Dornovans

Introduction

Dornovan culture can be described through its clothing. Simply put, the Dornovans embody the high class, clean, and pompous features of their fashion in their personalities. While also appearing clean and a sign of upper class stature, the fashion also exudes values of order, authority, and a sort of cruel indifference to politics and other controversies. Whether it be the Kaasi Warrior tradition, or the festivals linked to their warrior culture, the Dornovans hold their harsh political culture in high regard.

Beyond their martial edifice rests a tightly knit culture based on traditions that span hundreds of years, built on the back of the settlers who defined their founding. Skepticism of faith, magic, and extremism, yet extreme in their own ways. Dornovans embody family as their cornerstone, and the protection of the family unit as their spiritual mission.

Culture

Dornovans believe in the ideal of strong central authority. From the earliest recorded history of Dorran and his followers, Dornovans were governed centrally by those they believed to possess the expertise to do so. House Thul, one of the more prominent families in Dornovan culture, has carried this culture of technocratic appointment to Arandous after Velkoryn was placed in the Undercrown position.

Hedonism of most categories, including debauchery, licentiousness, and greed are looked down upon. Fashion is the one exception. Dornovans believe that clothing is a statement of values, that those who represent in leadership should dignify the role with clothes to match the prestige. Clothing typically shows in colors of violet and crimson, and is displayed through capes, half-capes, and sashes to name a few key accents. Guards of the Kaasi order wear ceremonial and practical armor, but in both cases wear a crimson color.

An example of Kaasi ceremonial dress

Religiously, the Dornovans hold to a secular ethic. They view community through the lens of a bond bound by tradition and history. To abandon tradition and history is to be anathema, in the same way a heretic would enrage the religious zealot. As such, Dornovans carry a conservative political culture, viewing slow and gradual change as preferable to revolution. Dornovans, as a product of Dorran the founder, view all revolutions as suspect. When Velkoryn’s sister, Ashara, declared her revolt to take control of the family, her failure came in part due to her preference for revolutionary tactics. In the same vein, those who seek to uproot the Dornovan way are seen as foes, and are alienated.

One key aspect of Dornovan political culture is the indifference toward cruelty. Torture isn’t seen in the same light as other groups, and is generally viewed as a fair choice in extracting information. Furthermore, the practice of Dornovan purges became a mainstay of early Dornovan politics. During Ashara’s rebellion, her line was purged from the family by Velkoryn and the other members of the family. Dornovans carry cruelty in their hatred of knighthood, having created a sport out of hunting them. This is by far their strangest custom. When a member of a key house comes of age, they are expected to graduate from the Kaasi Academy by hunting a knight if the opportunity arises to do so. This practice has been tempered in recent years, as realm stability took the place of hardline dogmatism, and instead the Dornovans will exact their hunts on common brigands and raiders. As such, Dornovans hold great disdain for the northerners, who make banditry, raiding, and other criminal acts a common occurrence.

Dornovan political culture exemplifies a form of noblesse oblige, translated as a noble’s obligation. Dornovans recognize a fundamental relationship between commoner and noble. The noble is entrusted with power by right of birth, and is expected to be educated in statecraft. They are meant in turn to rule with a mind for the common good, and in return the commonfolk are to show absolute loyalty to the Dornovan families. Often, commonfolk who are notable in education and stature are brought into court to serve as advisors. Though these candidates typically arise from the Kaasi Order, it is not so rare to see others ascend to such an honor.

Honor duels, while frowned upon when resolving legitimate crimes, are common for cases of defamation and insult. However, this takes the form of fencing, as the Dornovans believe it is a more elegant representation of martial prowess. One of the more notable fencing bouts occurred when Romullen Thul dueled Velkoryn Thul because of a spilled drink. It should be noted that these affairs are generally lighthearted, and among the upper classes it has become a mainstay form of entertainment.

Greetings are performed with a closed fist placed on the opposite side of their chest. Between friends, handshakes are common. Dornovan festivals revolve around traditional rites of progress for members of the culture. Whenever the sons of aristocratic families reach the age of twelve, they are celebrated in the Festival of Ascension. During the Festival, they are given public tests to determine their place in the societal order. Those who exhibit great martial talent will see their faces painted with crimson, while those who exhibit the qualities of a statesman will see their faces painted with purple. A feast is then held in their honor, and a dance to follow it. Revelry lasts up to a week, as Dornovans typically reserve such events for purposeful or important occasions.

Dornovans replace religious fanaticism with homely communal devotion. Despite reverence for central authority, villages on the outskirts maintain small management councils. The father of each prominent family is charged to sit on this council, where they will deliberate over issues facing the town and how to solve them. These councils lack true enforcement authority, but can do so under unanimous vote. Families are granted prestige based on their contributions. Families with sons in the military are afforded great reverence on the council, as are families with children who participate in the hunt.

The Dornovan sense of honor is strange to others, having been set in stone by Dorran during his settlement of the Greenwood. Dornovans are charged to defend the innocent, and to punish the lawbreaker with utmost cruelty. Corporal and capital punishment are as common as the sunrise, and comprise most Dornovan judicial actions. Punishment is seen as a restorative measure, though its detractors often label it as mere revenge. Dornovans see it as the ultimate deterrent. Mercy to one’s enemies is frowned upon, as Dornovans believe that to leave evil intact is to allow it to fester. Decimation is a common form of punishment in warfare, and officers in the Dornovan militaries will often order one out of every five enemy soldiers executed for their respective crimes.

Dornovan views of good and evil are set forth by tradition and common law. They recognize the divine origin of good and evil, but believe that the true measure of strength is to become a good man outside of faith. Religious people are viewed with suspicion, as Dornovans believe that religious people hold onto their virtues only out of fear. Dornovan virtue is recorded in tales and stories, heroic but didactic tales used to instruct the youth. Dornovan houses are more likely to hold books of this kind, rather than even scriptures of the Trium.

Fashion and Architecture

A painting of Velkoryn’s plan for House Thul

Dornovan architecture, like its fashion, proclaims assertively the values of the culture. They view beauty as a representation of the good, and a sign of devotion to the civilizational ideal of greatness. Deriving influence from the high elves, the Dornovans emphasize tall towers of white that shine in the rays of the sun. Castles are built with both practicality and beauty in mind, often a balancing act that the architects must strike when adhering to the requests of Dornovan houses. Cities and towns are designed with efficiency in mind. Government quarters are often isolated from the city proper, and have their own section cordoned off from the rest of the common folk. Each building is usually tailored to a form of government expertise, rather than concentrating all government offices in the castle. The towns themselves are planned with attempts at intricate urban planning, maximizing the space available while not wishing to cram buildings together.

Fashion is a staple point of pride for Dornovans. They are not as pompous as to hold it in high regard in itself but as an aspect of their values. Beauty in fashion, like architecture, is seen as a representation of history and accomplishment. Crimson and purple