Cyrdian

The people of the Cyrdian Empire, mostly consisting of former Ospians and Abraxans. Cyrdian culture mostly died out after the Great Cataclysm, as people hiding in the Darklands assimilated with each other to form new cultures.

Culture

Shared customary codes and values

Ambition was considered a virtue in Cyrdia, a result of the Empire's relentless expansionism. Ospians in particular often felt a sense of superiority over the nation's other peoples, with Ospia having been the nation's name before Emperor Cyrdin took over. Undeath was not feared and despised as it was in the rest of the world, although people were still cautious of it.

Average technological level

Cyrdia had running water in many of its major towns and cities, and was the first to invent firearms. Aside from necromancy, Cyrdin also favored the magic used to create animated constructs such as golems, and his research into this led to the creation of the mechanical soul harbors called automatons, as well as the Android ancestry. This research would eventually lead to the creation of an ultimate assassin capable of killing a god, as well as synthetic titans that would lay waste to most of the world.

Common Dress code

The Cyrdian Empire is large enough that the clothing of the common people varied to account for the environment. The wealthy, both men and women, tended to wear long, flowing clothing when engaging in politics. Military uniforms were also a common sight, even off the battlefield.

Funerary and Memorial customs

It was common for people of importance to be returned to life as thinking undead, and for others to be reanimated for labor or fighting. This was largely considered an honor, but a family could pay to avoid it if they wished.

Common Taboos

The largest taboo in Cyrdia was to worship Pharasma, Sarenrae, or any other deity that opposed undeath. This was banned by law and strictly enforced. Disrespecting the Emperor was also considered distasteful, but not outlawed since his early rule.

Historical figures

The most important figure in Cyrdia's history is Emperor Cyrdin himself. As the absolute ruler, he served as the driving force behind the endless expansion of the nation's territory.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

A not-insignificant number of Cyrdia's population were sentient undead. Because of this, Cyrdians generally had less distaste for features such as wrinkles and pale skin. The beauty ideals of the living were not much different, however, just what they considered ugly.

Gender Ideals

Ospians and Abraxans, the main ethnicities in Cyrdian culture, had a moderately patriarchal society, with men being generally expected to hold more leadership roles. However, other ethnicities within Cyrdia had their own standards, so gender expectations varied from region to region.