Vorogan

Residing in northern Reuni, Vorogan folk are those who belong to the cultures of the once-nation of Vorogo. Many Vorogan people are either orcs themselves or of orc descent, though this is not always the case. The northern areas of Vehasi from which the Vorogan ethnicity hails are cold throughout the year, so they are more accustomed to these colder tempuratures, which inform many aspects of their culture, including their clothing and architecture. Reuni has done their best to attempt to wipe any and all aspects of Vorogan culture from history, trying to assimilate the northern territory into their nation. Despite this, many aspects of their culture have survived.

Naming Traditions

Vorogan names follow the pattern of given name, middle name, family name. Though there have been certain restrictions put on their names, in order to further separate them from their culture, this is a cultural tradition that has remained intact since Vorogo was captured.

Family Names

Vorogan family names are gendered, and end in either -ov, -ev, or -in. For women, an -a is affixed to this, and for men, an -i is affixed. Non-binary people solely use the root ending. Some common surnames include Elshev, Rostov, Seldin, Orev, and Lesov.

Given Names

There are many Vorogan given names, and it is tradition to avoid giving a child the name of a living relative. Vorogans do name their children after dead ancestors occasionally, though this is not always the case. Most Vorogan given names are not gendered, though there are some exceptions to this. Some of the most common Vorogan names are Istav, Geva, Dosha, and Vena.

Middle Names

Vorogans' middle name is the name of their mother, followed by a suffix of either -che or -ashe, depending on if the mother's name ends in a vowel. The most common Vorogan middle names are Rolanashe, Gevache, Venache, and Istavashe, as these names are derived from the more popular given names among Vorogans.

Naming Restrictions

In an attempt to prevent Vorogans from following these naming customs, Reuni has removed the option for a middle name from Vorogan birth certificates. They also require all members of a family to have the same name, in order to eliminate the suffixes that Vorogans add to their surnames. What these have resulted in are "unofficial" middle names, as children will still receive their middle name, and it simply does not appear on any of their legal paperwork. The neutral form of the family's surname, similarly, appears on legal documentation, but in speech among members of the community, people are addressed with the appropriate suffix.

Encompassed species

• Orc

Related Locations

• Vehasi

Culture

Major Language Groups & Dialects

Though their original language of Vrogic has unfortunately gone extinct, many Vorogans speak a creole language known as Vrogic-Reunic Creole. Speaking this language has been deemed by the Reunic government a crime, so it is only spoken among families and in small gatherings, and it is not often learned as a first language. Though most Vorogans still have a distinctly Vorogan accent, they speak in either Reunic or Vehasic, the languages that are taught in schools. Some families have stopped teaching their children Vrogic-Reunic Creole entirely, fearing that it would only get their family into trouble later down the line should there be a slip-up. This fear is sadly not unfounded, as it has occured multiple times and resulted in very public and very unwarranted punishment, as Reunic officials - Caisimir Armannis in particular, Reunic Lord of most of the larger Vorogan towns - prefer to make an example of Vorogans who refuse to bow to Reuni's customs. Especially in recent years, after Caisimir's rise to power, there has been little resistance against the Reunic language being enforced.

Average Technological Level

Though the Vorogans are at a similar technological level to the rest of their continent, they are a bit behind the rest on magic, at least in its study. Not only does the majority of the population need to chip in on physical labour for the survival of the community, but Vorogan children are not taught magic in schools as dictated by the Reunic government, and they are heavily surpressed and face academic descrimination if they attempt to attain higher levels of education. Vorogans are stereotyped as dumb brutes, their accent considered a sign of unintelligence. Though this is far from the case, taught implicit bias in much of the Reunic population makes learning an uphill battle for most Vorogans - one that very few attempt to fight.

Shared Customary Codes and Values

Vorogans value strength and honour, the latter outweighing the former, and the former not always considered in a literal light. To them, strength not only means physical strength, but also fortitude and constitution, mental willpower, and emotional strength. They have a strong tie to their communities and culture, and are willing to fight for what they believe in. Many Vorogans still spit in the face of Reunic rule, as well as at those who bow their heads willingly to their conquerers. However, those who do not defy their ruling nation do so out of a sense of obligation to their community, the belief that their actions should not bring harm to those they know and love, and that acting out, especially in a public manner, would ultimately be a detriment to their loved ones.

