Forzorian Culture
The Forzorian People, and those who have adopted their cultural identity, are one of the most prolific groups on the Continent, being found from the Frozen North of Gromland, to the high seas of Birland, from the rolling plains of the Heartland to the hills of Niremiria. Having left their mark upon every nation on the Continent, it is not an understatement for one to say the Forzorian People have forever changed the course of History. But what defines the Forzorian People most of all, is the Empire the has spread them across the known world, perhaps the New Religion or Political Ideology that drives them, perhaps it was the simple tenacity and will of It's Emperors.
According to legend, the Forzor people would arrive on the continent over 2 and a half thousand years ago, upon the ships of a Great Armada. They would settle the coastal territory of the modern Imperial Heartland, along with the territory around the Emerald Lake. It was here that the Forzor people would gather around minor noble houses and establish their feudal society, from which several key aspects of the modern Forzorian identity would develop.
The Forzor culture placed extreme significance on Martial ability, Familiar unity and the idea of a greater whole that the individual must serve. These Cultural facets are still seen in modern Forzorian, the Forzorian Family is often considered one of the 4 cornerstones of all Forzorian Society, Martial skills also play a key role in Forzoria, with families often hoping a career in the military shall bring honor and wealth to their family.
According to Legend, the Stullmen and their cousins the Falfen were once united in one tribe, under the wise and great rule of the God Aatu-Aarni, father to all. It is said a great storm came to the lands of this united tribe, the Stull retreated deep into the forests of Aatu-Aarni, while the Falfen retreated east and then south, splitting the people into two. It would be within these great Forests that the Stull would make their homes against the expanding Forzor civilization.
The Stullmen culture was extremely individualistic, the journey to discover oneself and perfect ones own life was the key aspect of their culture, leaving behind among many Forzorians a fierce individual ideal. This Individual Ideal also lead to a heavy focus onto the personality of Spirits and God, but perhaps the greatest aspect was magic. Magical power was found in Blood, from it all power of world derived, and from it all things are connected.
Perhaps the greatest example of Forzor-Stullmen cooperation was in the Case of House Culmyn, an ancient pack was signed between this house and the Stullmen tribe in the forests located near their capital, in return for respecting their territorial control in the forests, the Tribals provided House Culmyn dark and ancient power. The pack was sealed with a marriage alliance, with the chief Shaman of the Tribe married to the Lord of House Culmyn, the eldest son became the next lord and the eldest daughter became the Next shaman.
Such an alliance would allow House Culmyn to, if the stories are to be believed, summon an army of demons, unleash dark assassins to kill their enemies, and send floods against their enemies atop mountains. While these stories are fantastical and simply myth invented by House Culmyn and their enemies, the alliance is very real. Surviving documents at the time account Stullmen Warriors alongside Culmyn levies, tribal leaders holding public celebrations with Culmyn lords, and so on.
Other notable examples are where Stullmen chieftains payed tribute to maintain peace with Forzor Lords, Forzor merchants being granted safe passage through Stullmen territory in return for specific goods and services. Even without any united action, and many times by simple accident of life, connections between the two groups was growing by the year.
Stullmen leaders began to dress and act more like Forzor leaders, Forzor knights gained a fiercely independent streak as they began to train their peasants in Stullmen Guerilla tactics, Mercenary companies began to prop up across Forzor lands and beyond, made up of free Forzor Peasants and Stullmen Warriors.
Then everything changed when the Tekederian Empire Attacked.
When the Tekederians crossed the Borders in 900BIC, they faced a coalition force upon the shores of the Emerald Lake, here Forzors and Stullmen stood side by side, using every trick, strategy, and blood spell to defeat the Tekederians, here they failed. They were smashed by the Imperial Army, the Stullmen fled deep into their forests as hundreds of Forzor houses were wiped out save 13. But the growing synthesis could not be stopped
When the Tekederian Empire conquered the region, it branded it as the Imperial March of Forzoria, branding all the inhabitants as Forzorian. While the remaining Forzor houses were allowed to exist, the Stullmen were hunted down by Tekederian forces out of fear for their blood magic. Many Stullmen took refuge among the Forzor People, beginning what many call the Synthesis of Forzor and Stullmen cultures, into the Modern Forzorian Cultures.
