The Crescentians
The Crescentians, or 'Cress,' as they refer to themselves, inhabit the Crescent area of Ardoon. The Crescent is a large area hugging the Crescent Bay that stretches from the edges of the Saltmarshes to its eastern-most city of Musselbank. In the North, it encompasses the Ocean's Teeth. In the South, it stretches into the Stormwater Ocean.
The Cress are one of the most advanced peoples of Ardoon. As with all of the peoples of Ardoon, there is no real central leadership of these people, but their city-state organization and diplomatic traffic has created a productive civilization of specialized pockets.
The Cress people are among the most diverse of Ardoon because of their entrepreneurial society and the relative safety offered by the City-State. Especially the cities of Azzer Bay, Mountainhead, Musselbank and Sowton are bustling with the peoples of the world, mingling, dealing and living life. Most Cress will still be recognizable by some phenotypical traits; light brown skin, strong cheekbones, the lightest of brown (or sometimes green) eyes, and curly hair which ranges from dark blonde to pitch black. It is, however, very common for Cress to have traits more commonly associated with other peoples, especially in the cities and market towns.
The Cress view themselves as the planet's center of freedom, but this has not always been the case. Once, in the past, the Cress had an empire occupying not only the Crescent, but also the Saltmarshes and Iron Bogs. The Warlord Anneesha Kel'Tayr managed to manoeuvre a vassal into the position of Abbot of the Monastery situated near Mountainhead, and promised balance and prosperity through Crescent Law. With the Order out of the way, she bound the City-States economically and militarily to her will, and had her armies march upon the Salt Marshes and Iron Bogs. She annexed these territories, and her people, placing them under Cress rulership without extending Cress citizen's rights. This loophole allowed her to not extend the same rights to the Boggers as she did to the other people of Cress. Under her rule, entire villages were shipped off to the Ocean's Teeth. The dynasty she left behind caused great technological improvements, especially in the field of harnessing the wind, but also selectively bred the captive Boggers who now served as miners in the Ocean's Teeth. The descendants of which, after generations of forced selective breeding from the moment of sexual ability, became the Dwarves.
The Order started striking back after Emperor Kel'Tayr died and passed her crown to her eldest son, Gral Kel'Tayr, but the Crescent Empire had grown in resources, armaments and soldiers; the sparse number of Venators available to the Order could not break the Empire; even the most powerful Venator armour could not withstand volleys of heavy artillery fire for long, and what was worse: The Monastery of Mountainhead was tightly under the control of the Kel'Tayr dynasty, supplying its own Venators to help defend the Empire. It was not until the Dwarven Uprising in the North and the Bog Folk Dispersion that the dynasty was robbed of its metal supply. The Dwarves, having broken free, retreated underground and started demanding high amounts of food for their metal. When the Dwarven food stores were full to bursting, they simply refused to hand over any metal. Though the Empire sent in troops, they were no match for the Dwarves in the deep tunnels. It was rumoured the Dwarves would even devour their enemies to save on their food storage and grant them longer breath, a rumor (which was true) did much to dissuade young Cress from joining the war effort to reclaim the mines.
By the time the Empire decided on using inferior iron from the bogs, the Bog Folk had dismantled their traditional road network and disappeared deep into the swamps, taking their smelting secrets with them. The armies off Cress could not navigate the marshlands without the road network. The Vir, urged by the Monastery of Alborg, would no longer trade metals with the Cress, and the Order decided on a different approach to warfare: They used their hot air balloons to firebomb Cress windmills, robbing them of the power of their entire economy.
In a final stroke, the Order sent in Venators specialized in assassination to slay the Mountainhead Abbot, and with that, forced the Kel'Tayr dynasty into disbandment.
Though a dark time for the Crescent, the Empire proved to the Order that centralized power must never be allowed, no matter how tempting its prospect. Now, two millennia after the fall of the Cress Empire, most Cress look upon it as a mere footnote in history. The Red Dwarves still harbour hatred for the Cress, and will appoint special mediators to do trade with Cress so that the common Dwarf does not need to be exposed to such vileness. The Bog Folk have returned to their lands, and, as Bog Folk do, accept that things are everchanging. But some Cress still look upon the Empire with pride. Some Cress long to see it restored to its former glory.
The Cress staple crop is Hurn, a coniferous tree cropped to a chest-height shrub. The plant bears hooked seed cones that snag on fur; these cones fall off when the seeds are ripe, and then pop open, violently expelling the seeds, when the cones rot or dry out. These seeds can be eaten raw; they have even amounts of carbohydrates and protein, and contain up to 70% fat. Hurn is first pressed to extract most of the oil; the remainder is then milled into a fatty flour that forms the basis of every Cress meal in the form of bread or noodles. Hurn oil is a commodity in high demand across the world.
The Cress people are among the most diverse of Ardoon because of their entrepreneurial society and the relative safety offered by the City-State. Especially the cities of Azzer Bay, Mountainhead, Musselbank and Sowton are bustling with the peoples of the world, mingling, dealing and living life. Most Cress will still be recognizable by some phenotypical traits; light brown skin, strong cheekbones, the lightest of brown (or sometimes green) eyes, and curly hair which ranges from dark blonde to pitch black. It is, however, very common for Cress to have traits more commonly associated with other peoples, especially in the cities and market towns.
The Cress view themselves as the planet's center of freedom, but this has not always been the case. Once, in the past, the Cress had an empire occupying not only the Crescent, but also the Saltmarshes and Iron Bogs. The Warlord Anneesha Kel'Tayr managed to manoeuvre a vassal into the position of Abbot of the Monastery situated near Mountainhead, and promised balance and prosperity through Crescent Law. With the Order out of the way, she bound the City-States economically and militarily to her will, and had her armies march upon the Salt Marshes and Iron Bogs. She annexed these territories, and her people, placing them under Cress rulership without extending Cress citizen's rights. This loophole allowed her to not extend the same rights to the Boggers as she did to the other people of Cress. Under her rule, entire villages were shipped off to the Ocean's Teeth. The dynasty she left behind caused great technological improvements, especially in the field of harnessing the wind, but also selectively bred the captive Boggers who now served as miners in the Ocean's Teeth. The descendants of which, after generations of forced selective breeding from the moment of sexual ability, became the Dwarves.
The Order started striking back after Emperor Kel'Tayr died and passed her crown to her eldest son, Gral Kel'Tayr, but the Crescent Empire had grown in resources, armaments and soldiers; the sparse number of Venators available to the Order could not break the Empire; even the most powerful Venator armour could not withstand volleys of heavy artillery fire for long, and what was worse: The Monastery of Mountainhead was tightly under the control of the Kel'Tayr dynasty, supplying its own Venators to help defend the Empire. It was not until the Dwarven Uprising in the North and the Bog Folk Dispersion that the dynasty was robbed of its metal supply. The Dwarves, having broken free, retreated underground and started demanding high amounts of food for their metal. When the Dwarven food stores were full to bursting, they simply refused to hand over any metal. Though the Empire sent in troops, they were no match for the Dwarves in the deep tunnels. It was rumoured the Dwarves would even devour their enemies to save on their food storage and grant them longer breath, a rumor (which was true) did much to dissuade young Cress from joining the war effort to reclaim the mines.
By the time the Empire decided on using inferior iron from the bogs, the Bog Folk had dismantled their traditional road network and disappeared deep into the swamps, taking their smelting secrets with them. The armies off Cress could not navigate the marshlands without the road network. The Vir, urged by the Monastery of Alborg, would no longer trade metals with the Cress, and the Order decided on a different approach to warfare: They used their hot air balloons to firebomb Cress windmills, robbing them of the power of their entire economy.
In a final stroke, the Order sent in Venators specialized in assassination to slay the Mountainhead Abbot, and with that, forced the Kel'Tayr dynasty into disbandment.
Though a dark time for the Crescent, the Empire proved to the Order that centralized power must never be allowed, no matter how tempting its prospect. Now, two millennia after the fall of the Cress Empire, most Cress look upon it as a mere footnote in history. The Red Dwarves still harbour hatred for the Cress, and will appoint special mediators to do trade with Cress so that the common Dwarf does not need to be exposed to such vileness. The Bog Folk have returned to their lands, and, as Bog Folk do, accept that things are everchanging. But some Cress still look upon the Empire with pride. Some Cress long to see it restored to its former glory.
