Thripians

"In every true Thripian there is a fire. It is a fire that inspires awe in those who witness it, envy from those who lack it and will consume everything and anything in its path in order to grow. It is a fire that goes by many names, but is always the same."
— Lionos o Acrys

The people of the city of Thripia are the Thripians. Descended from the ancient Thalassians who came to the continent of Arad and founded the settlement more than seven hundred years ago, theirs is a mercantile culture in which an individual's value is closely linked to his ability to be useful and accrue wealth. They are accustomed to the use of the miracle substance ichor and are always looking into the future as a result. Their culture has endured for many centuries but has undergone many changes throughout history.

Appearance

The Thripian people share many resemblances with their Thalassian ancestors. Like them, they often have dark hair, brown or black, but over the years have been seen to be, more frequently, blonde or extremely rarely white. As well as this, their hair is known to be straight, slightly wavy or with curly locks. They have rounded ears, unlike the Aradin, and olive or light brown skin. Their eyes come in many colors including blue, green, hazel and, uniquely, gold. Thripians are also typically lean as opposed to muscular and are not especially tall which is unusual given the known height of the Thalassians.

Culture

Thripians are known to be highly individualistic with a society that places great emphasis on each person's ability, competence and independence. All Thripians are encouraged to be ambitious, to seek success in their respective fields and, if not, to make way for those who will. Their society distinguishes between those with the willpower, drive, commitment and capability to achieve great things and those who are destined to never excel and who merely fulfill the needs of others. The latter are disregarded whereas the former are held aloft as perfect examples of what citizens should be, to be envied and admired. In many ways, Thripian culture is inherently selfish. Those on the lower rungs of society have their situation blamed on personal failures and little is typically done by other Thripians to help or aid them. For all its misgivings about the worth of the individual, Thripia does celebrate success with unparalleled vigor and this cultural attitude has allowed the city to truly excel in many fields. Great minds such as philosophers, mathematicians and architects are often considered by Thripians to be the peak of achievement and understanding, above the mundane lives of ordinary citizens. Merchants, especially within the Guilds of Coin, however, are perhaps the most respected. The majority of middle and lower middle class Thripians aspire to be Merchant Lords. Although Thripians believe that unhappiness in life can only be attributed to personal failure, they also believe in the power of aspiration, talent, hard work and ability as a way to attain goals and ascend the social and economic ladder. Social standing, too, is of great importance. It is understood by Thripians that those at the top of society, such as nobles and merchants, have attained their status based on their merit and value and therefore are to be respected. Additionally, the emphasis Thripians place on individuality means they have a fierce appreciate and support for freedoms. It is abhorrent, to them, that any person be held back by domineering or tyrannical laws. All people should be free to go where they wish, speak as they will, aspire to anything, have a voice and be equal to one another. Without equality, in their eyes, it is impossible for their idealistic visions of ambition and ascension to be realized. However, their belief in freedom also extends to economic freedom such that those with wealth should not, bar obviously amoral acts, be prevented from using it how they wish.

Parent ethnicities