As time went on, certain traits became prevalent among the Forzorian populace, the remaining Noble families saw their heterochromia eye color slowly become one solid color: Crimson Red for the Daggerovs, Imperial Purple of the Mansteins, Gold for the Sollis and Muddy Brown for the Beckers, and so on. These eye color's held a connection to the supposed magic of the Stullmen Shaman, and are supposed to represent the eventual fate of the Family.
Meanwhile, the people of Forzoria slowly began to grow taller, gained a fierce independent streak, and if certain records are to be believed, harnessed the power of occult magic and blood sacrifices. These growing cultural elements inspired the growth of societies and organizations dedicated to the destruction of the Tekederian forces in Forzoria, and they got their wish in 365BIC, with the Great Uprising.
It is the emphasis placed upon the 4 pillars, more then anything, that has allowed the Forzorian Empire to evolve and grow as time goes on. Ideas come and go, ideologies rise and fall, but the 4 pillars remain ever vigilant. Democracy, Autocracy, the ideals of Liberty and Nationalism, all pail in comparison to the steadfast resolve and stability of the 4 Pillars, and their grip on Forzorian Society
Forzorian Meals are often considered simple and hardy, lacking the extravagance and complexity of other meals across the continent, with the meal seen as what one must eat for the energy needed to continue the day. Such simple ideals on food also effect when Forzorians eat, with 3 meals scattered around the day and snacking frowned upon as a waste. Despite this simplicity placed on food, drink is an entirely different matter.
While food is simple and seen as a need for continued existence, Alcohol is seen as a proper part of ones life, with Beer, Whiskey, Wine, Scotch, Bourbon and all forms of drink from home and abroad sought after and enjoyed by all Forzorian Adults. Such a love for Alcohol has earned the Empire the dubious honor of being the center of Alcoholic production across the continent, with a common saying being 'The Empire is a gilded hill from which flows a river of Booze.'
Examples of the non noble naming convention would be Alberich Emmerich Schultz or Erwin Dietrich Bertolt, while an example of a noble name would be Augustus von Manstein, or Lionard von Daggerov. While Forzorianized Bir names would be Gerolf Horak or Adolf Kopecky, often using their Traditional Bir family names and Common Forzorian Given names.
The exact reason for the name change varies from family to family, some did it in an attempt to get in the good graces of the Tekederians so they could be in a better position to betray the occupiers when the day came. Some did it due to growing economic and political pressure by the Tekederians to do it or suffer the consequences from their masters. Even after the rebellion against the Tekederians, many families continued to use Tekederian words for the naming of their family and certain organization simply due to how use to it they all were.
That Tekederian legacy has occasionally caused controversy among the political and cultural class, saying nobles should rid themselves of their Tekederian names in a show of loyalty and love of Forzoria over the long since humiliated Tekederian Enemy. This never goes anywhere due to the frequent use of Tekederian Names in the Imperial Family, and the lack of actual harm it causes.
Despite the stigma against women being in a place of harm or commit acts of violence, there is one notable exception, in defense of one's children. While Forzorian Men are expected to care for and protect their family, Forzorian Women are just as expected to always be prepared if a need should ever arise to defend their Children against any threat, with entire schools being founded around the idea of training women in armed and unarmed self-defense classes. Hell, hath no fury like a mother defending her children.
Marriage is seen as a commitment lasting long after death, with married couples united in death after life in the halls of the Golden Palace, marrying after the death of one's spouse is illegal, as one must remain loyal to their spouse after they passed, just as Augustus remained loyal to his Wife when she was murdered.
