wikistore/HBW/Eirus/Concalian-Empire/Concalian-Culture.html

<!--
title: Concalian Culture
description: 
published: true
date: 2023-01-06T16:54:49.055Z
tags: concalia, concalian culture, concalian empire, concalian
editor: ckeditor
dateCreated: 2023-01-06T16:53:59.820Z
-->

<h3><strong>The Concalian Empire</strong></h3>
<p>The Concalian Empire was a vast, highly militaristic, highly sophisticated, and highly religious multi-ethnic nation that for centuries controlled most of the southern half of <a href="https://wiki.strixhab.net/en/HBW/Eirus/Eirus">Eirus</a>. They were seen as warlike, expansionistic, and prideful - but were most widely known for their unmatched ability to create large quantities of highly sophisticated construct soldiers. While it enjoyed a position among the primary powers around the <a href="https://wiki.strixhab.net/en/HBW/The-Wayfarer's-Sea/The-Wayfarer's-Sea">Wayfarer's Sea</a> for much of its existence, the empire came to an abrupt end a few centuries prior to <a href="https://wiki.strixhab.net/en/HBW/History/Year-0-The-Great-Disaster">The Great Disaster</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Cultural Identity</strong></h3>
<p>The Empire's origin, and cultural focal point throughout its existence, centered around the south-eastern tip of <a href="https://wiki.strixhab.net/en/HBW/Eirus/Eirus">Eirus</a> - in what would be referred to as the <a href="https://wiki.strixhab.net/en/HBW/Eirus/Ruins-of-Concalia/Ruins-of-Concalia">Ruins of Concalia</a> by those inhabited southern Eirus after the Empire's fall. The Concalians were from the very beginning a deeply religious and militaristic people, who soon expanded their borders and at their height controlled most of the southern half of <a href="https://wiki.strixhab.net/en/HBW/Eirus/Eirus">Eirus</a>. As they conquered new territory, some of the denizens of said territory were assimilated into the Empire. Those assimilated into the Empire were allowed to keep some of their local customs, and were even allowed to still pay homage to their own deities. This curtesy did not apply to those deemed to be following evil beings or gods. For such foul creatures, the only options were to either flee or die. However, regardless of local customs, those assimilated had to ultimately follow the will of both the Empire, and the will of it's two patron deities: <a href="https://wiki.strixhab.net/en/HBW/Eirus/Concalian-Empire/Concalian-Empire-Religion">Ammindur God of Might, Valor, Warfare, and Glorious Combat; &nbsp;and Iomanae, Goddess of Authority, Dignity, Law, and Rulership</a>. Whatever course of action the Empire deemed favored by their two patron deities, through divining their omens, the Empire was sure to carry out. Going against the will of the gods was in the concalian culture unheard off - though it was not uncommon for both factions and individuals to accuse others of having misinterpreted their deities' will.</p>
<h4>A martial yet sophisticated empire</h4>
<p>Martial prowess was the most important trait a concalian citizen could have, and served as one of the primary factors in determining an individual's social status. While the Concalians knew the value of a good archer or artillery operator, &nbsp;nothing was more valued than excelling in the melee. Most young ethnic concalians - regardless of profession - trained from childhood through their adult life to hone these skills. Several of the assimilated cultures eventually followed suit in this endeavor. There was a real strive among concalians to become the perfect warrior through the entirety of the Empire's existence.</p>
<p>This martial focus might make one think the concalians were brutal or savage - this could not be further from the truth. The concalians prided themselves on their sophistication, discipline, eloquence, and diplomatic abilities, and were much respected among the other nations of their time. For the concalians, one's level of sophistication - how dignified one behaved; the strength of one's character; one's ability to persuade and inspire - were values second only to one's martial abilities. Yes, martial skill was the most valued trait - but one who lacked dignity and sophistication was viewed as nothing more than a brute. Being a good strategist can after all allow one to overcome superior strength.</p>
<p>While a martial people, the concalians did value art and sculpturing, ornaments and accessories. They particularly enjoyed displaying art and wearing accessories that displayed their and their family's status and achievements. If a soldier returned triumphant from a war, it was not uncommon for him or her to be wearing an ornamental piece taken as part of the spoils from their conquest. War was in many ways seen as the great equalizer - a place where any citizen may earn fame and glory, and thus rise their family's status, renown, and influence. Wearing such accessories was thus a way for them to make their accomplishments easily known to any they met. Still, being seen as accomplished was significantly easier for someone from an already affluent and influential family, and these families often went to great lengths to ensure that their offspring inherited and maintained their family's already high renown and status.</p>
<p>The empire itself was also not shy about displaying it's grandeur and accomplishments, constructing massive monuments to display the empire's might. These monuments were often built to commemorate specific feats, though others were made simply as a show of grandeur. The empire' skill in the field of construction - from their impressive cities; monuments; roads; aqueducts; and bridges, but also areas such as ship building and the making of siege equipment, were highly advanced for their time. They built roads that connected every corner of their empire, so that their merchants and armies may move from one point to any other quickly. Any city with a distance to its fresh water source would have a network of aqueducts built to provide their citizens with a steady water supply. The concalians took enjoyment in the notion of their empire displaying its grandeur and sophistication. These displays also helped instill a sense of greatness, national pride, and unity among the empire's populace.</p>
<p>Despite all the training and discipline expected of a concalian citizen, the concalians did know how to enjoy festivities and nights of revelry. Their festivals and celebrations, as grand as everything else in their society, were often city-wide events. As in most cultures, these were filled with food, drink, and social events. Most notable of these were the massive sporting events and competitions, which were a vital part of any celebration. Any citizen could join these in order to prove their athletic and martial capabilities. These events and competitions were often held in massive arenas or colosseums, and included everything from tests of strength, athleticism, and martial prowess (including both armed and unarmed duelling).</p>
<h4>The melding of the &nbsp;arcane and the divine</h4>
<p>The empire was not foreign to the concept of magic and it's practices. While having advanced knowledge in both the arcane and the divine, it was the divine which were most widely used. This was due to divine magic being seen as a gift to the wielder from their <a href="https://wiki.strixhab.net/en/HBW/Eirus/Concalian-Empire/Concalian-Empire-Religion">two patron deities</a>. Being able to channel divine magic was therefore deeply respected in Concalian society. The Concalians nonetheless had enough arcane knowledge to allow them their quite unique capability in being able to meld arcane and divine techniques.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Concalian magic focused on enhancements and transmutations - magic that elevated one's abilities, and magic that applied new properties upon both people and objects. Using magic to cast spells at long range while remaining out of harms reach was seen as cowardly, and generally disliked among the general populace. Casting magic that enhanced ones abilities was on the other hand seen as fair, as one's ability to cast such magic was seen as part of one's prowess.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For all the empire's grandeur, the crown jewel of their accomplishments - that which they were known for in any corner of the <a href="https://wiki.strixhab.net/en/HBW/The-Wayfarer's-Sea/The-Wayfarer's-Sea">Wayfarer's Sea</a> - came not from their military might; their massive monuments; or their well-developed infrastructure and society. Rather, it came from their specialty in the field of magic. From the holy forges of the empire's capitol, through a series of advanced and closely guarded meldings of arcane and divine techniques, the concalians turned metal husks into legions of highly sophisticated constructs. These constructs served mostly in combat-related positions - including that of guards, peacekeepers, and security. Each model was designed to fulfill a specific position, and thus designed to excel in the skills deemed necessary to fulfill said position. It is perhaps a testament to the empire's own hubris and hypocrisy that their greatest magical achievement came in the form of a type of magic that made it possible for them to never get near the battlefield at all.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Patron deities' impact on society</h3>
<p>The empire's two patron deities, Ammindur and Iomanae, had an immense impact on the concalian society as a whole. The concalian culture was very much molded on the dogma of these two deities, and always followed the course of action they believed was favored by said deities. It is not without reason that a culture whose two patron deities both relate to warfare ended up putting so much value on martial prowess.</p>
<p>Ammindur represented the empire's might and valor. He was their patron of warfare. It was through his dogma that the concalians built their principles and rules in regards to war. As a people who put much emphasis on warfare, they put an equal emphasis on the proper way wars should be waged. Iomanae represented the empire's authority and dignity. She was the matron of the empire's laws and rule. It was through her dogma that the concalians got their focus on dignity, their strong bond with family and companions, and their pride in the empire.</p>
<p>The empire generally accepted their people worshipping other deities, so long as said deity was not an enemy of either of the Empire's two patron deities, and as long as they also worshipped the Empire's two patron deities. If the will of one's other deity contrasted the will of the Empire's patron deities, the citizen was expected to side with the Empire's patron deities. Failure to do so would be seen as treason.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Demographics and social structure</h3>
<p>The Concalian Empire was a multi-ethnic civilization who incorporated many of the people whose lands they conquered into their nation. The rights each of these groups and sub-cultures received were much based on their perceived martial capabilities and sophistication - or said more generally, how proficient those people were in the traits deemed favorable by the Concalians. Those who were seen as proficient in most or all desired traits enjoyed rights almost on par with that of the ethnic concalians themselves. Those who were found as severely lacking in them were designated to be little more than servants. This notion was especially true if said people were seen as cowardly, a trait deeply frowned upon among the concalians. However, any inhabitant of the empire could rise through the social ranks, earning status and glory, through proving their own prowess. This was a right anyone had regardless of what race or grouping they originally belonged to. Similarly, even an ethnic concalian could be demoted to a simple servant if deemed completely incompetent. This was the greatest dishonor one could bring upon oneself and one's family.&nbsp;</p>
<p>On the other hand, loosing one's martial prowess due to injury or age while in service of the empire did not diminish one's social status. For those who got injured, it was viewed as a mark duty and devotion to the empire. For those who lost vigor due to age, it was instead seen as mark of respect for having gone through so many years without being bested.</p>
<h4>The Concalian people</h4>
<figure class="image image_resized image-style-align-right" style="width:22.62%;"><img src="/assets/character_concalian_woman01_celebrating.jpg">
  <figcaption><i>A concalian woman during a celebration</i></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>No description of the Concalian Empire would be complete without describing the ethnic concalian people, whom funded the empire and whom the empire is named after. It is they who expanded out from their initially small corner on the south-eastern tip of Eirus, conquering and incorporating the other peoples along the way. While they only constituted just over ⅓ of the empire's total population at the empire's peak, they nonetheless remained the undisputedly dominant group within the empire throughout its existence.</p>
<p>The concalians were a tall grey-skinned human-like people, with both males and female averaging around 2.1 meters tall. They had mostly dark hair with eyes varying from a dark purple to a deep orange, though other other eye colors could appear from time to time. Both males and females tended to have an incredibly strong, lean, and athletic physique.</p>
<p>They were a very martial and dignified people, who prided themselves on the might and sophistication of the empire they built. The culture of the empire as a whole was very much a reflection of the concalian people's own culture, with a splash of influence from the people they conquered here and there.</p>
<h4>Family dynamics</h4>
<p>The Concalian empire placed great emphasis on maintaining strong ties between family - a notion that they extended to also include brothers and sisters of the battlefield, as well as a strong sense of pride and belonging to the empire itself. Maintaining and living up to the expected status and dignity of ones family was seen as paramount, with those damaging their family's reputation risking disownment. They placed no emphasis on roles based on gender within either the family. Whoever held the strongest character within the family, in terms of charisma, persuasive skills, and martial prowess, would lead as the family's patriarch/matriarch. All members of the family were expected to obey the will of their family's patriarch/matriarch. The exception to this would be if said action went against the will of the Empire or its patron deities, in which case the patriarch/matriarch's actions would be considered treasonous. The beforementioned also applied to the empire as a whole - it did not particularly care from where you came or what you were - within reason of course - only your capabilities.</p>
<p>Children were highly valued within the empire. They were seen as both the family's and the empire's legacy, and each family was expected to raise their children in a manner befitting a citizen of the empire. Being childless was frowned upon, a notion that had its roots in the empire's constant need of more people due to the numerous conflicts it partook in.</p>
<h4>The Concalian Constructs</h4>
<p>Widely admired and integral to the concalian way of life were the tens of thousands of constructs that existed within its borders. These constructs were mostly created to serve in combat and security related roles, though influential families also had custom-made constructs ordered to fulfill other roles.</p>
<p>At the time of the first constructs' creation, the empire had two major challenges that they sought to solve: (1) they wanted to find ways to make their soldiers more formidable. This was part of the Empire's never-ending search for the perfect warrior. (2) the empire's numerous wars meant there was a real issue in terms of manpower, and they thus needed a way to both better protect their existing soldiers, as well as a way to make more of their people into elite-level fighters. In what started out as an attempt solve these by making armor that would aid and quicken the movement of its wearer, the melding of numerous arcane and divine techniques eventually became so advanced that the armor could move on its own.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The concalians continuously improved upon their construct designs, with each model being more advanced than the previous ones. As their numbers grew, they quickly became the Empire's most defining and famous feature with their creation process being the Empire's most closely guarded secret. Throughout the empire's existence, even when production peaked, the only place ever with facilities capable of making these constructs were the holy forges located in the empire's capitol.&nbsp;</p>
<p>These constructs were famous for being able to perform complex behavior and problem solving, behaving as if having a real intelligence. Later models also started displaying signs of will. Whether these concalian made constructs could truly be considered sentient - along with the question of whether they were simple servants or full citizens of the Empire - were often discussed topics whose answers were kept in perpetual limbo throughout the empire's existence. Even though each new model narrowed the gap between how they and how regular citizens behaved and acted, very seldom did any of them display wants that went outside the areas of what they were designed for. Only the very latest models in the empire's existence started truly deviating from their original designation, having a few of their numbers being seen partaking in social events similar to what one would expect of a regular citizen. However, the number of constructs that deviated in this way were never large enough to warrant a serious discussion on their laws and rights. They were instead mostly seen as oddities.&nbsp;</p>
<p>These constructs were nontheless highly respected in concalian society. They were, after all, the empire's crown jewel. Regardless of whether one saw these constructs as non-sentient servants; pseudo-citizens; or as friends and comrades on par with any other race - one was never to unnecessarily degrade one of the empire's constructs.</p>
<p>All constructs the concalians made were strangely unique. Even though many construct of each model were made, and each construct of the same model being made using the same rituals, they nonetheless showed a lot of individual differences in terms of capabilities and behavior ("personality"). This was a phenomenon the Concalians never truly managed to explain properly, instead merely concluding the gods had individual wants for each of the constructs they helped create. This did however result in the constructs that proved most skilled and accomplished being highly valued and sought after. A tradition eventually formed were those constructs were bestowed with their own individual names, as opposed to the regular model + numbering naming schema that they were originally assigned. Some of these named constructs enjoyed much fame within the empire, with some even being given higher-up leadership roles within the military.</p>
<h4>Other sub-cultures</h4>
<p>The empire included numerous minorities, most of which were incorporated into the empire during its expansions. Notable minorities included humans, dwarfs, and halflings. Humans were mostly seen as mediocre, though with great variance between individuals. Dwarves were seen as almost on par with the concalians themselves due to their strength and their stubbornness when it came to perfecting their crafts. Halflings served mostly as servants and peasants due to being seen as small, weak, and unambitious, though halfling craftsmen and merchants did also exist within the empire.</p>
<p>Creatures that were seen as serving evil and/or rival deities, such as orcs and hobgoblins, were seen as foul creatures, and did not have any place among the citizenry of the empire. They were either killed, driven off, and in some places enslaved.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Governance&nbsp;</h3>
<p>The Concalian Empire was ruled through 4 pillars of governance: The Centuriate Assembly, the Magistrates, the Senate, and the Clergy. While these 4 pillars of government were meant to work in tandem, complementing one another, it was not uncommon for there to be secret and sometimes violent bickering and rivalries both between and within each of the pillars. It was also not uncommon for those already in power to “quietly get rid of" up-and-comers who became too famous and popular with the populace.</p>
<h4>The Centuriate Assembly</h4>
<p>The Centuriate Assembly served as semi-democratic military voting structure. When new laws were presented by the senate, any member of the military - regardless of race - could come to the capitol to vote on the law as part of the Centuriate Assembly. The Assembly worked by assigning each military rank a set number of votes. When the assembly convened, those with the same rank would be put into equally size groups - with the number of groups equaling the number of votes said military rank was assigned. Each group would then have to come to an agreement on how they would cast their vote. The Centuriate Assembly's voting structure was always set up so that the higher-ranks in total had more votes than the lower-ranks. The number of votes each military rank was given was set, and could only be changed by being put forward to and voted in favor of by the Assembly. In addition to voting on laws, the Centuriate Assembly also voted on who'd fill the different Magistrate roles.</p>
<p>The Centuriate Assembly met twice a year - during spring and fall - with each gathering lasting however many days they needed to get through all the topics. Since voting only took place in the empire's capitol, the Assembly strongly favored the wealthy (who could afford the travel) and those who already lived in the capitol itself. Poorer families from further off provinces thus had little opportunity to have their say.</p>
<h4>The Magistrates</h4>
<p>The Magistrates were the Empire's elected officials. Magistrates held the power to make laws and enact policies, though these could later be overruled by the Centuriate Assembly. Most magistrates served 1-year terms, with half being up for election each time the Centuriate Assembly convened. Highest of these were the empire's two Consuls - one up for election each time the Centuriate Assembly convened. These two individuals were the leaders of the Empire, and ruled the capitol directly. These two held equal power, with both importantly having the power to block any decree made by the other. The Consuls were also responsible for appointing members of the Senate.</p>
<p>Below the Consuls sat the Preators, with each Preator governing one of the empire's provinces. Preators were the only ones allowed to lead armies, the only exceptions being if the Preator died or was incapacitated during a military campaign. Preators were often assigned to be the commander of a military campaign by the Consuls in cooperation with the Senate, though they also held the power to raise armies on their own, and could draw volunteers from other provinces. A preator could not be voted out of power while they were on a military campaign.</p>
<p>Only magistrates of Consul or Preator ranks were voted on by the Centuriate Assembly, with lower ranks being handled within each province. While technically anyone could become Consul or Preator, in practice only a few prominent families dominated these positions.&nbsp;</p>
<h4>The Senate</h4>
<p>The Senate consisted of 100 prominent and influential members of the Concalian Empire. They were appointed by the Consuls, and served for life unless they themselves decided to step down. A decent number of Senate members were former Consuls and Preators themselves, or members of their families. The Senate was seen as a forum where the empire's most influential could discuss the state and the future course of the empire. It was the Senate who put forth laws and policies for the Centuriate Assembly to vote on, and it was the Senate that presented candidates for the different Magistrate positions. Thus, while the Senate did not hold law-making powers themselves, they held immense influence over those who did. The Centuriate Assembly did however have the power to hold a vote on throwing out the entire Senate, meaning the Senate had to keep the citizenry at least adequately happy. This did mean that if a person from a non-prominent family earned a considerable amount of fame within the Empire, the Senate could find themselves pressured into granting them a Magistrate title.</p>
<h4>The Clergy</h4>
<p>The last column was The Clergy. While there were many <i>clergies</i> in the Empire, <i>The Clergy</i> refers to a select group of powerful clerics located in the empire's capitol. They were led by <i>the Oracle</i> - an individual kept in a kind of perpetual trance, and was seen as being present in the both the material realm and in their deities' courts simultaneously, and could thus bring forth the deities' will directly and instantaneously. The Clergy was thus seen as the official voices of <a href="https://wiki.strixhab.net/en/HBW/Eirus/Concalian-Empire/Concalian-Empire-Religion">Ammindur and Iomanae</a>. While The Clergy held no official political power, neither the Magistrates, the Senate, nor the Centuriate Assembly would find it easy going against whatever the Clergy decreed to be the will of the gods. In addition, while the Clergy only constituted a small portion of the empire's clerics, all clerics of the empire would have to follow any order given to them by the Clergy. This generally extended to any member of the Empire, as few would dare go against the will of the gods. However, while clergy could technically order you to do anything, they generally avoided anything that would put into question whether the clergy had gone astray - as anything that could put into question the Clergy's legitimacy among the populace was of high concern to them.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Clothing and Architecture</h3>