Tribes

This article pertains to an area of the game which is currently in development. The information presented here is incomplete, and will be updated as more information becomes publicly available.

The Tribes of Elyria are the twelve major racial and geopolitical groups that make up the Children of Mann. Each is native to a particular biome or group of biomes, and has its own distinct culture and racial traits.

There will be eight tribes on the starting continent at launch: Brudvir, Dras, Hrothi, Janoa, Kypiq, Neran, To'resk, The Waerd. Four additional playable tribes will be accessible after ocean travel is researched and their continents have been discovered: Erishé, Mydarri, Owem, Yoru. It's important to note that even though there will be one continent at launch, all continents are being built and defined before launch and will be in-game just not accessible at launch.

Comparison

Apart from the aspects shown in more detail on this page (thougn still summarized), tribes all have distinct:

• History: Unique historical experiences for each tribe.
• Culture: From a unique history brings a unique culture, like language and religion.
• Sociology: Specific social conventions like professions, levels of government, and political advancement.
• World Relations: Whether other tribes are friend or foe.

Culture

Cultural benefits are specific to tribal heritage. When your character has offspring, you pick what culture you want to teach the child. Cultural specific aspects apply to all families of all cultures. It's how you determine which cultural and religious benefits you want to pass to your children.

Characteristics

There are a number of aspects that are characteristic for the physical and mental abilities of the individuals in the tribes. This section presents most of them in a summarized way. More detailed descriptions can be found in the separate pages for each tribe.

Overview

The table presented below provides an overview of the following specific aspects for each tribe:

• Biology: Physical appearance and state.
• Environment: The biome a tribe is usually found in.
• Attributes:The tribe specific physical and mental advantages and disadvatages when compared to the "average Elyrian".

Click here to show the full overview table.

