Arek

For a long time Dragons and Dragonborn were the sole rulers of central Farlis. But when the Dragon Scourge started our numbers dwindled. The influx of Humans to the Volker Desert made up for the decreased size of the population. But it also caused our culture to change drastically.

— High Sage Syronikir

The Arek culture is already quite old with it's precursors already dating back to the Avaronian Era. It can be found in most areas of the Volker Desert and also along the western edge of Eprus. Eprus itself has taken up certain elements of Arek as well, such as the use of basalt for decorations. This is mainly due to the period of time during which Eprus held a large amount of territory in easter Kevarim.
The culture is known especially for the religion using the Misran pantheon which isn't use anywhere else. This pantheon contains both gods from the original Human tribes as well as several divine Dragons from the Dragonborn religion. In general the Arek people are seen as peaceful and trade oriented, especially those living in Kevarim. The Arek Dragonborn in Aldhir are a bit more reclusive but are generally still seen as Arek.

Extra Information

Continent

The Arek culture can be found in the Volker Desert

Origin

The culture is a mix of ancient Dragonborn culture and the Human culture from those that migrated from the east.

Volker Desert by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

Ruled by

The Arek culture is spread across the countries of Aldhir and Kevarim

History

Origin

Perhaps the main reason for the emergence of the Arek culture is the Dragon Scourge. This disease was a real devestation to the Dragon and Dragonborn population. Due to their extremely dwindled numbers they were looking for more people to prevent their decline.
Within the Volker Desert there were many Human nomad tribes who originally fled from Avaronian occupation. The Dragonborn invited them in their cities and granted them full citizenship. Although many ancient cities had to be abandonned, the new co-habitation ensured that some settlements could prosper again. The first city with this arrangement was the city of Safir, now the capital of Kevarim.

Yamaderis misplaced this image by Kefkjaco with heroforge

Patron God

One of the most defining aspects of Arek culture is the religious syncretism between Dragon worship and the original Misran pantheon. Originally the Dragons and Dragonborn did not worship the sun. But since the sun god Samer was an important part of the Misran pantheon, that changed. Before the rise of the Arek culture the Dragonborn viewed the sun as an evil deity because the Selefer used to revere him. The Dragonborn never had any love for their followers known as the Children of Athos.
In the current religion, however, it is said that Athos was cast away by Samer when the Selefer were defeated. Before he was banished, however, Athos wanted to kill everyone in the Volker region. Samer could prevent this but he could not prevent the region still becoming the desert it is today. Today Samer is seen as the patron god of the Volker Desert and the protector of its people.

Hybrid

Eventually after living so long together the cultures of the Human tribes and the Dragonborn mixed and created a new culture called Arek. This can of course best be seen in religion as divine Dragons were being taken up in the Misran pantheon. Most of the hybrid culture's aspects are taken from the Dragonborn culture, which in turn originated from Avak'am settlers. Examples of this are the temple architecture and the frequent use of brightly coloured murals. Also the use of basalt for decorations originated from this Dragonbron precursor.
The Human precursor culture mainly had an effect on the cuisine. They introduced the frequent use of lamb and goat meat as well as a large variety of cheeses. Many celebrations and rituals today are also derived from the original Human culture although with other names. One of the ways to see is, is to look at the solstice celebration from the Arek and Median cultures as the way of celebration is very similar. This is of course due to the Humans in the Volker desert descending from Humans coming from the east.

Culture

Food

Many people visiting the countries of the Volker desert find a love for the food there. Due to its warm climate it is a great place to farm a variety of spices and due to areas like the fertile Eridani River there is a wide variety of food. Most common for the Arek cuisine is the use of lamb and goat meat which can be either grilled or even stewed. A common way to prepare lamb is to put it in small pots which are filled with spices, lamb, vegetables and wine.
Another loved dish is with grilled cheeses. These could be eaten just like that but are more commonly accompanied with salads and a variety of spices.

Arek cuisine by NastasyaDay on pixabay