Aeillan People (/ ei̯länz / (Aeillan: / ei̯loi /))
Εíλλοι
The Aeillan people, born in the Aeillan region of the continent of Galisea are well known as influential groups in southern and western Galisea. Born as a series of more disparate river civilizations, the Aeillan ethnic groups slowly became more culturally united, and eventually came under the banner of a single civilization, the Ilosi Republic, and later the Aeillan Empire. This political unification developed the Ilosi, Spartharoi, and Tyroi into a single ethnic supergroup.
Aeillan cultural influences are many. The oldest of these is a fading, and ancient connection to the Yulan-Tai culture, most responsible for the roots of the Pandroi religion. There is also a connection to the Cyrenic dwarves who were among the first contacts for the Ilosi and Tyroi peoples and played a role in the shaping of political structures and in Ilosi society more than even that. There are also cultural ties to Gallacan, Namiraean, Hadar, and native Nabari cultures though not to the same extent as the Cyrenic, and Yulan-Tai.
Aeillans generally speaking, have historically placed a strong import on civic virtue, of the value of labor, and to a lesser extent a certain sense of militarism. These values meant that Aeillan people have tended to come together in tightly knit societies, building up important social and political institutions, though the exact meaning of these institutions vary by community, and in particular how people interact with such institutions as government, and events such as war tend to vary by community and by in more recent times by social class.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The Aeillan people primarily speak the Aeillan language, which is rooted in the ancient Yulan-Tai language. There are a few regional dialects with certain amounts of external influence, with the Peptid dialect borrowing heavily from the Cyrenic and Nabari languages, the Spathoi dialect having more Gallacan and Namirean, and some undertones of Elleryc, the Iskandrian which borrows from Inhdaran, Terruk, and Hadar, and lastly Polani which borrows from the Hadar language. Outside of Aeilla, Aeillans tend to be resistant to cultural assimilation, though some communities, particularly in Qua'adar speak the local language.
Shared customary codes and values
Aeillans collectively put a strong value on civic engagement, though the exact nature of that value depends somewhat on the subgroup with the Ilosi favoring strong political engagement and debate, the Spartharoi tending more towards military service, and the Tyroi favoring contribution to the economy through commerce and labor. There is also a certain value placed on the education of youth that many might grudgingly attribute to the Felorans, and particularly the Dotharans who trade quite a lot with the Aeillan cities in the South, though this attribute is strongest among the Ilosi who are most commercially connected to the Felorans. Hospitality is a nearly universal value among Aeillans, and great emphasis is placed on the manners of being both a good guest and a good host.
Average technological level
The Aeillan people tend to be net importers of technology, which is to say, much of the technological advancement in Aeilla was the result of trade coming into the region. The largest recent technological developments brought into the region have been the advent of manufactories, gunpowder weapons, and lateen rigged ships. The strength of Aeillan technology comes in the form of adaptation of existing technologies and creating new synthesizes, with the use of aqueducts to power water wheels and increase the productive capacity of manufactories, and the mounting of cannon on sailing vessels to create a new breed of warships being prime examples.
Common Etiquette rules
Aeillans place a strong emphasis on cool-headedness, and it is generally expected that a person can keep control of their emotions with visible anger, in particular, being frowned upon. It is common for Aeillans to be very active participants in conversation with frequent use of minimal encouragers and small interjections to demonstrate to their interlocutors that they are actively listening. While some amount of competitiveness is allowed, and indeed even encouraged, Aeillans are expected to be magnanimous in defeat, and gracious in victory, with gloating frowned upon.
Common Dress code
Aside from the Ilosi, Aeillans favor relatively light and simple clothing with single-piece outfits and minimal accessories generally being seen as the norm. Generally speaking, more clothing than the norm is more acceptable, though less clothing is seen as gauche. The Spathoi however, tend to favor accentuating erogenous areas, and will occasionally accept outright nudity in public.
