Amrzali

The Amrzali

Overview

The peoples of the region of the kingdom of Amrzal are a regal folk who place great emphasis in tradition and culture. The people historically are known internally as Amrzash, or by the Razhni/Razhnak as Amurzy.

Culture

Amrzash culture is rather homogenous for the region, as the region has been centralized for many years under the kings ruling from their capital along the Kataya River. The Amrzash by this respect, only have a few subgroups.
The primary subgroups of the Amrzash are Dazhna, Uris, and Zhaki.

Craftsmanship

The Amrzash are commonly associated with excellent goldsmiths and jewelrycrafting as well as glassware. Some of the most common items made are high quality engraved rings, expensive glass ornaments, and glass figures. Besides this, the people are known as fine architects and smiths, often in a style that employs work from the surrounding cultures. It is to this extent that combining smiths and architects has led to iron being used in many structures such as prisons.

Architecture

Amrzash architecture is one which focuses on height moreso than their neighbors. Often in villages, one can see a pointed spire that acts as the shrine to the local wind spirits, with the top being open on all four sides and a pedestal standing there where one lets go of their desires symbolically for the wind to carry away.
In terms of specific materials, stone is rather common with brick being used as well due to influence from their neighbors. In the countryside, buildings are often made from wood and bricks.
As for castles and forts, known colloquially as Kzhan, they are typically built with a tall squared or octagonal tower in the middle and a building surrounding this tower. This keep is then surrounded by lower walls and squared towers. Razhni dome has begun to appear in modern buildings. Many buildings typically build in an A-frame style, but many other styles exist.

Diet

The diet of the Amrzash is varied but similar to their neighbors, with common creatures eaten including goats, sheep, pigs, fish, horses, cows, and wild game such as Elk and Deer. Often, grains are grown and made into breads that are used to accompany many other foods and to dip in soups. These breads make up a large portion of the diet of the people due to the expensive nature of meats and cheeses.
As for drinks, the people typically enjoy things such as milk, ale, and beer. In recent years, a drink was invented using rye known as Gavit (similar to an absinthe or vodka The new rye drink is a strong alcoholic beverage that has been known to even kill.

Clothing

The clothing of the Amrzash is most similar to that of their Lamnuvi neighbors, but many elements are shared with the Razhni as well. From the Razhnavi, the Phrygian hat has come to be very popular, especially as it has been mixed with native fur hats to create what is known colloquially as the Namnaka.
The clothing of the commoner is a tunic that reaches down to the mid thigh, known as a Gamanaht or the Kotkorvi. The Gamanaht is known widely as the standard men's clothing in Orazhnavir, Elsivir, and Amrzal, but it differs among the Amrzali and Razhnavi peoples as the collar is always on the right side, with some Amrzali collars being in the center. The women wear a loose sleeved shirt, with a skirt that is worn at the belly and goes down to the calves. Often, women wear a loose set of pants instead that also go down to the calves with long sucks underneath. They still typically wear the lighter poofier shirt than the males though.
Men and women also typically wear a long furred overcoat over the Gamanaht, known as a Saknava. The Saknava is known to extend all the way down to one's knees, and is often a dullish shade of a color like green or red among commoners. The Saknava is typically a practical garment meant to keep wind and snow from getting on the uner clothes of the wearer (such as the Gamanaht), which are typically brighter colors.

History

The Amrzash are a Sitiric people, having relatives in the Vashki, Lamnuvi, and Razhnavi among others. It is said that the Razhnavi empire once stretched along the Dmeva river, and the people split into tribes based on the children of the great ruler Kaprazhna (Lord of the River). It is said that the ten sons and daughters of Kaprazhna warred each other with their clans following the death, with the son Amur being exiled to the north with his brothers Lamnava and Divhalin.
While his brothers kept going eastwards, Amur settled with his clan at the mouth of the Kataya river and constructed the great city of Evnozhal (known in Amrzash as Efnosal). From the city of Evnozhal, the kingdom of Amur rose and remained relatively peaceful and strong since its foundation until the age of Suigan and the Shattering caused spirits to invade and the realm declined heavily. In the wake of these disasters, the state rebuilt itself and has been relatively quiet ever since, with in the 1400s the people attempting to conquer the Dnzeli, with varying levels of success.