Culture of Eckril

Education

• Eckril has the most institutionalized education of all the First Island.
• Most towns have a small school in which the children of even peasants are taught basic math and writing. Traveling teachers will often go between a series of villages without a school to teach students there what their parents cannot teach them. (Catalone's education was disrupted for a few years with the war but is bouncing back)
• The Cities themselves will often have multiple schools funded by a variety of sources from government funds to private nobles to the faith.
• Colleges and specialty schools are often found in and around cities as well. These schools are for specialty fighters, bards, and those wishing to study other high-skill areas. All magic colleges are highly regulated due to the laws around magic of all of the First Island.

Language

• Eckril - especially Nassos - is one of the most diverse places in Minrath. This means there are a wide variety of languages spoken.
• With vast amounts of trade and this sheer diversity, the cities of Eckril there is slang and phrases from all over. This makes cities' language norms different than rural ones.

Marriage and Family

• Marriage is depends on class but is more open than many other countries to all marrying for love.
• Same-sex relationships are not taboo in most areas and neither are extra marital affairs when out adventuring (for those at home it is frown upon to have an affair when your partner is right there)
• Some sea captians encourage relationships upon their ships to promote bonds between crewmates, even if those people have partners at home.
• Families are wider spread than in most countries due to the availability of travel. However, it is not uncommon for a whole small town to be comprised of a few intermarried families.

Shelter

• Most homes are made of wood and dried mud bricks and then plastered on the outside. This plaster is often painted with natural paints. Those that can afford it cover their homes or floors in painted ceramic tiles - often making beautiful mosaics
• Many larger homes are built with an open air courtyard with rooms branching off from then. Smaller homes may only be one or two rooms, sometimes stack on top of each other.
• Older public buildings (such as temples) were often built of marble. This has fallen out of fashion around Nassos and as they set many trends it is becoming less common elsewhere.

Traveling/Adventure

• Adventurers are a very common sight in Eckril with some areas relying on adventuring parties for much of their security and larger jobs. Why employ guards full-time when it is cheaper to pay the next group of adventurers to destroy the bandits, owlbear, etc? They come by every other week or so anyway.
• There is even a trend among the wealthier folks to spend some time adventuring in young adulthood before settling down
• Along the main roads there are plenty of inns, taverns, and other locales that let travelers of all types sleep and rest. Some cater to merchants or adventurers specifically.
• Often these inns will sell individual beds in a room or private rooms

Clothing

• Given the more tropical climate of Eckril many areas opt for light cotton clothing with additional layers as needed. These clothes are often dyed bold colors with embroidery or beading as decoration
• Head coverings to block sun from the scalp are commonly worn by both men and women
• Belts, headwraps, anklets, and braclets decorated with coins are common and often used as a display of wealth. Fake coins can be used as a charm to encourage future wealth
• In Nassos the clothing style is much more diverse than in other areas given that it is on the cutting edge of fashion with trends coming and going each year

Economy

• Eckril well known for their merchant business, much of their economy relies on being the middleman between other nations. The Nassos Trading Company is king in this business
• Wine, cotton, and luxury materials are the main exports of Eckril.
• With how much money changes hands in Eckril - Nassos especially - they are one of the few countries to have a system of banks set up in each major city with a majority of places along the merchant roads taking their notes of credit

Religion

• Eckril is the most open country religiously, even the more controversial gods can find a temple in the major cities.
• Worship of non-gods is vaguely tolerated under the idea of 'as long as it does not harm anyone'. Human sacrifice and other crimes of such are outlawed even if the 'religion' demands it
• Common gods worshiped here are Brizo, Danua, and Aven (along with the Muses)

Laws

• Like all the First Island spells of 5th level and above are technically illegal. However, it is said that with the right permission from the right (wealthy and powerful) people the law will look the other way
• Slavery is legal but highly regulated. Most often people go into slavery because they owe a debt and work to pay that debt off. Slaves have rights and there is punishment for not taking care of slaves. Slavery is not generational.
• In some areas the wealthy are known to pay the bail or fines of prisoners to take as slaves (often for temporary purposes).

Food

• Traditional meals consist of oats, barley, nuts, sheep/lamb, goat, birds, and fish. Grapes, dates, olives, and apples are common.
• Alcohol of wine is most common but ale commonly found as well; a new addictive drink gaining popularity is a energizing coffee bean
• Sweets are often some sort of honey or butter cakes but recent trends of the wealthy are for pure white cane sugar from Fujianbei and dark chocolate bean from some southern island