Economy:
Most of the Cress live in communal villages headed by a royal family. These villages are connected by roads and canals, and each village specializes in a specific product created for export.The Cress staple crop is Hurn, a coniferous tree cropped to a chest-height shrub. The plant bears hooked seed cones that snag on fur; these cones fall off when the seeds are ripe, and then pop open, violently expelling the seeds, when the cones rot or dry out. These seeds can be eaten raw; they have even amounts of carbohydrates and protein, and contain up to 70% fat. Hurn is first pressed to extract most of the oil; the remainder is then milled into a fatty flour that forms the basis of every Cress meal in the form of bread or noodles. Hurn oil is a commodity in high demand across the world.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Feminine names end on a vowel. They can range in meaning from objects, blessings and virtues. Feminine names are more often about blessings than masculine names.
Masculine names
Masculine names end on a consonant. They can range in meaning from objects, blessings and virtues. Masculine names are more often about virtues than feminine names.
Family names
Cress don't have family names. Instead, they will add the name of their village or town after their first name. The 'Kel'-prefix simply translates to 'Of.' So the Kel'Tayr name means 'Of Tayr.'
Cress who live in the cities will retain the name of the village of their ancestors, handed down through the Firstborn Line.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Cress is the main language of the Crescent People. It is revered among its speakers and writers for its beauty and poetic nature (which is a sentiment not shared by other peoples). In truth, this admiration stems purely from the Law, which binds the Cress people together. It, too, is praised for its wisdom, beauty and poetry. In actual fact, the Books are precise legal language lacking any sort of poetry or beautiful prose. It is the loyalty to these books that inspires the admiration of their aesthetics, not any aesthetic quality in itself.
The Merchants usually speak many languages. Of course they speak Cress, but they also speak Canal Cant, a language based on Cress, Vir, Nuw and Arrenish, but so mangled and altered that it has become completely unintelligible to anyone else speaking any of those languages. Canal Cant is a secret language; only Merchants are allowed to learn it.
The Merchants usually speak many languages. Of course they speak Cress, but they also speak Canal Cant, a language based on Cress, Vir, Nuw and Arrenish, but so mangled and altered that it has become completely unintelligible to anyone else speaking any of those languages. Canal Cant is a secret language; only Merchants are allowed to learn it.
Shared customary codes and values
For the Cress, community is everything. Their villages are production facilities as much as they are places to live. While each family is headed by the eldest Firstborn, and has its own gardens and livestock, each village as a community is specialized in the production of a single product, be it hurn, vegetables, livestock or fabric. The village's land is worked by the entire community. The family which founded the village is the ruling family; every village has a King or Queen, a Firstborn from the founding family. This royal family handles affairs of justice, as well as keeping the treasury and dividing the profits based on hours worked.
The village also provides social and financial security to those in need.
The Principles of the Law are as follows:
Folk stories often revolve around the breaking of these laws.
The Empire took advantage of the specific mention of Cress in these principles, and these books, by not extending the status of Crescentian to conquered non-Cress people.
Though regarded as lesser, the Law prohibits the treatment of Merchant families as inferior. Nevertheless, while travelling outside of the Cities, Merchants live insular lives. Villagers are often distrustful, not in the least because a Merchant's life may be appealing to youngsters not content with living their lives in a rut.
The village also provides social and financial security to those in need.
The Law
Crescent Law is a nearly religious affair. Set in stone long ago, and copied countless times, the Law of the Crescent promises equality, safety from harm and retribution against those who break it. The Law applies equally to all, no matter wealth or status.The Principles of the Law are as follows:
- All Cress are equal.
- No one may willfully cause harm to a Cress.
- No one may take from a Cress what is not theirs.
Folk stories often revolve around the breaking of these laws.
The Empire took advantage of the specific mention of Cress in these principles, and these books, by not extending the status of Crescentian to conquered non-Cress people.
The Merchant Class
The Merchant Class is often viewed as its own class. While powerful in the cities because it is in command of the very lifeblood of Cress society, that is to say: transport, they are often regarded as being lesser because they do not produce. Yet many Merchants live in family communities, travelling in family caravans over canals connecting the villages and cities.Though regarded as lesser, the Law prohibits the treatment of Merchant families as inferior. Nevertheless, while travelling outside of the Cities, Merchants live insular lives. Villagers are often distrustful, not in the least because a Merchant's life may be appealing to youngsters not content with living their lives in a rut.
Average technological level
Cress society depends on its communities, but also on its Mills. Wind and water mills power Cress industry. With these mills, they pump up and transport water for daily use and irrigation, they drive all of their workshops, from hurn mills and oil presses to weaving looms, smithing hammers and more. Workshops are often build around a central mill, connected to the mill by axles. Some workshops have their own windmills.
In addition to this, the Cress have vast canal networks where their merchants sail or pull their ships from one village to the next. Every village is connected to these networks. Sluices operated by windmills and manpower allow ships to travel uphill or downhill where necessary.
Digging these canals is an artform in its own right. Men dig the canals by hand, but are assisted in moving the soil out of the canal with transportable mills that can be erected on the spot. The gears of these mills can also be operated by hand or animal. Mills, operated by hand or wind, also pump water out of the dug canal while digging. Digging is usually done in the summer months, when the soil is soft and there is little work to do; in the south of the Crescent, this work is also done in winter. Men from agriculture villages all over the Crescent travel to digsites to earn extra money for their families between labour seasons.
The iconic musical instrument of the Crescent is the Hurdy Gurdy, a wheel-operated snare instrument with keys set on the neck. Most of these instruments have one of more bass drone strings which can be alternated, and one of more tweet drone strings which can be alternated.
The larger version is called the Loomharp. Its wheel is operated by a footpedal rather than a handcrank, and so the player has two hands free to play its longer keyboard and adjust its many settings.
Aside from these technological achievements, the gear technology derived from the Mills has served the Cress in other regards: Firearms. Banditry is unfortunately common in the Crescent, despite Royal Families' attempts at keeping the highways and canals safe. Cress gunsmiths are among the best in the world. Their repeater mechanisms require very specific bronze alloys to remain reliable, and every gunsmith has their own specific designs. Villages in the Crescent are walled, and have mounted defense turrets installed to deter bands of bandits. Cress warriors usually prefer Arrenite armour over armour created at home, but their firearms are unmatched by any other people save the Monks of the Order.
In addition to this, the Cress have vast canal networks where their merchants sail or pull their ships from one village to the next. Every village is connected to these networks. Sluices operated by windmills and manpower allow ships to travel uphill or downhill where necessary.
Digging these canals is an artform in its own right. Men dig the canals by hand, but are assisted in moving the soil out of the canal with transportable mills that can be erected on the spot. The gears of these mills can also be operated by hand or animal. Mills, operated by hand or wind, also pump water out of the dug canal while digging. Digging is usually done in the summer months, when the soil is soft and there is little work to do; in the south of the Crescent, this work is also done in winter. Men from agriculture villages all over the Crescent travel to digsites to earn extra money for their families between labour seasons.
The iconic musical instrument of the Crescent is the Hurdy Gurdy, a wheel-operated snare instrument with keys set on the neck. Most of these instruments have one of more bass drone strings which can be alternated, and one of more tweet drone strings which can be alternated.
The larger version is called the Loomharp. Its wheel is operated by a footpedal rather than a handcrank, and so the player has two hands free to play its longer keyboard and adjust its many settings.
Aside from these technological achievements, the gear technology derived from the Mills has served the Cress in other regards: Firearms. Banditry is unfortunately common in the Crescent, despite Royal Families' attempts at keeping the highways and canals safe. Cress gunsmiths are among the best in the world. Their repeater mechanisms require very specific bronze alloys to remain reliable, and every gunsmith has their own specific designs. Villages in the Crescent are walled, and have mounted defense turrets installed to deter bands of bandits. Cress warriors usually prefer Arrenite armour over armour created at home, but their firearms are unmatched by any other people save the Monks of the Order.
