Suqaran
The Suqaran people descend from humans enslaved by the jinn, who won their freedom in the War of Broken Chains. Specifically from those humans who followed Miska the Free in using the Pact of Three Wishes to have the captured jinn leaders build them a splendid city to live in.
Following the settling of the city, the Suqarans became invested in two things. Trade and faith. Trade to acquire ressources they quickly found themselves lacking. They not only traded with the people of their own sphere , such as the Qawramalian nomads or the Eamilia ogres, but also used divine navigators to reach out to other spheres. Faith became important for several reasons. Not only was the backing of deities practical, in case the jinn ever wanted to recapture their wayward servants, but for some it also filled a hole left by no longer being given a purpose by the jinn. As such, a multitude of deities are worshipped and many develop syncretistic followings that worship their own personal pantheons.
Suqaran traders can be found in many trade hubs across the spheres, not only buying and selling their wares, but also spreading the word of their faiths. Due to their well-earned reputation for honest trade, Suqaran merchants are welcomed in most places that know of them. Many places, such as the nation of Basharan, has benefitted heavily from not only Suqaran wares, but also from their ideas of civic solidarity and division of ressources.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Suqaran: One of many insights granted to the people of Suqara through the Pact of Three Wishes was the Suqaran language. Since its creation, the language has evolved to include a lot of words and phrases that helps specify matters of trade and faith.
Culture and cultural heritage
Suqaran culture is heavily marked by their ancestors' enslavement and subsequent rebellion. It ingrained in them a sense of togetherness, that the person they meet on the street is not a stranger, but a fellow.
Their culture is highly religious. In the days following the Pact of Three Wishes, many still feared the jinn would eventually retaliate. Many turned to various deities for protection. Others did so for lack of direction, to find new meaning now that the rule of the jinn had ended. This faith was rewarded and Suqarans now worship a multitude of deities. The merchants of Suqara often double as missionaries, spreading the word of their patrons alongside their wares.
Speaking of merchants, Suqara has a heavy culture of trade. With the raising of the capital city of Suqara, the first people to call themselves Suqarans found themselves with a lot of some ressources and a little of others. They quickly took to trading as a way to change that, favoring honest and open exchange, seeing trickery as being for jinn. Suqaran merchants have been described by others as being remorseless hagglers, but one always knows what one is buying.
The great city and wealth granted to them by the Pact of Three Wishes, alongside their trade network, mean that the Suqarans are a rich people. The fact they have a cultural belief in solidarity, plus the influence of a great number of deities valuing cooperation, means that the wealth is spread out. Not perfectly evenly, but even the poorest of Suqarans have their own nice home and money enough to never fear starvation. This does mean their perception of economy can be a bit skewed and they can have trouble understanding the problems faced by those who come from less fortunate circumstances.
Due to this wide-spread wealth, economical crimes, such as theft, are not considered a big deal, usually dealt with a fine if caught. Pick pockets and thieves are considered more a weird annoyance than anything else. But then there's the sharpers, con men and tricksters of such skill that their fellow Suqarans can't help but respect their skill, even if they detest their deeds. To be a sharper is to be a master of trickery, language, bluffing, deception and manipulation. The greatest sharpers can run circles around jinn. They rarely seem to do so for economic motives, with most sharpers instead seeing what they do as a personal calling and a way to challenge themselves.
That being said, not all crimes are treated leniently. Due to their belief in solidarity, crime against fellow Suqarans, such as acts of violence, as judged very harshly, with offenders being sent to the dreaded prison of Fida to atone by working in its mines and forges, repaying their country with back-breaking labor.
Shared customary codes and values
Faith: After the War of Broken Chains, the Suqaran people turned to faith in deities. While each person chooses for themselves which to worship, the people are united in worship.
Honest Trade: Suqaran believe that trade is a matter of trust and reciprocity. Hiding flaws or setting up contractual traps marks one as a poor merchant. Instead, Suqarans have become skilled hagglers.
Discovery: A finding of the new is a discovery of opportunity. Explorers, adventures and others of similar kind are valued members of the community who risk themselves to discover what has yet to be found.
Common Etiquette rules
Reciprocation: If one is done a favor, one should always seek to repay it.
Common Dress code
Lose fitting but well-tailored clothes are usually in style. As a wealthy people, clothes lean towards the luxurious end o the scale, with rougher clothes being either for dirty work or personal aesthetical choice.
Art & Architecture
Suqaran architecture is heavily marked by the influence of the jinn, though with human comfort in mind. Domed roofs and great towers dominate the skyline. Great open windows allows for cooling winds. Open plazas gives room for small markets.
Common Taboos
Accusation: Between the inherent faith in their fellow citizens encourage by their culture and the harsh punishments awaiting those who has committed a crime against others, Suqarans can be hesitant to raise accusations if they do not have ironclad evidence, or if they think they don't. That intentionally accusing someone on a false basis is also considered a crime against a person doesn't help. This has resulted in some sad cases were an injustice was allowed to persist because no-one felt there was enough evidence to base a valid accusation on.
Historical figures
Miska the Free: The leader of the humans during the War of Broken Chains. She was the one who created the Pact of Three Wishes by forcing the captured leaders of the jinn to perform three favors to their freed human servants as penance, one of those being to build the splendid city of Suqara. Afterwards, she was made the first queen of Suqara.
Jafar al-Kazi: Famed sage who was afflicted by the Black Rot. He went on a quest at the behest of the goddess Maya and was awarded with gifts of knowledge that allowed him to shed his humanity and become a Linnorm, rendering him immune to the disease. Founded the Ophidian Viziers to help others overcome the disease.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Thanks to their wealth and trade network, the Suqaran people have access to clothes, jewelry and similar from many different spheres. Thus beauty is often associated with the ability to accessorize properly, combining colors and designs in a way that's eye catching. Designs that evoke one's patron deity are also popular.
Courtship Ideals
Gift giving has a huge part to play. Being savvy enough to find a good gift for courting is seen as a sign of sincere interest.
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