Asurians

In people, Asurians tend to value sharp, angular features, paricularly in men, and lithe figures tend to be preferred over muscular or rounded ones. Historically, most of the Imperial Asurian upper class were olive skinned, leading to this and similar brownish skin tones to be considered particularly beautiful. Similarly, long hair, if well cared for, is also seen as symbolic of high status, as it implies having both the time to care for it and a life where long hair does not interfere with one's work.   Asurian landscape art often incorporates a mix of manmade and natural features, such as a view overlooking a city to the mountains or ocean beyond, or fields with ivy growing over fencelines (a generally unrealistic detail - the ivy native to Asuria grows aggressively, and is generally seen as a hazard to fences and any other structure not specifically designed to withstand it). Forests typically only feature as an object of mystery or fear, unless specifically being associated with elves and other fey folk.

In the days of the Empire, Asurians had pretty firm ideas of what sort of work was appropriate for men and women: men were supposed to handle strenuous tasks such as farming, building, and transporting things, while women were supposed to handle more delicate and precise work, such as weaving, cooking, and matters of finance. Art was similarly divided, with sculpting and crafting largely dominated by men and painting and writing largely dominated by women. Both genders were largely considered equal in martial roles, prizing discipline and strategy over the individual prowess that often favours male soldiers. Certain formations would favour one gender or the other - front line units favoured large and strong warriors, while cavalry tended to select for smaller riders, as this reduced the burden on the horse, enabling greater speed and endurance.   In modern times, gender norms are more balanced. A male cook or bookkeper is no longer seen as worthy of remark, nor is a female blacksmith or goatherd. Indeed, gender has come to be significantly less tangible, aside from in matters of fashion.   Both in the empire and today, a minority of people of have gender identities that differ from what might be assumed based on their anatomy. Those who identified as male or female would generally be accepted as any other person of that gender (though it would generally be considered polite to inform a potential lover in advance). Those identifying as anything other than male or female are sometimes met with some confusion, but in modern times, it would generally be considered polite to accept that identity without inquiring too deeply for an explanation.   Similarly, while most long term relationships are between men and women, same-sex relationships are very common. In the days of the empire, long term male-male pairings in particular tended to be regarded as somewhat immature, as neither partner would be considered suitable for managing the household finances. In modern times, this has largely become a thing of the past.