While the Heterochromic Eye color dates back to the Forzor people, the Solid eye color of the Imperial family and the ancient 13 Noble Families, dates to the period of Tekederian Rule. It was said when the Stullmen Shaman sought protection of the Forzor nobles, they would over time intermingle and have children, and eventually the dual eye color of the Forzor Nobles became one solid color, often unnatural like Crimson Red, Muddy Brown, Imperial Purple or Sun Gold. According to Stull Legends, in the Eye color is one of prophecy and fate, in that eye color one can see the fate of their entire family. The Beckers perished in the Muddy Fields of the Heartland, the Sollis were slaughtered under a Golden Sun surrounded by their vast wealth, the Daggerovs perished in a vast and bloody blood sacrifice, and the Mansteins became Emperors in Purple cloth.
Eye Color has been identified as a dominant trait, with zero recorded cases in which a Forzorian had a child with a non Forzorian in which the child did not possess the Forzorian Eye Trait, even further, there is zero recorded cases in which a member of the imperial family failed to pass on the Imperial Purple eye color.
The Original People
Modern Forzorian Culture, while heavily influenced by the people conquered and Integrated into the Empire, can be traced primarily to its parent cultures from the Imperial Heartland: The Forzors and Stullmen. In many ways the Modern Forzorian people have carried with them the legacy the Forzors and Stullmen, even as many believe the actual Cultural effects of the Stulls being minimum to non existent.The Forzor
The Forzor people are often seen as the proper ancestors to the Forzorian People, with the cultural and naming traditions of the Forzor having the greatest effect on the modern Forzorian people, along with the name of the Forzor being in the older name of the Forzorians. This idea of ancestry, while true, fails to fully encapsulate the history of the Forzor people and the effect they have had on the Forzorians.According to legend, the Forzor people would arrive on the continent over 2 and a half thousand years ago, upon the ships of a Great Armada. They would settle the coastal territory of the modern Imperial Heartland, along with the territory around the Emerald Lake. It was here that the Forzor people would gather around minor noble houses and establish their feudal society, from which several key aspects of the modern Forzorian identity would develop.
The Forzor culture placed extreme significance on Martial ability, Familiar unity and the idea of a greater whole that the individual must serve. These Cultural facets are still seen in modern Forzorian, the Forzorian Family is often considered one of the 4 cornerstones of all Forzorian Society, Martial skills also play a key role in Forzoria, with families often hoping a career in the military shall bring honor and wealth to their family.
The Stullmen
The Stullmen, often shortened simply to Stulls, are often overlooked in the role they played in creating the Forzorian Culture, or the legends and prophecy that drove the rise of the Credo Imperatoria or brought the Empire to it's place of ascension on the Continent, but they even in the destruction of their culture, played an extremely central role in the creation of Modern ForzoriaAccording to Legend, the Stullmen and their cousins the Falfen were once united in one tribe, under the wise and great rule of the God Aatu-Aarni, father to all. It is said a great storm came to the lands of this united tribe, the Stull retreated deep into the forests of Aatu-Aarni, while the Falfen retreated east and then south, splitting the people into two. It would be within these great Forests that the Stull would make their homes against the expanding Forzor civilization.
The Stullmen culture was extremely individualistic, the journey to discover oneself and perfect ones own life was the key aspect of their culture, leaving behind among many Forzorians a fierce individual ideal. This Individual Ideal also lead to a heavy focus onto the personality of Spirits and God, but perhaps the greatest aspect was magic. Magical power was found in Blood, from it all power of world derived, and from it all things are connected.
