There are three major ethnicities among the humans of the Tirin Peninsula.
The Tirins are, as one might guess, descendants of the original indigenous human population. They are most commonly of medium height and build, with light brown skin. Their hair is usually black, and their eyes brown; however, the descendants of one tribe tend towards blue-eyed redheads. Tirin body art often involves body piercing and polychromatic tattooing.
The Velakhurs were formerly a nomadic southern tribe. They are tall, large-framed, pale-skinned and pale-eyed, with hair that ranges from blond to dark brown. Velakhur body art is seen in the form of body-painting and monochromatic tattoos; piercing (apart from earlobes) is a fairly new phenomenon.
The Aldyrins' ancestors hail from a continent to the north. They are small, wiry, and dark-skinned. Their taste in body art runs to elaborate hairstyles, body piercing, and decorative scarring; tattooing (introduced by paler folk) is less common.
The Tirins are, as one might guess, descendants of the original indigenous human population. They are most commonly of medium height and build, with light brown skin. Their hair is usually black, and their eyes brown; however, the descendants of one tribe tend towards blue-eyed redheads. Tirin body art often involves body piercing and polychromatic tattooing.
The Velakhurs were formerly a nomadic southern tribe. They are tall, large-framed, pale-skinned and pale-eyed, with hair that ranges from blond to dark brown. Velakhur body art is seen in the form of body-painting and monochromatic tattoos; piercing (apart from earlobes) is a fairly new phenomenon.
The Aldyrins' ancestors hail from a continent to the north. They are small, wiry, and dark-skinned. Their taste in body art runs to elaborate hairstyles, body piercing, and decorative scarring; tattooing (introduced by paler folk) is less common.
It always surprises me how homogenous humans tend to be in fantasy. While many now incorporate different groups, they tend to be pretty big and distinct. I think your idea of putting multiple ethnicities into a single peninsula is great way to break more ground. Messy, complicated, and real: the way I like it.
ReplyDeleteMultiple human ethnicities have actually been part of the idea since the beginning. (Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea books were an early inspiration, and that was one of the details that I liked.)
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