Kalriv

The Kalriv people are the descendants of the original settlers of the Venderan Desert, during Annyrion's Neolithic, and are the dominant people of the Sapphire Coast. They make up the bulk of the Kalriv Empire.
The Kalriv are a socially stratified martial culture; warriors, known as Guardians are considered the top social class and indeed most Kalriv values involve martial prowess in some way shape or form, be it strength or protection. The priesthood of the sun-god Venderus, known as the Solars , also enjoy a parallel relationship at the top of the structure. Forgers, consisting of skilled craftsmen and artisans occupy the tier below this, with the Labourers; farmers, manual labourers, freed slaves below this. Slaves, usually made up of recently conquered peoples and criminals, are considered the lowest ranked people.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Aika, Mika, Amytis, Danika

Masculine names

Malarn, Kylos, Trevik

Family names

Taylin, Kolyos, Mikelian

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Most Kalriv speak Kalriv as their primary tongue, and use Sapphran as their alphabet.

Culture and cultural heritage

The Kalriv culture is ancient, tracing back to before the discovery of bronze. Its foundations are said to had been laid down by the two founders of the Kalriv tribe; the sun priest Mirkos, and the warrior leader Kalros, who were instructed by the sun god Venderus himself.
Over time, as the Kalriv have expanded, other trappings from the northern Sapphire Coast settlements have been brought in, and influential Kalriv over time have altered and added elements over their culture. In particular, the militarist elements of the Kalriv society have been expanding for the last millennium, to the point where the warrior elite now holds more power than the priest class. As cities and settlements are conquered by the Kalriv, the craftsman and labourer classes have swollen, as has the slave class.

Food and Drink

Common elements of the Kalriv include red lentil cakes, flatbreads, maize-based breads and foods, and desert fruits such as saguaro, prickly pear and agave. Meat is also commonly served, with pig, goat and sheep serving as the most common sources. Broths are quite common, particularly among soldiers and labourers.
Common beverages outside of water include milk and fruit juices. Alcohol is quite rare among the higher classes, although among labourers and craftsmen, wine and beer is imbibed.
While most Kalriv citizens may each whatever they choose, the Guardian class observes a strict diet due to their obligations to be in peak physical condition at all times. While they are permitted to indulge at feasts and victories, on a day to day basis Guardians are expected to eat lean meat, broth, unprocessed fruits and vegetables, and milk, with minimal over-indulgence.

Shared customary codes and values

All Kalriv and their subject peoples are bound by a caste system believed to have been handed down to the first Solar by Venderus himself. It consists of the following tiers:

• Guardians , made up of Kalriv soldiers, administrators, nobles and their families.
• Solars , made up of the priesthood of Venderus and their families.
• Forgers, consisting of skilled craftsmen and artisans, including freed slaves and their descendants.
• Workers, made up of labourers, farmers and conquered peoples, freed slaves and their descendants.
• Slaves , made up of slaves usually taken from criminals and conquered peoples.

Guardians and Solars hold the most power in Kalriv society, while slaves have virtually no power. Slaves are usually taken from conquered peoples and their descendants, and may be granted their freedom, at which point they may be assigned to the labourer or craftsman class depending on their aptitudes. Other than this, mobility between castes is very difficult, and usually only possible through very rare cases of distinction in the Legions or service to the priesthood.
The most important values among the Kalriv are courage and honour, and these are considered the basis on which society is founded.

Average technological level

The Kalriv were one of the first people to master agriculture and Neolithic technologies on Annyrion, and were the ones to master and introduce bronze working to the continent. Their technological advancement has been a large factor of their emergence as an empire, and at this time their military technology and tactics are second to none.
The Kalriv have a writing system, although reading and writing is generally only taught to Guardians, Solars and Craftsmen. The most common form of writing is done on clay tablets, although wealthier citizens have access to parchment.

Common Dress code

Kalriv dress is utilitarian and somewhat uniform in its design - most Kalriv see little need for jewellery and finery and consider such excess a form of weakness. Clothing is also tightly controlled, based off a person's class.

Clothing

Workers often wear simple sleeveless vests or short-sleeved tunics of cotton or wool along with sandals, sometimes with a banded headcloth to protect themselves from the sun. Under Kalriv Empire law, colours of Worker clothing is restricted to off-white, olive or drab colours.
Forgers usually wear the same tunics as labourers, but may also augment them with protective equipment specific to their trade, such as leather aprons for blacksmiths. Women among the forgers may either wear the same clothing as their male counterparts or simple homespun dresses. Forgers are also entitled to wear red clothing or ornaments.
The Guardian class have been deemed to have earned the right to wear a finer grade of linen clothing, a right only shared by Solar priests. Guardian men usually wear linen versions of the standard white tunic, but are entitled to wear a royal blue trim along the collar and shoulder. Women usually wear linen gowns or peplos with a shawl or sash over. Any armour worn publicly by a Guardian is expected to be clean, polished and burnished at all times, and armour in poor condition is considered grounds for flogging.
Solar priests have earned the right to wear clothing decoreated with hues of gold or silver to represent the sun. This often takes the form of a long light coat that is worn over a longer tunic, or in the case of female Solars, a light kaftan over their peplos or shawl. The disdain for jewellery and ornamentation is cast aside for priests, who adopt copper bands and amulets.
Slaves generally wear cloth vests and pants, shabbier version of the worker tunic or a smock. They may not wear any of the colours assigned to the other classes, instead only wearing drab, brown or beige. Some slaveholders choose to provide leathers or protective clothing to their slaves, while those working in maintaining homes are usually permitted to wear tunics of much less shabby make- such decisions are made by the slaveholder.

