Boerjh

The culture of the Boerjh retains a surprisingly strong presence on the Imperial Continent, predominantly in the east, although with minor influences in the north as well. In many ways, they appear similar to the Wetterlenn, in that their skin is tan and they tend towards a lith and tall figure, although their hair is of a lighter hue, with blond - or even white haired - Boerjh not being unheard of. Yet although their hair may be among the lightest on the continent, their eyes are generally dark brown - with lighter variants not completely unheard of. There is also a certain clash between the Boerjh and the rest of the continent, as they may be described to be in possession of a certain calculated calm, yet it is decidedly not the same kind of proud stoicism so beloved by the Imperials.
Though one might argue that the Empire has learnt much of its diplomatic ability from the Boerjh, the easterners are more easily defined by their differences to the Imperial than their similarities. Most notable among these is their refusal to adopt the written word, an old superstition passed through the now outlawed religion of Mahkt which taught that to write knowledge down is to imprison it, making it rigid and unadaptive. Further, while the Boerjh are not against woodworking as such, they do consider trees to be sacred, and so they are to be treated with the utmost respect. That goes double for any tree that has to be cut down, be it for furniture, heat, or housing; those trees are to be given the greatest of honours. Thus, in Boerjh-lands, professions such as loggers and carpenters are held almost as high as nobility.
It is only natural then that most Boerjh buildings are made from finely wrought wood, often with either arched or domed roofs, with detailed depictions of scenes from nature. Motifs in the style of wolves and bears are particularly common, as are vines and acorns - if possible, leaves are almost always painted black, in reference to the Raven-Oak of Chramach. Eastern houses tend to be built with a wide base that thins out upwards, sometimes rising as high as four floors, although the final floor is then only made up of one small attic room, usually used for meditation. Warm colours are favoured, both inside and out, with either natural furs or colourful carpets adorning the furniture. If the Boerjh has inspired anything within the Empire, it is the intimacy of their homes, which are filled with detail and ornamentations, yet without being cluttered.
When it comes to clothing, loose trousers are favoured over the more standard Imperial kilt, made either from silk that streams into the country through Khaluhmn or from local wool or linen. This is coupled to an equally loose top, with sleeves that stretch down to the second knuckle, but can be tied up to end at the elbows. The two parts are held together by a broad belt, traditionally at the width of a palm. More so than anywhere else in the Empire, the cloak is still favoured over the coat, something that often lends fuel to the Boerjh’s reputation of being if not uncivilised, then at least unfashionable. Buttons and buckles are often made from wood in complimating, warm colours, as are other ornamentations. Almost every easterner wears at least one beaded necklace, though multiple ones, in addition to wristbands, are also very common. Studs with complex patterns are worn in the ear, commonly the left one for men, right for women, and both for those that are neither. Wooden shoes are almost completely unheard of, as it is seen as an unworthy way of treating the tree they are made of, instead most Boerjh either wear nothing on their feet (if they are traditional), or leather boots, if they are not. Hands are left bare and usually display vine-like tattoos that form individual patterns, though hand wraps are used in those professions that require them.
All Boerjh nations have traditionally been monarchies and remain so onto this day, with some level of variance depending on how firmly they find themselves beneath Imperial rule. The two most autonomous nations, Chramach and Zaelech, have long lines of families that own large swaths of land while paying close tribute to their monarch, while beneath them are holdsteaders that make sure the day to day business remains operational. Meanwhile, the more firmly controlled Eschrimae and Harrovehl has a ‘nobility’ that vary in power greatly depending on how useful they make themselves for their respective Governors, with less powerful families standing ready to take their place if they outlive their use.
The eastern-naming conventions follow two trends; more and more, Imperial names have completely replaced the more original, something that began a couple of generations before Leopold invaded, with names such as Rielle and Issio having become commonplace. On the other hand, there are parts of the east, most notable the chrameans, who employ the old tradition of descriptive names. In such cases, a child simply goes by the name ‘Child’, Kid’, ‘Small’ or something similar, until they have achieved something notable, upon which they are named after that act, commonly an adjective or noun referring to the action. Tear, for example, is named for how their declaration of love towards their mother brought her to tears of joy.
While Eschrimae fell as part of Leopold’s first conquest, most of the land inhabited by the Boerjh became part of the Empire during the third, and were later instrumental in bringing Ki’Allack into the fold. As so much of their original culture has survived there are many nations - especially on the western end of the continent - that do not consider their eastern allies to be true Imperials. While most of the inhabitants of those nations would likely disagree, there is definitely a fair number of Boerjh who consider themselves just that, Boerjh, first and Imperial a distant second. As the coming of New Leopold has put everyone’s loyalty in question, there are certainly parts of the Imperial Court that are giving the east pointed, and worried, looks, fearing that they will seize the opportunity to free themselves of the Empire, just as the Unclaimed Isles did. Yet such fear is kept as a calm simmering as long as the nations with the strongest military, Herrovehl and Zaelech, remain on the Empire’s side… though some historians note that both Eschrimae and Chramach has proven to be more difficult to handle when opposed to the Empire than their more martial neighbours.