Aquitani
Death Before Bondage
The Aquitani are a singularly disagreeable people who began and have retained a contemptuous relationship with Caesar Immortalis, May He Live Forever, and his Imperia. Any pirate is likely to be of Aquitani heritage, and/or be fluent in Cheulque, which may soon be described as the language of piracy.
- Imperian treatise on the Gallic satellites
Yet another run-in with the Aquitani pirate Anaïs, and I find myself wondering if she's getting herself arrested on purpose for some reason...
The Aquitani are the native peoples of the Gallic satellite Aquitania, a planet almost entirely covered with water. About seventy percent of the planet is an extremely deep ocean called The Deeps, with another twenty percent called The Shallows. Aquitani are not entirely aquatic but are as comfortable in water as they are on land. They build settlements on the shores of their narrow continents and largely remain in the shallower waters of the planet, preferring to stay away from the enormous and deadly aquatic beasts that inhabit The Deeps.
As non-Imperian and non-Renani, they are classified as a Mariner race. Aquitani largely object to this clumping of their people in with others in the Imperia, more out of spite for the Imperia than any ill will toward other races.
The pirate fleets that inhabit the empty pieces of the Imperia are majority Aquitani Mariners, and the most cherished folkloric heroes of Aquitania are pirates or engage in open resistance against the Imperia, such as Eztareia Gizapletar.
Aquitani Culture
Aquitania is almost entirely water, and the Aquitani became adept at not only living on or near water, but valuing the temporary nature of their world. At any moment, a tsunami, hurricane, or flood could wipe hundreds of miles of civilization away; therefore, the Aquitani value the ability to be as fluid and changeable as their world. They also fiercely value freedom, and have in the past started wars based on the perception that someone was attempting to throttle their ability to live free.
When not using a conformer unit, Aquitani possess varying numbers of tentacles instead of legs; the number of legs depends on the clan, with the Lavreplethsarris having the most tentacles at eight, and the Pevetharris having the fewest tentacles at four. They also have to two arms with four fingers on each that are without fingernails or fingerprints. Their tentacles are boneless, made entirely of powerful muscle, and the ability to bend those tentacles in a thousand different ways makes them unbelievable escape artists.
When being entertained in the home of an Aquitani, it is customary for the guest to shut the door. This is to symbolize that the host isn't attempting to trap or contain the guest.
Aquitani fights are almost entirely grappling with tentacles and arms alike, and they interpret chest-to-chest hugs as aggression. Therefore, it is unwise and even unsafe to attempt to hug an Aquitani, even one utilizing a Conformer Unit to appear humanoid.
The Aquitani people have evolved alongside horrific and gigantic sea monsters, called krøtruo, that regularly pose a serious threat to their settlements, trade, and lives, especially on the barrier islands that keep the larger krøtruo out of The Shallows. Aquitani curses generally involve being eaten or otherwise harmed by the krøtruo, and their compliments are generally assertions that the person they're complimenting could defeat a krøtruo in battle.
Appearance
When not using a conformer unit, Aquitani possess varying numbers of tentacles instead of legs; the number of legs depends on the clan, with the Lavreplethsarris having the most tentacles at eight, and the Pevetharris having the fewest tentacles at four. They also have to two arms with four fingers on each that are without fingernails or fingerprints. Their tentacles are boneless, made entirely of powerful muscle, and the ability to bend those tentacles in a thousand different ways makes them unbelievable escape artists.
Etiquette
When being entertained in the home of an Aquitani, it is customary for the guest to shut the door. This is to symbolize that the host isn't attempting to trap or contain the guest.
Aquitani fights are almost entirely grappling with tentacles and arms alike, and they interpret chest-to-chest hugs as aggression. Therefore, it is unwise and even unsafe to attempt to hug an Aquitani, even one utilizing a Conformer Unit to appear humanoid.
Curses and Compliments
The Aquitani people have evolved alongside horrific and gigantic sea monsters, called krøtruo, that regularly pose a serious threat to their settlements, trade, and lives, especially on the barrier islands that keep the larger krøtruo out of The Shallows. Aquitani curses generally involve being eaten or otherwise harmed by the krøtruo, and their compliments are generally assertions that the person they're complimenting could defeat a krøtruo in battle.
Heroes and History
Crest of the Gizapletarris
A part-historical, part-mythic figure of Aquitania was Eztareia Gizapletar, one of the first chieftains to encounter the Imperia and resist them. Eztareia was unwilling to bow to the Legion that invaded Aquitania and managed to successfully carry out raids on Legion camps for years before vanishing. She is believed to have been an earlier incarnation of a Saint, possibly the Saint that most recently inhabited Saint Basta of Raetia. Eztareia's symbol is a breaking wave and can be found as a tattoo on any pirate who aligns themselves against the Imperia.
Another mythic figure is San Vuepaque, the mythic Queen of the Earth who is fabled to have saved the Aquitani people from the krøtruo by raising The Shallows, an extremely shallow sea surrounded by barrier islands that acted as a safe haven where gigantic sea monsters couldn't enter.
I would die fighting, brethren, rather than live shackled.
The Pirates of the Imperia
The proud history of the Aquitani as pirates and opposition against the Imperia is something they hold in high regard. Being able to trace one's family line to a famous rebel or pirate is a source of great pride, and even Aquitani who aren't actively pirates will take any chance they get to express their ties to past rebels.
Crest of the Aquitani
A mythical truo called Chos Mialmiche, "Spring Lion," depicting the companion of San Vuepaque who helped her summon The Shallows from The Deeps.
Art and Architecture
Aquitani architecture is designed to easily break apart in the battering waters of Aquitania, so it's very rare for them to have buildings older than a few decades. Those that span centuries are often naturally-occuring stone structures that the Aquitani coopted into dwellings or meeting halls.
Common Dress Code
On Aquitania, the Aquitani generally wear no clothing unless they're partaking in a special ceremony, such as a wedding, holiday festival, or other ritual.
Relevant Articles
Aquitani architecture is designed to easily break apart in the battering waters of Aquitania, so it's very rare for them to have buildings older than a few decades. Those that span centuries are often naturally-occuring stone structures that the Aquitani coopted into dwellings or meeting halls.
Common Dress Code
On Aquitania, the Aquitani generally wear no clothing unless they're partaking in a special ceremony, such as a wedding, holiday festival, or other ritual.
Relevant Articles
Naming Conventions
Feminine/Neuter Names
Personal names are formed with a stem followed by one to two suffixes.Common suffixes are: -c(c)o -tar -to -t(t)en -xso
For feminine names, one suffix is always either -eia or -se For neuter names, one suffix is always either -ie or -te Examples:
Masculine Names
Personal names are formed with a stem followed by one to two suffixes.Common suffixes are: -c(c)o -tar -to -t(t)en -xso Examples:
Family Names
Surnames are formed with a stem followed by the suffix -thar, -tar, or -ar.All of these suffixes denote membership of a group. Examples:
The surname Plesthar comes from the Cheulque word ples, meaning "noble, moral," ultimately meaning the bearer of this name belongs to a noble group. To denote a more specific noble group, there are names such as:
Comments