Ashlander

Origins

The Ashlanders once lived in thriving cities scattered throughout the Shattered Frontier, before the region was devasted by the ancient war. They call this time the Sundering which forced mass migration into Argenthold , Eryndale, the Floating Cities, and beyond.

Demographics

They no longer have a central homeland. Ashlanders live as minority communities, often clustered in the lower sections of the cities, airship port, or border towns. They are often multilingual and multicultural, with strong kinship networks that stretch across regions. Communities maintain contact through pilgrim routes, encoded correspondence, and song-keepers.

Customary Codes & Shared Values

Wander's Honor: Ashlanders value hospitality, debt remembrance, and personal oaths.

Memory is Sacred: Oral history, ancestral tales, and artifact preservation are paramount.

Adaptation is Survival: They are proud of their ability to endure and adapt to new lands without losing themselves.

Major Language Groups & Dialects

Ashenspeak: A creole formed from their old tongue and regional languages. It is rhythmic and poetic.

Argentian Common: This is widely spoken, especially among the younger generations.

Ancient Zerathi Glyphic: This is used for ceremonial texts or ancestral artifacts.

Common Etiquette

Three-touch greeting: Palm, shoulder, forehead, symbolizing unity of hand, strength, and thought.

Sharing Drinks: The sharing of tea or a bitter herb drink is required before any serious negotiation.

Public Displays of Joy: Singing, laughter and dancing are common and are viewed as defiance against despair.

Dress Code

Lightweight, layered clothing that is designed for desert and urban climates are paired with symbolic sashes that mark family lineage. Jewelry is made from bone, crystal, and clockwork pieces and will, more often than not, contain heirloom fragments.

Art & Architecture

Architecture once relied on stone and aether-charged glass, but this is now rare, if seen at all.

Art emphasizes fluid lines, dust tones, and symmetry broken with purpose to symbolize loss and survival.

Popular forms: scrimshaw on salvaged metal, sand-glass etching, portable sculptures.

Food & Cuisine

Spiced flatbreads, preserved fruits, ironroot stews, fermented tea-like drinks.

Dishes often made with imported grains and local wild game, adapted to local regions.

Food is a cornerstone of community rituals—communal feasts are regular.

Culture & Cultural Heritage

Nomadic scholars, tinkers, and healers are respected cultural figures.

The Wayfarer Circles preserve cultural lore, music, and lost rituals.

Storytelling is highly valued—every Ashlander is expected to know at least five ancestral tales.

Common Customs & Observed Traditions

The Ember Vigil: A night-long memorial to the lost homeland, held yearly.

Namesong Ceremony: When a child comes of age, their personal history is woven into a song.

Ashbond Rites: Marriage involves a symbolic binding with ash-dyed cloth and a promise under open sky.

Birth/Baptismal Rites

Children are given three names: ancestral, situational, and aspirational.

A drop of purified ash is placed on their brow to connect them to the past.

Coming of Age Rites

Children are given three names: ancestral, situational, and aspirational.

A drop of purified ash is placed on their brow to connect them to the past.

Coming of Age Rites

Completion of a pilgrimage to a known Ashlander enclave.

Presentation of a crafted token representing their story and family.

Funerary & Memorial Customs

Remains are cremated with sacred ironroot incense.

Ash is often placed into memory stones that are carried or placed in sacred gardens.

Death anniversaries are honored with ghostfeasts—ritual meals where stories of the deceased are told.

Taboos

Abandoning one's memory stone is seen as a betrayal of lineage.

Speaking false lineage is a grave crime.

Using ancestor relics for personal power gain is considered profane.

Myths & Legends

The Ember Lady: A goddess or mythic figure who leads the lost through flame.

The Skyward Flight: Legend of an airship filled with Ashlanders who vanished into the stars during The Sundering.

The Nameless Flame: A tale of a relic that can reignite the lost homeland but at terrible cost.

Attained Technological Levels

Skilled salvagers, clockwork artisans, and herbal alchemists.

Often reverse-engineer Order tech and adapt it using older methods.

Use memory-crystals, compact recording devices embedded with stories or messages.