Concept Art	Name	Biome	Avg. Height	Avg. Weight	Build Description	Advantages	Disadvantages
	Brudvir ( listen)	Taiga	189 cm (6 ft. 2.4 in.)	102.06 kg (225 lb.) to 113.4 kg (250 lb.)	Muscular upper body	Minor resistance to cold and disease Sense Direction Tracking - Improved ability to track.	Very low tolerance for alcohol or other poisons and toxins. Crafting perfectionist - Crafting for the Brudvir takes slightly longer.
	Dras ( listen)	Salt Marsh, Swamp	195 cm (6 ft. 4.7 in.)	56.7 kg (125 lb.) to 68.04 kg (150 lb.)	Slender with long limbs	High Poison and Toxin Resistance - The swamp did much for the Dras, including bringing what was once their mild poison resistance - a trait still found in modern Janoa - into much more. Disease Immunity - Living around decay has caused them to develop total immunity to all known diseases. Iron Stomach - The Dras are able to eat foods that have decomposed or rotted and still gain the full nutritional benefits. Dirty Water - The Dras are able to drink contaminated liquids without suffering adverse effects. This includes alcohol, which results in them being very difficult to get drunk!	Palid Skin - Dras easily burn when exposed to sunnier biomes, which can become wounds.
	Hrothi ( listen)	Alpine Tundra, Alpine Coniferous Forest	146 cm (4 ft. 9.4 in.)	56.7 kg (125 lb.) to 68.04 kg (150 lb.)	Short and bulky	Strong upper bodies, suited for digging and mending of earth. Durable Underground senses Always know what direction you are facing underground Always know (roughly) time of day underground Short This allows them to fit into spaces most tribes cannot fit into Their crouching movement is not reduced the same as other tribes Darkvision - Ability to see underground with little to no light sources Earthen Crafting Expertise Naturally adept at researching new crafting patterns using stone materials Reduced crafting time when using stone materials	Slow - Move slower than most tribes and are incapable of performing vaulting maneuvers. Short Cannot reach objects as easily as other tribes Larger mounts are unusable Limited in the maximum size of objects they can wield
	Janoa ( listen)	Tropical Rainforest	190 cm (6 ft. 2.8 in.)	79.38 kg (175 lb.) to 90.72 kg (200 lb.)	Long upper body and arms	Striping - Patterned pigmentation in their skin that functions as camouflage while in jungles. Long Reach - A longer than average torso and arms provides the Janoa better reach in parkour. Poison Resistance - Being around poisonous flora and fauna in the jungle has improved the overall resistance of the Janoa to poisons.	Striping - Outside homeland often causes them to stand out and be less able to hide Wet Lung - In arid and dry environments, quicker to fatigue
	Kypiq ( listen)	Broadleaf Forest	122 cm (4 ft. 0 in.)	27.22 kg (60 lb.)	Short and petite	Small size - Ability to hide easier due to small size, can fit into tiny spaces most tribes can't. Enhanced Eyes - Eyes can see in low light, also glow similar to cannis rabbit in the dark. Animal Emotes - Emotes mimic animal sounds.	Small size Outside of natural biome have a hard time getting to higher places Limited by the type of gear they can wear and mounts that are available to them Vegetarians - Cannot draw the same amount of nutrients from meat and find themselves full long before they have the energy to continue on with their day to day life if they only rely on it as a source of food. Glass Jaw - Far more susceptible to heavy impacts and stuns
	Mydarri ( listen)	Saltwater Mangrove	174 cm (5 ft. 8.5 in.)	56.7 kg (125 lb.) to 68.04 kg (150 lb.)	Average
	Neran ( listen)	Grassland, Lower Montane Forest, Mixed Leaf Forest, Shrub Steppe	174 cm (5 ft. 8.5 in.)	68.04 kg (150 lb.)	Average	Can function at varying levels of effectiveness in the largest number of biomes. Approximately a 20% increase in the rate of learning new skills.
	Owem ( listen)	Savannah	186 cm (6 ft. 1.2 in.)		Tall and long-legged
	Erishé ( listen)	Arid Desert	174 cm (5 ft. 8.5 in.)		Average
	To'resk ( listen)	Tropical Wetland (Freshwater), Woodland Savannah, Tidal Marsh	157 cm (5 ft. 1.8 in.)	56.7 kg (125 lb.) to 68.04 kg (150 lb.)	Average	Water Wellness - Strong resistance to water exposure; able to maintain homeostasis in water longer. Sun Exposure - Resistant to exposure from direct sunlight and burn slower than other tribes. Leather Skin - Resistant to infection	Wet Lung - In arid and dry environments, they are quicker to fatigue and lose much of their resistances to exposure.
	The Waerd ( listen)	Semi-Arid Desert, Shrublands	170 cm (5 ft. 6.9 in.)	68.04 kg (150 lb.)	Average	Forgettable - Bonus to disguises, and identities provided (optionally) are forgotten more quickly Unisex - Males & females wear the same clothing Extended Family - Most family mechanics are extended to all members of a settlement Bolstering is active among any Waerd of a settlement Family chat is extended to all members of a settlement Death-sense and Tethering extend to all members of a settlement Communal Housing - The Waerd do not require a room in their domicile to procreate, and instead just require an available room in the settlement - including orphanages.	Communal Property - All members of settlement have access to all spaces and property of other Waerd in the settlement; no access restrictions available to other members of a settlement Shadow War - Cannot participate in staged battles (on battlefields) or violate their religious and cultural edicts Dry Lung - Fatigue more quickly in humid environments
	Yoru ( listen)	Tundra	225 cm (7 ft. 4.5 in.)		Large and tall

Click here to collapse the full overview table.

Societal Themes

Each tribe in Elyria has socio-cultural focus on two major societal themes. These relate to how they view and interact with the world. In other words, each tribe has a primary and secondary theme that guides them in defining their values, goals, social behavior, culture, and motivation.

Four distinguishable themes are defined. These are: Gladiatorial, Political, Commercial, and Civic.

Gladiatorial Primary Focus
Focus on Combat and exploration. Best suited for physical domination and survival.

• Janoa: Gladiatorial/Political
• Owem: Gladiatorial/Civic
• Brudvir: Gladiatorial/Commercial

Political Primary Focus
Focus on information exchange and gossip.Those mostly involved in travel or inter-tribe communication.

• Neran: Political/Gladiatorial
• To'resk: Political/Civic
• Erishé: Polticial/Commercial

Civic Primary Focus
Focus on settlement building. Those that have a particularly difficult native biome, or have an unusual housing model, and thus have more reason to focus on settlement building.

• Yoru: Civic/Gladiatorial
• Waerd: Civic/Political
• Dras: Civic/Commercial *

Commercial Primary Focus
Focus on money - primarily through free-market trade and crafting. Have an affinity for crafting or long-distance travel (merchants).

