The Tribes

The ancestors of the humans now living in Cerilia were six tribes of man, five living on the continent to the south of the island, and one living far to the east. The six peoples, while their cultures varied widely, venerated a common pantheon. Each tribe worshipped a particular god above the rest. These gods each favored a particular tribe over the others, lending their attributes to those who followed them.
The tribes each considered their patron to be the head of the patron, but generally agreed that the portfolios of the gods were: the god of nobility and war, Anduiras; the god of the forests, mountains and rivers, Reynir; the goddess of commerce and fortune, Brenna; the lord of moon and magic, Vorynn; Masela, the lady of the seas; the queen of the sun and light of reason, Basaïa; and finally, the face of evil, Azrai the Shadow.
Those who followed Anduiras called themselves Andu. They sought the path of conflict and honor, the Andu are now known as the Anuireans. Those who followed Reynir were called Rjuven, now known as the Rjurik. They communed with nature as best they knew how and lived as hunters and nomads. The Brecht, who later colonized Brechtür venerated Brenna, and cultivated sharp wits and nimble fingers. The Vos were diviners and illusionists, seeking a deeper understanding of themselves and of magic near-independent of their distant god Vorynn. The Masetian people were sailors, braving the seas under the aegis of Masela.
Though the tribes occasionally squabbled among each other, their true enemy lay to the south, in the decadent empires of the continent. Mythology among the tribes held that the Shadow led the emperors along paths of corruption and destruction. Thus, when the empires turned their attentions to the people in the northern lands, the leaders of the Five Tribes knew it was time to flee that land -- into the realms dominated by the faerie folk and monsters -- into Cerilia.
In Cerilia the Masetians encountered the Basarji, horse-nomads from far off Djapar who had braved the seas in search of a better life. The Basarji revered Basaïa above all others, but respected the goddess Masela and so were accepted by the Masetians for the most part, though the Masetians were said to consider the Basarji backward and many ancient Basarji writings indicate that the Masetians scorned the Basarji in many ways - a scorn that reaped a bitter harvest after Deismaar when the crushed Masetians were absorbed by the Basarji.