THE NURI There are a number of ethnic groups in Greyfalls. Jew- elry and clothing styles tend to be the main distinguishing marks between them, although facial features play a role as well. The Nuri are the most powerful of these ethnicities: The Realm draws from this tribe for judges and local offi cials quite frequently, as the Nuri were the original inhabitants around the city of Greyfalls itself. The Nuri have curly red- black hair and gray-brown skin. They tend to wear silver and amber jewelry, and the men dress in caftans and trousers, with elaborately wrapped turbans on their heads. Women wear long cotton or silk saris embroidered or woven with elaborate patterns. The Nuri like bright colors and startling contrasts: a yellow tur- ban might be matched with a blue caftan or a purple sari with a bright green veil. They are the second-smallest but sec- ond-wealthiest ethnic group in Greyfalls. The Nuri were once a tribal people, locally reviled and fre- quently enslaved, but the Realm released them from bondage and armed them. In return, the Nuri became the Realm’s loyal servants. Over time, they have become a caste of mer- chants and magistrates. Endowed by the Realm with the symbols of power, they have relished and retained them for more than 600 years. Other ethnicities in Greyfalls resent them for controlling so many of the best opportunities for work. The Nuri constantly worry that a new satrap might replace their faction with another.
