Post by Kizmet on Jun 13, 2011 23:23:02 GMT -5
HISTORY
Long ago the ancestors of the Aquilosians came across what was than a frozen tundra but is now the Northern Sea. Used to the cold, they settled on the Tundra itself and the land just below it, north of the areas where the Haidan tribes settled. This land was known as Iraya and stretched from the Western Sea to the Northern Tundra to the Eastern Mountains. As time past, the people who settled in the Western Province of Messina began to differ more and more from the people who lived on the Tundra and in the Eastern area known as Aquilos. When the Tundra began to melt, the Tundran peoples moved southward, most to the province of Aquilos, which grew to encompass most of Iraya. In 734, the Province of Messina petitioned for permission to secede from Iraya to become their own country. Than ruler of Iraya, Queen Alysin, held a vote and Messina was allowed to secede. Most Irayans already thought of themselves as being Aquilosian or Messinan, and most Aquilosians felt Messina was backwards in thought and ways, and was holding them back anyway. Upon making the sessation official, Iraya cessed to exist, seperating into it's two seperate provinces, Aquilos being the true continuation of Iraya.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Aquilos is a melting pot. Men and women can be short, tall, heavy, thin, smart, strong; anything. They can be darker or lighter skinned with dark hair or light hair/eyes. Most are of medium height with lightly tanned skin, brown or blonde hair of varying shades, and brown, hazel, gray, or green eyes. Slightly less common is red and black hair, and dark blue eyes. Pale blue eyes indicate Shinohin heritage, while cerulean or shades close to cerulean indicate a Haidan heritage.The hair is normally worn long by men and women, though longer by women than men. Women typically wear their hair down their backs, whiel men wear it from the tops of their ears to the shoulders. None of this is set in stone however; they can wear it however they want. Aquilos is the ultimate mixing pot.
POSSESSIONS
Most Aquilosians have many possessions, both neccesary and frivilous. This includes furniture, tools, weapons, decorations, clothing, jewelry, musical instruments, toys, etc. Possessions vary greatly from person to person, with the wealthier obviously having more, and much of the poorer having little or nothing in the way of luxuries.
LIVING QUARTERS
Homes in Aquilos vary greatly. The wealthier Aquilosians mostly live in large multi-storied homes made of stone, wood, metal, and glass; the poorer Aquilosians live in homes made of wood. In the cities they live in small tightly-packed wooden townhouse sort of structures. Those living in more rural areas live in slightly larger log cabins. They are one story buildings with lofts covering at least half, up to three quarters, ofthe ceiling, almost like a one-floored second story, or an attic.
SOCIAL SKILLS
Aquilos is open and accepting, though the farther regions, those bordering the moutains, the plains, and Messina, tend to be mistrusting of their clsoest neighbors. Most Aquilosians are open, kind, trusting people who are willing to help neighbor or stranger in any way that they can. Others, though fewer in number, believe Aquilos is the greatest and mightiest Kingdom in all of Lamavia, and because of this, they believe they have the right to spread out and take over other areas of Lamavia, like the plains, the mountains, and the forests of Messina.
DIET
Most Aquilosians eat a varied diet rich in grains and meats. In rural areas, grains and greens are grown on small farms to feed the single family living there with very little sometimes left over to sell or barter. A single cow, sometimes two, or a small group of goats are often kept by these families for the purpose of milk, cheese, and butter. The wealthier of these rural living families will purchase or barter for a young hog in the early spring and than butcher it come early winter, gioving them plenty of meat for the next several months. Most of the meat eaten by the rural families is provided through hunting and fishing of their local areas. As you come closer to the cities, hunting and fishing become big business, and the farms are larger, with most food being grown, hunted, and fished to sell in the market. In the cities, Aquilosians do not grow or hunt their own food. Food is purchased in the large markets, and hunting and fishing are considered pastimes.
FASHION AND DRESS
Normally, rural women wear long dresses that reach at least mid-way down their calves, normally reaching to the ankles. These dresses can be either long or short sleeved. They usually button up the back from waist to neck, and an apron is normally worn around the front. Women wear knee-high socks and leather boots. Young girls wear dresses similar to the adults, but their dresses don't normally reach below the knee. Instead of kneehighs, they wear stockings. And they don't wear aprons. Men and boys war buckskin breeches and plumed cotton shirts with leather boots. Closer to the cities, the styles change. Dresses grow shorter, and tunics come into fashion. Overall, Aquilos accepts any style. Women wear breeches quite often, the gender lines for clothing being quite thin.
EDUCATION
Most Aquilosian children attend school. In the rural areas the young children attend small local one-room shoolhouses. When they are older, some go to the large schools located across Aquilos. These children are the ones who are interested in specific careers. Other children continue to attend the local school until they marry, while others still stop attending school after learning their basic skills so that they may help out at home and learn home skills. These are normally the poorer children. Children from the urban areas and cities normally attend the large schools earlier, or the wealthy ones do at least. The poorer children attend small local schools until they marry.
