Kersian (Ker-shi-an)

Kersians are people that dwell on the tropical islands making up the Extona Peninsula. The peninsula is situated off the Southern coast Vastrya, Velaria, within the Uncanny Sea. Kersians are believed to be an offshoot of Orcs and Humans, standing at an average of 6ft tall with very slightly-green tinged skin, however not showing any tusks or other Orc features. Kersians contain less Orc-blood than the traditional Half-Orcs, and are considered independent to them. For most Kersians, the difference between them and a standard Human can barely be seen at all, unless someone were specifically looking for it. Due to their connection to the Orcs and their brutish nature, the Kersians are brawnier than other Humans and usually taller.
A small plant can only be found within the Extona Peninsula, and the trick to harvesting it is safely guarded by the Kersian people. This is to ensure Kersian Ale remains exclusive to the Kersian people, who profit greatly through this export. This plant is called a Rycto tree, producing the Rycto Hops. Like the Kersians themselves, the Rycto tree is large and green, producing likewise large and green hops. These Hops are extremely delicate and cannot be harvested like regular hops, but when used as a flavouring and stability agent in beer, unlocks the most delicious tastes imaginable. The Hops have some sort of arcane undercurrent that accesses the part of the brain that holds memories, the hippocampus, and floods your mind with all the scents and tastes of your most cherished memories. As soon as you take a sip from some Kersian Ale, the drink floods your mind with these loved memories, making the ale taste like whatever would be the most nostalgic to you, meaning that the ale never tastes the same for anyone. If a Human who grew up within the The Weep Sector of Naham, City of Bells were to drink the Kersian Ale, they would taste the soft apples grown within the sector, the pine-nut based hummus, and variety of colourful spices native to Nahamian cuisine. Also, they would hear the faint chiming of bells high overhead alongside soft religious chanting, the ambient sounds of Naham, City of Bells. Even if a more monstrous creature such as a carnivorous Goblin were to drink the ale, he would taste the delicious metallic tang of blood and perfectly cooked meat, coming right of the bone. He would see glimpses of himself, surrounded with riches and loyal Goblin servants, kneeling down to him, a Goblin Warlord. Because of this, Kersian Ale is the most revered and sought after alcoholic drink in Velaria, but has limited supply due to the strict and delicate harvesting procedures within the Extona Peninsula.

Culture

Common Dress code

Because of the integration of the Kersian people and other societies throughout Velaria, the Kersians codes and customs are very similar to a more traditional group of Humans, or Half-Orcs. However, some differences appear within the Dress Code, especially within the Extona Peninsula. During sunnier days, instead of wearing lighter clothing and more revealing outfits that would be seen in other Human cultures, Kersians wear clothes that cover as much skin as possible, even though it causes discomfort. When the sky is clouded and the day is grey, the Kersian people allow themselves to wear their lighter clothes, revealing arms and legs, unafraid of the suns influence on their skin. This is just a code however, and not strictly followed by all. The harvesters of the Rycto tree follow this code very carefully, holding to the more traditional methods and customs, but many farmers and labourers throughout the peninsula have taken to efficiency instead, disregarding the old-fashioned view on green skin and being entirely natural in their environment. They do not care how green their skin gets, instead enjoying the sun when it is out and continuing work in higher comfort. However, within Kersian cities this is frowned upon, and it would be difficult to find any city folk willing to do this.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Traditionally a peaceful group of people, Kersians do not have any traditions around wars, conflict or sacrificial rites which might be seen in other cultures of Vastrya. They do have two main traditions that have persisted from the origins of the Kersian people, through the Great Unite and development of society as a whole, the Creation of the Storm, and the Etrikord. The Kersians worship Kord, God of strength and storms. This faith originated due to how dangerous storms can be in the Extona Peninsula. The flat land and openness to the wild seas cause devastating storms, and the Rycto tree requires great care to grow. Throughout Velaria, Kord is respected as a powerful God, but is only worshipped by seafarers hoping to avoid his wrath. This is different for the Kersians, who see Kord and his storms as a part of their lives and culture.
The first ancient tradition that the Kersian people still practice is the Creation of the Storm. All of the most powerful mages throughout the peninsula gather on this holy day to try and prove themselves to the mighty Kord. They unite and merge magic to perform a vast, arcane ritual creating a massive storm with torrential rains, forked lightning, deafening thunder, and deadly winds. This holy, artificial storm is devastating for the residents of the Extona Peninsula every time, but they still do it once a year to appease Kord, who bestows them with his blessing for the remaining days, protecting the collection of islands from bad weather. This blessing can be seen from high overhead the peninsula, a soft dome of blue, arcing power fending off storms, just for the crazy, but loyal followers of the God of storms.
The second tradition that the Kersians perform is a funerary one. When the Kersian people first settled in the Extona Peninsula, they flourished. This had the negative side affect of a cramped island plagued with sickness and overpopulation. Many buildings and customs found throughout the rest of the world have had to be neglected in the peninsula because of it, to try and maximise space. Instead of graveyards to bury the dead, Kersians are all cremated and scattered to the wind. To celebrate a death, the lost one is cremated and their ashes stored in an etched wooden bowl. Their close ones all gather round and sing a beautiful song, detailing the lost ones' life. Everyone chips in with their own stories or memories, weaving it all into one long, bittersweet song. This ceremony is called the 'Etrikord', or the Return to the Storm. The Etrikord is performed on the beach, surrounded by traditional torches and can last for many hours, or even nights depending on the person. Finally, once the Etrikord song finishes its harmonic trance, the ashes are scattered into the ocean with a soft breeze, and the lost one only remains in the memories of the people that attended the Etrikord. None hang on to remnants or objects of the dead in the Extona Peninsula, a custom created from efficiency, and once their ashes are scattered, the dead must only live within the others hearts, and all of their previous belongings must be destroyed, given away, or modified for a different use.

