Physical Characteristics

Build: Short and stocky compared to other humans men still average 200 dense pounds; women 130 pounds

Coloring: A swarthy race the clansmen appear well tanned with uniform brown hair. Eyes are commonly gray, with brown also being fairly common. Most men grow full beards as soon as they are able.

Endurance: Extraordinary

Height: Males average 5'5"; females 5'0"

Lifespan: 220 - 250

Resistance: Substantial

Special Abilities: Natural nightvision

Other Factors

Demeanor: A staid, some would say slow, people the clansmen are generally quiet but happy. They possess a legendary tenacity and some have been known to quietly pursue a goal through the generations. (Luckily blood feuds are unknown among these people.)

Prejudices: Coastal folk look down on all that are not from their cities and still have strong dislike for dwarves. The country folk dislike the folk of the coasts and fear and hate the wolf-men.

Social Classes - Coastal

One's social class has quite a lot of effect on how a Kurrick is viewed and how he views others. Among the Coastal Kurrick members of higher social classes tend to treat those of lower social classes with indifference, distain or even outright abuse. There is little recourse - legal or social - for the lower social classes to redress the abuses of the Merchants and Merchant Lords. From top to bottom the social classes are: Shanty, Menial, Keeper, Merchant and Merchant Lord. While illegal until recently slavery has been adopted among the wealthy of the coastal cities. Not only are the Rural Lords appalled but this has displaced a number of the Menial class - dropping them into the Shanties and causing growing anger.
Shanties bear the name of their most common living areas. These are the folks who own no property and serve no master. They live in the warrens of hovels common to all of the coastal cities. The shanties eke out a living begging, stealing, scrounging and performing what manual labor they can.
Menials are just the barest step above the Shanties in that they have some skill which has attracted a patron who pays them for their services. Maids, manservants and guards all fall within this class. In addition to recieving some sort of pay Menials are usually housed and fed by their master and the prospect of regular meals and a secure place to sleep causes a fierce competition among the Shanties aspiring to such.
Keepers are those who have, for two years or more, successfully run a shop within one of the coastal cities or who have attained journeyman status within a recognized guild. Most rent their shops and hope to one day own it outright and a Keeper who has managed to do so is viewed as someone who is "going someplace" and quite often is a target of those seeking favor. The Keeper is a legal status within the Coastal cities and they are entitled to attend (quietly) meetings of the Merchant's Council. There is also a Keeper's Council that meets and may advise the Merchant's Council on issues important to trade within the city but they have no official governing authority. Keeper's Councils do, however, tend to maintain a significant number of "Bully Boys" who keep wayward Keepers and those of the lower socil classes in line. The Merchant's Council looks upon civil unrest as an issue for the Keeper's Council to address - and tends to penalize the Keepers should they fail to do so.
Merchants are those who have actively engaged in trade between the Free Cities or beyond for a period of five years or more. This class, like the keepers, holds legal status and may attend and petition the Merchant Lords who run the Merchant Council to be allowed to comment on any issue they desire. These petitions are almost always allowed but since Merchants are required to be actively engaged in trade between the Free-Cities and beyond most merchants are rarely present long enough to wait for their petition to be heard and be granted the tiem to speak. The Merchant Lords are very careful to maintain their perrogatives and ruthlessly enforce the regulations on those under them - particularly those who may one day threaten their own position.
Merchant Lords are the highest of the high in the Coastal cities and while they are technically governed by council rulings in reality only the most henious offenses are even considered. In most cases any accused Merchant Lord can be sure of tying up any proceeding against him within the council indefinitely. Advancement to the position of Merchant Lord is possible only for those who have held Merchant status within the city for 10 or more years. Canidates must also have controlling interest in at least two trading companies. The Merchant Lords guard their privalages jealously and rarely do they approve Petitions to Raise Status to Merchant Lord. By far the majority of approvals are of eldest sons of current Merchant Lords of advanced age. Any other petitioners must be prepared to spend horrendous sums of money and influence to have even the slightest chance of success.