COMMUNICATION
The Traders Language, also known as The Old Tongue, or Irayan, is spoken throughout Aquilos. Haidan is spoken along the plains and mountains as well as around the Yakima'l'Haidan camps. There are few dialects in Aquilos, slang and curses being uniformal throughout the country.
PROFESSIONS
Professions are extremly varied in Aquilos. In rural areas, most men are Farmers, Hunters, and Fishers. Predominatly, they are Farmers who hunt and fish on the side. Most women are Homemakers and wives. Some men and women, though mostly women, teach or make clothing. Some men and women, mostly men, are metal workers or carpenters. The less rural the area, you find small towns. Here, less men are Farmers. Many men make hunting and fishing their full time careers. Far less women are simply wives. While most still marry, they often have careers of their own. Many men and women run small town stores, or teach. Some are carpentars or metal workers. Others run mills or work in local law enforcement. In the cities, almost everyone works, men and women, even young children. Here, almost any profession you can imagine is possible.
MEDICINE
In Aquilos, Medecine is not a singular study by most. Most Physicians, typically called Healers, are also Mages or Priests/Priestesses. Not all of the Clergy are Healers though, as are not all Mages. It is just that most Mages and members of the clergy come across Healing as a part of their studies, and thus are more capable of provinding medeical assitance than most others. It is only just now becoming popular to study Healing by itself, and those wishing to pursue Healing often study with the Priests/Priestesses and the Mages. It can be very difficult for those living far from towns and cities to obtain healing. In small towns, it is only a littlke easier, with a single Healer traveling constantly from up to twenty small towns. Some places have no healers at all. In the cities, it can be expensive to fund the services of a healer, but they are not difficult to find.
RELIGION
There are countless religions in Aquilos, spanning from Atheism to belief in multitudes of Gods/Godesses, like the beliefs of the Haidan Peoples.
PROTECTION
Aquilos has a large and impressive army, but it is nothing compared to the Military of Akadia, and even the Messinian Military far outweighs it. The Aquilosian Military, however, is the only military to fully utilize magick and mages, providing it enough protection to compete with the other Lamavian armies. There are archers, foot soldiers, swordsmen, cavalry, mages, Martial Artists, and more.
Long ago the ancestors of the Aquilosians came across what was than a frozen tundra but is now the Northern Sea. Used to the cold, they settled on the Tundra itself and the land just below it, north of the areas where the Haidan tribes settled. This land was known as Iraya and stretched from the Western Sea to the Northern Tundra to the Eastern Mountains. As time past, the people who settled in the Western Province of Messina began to differ more and more from the people who lived on the Tundra and in the Eastern area known as Aquilos. When the Tundra began to melt, the Tundran peoples moved southward, most to the province of Aquilos, which grew to encompass most of Iraya. In 734, the Province of Messina petitioned for permission to secede from Iraya to become their own country. Than ruler of Iraya, Queen Alysin, held a vote and Messina was allowed to secede. Most Irayans already thought of themselves as being Aquilosian or Messinan, and most Aquilosians felt Messina was backwards in thought and ways, and was holding them back anyway. Upon making the sessation official, Iraya cessed to exist, seperating into it's two seperate provinces, Aquilos being the true continuation of Iraya.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Aquilos is a melting pot. Men and women can be short, tall, heavy, thin, smart, strong; anything. They can be darker or lighter skinned with dark hair or light hair/eyes. Most are of medium height with lightly tanned skin, brown or blonde hair of varying shades, and brown, hazel, gray, or green eyes. Slightly less common is red and black hair, and dark blue eyes. Pale blue eyes indicate Shinohin heritage, while cerulean or shades close to cerulean indicate a Haidan heritage.The hair is normally worn long by men and women, though longer by women than men. Women typically wear their hair down their backs, whiel men wear it from the tops of their ears to the shoulders. None of this is set in stone however; they can wear it however they want. Aquilos is the ultimate mixing pot.
POSSESSIONS
Most Aquilosians have many possessions, both neccesary and frivilous. This includes furniture, tools, weapons, decorations, clothing, jewelry, musical instruments, toys, etc. Possessions vary greatly from person to person, with the wealthier obviously having more, and much of the poorer having little or nothing in the way of luxuries.
LIVING QUARTERS
Homes in Aquilos vary greatly. The wealthier Aquilosians mostly live in large multi-storied homes made of stone, wood, metal, and glass; the poorer Aquilosians live in homes made of wood. In the cities they live in small tightly-packed wooden townhouse sort of structures. Those living in more rural areas live in slightly larger log cabins. They are one story buildings with lofts covering at least half, up to three quarters, ofthe ceiling, almost like a one-floored second story, or an attic.
