Jouilat

Brief History

The Jouilat culture formed in the southern most region of the central mainland. The cultures roots date back to the mass immigration of Altinum people into where the southern Hilverdoorn tribes roamed. Much of the Altinum who migrated here supposedly came from Altinums largest holy city, and so much of the population were clergyman. The many religious fanatics began to speculate and debate what had caused the disaster that destroyed their way of life and how they had wronged their gods in such a way that they would do this to them. Many different Altinum sects developed all claiming to know the true reason the gods did what they did.

These sects became violent with another and soon began ‘civilizing’ and educating the Hilverdoorn tribes who had welcomed them with open arms. They used them as proxies to fight their religious wars for almost 100 years. The religion that eventually came out on top called itself the Communion of Balance. The religion was founded on the writings of the Tomes of Balance, a set of five books that were supposedly written by envoys of the four elder gods. The tomes detail how the world is a perfectly balanced situation, where good, evil, chaos, and order all come together to balance out and be completely neutral.

They say the world became imbalanced due to a wide variety of vices displayed by their ancestors. One of which included lust for power, and to fix this those who introduced the tomes to southerners established the Communion as an entity that would govern over everyone to prevent men and women from lusting for power. The leader of the Communion would be ordained by the four elder gods at birth. Jouilat culture revolves completely around the church.

Arts and Architecture

Jouilat arts and architecture are similar to that of medieval France. They mainly build stone sturctures and buildings, such as massive stone cathedrals with intricately designed stain glass windows. Jouilat are not known to be exceptional craftsmen in most regards, however they are known for their clothing and jewelry. Jouilat produce the highest quality fabrics and most intricately designed jewelry, attracting aristocrats and savy merchants from across Credoth.

Shared Values

Slaves and Indentured Servitude?

According to the Tomes of Balance, owning slaves is to much power for most men and may inadvertently flip the scales of balance. Due to this, the Jouilat do not hold slaves and refuse to allow visitors to bring slaves inside of their city. However, Jouilat culture does not hold any issues on indentured servitude as long as a clear plan is laid out to allow the person to pay off their debts and eventually achieve freedom.

Sexuality and Gender Ideals

The Tomes of Balance state that gods created two genders as another balancing act. According to the tomes, men and women are naturally made by the gods to complete certain roles and help hold balance in society. Jouilat look down heavily on those break gender roles and will actively avoid doing business with them to teach them a lesson. When it comes to sexuality, the tomes say men shall lie with women, and women shall lie with men and that is it. Once again they believe two men or two women together would be imbalanced and thus impure. While it is not directly stated in the tomes, the communion advocates for abstinence until marriage.

Taboos

The Jouilat taboos involve anything that the Tomes of Balance would consider wrong, or anything the Communion of Balance has claimed is wrong.

Customs and Traditions

Coming of Age rites

Jouilat are considered adults at the age of 16 when they are typically married off. Those who are not however typically go to work for the church until they are 20 years of age, or are made to pick a trade and find an apprenticeship until they are 20.

Funerary Rites

Funeral processions for Jouilat follow traditions that remain from the Hilverdoorn tribes mixed with traditions established by the Communion of Balance. When a person dies, they are taken to their local church and put into a private display room for friends and family to come and pay their respects. The person remains on display for at most three days, at that point the church will lock them away until the next Saintsday. On the follow Saintsday after a person death they are put to rest in a graveyard near their church on a family plot, or if they have no family on a communal plot. Their bodies are buried without a coffin to allow their body to decompose and thus 'return to nature'. Typically after several generations a families plot may become to crowded, at this bones of their ancestors are dug off and set off to Paris to be blessed and added to the massive catacombs beneath the holy city.

Courtship

By the time most Jouilat children are 15 they have already met their future husbands and wives. Jouilat are strictly monogamous and families will often pair off their children with other families way before their children are even old enough to conceive children themselves. Jouilat youth marry when both have turned 16 during a long procession held by a clergyman, where the husband and wife pledge their undying service to each other for as long as they live. Those who do not get paired up at 16 are instead sent to work for their church and have the choice to marry later in life if they have either found love or their family found them a suitable spouse. Divorce is not allowed under the church and even after a persons spouse dies they are not allowed to remarry.

Religious Customs

The Jouilat stick strictly to the customs and traditions of the Communion of Balance.

Naming Traditions

Family Names:

Baudet, Barthet, Beauline, Gauthier, Blanchard, Pierrat, Adnet, Robineau, Levett, Vandame, Leclere, Larousse, Du Toit, Castex

Masculine Names:

Maurice, Olivier, Tristan, Nicolas, Roch, Mael, Henry, Andre, Jacob, Geoffroy, Christopher, Timothe, Jean-Pierre, Charles, Gabriel

Feminine Names:

Claudia, Madeleine, Solenne, Romane, Emma, Julia, Aurore, Camille, Marthe, Nancy, Perrine, Solenne, Clarisse, Benadette, Katia

Parent ethnicities

• Hilverdoorn

Related Organizations

• Communion of Balance
• Credoth Pantheon

Lineage Skill:

Religion

Culture Skills:

Languages Known:

Jewel, Common

Proficiency in:

Intimidation

Pick 1 Skill Proficiency:

Persuasion, Deception, Sleight of Hand

Pick 1 Tool Proficiency:

Weaver's Tools Or Alchemist's Tools