Parsanian (culture)

The Parsanian culture is found in the northern parts of the Central Desert. It forms the majority of the populations of Qar Parsana, Oq Parsana and Kath. It also used to be the primary culture of the Vardanid Empire.
== History ==
The Parsanians are descended from a plethora of pre-Islamic Persian cultures - Achaemenids, Parthians, and Sassanids being the largest contingents. Overall these were led by the Suren, a Parthian general and nobleman from the 1st Century AD. They were held together primarily by a common language and culture.
The ancestors of the Parsanians were part of the original Halcyonian Flotilla, and after that the Flentia Fleet. They followed the Flentia River to its termination, settling in the flat steppes beyond it. Over time the culture spread to the source of the East Spurnian River, with the majority of the Parsanians settling by the dawn of the 7th Century BCE.
The first Parsanian nation-states began to emerge in the 2nd Century BCE - the modern town of Sanaj was the capital of Kazemlah, and Kanat was the capital of Maharin. From here the culture fragmented, with the next several hundred years being characterised by petty warlords fighting for control of the region.
The situation changed in the 1st Century CE - the powerful Vardanids were rising in the south, and many Parsanian lords chose to offer the Shahanshah their swords. Those who resisted were deposed, and their lands gifted to the loyal.
Parsanian culture flourished under Vardanid rule - many moved south to seek their fortune in the rich riverlands surrounding the capital, to the extent that Soran's population became majority Parsanian.
Due to the chaos of the Vardano-Reman Religious Wars, the Parsanian homelands of Parsana, Kathafji, and Jahria have been ravaged by the passage of many indifferent or cruel armies. By the time the first Parsanian nobleman stood up for himself, the damage had already been done. Even now, almost a hundred years later, the region has hardly recovered. Towns lie in ruin, fields are overgrown, and fortifications abandoned.
== Folklore ==
One of the most famous Parsanian folktales is that of Qunka - a fierce warrior queen who lived during the Fifty Year War. Her exploits have been inflated over the seven hundred years since, and now represent the epitome of Parsanian spirit.Category:Cultures