Naadi
The Naadi people are the most populous cultural and ethnic group in Halth'aire. Naadi people reside primarily in Almor and Tzikas, though many are found across Atux and Haraxim as well as in merchant enclaves throughout the eastern hemisphere. Naadi peoples are said to be descendants of various migrating groups of humans who had traveled across land bridges that connected the continents of Dalashiel, Almor, and Atux. Today, Naadi are separated into three main cultural groups: there are the southern Naadi, the Northern Naadi, and the Tzikan Naadi. All three groups share a common language and religion and have similar customs and traditions, but their local geographies and cultural neighbors have influenced their cultural and societal development, causing the three to become somewhat distinct. Naadi cultures, more than most, tend to be affected by the kingdom they reside in, meaning many there are many derivations of the general Naadi culture. Generally, Naadi people are characterized by their darker skin tones and shorter heights as well as their green, orange, or darker eyes. They are seen as an honorbound and respectful people, with many seeing them as overly rigid in their societal structures. They are also generally seen by many as accepting and hospitable and are generally known to foster relations with foreigners and mix culturally with foreign elements.
Naadi peoples largely believe in one of two major sects of Dhunya Amarish, the religion whose pantheon's gods created Almor and the Tzikas Archipelago. Naadi culture places a strong emphasis on an age-based hierarchy in which elders are heavily respected and revered while youth are expected to work for respect and honor in society. This fairly rigid belief applies largely to anyone outside of the royal families and monarchs of Naadi kingdoms, who are revered without question due to the belief that they are somewhat divine in nature. Traditionally, Naadi rulers drink from a magical spring in the highlands of the Ik'Umri Sym which is said to mark them as divine beings worthy of worship, praise, and respect regardless of age or merit. Thus, kingdoms across Almor and Tzikas are known for their stability and generally peaceful public opinion, with unrest and protest only occurring if absolutely justified in the eyes of the public. Another important element of general Naadi culture is the value placed upon strength and physical ability in one's youth. Warfare is almost a ritual in Naadi culture and cowardice is largely disapproved to the point where assassination and other indirect methods of killing a rival are seen as cowardly, uncouth, and disappointing by all. While physical strength is valued in youth, elders are seen as having already exhausted their bodies, leaving them to be revered for their mental strength and intelligence. It is not uncommon for the vast majority of officials, advisors, and scholars in Naadi kingdoms to be over sixty years of age. Materialism is not an virtue in Naadi culture, but it is not advised against either. This has led all of the Naadi kingdoms to develop a strong, mercantilist economy with major trade guilds found throughout Almor and Tzikas. In fact, the Ŕudfenian Amku is the most active nation in terms of trade in Halth'aire. Naadi architecture is largely based in the use of wood and stone, with colored marble and some gems used in more extravagant projects. Music is generally based in strong, heavy percussion and melodic string instruments. Naadi art largely involves engravings, gilded jewelry, metalwork, and statues all depicting important figures from their history or religion.
Northern Naadi people primarily reside in the northern half of Almor, above the continent-splitting Atorxas Mountains: they inhabit the Set'o Amku, Kawi Amku, Wolgast Sym, and Ik'Umri Sym. Many do live in the southern regions of Almor and are provided equal treatment under Southern Naadi law, though many of their specific traditions and customs are ignored or neglected. They primarily live in cooler climates, residing in the highlands and steppes of the Atorxas Mountain range. This means that arable and fertile land is rarer and a larger proportion of the population live in nomadic herding communities. Many Northern Naadi do not live in permanent settlements unless they reside in towns or in mining communities, in which they are typically provided food through supply caravans or markets. Agriculture is still widespread and the vast majority of people are clustered in areas of arable land, working on subsistence farms. Northern Naadi are known for typically bearing darker skin tones and their red eyes. Red is a major symbolic color in their culture, with it representing the ideals of hard work, passion, and honor. Thus, most clothing in Northern Naadi regions is dyed red and rubies are the most commonly used stone for jewelry. Clothes in these regions are typically heavier and made from fur due to the near constant colder temperatures.
Southern Naadi entirely reside within the Ŕudfenian Amku, apart from those who had emigrated, and make up the majority of the Naadi population. They are the richer, trade-driven, globalizing neighbors of their northern counterparts, with a much more successful and progressive empire acting to impose their interests. They control the more temperate and fertile half of Almor which has led to their larger population and more sustainable agricultural model. Outside of some minor communities on the southern steppes of the Atorxas Mountains, few nomadic communities exist and nearly all Southern Naadi people live in some form of permanent settlement. Most live near or on the southern or western coasts as those regions are the most developed and have the most fertile land. Southern Naadi tend to have darker skin tones and have purple or blue eyes. Red remains a symbolic and important color for the Southern Naadi people, again symbolizing that passion and honor that is ever present in their society. Gold is also used to symbolize wealth and standing, also having become an important symbolic color in Southern Naadi culture. The temperate climate of the southern reaches of Almor means that Southern Naadi fashion is typically made with looser, thinner fabrics and is less focused on comfort than aesthetic. Fashion in these regions largely revolves around geometric shapes, robe-like bottoms, and tight-fitting tops.
Tzikan Naadi are somewhat similar culturally to Northern Naadi, having supposedly descended from Northern Naadi migrants millennia ago. They reside in the Tzikas Archipelago, a cold and mountainous series of islands west of Almor. Tzikan Naadi differ in two major elements from their Northern Naadi cousins. Firstly, Tzikan Naadi live in a clan-like structure very similar to that of Froslakians in Dalashiel and Kingour. The archipelago once contained upwards of thirty different clans across its four islands, each of which vied and fought for total control of the archipelago. These clans were divided by geographical conditions and each clan contained various noble houses and lineages that fought for control of the clan itself. While this system still technically exists, much if not all of the conflict has ended due to the long reign of the Yika Amku and its unification of the Tzikan clans. Secondly, Tzikan Naadi are known for their sailing prowess and fisherman lifestyle. The mountainous and largely unfertile nature of the archipelago has limited its population and forced its inhabitants to rely on the sea for their agricultural and dietary needs. Not only do the Tzikans fish, they also farm algae, seaweed, and Kixo, a waterborne vegetable, in the coastal waters of the archipelago.
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