Olan Merkander is a half-breed D'jabareen Deceiver from the mainland. He's an accomplished thief, performer, and charlatan, stealing from the nobility to help the starving masses across Chromaldus. Olan's deeds are so legendary that the Ballad of Merkander sings his praises wherever he goes.

Orange eyes and pointed ears immediately identify Olan as both a half-breed and a southerner; two traits that are not well received in Old Sarzonn. Without his ability to disguise himself, Olan would have a terrible time surviving the streets of such a prejudiced city. 

Merkander's abilities include his Deceiver illusion magic, and melee combat prowess. Olan is skilled with changing his appearance at will, often holding difficult patterns for hours on end with minimal concentration. Additionally, he is a skilled performer of multiple instruments, which serves him as a wandering foreigner bard, traveling from city to city to ply his trade.

But what makes Olan Merkander a "foreigner?" Let's take a look at what's meant by that term...

As a mostly-human city, anyone who isn't "bog-standard" local human is considered a foreigner. With this label comes benefits and drawbacks, and citizens often think differently about their neighbors from outside the city limits. 

Chromaldus is roughly broken up into three areas; the Maurandiyan northern territory, the middle band, and the D'jabareen south. These areas have populations with certain eye colors, as illustrated above. Maurandiyans have green, blue, purple, or pink eyes. D'jabarese have red, orange, or yellow eyes. Everyone else is considered one of the bog-standard humans or Outsiders. 

A person can tell the region someone is from based on their eye color, pupil shape, and skin color. Humans on Chromaldus have the same chromatic range of skin colors as those from Earth. Outsiders, meanwhile, come in a rainbow of pastel colors, with the most common being blue, purple, green, and orange. 

For example, Khazmine is exemplary a Maurandiyan half-breed, due to her blue eyes, pale-lilac skin, and long, pointed ears. Additionally, her hair color is a dead giveaway; Outsiders usually have pale white, silver, or light gray hair. A black-haired Outsider can only be a half-breed, as it is unlikely that one would have dark hair otherwise. 

Were it not for her black hair, Khazmine could easily pass for an Outsider. Her blue eyes indicate that she was from the Maurandiyan northern territory, likely by the stronghold city of Cretory, based on her subtle accent and manners. Because of her heritage and appearance, Khazmine has a difficult time adapting to a mostly human city like Old Sarzonn. Still, if there's one thing Khazmine is, it's resilient. She's found ways to adapt and hide among Cheapsiders, at least enough to survive.

As another example, Pavocinis Asteras is a D'jabareen half-breed. His earthy, sepia-tone skin and black hair are from his human parent, while pointed ears and vertical slit pupils are distinctly Outsider traits. Red eyes are a southerner trait, telling onlookers that this man is a southerner long before he speaks.

It's worth noting that human skin tones are not geographically limited on Chromaldus. Due to the constant intermingling of people in varied places across the globe, it's not uncommon to see pale-skinned southerners and dark-skinned northerners. Khazmine's father, Radin Asteras, had hazel-colored eyes, dark, sepia-colored skin, and black hair; all common human traits.