Dalsup {달숲} People

Within the islands of Kaguya, there are three primary people groups. The most socially powerful among them are the Kaguyans, originally known as the Tsukibata, followed by the Yuèyuè. Those two groups are the ones that helped form the current concept of Kaguyan society, even though the nation has technically transferred to a Federation. This left the Dalsup people in the dust, a victim of their melting pot mentality that is only recently beginning to reassert itself, despite the other's best efforts.
The past of the Dalsup is that of a tragic loss. They are one of the few pieces of concrete evidence that people exist outside of what is known as Edda, for the Dalsup were in two locations, their home of Banjjagsup, and a handful of the islands just to the north of Banjjagsup, which is now the southern-most islands of Kaguya. in 1000 PE, when the Isolated Era began and the impenetrable wall of chaotic magic locked Edda away from the rest of the world, 76% of the Dalsup were left on the outside of it, with only 19% left inside of Edda's borders, with the remaining 5% being lost in between.
Left without other allies, the Lytrăng and Bakalbuwan most notably, the Dalsup had little to no defense or voice against the other two, and so in the panicked conquest of the Kaguyan islands by the eponymous empress, they were subjected to silence and servitude. Breaking from under the thumb of Hippolyta was the first step towards solving that silence, and the chaos of the Border Wars gave the surviving Dalsup, their kin, and their allies enough instability and pressure to give the leaders of Kaguya an ultimatum: acknowledge the fact we exist, or be plunged into further war.
In the wake of that, and growing discomfort from the Yuèyuè after all this time, the Kaguyans balked and turned the nation from an empire to a Federation, although the change is still young, and there's still much to desire from it.

---

---

Naming Traditions

Unisex names

Names among the Dalsup have always served as wishes to some extent. There are only so many ways you can name a child at birth, so parents often give them names that describe different qualities they want their child to embody, or different aspects of life they want to attract towards the child, in direct or flowery ways. Most people would weave in elements meaning things like 'beauty', 'wisdom', 'valor', or 'strength' into their child's names. When it came to aristocracy or particularly poetic parents, you might expect names such as "푸른들판의꽃처럼아름다운", which roughly turns to "As beautiful as a flower in a verdant field", often shortened to "아름" or "Beauty" in casual conversation.
As generations under Kaguyan leadership continued, most Dalsup names were forsaken in a push for national syncretism, with newborns legally requiring Kaguyan names. This didn't stop many parents from weaving their wishes into cognate syllables, or from having Dalsup names at home or with close friends, but they were secretive things. For those who were more actively against Kaguyan oppression, their wishes for their children would weave into meanings such as 'Free' or 'Powerful', or even 'Home'.
As the revolution began to burn brighter during the Border Wars, the idea of your home name versus your legal name became a convenient piece of armor against Kaguyan officials. They would be hunting for revolutionaries with names that they only held with each other, which made for plausible deniability among their peers. Of course that man over there isn't this "Eun-U" you speak of, that's simply Kaito, everyone knows that!
In the wake of Kaguya becoming a Federation, with the Dalsup people able to reclaim their language once more, many who adopted this tactic have taken on their revolutionary names as their legal names, unveiling their truth in victory.

Family names

Most of the Dalsup are of Elvish descent, so most families got their surnames originally by either describing or declaring ownership over a particular piece of nature that resonated with them and with the longevity of the species, they've stuck around even as the Dalsup people have lost access to those ancestral homes and culture. This concept extends to the non-elvish members of the Dalsup people, as they all have a tie to the environment in one way or another.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

Fostering a positive relationship with not just literal nature, but the world around them, is a key component of Dalsup culture. While many people balk at the social aspect of this ideal, especially when the Kaguyan culture was oh-so-happy to take them in and make them assimilate, it is still an ideal that favors community and unity with one another and leads to their ideals towards renewing natural resources and ensuring they remain healthy and safe for the future generations.

Shared customary codes and values

All mortal species began as pieces of earthen materials, giving each creature that breathes a connection to the land. But, this connection is crucial for the Dalsup people. Even outside the Druids and natural clerics among them, it is a common cultural touchstone to have a respectful relationship with the land around them, wherever they may land. While the modern Dalsup won't be a full fanatic about the land around them, there's always an appreciation and fascination with it, especially if they're travelling to new places.

Common Etiquette rules

Despite honesty being a key concept in personal relationships, most Dalsup people view kindness and sympathy as key pieces of etiquette towards other people, especially if full honesty would be harsh or cruel. It's also polite to help around with tasks whenever possible, especially if they're strenuous or laborious tasks.

Art & Architecture

Dalsup architecture is largely based on incorporation of the natural elements. Whether this is following the growth and groove of the lumber, incorporating open-air concepts to feel the breeze, accounting for the waves on beach property, or building around or connected to large protected trees. In most living structures, people prefer flat roofs that they can utilize for various purposes, although rainier environments require the proper slopes.
When it comes to Art, Dalsup art also focuses on the natural world around them, utilizing plant fibers, plant-derived inks, various clays, etcetera, and often musing about the mortal condition in tune with the world around them. In the modern day, this has persisted even into literary arts such as long-form stories or poetry, with many famed stories dealing with the concept of social connection or the lack thereof has been from Dalsup authors.

Foods & Cuisine

Historical Dalsup dishes involve a lot of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish due to the larger environment of both Banjjangsup and their lands in Kaguya, consisting of forests and populous shores. Many dishes pre-separation were designed to be made in a quick manner, often portable, and easily made without many, if any, utensils needed. Post-separation, more of them began to be based around more time-intensive cooking methods and incorporating other food groups as well.

Funerary and Memorial customs

The Dalsup people prefer cremation, either scattering their loved one's ashes where requested, or kneading them into the soil of a new sapling, so they might become part of the forest as well as the world at large.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

In their traditional views on life and natural symbiosis, it was seen as a more masculine task to handle physically heavy work, such as butchering, building, and logging. Meanwhile, the quicker work, no matter how soft, was seen as the more feminine tasks, such as hunting, skinning, and the various craftworks that refined the raw materials. Of course, some things were still shared, as complicated tasks such as child rearing or cooking required both hands. The modern-day has done away with such dichotomies, but traditional habits are sometimes still ingrained, especially in the minds of the elders.

Relationship Ideals

The key dynamic in traditional Dalsup relationships is longevity. It doesn't matter if you're Elven, Human, Dryad, Phantasmal, or anything else. Your relationship, your family, and your legacy need to last the test of ages. To this end, communication and problem-solving are paramount to any relationship, as is direct speaking and honesty, as lies or half-measures out of politeness would just drag out the process. This aspect has actually led many outsiders to stereotypically view Dalsup marriages as tenuous due to the sheer bluntness some partners speak to each other with.

Related Locations

• Senman Forest