| Baldioss | |
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| File:FILE NAME ' | |
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Location: |
Primarily Sundast, individuals in Hasseran and South Jiskadar |
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Maximum Age: |
Late 60's |
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Societal Structure: |
Stationary Villages |
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Age of Adulthood: |
16 |
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Diet: |
Root vegetables, corn, dairy, and meat from domestic and wild animals. Fruit and grain are traded for and are rare delicacies. |
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Trades: |
Herders, Artisans, Musicians |
Part of the "Human" species. See Tiverian for the generally light-skinned plains-dwelling humans of Hasseran and Jiskadar , Siverni for the fair Siyari-dwellers, Xai Wun for the mountain-dwelling humans of Hasseran and Sundast , and Timbervastian for the residents of New Timbervast and its outlying villages.
Overview[]
Southerners are the flamboyant, energetic people of Sundast. Though some individuals have journeyed as far as Hasseran and even Jiskadar to make homes for themselves, driven by their adventurous nature, most are clustered along the coasts of Sundast, or in the central deserts around natural springs and oases. They are recognized most readily by their deeper complexions, light weight, colorful clothing, and joyous demeanor.
Physique & Appearance[]
The Southerners are generally lean and wiry, with quick, athletic builds. Trending a little shorter in stature than other ethnicities, they range from 4.5' tall to 6.5' tall.
Coloration[]
Their skin tones encompass a deeper range, from light tans to dusky olive, and even bronze and dark brown for those who spend the most time out in the sun. Eyes are most often in shades of brown, from light toffee to nearly black. Green hues are almost never seen, and blue eyes are practically nonexistent. Hair color is generally dark, from medium brown to black, with some individuals having lighter brown highlights. Blonde and red hair is not seen.
Attire[]
Garb is lightweight, homespun cotton and linen, in pale creams with splashes of vibrant color. The men tend to dress in more natural hues, using stripes and simple banded patterns in accent colors, while women will have skirts in bolder hues. All dress more extravagantly for festivals, where the most vivid colors and elaborate weaves are put on display. Men's garb typically consists of a pair of pants and a poncho, with a shirt underneath optional, and various styles of widely brimmed hats woven from dried grasses. Women will sometimes wear pants depending on their tasks, but most often wear blouses in pale creams and tans with dark, vibrant skirts. Hairstyles vary widely from short and clean shaven to long with facial hair for the men, with the women favoring longer styles and elaborate braids.
Temperament[]
Southerners are, perhaps, the most animated of all the human ethnicities. Whether the emotion is joy, anger, sadness, or simple enthusiasm, they tend to express it with more gusto and flair than anyone. They are known as a very lively people with a love for life, with riotously joyful celebrations, and a kind heart towards their fellows. On the other hand, they are also known for fiery tempers when their lives and livelihoods are threatened. Though slow to resort to actual violence, they do not hesitate to make their voices heard, whether in joy or anger.
Society & Dwellings[]
Settlements vary slightly depending on location. Near the coast, where lumber is more readily available, one finds seaside shanty towns, clustered around the best fishing spots and built from haphazard branches, logs, and planks reclaimed from wrecked ships, serving as informal port towns that traders pass through on their travels along the western coast. Settlements on the eastern coast are a bit more elaborate, sometimes with stone or clay brick buildings, particularly the more prestigious Greelu Port, which does brisk business with traders from other continents. In the more central areas of Sundast, claimed by desert, settlements cluster around oases and natural springs, and are built from adobe rather than wood, as the clay blocks are easy to build with and keep the homes cool, and wood is scarce. Settlements in the desert are typically small, abount a hundred people from different families, with several nearby villages interrelated through marriage. Fishing villages tend to be smaller, a few dozen or so, though port towns and trading centers swell seasonally to hundreds of individuals. Greelu Port is the largest settlement on the continent.
