The people of Nidal

[Glewistee]

What ethnicity are the people of Nidal (Nidali, Nadialians, Dals?)? What language do they speak?

The Horselords made their pact with Zon-Kuthon at the beginning of the Age of Darkness. It appears that they remained isolated for the next 4,300 years when they were conquered by Cheliax. Even after the conquest they were given an unpressedented amount of autonomy.

Both the Cheliaxians and the Taldens claim to be desendents of Azlanti survivors. The Horselords, on the other hand, seem to have had a distinct culture when Azlant fell.

I could see them being an off-shoot of the Varisians or the Shoanti. But after over 4 thousand years of isolation, wouldn't they have developed a distinct language?

After 300 years under Chelaxian rule, they would probably all speek common (Cheliaxian), but 4000+ years of linguistic history is hard to stamp out.

[Glewistee]

Bump

[Lord Gadigan]

The primary Human ethnicity of Nidal appears to be Varisians from what I can tell, though there's significant cultural differences from other Varisian groups. It apparently also contains a notable number of Tians (though I have no info on where in Tian-Xia they're from or which Tian sub-ethnicity they are). As far as non-humans go, it appears to have a notable number of Halflings and Half-Orcs.

They speak Common (Chelish/Taldane), Shadowtongue (Mostly-unique to the region and containing influence from Taldane, Infernal, and Azlanti), and Varisian.

[Glewistee]

Lord Gadigan wrote:

The primary Human ethnicity of Nidal appears to be Varisians from what I can tell, though there's significant cultural differences from other Varisian groups. It apparently also contains a notable number of Tians (though I have no info on where in Tian-Xia they're from or which Tian sub-ethnicity they are). As far as non-humans go, it appears to have a notable number of Halflings and Half-Orcs.

They speak Common (Chelish/Taldane), Shadowtongue (Mostly-unique to the region and containing influence from Taldane, Infernal, and Azlanti), and Varisian.

can you tell me where that information comes from?

[Lord Gadigan]

The Inner Sea World Guide. The bits on the ethnicities aren't in Nidal's entry; they're in the entries for those ethnicities. The languages are in an info-block at the start of Nidal's section.

[Jeven]

The Nidalese were around before Earthfall 10,000 years ago. So surely after all that time they would be a different ethnicity, even if they originally were from the same stock as the Varisians of ancient Thassilon.

They might also be related to the lost tribal peoples of places like Molthune, Isger and Andoran who have since been replaced by Cheliaxians. The region entries mention a few ancient tribal ruins left over from these as well as the ancient hill tribes which still exist in remote corners of Isger.

[Glewistee]

Lord Gadigan wrote:

The Inner Sea World Guide. The bits on the ethnicities aren't in Nidal's entry; they're in the entries for those ethnicities. The languages are in an info-block at the start of Nidal's section.

I saw the Shadowspeak bit in the info-block, but assumed it was the same as the Infernal language in the Cheliax block, an outsider language. I guess it actually helps to read the language descriptions in the book.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction...