Iscagnans
The Theocracy of Iscagna lies west of the impassable Stone Teeth, which creates a border between the two places. Iscagna is a bountiful land, home to these hot-blooded, rakish people, who spend their days drinking fine wines and crossing blades for sport. While a few adventurous types have braved the mountains on foot to get to the Free Kingdoms, most have come on one of the southern kingdom’s innumerable merchant ships. They have a swarthy appearance, with lustrous black hair, dusky eyes, and tanned skin.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
- Examples of female names include: Abella, Adalina, Basilia, Cassia, Criella, Elicia, Esmerelda, Imedla, Livia, Maricella, Neva, Patrona, and Sofia.
Masculine names
- Examples of male names include: Afons, Baltazar, Biasco, Damian, Fabian, Gaspard, Leonardo, Machin, Pascal, Vincenz, and Ynigo.
Family names
- Many Iscagnans have toponymic surnames, indicating the towns or cities of their family's origin. The prefixes Da, Di, or D' are put before such names.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
- Iscagnans speak Common, although their seafaring culture has contributed to the proliferation of other languages and dialects.
Culture and cultural heritage
- Since the old monarchy was ousted by the Theocracy, Iscagnan aristocrats have been struck by a certain ennui and crisis of identity.
- Without the ability to levy taxes, the nobility was forced to earn their keep through commerce. Iscagnan Merchant-Princes are renowned for their business savvy. This was also the birth of Iscagnan sailing-culture.
Shared customary codes and values
- Sailing and maritime trade is the lifeblood of the Iscagnan economy; sailors and merchants are people of great import in their culture.
- Non-Iscagnans note the Iscagnans' arrogance and swagger. They see it differently: boldness and confidence are admirable qualities to these folk. Ship captains are often chosen by their crew based on these criteria.
Common Etiquette rules
- Most Iscagnans follow a strange code of chivalry. The exact rules of etiquette vary, but examples include formal and informal greetings and speech patterns, elaborate bows and handshakes, or strange restrictions, like never directly touching a member of the opposite sex.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
- Iscagnan nobles and sailors have a healthy dueling culture, where honor plays an important role. The weapon of choice is the rapier, and many duels are to the death. Denying a challenge is always a mistake, and often impossible, and winning a duel through luck or dishonorable means is a shameful offense.
Ideals
Gender Ideals
- The Theocracy is an extremely male-dominated place, where most positions of authority are restricted to males. Iscagnan men have a reputation for chauvinism.
- However, females do have the opportunity to become sailors, and work their way up through the ranks of the ship. They rarely earn the same respect as male sailors, but their skill and daring can become renowned outside of Iscagna.
Major organizations
The Church of the Lawcrafter has ruled Iscagna for many generations. They have a largely expansionist view towards the rest of the world. The Knights of Iscagna are an order of warriors dedicated to spreading the ideals of the Theocracy and the Lawcrafter. They captain ships and lead troops into battle. They have a reputation for their zealousness, and are famously different from the stereotype of the free-spirited and rakish Iscagnan sailor. In fact, many Iscagnans took up life aboard a ship to avoid the increasing authority of the Church.
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