The Atlisians

The Isle of Atlit

The Isle of Atlit is a grouping of three islands: Capulta, Cortus, and Manibul, off the coast of the main continent in Centoria.To the Outside world they are merely referred to as Atlisians, while among themselves they distinguish themselves based on island residence. Each island has its own leader and settlement, they share an overall culture with small differences between the islands. The islands differ in sizes, but have similar topography and climate. They are a fishing and sailing based society, most of their region is mountainous but there are small sections where farming has become more viable over time. The area is subject to storms and flooding so they are a society based around hardy materials built to last.

History

The Isle of Atlit was originally settled by the rebellion leader Atlit during the conquest and expansion of the Holy Empire. As the Army progressed across the lands Atlit lead assaults on the front line to fault their progress. She gained support and followers overtime becoming a forceful opposition to the army. Alas, despite there increase in numbers the Holy Empire slowly progressed across the continent, and as kingdoms fell Atlit's army lost more and more support. Eventually Atlit and her army were trapped at the edge of the continent and in a last ditch effort to regroup She order her army to the Isle, a place that had not been previously settled because the conditions were considered to harsh to survive. Up until the the Holy Empires army had only been based around combat on land and were not prepared to chase after the rebellion army to the sea. As Atlit and her army regrouped in the Isle they were able to establish colonies there and stage small sea based attacks against the opposing army that occupied the closet shores.
Eventually the Isle of Atlit was the only remain part of the New World of Centoria that was not conquered. A stalemate was drawn between The Holy Empire and the Isle, The Holy Empire stopped assaulting the Isle, unable to best them in sea based combat, and Atlit halted her rebellion, satisfied to keep her army safe and free in their new lands. Several generations have passed since then. As the Holy Empire started loosing power the Atlisians aided the nearby kingdoms in their rebellion and ressumed attacks on the shores of Centoria but have refused in join the land based army. In recent history they are enjoying a tentative peace with the neighboring newly established kingdoms.

Culture

The Atlisians are a people of mariners and sailors. They have developed their skills around ship building, and water vehicles and are fearsome combatants on the water. They have limited resources so they emphasize building things that are hardy and built to last, most quality over quantity. Their diet consists mainly of seafoods and the rare vegetation that grows in the mountainous regions. As such, they have a reoccurring problem where not enough food is produced to support the population, especially as the population grew. It is a frequent practice that they will capture and rob ships in close proximity to the Isle, and rare occasions they will raid nearby shore towns.
Perhaps as a relic of times where they were at war they are untrusting of outsiders. It is only recently that they have agreed trading with outsiders and now that they do it is only with specific towns in close proximity. When trades are made, they are selective about the goods they bring in, focusing more on foods and necessities then cultural goods, as a result they don't experience a lot of culture outside their own.
They are separate but united. Although the people, much like the island are clearly divided they value an involved community. When neighbors are in danger they do what they can to help even at personal sacrifice. Good and similar are shared indiscriminately. As long as you provide something to the community the community will take care of you. The same goes for the islands, if one island is in need of something the other islands will do what thy can to help. Atlit fostered an excessive amount of comaradierie in her army and that has carried through to the descendants of those people.

Cultural Export

In the Caves along the shores of the three Islands exist an animal colloquially know as the Heart Drop Strag. The diet of the Heart Drop Strag consists of small plant matter found in the caves that they absorb along with loose minerals and moisture in the rack face. They tend to crawl along ceilings looking for stalactites to latch onto. hole they absorb the water and the plant material they cannot absorb the minerals, as such they have a method for rooting out metal minerals and fusing them together before depositing them and letting them drop to the floor.
The Atlisians discovered the mineral they desopsit is incredibly sturdy and with some working can make incredibly strong instruments. This metal and the object they can forge it into has become their main export. Surrounding kingdoms all want access to the metal and whatever the Atlisians can make it into.