail or allow it to flow freely. Noblemen grow full beards and mustaches or sometimes just a prominent mustache. Nobles also tend to grow their hair to about shoulder length or longer, though they usually have the hair put into many small braids. A popular style among fighting nobles is to have a large mustache and a goatee combined with long hair kept in three braids - two on each side and one in the back. Priests usually have at least twenty braids and a full beard with mustache. Men very often wear hats, usually tall cylindrical or conic shaped hats that allow long hair to flow from underneath.
Women do not cut their hair in Orhanek Akan, it is considered to be taboo, so their hair grows very long. They keep there long hair in a single braid that usually extends past the waist, depending on the health of the woman's hair. The only time when a woman's hair is cut is as a punishment if she commits a crime and deserved to be publicly humiliated.
Etristi
The Etristi bare a slight resemblance to people from pacific islands. They have a medium to golden brown skin tone, dark brown or black hair, and slightly Asian appearing features. Both male and female Etristi have very little body hair, and Etristi males have naturally hairless faces. Etristi men and women tend to be closer in height and weight compared to other peoples, males averaging about 5'5" in height and females around 5'3". Males tend to be very lean and wiry while females are often a bit more fleshy, so the typical Etristi female outweighs the typical Etristi male.
Etristi men usually wear their hair long and flowing or in a pony tail, while Etristi women usually wear their up in elaborate style piled high upon the head with twists and buns. The complexity of the hair style increases as does the wealth of the woman, peasant women usually wear their hair in a simple bun. Men usually wear simple pragmatic clothing made from leather, wool, or linen. They usually wear pants and long tunics with slits up the middle. Despite their pragmatism in clothing, men also enjoy brightly colored clothing, usually colors that match other men in their group. Women's clothing varies by social strata - with peasants usually wearing a simple light brown or white linen or woolen long tunic, while noble ladies wear much more elaborately created clothing of silk, furs, and different colors. Black and other very dark colors are seen as bad luck and a taboo to wear, though sometimes criminals pressed into labor are forced to wear black shirts as a mark of shame.
Etristi men tend to be thin and slight of build, and this is seen as good both among Etristi men and women. For a man to be fat or even a little cubby is seen as quite unattractive and even unmasculine. Large muscles are also rare among the men, and seen as rather bizarre and unseemly. Etristi men do enjoy a variety of physical pursuits and competitions - such as horse ridding and tricks, running, jumping dancing, archery, and knife throwing. These activities are almost entirely dexterity and coordination rather than strength based. Women, on the other hand, are seen as more desirable if they are a bit rotund and perhaps even muscular. Many of the professions of Etristi women involve physical strength and exertion such as farming, black smiting, stone masonry, infantry combat, etc.
Nostians
Nostians are Caucasian looking people, having fair or medium skin tones and dark hair, straight or wavy. One unusual characteristic of Nostians is that they virtually all have green eyes, it is seen as one of the unique traits of their people and as a result is something they take great pride in.
Because of arranged marriages, inbreeding, and high importance placed upon evolutionary concerns as a race, Nostians (particularly nobles) tend to be large and powerful people. Over the years Nostian features (nose, eyes, bone structure, etc.) have become more recognizable and distinct, making Nostian a little easier to distinguish from other similar peoples. The average Nostian common man is 5'9” and the average woman is 5'4” - noticeably large. Nobles on the other hand, having been warriors for so many generations and being so closely inbred tend to have men who are 6' in height and women who are 5'7” on average. Both commoners and nobles tend to be rather muscular and broadly built. Of course, as any Nostian would tell you, Nostians (especially nobles) have superior intellect as well; though this claim is a bit harder to verify than the size difference. Because of the hedonistic lifestyle that many Nostian nobles practice, older family members who spend less time exercising and fighting tend to suffer from obesity.
All Nostian men have beards, though they keep their beards trimmed short along with their hair. Nostian women shave their heads, in fact the style for women in Nostia is to shave or wax all of the hair on their bodies, including eyebrows. All Nostians, rich and poor, wear basically the same variety of clothing, flowing robes and cloaks, black in the winter and white in the summer, usually their cloaks are reversible.
Among Nostians, tattooing is an extremely common practice. The Nostian alphabet is extremely large and complex, it also lends itself to artistic expression. Most Nostians have tattoos with the names of important ancestors, great personal accomplishments, etc. They also have a number of symbols for greater philosophical or spiritual concepts, which are another variety of tattooing that is common. Some Nostian tattoos, particularly on women, have no deeper meaning but are simply meant to be attractive.
