> Fantasy is all well and good, but going deliberately against real world stuff tends to rub me the wrong way. Solar cultures, with strong connotations to Greece and Babylonia having people who look like sun starved Scandinavians is just wrong and counter intuitive. I use mediterrainean looks for solar cultures, and paler viking / germanic / northern celtic visuals for the storm people... especially those living in colder conditions.
Who said the Dara Happans look like Scandinavians? I know some of the noblest families have golden skin with golden-blonde hair and blue eyes.
Jeff