The Praell

The “blanched devils” of Aibhilon, more commonly known as the praell, exist sparingly throughout the continent. Having been bred – some say created – ages ago by a now extinct civilization, their exact origins are lost to history. The oral traditions of the praell tell how their people scattered across Aibhilon when their creators disappeared, establishing their own dispersed settlements.

Physical Description: The praell are a race of muscular humanoids that were originally bred to a specific set of physical attributes. They stand between six and a half to seven feet tall and weigh between 200 and 300 pounds. They are completely hairless from head to toe, with milky white eyes, and bereft of any skin pigmentation. Praell look so identical that only the normal distinctions between the sexes is typically evident. One way in which they achieve a degree of individuality is to adorn their bodies and faces with colorful tattoos and exotic piercings. It is also not uncommon for a praell to wear a distinctive piece of clothing or jewelry.
Society: Originally bred for combat, praells desire no other life than that of a warrior. Many find employment as solders, serving as part of the imperial legion or in armies of smaller kingdoms; others work as mercenaries, sentinels, or bodyguards. Those that are incapable of fighting, usually due to permanent serious injury or advanced age, continue to provide for their comrades as smiths or chirurgens.

Male and female praells hold each other in equal standing, being judged only on their physical prowess. The basic unit of praell society is the tribe, comprised of various extended families and led by a chieftain. Each village resembles a fortified camp, with palisades, warehouses for supplies, and communal barracks.
 
Relations: Having been enslaved by the Makers (see Alignment and Religion) for generations for their tailored physique, praells now seek acceptance as equals among humans. They eagerly seek out physical labors as a way to prove themselves useful since they typically lack the mental capacity for intellectual work. They are reluctant to boast about their feats of strength to non-praells, however, for fear of appearing arrogant; incurring the fear and resentment of others has oft times lead to a praell’s persecution or enslavement. In fact, despite their tentative acceptance by most, many remote populations and overly superstitious folk view the praell as abominations, earning them the epithet of “blanched devil”.

Alignment and Religion: Praell society is highly structured, more closely resembling a military outfit than a social community. Whether as a group or individually, praell always expect to uphold their end of an agreement or contract, and they expect the same from others. While typically lawful in nature, a praell’s morality can run the gambit from good to evil depending the individual’s own principles.

Praells do not worship deities the way humans do. Instead, they give reverence to those they refer to as the Makers. The Makers, according to the oral traditions, were a society of intellectuals who created, and enslaved, the praell but disappeared from the world long ago. Most scholars assume they are referring to the Suen, although no tangible evidence has ever been found to prove this. Since they are gone – probably dead – the paell expect nothing from the Makers in the way human faiths look for miracles or messages from the divine. Instead, they seek to honor the work of their creators by achieving their fullest potential in all that they do.