RuuDarling
Single
Introduction/Origin
Society
Culture
Religion and Arcane
Attire
Music and Dance
The Aorian comes from a unique cultural background, a combination of other races, including the Soolera. The original race consists of the Aorian Caparii and Soolera, integrated and developed from their original backgrounds into the society as it is today. But even so, they still strongly hold onto their ancestor’s history and behavior, maintaining a fierce connection. They are known for their ambitious attitudes and strict views of life and death while most maintain a fierce personality. This means they are often refreshingly welcoming to outsiders, but with a limited tolerance for ineptitude and irresponsibility. Cousins of the Azerwind Culture, the Aorian are commonly known to have separated from their cousins during the Mass Exodus and having developed further on their own, as most cultures do.
All other races develop the same behaviors as the original race.
For example, a character is of the moor race but their cultural background is Aorian. While they have a stubbornly adored perspective for their birth culture, they are often encouraged to learn their ancestors' background at a young age and thus all Aorian hold tight respect and connection to their originating bloodline.
Races:
All races usually have darker skin tons, for Aorians dwell on the southern and western deserts and coastlines.
Common:
Caparii
Humans
Elves
Rare:
Dwarves
Halflings
Society
Temperament and Society
As a society, the Aorian has an eager pride for their cultural background, country, and love for the community and has been subject to a striking range of cultural influences. The capital of the Aorian, Linistel, stands as the central hub for culture, art, as well as religion and arcane in the far west. They have a shared stubbornness and defensive attitude if a foreigner were to threaten or sway them from their lands or culture.
The fine and embellishing clothing and structures of their culture indicates they are a culture of style and competence to survive the harshest of deserts and southern lands, leaving behind a rich archaeological legacy within the regions. The Aorian are people of orderly flow and perfecting the art of what is typically known as “precise maneuvering”, similar to mastering a crochet needle. They care not for elegance or grace, only valuing discernment, enlightenment, and subtle quality. This goes for fashion, equipment or attitude.
Culture
Traditions, Customs, and Ceremonies
Traditions and Ceremonies hold an important role for the Aorian just like any other culture in Altera. For the Aorian, each Tradition and Ceremony hold a unique and entirely different meaning, of what makes them so diverse from outside cultures.
Main Ceremonies/Festivals
Festival de Flores
Flowers are especially important to the Aorian culture, as they use them to express feelings and convey emotions to one another, especially the Red Carnation. The Festival is known for its vibrancy, colorful decorations, alluring music, and flowers, or to encourage people to express feelings for one another they are interested in and/or charm them.
Dia de los Muertos
Day of the Dead. This celebration is particularly important amongst the common people where Aorian from all over return to their home towns or villages to lay flowers on the graves of deceased relatives. The Day is held sacredly above all other festivals and ceremonies, as losing a loved one in the family is often in heartbreak but they are reminded and choose to celebrate the memories of said relatives.
Dia de Cazar
Days of the Hunt. This tradition goes on for four days, particularly when the harvest is nearing its close and there are still those in need of food. The tradition begins with a prayer to the Huntress, Theodra as is custom to her doctrine before a party sets out to hunt their target. If successful, it is custom to bring back leftover valuables, particularly meat, and share them with the community.
Traditions
Quinceaneras
A Quinceanera is a religious event watched under the eye of the Goddess Sallana, where a teenage girl is celebrated on her birthday to symbolize she is becoming a woman. With the blessing of a Priest/Priestess, she is given the blessing of beauteous growth and a harmonious lifestyle. Their spirit, growth, and maturity are committed to the Mother to All and her guiding hand. The girl wears a beautiful, colorful, and elaborate dress, typically found in pastel or warm shades. She dances the waltz with her father, older brother, or another male relative to accept the girl is becoming a young woman.
Tea Ceremonies
During a Meal
During a meal the youngest of a family, if old enough to handle a teapot, is to pour the first cup for their elders before pouring their own. If they are too small, the one closest to their age that is old enough is the one to handle the teapot. This symbolizes the learning stages of self-obedience and respect for those around you.
Apology
When an Aorian is to apologize to another they have wronged, it is usually genuine and sincere. One of the common apologies is consisting of herbal tea, which is presented to the person in question with a small homemade meal, particularly made yourself, play a high role in their society. Though, sometimes precious valuables are given depending on how dire the circumstances are.
Late Nights
While this is more an unspoken tradition, it’s more accepted as a common life trait. The Aorian are late-night people, it is perfectly fine to stay up during the night, whether it’s for a party, a feast, playing on the streets, a simple stroll or perhaps just a casual relaxing evening with your family. The common bedtime for an Aorian Child is 10 am.
Food CultureFood plays high importance in culture as a whole, especially quality. The Aorian is not strangers to confrontation, regardless of the situation and poor chief skills are not an exception. It’s the same for other arts, communication or education.
The reason for its high praise is because food is one of the essentials to keep life going, it is fuel. Food is a part of nature, and when consumed we take in what was created by the Life Bringer, we are restoring the necessary energy we need to carry on through the day. Cooking is typically seen as an art, all foods are flexible to create and serve new ideas and recipes for meals, and thus your common Aorian will know how to cook to some extent.
{ Food Culture Link }
Religion and Arcane
Typically a common aspect of cultures. The Aorian is one to be more open-minded, the word ‘heretic’ is often foreign and frankly, unheard of. If it were to come down to favored deities, however, the Aorian are more appealed toward the following;
Respected, acknowledge or often followed:
Sallana - Acknowledged or followed, or her views on family, charm, comfort, love, and community.
