Locklanders
Appeasement is the soothing balm of cowards!
In the wake of The Queen's Rebuke the old kingdoms were scattered or destroyed and Tairos became a land of refugees and wanderers. Many of the survivors formed small communities that struggled to eke out a living in the harsh landscape that came to be after the bitter war with the Fae. Most vanished, having succumb to the many unchecked threats that now roamed free. However; some of them endured those challenges and prospered. The most famous (or infamous depending on one's point of view) is the people of Lockland.
All Locklanders trace their lineage back to the original group of travelers that fled the Balmoran Plains during the Queen's War. They were citizens of Balmoral and her colonies who ventured northward in the decades after the fall of their kingdom. What they sought was simple; a life free from the crumbling ruin of their homeland and the many dangers seeping in. Locklanders pride themselves on the determination of these survivors and the harrowing journey they made to preserve the legacy of Humanity's shining bastion. Or... so most Locklanders believe. The truth is very few records are believed to exist from the time of the founders and the people of Lockland have only the word of the Heritage League go on.
What the Heritage League and the Steward claim to offer to the public is a culture built upon the pillars of Old Balmoral - honor, virtue, strength and purity. Scholars from outside Lockland would say the Heritage League are twisting the words of the surviving Balmoral texts to promote a message of fear, hate, and genocide.
For the common Locklander life outside the walls of their city is generally seen as a corrupting and dangerous existence. And yet, there are those who dare to question the validity of the Heritage League teachings. For some it's just nagging questions and an uncertainty to the degree of danger outsiders actually represent. Others have an intense curiosity for non-humans and their strange ways of life. A rare few may even have some snippets of knowledge that directly contradict their leaders. At best, their fellow citizens see them as eccentric. At worst they will vanish in the night only to turn up in reeducation camps or among the rotting bodies left swinging from the city walls.
Naming Traditions
Family names
Family names generally trace back to the first group of Balmorans that supposedly founded Lockland. The validity of the documents regarding Lockland's founders is murky at best but most citizens claim a heritage that is directly or indirectly linked to these families. Most Locklanders consider it a thing of great sadness when one of the original family lines dies out. The most famous lost line is the Lock family, for whom the city is named after.
Some of the most common family names include: Adamo, Haddich, Kossith, Haas, Kruger, Grosz, Trakh, Bohlen, List, Struck, Oteker, Szabados, Berger, Veers, Raynor, Wulff, Radetz, Raab, Martens, Feyder
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The Common Tongue is the primary language spoken by Locklanders
Shared customary codes and values
Locklanders are generally a welcoming and hospitable people when it comes to their own. They believe in community, camaraderie and being both good hosts as well as good guests. This congeniality doesn't outsiders however. Human outsiders are viewed with caution until their level of demi-human corruption or seditious thinking can be understood. That being said, it is not the custom of Locklanders to bring violence upon other humans unless they feel they are under threat.
Non-humans receive an entirely different treatment. At best they are to be shunned and left to their own devices. It is customary to inform agents of the Heritage League as quickly as possible so the alien threat can be dealt with swiftly. If interaction must occur it is always kept brief and conducted coldly.
It is considered a great honor for a Locklander to serve in a Pogrom against a non-human community or to have served in the armed forces professionally. Families with a history of such distinction often impress upon their younger generations the importance of continuing that service. This is frequently a breaking point for any individuals who might not agree with the Heritage League's teachings. Thus, many of the disaffected Locklanders found outside of the city owe their separation to a choice between following in their family's footsteps or facing exile.
Common Etiquette rules
Greetings and farewells among Locklanders are often punctuated by common prayer-like quotations frequently cited in the writings of the Heritage League. Phrases such as: blessed are the fires of our faith (in reference to the burnings conducted by the Pogroms), under the adamantite crown (in reference to the old Adamantite Kings of Balmoral), till the walls rise again (another reference to a famous fixture of Balmoral), by our hand (a shortened version of a common Heritage League hymn - By our hand is the fire stoked and Tairos made clean.), by our wrath (another shortened version of a hymn. By our wrath is vengeance cast. By our will is the demi-human undone.) Note that the last common phrase is typically only used by the military, members of the Heritage League and veterans.
Common Dress code
While there is no formal dress code among the people they do tend toward a more conservative fashion when it comes to appearance. They prefer to dress as well as their profession will allow for which often makes them look far more professional than similar individuals in cities like Ghal Pelor. They also prefer less modesty in regards to how revealing their clothing is and see those who flaunt their physical bodies as seekers of attention that should otherwise be directed toward Balmoran ideals. Such dress is only fit for seedier establishments after dark.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Typically follow the practices of Balmoral and their faith in Sandor, The Guardian of Tairos
Coming of Age Rites
While no formal rites exist many young Locklanders see joining one of the Pogroms or serving in the military to be a sign of one's coming of age
Funerary and Memorial customs
Locklanders believe it is of vital importance to be laid to rest on land consecrated by members of the Heritage League or a priest of Sandor, the primary god of Old Balmoral. Failing to do so is believed to cause a spirit great suffering and a potential return as some form of dangerous undead.
Common Taboos
Any kind of adoption of non-human customs or acceptance of non-human presence near their territories
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
It should be no surprise that Locklanders find humans to be the most attractive species. Physical characteristics they find favorable the same ones shared by most humans as well. However; many Locklanders to find themselves attracted to members of society that demonstrate the ideals of Balmoran purity in both appearance, action, and belief.
Locklanders also find great beauty in the aesthetics of Old Balmoral. They are taught from a young age the value of all things from the "homeland" and to cherish them above all else. Thus, art and antiquities with such histories can be highly sought after by layman and noble alike.
Major organizations
The Heritage League, The Circle of the Golden Lion (a continuation of the elite knightly order said to have answered only to the Adamantite Kings), Black Thorn Society (for whom the Heritage League often relies upon for slave stock to experiment), Third Party Adventuring Companies (which are vital in the efforts to reclaim Balmoran artifacts)
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
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