Bremin

Bremin (or Bramanni, Brenyarra, or simply Smallfolk or Gremlins) are a primarily nomadic species of short, lagomorphic humanoids with four different breeds. These creatures stand about 3 feet to about 4 feet and 3 inches tall (91cm. to 130cm.). They are commonly believed to be savage, tribal primitives with bizarre customs and a short temper.

Appearance and Abilities
At first glance, all bremin resemble sapient lop-eared rabbits that walk on two legs. Looking at them a little closer throws much of the similarities out the window, however. For instance, they are heavily carnivorous omnivores, bearing a mouth nearly full of sharp, jagged teeth. Their appearances will vary depending on the breed, but all of them bear similar qualities. All bremin are rather stocky and strong, with very noticable muscles. They all have a head of mane-like hair on their heads that stretches from the top of their head going down their spine to their short, stubby tail. All bremin also have long and slightly oversized arms, with large, clawed, four-fingered hands; they also have similarly strong, muscular legs that also end in clawed, four-toed feet.

Finally, when sufficiently wounded or stressed, a bremin's body will activate a unique defense mechanism: a berserk rage caused by a rush of adrenaline. This state is extremely apparent, as it comes with increased muscle mass, heavy and very fast breathing, and VERY heightened (but temporary) aggression. Bremin males can do this as well, but its rare and the effect is slightly diminished. A few Bremin are even able to engage this state at will. However, it can have lasting effects; utilizing this state enough causes progressive brain damage and will eventually lock them in this state, usually resulting in death from exhaustion.

Psychology
A feature that many other species view as unusual is their female prevalence. Bremin females dominate much of their society; they are almost always the soldiers, rulers, and heads of families. When looking at both a female and male bremin at once, it is very noticeable why this is: bremin males are much smaller, much weaker, and rather frail overall while the females are broad-shouldered, muscular, and exhibit very masculine behavior.

Bremin are not typically unfriendly, but tend to be overly playful, crude, and overconfident. Also, while most Bremin can be quite friendly, most of their society tends to be heavily martial. They do not actively seek out war, but they hold combat prowess and physical strength to a higher esteem than stewardship and diplomacy.

Finally, the most bizarre feature of the bremin race is their unique ability to directly empathize with any creature they touch. When a Bremin makes physical contact with another creature, through some currently unknown psychic force, a Bremin can discern the thoughts and emotions of whomever they touch. This ability works both ways, with any non-Bremin they touch also being able to read their own thoughts and emotions. This empathic ability is completely involuntary. The slightest touch will trigger an influx of random and usually unwanted information to pour into their minds.

Diet
Bremin are omnivores, but lean heavily in the direction of a carnivore. They usually subsist on meat, with a strong preference for fish or horse. They will usually eat this meat raw, or very lightly cooked. Bremin also need vegetables to survive, however, they do not need as much and cannot survive solely on them. Their most commonly eaten vegetables are tomatoes, cabbages, or (unsurprisingly) carrots. Fruits such as lychee, ackee, and blueberries are also eaten. Lychees are actually a prime ingredient in Northern Breminnese mead, which is called Simhää ("Sih-muh-haya"), meaning "Spark Potion."

Drinking alcohol has different effects on bremin compared to humans. It tends to drastically calm them down and promote intense relaxation to the point of severe drowsiness. It does not appear to impair judgment or otherwise effect the mind in any way, but it does effect movement, making them sluggish. Theoretically, it is possibly for bremin to be become "drunk", but they always fall asleep before drinking enough to do so. As a result, alcohol is widely used as a sleep aid.

Bread and other grain-based products have adverse effects on bremin, as they cannot seem to digest it properly. If they consume enough baked goods (likely as much as a single loaf of bread in a few days), it can become stuck in their digestion and cause nausea and horrible stomach pains. In extreme cases this can actually cause a rather slow and painful death from internal ruptures.