Common Myths and Legends

The greatest myth of the Kersian people is that of Extona Morningmaw, the mighty hero and land-breaker, long before the Great Unite. It is said that this hulking, noble, and fair-skinned Kersian, hated the constant wars and conflicts of the land and decided to do something about it. He plunged his mighty hands deep into the ground and heaved with all his might, creating a gargantuan fissure in the ground which he then, with a roar, pushed with all his might. From this act of superhuman strength, Extona separated a chunk of land from Southern Velaria, just below the Gadrobi Highlands, which floated further away to finally settle and become the Extona Peninsula. The people here have grown and lived a more peaceful life, and most often view those wars as simple quarrels, foolish and pointless, just as it is said Extona Morningmaw described it. Until the Great Unite, the Kersian people secluded themselves away from the rest of Vastrya, focusing on their own growth instead of warfare. Some believe that the tale of Morningmaw is true, where a hero of such power could rip the land apart and bring peace to an entire people, but others just believe that it is just a legend adopted by parents to tell to their children before bed, hoping they will grow up friendly and unwarlike, like Extona himself.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The Kersians idealise paler skin, and consider it beautiful. Because of the mixed heritage of the ethnicity, there is a spectrum of differences between different Kersians which can be isolated to the amount of Tanarukk blood that family contains, or how 'Orc-ish' they are. Over time, the larger, stronger natives would gravitate towards the more mundane jobs, such as manual labour and outdoor maintenance. A disparity started to form around 200AU, when the Extona Peninsula established a functioning trade route and the society development progressed. The darker, more green skinned Kersians, who were mainly employed in common jobs, became the lower class of the society, whereas the lighter-skinned, more Human Kersians, would gravitate to and make up the higher class. The actual difference in blood and genetics was miniscule, but because the common-folk spent much more time outside in the sun than the higher-class, their tanned skin would bring out the green and accentuate the difference. As society has progressed, the class system has become much more progressive, and there is not a large disparity in the peninsula. However, some of the culture has still clung to the old-fashioned way of thinking and it has been implemented into the general beauty ideals. If your skin is darker, and thus more green, then most would see you as a Kersian with a mundane and laborious job, dirty and unsophisticated. Kersian Women protect their skin as much as possible from the sun, accentuating their beauty and classiness to others. Within their culture, Kersians idealise fair skin very highly as well.

We settled in this land, given life by the storm. And whenn we die, we return to the storm. That is the Kersian cycle. The beauty of the Etrikord.

— Thumar Nader

The greatest export of the Kersian people is their signature Kersian Ale, known and revered across Velaria for its deliciousness and potency.

Parent ethnicities

• Vastryan Humans
• Vastryan Orcs

Related Locations

• Extona Peninsula
• Vastrya