Heartlander

A Heartlander is a native of Corinas or Western Evermarsh. Historically, Heartlanders predate the Ashardian Empire's presence in Corinas. However, in modern times, the term "Heartlander" is more closely associated with Corinas' rural West, where people feel more strongly connected to the Heartlander identity.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Most Heartlanders speak common in some form. In the Highlands, many still speak a form of Hoertwyrd, an ancient language closely connected with the Druidic languages of Dremeria.

Culture and cultural heritage

During the Entombment, proto-Heartlanders survived in caverns and in the depths of the Ward. There are only a few buried cities in Corinas, the largest of which is Umbermount, below Dragonwind.

Shared customary codes and values

Heartlanders have a strong since of dominance and independence. They associate with their ancient kingdoms and religion quite closely, especially in rural areas. Heartlanders have a deep love of history and remembrance, with monuments and shrines being ingrained in their culture.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Heartlanders traditionally feel great connection to their departed loved ones. In the Highlands, vast burial caverns and barrows are quite common, usually connected with tribes and people groups. When important or beloved family members die, it is traditional to hire a local to track one's ancestral tomb to lay their beloved's body in the caverns.

Historical figures

Robert the Black-Blooded was the last Heartlander King to ever rule in Corinas. He was killed by the Nurzites centuries ago, shortly before their own demise. The power vacuum left by this death invited the Ashardians to take over Corinas, completing the conquest laid out in the dying words of Ashardia II years prior.

Diverged ethnicities