Desert Bremin
Desert bremin, or Pijabramanni ("Small Earthen Ones") in Northern Breminnese and Tendsza Brenyarra ("Common Earthen Ones") in Southern Breminnese, are the most common and wide-spread of bremin subspecies. They are usually denoted by their thin sandy-brown fur, blue eyes, lithe and skinny bodies, along with their slightly more human posture and mannerisms. As indicated by their name, they are mostly concentrated in the deserts and savannahs of Southeastern and Western Harik-Nadima, but they can be found anywhere in Anetha.

Viewed as little more than vermin, desert bremin were kept as a slave race in the Nadim Imperial Triarchy. Having been slaves for upwards of 300 years, the desert bremin of Nadim have seeded a bit of an inferiority complex. They've become generally bitter and untrusting of any humans except for those associated with the Hassanids up until the first Nadim Civil War.

Desert bremin of Northeastern Nadim have recently forged a friendship with the reclusive Nphyr in their mountain monasteries. The ancestor veneration of both the desert bremin and Nphyr mixed well, and, due to some Nphyr leading bremin to believe they can attain their revered state of "Lahud" in some way, many of the northeastern desert dwellers have adopted Nphyrian culture and beliefs. However, some would argue that it was simply a bargain for an obedient race of cannon fodder protectors. This coupling of cultures appears to have caused a minor schism within both the Nphyrian communities and bremin communities.

Desert bremin are the only race of bremin in Anetha that actually rule a sovereign nation of their own: the Sultanate of Kotimaa. This is due, in no small part, to their longstanding friendship with House Hassanid, the rulers of the Hassanid Sultanate and former Kings of the Scale within the Nadim Imperial Triarchy. Despite still being slaves under them, the Hassanids were much more lenient with their bremin, seeing them more as valued laborers or a sort of glorified house pet rather than a cheap, expendable fodder. An example of Hassanid leniency being that bremin slaves in East Nadim were actually paid a meager sum and were allowed off-hours to do as they please. After the civil war broke out, their human benefactors had given them their emancipation from the slavery of the Triarchy, taught them about feudal law, military organization, how to work steel, and much more.

Desert tribalists still exist, but they are concentrated around Kotimaa and many view the Sultana as little more than a human lap dog. Much of them are constantly trying to retain their independence, leaving the Sultana stuck in seemingly endless wars of reconquest.

Notable Desert Bremin:

 * Licia Yelanov
 * Seeker Auxiliary Kanden Varghas
 * Kieralha Kotimaa I, Sultana of the Kotimaa Sultanate

Cultural Analog: Ottoman-Uplifted Hungarian Feudalists

Tundra Bremin
Tundra bremin are the second most common ethnicity of bremin in Anetha. Called Pajonno Bramanni ("Northern Earthen Ones") in their Northern language of the same name, tundra bremin are found in the dry, frozen tundras in the upper part of the Northern continent of Severneija. This breed of smallfolk are identified by their bushy and much fluffier coats of usually grey or white fur, dark red eyes, rounded faces and ears, and much larger stature and strength. Tundra bremin are also one of two breeds that still remember how to run on all four limbs and are still capable of doing so, making them rather quick on their feet. Tundra bremin tend to stand about a foot taller than the other breeds. Like desert bremin, they can also be found anywhere, but they are a little less common and tend to stay away from Nadim.

Snow bremin have traditionally shared a friendly rivalry with the Naerigans. Despite much of them living comfortably within the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Naeriga, they tend to make a bit of mischief by harmlessly harassing human villages, picking fistfights within human mead halls, and generally being a nuisance and earning themselves the nickname of "gremlins". They do, however, take their own culture much more seriously, quickly showing their disciplined side when Naeriga is threatened by foreigners.

They are heavily protective of their religion, the Tuulasahja, or "Great Hearth", as it is called in Commontongue. Tuulasahja is a very loose religion; they do not worship any gods, but they revere fire as a sort of vigilant spirit and as a remnant of something greater that was the reason all of creation exists. The name "Bramanni" is an allusion to this, as it means "Earthern Ones", as if they and all life were clay statues fired in a divine kiln.

Notable Tundra Bremin

 * "Snow"
 * Luumi Tuulani Tjaani-Aansa / "The Skull Queen"
 * Lahja Tuulani Tjaani-Aansa / "The White Reaver"

Cultural analog: Finnish Vikings.

