Brelish

People of the Lake

None but them may call god their own and so greatness must surely flow in their veins. Hillen himself was one of them and never has the world seen such a mighty and virtuous hero. It is only natural, therefore, to assume the next saviour of man will be from their ilk.

— Nikolas the Ponderer

The Brelish, or Brels, are a human ethnic group native to the humid shores and arid heights of Tellaiti on the southwestern shores of the Empire of Pallernen. Known for their distinct culture and language, brilliant works of art, and most importantly, their religion and its role in mankind’s salvation, the Brelish have had a remarkable impact on the world despite having no great empires of their own. Valued, and perhaps even revered by the rest of the Aprēan world, these People of the Lake have earned special rights and a great decree of autonomy within the empire, allowing their lands to develop and their culture to thrive.

Religion

Separating Aprēa from the Brelish and their culture and way of life is simply impossible. Their faith and customs are so intrinsically entwined that any attempt of dividing the two would be disastrous.

— Holg Alwell

Faith plays an important part in both the lives of the everyday Brelish man and woman, but even more so in the history of their people. Nations from every corner of the known world know the Brelish as the People of the Lake, the blessed sons and daughters of Aprēa of Setaik, the God of Humanity and Hope. Aprēa was born as a Brel and lived her tragically short life in service of restoring hope and love in a struggling town and according to the Brelish, the strength and purity of her spirit endured after death, ascending into divinity as her followers felt invigorated to continue her dreams and to spread her teachings.

Aprēan Conversion

Despite their current reputation of being a devout people, the Brelish did not appear to follow any deities around the time when Aprēa died. It is believed that they might have once had a vast pantheon of gods, but over the ages their faith diminished as they felt that their deities had fallen silent, perishing in some celestial disaster that left them without guidance.
This crisis of faith and the sense of purposelessness that followed contributed to the decline of their society before Aprēa restored their hope and her followers spread her word throughout southern Tellaiti. Much of the population welcomed her disciples and embraced the ideas they brought, converting to the new faith and spreading word of it to others. There were skeptics, of course, but they had soon found themselves outnumbered as the Brelish converted en masse.
Following Gilei Hillen's sacrifice and ascension, the religious unity of the Brelish unravelled. There were many who adopted the beliefs of the holy warrior’s surviving followers, causing unrest throughout the land. Violence and bloodshed followed as brothers and sisters waged war upon one another over disagreements in faith. Compassion and love had eventually succeeded, however, as the two sides put aside their differences and united behind their common Brelish heritage.

Statue of Aprēa by Midjourney

Famous Figures

Aprēa of Setaik by Midjourney

Aprēa of Setaik (625 BA - 608 BA) is undoubtedly the most well-known Brel to have ever lived. Her name is not only associated with her native people, but with all of humankind. Even those who do not follow her ways are still aware of her, unless their local community happens to be completely isolated from the rest of civilisation. When the alcheni and the panedur think of mankind, they frequently think of them as the people of Aprēa, often ignoring the fact that other non-Aprēan faiths exist as well. Such ignorant views that neglect to take into consider other religions can be of great offense, of course, but not necessarily as there are also those who value Aprēa of Setaik as a good role model and find her to be a good representation of the best of humanity, even if they deny her divinity.

Gilei Hillen by Midjourney

Gilei Hillen (37 BA - 1 AA) is yet another figure who's name is heavily asociated with all of mankind. While Aprēa of Setaik represents the compassionate and caring side of humanity, Hillen embodies the greatest virtues that a man could have. No one in history has been as dedicated to the protection of their loved ones, their community and those too weak to fend for themselves and no one has ever made such sacrifices in the name of his faith and fatherland. His devotion to Aprēa and the stubborn will he possessed carried him through argous struggles against the greatest aberati invasion the world had ever witnessed. Without his final sacrifice, all of mankind would have suffered enslavement and the threat of extinction. Tales of his values and valour spread through his surviving followers and their Hillenēq Hūril.

Gatatēla by Midjourney

Gatatēla Talau (1547 AA) is a seria of the Hillenēq Hūril clergy, meaning that she has a relatively modest position in the faith’s hierarchy, yet despite her rank, she is potentially one of the most influential and powerful Brelish women alive. Despite being only 20 years old, Talau has been granted a prominent position in the court of Empress Sohhia Pentiwichen of Pallernen, advising the monarch on all manner of religious topics. It is well known that Gatatēla Talau and Empress Sohhia have a very deep friendship, allowing the young seria to have a greater impact on the opinions and policies of her monarch. The two are fond of spending hours alone with each other, often locking themselves away in the empress’ chambers, where they no doubt discuss politics, scripture, and other such topics deep into the night.

Related Organizations

• United Provinces of the Tellaiti

Related Myths

• Lady of the Lake

Languages spoken

• Aiterean

Related Locations

• Tellaiti

Religion

Orthodox Aprēanism
Hillenēq Hūril

Names

Name Order

Family name + given name (among friends and family)
Given name + family name

Male Names

Veitari	Aidole	Niklei
Teirei	Larei	Vilhei
Iete	Gilei	Vederikei
Iakepei	Taraitei	Haiei
Tāve	Vertei	Saloi
Iakope	Aulaci	Eleei
Karlei

Female Names

Rālia	Gatatēla	Brea
Ulea	Karolea	Karea
Aprēa	Hīcpeta	Telētea
Ūai	Tala	Galea
Helea

Gender Neutral Names

Eq

Ail

Ap

Surnames

Talau	Haiei	Celrei
Eikepontai	Heiletai	Kiripetai
Valipatai	Racai	Oiaili
Veitari	Rantai

Map of the Brelish by Dhelian

Common Tongue

Aiterean, the language of the Brelish, is spoken around the world as a common language used by Aprēan theologians, well-travelled merchants, shrewd diplomats, prestigious courts, and everyone else with a desire to communicate with others from foreign lands. The language originally spread along with Hillenēq Hūril, but despite its religious connotations it has gained popularity in lands that practise other faiths as well.

Brelish Diaspora

While the Brelish have a strong bond with their native land, many of them do choose to end up on foreign shores, often finding themselves in respected roles due to other people’s admiration and false belief in the inherent superiority of the Brelish. Since Aiterean, the Brelish tongue, is commonly spoken in courts and merchant harbours alike, Brels can communicate with whom they desire with relative ease, opening doors to new and fruitful opportunities wherever they go.
There is also a large concentration of Brelish people who live in the frigid wastes of the Alstiseriaic of Athe, most of who serve as members of the Hillenist clergy or one of the many military orders that's based in the region.