The Esh are the predominant human ethno-linguistic group of the Esuin Sea the Island of the Three Kingdoms and to a lesser extent in the nation of Swoyai. They are not a united people as history has divided them into several distinct groups which now bear only a passing resemblance to each other. Those of the northern Esuin Sea have had long dealings with the nyezza and in certain regions the only reliable distinction between the two is a matter of height. The esh of the Three Kingdoms are quite different from their northern cousins, being monarchical in their politics and decidedly less involved in trade and colonization. The northern branch, found in parts of the Esuin League and in Swoyai, have preserved many of the ancient traditions of the esh including their oddly democratic traditions, religion, and social customs.

Description

Physiology

The esh are not generally a large people either in height or in breadth, indeed they tend to be both short and slight. It is rare indeed to find an esh who passes the height of six feet or whose build could be called robust. They are a medium complected people, with skin tones ranging from coppery to a pale ocher. The eyes tend to be largeish and slightly almond shaped and of a pale brown, hazel, or greenish color.

Hair color varies among them, but browns and blacks are the most common. In texture, somewhat coarse, wavy hair predominates and straight hair is usually the product of styling. Among males, beards are generally thick but their popularity varies from region to region. Among the Navarese of Nacáil, a 'golden age of mutton chops' is currently in full swing while in Orothos beards seem to be less outlandish.

Dress and Personal Adornment

The clothing of the esh draws heavily from surround cultures but there are several items of dress that are either unique to them or originated in eshan cultures. The most notable of these is a kind of loose turban popular throughout the Esuin region, especially with sailors and merchants. This sort of turban is usually made with a fringed scarf and often drapes down over the shoulders. There is a custom of carrying a folded cloth game board in these turbans so that common dice or stone games can be played whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Among the northern esh a toga-like garment is commonly worn as a kind of coat or cloak. Several yards of alpaca wool cloth are wrapped and draped over a more simple garment consisting of a long shirt or tunic and a pair of loose linen pants and fastened with decorative pins and broaches. The toga-sash itself is often trimmed in elaborate brocade while the main body of the sash is usually of a single color (often sage green or ivory). Although this garment fell out of favor in the last two centuries, it is one again popular among the northern esh and has seen a similar resurgence in other locales.

The esh of the Three Kingdoms tend to dress differently from their northern cousins, a fact that is greatly influenced by the climate. In the south, winters are hard and long and even in the height of summer it is not an overly warm locale. And so it is that the southern esh favor long, heavy coats of alpaca wool, tighter wound turbans, and high sturdy boots.