Inhabitants of Graecia

The inhabitants of Graecia are largely human, although they are sizable minorities of other races. They come in two main “tribes”, the Ionians and the Dorians and the stereotype is that the Ionians are peaceful and protective, whilst the Dorians are warlike and aggressive. Of course the truth is far more complicated than that, but they are some real notable differences between the two in their styles of architecture, dress and dialect. The tribes don’t imply any sense of loyalty; a Dorian state may be at war against another Dorian state whilst allied to an Ionian township for instance.

The only real sense of loyalty is to the city in which a Graecian was born. Whilst a Graecian may know he is of the Dorian tribe, he is an Argive, Korinthian, Elian etc. first and foremost. It’s a brave man indeed who tries to unite all these disparate and fiercely individualistic city-states together, but it can be done, especially if faced with a common enemy.

The Ionians tend to live in the northern and eastern regions of Graecia, such as Attika, Euboea and Troy; whilst the Dorians tend to live in the south-western regions. They are other “tribes” of Graecians such as notably the Aeolians of Thessaly and Boiotia, but they tend to be far smaller and localised.

In the heavily forested highlands of southern Graecia dwells a race of Fey known to themselves as the Pelasgi. They are different enough from the Fey of the northern Heartlands that they would be barely recognisable as the same, yet they are just as capricious and flighty. They are largely ignored by the human city-states and in fact their ownership of their lands is not recognised by the Senate as legally its governance is split between its neighbours. However men know not to step upon certain paths in the deep forests for fear of tempting the Pelasgi’s wrath.

The huge one-eyed monstrosities known as Cyclops are surprisingly peaceful when given the chance, but sadly are demonised and cast out from Graecian society as a whole. This race of Ologs is now rare, but used to oversee a civilization that spread across much of central Graecia. The modern-day Cyclops are pastoral herders and eke out livings in the places no one else wants.

They are Drow who live deep within the Graecian underdark, far away from the bright lights of the surface. They call their realms many exotic names to the ears of northerners such as Chthonia, Tarterus and Asphodel. They are virtually unknown to the surface dwellers outside of fables and myths.

Across much of Graecia and often allied to the Pelasgi are a race of Goatkin, known as the Satyrs. They are known trouble-makers and unwelcome in most towns. The Satyrs rarely call any one part of Graecia their home as they roam whenever wanderlust claims their mood; which is often. Certainly they don’t recognise any borders the city-states would enforce upon them and have no respect for ownership.

Finally we come to the glorious Empire of Minos, as its bull-headed inhabitants proudly proclaim. They are a warrior-race who guard their lands from huge, monolithic citadels of bronze and stone. The Minoans used to claim all of southern Graecia as their own, but centuries ago were pushed back by the more numerous and technologically advanced humans. They had to learn to compromise with the invaders and to work with them on matters of mutual interest. As a result many of them have now returned to the southern mainland to live in their old abandoned citadels such as Tiryns, Mycenae and Pylos, often alongside the humans. However in their heartlands, amongst the far southern islands of Krytos, Thasos, Lemnos and Samothrace; Minos tolerates no competitor to its rule.

They are smaller communities of other races in Graecia, especially in the more cosmopolitan cities like Korinth and Piraeus and by large they are welcome. After all, any creature’s gold is just as welcome as the next creature, especially if you’re a Korinthian.