Dorians

You say you fear the Horde and the future it might bring. But I say to you that you are a Dorian. You have a destiny before you, set by Ashtyr herself. It does not matter if a foreigner sits on our throne. It does not matter if we bleed and die for his wealth. It does not matter if monsters plague our land. Kor created the world, Yeno created the light in the sky and Ashtyr created us - the Doric people. We will continue on and we will survive to see all who underestimated us brought low.

- Lord Milosh Tornescu

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Examples of feminine names include: Darya, Irina, Mira, Olga, Sofiya and Zoria.

Masculine names

Examples of masculine names include: Borislav, Dmitrei, Kazimir, Nikola, Radomir, Vladimir, and Yarognev.

Family names

Some examples of Dorian family names include: Marenev, Radu, Torenescu, and Vorloi.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Most common folk speak Dorian. Merchants, nobles and the clergy also speak Tyrian when necessary. Many Dorians under the age of 30 speak Tyrian but with a Dorian accent.

Shared customary codes and values

Dorians are superstitious people. They look for and believe in omens, signs and portents. Most Dorians have a good luck charm on their person at all times. They also believe in curses and warding gestures.
Dorians have a strong sense of destiny. They believe it is a guiding power in their lives. They also believe that the Dorian people are bound for greatness. Most doesn’t know what that greatness entails, or when it will occur. But they can be incredibly optimistic because of this belief, certain that their fortune will turn around - because it is destined to do so.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Most Dorians do not care much for the Theosians ruling them. They are seen as the latest round of bad fortune keeping them from achieving the Doric Golden Age. Several of the Theosian nobles that arrived after the conquest were land hungry and violent. While much of that has changed in the passing years, many Dorians still think of Theosians in these terms.

Coming of Age Rites

The Shearing Ceremony is an ancient rite of passage for all young Dorian males and females.
When a Dorian youth approaches adulthood they go to their parents (sometime the parents go to them) and announce the time for The Shearing has come. That night a dinner is held for the youth, the last they will spend at home for a long time. After the dinner a solumn ceremony begins, in which the youth is dressed in traveling clothes and given gear from the family and sometimes everyone in the village. Their cloak is then cut or shorn roughly to symbolize the long road ahead as an impoverished traveler.
From that day forward the youth is considered “a friend of the family”, but not part of it. They must make their way in the world, until they are deemed worthy to return to the family. It usually takes a few years for the youth to go on adventures, get into trade, or obtain wealth in some way that shows that they can survive on their own.
Upon proving their independence, another dinner is held welcoming the man or woman back into the family and village. They are usually given fine clothes displaying the coat of arms or family name.
This ceremony usually occurs between the ages of 14 to 19. Titled families will not allow the youth to obtain access to the title until they have completed their Shearing (and this has been used against some young lords and ladies in the past).
Theosians observed this rite of passage and adapted it themselves. So while it is Dorian in origin, many family’s all throughout the Duchy of Kadmos practice it.

Common Myths and Legends

The Dorian tradition tells of the great hero King Aleksandru, who was instrumental in leading the Dorian people against the Beast Folk. It is said that Aleksandru was a traveling companion of Red Talon, and saved her life on a number of occasions. Because of this, she blessed Aleksandru with wisdom to match his battle prowess.
When the man returned home to Dorian lands, he found his people suffering under the power of a powerful army of beasts. With the heads of wolves, and the hunger of demons, they ravaged the land. The local leaders were unable to stop them, lacking the weapons and training.
Aleksandru used all he learned from Red Talon, teaching it to his people. He united the fractured lands together, and lead them as one against the Beast Folk. It was a terrible battle, with both sides losing many warriors. In the end Aleksandru himself faced down the enormous wolf headed leader of the monsters. They battle each other, Dorian axe against stone club. With a mighty final blow, Aleksandru slayed the monster, beheading him. But his wounds were too grievous. He praised Ashtyr and perished.
But the great King had done what he hoped for. The Beast Folk fled in terror, now that their mightiest leader was slain. The Dorian warriors rallied and drove them north into the wastelands.
However when the Dorian warriors returned to the spot where Aleksandru had fallen, his body was gone! A lone witness, a little boy (in some versions a Sakasta) said that Red Talon appeared above the body, and restored it to life with her breath. She declared Aleksandru a true immortal, just like her. She then declared that he would return, just as she always did. When the Dorian people needed him most, he would step forward, axe held high, to do battle against the forces of Chaos and begin a new Golden Age that the Dorian people are destined for.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Men average about 5’ 9”. Women average about 5’ 3”. They tend to have pale complexions, brown eyes and dark hair (browns and black).