Alois

"Then, Florentine stood before the altar and said these words: 'Fear not, my compatriots, brave warriors of old. And you, ranchers, and you, craftsmen, and even you, maids and servants and little children who play quietly beneath the shade of our walls; fear not. Strength is in our hearts, and the love of independence shines upon the spilled blood of our ancestors.'" - From the Annals of Florentine, an Alois epic poem

The Alois were a human people who historically inhabited the lands north of the Northern Commons of Beurum. They often engaged in cattle ranching as their main source of livelihood, and their culture centered around the livestock trade.

The origin of the Alois people was a subject of debate among scholars. While some proposed that they were related to the Trebai, others argued that they descended from northern nomadic tribes. Their own mythology claimed that the Goddess Serepe gifted herds of Sky Moose, winged mammals that fought violently among each other, with human forms after they devoted themselves to her. The new humans quickly established their dominion over the sky moose, moving on to cattle ranching after driving the animals to extinction. The Sky Moose remained an important symbol in Alois culture; the word Alois, in fact, came from Hal'oa, the ancient word for such creatures. At the time of the First Era, the Alois were known for being violent raiders. Because of factors such as a relatively flat terrain, Alois groups were often able to band together and raid Trebai and Rowen peoples, wreaking havoc. A series of defeats by the High Kingdom of Beurum combined with a period of overgrazing led to a series of reforms that discouraged such warfare. After the formation of the The Godscar, the Northern Commons were devastated, leaving Alois leaders with little choice but to unite. The decision renewed economic prosperity, but this new success gradually began to lessen as the influence of Daphnea companies grew, even purchasing some Alois ranching companies. Following the Imperial War, as well as a period of economic dissatisfaction and rising nationalism, the Alois broke into a more fragmented, but still unified government called the Alois Confederacy. In this new government, power was largely concentrated in the hands of landowning cattle ranchers until the Fifth Era, when the The Trebai Ascendancy conquered the entire Northern Commons. With formal governments suspended, power became even more concentrated in the hands of ranching powerhouses, though they remained at the mercy of the Sunlit Isles Trading Company and the leaders of the Ascendancy.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

The Alois celebrated their heritage as raiders, revering past heroes and warriors.

Shared customary codes and values

The most important values among the Alois were strength and independence. This was often depicted in the romanticized motif of a lone cattle rancher, a character trope frequently seen in Alois literature and drama.

Common Dress code

Alois individuals generally dressed in homespun materials, not taking to the purchase of manufactured garments as other groups often did. Alois families often dressed in certain color combinations to distinguish themselves from the rest. Wide-brimmed hats were also a staple of Alois fashion to protect from the sun while on the ranch.

Encompassed species