Social Classes - Rural

The Rural Kurrick tend to treat members of all social classes in a much more eaglatarian manner than the Coastal Kurrick, but this is balanced against the near complete inability for Rural Kurrick to change their social class. Most Kurrick are born and die in the same social class.
Serfs and Indentures comprise the lowest levels of society. Indenture is typically a sentance levied for a gross violation or law or excessive debt and is commonly for the remainder of the person's life. Both Serfs and Indentures tend to live their lives working their master's lands and, with the exception of the various festivals and fairs, it is a hard life. Still it bears little comparison to the degradng life in the coastal Shanties and most Nobles and Freemen acknowledge the hardships suffered by serf and indentures and ensure that at least the minimal needs of these people are met without fail.
Freemen are a slowly growing class with the movement of more and more skilled craftsmen to the country. Craftsmen, Crofters, Men-at-Arms and others fall within this class and they are easily the most physically mobil element within the Rural lands. More than one city Merchant - recognizing they would never see the coveted position of Merchant Lord - has quietly moved their family and holdings to a 'country house'. This has brought with it an explosion of crafts persons and while, strangely enough, the technology of the Rural Kurrick has always been higher than that of the Coastal Kurrick, the Rural Kurrick now find themselves with more talented hands and bright minds to work with their technology that they truly know what to do with.
The Nobility are, naturally, at the apex of the social parymid within the rural lands. From the beginning they have held somewhat truer to their mores and morals than the Coastal folk and this has never been truer that present day. In face of the obvious immorality (as the Rural Kurrick see it) of the Coastal people the Rural Kurrick have cleaved to a altruism that they likely never before held. Rural lords have been known to nearly starve to death during times of want, refusing to eat until their people have eaten. Duty is the byword of the nobility and it is hammered into every son and daughter. The worst sin a noble can comit is to be unprepared or unable to protect the people he or she is responsioble for. The Nobility lead from the front and are frighteningly effective warriors and commanders, having honed their skills over centuries of skirmishes and outright battles with the Wolf-men and Goblinoid tribes. On the other side of the coin they are quick to anger when they are not given the respect of their position - all the more so due to the fact that they feel they have earned that respect over and over through the generations. It is a feeling nearly all within the Rural lands share and visitors from other lands often remark upon the utter subservience of the serfs and the eagerness the Freemen have to please their Lords. Some few have seen a town or hamlet roused to arms in the face of an attack by barbarous forces. The sight of those meek serfs, happy eager Freemen, and ponderously noble Lords all working together under the direction of one of the Lords wreaking an amazing amount of destruction on the savages gives a glimpse at the strength and stability of this society.

Culture

Clothing & Decoration: The traditional Kilt and trews for men is slowly giving way to separate kilt and cloak. Women who had traditionally worn a tartan wrap have long ago transitioned to high waisted dresses with tartan smocks.

Fears & Inabilities: None

Lifestyle: The inland clans have developed into an early feudal type of government while the coastal cities tend toward representative "Councils" controlled by crafts guilds or trade houses. In general the country lords tend to live well but also treat those under their protection fairly well. In the coastal cities the rich live decadent lifestyles while the poor frequently are left to starve. On the other hand the class structure is much more rigid in the country while luck and ability, (and some would say ruthlessness), determine one's position in the coastal cities.

Marriage Pattern: Monogamous. In the cities most of the wealthy have multiple mistresses as well. One notable restriction is that this society is fairly male dominated. Married men may freely spend their time with as many mistresses as they can afford. Married women caught cheating may be sentenced to death at the whim of their husband. A further sign of the rift between the coastal and the country clansmen is the general distaste for any form of infidelity among the country folk. Even the country lords rarely engage in such.

Religion: The Coastal folk have drifted away from most religion, paying lip service more often than generating true faith. The Rural folks are a strongly religious people and devoted followers of the old gods. Lillia and Rego are worshipped as the epitome of the Noble Man and Woman. Men often seek to emulate Rego - "The Father" - and Women do the same with Lillia - "The Mother". While the society is patriarchical in nature there is a fairly large, and growing, number of female spellcasters among the Rural folk. Many are also clerics of Lallia and they have garnered the respect of even the most pig-headed of the nobility. The Cult of the Dragon is also particularly strong - particularly at Wolf Run and Thessel Tur.

Racial Stat Modifiers

Power

Resistance Bonuses

RACE

St

Co

Ag

Qu

SD

Re

In

Pr

Disc.

Endurance

Points

Stamina

Will

Magic

Kurrick
[Free-Cities Clansmen]

+2

+2

-

-

+2

-

-

+2

+2

+40

+30

+20

+10

+10