Eresean

Ereseans are the native people of Vinegrove Island. They have lived upon this land for thousands of years and object to outsiders crossing their borders. While their technology may not be the most advanced due to the limited variety of resources in their home, their people are the most sophisticated around. Many Ereseans are scholars and scientists, studying the most complex of matters that baffle the Isles.

## Naming Traditions

### Feminine names

Daughters gain their name from their oldest parent's mother. In the rare occasion where an Eresean family has more than two daughters, the youngest one takes her mother's name but with the suffix "-ane" at the end, meaning "little".

### Masculine names

Sons gain their name from their oldest parent's father. In the rare occasion where an Eresean family has more than two sons, the youngest one takes his father's name but with the suffix "-nem" at the end, meaning "small".

### Family names

Ereseans take their name from their oldest parent's parents, depending on the gender.

## Culture

### Major language groups and dialects

Much like the rest of the Draconic Isles, Ereseans switched to the English language upon the arrival of the "outsiders". However, there are some isolated groups that still speak the old language of the Ereseans, called the Vabuine language. The Vabuine language is also used in discussions between the chief and their advisors and other officers.

### Common Etiquette rules

When greeting an Eresean, one must bow to them and expect a bow from them as well. The closer the relationship you have with that person, the deeper the bow. When saying goodbye, one must hit their chest with their hand three times and bow once again. The previous rule about the bow's depth applies here as well. When eating food, one must always start eating from the left side of the plate and move on to the right. This symbolizes the Ereseans coming to Vinegrove Island from the west coast and moving to the east. One must always thank the one who provided them the meal. Being offered water is considered one of the highest honors in Eresean society, so one must always thank those who give them water.

### Common Dress code

Most Ereseans dress in simple clothing, shirts and pants fashioned from the materials of the land. No Eresean is allowed to wear something that obscures their hair from view, except for the chief, who is allowed to wear a ceremonial headdress when required. Apart from their normal clothing, the chief also wears an apron-like piece of clothing adorned with a painting of the current Warden Lilypad Dragon.

### Art & Architecture

Many Ereseans create various organic paints by grinding plants and insects to extract colored powder. By mixing said powder with water and honey, they can create a sticky paint that they paint with using their fingers, or specialized wooden sticks. They usually paint on rocks by the beach or giant carpet-like surfaces made from hay. Ereseans create their homes using wood and stone. They usually resemble simple huts by the lake. Most houses also have a small pier that extends into the lake, so that their inhabitants can fish. They are proficient at redirecting rivers and digging canals, both of which they have used to their advantage.

### Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Ereseans observe a variety of festivals and ceremonies across the year. The chief plays a large role in most of these, but the citizens also participate in most. Few of these festivals are as anticipated as the Elleone Festival where each citizen releases a jellyfish-shaped lantern into the sea. These lanterns contain a lit fuse, which makes the lantern glow, as well as a small strip of paper, on which the citizen's wishes are inscribed upon. Usually these lanterns have eyes drawn on them, which are meant to symbolize the Warden always watching them and caring for them. Another such festival is the Chrysador Festival, where the chief and all the citizens dump all their gold into the lake where the Warden resides as an offering to it. The Warden then emerges from the lake, covered in a layer of golden dust and is fed a piece of meat covered in gold leaf by the chief.

### Birth & Baptismal Rites

When a child is born, after it is cleaned and left with its mother for 24 hours, will be placed in a basket and set in the lake to be "approved of" by the Warden. If the Warden leaves the child unharmed, that means that it is worthy of living. On the other hand, if the Warden sinks the basket or, in worse cases, consumes the newborn, then the parents will be urged to have another one. The baptism happens when the child is about to recieve its name. A large enough clam shell is taken from the beach and filled with water. The baby is bathed in the water from the clam shell and fed honey. Finally, the chief themself appears and sings a hymn to the Warden to offer protection to the young, as the child's father places a lily pad with its name drawn on it on the baby's head.

### Coming of Age Rites

When an Eresian reaches adulthood, they must endure a different coming of age rite depending on their aspirations. Those who want to become soldiers wrestle a Wetland Dragon and only become soldiers if they pin the dragon to the ground. Those who want to become doctors or nurses drink an alcoholic, hallucinogenic beverage and are sent into the forest to find the right herbs to cure themselves. Those who want to become scientists of other types are blindfolded and put on a sailboat, then are sent to somewhere in the ocean by another boat and forced to navigate their way home using star-measuring tools. Those who want to become artists have their hands tied behind their back and are forced to paint on a rock using a specialized painting stick, which they must wield using their legs or mouth. Finally, those who want to become architects must build a stone dam in a designated area in the span of 24 hours, and take it apart in another 24 hours.

### Funerary and Memorial customs

When an adult Eresean dies, their body is placed on a raft and sent off to sea. Archers with flaming arrows will shoot the raft ablaze from so-called "Funerary Towers". The deceased one's family members tie small lanterns, similar to those of the Elleone Festival on the edges of the raft to say one final goodbye. When a child dies due to illness, it is placed in a basket, similar to the one newborn babies are placed in and buried in a hole near the home of its parents. Parents often plant a flower near the area of the burial.

### Common Myths and Legends

Eresean culture is filled with myths and legends. One such legend states that Ereseans were autocthonous and emerged from the earth itself. Another creation myth states that they came from a desert land in the southern hemisphere. This has caused controversy between Eresean populations, which often argue about the credibility of each myth. Many Eresean myths focus on the Warden, the dragon that protects their land. Some say that the Warden's eyes were gifts from the gods, while others say that the Warden's judgment is the ultimate, hence why they give it their newborn children to judge.