Each noble family has its own unique features that have appeared over the course of tens of generations of inbreeding. Most Nostians with any knowledge of nobility can recognize a Nostian nobles family by his or her distinctive features. These features can include facial features, bone structure, skin coloration, eye color, hair structure and quantity, number of digits, body size and shape, and a number of other characteristics. Personality traits and other little quirks are also present within some families. Most of the physical traits are highly valued and seen as a sign of pure and noble blood. Some of the mental quirks are seen in this way as well, though certain others are not really acknowledged and mention of them can sometimes provoke a noble to great anger.
Athavi
The slave race of the Nostians, the Athavi tend to have dark caucasian skin tones with a golden or bronzed tint. Their hair is brown, but can range from light brown to dark brown depending on the individual. This hair tends to be straight or slightly wavy. The Athavi have brown eyes that range in color from a medium brown to almost black. Their eyes have a slightly exotic look about them, perhaps like an American Indian or Meztico person. Their lips tend to be full. The Athavi are also quite small, while Nostians tend to be a large and burly people, the Athavi are small and slight, at about 4'8" for both men and women.
Slaves are tattooed as well, though usually just with the names of their master.
Athavi wear their hair long and usually free flowing or in lose pony tails. Like Nostian women, Athavi women shave their body hair. Athavi men usually have sparse facial hair naturally, many shave their faces or even their body hair as well at the direction of their masters. The Athavi are not allowed to wear either white or black clothing, as those are the colors of Nostians, rather they wear red or brown, usually basic tunics. Athavi who serve Nostians directly tend to wear sexier or more esthetically pleasing clothing - the most common being a loose knee length wrap as a skirt and either no shirt or a wrap at supports the breast. Athavi sex slaves most often wear no clothing at all, though in the winter months they usually wear a cloak or other easily removed yet warm article of clothing.
The Yetsheh
The Yetsheh are dark skinned Caucasians resemling people from southern India. They have brown skin, with black eyes and hair. This hair tends to be straight or slightly wavy. Yetsheh women tend to wear their hair long and let it flow naturally, sometimes in a pony tail. Men on the other hand usually cut their hair to shoulder length or slightly shorter, though they also tend to have natural hair styles. Men also usually shave their faces, though older men will sometimes grow a mustache. Some men prefer to adopt the Nostian style of growing a short beard along with short head hair. From frequent interaction with the Nostians, it has become a common practice for Yetsheh women to shave off their body hair. Many of the Yetsheh have Nostian blood and bear a closer resemblance to them. Yetsheh tend to vary a lot in build and stand slightly shorter than Nostians at an average of about 5'7" for a man and 5'3" for a woman.
The Yetsheh have a tradition of wearing concealing clothing, mostly things that will protect their skin from the blazing sun in the day or the freezing cold in the night. They usually wear very dark shades of gray, green, or blue. Standard dress for a man consists of a long robe with slits up the middle between the legs to allow for better leg movement along with a cloak and hood and perhaps a face scarf. Women instead wear a two pice garment the consists of a long flowing skirt, usually of fine material and a long sleeved shirt on the top, along with the same cloak and face scarf. Usually in hotter weather more sheer clothing is worn, and often summer garments will contain numerous cuts in the fabric so that it can breath more easily. In the winter thicker materials are worn, often in layers. Of course, since the Yetsheh go so many places their clothing style can vary tremendously from place to place depending on the climate as well as the cultural values of the people they are interacting with. When in Nostia, the Yetsheh are required to wear a yellow sash to show that they are Yetsheh - no other race in Nostia has such an option.
The Yetsheh love to show off their wealth. Its not uncommon for Yetsheh men and women alike to have gold or silver necklaces, rings, bracelets, and other assorted pieces of jewelry. They also like to have precious metals and jewels sewn into their clothing. To the Yetsheh, wealth is the ultimate measure of a person's worth and showing your wealth shows your value as a person. For the most part Yetsheh clothing tends to be rather concealing of flesh as well as the shape of the wearer. The one exception are breasts - Yetsheh women usually do all that they can to emphasize and draw attention to their breasts, usually just stopping short of exposing the nipple. Bigger is better to the Yetsheh, so garments that squeeze and push up are very common. This fashion trend combined with the love of jewels has lead the Yetsheh have have interesting clothing choices - such as large gems sitting between the breasts or used as pasties to cover the nipples. Of course, when traveling in foreign lands sometimes more conservative garments are worn. While in Nostia, Yetsheh tend to wear less and/or slightly more revealing clothing as is the Nostian way, though they usually try to keep the gold and jewels to a minimum.