Common Etiquette rules
No matter one's social standing or wealth, it is expected to treat others with outright reverence. The one making a request is expected to treat the person they are making a request of as a superior. A Royal 'commanding' a beggar to do something is expected to bow their heads and politely ask whether the beggar can find it in their hearts to do as asked.
Breach of this etiquette can result in refusal, and there is nothing anyone can do about that because said refusal is backed up by the Law of Equality, a principle drawn up after the fall of the Cress Empire and regarded the Holiest of the Three Principles.
The only exception to this is with parents and their children.
Breach of this etiquette can result in refusal, and there is nothing anyone can do about that because said refusal is backed up by the Law of Equality, a principle drawn up after the fall of the Cress Empire and regarded the Holiest of the Three Principles.
The only exception to this is with parents and their children.
Common Dress code
Cress women usually wear long skirts with tops that cover the breasts and belly. Cress men usually wear a sleeved tunic that is buttoned in the front and belted around the waist. The tunic can be as long as the man wants, as long as it covers the thighs and genital wrap. Because of the function of marriage in Cress society, women are expected to cover their hair with a scarf, and men are expected to cover their beard with a veil. Women showing their bellies, or men showing their upper arms, are considered indecent and untrustworthy; to draw the eye in such a manner is disruptive to the institution of marriage.
Females who live their lives as men are expected to dress as men; males who live their lives as women are expected to dress as women (and shave their beards).
Females who live their lives as men are expected to dress as men; males who live their lives as women are expected to dress as women (and shave their beards).
Art & Architecture
Cress buildings are multi-tiered square stone buildings enforced with dried and laquered wood, and covered in daub or cement. The roofs are flat, set at a slight angle, and covered in glazed pottery with pottery gullies at the low part of the roof to run off water. Most houses use the roof for family gatherings at night when the weather's good.
Cress villages and towns are walled off, with their lands just outside the walls. After all: A Village's Royal Family houses the village's treasury. Banditry is all too common in the Crescent, Hornsnouts have no respect for farmers, and other beasts stalk the night in search of prey.
The floors, too, are covered in glazed pottery tiles. In the colder regions, the floors as well as the walls are covered in rugs for insulation.
Cress villages and towns are walled off, with their lands just outside the walls. After all: A Village's Royal Family houses the village's treasury. Banditry is all too common in the Crescent, Hornsnouts have no respect for farmers, and other beasts stalk the night in search of prey.
The floors, too, are covered in glazed pottery tiles. In the colder regions, the floors as well as the walls are covered in rugs for insulation.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
When a child is born, the family copies the Books of the Law for it to read as soon as it can. Every Cress has their own birth copy of the Books. A child is not truly considered a child until their Books are done. When the child receives their Books, this is a cause for celebration.
Coming of Age Rites
When a child reaches the age of sixteen, they can approach their King or Queen for an Adulthood Rite. This is essentially a questionnaire about the contents of the Books of Law; if the child answers correctly, they are then considered an adult. This is then celebrated with a family feast. If not, then child can try again next year. Only when a child reaches adulthood are they considered old enough for marriage, an institution that is romanticized as 'completion' in Cress culture.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Cress bury their dead in mounds. Each family has its own mound, in which the dead are laid to rest on a bier within the mount. In order to make space, a body is left to decompose, and, after the flesh is gone, the bones are stacked up an placed into a dug alcove.
Every year, after the harvest is done, the village celebrates a Day of the Dead, a festival where families gather in the mound, sit in the circular main room, and share memories about the dead while drinking alcohol.
Every year, after the harvest is done, the village celebrates a Day of the Dead, a festival where families gather in the mound, sit in the circular main room, and share memories about the dead while drinking alcohol.
Historical figures
Anneesha Kel'Tayr (Of Mountainhead) is perhaps one of the most important historical figures of the Crescent. Her vision inspired a lot of what the Crescent has become; she was the one who formulated the production village system that still today brings economic security to nearly all Cress. Though her legacy is tarnished with conquest and oppression, her memory is celebrated by some for her part in creating Crescent society.
