Overview
Orosians are a stoic people, and known around the Isles as rustic traditionalists. They prefer to stay within the green lands they've called home for thousands of years than travel far. However, in order to protect their society from being toppled by the expansionist spirit of the Azure Empire, Orosians have adapted out of necessity. Great timber-framed galleons headed by living dryads take them far across the Isles. At home, they serve as stewards for the land and welcome Roen visitors. Many worship the Weald and live nearby the World Tree, Aslaug.
Appearance
Orosians are tall (6 to 8 feet in height), broad-shouldered, grey-skinned humans with dark hair. Their muscle mass is higher than average. Stocky, broad, and heavy, Orosians are only matched in unarmed combat by orcs. Their cities are built larger than typical to accommodate their size.
Functional but aesthetically pleasing leather and hide armor is common, as well as spun cloth tunics. Many Orosians make their own clothes. They like to be self-reliant. Orosian craftsmen make some of the finest work in all the Isles due to their diligence and patience.
Society
Despite their brutal beginnings, Orosians have flourished in the Isles. They now rule over the kingdoms of Oros and Aldemere with a large population of humans. The humans identify as citizens of Oros and Aldemere, and some have lived there for many generations. Others immigrated from Arcadia or the Azure Empire seeking a simple, pleasant life.
Culture
Orosian culture is community-centric. They are especially kind to children, and make every effort to provide opportunities and training to young people. Orosians believe that youth are creative problem-solvers of the world, while elders are wisened sages who can guide them to create a better future.
Crafts and Combat
Orosians excel at almost anything they put their minds to. With the physical strength and stamina of a bear, patience and ease of focusing, and devotion to community improvement, Orosians make fine blacksmiths, tailors, leatherworkers, and fierce defenders. They can easily lend their strength and skill to combat and become excellent warriors, berserkers, and siegebreakers.
Religion
Orosians follow a religion called the Weald, which is focused on the natural world. As an example of how in-tune with nature the Orosians are, their ships often bear living wooden figureheads. These figureheads are dryads whose sole purpose is to guide, guard, and steer the ship. Dryads can grant powerful blessings and are incapable of dying unless the entire Orosian crew perishes and the ship is destroyed.
Opinions of Outsiders
Orosians are stoic and in tune with nature. They are stewards of their fertile green lands, and excellent artisans, farmers, and sailors. Orosians are not a warlike people despite their beginnings. They welcomed the orcs to settle in their lands as a means of creating protection for themselves from expansionist empires. The Orosians would prefer to share their beautiful wilderness with orcs than kneel to a foreign master. If necessary, they will defend their way of life to the death.
History
In ancient times, hill giants enslaved humans and interbred with them in the hills of Oros. The slave descendants of these unions eventually overthrew the giants, and claimed the land as their own. The formal title for these part-giant humans is “Orosian”.
In recent times, orcs from Isandor sailed onto Orosian shores. Due to the overwhelming strength and ferocity of the orcs, it was deemed necessary to welcome them and provide lands for them to settle in instead of fight a losing war. Orcs have now become citizens of Oros.
However, orcish ideologies around slavery, bloodletting, and combat clash with the relatively-peaceful Orosian way of life. Conflict is brewing.
Comments