Foods & Cuisine

Vorogans like to eat salty foods, with fish appearing in dishes of communities that are closer to the sea, while red meats are more common in those that rely on pastoralism to survive. They eat food that is able to remain preserved for a long time, eating dried and salted meats and jerkies, as well as dried fruits or vegetables. They typically avoid nuts in their diet, as they don't grow naturally in their lands, and a large portion of the population have allergies to them.

Food Brought to the Table by dilara irem

Historical Figures

One of very few Vorogan historical figures whose story has remained alive until the common day is that of the Martyr of Orandia, a woman who saved the village of Orandia from destruction during the Reunic War of Conquest. Very little records exist of Vorogan culture and times before they were conquered by Reuni, an entirely intentional fact on the part of the conqering nation.

Art & Architecture

Vorogan communities care little for art, not having much time for it in their day-to-day lives due to the labour they must do to survive. The art that they do have is practical in nature: mathematical patterns that help them to measure, carved wooden utensils that they can use to eat with, or woven baskets that they can use to carry heavy, large, or many items. Their architecture is similarly utilitarian: they have steep roofs to prevent the piling of snow, which extend outwards above windows and entrances to ensure there is some space to get outside or clear a path no matter how much it has snowed already. Their entryways especially are often recessed for this same reason. They use magic to keep pathways hidden, melting snow that falls on it so that they are able to walk and travel regardless of ice or snow. Where this is not an option, they choose flat and smooth materials to make shovelling snow an easier task.

Clothing & Fashion

Vorogans like to wear furs, especially those that were hunted by the wearer. However, with more recent Reunic restrictions on hunting without permits, many have resorted to making false furs to resemble their traditional clothing. Due to the abundance of natural blue and golden dyes in their region, they tend to wear a lot of these colours, often wearing clothing with a blue base and gold detailing. They decorate their cloth with geometric patterns, favouring circles and semi-circles as well as dots and lines. They decorate the hems, collars, wrists, and hoods of their clothing with furs, and wear jewellery of fur as well. They wear necklaces and bracelets made of polished stone, the stones mismatched and typically just found on the ground. There is an old Vorogan practice of painting one's face with gold, though this practice has died out.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Vorogans value large teeth, though they don't need to be particularly white. All members of the ethnicity tend to grow longer hair, which helps to keep their heads and necks warm. They also fashion their hair into many different styles. They prefer ponytails and loose braids, buns, and many styles where the majority of the hair is down while some of it is up. This displays the thickness of their hair - a trait they value. Darker hair is seen as prettier, and many will dye their hair darker if they can afford to. They prefer muscular bodies, better prepared to fend off the cold and able to support themselves with hard labour, which many of the ethnicity do - though this is more out of necessity and a lack of stable jobs than anything else.

Gender Ideals

Women are considered the heads of their household, their expected duties of raising the children and keeping the house considered some of the most important jobs for keeping the family running. Men will defer to their wives, though are not considered subservient - they are expected to provide their wife what she needs to do her duties. While most consider the strict upholding of these roles to be outdated, there are still some - mostly of the older generations - who strongly believe in their upkeep.

Agnes Placeholder by notahumanhand

Courtship Ideals

It is expected of young Vorogans to date multiple people before marrying. It allows them to get a sense of what they want in a partner, and what they are looking for in a relationship. It is frowned upon to marry the first person you enter a relationship with, no matter the chemistry. In the case that individuals who have not been in more than one relationship want to marry, they will often take what is referred to as "Pre-Matrimonial Separation", where the to-be spouses take a few months to a year away from one another and attempt to date other people. If they return still wishing to marry, then this is accepted.

Relationship Ideals

Vorogan women, though often monogamous, are permitted to take multiple husbands. Husbands traditionally can only take one wife. It is not uncommon, however, nor frowned upon, for two husbands of the same wife to have romantic or sexual relationships with one another. In fact, this is often encouraged and seen as normal and natural. Reuni sees both of these aspects of Vorogan culture as disgusting and disgraceful, and so have legally imposed monotany on Vorogan settlements. There are still illicit marriages held involving already-married women, though illegal husbands claim residence elsewhere and do not gain any legal benefits from their spouse, nor are they permitted to attend her funeral.