Luan
It is actually very difficult to identify what "Luan" culture is because of how distinct and mosaic each culture, race, and geographic region of Tere de Lu is. The most common denominators are a reverence for the moon and stars, preservation of the natural world, the gods and spirits, ancestor worship, and strong communal and cooperative identities. Whether you're in the Maresteppe, the Mae'Govond, the Gloomingdeep, or along the Lutestring River, these are at least a handful of common denominators of most peoples native to this vibrant land. Many of them are not very materialistic, they have a strong connection to the spiritual and fey worlds by venerating their dead ancestors, and have a healthy respect for the natural world around them and are rather thrifty and conservative.
Some cultures like the Lutesians, Govondians, and Krae are sedentary and very territorial of their Homelands. They tend to build buildings in unique naturalistic styles with mostly naturally occuring materials like wood, stone, paper, hide, and occasionally mudbricks and baked tiles. They tend to be rather materialistic and militant, but are not particularly well traveled or expansionist- in fact even the marauding Lutesians of the Duchy of Moru know better than to properly invade and claim too much land lest they overextend or begin harming their sources of wealth and income during raiding. This bizarre sense of conservation of one's environment (even among their enemies) is frequently found amongst all Luani. They practice organized agriculture based on how the geography is and not how they would like it to be, and will rarely leave their respective regions as many Luani, even the nomads, would rather stay amongst what they know.
Various nomadic peoples have different aesthetics alongside their cultures. There are furtive Drow kinships that frequent between the subterranean and surface realms of the Gloomingdeep Forest. Tieflings, Minotaur, and Tabaxi will roam the endless fields of the Maresteppe with their own unique spiritual and martial cultures. One common cultural practice between the nomads is the practice of Xenia- an ancient custom of hospitality where the host is respectful and guarantees the protection of guests along with proper lodgings and sustenance. So important is Xenia that even peoples found in sedentary communities often respect this, regardless of whether or not they themselves are or were nomads. However, this practice is rarely invokes in earnest as many people tend to avoid contact with others and especially the nomads of late, as many Roani fear them as roving bandits, scheming thieves, and worse.
Interestingly there are even some remnants of Erudite and Roani attempts of colonies and trade expeditions that can be found here and there: the town of Freeport for example is the last remaining trade port that connects Tere de Lu with what's left of Eruditus and even possibly Tere de Ro. Here are some of the last vestiges of original Erudite and Roani culture with a healthy dose of Luani culture. Unfortunately many of the scummier and more exploitative elements of Roani and Erudite society managed to begin digging into the good will of the local Luani and gave many Luani a negative first impression of the Roani and Erudites-- many perceive the Roani as ignorant and backwards fools, some regard them as treacherous and opportunistic brigands, while others see only colonizers and invaders encroaching upon their lands and customs and cultures.
The aesthetic of Luan art, fashion, architecture, and language is deeply inspired by Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, and Celtic cultures. For example, the Minotaur and Centaurs of the Maresteppe roam in large caravans of yurts and covered carts pulled by their men while their women patrol the margins of their column as the children tend each other like ancient Mongols and Turkish nomads. Important temples, sites of worship, and buildings of prominence reflect buddhist and asian aesthetics with naturalistic designs and rather precise measurements and constructions with natural resources rather than refined and manufactured ones. Pagodas featuring imagery and art around Mother Moon, Lu, and her pantheon of allies and servants are frequently found in the middle of communities at sacred sites. Luani elves will mark the realm of they Fey with realmstones- precisely placed gates made of coral, wood, and stone featuring some sort of Lunar iconography that line up with the celestial bodies in the night sky for religious and navigational purposes, just like the Torii Gates of Japan and Stonehenge in Britain. Families and communities will even create large barrows marked with runes and weirding stones, where their dead are mummified and buried in complex funeral rites so that their dead can join their ancestors and guide their progeny through dreams and visions. Even the warriors of Luani reflect this aesthetic: the Krae will charge into battle virtually naked and covered in tattoos that they believe make them stronger and immune to damage (and for all intents and purposes it does), while the Lutesians are highly trained professional soldiers often bred to be warrior servants to their lords as they pursue martial excellence to honor their predecessors' efforts.
Some cultures like the Lutesians, Govondians, and Krae are sedentary and very territorial of their Homelands. They tend to build buildings in unique naturalistic styles with mostly naturally occuring materials like wood, stone, paper, hide, and occasionally mudbricks and baked tiles. They tend to be rather materialistic and militant, but are not particularly well traveled or expansionist- in fact even the marauding Lutesians of the Duchy of Moru know better than to properly invade and claim too much land lest they overextend or begin harming their sources of wealth and income during raiding. This bizarre sense of conservation of one's environment (even among their enemies) is frequently found amongst all Luani. They practice organized agriculture based on how the geography is and not how they would like it to be, and will rarely leave their respective regions as many Luani, even the nomads, would rather stay amongst what they know.
Various nomadic peoples have different aesthetics alongside their cultures. There are furtive Drow kinships that frequent between the subterranean and surface realms of the Gloomingdeep Forest. Tieflings, Minotaur, and Tabaxi will roam the endless fields of the Maresteppe with their own unique spiritual and martial cultures. One common cultural practice between the nomads is the practice of Xenia- an ancient custom of hospitality where the host is respectful and guarantees the protection of guests along with proper lodgings and sustenance. So important is Xenia that even peoples found in sedentary communities often respect this, regardless of whether or not they themselves are or were nomads. However, this practice is rarely invokes in earnest as many people tend to avoid contact with others and especially the nomads of late, as many Roani fear them as roving bandits, scheming thieves, and worse.
Interestingly there are even some remnants of Erudite and Roani attempts of colonies and trade expeditions that can be found here and there: the town of Freeport for example is the last remaining trade port that connects Tere de Lu with what's left of Eruditus and even possibly Tere de Ro. Here are some of the last vestiges of original Erudite and Roani culture with a healthy dose of Luani culture. Unfortunately many of the scummier and more exploitative elements of Roani and Erudite society managed to begin digging into the good will of the local Luani and gave many Luani a negative first impression of the Roani and Erudites-- many perceive the Roani as ignorant and backwards fools, some regard them as treacherous and opportunistic brigands, while others see only colonizers and invaders encroaching upon their lands and customs and cultures.
The aesthetic of Luan art, fashion, architecture, and language is deeply inspired by Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, and Celtic cultures. For example, the Minotaur and Centaurs of the Maresteppe roam in large caravans of yurts and covered carts pulled by their men while their women patrol the margins of their column as the children tend each other like ancient Mongols and Turkish nomads. Important temples, sites of worship, and buildings of prominence reflect buddhist and asian aesthetics with naturalistic designs and rather precise measurements and constructions with natural resources rather than refined and manufactured ones. Pagodas featuring imagery and art around Mother Moon, Lu, and her pantheon of allies and servants are frequently found in the middle of communities at sacred sites. Luani elves will mark the realm of they Fey with realmstones- precisely placed gates made of coral, wood, and stone featuring some sort of Lunar iconography that line up with the celestial bodies in the night sky for religious and navigational purposes, just like the Torii Gates of Japan and Stonehenge in Britain. Families and communities will even create large barrows marked with runes and weirding stones, where their dead are mummified and buried in complex funeral rites so that their dead can join their ancestors and guide their progeny through dreams and visions. Even the warriors of Luani reflect this aesthetic: the Krae will charge into battle virtually naked and covered in tattoos that they believe make them stronger and immune to damage (and for all intents and purposes it does), while the Lutesians are highly trained professional soldiers often bred to be warrior servants to their lords as they pursue martial excellence to honor their predecessors' efforts.
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