Myan

Myans
The satyr-like Myans are a race of pious scholars that call the mystical continent of Yuorin their home. The capital city, Roseiron, is a port city that stands both tall and proud with its magnificent architecture. Myans are dedicated to the collection of all knowledge regarding the world surrounding them. The grand library of Rosh I'ron is stacked with tomes that can keep a curious mind occupied for three lifetimes. Devoted fiercely to their divine triumvirate, they have grown to be superstisious and are as wary of outsiders as they are curious.

Myans live to become between 360-400 years old.

Personality
Myans are an intelligent and adventurous people. Their continent is filled with mysteries and is a very popular adventuring location for all rac es of Altharon. A Myan is bound for adventure and seeks it at a very early age. They are disconnected from their own race and families throughout most of their life and seek more comfort in the bonds of their adventuring companions. Myans do not enjoy combat and prefer to avoid it whenever possible. They simply travel the world for knowledge and unearthing the many secrets throughout, not to prove their strength. Should a combat situation emerge, Myans focus on outclassing their opponents through wit and clever use of essence.

Alignment
Due to Myans being so focused on knowledge and travels they do not care much for the laws of the world or if what they do is evil. Due to this Myans shift towards the neutral alignment and will often stay there. However, if a Myan forms a strong bond with her companions she could shift towards an either lawful or chaotic alignment depending on the people she travels with.

Adventuring Legacy
Myans have always been fond of adventuring and it is the very core of what they are. They are the ones that have discovered the greatest number of ruins from before the sundering and work consistently in deciphering the information within. Myan law is strict when it comes to knowledge and information. All knowledge uncovered by an individual belongs solely to them and whether they wish to share it or not is within their liberty. Myans often sell knowledge to their capital's libraries and make their wherewithal like this. The library of Roseiron is the largest in the world and is known to hold a greater volume of information than any other place on Altharon.

Culture
The myans have mastered both agricultural and livestock farming as they make for poor hunters. Being herbivores by nature they practice a vegetarian diet, which has flourished into a delicate cuisine with spices and tea held in high demand.

Trading and bargaining is learnt from a young age and honed in grand bazaars or in the trading routes, where hundreds of merchants showcase their stock.

Abundance is deeply valued and the myans pay special care to their external appearance. Favored for clothing and jewelry are silk, gold and ivory. Special attention is paid to external appearance with luxurious garments as proof of power and wealth.

Long horns are considered a symbol of royalty as workers, warriors and travellers typically shave them off for practicalty. A fair complexion is also seen as ideal, as the royal line has produced many pale rulers. Rulers, high priests and their followers display these traits by sporting golden horn extensions and eye-catching jewelry. The royalty has been known to practice selective breeding to pronunce fair hair and fur, elongated faces, and coveted horn shapes and sizes.

Architecture is typically intricate, ornate with varied patterns but never to excess. They employ varied techniques to create diverse types of buildings, often emphasizing form over structural strength.

Religious sites such as temples double-function as libraries. Visiting each in one's region as well as the capital is necessary as a rite of passage to adulthood. To be acccepted as a scholar one has to make a worthy contribution of knowledge to one, as well as undertake a set of mental trials.

All professions and trades are more or less equally looked upon as their necessity to society is taken note of. The same is true of gender, with both males and females given equal opportunities with few exceptions where a profession is restricted to one or the other*. Slavery used to be a common practice but is becoming less frequent, though not illegal, and limited mostly to household slaves.

There is no room for beggars in the golden city. Those who fail to provide for themselves have a choice either to be "accepted" into slavery or to leave the capital and wander the countryside.

The Birth of a People
The earliest stories in the myan annals describe a nomadic way of life, with the populace organised into distinct clans that scattered across the sands and fields. Decades turned to centuries and the clans grew sparse, they had nigh forgotten of the others' existence and each of them kept to its members and its livestock. However some dreamt of a united people - a nation.

Shar'yuen of the Alekansji  was among those. Having become chieftain at the young age of thirty, he had proven himself  a very intelligent ruler, skilled in rhetoric and poetry alike. Unlike his father he was known for his cool temper and his intuitiveness. Something that would manifest in the form of a dream, which depicted him entering a tall mountain cave and seeing a radiant light. Within the next morning he ordered the clan to move to the nearby mountainside.

Inside a cave not far from the peak of the Gerinth mountain they found an onyx pillar. It was inscribed with outlandish runes that neither he nor any in his entourage could decipher. In the center he faintly recognised a symbol, a distant memory from the depths of his mind. He placed his hand on the rune and it felt warm, in contrast with the rest of the stone. Slowly the warmth spread and blackness gave way to a shining light. Voices they could hear but not see spoke to them in unison and taught them how to grow crops in exchange for their unwavering faith. A mission was given to the young leader, to unite the clans and spread the faith. Armed with holy purpose and vital knowledge he set out to fulfill his dream.

Many clans were converted eagerly but others refused the message. Shar'yuen knew that war was not the way of his people, thus he used his wit and his silver-tongued advisors in a series of diplomatic missions after which the myan were largely united under one rulership.

Religion
Myans recognise and worship three divine presences whose aspects guide their values and beliefs.

First and foremost is Djeisa, the god of knowledge and exploration, who revealed the methods of cultivation to the myans. Fuel for their drive to collect knowledge his name is most often invoked in both prayers and proverbs.

The godess Li Ruen represents mystery and lost secrets. The two gods are closely related. In legends they often fight with one another, the latter seeking to steal forbidden knowledge.

Last but not least the god Habdur, god of bargaining, luck and abundance. His name is most often called upon by merchants and traders alike. The nobility pays respect directly to him so that he protects their belongings.

There are two main sects that keep the church divided, one stating that the three are parts of one great god while the other believes them to be separate entitites. This mere formality has caused a share of religious tensions but has yet to disturb the peace, with the two sects grudgingly accepting each other.

Beyond this official religion, other minor deities are worshipped in rural areas, usually remnants from the old age. A popular example is Shun Shi, protector of farmers and the harvest.

Unlike most religions, there is no distinct priesthood. Instead a scholar is a priest of Djeisa and a merchant a priest of Habdur for all intents and purposes. Likewise the priesthood of Li Ruen would be comprised of sorcerers or 'mystics' and explorers. The lesser deities do not receive this treatment and instead are worshipped in small remote or household shrines, though some communities may dedicate a small temple kept by a priest.

Racial Traits
+2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength, -2 Dexterity. (Myans are very intelligent and intuitive but they are not as strong and agile as the other races of Altharon).

-5 to all attack rolls associated with using a weapon or any weapon-like object. (Myans are not fond of fighting, especially not with weapons).

+5 to all knowledge checks. (Myans are very knowledgeable and hold a strong pride in their knowledge of things).

+3 to Decipher Script and Forgery checks. (Myans are adept at deciphering scripts and forging new ones).

+3 to all Spot, Search and Listen checks.

+2 to all essence-weaving checks.