By ElCapitan
Over the last several centuries, the Parcines have evolved into a sturdy, adaptable, secretive and warlike race of people. Labeled as outcasts for their animistic religious beliefs, which are decidedly against the norm on Midlight, and ridiculed as uncivilized and barbaric, the Parcine people have learned the hard way to flinch back from direct encounters, and never to use force unless you are certain to win. But as cold and unyielding as the Parcine culture looks from the outside, it can be as nurturing and warm as any in the more civilized countries.
The first thing that any Parcine learns from birth, aside from who his ancestral spirit guide is, is that Parcines can not trust the outsiders any more than you can trust a rabid wolf. Any Parcine worth his salt trains with a weapon, and quickly. While most Parcines prefer the brutality of the axe or club, other, more exotic weapons can find themselves being brought into bear. Above all else, the Parcines are able to adapt, and that shows in their fighting technique. Given a lack of other options, Parcines will use natural weapons- rocks, trees, or small mammals- to beat an enemy.
Life in the Blackroot mountains, where most Parcines live, is hard. With a high infant mortality rate, it is assured that any child that survives infanthood is strong and able. Weaker infants that manage to survive are shunned and made to fend for themselves; there is no reason to feed useless mouths. The hard existence breeds hardy men and women, that is certain. There are few in the world that can best a Parcine at simple brute strength, and most have instincts which you could sharpen a knife on. A Parcine is not the enemy that you wish to have; they are patient and tireless, and if you've offered them a blood insult, they will collect no matter what the price.
The society of the Parcine people is calculated to produce strong fighters and hunters, but is not known for turning out scholars or theologists. Parcines don't question why they have a family spirit that watches over them and gives them as much luck as they deserve; it simply is. As such, those that spend their time on foolish thoughts will more than likely receive a whomp on the head for their unproductivity.
All Parcine clans do have a Grand Spirit that watches over all of the family spirits, and makes sure they do no ill to their charges. The family spirits are in charge of making certain that each family has the amount of luck that is due to it from the brave and strong deeds of that family's members. The more fortune that a family makes for itself, the more that its spirit rewards them with. If a series of bad fortunes hit a given family, then that family is deemed to have done nothing brave or rewarding to deserve the luck of their spirit, and need to accomplish more deeds for the spirit to reward them with. Many of the most successful, and the most lunatic, endeavours ever completed by any Parcine were due to a need for more good luck.
Any good Parcine will feel ill at ease in a city, with all the potential threats and constrictions that a city holds. Most would much rather be under the stars and away from the civilization and the law of the 'civilized' peoples. This does not, though, mean that any Parcine is allowed to commit acts that would offend his spirit or the Judger, who is a rough appropriation of Ravan, and risk being sentenced to hell or another term as a human being. In addition, any Parcine that violates the goodwill between clans is charged to die by any other Parcine that finds him. This makes sense; there are far too many outsiders to fight to waste good warriors on each other.
Although the Parcines have a rough time of it, in many ways they are freer and less culpable to man. This freeness is bought at a harrowing price, when you consider the life that one of these men must lead.
>>>Compiled from the notes of Bawtun Gilsesh<<<