Cooperation and Synthesis
The Stullmen and Forzor Cultures, despite the long going feuds and conflict between the Nobility and Tribes, would one day come to transform into one singular culture that would dominate the continent, this was no over the night change. It was a centuries long process of intermingling, alliances and desperate unions of survival.Pre-Tekederia
Even before the invasion of the Tekederian Empire, and the reorganization of the Modern Heartland, the foundation had already been laid for the growing relations between the two cultures and the eventual synthesis into the Forzorian Culture. This build up would lay the foundation for the Grand Coalition lead by Taldarius against the encroaching Tekederian Empire.Perhaps the greatest example of Forzor-Stullmen cooperation was in the Case of House Culmyn, an ancient pack was signed between this house and the Stullmen tribe in the forests located near their capital, in return for respecting their territorial control in the forests, the Tribals provided House Culmyn dark and ancient power. The pack was sealed with a marriage alliance, with the chief Shaman of the Tribe married to the Lord of House Culmyn, the eldest son became the next lord and the eldest daughter became the Next shaman.
Such an alliance would allow House Culmyn to, if the stories are to be believed, summon an army of demons, unleash dark assassins to kill their enemies, and send floods against their enemies atop mountains. While these stories are fantastical and simply myth invented by House Culmyn and their enemies, the alliance is very real. Surviving documents at the time account Stullmen Warriors alongside Culmyn levies, tribal leaders holding public celebrations with Culmyn lords, and so on.
Other notable examples are where Stullmen chieftains payed tribute to maintain peace with Forzor Lords, Forzor merchants being granted safe passage through Stullmen territory in return for specific goods and services. Even without any united action, and many times by simple accident of life, connections between the two groups was growing by the year.
Stullmen leaders began to dress and act more like Forzor leaders, Forzor knights gained a fiercely independent streak as they began to train their peasants in Stullmen Guerilla tactics, Mercenary companies began to prop up across Forzor lands and beyond, made up of free Forzor Peasants and Stullmen Warriors.
Then everything changed when the Tekederian Empire Attacked.
The Tekederians
When the Tekederian Empire began it's Great Western Expedition in 906, its end goal was the modern Forzorian Heartland, for 6 years the Expedition fought across the lands outside the heartland, with the Lords and Chieftains within doing their best to organize and prepare for the coming conflict. It was under the Leadership of a Noble named Taldarius, the current head of House Culmyn, who is rumored to not simply be descended from a Stullmen Tribal, but practiced blood magic itself.When the Tekederians crossed the Borders in 900BIC, they faced a coalition force upon the shores of the Emerald Lake, here Forzors and Stullmen stood side by side, using every trick, strategy, and blood spell to defeat the Tekederians, here they failed. They were smashed by the Imperial Army, the Stullmen fled deep into their forests as hundreds of Forzor houses were wiped out save 13. But the growing synthesis could not be stopped
When the Tekederian Empire conquered the region, it branded it as the Imperial March of Forzoria, branding all the inhabitants as Forzorian. While the remaining Forzor houses were allowed to exist, the Stullmen were hunted down by Tekederian forces out of fear for their blood magic. Many Stullmen took refuge among the Forzor People, beginning what many call the Synthesis of Forzor and Stullmen cultures, into the Modern Forzorian Cultures.
As time went on, certain traits became prevalent among the Forzorian populace, the remaining Noble families saw their heterochromia eye color slowly become one solid color: Crimson Red for the Daggerovs, Imperial Purple of the Mansteins, Gold for the Sollis and Muddy Brown for the Beckers, and so on. These eye color's held a connection to the supposed magic of the Stullmen Shaman, and are supposed to represent the eventual fate of the Family.
Meanwhile, the people of Forzoria slowly began to grow taller, gained a fierce independent streak, and if certain records are to be believed, harnessed the power of occult magic and blood sacrifices. These growing cultural elements inspired the growth of societies and organizations dedicated to the destruction of the Tekederian forces in Forzoria, and they got their wish in 365BIC, with the Great Uprising.