Plains Bremin
Being the third most common breed, plains bremin, or Sískyá-Brenyarra ("Field Earthen Ones") in their language, are only found in Northwestern and Southeastern Harik-Nadima. Plains bremin are very different from most breeds, appearance-wise: they stand hunched over with their arms dangling forward, and their brows are very pronounced which give them a constantly scowling visage. Their arms are usually much bigger than normal, with much more pronounced claws. Their fur tends to be rather earthy in color, with a dirt-red or a rocky dark brown color being the most common with a bright yellow or dark green being the most usual eye colors.

Personality-wise, they are among the most aggressive creatures in Nadim if not THE most aggressive. They are viewed as primitive, savage, and not very bright. Plains bremin are very large in number and travel the lands of Nadim in nomadic hordes, occasionally attacking merchants or raiding villages. When they aren't fighting among themselves, major hordes are embroiled in some sort of conflict between men, the Nphyr, and desert bremin. Plains bremin are the direct cause of many wars among the Northern fiefs of the Triarchy. They are known for their easily triggered rages, crude behavior, brutal and unusual war tactics, and their horse breeding practices.

Along with the tundra bremin, plains dwellers still possess the ability to walk around on all four limbs. Many of them opt to forego a mount in favor running like this with their weapon in their mouth.

It is a rare site, but there are more peaceful hordes of plains dwellers that make trade with humans, Nphyr, or dwarves, bartering for foreign goods with their many horses and strangely popular fermented horse milk liquor called "Azhtal".

Notable Plains Bremin Cultural Analog: Hunnic Mongoloids
 * Khivanni Ulvarhos Kughanna, First Horde Mother of the North.

River Bremin
Last of the known breeds, river bremin (Bramannivasani - "Earthen Ones of the Water") are the least common of all bremin, however, they are always found in the same place: a region in the valley of Ruta's Gift simply called the "Bramanni Riverlands". Again, they are slightly different from normal bremin in a few ways. They are much smaller than the other breeds, usually by about one foot. Their gender dimorphism is a little more balanced, however males are still seen as unfit for "masculine" activities. A river bremin's ears also happen to be much longer, which they can and will use as a sort of natural rudder for steering when swimming upstream. And finally, and most importantly, their smooth and unfurred hands and feet all have webbing between their fingers and toes to accommodate quick swimming through the rivers and swamps of middle Svernaija, with their tail having grown longer and less-furred to be used as steering or some such.

Color-wise, river bremin tend to have slightly mottled or patterned fur, with various colors such as dark greys or woody browns. Their eyes are usually bright green or a dark purple.

Tribal river bremin are settled, agrarian, and very communal, sharing everything from food to living quarters, even bathing areas. They are also heavily religious, revering Tuulasahja in much more extravagant ways than snow bremin do while also harmlessly proselytizing to visitors within their enclaves. Like snow bremin, all tribal queens have their Kindler priests maintain a large bonfire on their keep grounds.

Cultural Analog: Devoutly Shamanistic Finns

"Mongrel" Bremin
"Seikotaabramanni" - "Aszkavarék Brenyarra" ("Blended Earthen Ones"), shortened "Seika" or "Kavara", or simply "Mongrels" are loose terms given to bremin of mixed breeds. Usually found in cities, mixed bremin are exactly as they sound. They can exhibit properties of both parents' breeds, but never to a drastic degree. Most of the time, a mongrel will resemble their mother but with one or two properties of their father.

In example, a mongrel with a desert bremin mother and a plains bremin father might resemble a desert dweller, but might also have large hands, stand with a slouch, or have a more pronounced brow or jaw. A mongrel with a river dweller mother and a tundra dweller father might simply resemble a very large river bremin with short, round ears.

Mongrel bremin are often viewed with disdain in many tribal societies, believing them to be unclean or unworthy in some way, although some are seen as a strong union between two tribes.

Notable Mongrels
 * Dr. Aansa Kharradas (Desert and Tundra mix)
 * Karri Kuzhatta, Siren Number Three. (Desert and Plains mix.)