• Hrothi: Commercial/Gladiatorial
• Mydarri: Commercial/Polticial
• Kypiq: Commercial/Civic **

*The Dras tend to trade a decent amount in the south, but beyond that, their ability to work with jet, bog iron, ivory, and others - has made them capable crafters. **Kypiq don't travel a lot, but they are amazing crafters - specifically tinkerers. Kypiq need to compensate for their small size, so they do so with invention and ingenuity. Like tree houses.

Relationships

The diagram to the left shows the general disposition between the twelve Tribes; tribes that are traditionally friendly or allied are connected with a blue line, while tribes that are traditionally hostile or rivals are connected with a red line. Each tribe is also labeled with its primary religion.

A graph showing the general relationships (positive and negative) between the Tribes

Playstyle Considerations

For players who wish to weigh their options playing a character of one of the starting tribes, Caspian shared some brief insights in the considerations to take into account when making your choice before selecting a soul for your character.

These considerations are presented in the table below and may be expanded upon as mechanics, characteristics and common insights evolve. These considerations are also included on the pages for each of the starting tribes.

HOLD: It is unknown if players will ever be able to select characters descending from other tribes than the original starting tribes!

Click here to show the full playstyle considerations table.

Tribe	Playstyle considerations
Brudvir	"Isolated, Solitary, Close-knit. The Brudvir are almost always the furthest northern tribe, and lack any interaction with the outside world aside from the Hrothi and sometimes the Neran. Play the Brudvir if you're looking to master your skills in solitude or with a close-knit group of friends. Do not play the Brudvir if you're looking to create a massive settlement with hundreds or thousands of other people. Of course, they can learn to be good at sea or ocean travel, and have the lumber and means to do so. So they're also a great skirmisher clan, both on land and at sea. If you don't mind going south into the cool temperate biomes, they also make great bounty hunters."
Dras	"Acceptance and Beauty. The Dras are perhaps the most miss-represented of the tribes. On the outside they are often seen as ghoulish, ugly, and emaciated. Even the "healthier" of them pale in comparison to the Neran or To'resk in beauty. But, the Dras are all about finding the beauty in non-visual things. They find beauty in song, simplicity, effort, bravery, and perseverance. The Dras are the epitome of the idea that when the world gives you lemons, make lemonade. In spite of their persecution, and being outcast, they insist on finding the silver lining in all things. They understand the nature of the world better than anyone. They do not feel cheated by their circumstances, but view each challenge or difficulty as something to be overcome. While external beauty is not something they aim for, and as such they often use substitute materials than what might be used by the other tribes, they are still more than capable of creating beautiful tools and fine arts. Because of their past experiences with the To'resk and Janoa, they are among the best at reading people. They are often called upon by the other tribes to serve as adjudicators, counselors, and trusted advisors. They are wise, calm, collected, and typically not prone to hot tempers. Play the Dras if you value "alternate forms of beauty", "roleplay," and overcoming adversity." Play the Dras if you want to favor intellectual and a touch of social pursuits over the martial. Do not play the Dras if you're looking for skirmishers or heavy martial tribes."
Hrothi	"The Hrothi are an organized clan with an inherent caste and social hierarchy. They value age, wisdom, and the beauty of the eternal. Play the Hrothi if you want to play with a group of organized people who have a very focused, driven purpose. The Hrothi take their role as Shield of Virtue seriously, if they don't entirely know why, so also play Hrothi if you enjoy RP'ing a decent amount. Above all though, the Hrothi are a defensive, stalwart tribe. So if you want to play a defensive, stable, solid tribe, that tends to keep to their own but feels they have a purpose, go for it. Unlike the Brudvir, they make terrible skirmishers. They are great front-liners, but you'll always hear a Hrothi coming. If you want pitched battles, digging, tunnels, libraries, and hoarding - everything, knowledge, wealth, influence, religious relics, etc. The Hrothi are a great tribe."
Janoa	"Bravery and Strength. The Janoa value the hunt and physical prowess over all things. They seek only to evolve into the best martial versions of themselves. Seeking to attain enlightenment through combat, none of the tribes are as dangerous in one-on-one combat as the Janoa. But the Janoa also value tradition, ceremony, and status within their tribe. Often going to dangerous lengths to increase their position in the tribe. On the flipside, while they value tradition, ceremony, and strength, they have very little positive to say about the other aspects of a person's life, and while the Dras are perhaps the most accepting of others, the Janoa are the least. Put simply, personal goals, strength, and ambition is of the highest importance. Play the Janoa if you want to play a strong and fast tribe. Play the Janoa if you want to be a hired militia, bounty hunter, or other skilled champion. Play the Janoa if you want to play a tribe keen on conquering and expansion through military conflict. Do not play the Janoa if you want to play a strong social or intellectual tribe. Also do not play the Janoa if you want to interact with a large number of other players or cultures. Like the Brudvir in the north, they are the furthest south and typically will only see players of the To'resk, Dras, or Janoan tribes."
