Teleran
Depending on who one asks, the Teleran were a people enslaved in mind and soul by Fire elementals, masterful summoners and glassmakers with Fire-worshipping traditions, or somewhere in between as cultists who would burn people alive for rituals. Much of this is intentional demonization by the Golden Empire of Arrboth, but their close ties with Fire and their summoning tendencies are rooted in fact. Due to a historic fear of Fire elementals and the outlawing of many of the people's cultural practices, their remnants have largely taken refuge in Sen'ssinai, where they still heavily influence local culture. Despite this, many of their dances and glassmaking practices are still maintained by the empire in its pursuit of beauty.
The Teleran are predominantly a Human and Elven culture, though they were known to keep Goblins as servants. This cooperation was typically willing, due to a fear and reverence of the people's abilities. Unsurprisingly, some Teleran are Firetouched, either through prolonged exposure to elemental imbalance or extremely ambitious human heritage.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Teleran culture, above all else, is connected to their early and lasting contact with beings of Fire. They have elaborate rituals for both summoning and communing that they have either developed in tandem with these spirits or had passed down to them, along with their runic language. Apart from this, they have developed much of their culture around Fire as an aspect of life and rebirth. Uroboros, the flaming serpent that sheds its skin to be born anew, is their patron, and exemplifies this belief.
Rather than literal revival or reincarnation, however, the Teleran believe in transformation in mind and soul. In reaching a higher state of consciousness and being by conquering one's fears and touching the supernatural. They commune with beings of Fire not as tools or weapons, but as allies and guides on this quest. As such, supernatural abilities were highly prized among them as a sign of this ascension. One common ritual for their warriors involves voluntary possession by a Soulkindler, a relatively weak fire spirit that nonetheless grants some magical abilities. While they rarely take actual control of their summoners, this practice has contributed to a negative reputation in the empire.
Art & Architecture
The most well-known Telerene arts are glassmaking and dance. Their dance embodies constant movement and energy, swaying and twirling in a wordless expression. Like watching the flames it emulates, it is easy to get immersed in for both onlookers and the dancers themselves. This movement fits well into combat dancing, with swaying, flexible movements allowing for dodging and spinning allowing for wide swinging attacks with considerable momentum, especially with curved blades such as scimitars. At the same time, some cultures, such as the Chale, consider it unreasonably risque and seductive, especially when performed in the people's traditional attire.
On that note, it is worth noting that apart from glassware and sculptures, the Teleran even made clothing out of glass. Their methods seem awe-inspiring to outsiders and some are nigh-impossible without great dexterity or supernatural assistance, but they have perfected a method of not only forming glass into threads, but weaving it into fabrics. The resulting clothing is not particularly durable, but it shines beautifully and has a high resistance to heat and no chance of catching fire. Traditionally, Teleran clothing is relatively sparse and meant to protect sensitive areas from ash and sun, including veils over the face and lengths of it wrapped around the waist in the form of a sarong. Short cloaks to cover the neck and shoulders are also historically worn, along with short sleeveless jackets for the same purpose.
A final piece of Telerene art, and a reason apart from the warm regions they tend to dwell that they frequently show so much skin, is their runic language. This is frequently branded into the skin to form tattoos with supernatural capabilities, or, at bare minimum, contain bound summoned beings when the summoner's spirit proves insufficient for the task. Many of their rituals also involve inscribing this language in ash on surfaces. It is a distinct form of runes from the Argend language, and despite some similarities in use it is not used for runecasting by the Teleran people.
While Teleran architecture sometimes included impressive feats of glasswork, it was for the most part relatively unremarkable. However, it is hard to say this with certainty, since few of their works before the empire's assimilation have been maintained or recorded. Some groups tell of imposing black edifices of shining volcanic stone with domed glass roofs used for grand summoning rituals, and some of these influences have been maintained. Their architecture in Sen'ssinai is often made with high ceilings, expansive glass windows, and roofs with a view of the sky. For practical reasons, these roofs are often only in the central area of the building, to allow for more comfortable temperatures in living areas.
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Related Locations
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