Suthermen
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Sutherman are a race of humans. They are fair skinned and of average height. Their hair is generally either brown or blonde, but sometimes they have red hair, likely because of crossbreeding with the Jorns. Their eyes can be brown, blue, or green.
Biological Traits
Ability Score Increase: All of your ability scores increase by 1.
Skill Versatility: You have proficiency in three skills of your choice.
Speed: Your Base walking speed is 30 feet.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Male: Alfrid, Grigor, Wilhelm, Osweald
Female: Athelflaed, Rosemary, Godwyn, Aldreda
Major Organizations
Church of Oren
Beauty Ideals
Suthermen place high importance on hygiene, for both aesthetic and religious reasons. Personal, private bathing is a common practice as it is believed to cleanse both the body and soul. Beauty ideals differ somewhat between higher and lower classes. Fair skin is typically preferred in urban, upper-class circles as it signifies that a person is of high status and does not engage in peasant labor. The exception is if a man of high status has joined the military, in which case tanned skin and calloused hands show that he was a hard-working soldier. In rural areas, tan skin and calloused hands are actually more desirable as they show that a person is a hard worker and doesn't shirk responsibilities. Many Sutherlandic women wear their hair in braids, and it is not uncommon for men to have moderately long, shoulder-length hair. Facial hair is moderately common, but in the form of moustaches, goatees, and short, trimmed, well-kept beards. Long wild beards are uncommon, and are associated mostly with monks and hermits in remote locations.
Gender Ideals
Traditional gender roles are highly valued in Sutherland. Despite this, Sutherland is fairly gender-equal. Women can own property and serve in government. Women are also not barred from working most jobs. For example, women can legally be blacksmiths in Sutherland, despite it being considered a masculine job. While it is legal, that does not mean that they will be treated with some degree of contempt because of their job. Sutherland's gender equality is likely influenced by the angels, who have a matriarchal society. Women cannot serve in the military except as cooks and nurses, and they cannot serve as clergy in the church. Gender roles are more highly regarded and held to among the upper classes, whereas it is more necessary among peasants to allow women to work alongside men in the same jobs.
Courtship Ideals
The ideals of courtship in Sutherland differ greatly between social classes. Among peasants and the lower middle class, marriages are most often expressly out of love. This is partly because of the value the Suthermen place on true love, but it is more because arranged marriage between non-nobles is illegal, as a precaution put in place by the upper class. Among the nobility, marriage ideals vary quite a bit based on region and noble status. Royal princes, for instance, are usually allowed to marry for love, while a minor baron's son may have his marriage arranged at a young age. For male members of the royal family, marriage is not only encouraged, it is the law. A king who makes no attempt to marry will eventually be deposed
Relationship Ideals
Open and polyamorous relationships are illegal in Sutherland, on pain of imprisonment. Other "deviant" relationships are barred by religious statute. Incest and infidelity are punishable by death, due to the Suthermen believing infidelity and incest among their gods was the source of most tragedy in the world. Sexual relationships outside the confines of marriage are frowned upon, but are mostly tolerated as the passion of young people in love. Prostitution, and the solicitation thereof, is a capital crime in Sutherland. Relationships and marriages with non-Suthermen are generally accepted without prejudice with the exception of the Nikaru, who are held with some degree of racial contempt.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Seraphic (Sutherlandic), Common
Common Etiquette Rules
Sutherland behaves according to a code of chivalry. Public drunkeness and violence are looked down upon heavily. Bars are legal and are valued community hubs as long as they are not hotspots of drunken decadence. Dueling culture is strong among nobles. Suthermen value politeness and kindness. Honesty is greatly appreciated in Sutherland, and they are not known to sugarcoat anything. Rudeness is however frowned upon.
Common Dress Code
Upper class Suthermen are known to wear richly colored, elaborate, highly decorated clothing, sometimes adorned with gemstones. Jewelry is common among all classes, as even peasants often have heirloom jewelry that is passed from generation to generation.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The Suthermen are a people known for their great stone castles, steel plate-clad knights, and tales of valor, honor, and heroism. Theirs is a feudal system of land-owning lords presiding over a peasant class and answering to their superiors, all the way up to the High King of Sutherland. Their culture puts emphasis on courage and honor, and no other group in the nation exemplifies this as much as the Knights of the Fry, who follow the path laid out before them by Oren, central among the Sutherlandic gods. It is believed that the Sutherlandic gods are actually amalgamations of the personas and spheres of deities from the more widely-accepted pantheon, perhaps due to some unique circumstance of a melded together psyche certain gods may share.
Common Myths and Legends
The Suthermen are deeply religious, and have a unique religion among the cultures of Forgosia. Their faith is the Church of Oren, Oren being the central god of the pantheon. There are much fewer deities within the Church of Oren, numbering only eight. Each of these gods presides over a very general sphere of influence, representing both the positive and negative aspects of their domains. The Church itself is very important, and holds a great deal of power within the nation. Even the king must first be blessed by the church before being granted the right to rule. Outside of the Church, their are many monastic groups who dedicate themselves to the practice of worshiping one or more of the gods, such as the Knights of the Fry, who devote themselves to the service of Oren.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Other peoples of Forgosia see the Suthermen in a generally positive way. Historically, they have not done much to garner a negative reputation among other civilizations. With the exception of their unique religious beliefs, foreign peoples can find little to have issue with. Their relations with the Nikaru, however sometimes rocky, due to a history of conflict and mistreatment.