Verdonese Human

Verdonese Humans are considered Humans who originate in the Regency of Verdonn or its allies, Idrion and Southmark, as well as its conquests to the south. Southmarquais humans do tend to see themselves as a separate ethnicity from the Verdonese, they, along with the Dessecians, Croftonians, and Idrionese had a similar culture that allowed all to assimilate into the Verdonese nation rapidly. Because of the Nationalistic beliefs prevalent in the Regency of Verdon, these similar ethnic groups have mostly embraced their common identity. Strengthened by the melting pot of Verdonese culture, the Verdonese are the dominant force on the continent of Granmor via the auspices of the Empire of Verdon.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Verdonese Common is a variation on the Verdonese language, tweaked to make it easier for a wide variety of Humans to learn. Since all Human languages in Granmor have a common origin, known as Proto-Granmorean this task was made significantly easier. Nowadays, the Verdonese language is mostly in decline and maintained by the same linguists who created the language that has eclipsed it, as well as the community of legal and historical scholars that preserve the original documents of Verdonese history. 
Other languages spoken by peoples considered to be part of the ethnic groups under the Verdonese umbrella include as follows:

• Idrionese is a dialect of Verdonese (or perhaps the other way around, as some scholars contend), spoken in Idrion. The two languages are mutually intelligible.
• Volqsparxe is language spoken by the inhabitants of Dessex and Crofton, areas conquered by the Verdonese in the 400s PE. Like Verdonese, these languages are in steep decline and mostly maintained by a few for academic purposes.
• Southmarquais is a language spoken by the people of Southmark and is fiercely guarded by people of that nation, who are bilingually educated to be fluent in both.

Shared customary codes and values

The Verdonese were highly affected by The Sixth Thalassan Crusade, and the massive wave of refugees from this conflict focused the Verdonese into new ways of thinking. The Verdonese identified cultural commonalities among the peoples of Southern Granmor and believed that they could unite all the groups into one cohesive empire using this common identity and values as a basis. In three words, the values of Verdonese humans are Vigilance, Order, and Progress. 

• Vigilance: Verdonese humans are proud of their thousands of years of successful defense against the Elves. This has ingrained in them a martial culture in which military service is seen as a social duty and an ingrained part of every day life informing everything from sports to art. The institutions of Verdon and its highly structured society is justified by the need for defense and unity in the face of the thread of the Elves.
• Order: The Verdonese value security and stability very highly and adhere to many social rules and etiquettes, balancing their personal ambitions with the demands of social hierarchy. Together with their militaristic values this allows them to readily accept institutions that others consider oppressive, such as The Magocracy. 
• Progress: Despite their devotion to social hierarchy, the Verdonese are also sensitive about their echnological inferiority  to the Elves. They are therefore extremely open to new technologies and constantly seek ways to make their Empire and daily lives more efficient. The Verdonese rulers have enacted many laws, most notably the Verdonese Reforms of 309, to codify and preserve individual rights in order to maintain a degree of openness that will allow advancement in balance with the society's other ideas.

Related Organizations

• The Regency of Verdon

Related Items

• Markus’ Needle

Related Myths

• The Seed of St. Kathrenne