Insayluru
The Insayluru are a scattered people group who mainly live in the Conbán Dhao region of southern Ærellion. They have also been influenced by a number of different religions and cultures as they trade with them, which led to great diversity. Many of the coastal groups of Insayluru have long established homelands in new regions, spreading trade and learning from the people of these regions. Over time, these groups have become less and less relevant as more advanced colonists end up in control of the lands, but the communities remain in regions such as Sevel Del'tyrd, Jangalavaal, Daunastiya, with their influence stretching as far as down into the Archelin isles.
Perhaps the most famous (or infamous) of the Insayluru are the Arolau- a mix of honest sailors, pirates, smugglers, and fisherman, most making their living from the sea. Thus, they have long been closely working with the Gnomes, and often in a syncretic way, with the Gnomes back finanical ventures and supporting their communities in exchance for sailors and workers. Over time, this arrangement has led to them seeking protection from invaders by Gnomes, thus many of their lands are ruled by Gnomes but maintain a majority Arolau population (with the notable exception of the pirate havens). Those that were unable to do so are now minorities in lands ruled over by dark elves or by the human majorities of the regions they live in, as they make up the majority of the population along the other regions of Ærellion. They also make up a majority of the Insayluru Pirates present in the Marauder Passage and Golden Sea, though these groups are somehwat disconnected from the rest. The Arolau are primarily followers of the Adhavāda religion, many having converted well over a thousand years ago. The Arolau population rarely, if ever, penetrates inland, many living in stilt houses along the coast or even as migrants in longboats.
Besides the Arolau, there are five different subgroups of the Insayluru, though like the Arolau, these groups are distinct even within themselves. The northernmost Insayluru, the Sanbala people, are mostly bordered by goblin tribes, which means that they have long coorperated and even intermarried with the goblins, though their elites maintain "pure" human blood (although to some those with mixed blood are considered much more alluring and there are often a number of bastard children born of such lineage). Sometimes derogatively called "green fingers" by the other Insayluru (since goblin ancestry usually shows more at the tips of fingers and ears), the Sanbala nonethless are an ingenious people group, perhaps thanks to their streak of goblin blood. They are known as fierce and powerful fighters, but they are also flexible and adaptive to different environments. When not warring, their economic acitivities include growing rice, nuts, and pepper, often for trade with the Indhiri. Consequentially, the Sanbala mostly follow Vishalaan, which has led to the establishment of a unique caste system for their people, although this is usually ignored by outsiders, much to the annoyance of the elites and preistly caste. Only a few Sanbala tribes retain their indigenous beliefs, which include ritual cannibalism and are just as patriarchal as the foreign Vishalaan faith.
To the southwest of the Sanbala are the Meku people, defined by their longstanding position of trade with the Anemoi. The Meku have long acted as middlemen between the Anemoi and other human groups, buying their products and exporting them out into the world through their contacts with gnomes and Arolau. Although the trade has long been in decline thanks to other routes opening up, the Meku upper class still rely on it, with the lower classes having long since turned to hunting, farming, and fishing instead. The Meku, like the Arolau, are mainly followers of the Adhavāda religion, and are responsible for its spread to the Anemoi, limited as this is. They are also the Insayluru with the most population in the interior of the continent. The Meku are semi-matrilineal, with matrilineal inheritance and generally organizing households around women. Men are typically expected to learn to fight and encouraged to travel around the lands to gain new skills and grow as a person. They strongly believe in educating and spreading knowledge amongst their communities, though the role of education for men and women differs.
Along the coast south of the Meku, but still east of the Conbán highlands, dwell the Ranimela. The Ranimela are unique, as they are one of the few human cultures to be matriarchal, and the only one within their home area. They essentially take the semi-matrilineal traditions of the Meku to the next level, with women being valued an respected as heads of housholds and local leaders. Though foreign religions have begun eroding their traditional Jayu Sular faith in favor of others (especially the Illahic religions), they have maintained their culture and systems of government. They are a highly accepting people with an independent streak. Although generally less involved in trade as compared to other Insayluru, the Ranimela have consistently been one of the most developed people groups on a local level, though only occasionally reaching powerful heights as a unified state.
