The Essalee:

     Of all the human races, the Essalee could be said to be the most 'settled' in.  The country is dotted with many small lakes and rivers, as well as having abundant forests and well fortifiable hilly areas. There are six forts/castles within the domain of the Essalee and these have villages and small towns within a good proximity.

     While the Essalee profess to be the most diplomatic and peace loving of all the human races, they are also one of the better armed and defendable ones.

Social Structure:

     The Essalee follow their mottoes, "Might does not make right.  A thoughtful word and gesture can cause the sharpest sword to dull from disuse."   Though this does not mean they are blindly trusting to others.  The Essalee are one of the more powerful races, not only due to their well armed and trained fighting force, but also because of their main use of political and diplomatic ways to solve a problem.  Essalee are used as mediators in almost everything from land disputes to family feuds.

     There is a definite caste system amongst the Essalee.  There is the King and Queen, then the nobles, who hold the other five main forts/castles, the knights, then the freemen.  That does not mean that you are subject to that caste for the rest of your life.  A freeman can rise to a titled noble (does not necessarily mean he has the land to go with it, but he does have the status) or become a knight.   A noble can fall from grace, whether by word or deed and be stripped of his title by the King or Queen.  The only constant in the political structure is King and his male heirs.

     The noble women of the Essalee are held up as the finest examples of genteel manners and feminine grace.  These women wear the most sumptuous clothing, powder their faces to make them even more pale and strive to outdo each other with courtesy and graciousness.     

     The noble men are also held up as examples, but this is more to their handling of their lands and the people within.  Generosity, wit and good nature, as well as the prerequisite courtesy are the expected mainstays of a noble. 

     The knights are also shown as examples, more easily seen and appreciated to the common people.   The knights are known for their dedication to the cause of good and elimination of strife.

     The Essalee seem to have their fingers in every pot, their knights and fighters are sent throughout Gaidrin, whether on diplomatic mission or as a 'helping' fighting force for those less well defended. 

     It is only within the last few years, with the crowning of the new king, that talk has been circulating that the Essalee have their noses in too many peoples'  businesses.   These low and usually infrequent rumblings of discontent have become more frequent of late.      

Physical Characteristics:

     Their clothing, even those of the working class, has an amazing amount of colors.  A drab brown cloth is very hard to find amongst the Essalee.  Their accessories are myriad and multiple.  The most used accessories amongst men and women are broaches, rings and as well as scarves. 

     Eye color tends towards the pale, from greys to blues.  They are a pale skinned people, whose delicate look and polite demeanor, belies a backbone of solid steel.