Kypiq	"Inventive. They say necessity is the mother of invention. Nothing is more true than with the Kypiq. Their diminutive size makes them easy targets for most other tribes and animals while on the ground. So the Kypiq will typically stick to the trees as much as possible when in their own biomes. At the same time, they use inventions as a way to offset their disadvantages. If man evolved because of our use of tools, then arguably the Kypiq are the most evolved of all of mann-kind. At the same time, when they are on the ground they rely on stealth, subterfuge, and trickery to make themselves seem more dangerous or less obvious. Both approaches work. In terms of play, the Kypiq face many obstacles as a tribe, which typically brings the tribe together as one. The kypiq are likely to attract a warmer, friendly group of players due to the inherent challenges they face. I expect a good deal of roleplay as well to offset the inherent stress and anxiety that comes from being such easy targets. So play the kypiq if you want to have fun, tinker, and hang out in the trees. Do not play the Kypiq if you're looking to conquer, expand, or dominate martially."
Neran	"Diversity. The Neran are the most adaptive, which allows them to exist in virtually all temperature regions. They span from the Lower Montane Forest in the sub-arctic, cool temperate, all the way to the Grasslands and Shrublands in the sub-tropical. They are the jack of all trades and the masters of none. Play the Neran if you want mounted combat, animal taming and breeding, and focus on a broad set of crafting and other skills. They are the Riders of Rohan and the Dunedain. Because of their jack-of-all trade nature, they are attractive to less hardcore players, and will thus likely have less RP'ers. If you enjoy a custom meta, play the Neran. But do not play the Neran if you're looking for the same deep, meaningful story integration, and strong tribal culture that exists within the other tribes. Their adaptive nature means that the Neran have no real identity of their own to speak of."
To'resk	"Society, Courtliness, and Comfort. The To'resk are the "Nerans of the south," however their different religion and role in the Godswars have put them down a different path. They interact with and act as traders, brokers, and merchants with all of the southern tribes, as well as several of the northern tribes. They are among the most skillful in social skills and value wealth and mercantilism. Because trading and deals are so much a part of their culture, they value honesty and integrity perhaps more than other tribe. As a result, they both deal harshly with criminals, and have also become the masters of telling the truth without telling the whole truth. But that is not all there is to the To'resk. Like the Neran, they have many skills, but unlike the Neran, the To'resk have a more divided society. At one end are the aristocrats and courtiers, while on the other end there's the rice farmers, fishers, and sailors. But this division of culture also provides some of the best opportunity to rise up through the ranks. Play the To'resk if you want to be heavily involved in the Dance of Dynasties, want to rise up through the ranks to build a noble house, or want to play a sailor, merchant, or trader. Do not play the To'resk if you want be a strong martial or military society, as the To'resk value the pen over the sword."
The Waerd	"Community and obligation. The Waerd value their community in a way none of the other tribes do. The Waerd see their strength as an open collective, relying on everyone to make their society better. They work toward their utopia, while at the same time trying to do the Will of the Queen. From a gameplay standpoint, the Waerd are skillful in many things, both intellectual as well as martial, and are great information gatherers. In their own biomes they fill virtually every role, while out in the other biomes they act as craftspeople on loan, information brokers, spies, and even assassins. Their major weakness is that they are hampered on the battlefield. The mechanics typically associated with pitched battles and group combat doesn't work on a battlefield for the Waerd. As a result, they are both less effective on a battlefield, and also in greater danger than the other tribes. Play Waerd if you want to build a community utopia, and work together with other players towards and idealist community. Play Waerd if you want to be an assassin, merchant, information broker, spy, etc. Do not play Waerd if you are a solo player, prefer to just quest all day, and are looking for pitched battles."

Click here to collapse the full playstyle considerations table.