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Volgar (Voll -garr)

The dominant ethnic group of the Vulgar Empire, the Volgar people date their way of life back to the first days after the Fires, when tribes from what is now the Svotz republic and northern Porpuda fled across the sea to the north-east coast of Tzunar, forming a range of smaller nations interspersed with those who were in the region before the collapse. When the Black Swarm ravaged these northeastern lands in the years 334-372 AF, the tribes of the north-east were united under the first emperor, Vochislov, who finally defeated the swarm at Kovnigrod, turning his tribe into the new aristocracy of the Empire. Fair skinned despite the warm and comparatively humid climate of the empire, they certainly stand out from neighbouring tribes, and are seen as esteemed among human ethnicities as a result.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Cecilia, Nania, Eluxandre, Mia, Suzanna, Olga.

Masculine names

Yvin, Bogir, Boris, Rastil, Mikrael, Nikolai, Syrbii, Vlod

Unisex names

Yenz, Dourai, Emira

Family names

Vochislov, Kimitsky, Kirov, Mirintz, Raynoff

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Main language; Volgar; Dialects: High Volgar , Kirislovi, Low Volgar, North Volgar.   Minor languages; Skelloth, Sennic.

Culture and cultural heritage

Distantly related to the Svotzi peoples and a few others of Porpuda, as well as to the Vunkish, the Volgar’s culture has a mix of elements of these people and of the peoples who have lived here since the days of Olm and even before.

Art & Architecture

Various gods and goddesses are of importance to the Volgar, but given the importance of fire even before the Black Swarm, many of the religious buildings resemble great candles, including their great cathedrals, very distinct from their Dominion counterparts. Blue is considered a sacred colour in the empire, and thus many imperial or religious buildings in the empire are of different shades of blue.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Oil is placed on an infant’s forehead in the shape of a candle flame, signifying the flame’s protection from the darkness of the world.

Coming of Age Rites

When becoming a man, boys of this ethnicity undergo the Purificafion, where they must run across burning coals without flinching to ascend to manhood. A burned sole is considered a sign of good luck among men as a result.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Cremation is the traditional method of funeral rites for nobles and commoners alike, though many of the latter settle for the Kroskovite practise of leaving the dead in the mountains for animals to feed upon.

Common Taboos

The Vrain race, as thanks to the Black Swarm, is vilified in the Vulgar lands, and any Vrain living are heavily persecuted if not exterminated. This is the reason for their veneration of fire.

Common Myths and Legends

The supposed ancestor of the Volgar people and all the tribes of the Empire, Borusk, who supposedly slew the sea monster Xiothrax and used its body to sail to the Forbidden Isles.

Historical figures

  • Vochislov I, founder of the imperial dynasty and defeater of the Black Swarm.
  • -Bogir I, his grandson, who built the capital of Volgigrod in the Horseshoe Valley, making one of the best defended cities in the known world. Mikreal I, who finished the construction of this city. Yvin I, who not only built the oceanic fortress of Narov, but who managed to defeat the Dominion during the War of Adorai.

    Ideals

    Gender Ideals

    Facial hair is seen in Vulgar society as a status symbol of masculinity regardless of social class, although certain styles such as braiding are limited to the upper classes.

    Major organizations

    Volgar tribe, The Vulgar Empire
    Related Organizations
    Related Locations

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