Silnarian

This article refers to the Silnarian ethnic group, for the religion, see Silnarian (Religion)

Silnarian people are a mostly Lathian ethnic group connected to the Silnarian Empire, speaking the Silnarian language - usually considered the most prestigious dialect, even in neighboring Lymia. They mostly follow the Silnarian religion of the same name

General Information

• Primary Faith: Silnarian
• Language: Silnarian
• Locations: Silnaria
• Minority: Anushken, Salvainia, Lymia
• Races: Mostly Lathian elves with minority Tholian elves.
• Inheritance Law: Gender-equal Primogeniture.
• Slavery: Silnarian are in general, accepting of the idea of chattel slavery, and in older time were extensive slavers of beastkin. With the shock of the past century’s catastrophe and as part of the treaty of Cesinor, Silnarian have given up on the idea of enslaving fellow elves and now consider it culturally taboo.
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Cultural Traits

• Literate Culture: Literacy amongst the Silnari are very high and there’s a focus on studying - especially of magic even amongst the commoners, with it being seen as a good way to advance in society.
• Magophilic: Silnarian love mages - and love studying to become one, and greatly respect mage amongst their midst.
• Arts & Refinement: Silnarian are refined artisans and craftsmen known for producing different kinds of arts.
• Spirit Culture: As Silnaria is too far north for growing wine, they instead make different types of distilled brandies, whiskey and other refined spirits - they are one of the candidates for inventing distillation of alcohol in the world. And boy, do they love their whiskey. When alcohol prohibition #104 come around in Silnaria, they inevitably end up brewing moonshine en masse which are then exported, also en masse.
• Adventurous: A long, storied history of adventures and success in conquest has created a constant outflow of adventurous Silnari looking to make fortune elsewhere, leading to Silnari mercenaries found all over the place.
• Divine Devotee: Silnarian place great emphasis on grand sacrifices and conspicuous devotion to their gods.
• Living in the Now: When you die, you come back eventually, so why not enjoy life as it is? Silnarian culture encourages spending time enjoying the present. And who can blame them?
• Kinship: While not very communal, the Silnarian greatly values family ties and their family name, and considers sticking together to people of your lineage very important - even if removed by multiple generations. Weak familial ties but shared last names are respected and often seen as a reason to unite against common enemies.
• Elven Megalomania: Centuries of dominance had led some of their group to believe in a sort of universal commonness with other Silnari, and Silnari intellectuals and warriors often see themselves as the savior of the Silnari races as a whole. Silnarian are also quite hospitable - so long as you have pointy ears. Macen are fine too, but beastkins…
• Equestrian Culture: Silnarian have a very long tradition of horsemanship, horse archer and archery.
• Time is of Essence: Silnarian are very precise about their deadline and sense of time - as long as they can measure it, that is.

Cuisine

The Silnarian diet is based largely on wheat and millet (often made into porridge) and beans as staple. Barley are grown mostly as animal feed, while wheat are the common grain grown and eaten by most of the populace. They are frequently made into bread, usually quite light in nature, but Silnarian is known to have invented a form of bread similar to croissant - flaky and folded with butter, but usually in a square shape, sometimes layered with ground beef between. Silnaria also produces multiple different types of pasta of different shapes, which are served wet or sometimes pan fried. The primary fat used in their diet is butter.

Silnarian have a large amount of sauces based usually on a milky and creamy base, much like bechamel, with onion being a nearly ubiquitous spice. Parsley is often added as garnish and served with soup noodles. Silnarian also have elaborate candies and pastries, usually made from sugar imported from Pinnacelia or the Arcane Seas.

Beef and chicken are the preferred meat in their cuisine. Silnarian raise a large amount of cattle for both meat and dairy, and there are specialized species for both - though dairy cow meat is acceptable and eaten frequently too. Fishes are prominent alongside rivers and in the north. Meat prepared in Silnaria is commonly prepared in roast - but in Silnarian cities, many of them are fried and sliced steak and fillet styles, often seasoned with copious amounts of sauce. Baking them with cheese is not unheard of. Veal and deer are liked, and nobles also prefer young animal’s tender meat. Silnarian are particularly known for cheesemaking and produce different kinds of soft and hard cheeses. Garum - made from fermented fish, are highly popular in Silnaria and often replace salt for flavoring.

Drinks are mostly beer, which is ubiquitous. Mead are rare and expensive, often used as a noble prestige drink and occasionally by the middle class. Wines are an expensive import, while whiskey and brandies are popular, but much of the population tends to drink these in moderation, treating them as alcohol with quasi medicinal properties. Coffee and tea are imported in small amounts, and are mostly drinks of the upper class.

Silnarian cuisine are based on French cuisine with mixture of Italian element, with a large amount of beef and medieval renaissance element. It differs in that wine are not popular at all and distilled drinks are the primary kind of alcohol.

Famous regional dishes or items includes:

• Cheese - famous cheese includes:
  • Vuuntuuta Cheese - A savory hard cheese made in the northwest
  • Suibuilime Cheese - A blue cheese made in the southeast mountainous region
  • Iluot Smoked - A hard cheese smoked with local fruit wood for a unique flavor
• Steaks & Roast - Silnarian are famous for their steak, which are usually flavored with pepper and salt
• Sweet Cake & Pastries - Various kinds of decadent cream dessert and cakes are available throughout Silnaria and eaten by people of all classes.
• Ground Beef Pie - Ground beef pies are very popular, often made from beef from aged cows.

Subgroups

The Silnarian also have some significant cultural subgroups.

Irtutian

Irtutian consists of Silnarian who have left the crowded heartland of Silnaria to settle in the far north of modern day Irtutian league, and have developed some cultural difference:

• Waste Not: Compared to normal Silnari, there’s a greater focus on not wasting food - and eating all of the food and drinks provided by your host.
• Large Portion: Portion sizes served by Irtutian Silnari are universally larger than that served in mainland Silnaria.
• Self-Reliance over Devotion: There is a greater insistence on self-reliance, divinity-in-your-own-body and the necessity of suffering and hard work to make the best of what the gods have given you - instead of making grandiose sacrifices to hope for their blessing. Irtutian practices a more personal - yet in a way more fanatical version of mainland Silnari’s religious life.
• Feast, Fast and Purify: Irtutian have more feasts - and fasts in their cultural tradition than that of Silnaria, and consider regular fasting and feasting to be healthy. Hot spa, bathhouses and frequent (more frequent than usual) bathing is considered to be purifying of body and soul.

Warfare & Tactics

Silnarian army tends to be some of the most sophisticated in Ramul Ta, employing a large amount of well-trained composite bow wielding brigandine-wearing foot archers, supplemented by infantrymen often equipped with hammer and shields, clad in well-made almain rivet armor.

Their cavalry consists chiefly of heavy shock cavalry equipped with lance, sword and long mace supplemented by heavy horse archers, often also equipped for melee combat themselves. Battle mages are utilized in relatively heavy amounts - sometimes clad in mail and carried on chariots, but more often riding amongst cavalry themselves - mages are seldomly employed on foot.

Silnarian also utilize field artillery in moderate amounts, usually in the form of horse-drawn carts with giant crossbows, a tactic that dates to the day of Silnarian warfare against the Prasian Empire. Mercenaries are used, but standing armies with militia supplement has been the norm for most of Silnarian history.

The Silnarian Empire in particular is known for heavily utilizing foreign mercenaries to keep political power.