The last main grouping of the Insayluru which live in Conbán Dhao are the Jalsahdi. The Jalsahdi mostly live along the southern coast, where they have, for many years, dominated the inland regions indirectly, making great use of the spices of their region to trade for wealth and weapons in order to secure their rule. During the heyday of the Al'salaan empire, their traders brought their faith to the shores of Conbán Dhao. During the collapse of the empire, many stayed behind rather than risk travel home, which eventually led to the conversion of the Jalsahdi. However, there are still Adhavāda minorities, espeically away from the larger cities and economic regions.
As noted above, the Insayluru are not limited to Ærellion, but also spread into the more northern Archelin islands. The more central islands are predominantly populated by Jalsahdi, who have spread across the region and become dominant along the coasts. However, the interior of these islands are generally populated by a mix of groups. Some of these are humans native to Archelin, but the majority of them are the Dalayo. The Dalayo migrated to the islands many years ago, but maintained close ties with the rest of the Insayluru. For many years, their islands have been dominated by the Jalsahdi, leading to integration and widespread bilingualism among both groups. Nonetheless, they have retained traditonal religious structure for the most part, at least among those not assimilated. They are notable for their use of short sword-like machetes alongside poisoned arrows to allow unhindered passage through the jungle and impressive levels of hunting. The machetes were originally developed to combat the Varaiden who once dominated the interiors, while the poisoned arrows allowed them to outcompete the varaiden in hunting, which led to the slow decline of their population. The further eastern islands, unsurprisingly, are populated primarily by Arolau along the coast, with Dalayo in similar interior positions.
However, in the west, this dynamic changes. Despite the thick jungles of [tbd name], it is densely populated by two Insayluru groups, both of whom are fairly similar. The Puledh, primarily in the western lowlands of the island, and the Jalura, populating the east and the highlands. The two groups, despite similarities, do have different languages, and are somewhat isolated from one another thanks to the sparsely populated highlands, in which anemoi live. Generally their distinctions can be boiled down to the Puledh having a more expansive and expressive culture, while the Jalura are seen as a reclusive and surprisingly beautiful group. The Puledh have also been known as naval innovators, developing many of the warships and trading vessels used in the region, in contrast to the Arolau developers of many of the smaller crafts. The two cultures are generally on good terms, not considering the other as outsiders or strange but as a natural part of one another's nations.
Perhaps the most famous (or infamous) of the Insayluru are the Arolau- a mix of honest sailors, pirates, smugglers, and fisherman, most making their living from the sea. Thus, they have long been closely working with the Gnomes, and often in a syncretic way, with the Gnomes back finanical ventures and supporting their communities in exchance for sailors and workers. Over time, this arrangement has led to them seeking protection from invaders by Gnomes, thus many of their lands are ruled by Gnomes but maintain a majority Arolau population (with the notable exception of the pirate havens). Those that were unable to do so are now minorities in lands ruled over by dark elves or by the human majorities of the regions they live in, as they make up the majority of the population along the other regions of Ærellion. They also make up a majority of the Insayluru Pirates present in the Marauder Passage and Golden Sea, though these groups are somehwat disconnected from the rest. The Arolau are primarily followers of the Adhavāda religion, many having converted well over a thousand years ago. The Arolau population rarely, if ever, penetrates inland, many living in stilt houses along the coast or even as migrants in longboats.
Besides the Arolau, there are five different subgroups of the Insayluru, though like the Arolau, these groups are distinct even within themselves. The northernmost Insayluru, the Sanbala people, are mostly bordered by goblin tribes, which means that they have long coorperated and even intermarried with the goblins, though their elites maintain "pure" human blood (although to some those with mixed blood are considered much more alluring and there are often a number of bastard children born of such lineage). Sometimes derogatively called "green fingers" by the other Insayluru (since goblin ancestry usually shows more at the tips of fingers and ears), the Sanbala nonethless are an ingenious people group, perhaps thanks to their streak of goblin blood. They are known as fierce and powerful fighters, but they are also flexible and adaptive to different environments. When not warring, their economic acitivities include growing rice, nuts, and pepper, often for trade with the Indhiri. Consequentially, the Sanbala mostly follow Vishalaan, which has led to the establishment of a unique caste system for their people, although this is usually ignored by outsiders, much to the annoyance of the elites and preistly caste. Only a few Sanbala tribes retain their indigenous beliefs, which include ritual cannibalism and are just as patriarchal as the foreign Vishalaan faith.