Modern Forzorian Culture
One can not cover every single change done to the Forzorain Culture, for one would cover history lasting well over 2000 years, so instead let's view what Forzorian Culture looks like today, in the year 1400IC. Hopefully one can get an idea what it means to be a Forzorian in the EmpirePillars of Society
Modern Forzorian Society is held up, on the eyes of the people and the state, by 4 primary pillars. The First Pillar is Family, with the Forzorian Family being central to ones identity and life, with great emphasis placed on familiar relations and names. The Second Pillar is Duty, while individualism plays a key role along with family, one has a duty to fulfill to not just the state but the very cultural ideal of Forzoria. The Third Pillar is Faith, not just in the higher power of God, but faith in oneself, in the Government and in the Nation as a whole. The Final Pillar of Forzorian Society is the State itself, without a Forzorian State, the very culture of the Forzorian people will die out.It is the emphasis placed upon the 4 pillars, more then anything, that has allowed the Forzorian Empire to evolve and grow as time goes on. Ideas come and go, ideologies rise and fall, but the 4 pillars remain ever vigilant. Democracy, Autocracy, the ideals of Liberty and Nationalism, all pail in comparison to the steadfast resolve and stability of the 4 Pillars, and their grip on Forzorian Society
Forzorian Cuisine and Eating Habits.
The Forzorian Diet is heavy on Meat consumption, with most meals possessing elements of butchered animals, from the classical Pig roast to what has become known as the Hamburger. Forzorians eat all kinds of meat, Cow, Pig, Sheep, Goat, Fish, Turkey, Chicken and in some Mountain communities, Bear. Despite the heavy emphasis on Meat, Forzorians still eat plenty of non meat and non animal based foods. The most common food besides meat is a salad of Fruits and Vegetables, often accompanied with special sauces and spices. The recent eastern expansion into Niremeria has brought with it new kinds of food rapidly gaining popularity in Forzoria, Pasta and Olives. This growth in popularity for frontier foods and foreign cuisine has lead to an explosion in food experimentation and a rising industry focused on Food Art.Forzorian Meals are often considered simple and hardy, lacking the extravagance and complexity of other meals across the continent, with the meal seen as what one must eat for the energy needed to continue the day. Such simple ideals on food also effect when Forzorians eat, with 3 meals scattered around the day and snacking frowned upon as a waste. Despite this simplicity placed on food, drink is an entirely different matter.
While food is simple and seen as a need for continued existence, Alcohol is seen as a proper part of ones life, with Beer, Whiskey, Wine, Scotch, Bourbon and all forms of drink from home and abroad sought after and enjoyed by all Forzorian Adults. Such a love for Alcohol has earned the Empire the dubious honor of being the center of Alcoholic production across the continent, with a common saying being 'The Empire is a gilded hill from which flows a river of Booze.'
Naming Tradition
The Naming Tradition of Forzorian society in simple, with names comprised of 3 parts. They have a given first name, given middle name and a paternal last name. The only deviations found in Forzoria is that of the nobility and the Forzorianized Birs, with nobles not possessing a middle name, instead having the preposition von, often denoting a noble of being from a certain family or one being the noble ruler of a specific title. Meanwhile Forzorianized Birs not possessing a middle name at all, with Bir naming traditions not having the concept of a middle name and this idea carrying over to Forzorianized Birs.Examples of the non noble naming convention would be Alberich Emmerich Schultz or Erwin Dietrich Bertolt, while an example of a noble name would be Augustus von Manstein, or Lionard von Daggerov. While Forzorianized Bir names would be Gerolf Horak or Adolf Kopecky, often using their Traditional Bir family names and Common Forzorian Given names.
The Noble-Common Divide
When the Tekederian Empire conquered the modern Heartland, it attempted to bring its Language and Religion to the region in an attempt to fully integrate it into the empire as a core province and not an Imperial March. While the Tekederian Faith never successfully managed to gain a foothold among the people of Forzoria, the Language has left a lasting and active place in modern Forzorian Culture. While the Lower and Middle class of Forzoria, along with the non-Noble Upper Class make use of the traditional Forzorian language outside of minority groups, those tracing their origins to the Noble Upper class make use of the Tekederian language for their family names and/or their given names.The exact reason for the name change varies from family to family, some did it in an attempt to get in the good graces of the Tekederians so they could be in a better position to betray the occupiers when the day came. Some did it due to growing economic and political pressure by the Tekederians to do it or suffer the consequences from their masters. Even after the rebellion against the Tekederians, many families continued to use Tekederian words for the naming of their family and certain organization simply due to how use to it they all were.
