Göthemiri
Sea People of the Western Waters
Göthmir is a region divided between the islands of North Göthmir and South Göthmir. The islands sit in the ocean to the west of the Rhyduanian mainland. The people are a generally ocean going culture, renowned as explorers and sailors. Some sailors even consider it bad luck to set sail on the open ocean without a Göthemiri on board.
The islands are thoroughly explored, but largely unsettled in the interior, due to the culture being by and large centered around sea-travel. What few land-bound people exist among the Göthemiri still derive their living from the sea: shipwrights, fishermen, net-weavers, sail-makers, etc.
Ceremony and pomp aren't very popular with the generally practically minded Göthemiri, and the Islands have virtually no regional government to speak of. Common law and cultural mores are fairly universal among the people, and government rarely extends beyond the level of a mayor and a sheriff for each town. Rarely does a sheriff need to do much more than deal with drunken sailors and marketplace thieves.
A common insult among Göthemiri is to call someone a "nester" with the implication being that the person is too scared to leave their mother's house and take to the sea. Every Göthemiri knows how to swim from an early age. The idea of a grown adult who can't swim is incomprehensible to them.
Göthemiri all share a generally dark skin tone, ranging from olive to nut brown, with North Islanders tending to be darker. Hair colors range from sandy blonde/brown to jet black. Dark blonde with dark brown skin tones is a very common combination along both coasts of the straight separating the two islands. Men tend to favor short hair, with active sailors often shaving their heads to the skin. Thick mustaches, extending along either side of the mouth are common. Billowing pants are popular, as are small, open vests or foregoing a shirt altogether. Women favor flowing, wavy hair styles, and tight-fitting clothing that is easy to swim in, with shark and seal skin being popular.
Religion among the Göthemiri is dominated by the worship of Zayladi. What little worship goes to other gods is divided fairly evenly between Asta, Maeleth and Fereshteh.
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