"This land is the perfect setting for our strife. The people here are begging to be shown the truth, and we must only make the most subtle of movements to have all of them in the palm of our hands. A yellow curtain is falling upon this land soon."

-Leader of the Drapes of Yellow Cult, Tarnair Vulgasi

 

Lowland Culture

The Archduchies

In the movements of humans eastward from their origins in Kelior, they eventually came to a lovely land south of the Wandering Mountains, which they so named because when explorers were sent into the valley between them, they never found the end of them. The lands they found were flat, with occasional rolling hills, and fertile floodplains, cut up by large rivers, and pressed up against the bountiful sea. These were the four peninsulas of Aegyri, called the Lowlands. The settlements here became wealthy, and kingdoms formed, warring in failed attempts to unite the peninsulas under a single banner. The division of the peninsulas made it easy, when the Arissians arrived, for them to divide and conquer the entire land. It became a central province, the home of an imperial capital, and the lich-pin that connected the two halves of the empire. When Aegyr was conquered by the dragons, at first the nobles prepared to defend their castles against a full invasion of the peninsulas. However, Varenzoth was wise to placate the rulers. Instead of attacking them, he sent generous donatives to every landed power in the land, and offered them positions within his new Kingdom. The lords and ladies of the Lowlands agreed instantly, and the few hardcore Arissian loyalists were quietly cast aside. Varenzoth divided the land into counties and duchies, and then bestowed upon the three most powerful family leaders the title of Archduch or Archduchess, signifying them as the greatest of their peers, and bestowing upon them a position of loyal partnership with, rather than blind subservience to the Dragon King. However, as to make sure all knew that Varenzoth was first among equals, the position of Archduch, rather than King was relied upon. These Archduchies were the Archduchy of Renair, the Archduchy of Elneion, and the Archduchy of the Greenwood. The nobles of Aegyr have only become increasingly richer in the time since the dragons conquered the land. The nobles' taxes were decreased, and sizeable donatives marked the ascension of a new duke or Archduke. However, while the nobles are extremely loyal to Verenzoth, the common peoples of the lowlands have largely been ignored. While under Arissian rule, they had fine roads, stadiums, theatres, bathhouses, and plumbing, as well as many opportunities for high-waged jobs working for the government. Now, these roads are barely upkept, the stadiums, theatres, and bathhouses are all all but gone, and the plumbing has been replaced with cesspits, too expensive and advanced for the towns to keep upgraded without greater support. Not only have their livelihoods become worse, the feudal lords, secure under the protection of the dragons, increased the taxes of their subjects, and locked down all social mobility for the lowborn masses, greedily coveting all of the civil service positions for their family and friends. Therefore, the land of Aegyri is divided between the people and the nobility, a conflict that will likely one day come to a violent head.

          Perhaps the reason the people of the Lowlands have not already revolted against their rulers is because they are, at heart, very easy-going. The average Lowlander is happy with the simple pleasures of life, a hot fire, good food, a soft bed. Because of this, Lowlanders also tend to be hospitable to others, sharing what little they have with them, particularly if they believe them to be of good stock. While there are still some aspects of imperial thinking in the people of the Lowlands, they are a feudal people now, and so in general they show fealty to the feudal structure, and each person adheres to the strictures of their betters. Lowlanders are less used to war and devastation than most people in Adra, being sheltered behind wide rivers, and now under the umbrella of a great power. As such, in general they tend not to be great warriors, and indeed, they also lack any general drive for scholarship or knowledge, resulting in the characterization that many have made of Lowlanders that they are dull people, not suited for the real world. In truth, Lowlanders are hard workers, bolstered against the agrarian toil. In the farms, people work dawn till dusk harvesting crops, much of which are taken by the lords of their lands. In the cities, there are many Lowland merchants, not ones to travel far, but are instead responsible for facilitating the lucrative land-route from Eldios to Rumpkin, as well as the trade that enters one of the five southern bays. There are thriving craftsmen's guilds in the cities as well, and among the Middle and Lowborn, most aspire to acquire a good trade, above all else. There are Knights in the Lowlands, but the Dragonborn of Aegyr tend to scoop up most of the knighthoods, leaving very few for the people of the villages and towns of the Lowlands. Perhaps more than all else, it is notable that the people of the Lowlands are a very devout people. Aegyr is a land where all the gods, particularly the good ones, can be found to be worshiped in some form or another. Often even small towns have temple quarters dedicated to as many religions as possible. As such, Lowlanders are often characterized as superstitious or fickle, choosing so many gods to praise. However, in reality, Lowlanders if anything can be far too devout, with fearsome witch hunts (not literally) having been drummed up in many villages in the land in years past.

          The Lowland people are most highly concentrated, naturally, in the Lowlands of Aegyri. There are not many outside of these lands, though many live in the capital of Aegyr of course, as well as the North-Gold Coast, and some peasants, seeking lower taxes, have fled in recent years to settle in Zaltia. The races of the Lowlanders are most predominately human, halfling, and dragonborn, with sizeable populations of half-elves and half-orcs who sometimes seek refuge in the sleepy towns of the area. Due to their zealous culture, the Lowlands are dominated by the faithful of many pantheons and gods. The pantheon of Borondor is the most dominant, holding sway in Ranlaine, the Greenwood, and in particular, Elnoson. The pantheon of Ariendale has traditionally been very popular in Ranlaine, while due to the domination of forest in the land, Gökotta worship is widespread in the Greenwood. The duchy most displaced by the fall of the Arissian Empire, the Arch-duchy of Shaleton still holds a state-sponsored cult to the Old Ones in order to keep the civilians placated. Other popular gods among the Lowlanders are Ardonis, Sindra, Yeshaya, Faetari, Dramirus, Lothal, and Eoulous, though many other gods are praised by the most zealous, often in secret. Lowlanders tend to be generous, hard-working, and devout. They also tend to be unambitious, anti-intellectual, and zealous. To the dragons' chagrin, Middle Arissian still remains the most used language by far among the Lowlands. However, legal documents and official communique are all in Aegyri Draconic, and the most religious folk of the region tend to learn High Arissian in some respect.

 

If you choose the Lowland Culture, you gain the following:

~A +1 to your Wisdom score~

~Either a -1 to your Intelligence score or a -1 to your Constitution score~

~As a known language, either Middle Arissian Common, Aegyri Draconic, or High Arissian Common~

~A Sub-Discipline in every knowledge skill on checks relating to Lowland Culture~

 

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