Laon

The Laon are a people of unknown origin, inhabiting the Willow Isles and the islands nearby. No one knows how they came to be, but some say that an unknown empire dumped many indigenous people from across the world on these islands. They are an ancient people, and are highly defensive of their lands for some foriegn nations have wanted to take thier island homes for themselves. However due to their ferocity in battle, they've managed to fight off most invaders. However with the ever worsening state of the world, the spirits start to writhe in agony, and many Laonese worry if their islands will either be invaded for its gold resources, or if the spirits will come and ravage their homes.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Kenna, Jalynn, Celeste, Rianna, Elvia

Masculine names

Andre, Kade, joselito, Isai, Devon

Family names

For starters, Laon names have 2 first names, a middle name, and then a surname. However curiosuly, it seems that their strange ancestral heritage have resulted in some of their names resembling names from natives in Kanto, Catai, Ashenfeld, and Avaro. No one is quite sure how this came to be, but it results in some fascinating names.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Kanian is the language of the Laonnese, which is derived from both Cataian and Kantonese.

Culture and cultural heritage

The Laonnese are a deeply spiritual people, who believe that there is a Living World and a Spiritual World. The Spiritual World is parraell to the Living World, invisible to our eyes but it has an influence on the Living World. Due to this, the Laon believe that there are spirits in all things, and that one must take great care in respecting the spirits of the world, for the Spiritual World can affect the Living World. The Laon do not have gods per say, and as such their religion is animistic. The Laon are assigned roles by the tribes shaman based on what the their spirit believes, and it is always right. The Laon know they must work hard and close to one another to survive, and so their bonds are stronger then iron.

Average technological level

The Laon people maintain a tribal era level of technology due to their island not having too many resources to make some of the greater levels of tech the rest of the world has achieved, but that does not mean that the Laon are stupid or feral. They are incredibly intelligent, and resourceful, and due to their ferocity in combat have resisted being conquered by other cultures. However they have been able to produce steel and metal weaponry, however they have not made armor for they believe that wearing the skins of animals are strong enough after they have been enchanted. They have also been able to acquire better technology via looting any ship that wrecks upon the isles.

Common Dress code

Men and woman typically wear simple robes and loinclothes, and many laon simply go shirtless if they feel more comfortable that way, for the laon don't see anything wrong with someone being shirtless in public.
In combat, most armor is made of cordage, bamboo, tree bark, sharkskin, and water buffalo hide, a creature native to Al-Hinoso and the islands near the Willow Isles. many carry a shield that is made of light fibrous wood, which is then strengthened with a rattan binding and a special type of formula that turned rock hard upon drying.

Art & Architecture

Laon buildings typically feature a raised floor, raise on piles with a space underneath for storage or domestic animals. This design helps mitigate damage during flooding and can act as a defensive measure when in conflict. The house posts are also capped with larger diameter discs at the top, to prevent rodents and another vile vermin and pests form entering the structures by climbing them. Laon buildings also feature spiritual altars and art pieces on beams to show devotion they have for the living and spiritual world.
Pottery is an important part of Laon culture, as it can help depict many of their tales and fables of the spiritual world.

Coming of Age Rites

The Laon have a coming of age ritual where one must meditate with the aid of special herbs to help them catch a glimpse of the world beyond, the spiritual world. This ritual is meant to show the growing Laon the way of the world, and how one must always appease the spirits lest the spirit world grow restless and harm the living world.

Funerary and Memorial customs

The Laon believe that when one dies they join the spirit world, and so they will fill the bodies mouth and ears with herbs to help make sure the bodies cannot come back if the spirit grows in some way corrupted.

Common Taboos

One must always reassure their host that they are not a spirit and in fact mortal, siblings should not marry within the same year, and the number of steps in a staircase must not be devisable by 3.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

The Laonnese people are an egalitarian people.

Major organizations

The Laonnese people inhabit their island homes as the Barangay Tribes