Culture & Religion[]
As a community, they are perhaps the most family-oriented of all the human ethnicities, placing heavy value on looking after one's kin, no matter how distant, and making sure their women and children are protected and cared for. Women in the Southerner society have a bit more freedom to choose their way in life, but still tend to fall into generic female roles as homekeeping, gardening, and child rearing. However, both genders have quite the adventurous streak, so it's not surprising to see a woman working at ranching, hunting, or trading, though they tend to stay close to other Southerner settlements, as cultures on other continents are rarely as progressive where women's rights are concerned. There are, however, small clusters of Southerners established in the town of Edge on Hasseran, possibly the only human settlement run by a woman.
The Baldioss celebrate both the Light and the Darkness of the world, believing in balance. The focus of their religion is a Sun diety, bringing light, warmth, fertility, and blessings in health and riches. The Sun's counterpart is the Night, bringing with it coolness, respite from fever-illness, water for life, and closeness of family. Birth and Death are also centered around the juxtaposition of Light and Darkness. For Southerners, Death is not necessarily a sad occassion; in their culture, ancestors who have passed on are believed to live on as spirits, still accessible for wisdom and guidance. Thus, there may be sadness at parting, but never a sense of complete loss, for they are always connected to their roots and those who have ascended to a different stage of life, just one without body that is separated from the living by a mysterious veil.
Bladewolves are sometimes kept as pets and helping companions, and while not treated as equals, are normally allowed to speak their say, as long as they are respectful. The existence of a dichotomy in the Southerner religion meshes well enough with the Safikhan religion of the Aershaa, so that the tame Bladewolves have substituted the names of Khan and S'Feena for the Night and Sun, believing both to be benevolent, though opposite, dieties that work in harmony, rather than against each other. This view is exclusive to Sundast aershaa who have had contact with the Southerners and their tame bladewolves.
Naming[]
Each individual has both a given name and a family name. When introducing oneself, the family name is typically offered first, as familial bonds, no matter how distant, are an important part of the culture. Family names range from descriptive (trade, locale) to historical, hearkening back to the distant roots of a language now lost. Given names run the gamut from historical origins to inspirations from nature.
OOC: Names with a Spanish flavor to them, particularly surnames, will be common, though the given meaning has likely been lost over the many centuries since Spanish as a complete language ceased to exist, and has since been assimilated into a general, planet-wide dialect more resembling English. Certain words and phrases, however, still crop up and are understood by other Southerners. Otherwise, names like "Rose" or "Tod" or high-fantasy styled names are also suitable, particularly for given (first) names.
Growth & Aging[]
Infancy lasts from birth through the third year, when babies become toddlers. As they get older, young children around the age of 4-6 are given minor responsibilities, like helping their mother grind grain for bread, or keeping the homestead clean. Older children, 7-10, are entrusted with assisting the women at more complicated tasks like tanning and weaving, with older children allowed to accompany herders or help the fisherman clean and sort the day's catch. Childhood ends at the onset of adolescence and puberty around age 12-14, when they are considered young adults, and expected to go fishing and hunting or take over a larger portion of household chores. True adulthood and responsibilities, along with marriage, begins at the age of 16 when the community comes together to celebrate their transition to adulthood, usually through a spring celebration of that year's 16-year-olds.
Adults who have proven themselves responsible contributors to the community may gain a council position when they are in their 30s, and elders over the age of 50 or so are greatly prized for their insight and experience. Even in death, elders remain a guiding force in the community through the belief that they can be reached on the other side of the veil between the living world and the spirit realm to provide wisdom and protection.
Magics[]
Magic is regarded with suspicion, though dream-seers and fortune tellers - real or fake - are acceptable. Most villages will have someone professed to be skilled with communicating with the dead, usually an older person or one skilled in herbal concoctions, who doubles as a healer. As humans, they have no inherent magical ability, and those cursed by a magistorm are regarded as unnatural witches, and cast out into the desert or set adrift upon the sea, banished forever from the villages.