Eskla

The Eskla are a mulatto people, the mix of the Chlendi and Maetah cultures, and comprise the majority of peasantry and burgeoning middle class in the central Rhiat.

[edit] Physiology

The physiological traits of the Eskla vary as widely as the Maetah and Chlendi peoples, fair or olive skin, shade of brown or blond hair, and a tall, thin build. Being a catch-all classification, a touch of Heteri blood is not uncommon.

[edit] Social Structures

• Prominent Clans - Being the mixed bloodline of the Rhiat, most Eskla of any prominence will emphasize the clan membership by using traditional names of their Chlendi or Maetah lineage. Most other Eskla, of lower social stature or prominence, take on family names from curious combinations of mundane words, often a mix of their parents surnames. While some may claim clan membership, there is little extended economic or political structure affixed like that of the Chlendi or Heteri clanship, but rather membership in a extended family.

[edit] History

The Eskla Empire

Just over a thousand years ago, in the face of the encroaching Mindat forces, the Chlendi and Maetah communities of the Northern Rhiat formed an alliance. After watching the city-states of their longtime Heteri foes crumble under the might of the Mindat reptilian cavalry, the Maetah were quick to subjugate themselves to the leadership of the Chlendi. They made this pact in the presence of Esk, the Chlendi Spirit of Law and Truth, naming their alliance the Eschlatli, or "People of Righteousness". They were able to stagnate the Mindat advance, and capture the lands now comprising Vensat, Nipend, Balaconth, and northern areas traditionally under Heteri control. The last remnants of the Eschaltli polity crumbled 200 years ago after the succession and independence of a culturally and geographically dispersed states.

[edit] Religion

The Eskla worship a polytheistic pantheon, comprised of mostly Maetah deities, with a few Heteri gods and elevated Chlendi spirits thrown in:

• Chuglaior - Spirits, Magic, Knowledge
• Eluus - Agriculture, Fertility, Vegetation
• The Storm Mother - Storms, Weather, Seas
• Lihoe - Health, Fortune, Luck
• Bekalas - Wealth, Trade
• Domitevati - Judgement, Truth, Death and the Afterlife
• Itil-called-the-Vengeful - Blessings of War

[edit] Material Culture

• Architecture
• Food
• Clothing