Thầnli

While some may believe the Laughing Swamp to contain only pain and horror, there is beauty to be found in the depths of that swamp. Nearest to a great mountain in the north, lies the birthplace of the Thầnli people. Their history is a long and storied one, with their people being but the creation of a dream. It is said the great Dragon Turtles of the cosmos, wished for a place to bathe, and so used their combine power to birth the world. Soon the Dragon Turtles would give birth to the Dragons, who in turn helped create life. With this, the land of Thầnli was made, and so was its people.
However, a great and powerful demon named the Forsaken One came, and brought with him a great curse. He unleashed a great curse of maddening laughter, that would drive those who laughed mad. Darkness befell the land as those who journeyed beyond the mountain went mad, and demons would pour out. The Dragon Turtles had long been asleep, and so all hope was lost until the dragon known as Hồ Gia Hòa flew atop the great mountain and used all the breath in his lungs to blow away the laughter. So great was this wind that to this day the land has strong breezes blowing through it daily. This allowed the people to once again remain safely nearby the mountain, and develop their culture as well as learn from his teachings. The dragon became a god now mostly refered to as Chúa vàng (Golden Lord) for he is the sun that stretches high in the heavens. He is the brilliant light that shines down and wipes away all darkness.
However the Thầnli did not sit idely by, as they learned from this event that they must be ready to defend themselves. So they learned martial arts from the gods and spirits of the land, as well as learning to smith weapons and tools from one of the last Dragon Turtles still alive and awake at this time, Minh the Wise. Not only did he gift them this knowledge, but also created a new species of people, the Conđàn (or tortle as some may know them.) These new friends helped guide the people and soon this guidance would pay off, as the Ujik people came stampeding across a mountain pass to get to the land. It has always been rumored to be entire city sized vaults of gold, lost to the ages, within the lands of the Laughing Swamps. However, despite the youngness of the Thầnli, they bested the Ujik horde so utterly that for the next 20 generations, there was never any other attempt by the Ujik to breach their defenses. To this day the Thầnli remain vigilant of their borders, and well they should for the wind that protects them is feared to be waxing and waning. They fear the mad laughter will come take their souls, and the demons of the swamp to devour their flesh and bones, but the Thầnli have gotten used to figthing against foreign invaders and other threats, and none will threaten their families without a fight.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Thầnlinese is the primary language group, but Cataian and Kantonese are also quite popular second or third languages to learn in the land.

Culture and cultural heritage

The Thầnli enjoy art, family, and safety. Their art is quite famous for its flowing style, and one of the most common topics to paint about is their famalies. Family and clan are important to the Thầnli, for one should not shame the ancestors or their peers with brash action or careless decisions. They also enjoy their famalies having guarenteed safety, for the Laughing Swamp has shown what horrors can be inflicted upon the body. The warriors who train to help fight off the monsters are skilled rangers and warriors, practically dancing amongst the trees and grass as they make short work of monster or invader so that they may return to their home and family. They are also quite an industrious and creative people, learning how to solve problems efficently and quickly. If one fails to do their work, they could put the rest of the community at risk afterall. Best to make sure everyone has what they need and is getting their job done then, just to be safe.

Common Dress code

Most dress revolves around beautiful flowing cloth and fabrics that blow in the wind. Wide hats are also worn to help keep out the sun and from the wind blowing in their face too much. This style of clothing has attracted many to the lands of the Laughing Swamp for its beautiful flowing style and rich colors.

Art & Architecture

While they do not have as many roads as other nations, the Thầnli have gotten amazingly skilled at making riverways run through their cities, making it an even more covnienet and safe way to travel around the city then by horse. Their art also reflects this, with watercloros and running canvases of color being quite common. One thing the Thầnli are famous for is their riverway markets, a massive mix of beautiful, intersecting colors of merchant stalls from locals and even from foreign traders and the chatter of many tongues overlapping each other.

Foods & Cuisine

A rather diverse cuisine pallete, prmarily consisting of fish, vegtables, and rice. Basil and mint are also highly common in much of the Thầnli's food such as noodles or soups.

Funerary and Memorial customs

A Thầnli funeral consits of 2 stages: the wake and the dig. The wake is when the body has died, and the family members keep it in near the house for around 4 days, cleaning it and dressing it, and then putting 2 coins in its eyes and a chopstick in its mouth to keep the dead from rising. This is done for it is believed the spirt still resides in it for a few days after the body has died, and the spirt could potentially be roused to anger if not treated propperly. After this wake, the body is buried in a ceramony as its carried in a coffin and lowered into the family tomb, where they will occasionally worship at the tomb for the next 100 days or so, which is when the time of mourning ends.

Common Taboos

While not a taboo, it can be considered ill fortune to laugh when out in the swamps away from cities. This has led some foreigners to call them humorless but this is quite the opposite. They are always simply nervous about the laughing curse striking their loved ones at any time, and so while outside the city walls, they try not to laugh too much.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

A largely egalitatrian people