The Esmari are a human culture group related to the Damerians who live in the fertile riverlands of Esmaria. Unlike their Damerian cousins, the Esmari do not hold loyalty to a unified country, but instead to their families and cities.
History[]
The Esmari are the more gregarious and carefree cousins of the Damerians. The Grand Duchy of Esmaria was dissolved during the Lilac Wars when the last Grand Duke died, and the various river lords, strung of their ties with the sìl Esmarainè, feuded for succession supported by either the Emperor or the Lorentish King. However, its legacy persists, particularly the usage of the numerous rivers as borders, thus overlapping borders and claims are easily dismissed by the minor nobility.
Physical Appearance[]
The Esmari have fair to pale complexions and commonly have blue or hazel eyes. Warm hair tones are the most prevalent, with both men and women sharing wavy locks of all lengths. Female fashions are usually tight and form-fitting to better highlight the wearer's physical beauty, with revealing and open-shoulder dresses being the most common, whereas males are usually seen with cloaks, lavish coats and high boots to add their own flair and twirl to the Esmari way of things.
Society[]
The people uphold the value of the goddess Esmaryal and put family at the highest importance. They also commonly worship Esmaryal's daughter, Ryala (the goddess of beauty) and her servant Minara (the goddess of joy). With this, the Esmari also value beauty, love, and celebrations, leading to stereotypes of promiscuity and vanity. Many nobles often spend time holding infamous parties on river barges along the wealthy Esmarainé. The Esmari are known for their hedonism, which is the primary manifestation of it at the Esmar River Parties. A tradition from times long past, nobles and commoners from all of Esmaria gather to party on barges for months on end, strengthening the bonds between neighbors. The rivers in Esmaria serve not only as borders between the various lords but also as a sprawling network of communication, with the river kings and the later Grand Dukes expanding the network with artificial channels.
The Esmari have a friendly view on their neighbors, though they consider the Damerians prude and boring and the Arannese a bit crude. Some Esmari turn to banditry or become mercenaries to fight in the many wars and scuffles in Esmaria, led by noble cadet sons who stand no chance to inherit or minor nobles whose lands are too small for their ambitions.
Religion[]
The Esmari traditionally worshiped the Regent Court, and their gods of choice were Esmaryal, Ryala, and Minara. This has managed to persist into modern times, with the Esmarian peoples being some of the last Regent Court holdouts among a growing numbers of both Ravelians and Corinites.