he folk of Arkandale vary in appearance, though most are fair-skinned and handsome. Young Arkandale women are known to be particularly beautiful. The common folk dress simply in workclothes that minimize the oppressive heat. The plantation families, however, usually insist on fashions of the highest quality from Dementlieu, Mordent, and Ricoba. The language of Arkandale is similar to Mordentish, but the Arkandale dialect has a lazy drawl to it that exceeds even that of Mordent. The dialect is sufficiently divergent that many folk from Dementlieu have a difficult time understanding Arkandalens initially.

Most of the common folk in Arkandale are farmers or craftsmen. In contrast to the wealthy plantation owner, the simple country farmer must work hard just to scrape by. Poor farming families are at the bottom of Arkandale society (above slaves, but just barely). Practicing a trade in town is more prosperous and respectable. Weaponsmiths, tinsmiths, woodcarvers, weavers, tobacconists, candymakers, distillers, and a other various cottage laborers produce a wide variety of local goods. Both crops and manufactured items are sold directly to river merchants, who then turn a tidy profit selling them in other domains.

Arkandalens are an odd and strangely intimidating lot. On the surface, their demeanor ranges from the genteel facade of the plantation families to the genial, rough edges of the poor folk. Strangers are examined with interest and treated to a deliberate hospitality. Yet Arkandalens can be incredibly suspicious and insular. They seem to have a tension about them, as if they are all struggling to keep something hidden. Despite their superficially friendly nature, most Arkandalens view foreigners as potential troublemakers at best or unholy influences at worst.

Nothing inspires more fear, folklore, and gossip in Arkandalens than the werewolves that infest the domain. The life of every Arkandalen child is seeded with gruesome tales of lycanthropes and their unfortunate victims. The resultant paranoia often leads the Arkandalens to acts of hysteria; the lynching of an innocent who displayed "suspicious behavior" is not uncommon on a sweltering Arkandale night.

Most Arkandalens are staunchly religious folk. Their "religion", the Narrow Path of Righteousness, is actually a moral philosophy without much ritual or mythology. Priests have no hierarchy, recieve no formal training, and lead by charisma and moral example. Followers of the Path profess a belief that the gods bestowed upon mankind responsibility for its own fate. It is believed that people must behave according to a strict code of moral conduct in order to reach the afterlife. This morality—dictated by a ponderous sacred text—is an important part of every Arkandalen's life, feeding their already leery and hateful nature. Even the tiniest villages have meeting houses where parsons give fiery sermons on the temptations of the flesh.

Arkandale is home to people other than the pale-skinned Arkandalens themselves. Most obvious are the nearly 2,000 dark-skinned folk used by the Arkandalens as slaves. These people have the very dark brown skin and tightly curled hair typical of tropical climes. They seem to remember a homeland beyond the Sea of Sorrows, but speak of it with almost mythic reverence. Though most have been superficially converted to the religion of the Arkandalens, many still worship old gods, god-kings, or spirits imported from this distant land. Oddly, this religion resembles the spirit-worship of Souragne. Similarly strange is the occassional Voodan who appears in Arkandale, peddling all manner of charms, hexes and hoodoo.

The status of slaves is abysmally low. Simply put, they are considered property, to be used and abused at the leisure of their masters. Life is universally harsh for slaves, characterized by ceaseless toil in the plantation fields. Freed slaves are unheard of in Arkandale, although a handful of "fugitive" slaves lurk in the darkest reaches of the woodlands. Slavery is vital to the Arkandale economy, and so revolt is always on the minds of the Arkandalens, particularly the plantation owners.

Arkandale's other notable residents are the Ohatchee. They are an aboriginal people, the original inhabitants of Arkandale according to domain's current residents. Generally, the Ohatchee have earthy skin and straight, black hair. They dress in typical barbarian fashion, adorned with skins, beadwork, woven fabric, and tattoos. Most Arkandalens fear the Ohatchee as all-purpose bogeymen and savages, and associate them with werewolves and witchcraft. This is not far from the truth—there are hardly any Ohatchee remaining in Arkandale who are not true werewolves. A few human Ohatchee remain, living secluded lives far from the eyes of the villagers. They try to maintain the simple, animistic lifestyle of the past and avoid the predations of the werewolves. However, the impressive mound villages that their ancestors built are no more, and what little culture they have is rapidly vanishing.