D'Potri
Because the D'Potri are a mixture of so many different racial groups, its hard to make too many general descriptions about their appearance. In some ways the D'Potri bare a resemblance to the people of Brazil - combining features of Nostians, Gabebi, Etristi, Athavi, ancient D'Potri, and dozens of other less numerous ethnic groups from around the known world. Their hair is virtually always dark as are their eyes, though some exceptions exist. Their skin also tends to be dark, but varies from individual to individual. D'Potri hair varies in texture if not color, ranging from tight kinky curls to completely straight to everything in between. Their eyes usually have a slightly asian appearance while their noses tend to be broad and their lips are thick. Their facial hair tends to be sparse, usually only growing in a goatee pattern. Though no generalization about their appearance always holds. They vary in build and body type based more on economic status and lifestyle than genes. The men are on average about 5'6" tall and the women about 5'2" tall.
Male D'Potri tend to wear their hair extremely long in braids or dreadlocks depending on the texture of their hair. In the case when beards are grown long enough, they are often braided as well. Its fairly common for beads or ribbons to be braided into their hair, and in the case of wealthy D'Potri, this could include jewelry as well. The more well treated females tend to wear their hair in a similar manner as free men, including beads. Slave men and less favored women usually have their hair sheared short for greater practicality as well as a sign of lower status and less beauty. Because of the high heat and humidity of the region they sail in, the D'Potri wear relatively scant clothing. Slaves of both sexes usually go completely nude, though more favored women may often wear silk sashes or other clothing items that are considered beautiful or showy. D'Potri free men usually wear a linen wrap or kilt type of item that covers their genitalia and legs down to the knee and no shirt. Wealthier men wear additional clothing made out of fine materials which are often brightly colored, more to show their wealth than for any other reason. While aboard ship, free men usually wear the same type of clothing that they do on land, though some of the more elite fighting men will wear hardened leather breastplates and helmets. The wealthier men aboard a ship may wear metal armor as well, though most are reluctant to do so because of fear of drowning. Every ship has a set of colors that the pirates aboard wear to show that they are the ship's crew, Traejzas also usually have certain colors that they wear and that men under them wear to show their loyalty. Almost all D'Potri clothing is brightly colored.
D'Potri
Because the D'Potri are a mixture of so many different racial groups, its hard to make too many general descriptions about their appearance. In some ways the D'Potri bare a resemblance to the people of Brazil - combining features of Nostians, Gabebi, Etristi, Athavi, ancient D'Potri, and dozens of other less numerous ethnic groups from around the known world. Their hair is virtually always dark as are their eyes, though some exceptions exist. Their skin also tends to be dark, but varies from individual to individual. D'Potri hair varies in texture if not color, ranging from tight kinky curls to completely straight to everything in between. Their eyes usually have a slightly asian appearance while their noses tend to be broad and their lips are thick. Their facial hair tends to be sparse, usually only growing in a goatee pattern. Though no generalization about their appearance always holds. They vary in build and body type based more on economic status and lifestyle than genes. The men are on average about 5'6" tall and the women about 5'2" tall.
Male D'Potri tend to wear their hair extremely long in braids or dreadlocks depending on the texture of their hair. In the case when beards are grown long enough, they are often braided as well. Its fairly common for beads or ribbons to be braided into their hair, and in the case of wealthy D'Potri, this could include jewelry as well. The more well treated females tend to wear their hair in a similar manner as free men, including beads. Slave men and less favored women usually have their hair sheared short for greater practicality as well as a sign of lower status and less beauty. Because of the high heat and humidity of the region they sail in, the D'Potri wear relatively scant clothing. Slaves of both sexes usually go completely nude, though more favored women may often wear silk sashes or other clothing items that are considered beautiful or showy. D'Potri free men usually wear a linen wrap or kilt type of item that covers their genitalia and legs down to the knee and no shirt. Wealthier men wear additional clothing made out of fine materials which are often brightly colored, more to show their wealth than for any other reason. While aboard ship, free men usually wear the same type of clothing that they do on land, though some of the more elite fighting men will wear hardened leather breastplates and helmets. The wealthier men aboard a ship may wear metal armor as well, though most are reluctant to do so because of fear of drowning. Every ship has a set of colors that the pirates aboard wear to show that they are the ship's crew, Traejzas also usually have certain colors that they wear and that men under them wear to show their loyalty. Almost all D'Potri clothing is brightly colored.