SOCIAL SKILLS
Aquilos is open and accepting, though the farther regions, those bordering the moutains, the plains, and Messina, tend to be mistrusting of their clsoest neighbors. Most Aquilosians are open, kind, trusting people who are willing to help neighbor or stranger in any way that they can. Others, though fewer in number, believe Aquilos is the greatest and mightiest Kingdom in all of Lamavia, and because of this, they believe they have the right to spread out and take over other areas of Lamavia, like the plains, the mountains, and the forests of Messina.
DIET
Most Aquilosians eat a varied diet rich in grains and meats. In rural areas, grains and greens are grown on small farms to feed the single family living there with very little sometimes left over to sell or barter. A single cow, sometimes two, or a small group of goats are often kept by these families for the purpose of milk, cheese, and butter. The wealthier of these rural living families will purchase or barter for a young hog in the early spring and than butcher it come early winter, gioving them plenty of meat for the next several months. Most of the meat eaten by the rural families is provided through hunting and fishing of their local areas. As you come closer to the cities, hunting and fishing become big business, and the farms are larger, with most food being grown, hunted, and fished to sell in the market. In the cities, Aquilosians do not grow or hunt their own food. Food is purchased in the large markets, and hunting and fishing are considered pastimes.
FASHION AND DRESS
Normally, rural women wear long dresses that reach at least mid-way down their calves, normally reaching to the ankles. These dresses can be either long or short sleeved. They usually button up the back from waist to neck, and an apron is normally worn around the front. Women wear knee-high socks and leather boots. Young girls wear dresses similar to the adults, but their dresses don't normally reach below the knee. Instead of kneehighs, they wear stockings. And they don't wear aprons. Men and boys war buckskin breeches and plumed cotton shirts with leather boots. Closer to the cities, the styles change. Dresses grow shorter, and tunics come into fashion. Overall, Aquilos accepts any style. Women wear breeches quite often, the gender lines for clothing being quite thin.
EDUCATION
Most Aquilosian children attend school. In the rural areas the young children attend small local one-room shoolhouses. When they are older, some go to the large schools located across Aquilos. These children are the ones who are interested in specific careers. Other children continue to attend the local school until they marry, while others still stop attending school after learning their basic skills so that they may help out at home and learn home skills. These are normally the poorer children. Children from the urban areas and cities normally attend the large schools earlier, or the wealthy ones do at least. The poorer children attend small local schools until they marry.
COMMUNICATION
The Traders Language, also known as The Old Tongue, or Irayan, is spoken throughout Aquilos. Haidan is spoken along the plains and mountains as well as around the Yakima'l'Haidan camps. There are few dialects in Aquilos, slang and curses being uniformal throughout the country.
PROFESSIONS
Professions are extremly varied in Aquilos. In rural areas, most men are Farmers, Hunters, and Fishers. Predominatly, they are Farmers who hunt and fish on the side. Most women are Homemakers and wives. Some men and women, though mostly women, teach or make clothing. Some men and women, mostly men, are metal workers or carpenters. The less rural the area, you find small towns. Here, less men are Farmers. Many men make hunting and fishing their full time careers. Far less women are simply wives. While most still marry, they often have careers of their own. Many men and women run small town stores, or teach. Some are carpentars or metal workers. Others run mills or work in local law enforcement. In the cities, almost everyone works, men and women, even young children. Here, almost any profession you can imagine is possible.
MEDICINE
In Aquilos, Medecine is not a singular study by most. Most Physicians, typically called Healers, are also Mages or Priests/Priestesses. Not all of the Clergy are Healers though, as are not all Mages. It is just that most Mages and members of the clergy come across Healing as a part of their studies, and thus are more capable of provinding medeical assitance than most others. It is only just now becoming popular to study Healing by itself, and those wishing to pursue Healing often study with the Priests/Priestesses and the Mages. It can be very difficult for those living far from towns and cities to obtain healing. In small towns, it is only a littlke easier, with a single Healer traveling constantly from up to twenty small towns. Some places have no healers at all. In the cities, it can be expensive to fund the services of a healer, but they are not difficult to find.
RELIGION
There are countless religions in Aquilos, spanning from Atheism to belief in multitudes of Gods/Godesses, like the beliefs of the Haidan Peoples.
PROTECTION
Aquilos has a large and impressive army, but it is nothing compared to the Military of Akadia, and even the Messinian Military far outweighs it. The Aquilosian Military, however, is the only military to fully utilize magick and mages, providing it enough protection to compete with the other Lamavian armies. There are archers, foot soldiers, swordsmen, cavalry, mages, Martial Artists, and more.