That Tekederian legacy has occasionally caused controversy among the political and cultural class, saying nobles should rid themselves of their Tekederian names in a show of loyalty and love of Forzoria over the long since humiliated Tekederian Enemy. This never goes anywhere due to the frequent use of Tekederian Names in the Imperial Family, and the lack of actual harm it causes.
Gender Ideals
Forzorian Gender ideals have been, when compared to the other societies of the Continent, progressive. Forzorian Women while expected to be good Mothers and Wives, are allowed to participate in Politics, allowed to initiate divorce, have some protections put in place for working women and mothers. Despite this progressive streak, some factors remain heavily conservative traditional, Women may not serve in the Military, Police or Fire Services, Women are often discouraged from entering higher fields of work that could be seen as too distracting from their duties as mothers. Despite these conservative views, Forzoria is consistently seen as the greatest place to live for a woman seeking more than marriage and motherhood.Despite the stigma against women being in a place of harm or commit acts of violence, there is one notable exception, in defense of one's children. While Forzorian Men are expected to care for and protect their family, Forzorian Women are just as expected to always be prepared if a need should ever arise to defend their Children against any threat, with entire schools being founded around the idea of training women in armed and unarmed self-defense classes. Hell, hath no fury like a mother defending her children.
Relationship Ideals
Forzorian relationships have evolved heavily over the years, with modern Forzorian society holding in regard the idea of marriage for love. Arranged marriages are illegal, even with the nobility forbidden from partaking in the old ideals of alliances and unions arranged long before marriage. Forzoria is also very conservative on relationships, marriage is for one man and one woman, with premarital sex heavily frowned upon and underage sex equally hated in Forzorian Society. Marriage is seen as an important affair before the state and heaven, with a great ceremony held to celebrate the union not just between the Husband and Wife, but between the two newly joined families.Marriage is seen as a commitment lasting long after death, with married couples united in death after life in the halls of the Golden Palace, marrying after the death of one's spouse is illegal, as one must remain loyal to their spouse after they passed, just as Augustus remained loyal to his Wife when she was murdered.
Eye Color
Opposed to the normal Homochromia eye color found in humans, in which one has a single solid eye color, all Ethnic Forzorians possess Heterochromic eyes, in which each individual eye of a Forzorian possess a different color, with each eye color taking from one of the Parents eyes. The Only exception to this rule is the Imperial Family, who possess a Imperial Purple Eye color.While the Heterochromic Eye color dates back to the Forzor people, the Solid eye color of the Imperial family and the ancient 13 Noble Families, dates to the period of Tekederian Rule. It was said when the Stullmen Shaman sought protection of the Forzor nobles, they would over time intermingle and have children, and eventually the dual eye color of the Forzor Nobles became one solid color, often unnatural like Crimson Red, Muddy Brown, Imperial Purple or Sun Gold. According to Stull Legends, in the Eye color is one of prophecy and fate, in that eye color one can see the fate of their entire family. The Beckers perished in the Muddy Fields of the Heartland, the Sollis were slaughtered under a Golden Sun surrounded by their vast wealth, the Daggerovs perished in a vast and bloody blood sacrifice, and the Mansteins became Emperors in Purple cloth.
Eye Color has been identified as a dominant trait, with zero recorded cases in which a Forzorian had a child with a non Forzorian in which the child did not possess the Forzorian Eye Trait, even further, there is zero recorded cases in which a member of the imperial family failed to pass on the Imperial Purple eye color.
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