Columban
The Columbans are those humans and their kin who reside in northwest portion of the Jakonian Peninsula. Once members of the Jakonian Empire, they have since developed their own identity and ways of life. During the time of the empire, Columbans became best known as the backbone of the economic machine that kept the imperial treasuries full. Columban industry proved to be the source of much of the empire's raw materials and refined goods that would fuel armies and growth. The Columbans are thus known as skilled traders and merchants, always focused on the next payday, and pragmatic in their decisions and constructions.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Birgit, Hertha, Rolanda, Waldtraud, Alice, Irina, Kerstin, Stephanie, Dagmar, Sabina
Masculine names
Bruno, Ingo, Justin, Karsten, Adolar, Elmar, Finn, Nicola, Julian, Bernhard
Family names
Huppert, Goldreich, Jentzsch, Schulze, Lexis, Schmerling, Starker, Mandelbaum, Beitz, Nagelburg
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The Columbans speak Common predominantly, but have a significantly different dialect than surrounding states. They tend to insert grunts and more nonverbal cues into conversations, rather than strict reliance upon the full words. The strange accents that they are born with can be hard to understand, and they give a more guttural inflection onto the words they speak in general.
Art & Architecture
Columbans focus on building large structures over smaller individual standing constructions. Apartment buildings, bunkhouses, and factories are the structures that receive the most lavish of efforts by the Columban people. Columban cities are often lacking in open grassy areas and parks, with as many people as possible crammed into as much small space as possible, and soot and grime are the rule of the day. Even simply large towns have a thin layer of smog hovering over them on a daily basis, as the mechanics of industry breed new darkness into the skies. To that end, most Columban buildings are brick and stone, as wood tends to suffer heavily under the circumstances they are placed. Most are plainly decorated, while the lavish decorations are saved for indoors, even in the richer communities and neighborhoods.
Ideals
Gender Ideals
Similar to other peoples in the former Jakonian Empire, the Columbans have very strict gender rules in society. Men are rulers, laborers, and warriors, while women often find themselves relegated towards housework and occasionally more active roles in farming. The nation exists with an institutional patriarchy, and while not quite as strict as the Jakonian culture, women often find a hard time receiving work or employment outside of the household. Exceptions exist in industrial work, and for high elves and hill dwarves living within Columban societies. Similarly, women who choose not to enter into relationships or marriage are not particularly frowned upon, but still face some unofficial discrimination from the various castes of society.
Relationship Ideals
Marriage in Columban households is very strictly between solely a man and a woman. Homosexuality is illegal, but occasionally leniently looked upon in some of the remote villages and towns, usually faced with exile instead of death as in Jakonian circles. Marriages are often seen as a political tool, helping combine families and resources, often used to achieve greater social status. Outside of family wealth and power, however, most Columbans believe that hard labor and dedicated work are a far better approach to success than simply marrying for money.
Related Organizations
Languages spoken
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