Greetings everyone,
First off I'd like to say it's a pleasure to be here. This is a wonderful site and I was blown away by the quality of the resources available - most helpful. I'd also like to say I've only recently taken an active interest in the Planescape setting, having come from a background of primarily Forgotten Realms Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying (starting with 2nd Edition AD&D and most recently with 3.5 Edition D&D). It's an incredibly refreshing campaign setting, with seemingly limitless possibilities. Anyway, I've rambled on enough - time to get to the point.
I'm trying to develop a subrace of planar humans, and knowing my limitations I realized I needed the help of experts. Basically, I have a concept and a few undeveloped ideas, but my knowledge of the setting is limited (though I've been doing a lot of reading) and I'm here to humbly ask for your help. Note that I've got access to just about any 3rd Edition (or 3.5 Edition) WoTC sourcebook, all the 2nd Edition official Planescape material, many TSR 2nd Edition sourcebooks and a few more from other publishers, so don't be afraid to reference a source.
THE CONCEPT
The concept is basically a militaristic warrior-people subrace of humans who have adapted to living in a harsh, unforgiving environment (after doing some reading, I thought perhaps Gehenna, but is this unrealistic? Perhaps the Outlands near Torch would be better?). They were once a fairly ordered, united stratocratic society (think ancient Sparta). Their society was organized into clans, each with a Chief. Military prowess determined fitness to rule, with the strongest among them holding the position of Chief of Chiefs (at least until challenged and defeated by a subordinate), holding dominion over all the clans. Selective breeding, rigorous training and deadly rites of passage ensured only the strongest and healthiest survived to adulthood. Because military prowess determined social status, and because of the harsh conditions under which they were forced to survive, women were judged by the same standards as men and held an equal role in society as warriors. Justice was determined by trial by combat, with the victor having the right of it. They were an insular and self-concerned people, probably neutral in alignment - they're amoral and self-concerned, but possess their own unique sense of honor. Spellcasters were non-existant among their people, being reviled as the antithesis of the warrior. Because of the fiercely self-reliant nature of their society, their focus on conflict and having adapted to living in a harsh and unforgiving environment (for example, Gehenna), their race held no patron deity, with the worship of powers being seen as irrelevant (even detrimental) to being completely independent and self-sufficient. They are survivors first and foremost.
This is the basic background of the race, but I also had an idea for some recent history that would make them a little more versatile and interesting. Basically, a cataclysmic event perhaps a generation or two ago has caused the dissolution of their unified society. My idea was that the Yugoloths saw these warrior-people as potential rivals as mercenaries in the Blood War (indeed, perhaps they had functioned in this capacity) and stormed their settlement, eventually slaying the Chief of Chiefs and many others. The remainder scattered in order to ensure their survival, becoming a race of nomadic planeswalking mercenaries. With the race scattered across the planes, their society and traditions (language and belief system) may be eroding - for example, some might become religious (likely worshipping powers associated with the portfolios of Strength, War, etc.) or even spellcasters (likely favoring flashy destructive spells from the school of Evocation).
Anyway, enough background - I'm sure you get the idea. Apart from general suggestions, advice or questions (all of which are most welcome), I need help with the following issues/questions:
Is the Gehenna idea/Yugoloth history viable? The research I've done seems to suggest that Gehenna would be near-uninhabitable for a subrace of humans.
If it is viable, why did they come to Gehenna? What drew (or drove) them to the plane in the first place?
If it is not viable, would the Outlands (bordering Gehenna, near Torch) be a better setting?
What traits/adaptations (physical and personality) would the race have evolved over generations in either setting (Gehenna or the Outlands near Torch)?
I'm sure I had more in mind but I'll wait to hear a response. Thank you very much in advance to any who respond - your help is much appreciated.
Having done a lot more reading in the past day or two, I've decided to change a couple of things.
For one, I've decided not to use Gehenna as their native plane - it's likely a warrior subrace of humans who have adapted to that plane would have developed very specific combat styles/tactics and great climbing ability in order to best utilize their environment, and I'm not sure I like that idea. Instead, I've decided to use a layer of the Abyss, since this allows me to essentially fabricate my own setting (because of the largely unknown nature of much of that plane). It might still even be possible to keep elements of their background story intact, since the Yugoloths' attempt at genocide was motivated by potential rivalry as mercenaries in the Blood War as opposed to living on the same plane.
That said, I'm thinking about changing the concept slightly, as well. I might move away more from the Spartan/Mandalorian-esque concept I'm using now to something more like a society of nomadic survivors. They can still be a warrior people with their clan-based society based around physical prowess, but I'm going to make their focus more on their own independence and survival than on the glory of physical combat. So essentially, I think I'm going to change the concept from something resembling the Spartans/Mandalorians to something more akin to the Bedouin/Aiel (of Wheel of Time)/Fremen (of Dune), only native to a volcanic ash wasteland of the Abyss. However, I still want to include a conflict of some kind (whether against the Yugoloths, the Demons, or whoever), the loss of their Chief of Chiefs (slain by a racial enemy) and the gradual breakdown of their culture and traditions as they spread across the planes to ensure their survival and become less insular.