To the southwest of the Sanbala are the Meku people, defined by their longstanding position of trade with the Anemoi. The Meku have long acted as middlemen between the Anemoi and other human groups, buying their products and exporting them out into the world through their contacts with gnomes and Arolau. Although the trade has long been in decline thanks to other routes opening up, the Meku upper class still rely on it, with the lower classes having long since turned to hunting, farming, and fishing instead. The Meku, like the Arolau, are mainly followers of the Adhavāda religion, and are responsible for its spread to the Anemoi, limited as this is. They are also the Insayluru with the most population in the interior of the continent. The Meku are semi-matrilineal, with matrilineal inheritance and generally organizing households around women. Men are typically expected to learn to fight and encouraged to travel around the lands to gain new skills and grow as a person. They strongly believe in educating and spreading knowledge amongst their communities, though the role of education for men and women differs.
Along the coast south of the Meku, but still east of the Conbán highlands, dwell the Ranimela. The Ranimela are unique, as they are one of the few human cultures to be matriarchal, and the only one within their home area. They essentially take the semi-matrilineal traditions of the Meku to the next level, with women being valued an respected as heads of housholds and local leaders. Though foreign religions have begun eroding their traditional Jayu Sular faith in favor of others (especially the Illahic religions), they have maintained their culture and systems of government. They are a highly accepting people with an independent streak. Although generally less involved in trade as compared to other Insayluru, the Ranimela have consistently been one of the most developed people groups on a local level, though only occasionally reaching powerful heights as a unified state.
The last main grouping of the Insayluru which live in Conbán Dhao are the Jalsahdi. The Jalsahdi mostly live along the southern coast, where they have, for many years, dominated the inland regions indirectly, making great use of the spices of their region to trade for wealth and weapons in order to secure their rule. During the heyday of the Al'salaan empire, their traders brought their faith to the shores of Conbán Dhao. During the collapse of the empire, many stayed behind rather than risk travel home, which eventually led to the conversion of the Jalsahdi. However, there are still Adhavāda minorities, espeically away from the larger cities and economic regions.
As noted above, the Insayluru are not limited to Ærellion, but also spread into the more northern Archelin islands. The more central islands are predominantly populated by Jalsahdi, who have spread across the region and become dominant along the coasts. However, the interior of these islands are generally populated by a mix of groups. Some of these are humans native to Archelin, but the majority of them are the Dalayo. The Dalayo migrated to the islands many years ago, but maintained close ties with the rest of the Insayluru. For many years, their islands have been dominated by the Jalsahdi, leading to integration and widespread bilingualism among both groups. Nonetheless, they have retained traditonal religious structure for the most part, at least among those not assimilated. They are notable for their use of short sword-like machetes alongside poisoned arrows to allow unhindered passage through the jungle and impressive levels of hunting. The machetes were originally developed to combat the Varaiden who once dominated the interiors, while the poisoned arrows allowed them to outcompete the varaiden in hunting, which led to the slow decline of their population. The further eastern islands, unsurprisingly, are populated primarily by Arolau along the coast, with Dalayo in similar interior positions.
However, in the west, this dynamic changes. Despite the thick jungles of [tbd name], it is densely populated by two Insayluru groups, both of whom are fairly similar. The Puledh, primarily in the western lowlands of the island, and the Jalura, populating the east and the highlands. The two groups, despite similarities, do have different languages, and are somewhat isolated from one another thanks to the sparsely populated highlands, in which anemoi live. Generally their distinctions can be boiled down to the Puledh having a more expansive and expressive culture, while the Jalura are seen as a reclusive and surprisingly beautiful group. The Puledh have also been known as naval innovators, developing many of the warships and trading vessels used in the region, in contrast to the Arolau developers of many of the smaller crafts. The two cultures are generally on good terms, not considering the other as outsiders or strange but as a natural part of one another's nations.
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