Sapphrians

## Basic Information

### Anatomy

Sapphrians are descended from the same ancient race as the Suthermen, but they diverged from that people long ago, the result of a magical mutation. The first Sapphrians were identical to their Suthermen brethren, until a mutation of unknown origin imbued them with Chaos Fire, or Ignicera. These Sapphrians had this magical energy flowing through their very veins, and altered their appearance. They had pale skin, black hair, and their eyes and blood were purple, tinged by the Chaos Flame within them. Also as a result of this mutation, they had a natural propensity for magic, and were renowned for being superb sorcerers. Today, Sapphrians who retain these traits are called Purebloods. Over time, the mutation would become diluted, with some Sapphrians being only partial mutants called Firebloods, and others completely lacking the mutation. These later Sapphrians, called Redbloods, still differed in appearance from their Sutherman relatives, having darker skin and hair, which was generally black. Their eyes are often either brown, blue, or green.

## Civilization and Culture

### Naming Traditions

**Male:** Martin, Cyrus, Kaelion **Female:** Lucilia, Octavia, Dione

### Beauty Ideals

Beauty ideals vary widely throughout Sapphria. In Sacarra, especially among locals of the city, wealth and social status are important because many of these people are of the social elite themselves. Sacarra and Caellos both value women with fair skin and slender builds. Veliccian men seem to prefer curvier women. People in both Aglios and Plutoria value men with tanned skin, muscular builds, and calloused hands. In Melitia, appearance isn't as important as educational pedigree.  Peasants in most parts of Sapphria attempt to imitate the ideals of the noble class, with the exceptions of Plutoria and Aglios, where the nobility is not very well liked.

### Gender Ideals

Gender ideals also vary a bit throughout Sapphria. Throughout Sapphria, gender equality is the norm, although Caellos values traditional gender roles and ideals of chivalry more than the other Sapphrian regions, as it is the preferred home of the older, more established and conservative families. Veliccia has a matriarchal tinge to its gender roles. Because Veliccian men often spend weeks or even months at sea, women typically run most aspects of Veliccian life. Women have a prominent role in Aglios, Veliccia, and Melitia more so than in any other region.

### Courtship Ideals

Arranged marriage is actually extremely common in much of Sapphria, especially the upper classes. Arranged marriage is significantly less common in Veliccia and somewhat less common in Melitia that it is in the rest of Sapphria. Arranged marriage is less common among the peasantry than it is among the nobility, although it still fairly common.

### Relationship Ideals

Prostitution is legal is Sapphria, with the recent exception of Sacarra and Caellos. In fact, prior to being outlawed, temple prostitutes served an important function in Sacarra. Sexual relationships are farily open and unregulated, again with the exception of Sacarra and Caellos. Incest is illegal in all of Sapphria. Marital infidelity is not a crime, but is considered a civil offense. Among the upper classes, marriage to non-Sapphrians is sometimes considered taboo. In Melitia, marriage between pureblood and non-pureblood Sapphrians is actually illegal.

### Common Etiquette Rules

Ettiquette, like many other aspects of Sapphrian culture, varies widely from region to region. In Sacarra and Caellos, politeness and chivalry is valued. Especially in Sacarra, people may act with a niceness that seems forced or rehearsed to outsiders. Upper class Sapphrians in much of Sapphria tend to act like this. Melitians often come off as aloof and condescending. The people of Aglios are rough and tumble, honest, and blunt people with no respect for weakness. People in Plutoria value hard work above all else. Most lack formal ettiquette, but they respect other people. People in Veliccia are known for being a jovial, happy, and more often than not, drunken lot.

### Culture and Cultural Heritage

Sapphria was initially not a single sovereign nation, but a collection of many tribal peoples, who would later be conquered and unitied under an empire. To this day, the six main regions of Sapphria maintain both strong cultural identity, and a large portion of their own sovereignty. These provinces are: Aglios, a warrior culture stemming from the northwest, Caellos, a wealthy agricultural society from the north, Veliccia, a hub of trade along the coast of the Glass Sea to the east, Melitia, the scholarly capital of Sapphria to the southeast, Plutoria, the industrial heart of Sapphria to the west, and Sacarra, the political and cultural heartland of the nation.

### Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Customs and traditions vary widely throughout Sapphria. What is commonplace in one region may be bizarre or even taboo in another.

### Common Myths and Legends

Sapphrians follow the Deretil Pantheon, with a special reverence for the family line of Sarthu, god of Chaos. Recently, a new religion has sprung up within Sacarra itself, called the Temple of the Flame. They worship the Chaos Fire in the heart of Sacarra as the physical manifestation of Sarthu himself. This religious practice has rapidly gained traction in Sapphria, and has created some tension with temples and followers of the Deretil Pantheon.

### Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Sapphrians have a positive reputation among most peoples as being traders and diplomats. Their central location in the continent has made them a wealthy people and has them deal with almost every Forgosian culture regularly. They are a common sight throughout the continent, and are generally well-accepted.

Genetic Ancestor(s)
* Aefyldyn

Origin/Ancestry
Human
Lifespan
90 years
Average Height
5'5"-6'
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Skin color: Pale (Purebloods or Firebloods), Tan (Firebloods or Redbloods)

## Magic Culture

Sapphria has what is one of the most free magic cultures in all of Forgosia. While the newly-organized Temple of the Flame does attempt to regulate magic, mages are generally free to practice whatever forms of magic they wish, so long as no other laws are broken in the process. The province which values magic the most is Melitia, as it is the main home of both Sapphria's magical and mundane academia, and produces many bards and wizards, as well as historians and scholars. Mages may be viewed with suspicion in Aglios if they seem to use their magic as a crutch and cannot fight without it. As such, most mages who come out of Aglios are also skilled fighters, and some actually focus on martial prowess and augment it with magic, producing magic-wielding fighters, rangers, paladins, and barbarians. Many rural peasants are at least somewhat suspicious of magic, but overall are more accepting of it then peasants in some other nations. The Chaos Fire-imbued blood of Sapphrian Purebloods makes them naturally adept sorcerers, and they are just as common as bards and wizards. Warlocks are also fairly common, although the recent crackdowns by the Temple of the Flame against them has put their position, particularly in Sacarra, in peril. Druids, while not uncommon, are looked at with some degree of disdain in more urban areas, especially Melitia, which shuns such "archaic" practices. It is not at all uncommon to see an oathbound paladin walking proudly along the roads of Caellos, or a spellcasting rogue prowling the dark streets of Veliccia. Necromancy is largely accepted in most of urban Sapphria, with the exception of Aglios and Plutoria. This sentiment is not often shared with rural Sapphrians. Vampirism is also generally accepted by urban Sapphrians, with the ancient vampire house of the House of Serpents being a prominent part of Sapphrian politics. Lycanthropy is also somewhat accepted, and there exist multiple communities in the more wild areas of Sapphria of these lycanthropes. Rural Sapphrians, however, are much more suspicious of both lycanthopes and vampires.