Cantabria

**Cantabria** is the northernmost region of Arborea, situated in the highlands south of Velusia and surrounding the lower regions of Solernia and Corrivalia. Its borders are made up of the Dancers to its north, and its south marked by the Concords mountains and the northern Corrivalian deciduous forests.

The region gets its name from Tomyra the Great's daughter Cantaba, who was forced into allying with her brother Lenor during the Middle Era of Bronze. It has primarily been sparsely populated since its first habitation, with towns being spread out and acting as a crossroads between the greater civilizations surrounding it.

## Geography

Cantabria is divided into two main subregions: the northern half is a coniferous forest dominated by redwoods, which is notably coated in fog throughout the year. The southern half is open meadow that is warm throughout the year thanks to its proximity to the Dancers.

The land here is surprisingly fertile, though not as fertile as Corrivalia, due to its elevation and the fact it does not flood despite being surrounded by the Dancers on two sides.

## Population

Cantabria is a sparsely populated region, with a few major cities but a spread out population that consist primarily of villages and joined estates that rarely exceed 1,500 people. The largest city, Graustable, is only 15,000 people.

Most people work as trappers, hunters, fishermen, and farmers, though there are also a significant number that serve as bakers, monks, smiths, and servants. Currently, there is an influx of people to the city from rural areas, and cities are struggling to support the new populations, as more opportunities appear for work in these places.

Most people inhabit the places along the Dancers and the rivers that flow from them.In addition, most of the cities are located in the southern plains of Cantabria as opposed to the inner woods, as they are difficult to manage and live off of. Non-human races are more common in cities, as only native humans would have the means and the necessity of subsisting off of the land in Cantabria.

## Culture

Cantabria is mainly inhabited by Torrian humans, with the predominant cult being that of Saclis. However, there is also a large number of those who practice the Old Faith, and superstition is common among the people of this region.
The land is worked in farming and ranching primarily, but in its cities traders and merchants offload goods from traders making the journey to other places. The horses bred in Cantabria are some of the finest in the world, and the upper classes are composed mainly of these breeders.

Due to the early-morning fog associated with Cantabria, as well as the colder climate, most activity begins late in the morning once the fog has cleared, and most turn in once the sun goes down.

### Styles of dress and beauty standards

Despite the fact that Cantabrians dress the same more or less between men and women, or adults and children, their clothing is a major source of pride and identity for them. They are very straight-laced and wear dark orange, maroon, white, and grey. Black is reserved for funerals, and bright colors are considered tasteless and gaudy.

Men keep their hair very well-trimmed and consider facial hair to be a trait of barbarians, and women keep their hair in bonnets almost year-round. It is only on certain holidays such as the king's birthday or summer solstice that women let their hair down or that loose-fitting clothing is acceptable.

Standards of beauty for those of Cantabria don't differ greatly from person to person. Men are expected to keep themselves well-groomed and their clothes free of wrinkles and wear. There is great pressure for women to remain slender, and this contributes to the fact they often sequester themselves during pregnancy. Dark hair, especially black hair, is one of the most attractive traits in Cantabria, and both men and women dye their hair with ink to meet these standards. Other traits considered attractive are blue eyes, pale skin, and greater height (for both men and women).

A Cantabrian would be remiss if they did not carry a long dirk, called a *doloch*, on their waist while in public.

### Customs and religion

Most types of humanoids are welcome in Cantabria, as it is a unique crossroads, and those of Jade or silver blood won't often find trouble visiting the region. Goodfellows and goliaths, however, will find themselves put out due to a long history of violence from the peoples of Crotalusia. In addition, Auber are not welcome in most small towns, though large cities are more accommodating.

Most magic is considered black magic, save for studied schools like alchemy or astrology. Those who study it are still not welcome inside holy spaces or festivals. Magicians will face fines or even imprisonment for practicing magic, even if not directly in town. Miracles are only performed by priests; anyone else is considered black magic.

Churches provide most of the services in small towns, if not all of them. Within larger cities, the history of the Ascani Empire's involvement in their political structure is still evident. Post-Ascani governments are very closely linked to church leaders, and churches are funded by local taxes in addition to donations. This allows priests to tend to church activities full-time. However, there is no state-enforced religion. Most people join a church based on their proximity to its physical location.

Among those not allowed on sanctified ground, the left-handed and menstruating or pregnant women are forbidden from entering a church. Pregnant women are expected to not leave the house, in fact.

When someone passes away, priests are charged with all the tasks of embalming, the funeral, and burial. This gives the priest a special, revered class among the people in the interests of ensuring a decent funeral. People will usually give the priest money throughout their lives as a sort of debt, called a *grave benefit*, which ensures their family won't have to pay exorbitant amounts once they pass away. Bodies are buried with boxwood and facing downwards in graves twelve feet deep, with their hair trimmed and body well dressed. It is important to ensure the proper handling of a body, or it is feared the family member will curse the town and bring its doom.

### Family life

Families are small, with the extended family being a privilege of larger families. Children are raised by the mother and are given few rights until they can begin the family work. This includes both sons and daughters, and once their father determines it to be warranted, will be allowed to travel into the city in their early teens and acquire a type of defensive dirk called a *doloch*.

Nearly everyone, save for priests or pregnant women, carry a *doloch*. Such a tool is permitted everywhere except inside a church or in the quarters of a pregnant woman. Only a midwife or au pair is allowed to have a *doloch* in the presence of a pregnant woman.

During a mother's pregnancy, she is usually sequestered away if the family has the money to hire a midwife to keep to her and tend to her needs. The child is usually delivered in the presence of only the mother, father, and midwife, and the midwife is kept for a period later as an au pair until the child can speak, when they are relieved of their duty. This position is usually given to the eldest child in poorer families. The family will have a small celebration with extended family, though not to attract the attention of strangers or demons that may be in the town at the time.

Every household, no matter the status or family wealth, will have a horse. Cantabrians prize their horses and treat them like family, to the point where the horse's stable is attached to their home and they are even welcome indoors. Young men are expected to buy their own gelding once they move into their own home with their wife.

Cantabrians allow their children to drink alcoholic beverages from a young age, and children learn to ride a horse as early as their sixth year.

### Cuisine

Families are expected to all dine together at the same time, with parents or those of esteem being given the largest cuts of food. They also are the first to bite into their food, and none are allowed to leave the table until they have finished eating. Tables are round except in the halls of nobility, where they are oblong.

The most common foods eaten in a Cantabrian dinner is fish, harvested from the Dancers or the ocean, with herring and salmon being staples. Dry breads are traditionally eaten with crushed berries after a meal, and no Cantabrian dinner would be complete without rich, dark beers brewed by the local monasteries. The upper class frequently consumes haute cuisine, something that started in Cantabria and carried over to other aristocrats.

Desserts are typically holiday foods, with pastries being one of the things that Cantabria is most known for. Because of the number of festivals and holy days throughout the year, there is at least once such holiday every week. These include weddings, funerals, solstices, equinoxes, and veneration of saints. These pastries are mainly tarts, pies, sweet breads, and quiches.

There is a distinct lack of wellwater and safe water to drink in Cantabria, so fruit juices and beers are the main sources of hydration for most of the region.

One area Cantabria is often remarked for being quite strange in is that they ground pinecones into powder in a unique device called a *pinecho*, which is sprinkled on most foods except their sweet desserts. This makes their food apart from their desserts an acquired taste. Cantabrians don't enjoy spicy or salty foods as much as they like sweets.

### Social grooming

#### Greetings and interaction

It is normal for Cantabrians to offer a gift of "exotic" foods, especially cheeses, when meeting for the first time in a business setting. Thereafter, such gifts are usually a sign of favor, though beer is also well received. A subtle insult can be done by offering local foods as a gift, which is an indication that the gift may have been last-minute.

Offering a gift on one knee with one's head down is considered a sign of respect for nobility or the elderly. Meeting an older relative or nobility also requires one to kiss their wedding ring, a blessing upon their marriage. However, this is usually only done for other Cantabrians. Meeting someone familiar or informally does not demand these rites.

When two people are introduced for the first time, they are directed to share a drink and salute each other with their glasses, keeping eye contact with one another, and then at some point during their first meeting, introduce their wives or husbands. Unlike most cultures, women drink as much as the men, and children too are welcome to indulge.

In a general context, people keep to themselves day-to-day, only interacting in business settings with a firm handshake. They will even walk right by relatives if they have no business with them that day. Cantabrians are quiet and reserved, which may be taken as rude by other peoples. This manifests as Cantabrians not really having "friends" in a traditional sense, apart from their husbands, wives, or siblings.

They greatly value personal space, although a *bise* - the Arborean "kiss on the cheek" - is well understood and welcome, but not performed between Cantabrians. However, other friendly actions, like a hug or a pat on the shoulder, is a violating act and will be awkward for both parties.

Among these customs is the Cantabrian tradition of taking a nickname based on their family name. Their real name is only given to those they are familiar with and their families, while they offer their nickname to those they do with business with. Honorifics are incorporated into these nicknames, so repeating a king's title or those of noble birth is redundant.

If there is one thing Cantabrians detest, it is being rushed. They are deliberate and like to take their time doing things, and when tending to their horses, hurrying a Cantabrian is seen as intentionally rude.

It is tactless to discuss death, sex, business, or politics in most social settings, as social gatherings are mainly an occasion for religious reverence or to celebrate a birth or wedding. Families never host an event themselves, as these events are organized and hosted by either the church or the government, though some families will fund the event with their own money in part as its patron. Doing so earns them the privilege of introducing people to each other, which is almost always used to pair up their teenage children with others of the same age as potential marriage partners.

#### Festivals

When attending a festival, Cantabrians are expected to eat a full meal beforehand, as only pastries and desserts are offered at these events. Festivals are occasions filled with flower arrangements (which are often offered for individuals to take home with them for their garden) and musicians that work for the church or are hired by the noble house. The main event, which occurs at the night's end, is a religious sermon, after which attendees are dismissed and leave for their homes. It is extremely rude to remain on the festival grounds afterwards.

Guests are required to bring their own drinks, usually dark beer, though a patron will often bring a surplus for those who cannot afford to bring their own. This is to complement the individual tastes of every attendee. The desserts are displayed out and open to take at any time a guest arrives. There is little interaction with the hosting church and attendees apart from the sermon.

### Ethics and values

Oaths are sworn during the day, in light of the sun, with promises made by night being considered akin to lies or an insult. Cantabrians have many curse words, perhaps the longest list of any group, who consider any words describing sexual acts, death, defecation, urination, deviancy, and sacrilege to be swear words. While using these terms is tactless in public, especially in a marketplace, there is no such reservation in private.

Among the most valuable objects in Cantabria, exotic goods like rare furs, beverages, and precious metals have the greatest cost associated with them. However, exotic foods fetch the highest price, and haute cuisine is the easiest way to spend money. In addition their horses are prized, and a stud horse has no equal in Cantabrian society.

Thieves are treated with great contempt in Cantabria. Horse thieves are the worst among them, and killing a horse thief is expected and encouraged. Lies are unsurprisingly looked down upon, but courtesy is far more important than honesty. This extends to oaths, and backing out of a sworn oath is, although disreputable, not something that always earns ire. This is especially true in cases of fraud in business transactions.

To be recognized as an upright citizen, one must not only own a horse, but they must also contribute taxes and a number of tithes to their local church. Those who act as patrons for the church are held to higher regard, with increased patronage showing greater esteem. To not be a full citizen is to be considered transient or a foreigner. While hospitable, a stranger would never be invited into a home or onto church grounds.

Another point on citizenship is that only humans and those of Jade and silver blood will see the benefits of full citizenship. In addition, anyone accused of being a thief is reviled and usually exiled or shunned by that commune. Of all the social wrongs, thievery is the worst. Among some other social faux pas are forgetting to bring a gift to an event, begging, and asking for personal favors. Insulting one's family, estate, or horse can spark a violent outburst.

Cantabrians swear fealty to their church first and foremost. After that, their immediate family is of highest importance, and following the orders of nobility would not surpass one's familial relations unless it were connected to their priest's orders. They are also eager to please business partners, in a "customer is always right" way, as commerce is critical to the region.

Despite their connection to the Masagatae, Cantabria's greatest cultural heroes are their many artists and saints. When speaking positively of their heroes, Cantabrians reflect on their patience and accomplishments in their careers. Though they value art, being a great artist and being a successful artist are one and the same for Cantabria.

Their official national hero is Saint Janus, the high elf convert to the cult of Saclis who banished the wyverns from the Old World by harnessing the power of the summer sun. He two distinct holidays during the year, ine for his birthday and one commemorating his banishing of the wyverns.

Most Cantabrians desire a prosperous business and to purchase a large estate, one that could comfortably support an extended family. This is what drives the "Cantabrian ambition" and why they are often called perfectionists and uptight. They treat themselves like nobility, as it were, because they expect to attain it someday.

## Notable houses

### House of Bucephel

An immigrant family of Madelia who gained prominence after breeding the preferred studs for the Ascani Imperial army during the fall of Goodfellow rule in the late Eight Era. The Bucephelan horse is prized as being a hardy breed of horse that are ornery and difficult to break as stallions, but geldings are among the easiest to train and work with. Their distinctive whinny, a sudden high-pitched shriek, can ward away even griffins and wyverns.

The current Duke of Bucephel, Ramsey III, is allied with the House of Merovia by marriage and serves as Duke of all Cantabria.

### House of Lorraine

The preceding house of the Merovian dynasty. Lorraine is the strongest local bank in Cantabria, though they pose little competition with greater banking empires like the Mandolins. Lorraine also owns a vast majority of the merchant guilds across Cantabria, and the guild helps foreigners accustom and travel through the province with little obstruction.

### House of Jeger

Formerly a family that owned the vast hunting grounds in the southeast, the Jegers have feuded for a long time with Bucephel over lands in the east, especially Graustable. The Jegers protected monks of Saclis to settle in their lands throughout periods of Auber and Merovian conquest, which resulted in the monasteries creating a very profitable line of spirits in their woods.

### House of Trapp

The Trapp family split from the Jeger family in the past century, having married into the family but having succession issues which caused them to separate. The Trapp system of patronage arose thanks to trading furs with Crotalusia, a political taboo, and allowed them to patronize their monks into producing some of the finest beers in Cantabria. The Trappist monks brew rich, dark beers that are exported all over Arborea and beyond.