The last of her dynasty, Anner Kel'Tayr, is remembered for seeing wisdom in disbanding the dynasty, and with it the Empire. Some see his decision as a failure, or even cowardice, but to most, he is remembered as a wise Emperor making a decision based on what was best for the people instead of for himself.
Gerr Kel'Barol (Of Sowton) is also remembered; he was the Abbot of the Mountainhead Monastery who was assassinated. His name is whispered in indignation by a secretive selection of Monks in all Monasteries, not just the Mountainhead Monastery. These secretive Monks believe in her vision of a unified Order which, through proxy empires, should rule the world.
More relevant to the Cress is the ascetic Royal Layra Kel'Farlon (Of Musselbank), who first formulated the Books of Harm and the Books of Taking. Her treatise 'On Achieving Equality' later formed the basis of the Book of Equality, which was written by Anner Kel'Tayr after he disbanded the Empire.
The last of her dynasty, Anner Kel'Tayr, is remembered for seeing wisdom in disbanding the dynasty, and with it the Empire. Some see his decision as a failure, or even cowardice, but to most, he is remembered as a wise Emperor making a decision based on what was best for the people instead of for himself.
Gerr Kel'Barol (Of Sowton) is also remembered; he was the Abbot of the Mountainhead Monastery who was assassinated. His name is whispered in indignation by a secretive selection of Monks in all Monasteries, not just the Mountainhead Monastery. These secretive Monks believe in her vision of a unified Order which, through proxy empires, should rule the world.
More relevant to the Cress is the ascetic Royal Layra Kel'Farlon (Of Musselbank), who first formulated the Books of Harm and the Books of Taking. Her treatise 'On Achieving Equality' later formed the basis of the Book of Equality, which was written by Anner Kel'Tayr after he disbanded the Empire.
Ideals
Gender Ideals
Among the Cress, there is no real expectation of gender in terms of how one ought to behave. There are certain duties connected to one's sex; females are viewed as having the duty to give birth, and males are viewed as having the duty to do heavy labour.
It is not taboo for a female to act like a man, dress like a man, behave like a man. As long as he still performs the duties to society that befit his female sex. Likewise, it's not taboo for a male to dress like a woman, act like a woman, behave like a woman. As long as she still performs the duties that befit her male sex.
It is not taboo for a female to act like a man, dress like a man, behave like a man. As long as he still performs the duties to society that befit his female sex. Likewise, it's not taboo for a male to dress like a woman, act like a woman, behave like a woman. As long as she still performs the duties that befit her male sex.
Courtship Ideals
Cress courtship is very reliant on village politics. It is customary for the Firstborn child to remain in the village and be visited by suitors from other villages. Sometimes, a suitor ends up with another child than the Firstborn, when arrangements can be made. Much of marriage is arranged via travel and mail.
Relationship Ideals
Relationships outside of courtship and marriage are frowned upon; they exist primarily to provide procreation and labour to the village. Love, when found, is viewed as a commodity, a luxury to be celebrated but not prioritized.
Marriages are based solely on the participants' sex. Gender or sexual preference is not taken into account in matters of marriage.
As a result of the arrangements of marriage, many marriages have their troubles. These are often solved by visiting nearby Travel Houses, inns at roadsides and canals which double as temples of Farren. Here, individuals caught in a marriage unsuitable to them can go to find brief intimacy that is otherwise out of their reach. Priests of Farren also provide sexual services, for a fee.
Marriages are based solely on the participants' sex. Gender or sexual preference is not taken into account in matters of marriage.
As a result of the arrangements of marriage, many marriages have their troubles. These are often solved by visiting nearby Travel Houses, inns at roadsides and canals which double as temples of Farren. Here, individuals caught in a marriage unsuitable to them can go to find brief intimacy that is otherwise out of their reach. Priests of Farren also provide sexual services, for a fee.
Playing a Crescentian
The Cress do not have a cultural skill. Both Carpentry and Device are highly valued because of the people's reliance on windmills, sluices and ships, but these skills are not part of a Crescentian identity. A flavourful character option for a Cress character would be the Conviction: Law talent. Every Cress grows up learning the Law by heart.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments