Olm (People of the River)

The Olm river was one of the first places that civilization developed on Occidentia and its peoples have a legacy which predates the written word. Their descendants are known by the same name as the river that birthed their civilization. They inhabit the lands of Daqin, Rattan, Hiaxi, Ynn, Leng, and have significant influence through colonies in even more distant lands. While they have diverged greatly from the early days of farming villages along the river, they all still share a significant cultural heritage.

Culture

Shared customary codes and values

Common to all Olm nations is the high value placed on education and the written word. All wealthy men are expected to have a significant library of books and knowledge of their contents, less he appear uncultured. Even most peasants are literate and possess a few prized books of their own. This is made possible by their early invention of block printing allowing for the mass production of books without employing hundreds of scribes. It is for this reason that most historical texts are written by Olm authors and many historical periods are only known by their influence on the Olm people.

Art & Architecture

The Olm river and its lands are plentiful in all things needed to build civilization save for stone. To remedy this Olm communities have developed carpentry far beyond that known in other lands. Where other peoples would have marble statues the Olm use intricately carved wood, and even the walls of their homes are frequently cut to depict beautiful patterns and shapes.
The other prime material associated with Olm culture is silk, a textile only available from the giant spiders of Western Occidentia. It takes to dye easily, producing a cultural preference for brightly colored clothing. It is produced in such quantities that silk is used in all but the most rugged clothing.

Related Organizations

• Daqin
• Haixi
• Leng
• Rattan
• Ynn

Languages spoken

• Daqese
• Deltan
• Draconic
• Old Daqese
• Old Lengian

Artistic Labor

While there are many differences in culture across the Olm, all of their cultures view labors and practical skills as art just as surely as song or paint on a canvas. As such they find ways to weave artistic express into other tasks.


All characters native to Daqin, Haixi, Rattan, Leng, or Ynn start the game with the Versatile Performance bard ability in a single performance skill. If they take levels in bard this is in addition to any versatile performances granted by bard levels.