Tamriel:Redguard

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Illustration of a typical Redguard male.

1 Description
2 History
3 Society
4 Anthropology
5 See Also

[edit] Description

The most naturally talented warriors in Tamriel, the dark-skinned, wiry-haired Redguards of Hammerfell seem born to battle, though their pride and fierce independence of spirit makes them more suitable as scouts or skirmishers, or as free-ranging heroes and adventurers, than as rank-and-file soldiers. In addition to their cultural affinities for many weapon and armor styles, Redguards are also physically blessed with hardy constitutions, resistance to poison, and quickness of foot. Redguards do not share the same blood as the other human races. Their original home was not Atmora, the ancestral land of the Nedic progenitors of Nord, Breton, and Imperial bloodlines.

[edit] History

Redguards (in their own language 'Yokudans', taken simply from the name of their homeland) hail from the western continent of Yokuda, which sank into the sea in ancient times. This was probably the result of a tectonic shift in the form of an earthquake or a volcanic eruption, however, the Redguards seem under the impression that it was in some way their fault. Upon the sinking of their homeland, which apparently was predictable to some degree, the Yokudan fleet set sail to the east, where they shored at the continent of Tamriel, in the province of Hammerfell.

At the time, Hammerfell was populated largely with Orsimer (Orcs) who were known for their toughness and ferocity in battle. The Yokudans, knowing they must settle to survive as a people, launched a Ra'gada a "warrior wave", at the shores of Hammerfell, conscripting every man and boy capable of wielding a sword into the strong and capable Yokudan military. They attacked the Orsimer towns and cities in lightning raids, left no survivors and after only a few brutal months, had established a strong presence along the western shores of Hammerfell. From this foothold they continued to launch assault after assault, eventually succeeding in nearly exterminating the Orsimer, and making way for the High King and the Yokudan royalty, known as Na-Totambu, to arrive with safety in Hammerfell, without fear of assassination. This Ra'gada is where from the Redguards take their name, and in defeating the superhumanly strong and hardy Orcs, they solidified their place in history as the greatest warriors in the known world.

[edit] Society

Currently Redguard society is divided into two social classes, an upper and a lower, known as the Crowns and the Forebears. The Crowns are the ruling elite, and are descendant from the High King and the Na-Totambu who ruled in Yokuda. The Forebears are the common people, and by far outnumber the Crowns. They are descended from the warrior class which took Hammerfell from the Orsimer. Redguard society is extremely martial, and nearly everyone is expected to have a superior grasp of basic weaponry and combat, although only the Crowns are generally expected to have any knowledge of strategy, formations and tactics. Only the strongest, fastest and smartest Redguards are accepted into the demanding military, and they are expected to prove themselves worthy or face death.

Redguards are a highly disciplined and enterprising people, having centuries of experience with warfare in their homeland. Their warriors are rightly acknowledged to be the best in the mortal world. Their naval prowess, however, far surpasses their ability to fight over land, and their armadas of powerful warships have demonstrated the capacity to defeat enemies who outnumber them as many as seven ships to one. Only the Nordic war-fleets have ever been known to come close to matching them in speed and firepower.

[edit] Anthropology

As a race, the Redguards are of approximately average human intelligence, competing intellectually with the smartest of Nords, and are generally mentally inferior to Elves. They are of average human height, above average human strength and agility, and show a remarkable capacity for surviving in hot, dry climates. They generally possess dark skin, ranging from light brown in hue, to nearly black, and often with a significant red tint. This depends on the degree of Nedic blood they possess, as most Forebears have at least some, having lived along side Nedic settlers for centuries. They possess very curly hair and rarely more than a wispy mustache and beard, and degree of body hair varies.