Turelite
An ethnicity that is almost synonymous with the Empire of Turelion, Turelites are most prevalent in northern – central Euristan, but they can be found in large numbers wherever the Empire of Turelion claims dominion. Whilst it is not an ethnicity that is considered to be restricted to a single species, it is most closely associated with Humans, who make up the bulk of the Empire of Turelion's population.
Naming Traditions
Most Turelites have two names as standard, a given name and a family name. There are no particular rules around what a person can be called for their given name, but names will tend to be repeated within family lines, generally with only a small clutch of names circulating around a family tree. This means that many Turelites will have one, two or even three middle names to help differentiate them from other family members, and amongst close associates, most Turelites will go by one of these middle names, rather than their given name.Culture
Shared customary codes and values
As almost all Turelites are citizens of the Empire of Turelion, and therefore exist in a society where worship of the Divine Astartes is promoted above all others, all Turelites highly value the idea of honour through strength. However, this does not just include strength of body, but can also be interpreted to mean strength of mind, political strength, economic strength or strength gained from one’s influence in society. For example, someone training and conditioning their body so that they can lift impossibly heavy weights will be praised and valued in exactly the same way as someone whose economic strength allows them to have a private army at their disposal.
It is a value that at its best drives Turelites to strive their utmost to be the best they can be, and at its worst can give Turelites a tendency to be self—centred and bolshy. It is this idea of honour through strength that drives Turelites to try to maintain and even still at points to expand the reaches of the Empire of Turelion and has been used at a political level as a justification of many of the horrors the arrival of imperial rule brought to parts of Kelbonnar, including mass relocations of local populations and even genocide.
Another, more localised consequence of the ideal of honour through strength is that blood sports are common across the Empire, or wherever there are large concentrations of Turelites. Every large town or city will have a boxing ring, fighting pit, or gladiatorial arena and these locations will almost universally be regularly well attended and highly popular amongst all subsections of Turelite society.
Foods & Cuisine
Turelite cuisine is dominated by two things, beef and bread. Almost every meal in a Turelite household will have these two ingredients at their core, and a traditional staple dish of the Empire of Turelion is a dish known as a beef cauldron – a thick beef stew served inside a hollowed-out bread bowl, with the bread taken from the middle of the bowl mixed into the stew just before serving. The preponderance of these two ingredients in Turelite cuisine is driven by the huge tonnage of wheat and beef produced by the Empire of Turelion's core provinces, Turelion Province and Ultaru Province, which means that both of these ingredients are easily and cheaply available.
However, traditional Turelite cooking uses very few spices, with most dishes simply being seasoned with salt and large quantities of pepper. Naturally of course, more affluent households have introduced more exotic, expensive or imported ingredients into their culinary repertoire, but for the most part beef and bread reign.
This can also be seen in the drinks most heavily associated with Turelites. Wheat beers are the most widely produced and consumed alcoholic beverages in Turelite majority areas, though more aristocratic Turelites view this as a common drink and will tend to prefer drinking wine.
However, a drink that is ubiquitously consumed amongst all Turelites is a hot drink named Ox Tea, which has nothing to do at all with tea, but is a very savoury and calorific beverage made from a thick beef stock mixed with ox blood and bone marrow. Ox Tea is widely consumed as a comforting drink, especially in the winter months.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Whilst there are many traditions observed by Turelites, many of which are associated with geographical locations rather than observed by the people as a whole, the most common one that all Turelites will practice is that of the Turelite Birth Eve Feast.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Initially nothing is done to mark the birth of a child until the new-born has survived a month. At that point, children are taken to their nearest temple to Astartes, where they are ritually cut on their right shoulder by a priest using a ceremonial labrys - double bitted axe. All Turelites bear these scars on their shoulders, as a sign that they are considered the property of the Divine Astartes, regardless of whether or not the individual would then go on to venerate Astartes particularly closely in life.
Coming of Age Rites
Children are considered in Turelite society to come of age on their eighteenth birthday. To mark this they spend the first month of their eighteenth year working as acolytes in their local temple to Astartes, with those who show promise, or who are obviously marked with favour by the Divine generally passing into the priesthood, unless their parents have the influence or capital to otherwise prevent this from happening.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Their link to the Divine Astartes means that almost all Turelites, regardless of whether they preferentially revered Astartes in life, are buried with a labrys – a double bitted axe a symbol of the divine linked with war and combat. Often these tokens are small, taking the form of a talisman that is placed in the hands or on the throat of the deceased. However, more affluent tokens are common amongst those with money, with the richest families investing huge amounts of money into battle-axe sized labrys adorned with jewels. The most lavish examples are those linked to the Emperors, who’s funerary labrys are the size of banners, which are processed ahead of the coffin.
Most Turelites are interred, either in the ground or in a mausoleum if finances permit.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
The beauty ideals of Turelites change rather regularly, compared with other ethnicities, especially those that are more closely associated with longer lives species. This is because fashions, beauty standards, hair styles and everything else in between are set, whether deliberately or no, by the ruling family of the Empire of Turelion, the Imperation Family. This means that fashion and beauty ideals can last for years, or just months, or sometimes even mere weeks before they change. Of course, it only tends to be the most affluent Turelites who keep up with the cutting edge of these ideals, but there is a trickle-down effect that can be seen, with all classes being dragged along by the changing tides of fashion, though poorer Turelites will tend to be several phases behind the richest Turelites, as they have to wait for things to become less expensive or become available second-hand.
Courtship Ideals
Whilst there are no traditional restrictions on who a Turelite can consort with, which has led to many cross-class relationships, marital relations are strictly governed, which can make finding a marital partner rather tricky. In order for a child to be continued to be considered legitimate and remain able to inherit on the death of their parents, any potential matrimonial match must be approved by both the father and the mother of both people concerned. This is not just a verbal acknowledgement of approval, but each parent must provide a written certificate of their approval at the wedding, certificates which are then kept within the records of the official or priest that sanctified the marriage in case proof of the approval is needed at a later date.
This means that all manner of wheeling and dealing often takes place between parents of two potential spouses, with each using the withholding of their approval as a means to add more, or less to the dowry, leverage future political or economic favours etc. All in all, the agency is rather taken away from the children involved in any marriage, and there is no place within the tradition for sons and daughters to have their voices heard, or their approval sought within this process. Arranged marriages are, therefore, very common amongst Turelites, and are regarded as a key political and social tool.
As with many practices, this tends to be more common amongst the Turelite aristocracy, but it is still widely practiced amongst lower class Turelites as well.
The only exception to this practice is the marrying of children of the Emperor of Turelion. As the decision of who the Emperor's children will marry directly impacts the line of succession the decision of who will marry the son or daughter of the Emperor lies solely with the Imperial Personage.
Major organizations
The Empire of Turelion is the largest and most notable organisation that is associated with Turelites. Almost all other organisations and factions of note linked to Turelites come under the broad umbrella of the Empire.
Related Organizations
Languages spoken
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