Template:Topic Of The Month
| Featured Article for May 2019 - Farin History | |||||
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| The Farin people live in the lands south of Lithmore, and are bordered on their southern edge by the Daravi. Farin is the only Duchy in Lithmore which has a foreign nation on its border. For the most part, Farin are farmers, and have only two major cities to speak of - Talfore, very close to Lithmore itself, and Farin, far to the south nestled amongst the Tarn Mountains.
In the year 269, the Ducal seat of the Duchy, Farin City was captured by the Daravi at the height of one of the most brutal periods of warfare. For six years they held it, and for six years the people of Farin fought like a wolf backed into a corner, tooth and nail. On the day when victory was reached, and they began the march towards the city, they arrived to find the city a desolate wasteland, torn apart by powerful magic... | |||||
Past Topics of the Month
January 2019 Food is an obsession in the Vavardi culture, and meals are expected to be a delight to all the senses. A traditional Vavardi meal is served one course at a time in an order curated by the host. The number of courses grows with the wealth of the host, but even poor households would try to serve at least two distinct courses on their own and be embarrassed to serve less than three to a guest. On the other hand, it is expected that a guest will try at least a small amount of all courses for which he is present, and the Vavardi palate is usually both adventurous and quick to form an opinion.
A wide variety of ingredients are used in Vavardi dishes. Fresh fish and other seafoods are especially popular, but other meats are also used, both cured and fresh, as are other proteins like cheeses, nuts and eggs, often in combinations of several different proteins. Rices and pastas are more popular starches than potatoes, which are eschewed as bland, and hot, fresh breads are included in most meals. Fruits and vegetables are used heavily, but they are incorporated into the dish itself. Side dishes have no place in Vavardi cuisine, and foods that are unaltered, like straight vegetables, are considered crude. Any single course is expected to stand on its own, presenting a cohesive interplay of flavors and textures, whether it be a few marinated olives or an extravagant meat dish.
September 2018 Forming the southern most tip of Vavard proper, Capua is the home of those fabled grapes and their remarkably high standards for brewing them. Parcelled out to the merchant lord Desmond dul Terani back in 278 from Duke Sivernus dul Acris, the Capuan county comprises a varied landscape and people. From the coasts in the west and south, the mountains and hills in the center of the county, and the flatter lands of the plains and rivers in the east and north, Capua is called home by a great many folk--farmers, merchants and traders, summering nobles, and glory-hungry knights. Blessed by a subtropical climate, a long growing season, and spectacularly rich soil, Capua is a true land of plenty both in its fishing and its farming, though none of its other products hold a candle to their brandy.
August 2018 Saint Jaridan the Scholar was an exemplar of the path of peace and the first missionary of Dav's Church to the Plains. His tireless service, physical endurance and willingness to learn from other cultures allowed this sainted man to make contact with the devastated Charali and found the first missions in the territory. He was canonized a few years after his untimely death at the age of thirty seven.
March 2017: The central duchy of the nation and seat of the Royal Family, Lithmorrans proudly lay claim to the City of Lithmore, capital of the realm. They exist in the middle of all trade, having the best access to goods from other duchies and regions, and thus have developed a distinct culture of their own. However, their religion has bred intolerance and deep-seated xenophobia. Lithmorrans make a concentrated effort to differentiate themselves from those of other duchies and believe their own ways to be superior as proven by the Lord of the Springs in their conquests during the Consolidation. Time has only further increased the close-minded attitudes of Lithmorrans as subsequent kings and nobles have themselves taken steps to secure the authority of Lithmore above all others.
Alternately, Lithmorrans enjoy the riches of all the duchies and are among the most educated peoples of the realm due to their culture of familial fidelity. Parents are duty bound to see their children with an education while children are bound to obey their parents until they are married (regardless of age, en passant, or gender).
Lithmorrans are the only distinctly fair peoples of the realm barring the fiery, redheaded Charali. However, their pale skin, blue, green and gray eyes, and blonde features tend towards the cooler palette. Women wear their hair long as do men, both typically tying it back and away from their faces, and it runs the gamut of straight to curly.
November 2016: The Vavardi are a sophisticated race, or at least that's what they try to show through their lavish feasts and progressive beliefs. Originally, they were birthed out of a revolt against the Lithmorran cultural status quo, hence why nowadays they consider Lithmorrans too prim for their liking. This doesn't necessarily imply that a Vavardi is gauche (though many do consider them hedonistic), many Vavardi consider themselves eminently practical. Vavardi also don't believe a life of excess and lewdness is a life of sin and instead focus their faith on ceremonies, tithes, and lavish donations to the Order of Dav. For example, in Vavard it is normal for men and women to bathe together in public places, something that would be considered outrageous in Lithmore.