Art & Architecture
Aeillan arts and architecture favor permanence in both their architecture and their art, preferring to carve from stone their great works whenever possible. Painting and metalwork are also favored with the Aeillans having a certain reputation for producing beautiful frescoes in their temples, and some of the finest jewelry in southern Galisea. Aeillans also are well known for their production of grand infrastructural projects with aqueducts, roads, temples, and amphitheaters being particularly vast and awe-inspiring, and many having lasted centuries.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Aeillan cultural traditions are centered primarily on religious festivals as the importance of maintaining the Eiríni ton Theón (or Peace of the Gods) is great in Aeillan religion. Each deity has a specific religious festival, and these festivals typically result in much of society shut down temporarily in celebration. Other major traditions include coming of age rituals, and funerary rituals.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Births are relatively low-key events with the emphasis on the celebration of the mother, as well as prayers for the health of both the mother and the child or children. Both mothers and children are given a few weeks after birth free of responsibility to ensure that bonding forms. Fathers are sometimes included in the early bonding period, but this is generally the preserve of the upper classes for whom a day's labor is less important.
Coming of Age Rites
Coming of age rituals are highly dependent on social class and in the particular familial profession. For farmers, laborers, and other lower-class people the transition to adulthood is fairly lowkey, a brief religious ceremony, and the child beginning to formally take on adult responsibilities. For skilled crafters, there is a similar religious ceremony and another secular ceremony where the young adult is given some tools of their own before being sent on a journey to practice their trade before coming back to the family practice, or more rarely starting their own. Educated scholars and nobles may have an elaborate procedure for their coming of age with the young adult having a great debate with another young adult being a common ritual, and certain nobles sometimes leading their first military campaign.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Funerary traditions are generally conducted in two parts. The first part known as the máthlípsi is supposed to be a melancholic affair as people mourn the loss of the dead, the máthlípsi continues through a brief and symbolic religious ceremony. At a certain point during the ritual, a participant, usually the priest, expresses relief that the dead won't have to struggle anymore, at which point the second phase the giortízoís is a more joyous celebration of the life of the deceased, to honor the fallen's life and, to send off the dead on a happy note.
Common Taboos
The major faux pas in Aeillan society is lying (outside of a military context), physical violence against your social equals and betters, being an ungrateful or rude guest, or a cruel and impolite host, speaking ill of the dead, and, aside from certain culturally acceptable practices marital infidelity. Smaller taboos include loss of temper, eating food too quickly, or unnecessary nakedness.
Ideals
Courtship Ideals
Courtship is generally the preserve of extramarital relationships, as marriages are typically arranged with only minimal courtship between the two to be married beforehand. As a result, the process of courtship is generally a homoerotic coded affair, as seeking partners of the same sex as the person that one is married to is severely frowned upon. An ideal courtship is generally between an older, married man, and a younger unmarried man, with the older often serving as a patron, opening gates to the younger, and helping them with advanced education if that is affordable.
Relationship Ideals
Generally, relationships are long-term affairs with pairs of men and women, and their blood or adopted children form the core of families. Upon reaching old age, grandparents will typically live with their eldest children, helping raise children. These heterosexual pairings are generally expected to be monogamous. Aeillan men are however allowed to take a male lover (or a non-binary one). Women are generally discouraged from this, however, among the more permissive lower classes, married women are allowed to seek out the romantic partnership of other women or non-binary persons.
Major organizations
Aeillan peoples can be found throughout southwest, and west Galisea but are concentrated most intensely in the Aeillan region and are the dominant peoples of the Aeillan Successor States. During the days of the Aeillan Empire, there was a fairly high level of internal migration, resulting in the spreading of the component ethnic groups however, the groups largely remained within their own areas with the Ilosi being found close to the Ilos River, being dominant in the states of Nikea, Apepsos, Artenos, Falemesia, Syros, and Korentis; the Spartharoi being close to the Spartharii River, and are dominant in Spathos, Halion, and Salemesia; and the Tyroi living along the Tyros and are dominant in the states of Thibaia, Troinae, Polanis, and Iskandris. Aeillan people can be found in other neighboring regions as significant minorities but only Qua'adar has seen this translate into any meaningful political influence.
Aeillan Facial Collage by Javak
Diverged ethnicities
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
Related Items
Languages spoken
Related Locations
