Karellian

The present day Karellians are a mix of outcast Turanians and displaced indigenous peoples of the area that is now Turan. They inhabit the rough mountain terrain to the north of Turan.

One of the most notable things about these people is the extensive unarmed fighting techniques which have been developed in various temples scattered through the mountains.

Many Karellians can trace their ancestry to the ancient tribes of Tal and Relou as well as Turanians who failed to follow Uhl according to the religion of Turan.

When the Turanians arrived on the shores of the lowlands, five hundred years prior, they drove out the native people as being impure and unable to follow the word of Uhl. The Tal were the natives of the lowlands, and they fled to the foothills and mountains, seeking refuge amongst the Relou. Both were allied against the inteloper Turanians, who attacked both tribes indiscriminately. Over the years, the tribes intermarried to such a degree that they are one people now.

During one of the long periods of peace between the lands of Karrelia and Turan, a seer came from one of the high mountain tribes. His name was Sul, and he preached the ideals of peace between the two lands, as well as ideas of becoming part of a greater enlightenment. Although his long term goals of peace with the Turanians wasn't maintained past the crowning of the next Sultan of Turan, the temples that were founded based on his philosophies are still around to the present times.

Eventually, these temples became centered around physical enlightenment as well as spiritual. In times of plenty, tournaments were often held as a way to bring people from other villages together.

Karellia lies along the northern boundries of Turan. The lands are a combination of arid mountains and foothills cut deeply from erosion to form sharp gullies and ridges. It is a hard land to live in, but a harder land to invade. Most villages are in protected valleys throughout the range.

A traveler that is not familiar with the paths can easily become hopelessly lost in the canyons. Wolves and great cats are not uncommon dangers, along with an occasional goblin tribe.

Old magics also flow through the dry riverbeds, and rumors of ghosts and spirits abound about this mysterious land. Shriveled trees seem to move, rocks leave tracks in the soil overnight, and lightening storms can be bright enough to read by.

Casual visitors are seldom seen in these lands, at least for very long.

The political system of the Karrelians is very simple. Each village is run by a Hetman, or Head Man, and the few disputes between villages are settled by tournament combats. The villages are rather remote from one another, so interaction between them is mostly limited to festivals, temples, and trade.

Each village of sufficient size supports a nearby temple. While the temples themselves are seen as being neutral during disputes, the temple represents the village during tournaments between temples.

Aside from their enemy Turan, the Karrelians really don't interact with other countries to any degree. There is a little bit of trade along the Bronze Sea, but the Carthins seldom actually venture into the highlands. There are a few Kithkin tribes in the fringes of the desert foothills, but they have little to trade for.

There is not a notable military aside from the fighting temples. Men are taught to use the club and shield young, and archery is a valuable life skill for these people. But, unless the Turanians are pushing northward again, they seldom mass groups of more than twenty warriors.

The styles used by the Karellians are as much philosophy as actual fighting techniques. Originally, they were designed for show and focus on the internal divinity. However, during the first Turanian Crusade it proved to be a deadly fighting style as well.

Over the years these styles have been further developed to the point where both an artistic and combat style exists. Also during this time further styles appeared, each teaching their students a different way to reach their own divinity.

There are three main schools of training. The first is Ankh-Ra “Forceful Spirit” and practices strengthening the body and spirit. The second is Ji-Shun “Inner Beast” which practices mimicking the animals. The final school is Hussan Ali “Open Mind”, which trains a fighter’s abilities to perfection. Ankh-Ra

The “Forceful Spirit” technique strengthens the spirit and body for the difficult path ahead. Its movements are linear with no wasted movement. Every movement strikes hard, fast, and deadly. A few maneuvers have been added over the years, but it remains the least changed of the styles.

According to legend, the founder of the Ankh-Ra was Mohammed Sikh the leader of the resistance to Turanian interpretation of the holy words. After tremendous persecution he led his followers into the high mountains north, where the Turanian cavalry could not travel. While there he taught them Ankh-Ra so they could defeat any attempt by Turan of conquering them.

The Turanians tried forcing the small temples to submit, but they held together and turned back five crusades. After the fifth crusade the Turanians have attempt no further invasions and other fighting styles began to appear. However, the first style learned is still believed to contain the pure wisdom of the prophet. Ji-Shun

The second is Jo-Shun “Inner Beast” which practices mimicking the animals.

This is probably the most fractured of the styles. The original temple stood within the great pass to Turan. During the first Crusade, Turanian light cavalry broke down the walls and massacred everyone inside. However, three Sufi escaped and fled into the highest mountains. Once there they separated, teaching any students they could find their martial skills.

Throughout the years each Sufi’s training reflected their own personal abilities. Then as each student became a Sufi they changed the way they taught their students. Eventually, time and flexibility caused the Ji-Shun style to be the most widely practiced in Karel. Hunting Lynx Swooping Hawk Silver Bear Monkey Preying Mantis Hussan Ali

The final school is Hussan Ali “Open Mind”, which trains a fighter’s abilities to perfection. Developed by two Sufis that found the heavy emphasis on religion daunting to perfecting their fighting skills. They built a style around the ability to quickly grasp any situation and react properly. A skilled fighter will wait until the opponent attacks, then counterattack with more force. Wind Dancers

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These techniques are best seen as a cross between magic and a super-talent. Unlike magic, it cannot be dispelled or drained — neither is it affected by iron or silver. Instead, it more closely resembles a form of ethermancy that reaches for the internal spirit as opposed to the land of ether.

The spirit can be trained to react in a set pattern in relation to its surroundings and others. Personal