Laurë

When the Laurëans of old, the future masters of the world, entered the far reaches west, they were generally a pale people of short build and generally of red hair, though some have been known to reveal their Tarëan ancestry with jet black hair. This unique look only remains normal in the most proud and selective of the lines, or in the homeland of the Laurë clan. The dominant caste throughout the west, the Laurë are the undisputed masters of most settled land. They became so by conquest but they remained so through marriages and consolidation. The Laurë have become chameleons, indistinguishable from their subjects, save for one attribute:  Their eyes are golden and shine with what was described by Saint Crespien as “The Divine Fire”.

The Laurëan culture is best described as imperial and is the model for the western clans. In the lower Laurë clans, they are an agricultural, sedentary people group. The Laurë are adopters of other cultures, while maintaining a culture that is distinctly Laurëan. From the Tarë came the caste system. From the Reliné came the clan’s philosophy of the military-aristocrat and the concept of the Paladins. From the Palatine came the dedicated administrator and the courtier. And from Aman came the most important gift of all: The Ecclesia. But each of these orphaned concepts take on new meaning to the Laurë. Where Reliné paladins were secular cavalry, the Laurë paladins are  priests as well as military aristocrats. Where the Palatine appears to be a republic, the scions of Laurë are autocrats. And where Aman is monotheistic and Ecclesiocratic, the Laurëan Reyan dominate their Ecclesia, due to the teaching of Saint Crespien. And in a pagan nation, the old gods gave way to the Saint Cults. This practice of worshipping saints is discouraged by the Ecclesia, but remains an important part of Laurëan culture.

Laurëan society in the homeland is very rigid, with the  castes being nearly insurmountable barriers. In addition, there is an element of male chauvinism to the Laurë culture. Sexuality, however, is very open provided that it is within your own caste. Mistresses and lovers are common and some of the highest castes have practiced polygamy. Homosexuality is allowed but is generally frowned upon in their culture.

Laurëan dress in the homeland is very colorful, tending towards white, light blues, reds, yellows, and golds. Sometimes these shirts have short tabards with elaborate stitching. In the lower castes, long shirts called  and roughspun cloaks are the clothing of men and simple gowns with a simple surcoat is the typical clothing of women. Long hair is fashionable for available women, bound in braids and bedecked in whatever jewelry they have. Beards are reserved for the old in male circles, and most men are expected to be clean shaven, with short hair. Upper caste males wear long shirts or robes. In ancient times, they wore long open faced vest. But fashion has lead to the adoption of a surcoat or tabard, though the highest offices still wear vests. These coats are gorgeous decorated with patterns that represent their line and provides a record of their lineage. They are also belted at the waist, oftentimes with a sash.

The upper castes of the Laurë are employers of the Maji class but are far from trusting of the Maji, who wield power and influence like weapons. Nonetheless, the upper castes use minor magics and often employ scryers and diviners for purposes of intelligence. The Laurë of the lower castes are fearful of castes like Maji but are often practicers of minor magics, like warding signs and charms.

Greeting: Rest the sword hand on the hip and when near, raise the hand above the head. This is generally follow by a verbal greeting. Generally this greeting is “Dav” or “Blessings”. Formal greeting often invoke the saint,  such as: “Dav Hayan!”