Ethnic Features

[Hoodwink]

I'm curious what the general consensus is about ethnic/regional features in Zalanthas.  I'm pretty sure, at least for humans, there is no major guideline to follow.  Indeed, with humans anything goes, including mutations.  But what is the norm, or is there?  What interests me the most is color complexions.  Most NPCs and a large portion of PCs look tan, but is that a tan anyone acquires from exposure to sun, or is it more of a natural dark shading desert peoples often have?  Rumors persist that long ago Zalanthas was a much different place, equipped with lush, fertile landscapes, so it may be that enough millenia hasn't transpired for evolution to complete the change.  I once read that it takes roughly 10,000 years for a human species to change from the skin color of an African/black to that of a pure white Skandinavian, or the other way around (including hair/eye color).  I find most fantasy gets lumped into the standard "white" bracket which tends to turn me off.  I rather fancy the notion of characters appearing more eastern in descent.

Now some groups already have a bit of a guideline.  I've noted that most gypsy PCs are swarthy -- there's probably some basis for that.  But what about the average human?  What about nobles?  Many nobles are described as being pale, but what is pale?  Indians can be pale but they still have a naturally dark complexion.

These sorts of discussions tend to be quite useless, I know, but I'm still curious what you all think.

[Red Ranger]

Once I read this post way back when, I've always tried to follow it with my PCs and NPCs:

http://www.armageddon.org/HyperNews/get/general-archive1999/43/1/1.html

Red Ranger

[Savak]

By and large this is not very well defined, except in a few of the better documented tribes/clans.  The Tan Muark "gypsies" have a stereotypical set of physical traits, as do many of the Northern tribes, and a few of the desert-elven tribes.

Because most groups have a certain amount of cross-breeding, however, and the cities themselves tend to have ppl from both north & south (at least in the past, but since the recent wars travel to & fro other than with an actual trading house is significantly less) mixing there, the physical traits aren't very well-defined on a broad regional basis.

People have usually utilised "pale" to denote either a scummy rogue who I guess lives in the shadow all the time or a faint-hearted noble who I guess never leaves the comfort of their parasol.  I think of "pale" as pretty relative, though, because there really isn't any escape from Suk-Krath's flaming rays day in and day out (for one) and most genetic makeups include darkish skin (for another).

-Savak