The Gabebi
The Gabebi are a dark skinned people with African features, including think lips, a broad flat nose, and tightly curled hair. Their skin color ranges form medium to dark brown while their eyes and hair are black. They tend to be tall and lean, averaging about 5'10" and 5'5" for men and women respectively. Young Gabebi men tend to shave their heads and their faces, though men of thirty and above usually will allow their beards to grow as a sign of their maturity. Women on the other hand usually put their hair into braids or sometimes a single braid, usually the braids are around shoulder length. Gabebi mystics just let their hair grow naturally, resulting in large afros.
The Gabebi men generally only wear a simple leather loincloth. Women, on the other hand, wear more concealing and ornate clothing such as long linen tunics with a slit of the middle and a belt around the waist. Both sexes wear hard soled sandals that tie around the foot and ankle with a complicated network of leather straps. The Gabebi often dye their clothing red, yellow, and orange - the exception being Gabebi mystics who wear long blue cloaks as a sign of their authority. Because of the heat of the savanna, the wealthy wear jewelry instead of fancy clothing to signify their status. Most Gabebi women wear bracelets on their wrists - leather for the poor, bronze for most, and gold for the wealthiest Gabebi. Gabebi kings and queens wear a golden medallion to signify their position as rulers. Different Gabebi clans have individual clan symbols, these are symbols that are branded onto their horses as well as painted onto the face of warriors with yellow paint in times of conflict.
The Races of Haruna
The Senjen
The Senjen people are the largest ethnic group of Haruna. They are light skinned people with straight black hair and dark brown eyes. They have a generally oriental appearance, with fatty deposits under their eyelid and somewhat flat angular faces. Their skin tone varies somewhat, to a fairly pale to deep bronze coloration. Often the Senjen will have slightly varied features from mixing with other groups within the empire. Senjen men tend to be around 5'5" in height while women are about 5'1" tall, both have fine features and tend to be slightly built. The Senjen tend to have sparse body hair as well.
The traditional clothing of the Senjen men is a loose fitting belted cloth tunic that extends down to the knee, with fairly tight cloth pants. Senjen women, on the other hand, typically wear robes with an open front that overlaps when belted closed. Both genders wear sandals, usually with socks. The Senjen tradition is to crush plant material to create a green dye, so most Senjen clothing is green or partially green, though dyes of many colors exist in Haruna so green is by no means the only color worn by the Senjen. Many Senjen wear undyed clothing, as it is seen as a sign of humility.
Senjen men usually shave their faces and grow their hair to shoulder's length, then keep their hair tied into a short ponytail. Some Senjen men grow a mustache and goatee, particularly older men. Women usually grow their hair slightly longer and keep it in a tight bun, usually only letting it down when alone. In the past it was seen as scandalous for a women to let her hair down in public, though now the practice is more tolerated if thought to be slightly uncouth.
The Winjo have much the same appearance as do the Senjen, just with slightly darker skin tones, heavier builds, and rounder faces in general. It is often difficult for outsiders to tell the difference between the Senjen and the Winjo.
The Tarush
The Tarush are a dark people, with orangish brown almost copper colored skin. They have have tightly curly black hair and black eyes. They tend to have high cheek bones, thick lips, and small flat noses. Tarush men have no facial hair and both genders have little body hair. They have slightly oriental looking eyes as well. The Tarush tend to be short and lithe, around 5'3" for males and 4'11" for females. Men and women both usually keep their hair shaved or cut shorter than an inch in length. The Tarush of both gender wear long white tunics, white being a traditional color of goodness and purity among their people. They generally go barefoot, though some may were sandals or moccasins in the winter.
Many Tarush men have holy symbols carved onto the flesh of their upper arms. Usually these symbols denote membership in a yitso, one of the religiously oriented gangs that Tarush often belong to. When the wish to hide their membership in such groups, the men wear tunics with sleeves that cover their upper arms and shoulders. They wear sleeveless tunics when the wish to show their affiliation or when they are going into battle. Women's tunic's virtually always have longish sleeves that extend to the elbow.
The Qualaba
They have very dark skin, a shade of dark brown. Their hair is very kinky and tightly curled, both their hair and eyes are black. They tend to have wide flat noses and thick lips. Men tend to be around 5'7" in height while the women are about 5'2" in height. They wear similar clothing as the Senjen do, though they tend to favor brighter colors and almost always wear dyed tunics and plants. Qualaba men usually wear their hair either in shoulder length dreadlocks or shave their heads, while women usually grow large bushy afros. Men who shave their heads usually have their faces as well, while those who do not usually have short scruffy beards. They are also fond of jewelry and like to wear rings upon their fingers, usually two or three bands on each finger and thumb for both men and women. Gold is the preferred material for rings, though sometimes silver, copper, or bronze rings are substituted for poorer Qualaba.
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