Thallian
Thallian is the name of the people of the Thall Islands and the language they speak. They are a prosperous sea-faring people that occupy an archipelago of some 2,000 islands located 1,200 miles off the east coast of Imesse in the Eastern Sea. Several of the Thall Islands are very large, and the total area of the archipelago is in excess of 215,000 square miles, or nearly twice the size of the British Isles.
Thallians have lived on the Thall Islands for at least 2,300 years, and probably migrated there from lands further to the east. Their language is closely related to both Colian and Fangorian, and is either cognate with those tongues or is the progenitor language of both of them.
The people of the Thall Islands are divided by tribal or clan affiliations that have developed into more than a dozen small kingdoms on the islands of Thallmar, Epos and Divos. These cultures are the dominant economic and military powers in the archipelago, but are by no means the only such powers. The total poulation of the islands is estimated to be greater than 3 million, but no census has ever been successfully completed (or even attempted).
Thallian society is divided into smaller political divisions led by a single leader, almost universally called a Rian. As there are more than a dozen such divisions on the island of Thallmar alone, most people simply refer to them as kingdoms.
Thallians as a society generally follow the Druidic Faith, but they are tollerant of other faiths that are practiced by people visiting from the west. The one faith they do struggle to tolerate is the Maranonic Faith. They do not allow the idols of Maranon/Maranosoi to be placed anywhere in their islands.
Naming Traditions
Family names
Familial connections are the primary social binder in Thallian society. Family names can denote clan or tribe association, ancestry, place of birth, etc.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The Thallian language is closely related to Colian and Fangorian, and might be the parent tongue of both. Over the course of the last 300 years, many words and concepts from the mainland to the west have entered into Thallian culture, but it is still primarily an isolated and insular society with very limited contact outside of Thall itself.
Shared customary codes and values
Thallians place a high value on charity and hospitality to friends and strangers alike, and willfull disrespect for these values comes with a high price. Thallians sre their islaands with two other intelligent species, the Shee aand the Zoey. Individual or familial assoociations with these species are highly honored in Thallian society, and are fiercely protected.
Average technological level
Thallians have developed a nearly unique method of forging steel that creates a metal that does not easily rust, pit or stain with age or use. By following a carefully guarded formula for adding certain materials to the steel as it is forged, a bright, strong steel is produced that holds an edge just as well as more traditional forging methods from the mainland. Steel produced in this manner is universally known as Thallian Steel, and it is very highly prized (and priced) on the mainland.
Common Dress code
Bright colors, typically linen or wool. Men are as likely to be seen wearing skirts as women, and many women prefer breeches, especially when riding.
Foods & Cuisine
Seafood abounds, but beef, mutton and goat are also popular. Waterfowl, cranes and quail are a constant part of the local diet. Food is sometimes called bland by visitors, but it is hearty, filling and plentiful.
Coming of Age Rites
Both young men and women, when they reach the age of 15, are expected to take an oath of fealty to their tribe, clan or local king (depending on location). This oath is affirmed by the application of a small tatoo or brand (usually on the arm, shoulder or chest) that signifies for ever after that person's connection to the group.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Common custom dictates that families large and small have communal tombs or mausoleums where the bodies of the deceased are first interred to excarnate corpse, then the bones are placed in open crypts as if to be displayed.
Related Locations
