Nerakans

The Nerakese people take their name from the Valley of
Neraka and the city of the same name, although which
holds true for each Nerakan depends on the current
political climate. Most are ethnically Kalinese, a mixture
of mountain nomad and Istaran survivors. Adult men
are generally shorter on average for humans, though
they are swarthier, stockier, and typically hardier than
their neighbors to the west. Nerakan women are often
taller than the men, widely known for their exotic looks
and razor-sharp temperament. As a group, civilized
Nerakans embody the brutal, backstabbing, cutthroat, and
mercenary approach to daily life of their distant Istaran
ancestors before the Holy Orders took over. With a century
of cults to Takhisis and other dark gods playing a major
role in Neraka, these traits have returned vigorously in the
Age of Mortals.
Jelek, Neraka, Telvan, and Kortal are the major
population centers of Neraka and the Taman Busuk region.
Civilized Nerakans live entirely within the walls of these
settlements or in extensive fortified compounds nearby.
Nomads, ogres, and worse have taken the rest of the
mountainous region. The Dark Knights and their various
factions dominate Nerakan life, though in the years after
the War of Souls, the faction aligned with Baltasar Rennold
and Galen Nemedi seized political power. Every wealthy
Nerakan has one or more family members in the Dark
Knights, though typically the head of the household is not
one of them. Since even conducting an everyday business
transaction carries with it the threat of a knife, Nerakans
of all social classes are known as paranoid, mistrustful,
opportunistic, and cunning.
Although they are no longer a part of Neraka, the
people of Sanction may be considered Nerakan.