Hair/Grooming

All Kalriv men follow strict guidelines when it comes to their hair and beards. Labourers and Forgers are required to crop their hair short, and must be clean shaven at all times. The standard Guardian haircut is a fade, shaved on the sides and cropped short on top. As they advance in their military careers they may grow the hair on the top of their heads, and may grow goatees on their chins. Solars are permitted to grow out their hair and wear full beards, although these are expected to be well maintained at all times. Slaves, conversely, may not crop their hair close or adopt the chin goatee, however beyond this have no real requirements for grooming.

Art & Architecture

A common feature of major Kalriv cities are ziggurats, usually constructed from mud-brick. These are temples of Venderus and can be found in most major cities, the largest being the enormous Venderan Ziggurat in Var Kalriv. Other major features include high walls, arches and gates, along with triangular battlements. Most residential homes are built atop each other as multi-storied dwellings. Most city walls are painted with murals of great battles.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

All Kalriv, regardless of their caste, undergo the First Dawn shortly after their birth, a ritual that dedicates them to the Kalriv people and to Venderus.

Coming of Age Rites

The most prominent coming of age ritual among the Kalriv is the Oath to Venderus, a ritual that takes place when the Kalriv in question is eighteen in which they present an offering and swear allegiance to Venderus and the Empire.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Funerary rites differ based on the Kalriv classes. Warriors are burned, probably due to the need to control disease after battles. The priesthood and nobility are also entitled to being cremated. The other classes are generally buried.

Common Taboos

The use of alcohol is frowned upon by most Kalriv, particularly in the Guardian and Solar classes where having a sharp mind is expected at all times.
Among the Guardian class, being out of peak physical condition is considered a serious taboo; it is seen as both a cultural taboo and sacrilege, as it is believed Venderus himself tasked the Guardians with always being at their best physical condition at all times. Guardians are regularly assessed by physicians, and anybody found to be overindulging is punished by flogging, re-education, and even ejection from their caste if done repeatedly.

Common Myths and Legends

The Kalriv as a whole practice Solarity, the worship of the sun god Venderus. It is believed that the Kalriv are the people chosen by the god to protect the world. This has later morphed into holding lordship over the world, which has fueled the recent militaristic conquests.
The main mythological figure among the Kalriv is Kalros, the legendary founder of Var Kalriv. Believed to be a hunter chosen by Venderus, he became a legendary warrior and hunter carrying out a number of superhuman feats, the last of which was the construction of Var Kalriv itself. His companion, the priest Mirkos, is also prevalent in many Kalriv myths and legends.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Kalriv concepts of beauty are based off physical fitness. Basically the more fit you are, the more beautiful you are. Scars are seen as attractive, as they are indicators of endurance. Conversely the more unfit you are, the more likely you'll be poorly treated. In the cases of the lower classes, it will get you shunned and mocked. In the cases of the nobility and army, unfitness is considered a crime and you can be flogged or imprisoned for it.

Gender Ideals

The Kalriv are a more patriarchal society than the other two empires. Women are not permitted to serve in the legions, save for the ecclesiastic Sunburst Legion, although they are permitted to take up any other trade and can own property, and they may enter the priesthood if their class permits it. However, they can never become senior officers, and thus can never be Basileus. Women in the Guardian are expected to regularly perform sport, athletics and exercise and maintain healthy and fit bodies in order to give birth to healthy offspring.

Courtship Ideals

Kalriv courtship is very rigid when it comes to social classes. The nobility may not under any circumstances fraternise with the 'lower classes'. This goes all the way down the pyramid of classes. Generally marriage within the Guardian class are based off producing the best soldiers, and as such physical prowess is prized among them. In theory a Kalriv can marry anybody in their class, however families and military often pressure individuals into advantageous marriages. Affairs are frowned upon and punished severely when caught, but are common. Intermarrying is permitted between the craftsman and labourer castes, but it is forbidden for a free Kalriv to marry a slave.

Major organizations

The government of the Kalriv people is the Kalriv Empire, which covers a huge chunk of the Sapphire Coast. Likewise, the major religious power over Kalriv is the Solarity priesthood.

Diverged ethnicities

• Lykran
• True Venderans

Related Organizations

• Kalriv Empire
• Kalriv Legions
• Solar Faith
• Sunburst Legion

Related Items

• Corded Sickle
• Tablet of Venderus

Related Myths

• Solar Soul
• Staff of the Sun

Related Locations

• Sapphire Coast
• Var Kalriv