Flan
Flan is generally used in reference to the Flan people, (sometimes called the "Flannae"), a race of humans of Oerth, though the term may also refer to the language and culture of said people. The Flan peoples were the first humans known to have settled the eastern portion of the continent of Oerik, the Flanaess, which is named for them. Regions of the Flanaess that contain a significant number of Flan peoples include Geoff, Sterich, the Rovers of the Barrens, Tenh, and the Wolf Nomads.
History
The Flan were the first known humans to live in eastern Oerik, and it is from them that the Flanaess gets its name. Evidence exists that they once boasted several pre-Migrations cultures, including those found at Sulm in the Bright Desert, Veralos on the edge of Rift Canyon, Tostenhca in the Griff Mountains, and several others, but those all vanished long ago. The Flan had been a nomadic people for many centuries when they were displaced by Suloise and Oeridian invaders. Large pockets of Flan live in what are now Geoff, Tenh, and the Barrens. The Tenha are pure Flan, and the coppery Rovers of the Barrens nearly so. The people of Geoff and Sterich also show strong Flan heritage, as do the Stoneholders, Palish, and certain Perrender clans. In ancient times, the Flan feared the Ur-Flan, rare mystics and necromancers who held entire tribes and kingdoms in bondage to their evil.Culture
The Flan have always been strongly tied to the natural world, as they were nomadic hunter-gatherers for so long. They see nature as an entity to be respected but not controlled, and this is reflected in their myths, legends, and culture. Many Flan believe the season of a child’s birth affects later life, and certain customs and taboos must be observed annually. Modern Flan still have a preference for the outdoors, and those who live in cities usually raise gardens and flower beds. A tree is planted at the door of a Flan home, and the health of that tree is believed related to the welfare of the family. Storytelling is a favourite pastime, and most families have ancient oral folklore and legends to pass on. The ancient, nomadic Flan wore simple clothing of animal skins: belts, breechcloths, capes, robes, and footwear (boots and hard-soled slippers). Body painting and tattoos were common methods of personal decoration, and these traditions are still practiced by the Rovers of the Barrens (who prefer yellows and reds). Modern Flan tend to dress in what is currently fashionable, but they favor bright primary colors in solid arrangements. Flan wizards normally work in harmony with nature, avoiding destructive magic. A few delve into the necromantic arts of the ancient Ur-Flan, but such practices are shunned by respectable folk. Many prefer protective and divinatory spells, a practice that stems from their traditional roles of guarding nomadic tribes and helping them survive. Flan clerics are often druids, who are more accepting of agriculture than they once were. Many Flan deities have strong “natural” aspects. The traditional calendar of the Flan is called the Flan Tracking.
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