Mulan

The Mulan were a human ethnic group non-native to Toril, typically found in East Faerûn. "How great are the Mulan, of which Unther is the purest! How great are their works, how cunningly wrought! How skilled are their minds and how mighty is their magic! Let all nations praise the Mulan, of which Unther is the purest!"

- An hymn sung by priests of Gilgeam in the mid-14 century DR

Description
Mulan were typically tall and thin with a sallow skin tone and brown or hazel eyes. Lower class Mulan of Thay, Mulhorand, and Unther frequently had significant Rashemi or Turmish blood, resulting in darker complexions. Pure Mulan features were rare in Chessenta due to mixing with the nearby Chondathans. Mulan often had little body hair, ranging in color from black to dark brown, and all nobles and many other Mulan of both genders shaved any hair they did have. Mulan generally preferred simple, unadorned clothing, particularly those that worshiped the god-kings, so as not to outshine them. Other differences in appearance varied by region; for example, Mulan Red Wizards of Thay were often heavily tattooed.

History
The history of the Mulan was deeply intertwined with the history of the nations of Mulhorand, Unther, Chessenta, and Thay.

The Mulan were first brought to Toril through portals to another world created by wizard rulers of the Imaskar Empire. They were used as slaves and for many years their fervent prayers went unanswered because of the magical Imaskar barrier. However, with the help of Ao, mortal avatars of the slaves' deities from the Mulhorandi pantheon were able to circumvent the barrier and defeat the Imaskari. Following the fall of this empire the Mulan fled from Raurin, eventually settling around Wizards' Reach and the Alamber Sea. Over time they either killed or drove out many of the area's native demihuman and humanoid races, as well as humans.

For many generations, god-king avatars of the Mulhorandi and Untheric deities ruled these empires and led to the development of a powerful priest class. Those who practiced arcane magic struggled under their heavy-handed rule and eventually rebelled, forming the independent nation of Thay, ruled by Red Wizards of Mulan descent.

Society
Mulan were an arrogant, conservative group, resistant to change and convinced of their cultural superiority over all others. In Thay, many even believed they were above the gods. Mulan felt they were more civilized, inventive, and capable than other ethnic groups and believed strongly in the values of order and discipline. All upper and middle class Mulan received at least some education, and apprenticeship at a young age was common. Mulan followed the rigid class structures of their society, and the practice of slavery was commonplace.

They also had a strong tradition in the use of magic, but disagreed over the pursuit of arcane versus divine magic. The arcane arts were lauded in Thay, but distrusted in Mulhorand and Unther.

Regions
The Mulan had controlled the eastern shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars since the fall of ancient Imaskar. They had been the ruling elite in many different nations throughout their long history, including Ashanath, Chessenta, the Eastern Shaar, Mulhorand, Murghom, Rashemen, Semphar, Thay, Thesk, Unther, and the Wizard's Reach cities south of the Yuirwood. They could be found throughout Faerun in other regions as well.

Language
Mulan spoke Common as well as one of the many tongues of the Rauric language family, depending on their homeland. Untheric was spoken in Unther and used Dethek runes as an alphabet. Mulhorandi (language) was spoken in Mulhorand, Murghom, Semphar, and Thay and used the Celestial (language) alphabet, except in Thay where it used the Infernal alphabet. Chessentan language was spoken in Chessenta and the Wizard's Reach. It used the Thorass alphabet as well as Dethek runes and was closely related to Untheric.

Religion
Today, Mulan of Mulhorand, Unther, Semphar, and Murghom worshiped the Mulhorandi pantheon. Felines were also revered and considered divine agents. Most of the Untheric pantheon died and were absorbed by the Faerûnian pantheon during the Time of Troubles. Only Hoar and Tiamat survived and were still worshiped today. Mulan of Thay, Chessenta, and the Wizard's reach, if they worshiped a deity at all, were likely to choose from the Faerûnian pantheon. Unusual for a human culture, Mulan generally believed that the afterlife would be a mirror of the mortal realm, and thus prepared for it obsessively.