Shalherana - Respected or followed, she is the Originator and provider for life.
Korog - His crafts are unworldly, acknowledged.
Theodra - Acknowledged or followed.
Valiant - Respected, acknowledged or followed.
The Gray Lady - Respected or followed. The Gray is the balance to Shalherana and respect for the dead is high.
Jax - Acknowledged or followed.
Neutral:
This is where the open-minded part comes in.
Opposed:
There is not a god they are opposed to until experienced or taught. However, Jishrim is heavily frowned upon and his followers are met with hostile attitudes.
The Arcane:
Though the arcane is often seen as an unknown, those who carry the knowledge of it are considered to be of lofty status.
As mentioned before, their choice of attire is no stranger to pulchritude. Even though the views on clothes for the Aorian as a whole remains the same, the clothes can differ in style, depending on races they are to be worn by. They mainly prefer balance, lightness and a sense of flow within their fabrics and designs.
The depth and detail of designs and outfits also depend on class. A simple farmer, for example, is only expected to wear plain, but neat, clothing with suiting color palettes. While a noble or one of high class is expected to wear clothes of the same orderly flow and lightness, but with more detail. It is also more common for those of the noble or higher classes to be wearing more jewels on them during casual or elaborate events.
Hairpieces, like combs and hairpins, are commonly found in an Aorian woman’s hair to indicate their class and status within the world. Carved wooden combs are typically worn by the lower classes, whereas pins made up of metals and gemstones are often worn by the higher classes. Though, all men and women regardless of rank can be seen wearing these somewhere on their person depending on situation or event. Only women are seen wearing hairpieces, as it symbolizes adulthood. Young boys and girls can only wear a single piece. For boys, it can only be a flower, while for girls it can be anything as long as it is only one. Even though hairpieces are recommended for girls, they can also wear a single item in their hair. It is frowned upon to behold a girl or boy wearing a Red Carnation within their hair, for it is a symbol of romance and availability. It is therefore not uncommon to see a relative being the ones putting the flower in a girl’s hair, to prevent this odd sight from occurring. It is for this same reason that Red Carnations are often worn by men and women that are both looking for romance, as a sign of their relationship status.
Hand fans are often carried by women of all ranks and standings, as a cultural symbol for constant movement, flow, and refinement or simply keep cool. They are also commonly seen when a woman dances on her own, for it adds flow and refinement to one’s dance.
Men are usually seen with beads in their hair. A lower classed man does not have any means of items in their hair apart from a simple plain colored sarik, a long piece of cloth wrapped around the names head. Higher class men are more often seen with a colored sarık. In the case of them being royalty, they may be seen with three or several elegant bands of beads and other precious objects around their sarık. One can only tell the class of a man by the quality of their sarik and the way it is wrapped, as there are many versions. Sometimes, people will see the occasional male to wear a fez hat.
Humans, Elves, and Others.
The wardrobe of an Aorian Human or Elf is similar to other cultures, except with much more vibrancy or simple regard. Human and Elven women have their typical corsets and dresses while men are much the same as foreign men, while other races share a similar fashion style in a sense of formation.
Caparii
While they have a different physique compared to other races and their fur and tail often getting in the way, the style of a typical Aorian Caparii wardrobe consists of thin and light fabrics with splits on the sides of surrounding loop dropped from their torso down, held together by a belt to allow airflow and coolness through, stopping the individual from overheating and free movement with minimal disturbance of the tail and fur. Dresses or robes are the same but with more thinness and longer splits. Their hooves are protected by either iron or steel horseshoes as a practice from their ancestors, depending on ranking.
{ More to add. }
Music and Dance
Music and Dance are two of the arts the Aorian are determined to perfect, as they are people who are quite fond of these arts. It is also the most practiced and recommended to learn before or during their education in other areas.
Aorian music is often associated with an air of alluring charm, as it is meant to encourage everyone to join in the dancing as music is being played, to cheer for the dancers in action and as a simple gesture to charm a girl, despite the clique. Dancing is also similar to the music index. Mostly because of the beautiful attire and striking details on the fabric and they are often quite enjoyable, both to watch and to participate in.
For foreigners, the music and culture as a whole are often seen as ‘alien’ or unfamiliar. Though, thoughts aren’t often associated with the negative intention of some regard.
Common Dances
» Flamenco
Flamenco is in fact so much more than just a mere dance and is performed by combining song, playing guitar or lute, dancing, finger-snapping, clapping, and castanets.
» Sandara
This dance is performed by a circle of alternating men and women who hold hands and dance in rhythm to a band called a cobla. It is a popular group dance and is performed at celebrations and public gatherings
» Paso Doble
The Paso Doble is a fast-paced dance, based on the rhythm and movement of a bullfight. As a ballroom dance, it is usually performed in pairs; one man and one woman, with the man, said to represent the matador – or bullfighter.
» Bolero
The dance is of the moderate or slow pace and is accompanied by guitar music and castanets, usually performed either by a soloist or by a couple.
» Belly dancing
There are many steps found in the various styles of belly dancing but all consist of the dancer using their hips and belly reflexes, their body constantly moving while wearing vibrant and colorful fine clothing, typically with chiming bells along the rims of their hips.
Instruments
» Lutes
» Vihuela ( Hispanic Guitar )
» Guitar
» Castanets
» Bongo Drums
» Flute
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