Enemies of Alera

Though internal disputes between prominent cities are common, the empire, as a whole, is, at large, at war with three races; the Marat, the Icemen and the Canim.

The Marat. A race of dark-skinned bulky humanoid barbarians. These inhabit the planes of Alera in secluded tribes ranging in sizes from a few dozen to more than a thousand. Almost always are these tribes hostile and will attack without provocation. The Marat people are stronger and faster than the average Alerian and tales are spoken of their barbaric mating rituals with animals and supposedly drinking the blood of their enemies.

The Icemen. Very little is known about these savages except that they attack in the winter and come with the blizzards, where the Shieldwall meets them and protects the Aleran people from being overrun. No one has entered their frozen barren wasteland north of the Shieldwall and lived to tell the tale. The Icemen are about 8ft tall, has white skin and is covered in thick white fur, making them very hard to spot in the snow. They carry natural weapons such as clubs from large animal femurs or spears made from tusks, which they wield with enough force to bend helmets or pierce shields.

The Canim. A race of wolf-like humanoids, they posses several times the strength of a man, stands between seven and ten feet tall (male human avg. 5ft and 11inc, or 180cm vs 7-10 ft, (213-305cm) for the canim) and has a lifespan of several hundred years. They are not inhabitants of Alera, but instead is encountered on their rare but destructive raids on Aleras west-most shores. They always move in packs and can see in the dark. Very little is known about this race as they tend to leave no survivors and a non-hostile confrontation has never been successfully conducted.