Visual appearance

The nomads appear nearly human at first glance. But there are two, distinctly nomadic traits that set them apart. First, their eyes: black corneas with irises in violet, blue, or emerald. In the perfect dark, they glow slightly. The second: their skin. Which sparkles slightly, due to a crystaline element that has become a part of their biology. Their skin, in effect, is partly crystal. Which means they have tougher skin, and that they can really stand out on a bright day.  

Attributes and personality

Honor and valor are paramount to the Nomads. They believe in living nobly. And in living for their tribe, and then their people. Just as with the Uxulu, the Nomads have developed traditions to help them better cohabitate and cooperate as tribes and as a people with a shared culture. The difference, is that where the Uxulu have built traditions to avoid opportunities for offense, the Nomads have built traditions around how to respond to the offenses.   And it is usually through a contest of strength, survival or combat.   The nomads wouldn't consider themselves a violent people. And view most violence as useless and wasteful, at least as they see it expressed in other cultures. But there's no denying that the nomads are also not shy about using violence to settle matters of honor. They are more hunters, than warriors (The Blood being the exception). Feats of strength or survival are the more common methods of conflict resolution. But the trials by combat, when they do occur, tend to lean more on hunting weapons such as javelins, nets, and bows, than swords or shields.  

Politics

Each tribe runs itself independently. They are given much freedom to operate as they deem fit, and to create the laws within their tribal body that fit their needs. The only 'law' that exists in their society, that applies to everyone and every tribe, is the Words of the Heart. Part phiosophy, part manifesto, part legal code, the Words of the Heart is taught to every Nomad at a young age — verbally until they memorize it — and covers what is honorable, what is cowardly, and even some specific punishments or ways to address being wronged or dishonored.   There is no shared political leader of the Nomads. But when they come together each year in The Heart, a representative is chosen from each tribe to go forth to a meeting of the tribal-heads. And they discuss what they've seen/encountered during the year, any coordinated efforts that may need doing, and set out any inter-tribe conflict that must be settled during the week. In this way, no intertribal conflict lasts more than a year, and prevents much feuding and inter-tribe bickering.  

Religion

For the Nomads, the crystals around them are seen as manifestations of the divine. They are seen as the natural reaction when the divine and the material come in contact. They find much profundity in the crystal as a metaphor. Slow but inevitable, taking a view of eons over the days and hours, being harder than stone, but sharp. And yet, also willing to break, unlike stubborn stone that will be unbroken despite persuasion.   Because they see themselves as living among the divine, they consider their lives like living in a holy place. And as such, religion as separate from each moment seems strange to them. In a way, everything is holy to them — the profound as well as the mundane. The Heart is their holy of holies though. And The Blood, their holy templars, effectively. Warriors embodying the methaphor of crystal to keep their holy-land safe.   While they do think of themselves as close to the crystal, because of their skin, and because of their ability to become The Blood — they don't consider other races lesser as a result. Merely unlucky, doomed to never fully comprehend the holy experience of the crystals.   The ideals in the religion tend toward the legalistic, ordered, unforgiving within the system. Harsh and fair.    

Perception of Other Races

 

Humans

Soft and illogical. Why do they make things so complicated? At the end of the day, what more is needed to find fulfillment than a successful hunt, your tribe around a fire telling stories, and intimacy with the Heart? Why chase wealth or fame or any other number of things?  

Maka

While they respect the maka from a martial sense, they don't entirely trust them. They are also extremely alien to them. The geodic caverns are hard, scrabbly places. Where precision and attention and self-discipline are paramount for survival. But the Maka, soft, not-quite-fleshy beings from a bountiful land of extravagance? They seem like a people out of balance.  

Uxulu

The respect between Uxulu and Geodic Nomads is mutual and deep. They see in their northern cousins a reflection of their own battle for survival and spiritual awakening. They do seem a little to gentle or passive for most Geodic Nomad's taste. And so there can be a bit of condescension in their attitudes towards the Uxulu, as if they were an older brother.  

Wakewalkers

No opinion, no one has ever encountered one.  

Cultures (Sub-races)

There are two cultural types of tribes within the Nomadic cultures: the Hunters and the Blood.  

The Hunters

The Marrow is a hard place. But, for those willing to bend and adapt, it is a place full of life. The Hunters make up the great bulk of the Geodic Nomads. These are the men, women, and children who spend their days focused largerly on the present. Following their food source. They are master hunters and trackers — living in perfectly balanced harmony with their environment. They seek intimacy with the holy presence in all things.   Ability Score Increase
+1 to DEX and INT   Geodic Attunement
Gain advantage on ability checks or saving throws related to nature skills, tracking, or survival skills (in the outdoors).   Hungry Hungry Hunter
If you hunt, kill, and prepare an animal to be eaten — and share it with a companion — give that companion inspiration. This gives them advantage on an attack, saving throw, or ability check of their choosing. Does not stack. Does not expire.  

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The Blood

Having survived the initiation, the Blood are the religious, martial law-keepers and defenders of the larger Geodic society. Within the confines of the tribe they act as judge and arbiter. On the frontlines they are an implacable enemy, giving no ground without making the enemy earn it. Their world is one of law, the greater good, and a deep commitment to honoring their position as appendages to the body of the Tribes.   Ability Score Increase
+1 to STR and CON   Blood-eye
The shard of crystal Heart in your left eye allows you to sense when things nearby aren't as they should be. Gain advantage on perception checks and DEX saving throws (against things you can see).   Reckless Attack
Starting at 2nd level, you can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn.