Goroly

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The Goroly are a semi-nomadic ethnic group native to central Syrvanian highlands, and the original founders of the Dominion of Syrvanska.

## History

### Early history

Archaeological evidence dates the earliest traces to Goroly civilization back to the 13th century PC. The Goroly are believed to have descended from a Proto-Sivak splinter group which migrated into the southern Pordski Mountains, or became stranded there during migration.

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### Foundation of the Dominion of Syrvanska

The Dominion of Syrvanska was founded in circa 329 PC, and would extend to the Podan, roughly encapsulating the eastern border of modern Syrvania, by the end of the 4th century PC.

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### Dilution and Marginalization

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While Goroly tribes found themselves on either side of the Lords' Uprising, most sided with the Republican government after being marginalized by the Altirusian Monarchy. Nevertheless, a minority did side with Arynna Urczek after being promised dominion over Western Syrvania in exchange for their aid to restore the monarchy.

During the reign of the Syrvanian National Republican Party, particularly from the mid-530s onward, an estimated 2,000 Goroly were displaced from the Pordski Range by agents of the Office of Civil Interest and forced into slave labor, placed in re-education camps, and/or killed outright by starvation, gassing, or firing squad. Office Inspectors were also observed to have opened fire on Goroly rituals with automatic or incendiary weapons, and confiscated or destroyed a number of Goroly religious artifacts and sites. Paradoxically, Party Chairman Konstantin Strynovich claimed to have practiced a form of Goroly spiritualism, and was said to have at numerous points consulted Goroly shamans on political decisions.

The New Bulwark Party under Urba Amandeij committed ethnic cleansing against the Goroly, with the conversion of the Korwociy Elementary School into a concentration camp for "unrepentant tribalists" serving as a notable example of these efforts.

Cultural preservation efforts from the mid 600s onward by the Syrvanian Government have included reparations paid for mistreatment under the Kruvik and Amandeij regimes, the establishment of Ethnic Sovereignty Zones within the Pordski transitional region, and the National Heritage Council to represent tribal interests in Syrvanian Parliament.

## Military

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* Notably formed mounted tank-hunter units and raiding parties during invasion by Chergaria; famous images of Goroly horsemen brandishing anti-tank rifles and firebombs
* Minor contributions in Northern Hetland, Southern Lavinia as scouts, cavalry, anti-tank units

## Culture

### Hunting

Perhaps the most well-known trait of Goroly culture is the Urkoz, or fur sash or cloak. This traditional part of Goroly attire cannot be bought or sold by any within a Goroly community (although they can be sold or traded to outsiders), and is a symbol of adulthood and survival skills. The Urkoz is made from game pelt, typically rabbit, elk, or bear, and must be obtained from one's own kill, or passed down through a family.

It is deemed taboo to keep trophy heads, or not to completely utilize the remains of game, not only because it is thought to be wasteful, but also due to a risk of hauntings or curses.

### Death, Funerals, and the Afterlife

Goroly folklore holds that the soul remains attached to the body so long as a major part of the body is mostly intact. Thus, complete destruction of a body or separation of remains is a vital part of Goroly funeral rituals and hunting practices.

Human remains are usually cremated, and the typical Goroly funeral consists of laying the remains atop a pyre and observing the rising of the smoke. Once the fire is finished burning (unless caused prematurely by an obvious outside source) and the smoke has dissipated, and most of the remains are destroyed, the site will be buried, as it is believed that the soul of the deceased ascended into the afterlife with the smoke. Burying an intact body is taboo, as it is believed that the soul will be trapped within the body and forced to suffocate for eternity under the ground. Though rare, ritual cannibalism would sometimes be practiced in times of scarcity, though only the close friends or family of the deceased could consume their flesh, as it was believed that the soul would remain with them as long as they lived. However, this practice was outlawed in the 2nd century PI.

Goroly traditions regarding human remains are widely documented by outside observers. Records from the Goroly Conquests of the 4th Century PC describe Goroly tribesmen digging up graves and burning the bodies, originally believed to be an act of desecration. Upon questioning after the fact, they believed the buried bodies were "being tortured for some transgression in life, having their souls trapped inside the earth to suffocate for eternity", and that the burning of the bodies were conducted in order to "grant their anguished spirits long-awaited respite from their cruel fate". In battles or sieges where the opposition would display heads and corpses on spikes, it was found that Goroly troops were emboldened, rather than angered or demoralized, as they apparently believed that the spirits of those dead would aid them and take revenge on those who killed them.

Goroly folklore contains multiple interpretations of the afterlife, chief among them being the World Fire, which represents the sun. It is held that the souls of those who lived good lives ascend into the sky to "help tend a great bonfire that warms the world, casting it into the sky every morning and rekindling it every night, its embers remaining in the sky to keep the night from consuming the earth". It is believed that one who consumes the remains of a being will carry part of its soul and take on an aspect of that being until he or she dies. If a body is not disposed of, or only partially destroyed, it is believed that its soul will haunt whoever killed it, or remain in the area where it died, becoming a lingering spirit, or Wycha. It is also believed that a Wycha can remain on earth depending on the circumstances of the being's death, or aspects of its life. These include the following examples:

* Pytek: Spirit of a game animal whose remains were not properly used or disposed of. Said to be able to take on traits of any other animal, such as an elk with wolf's jaws, and will seek to take revenge on the hunter and his or her community. This can consist of killing directly, or through indirect means or trickery, such as a legend of a rabbit Pytek who ate a hunter's son as soon as he was born, disguised itself as the baby, and then tricked the hunter's clan into killing him upon reaching adulthood.
* Adyr: Spirit of a soldier killed in battle. Said that it will try to kill any living being who walks on its old battlefield in the same way it was killed.
* Syka: Spirit of a child. If the family was loving and caring, is said to bring good fortune. If it was neglected or abused, is said to bring ill fortune.
* Drog, Durg: Spirit of a woman killed by grief. Said to linger around pyre sites, and be able to give off a shrill screech that can freeze bones and kill any living thing. Various legends exist on how to sate or dispel a Durg, including disposing of any article relating to the one she mourned. Would lend its name for a Syrvanian multiple-rocket launcher due to the distinct "screeching" sound of the rocket motors.
* Feryk: Spirit of a companion or guard animal that died serving its master. Its disposition is said to depend on the circumstances of its death: If its master left it to die without remorse, it will haunt its master and bring him or her bad luck. If its master mourned its death, or tried to save it, it will continue to serve its master as a spirit, bringing good luck or protecting him or her from evil spirits.