Meniards

''Citizens of the empire of Medland, which once ruled all Pendria. Barbarians think all Meniards are impotent fops and gluttons; really, life in the decaying empire can be quite bleak, and most Meniards are pragmatic, cynical, and resilient. This misperception rarely bothers Meniards, who don’t care what barbarians think.''

Guldrex, first emperor of Medland, ''made a pact with the gods; consequently, direct descendants of his original subjects have their own special afterlife, in which rebels and criminals face dreadful punishments for breaking imperial laws in life. Since Meniard souls don’t have to wander the land of the dead, they can’t be magically raised from the dead as other mortals can.''

''Most Meniards have three names – a personal name, a family name, and a house name. House names descend from the original families at the empire’s dawn. Most Meniards belong to a hundred or so common houses, associated with particular trades. There are also the Careau, houseless outcastes not subject to Guldrex’s pact, on whom all crimes are blamed.''

''Meniards – especially southerners from Gruniardy – are quite a bit shorter on average than other humans, and are said to have halfling blood. They’re fair-skinned with broad faces and soft features. Most Meniard men go bald very young. Meniards speak Common.''