Dalari Culture

The **Dalari Culture** traces its roots back to what many now consider prehistory, over five hundred years before the founding of the Dalarium. The great power of the time, the Suedoni Empire, used the term *Delori* to refer to the tribes that dwelt in the forests and mountains east of the Querine River. Over time, these peoples formed a confederation under the most powerful tribe, the Sugonda. Upon the formation of the Dalarium, the Dalari spread many of their culture virtues far beyond their native forests, covering much of the Meleta Delta and up to the Brightwater Sea.

## Physiology

The Dalari are both a culture and an ethnicity. While they welcome outsiders that wish to embrace the splendor of Dalari civilization, the typical Dalari is a human, though not quite like other human groups that lived in their empire, such as the Igith or the Lazael. The average Dalari male stands around 6'6", with the women just a touch shorter at 6'2". Average weights are below 190 lbs. for each, but above 140 lbs. They are normally quite pale unless they relocate to particularly sunny areas, so much so that other peoples comment on the eeriness of their ghostly pallor. Hair colors run a full range of the visible spectrum, though the most common are various shades of blue, green, and purple. Brighter colors are viewed as more prestigious. Eye colors are similar, but red is most common. Dalari tend to have very narrow eyes and noses, with full lips.

## Customs

Dalari culture is noted for its subtlety. Emelese body language is so extensive that some consider it a fully-functional form of sign language. Direct conversation is usually reserved for family, friends, and close associates, with gestures handling the majority of social transactions through a Dalar's day-to-day life. Speaking to strangers is considered both an affront to social custom and a mortifying embarrassment, and an unruly Dalar who makes a habit of it usually finds themselves viewed as a soft pariah.

Magic is another cultural touchstone of the Dalari. It is believed to be responsible for their odd physiology. Many skilled mages have arisen from Dalari cities, particularly Emel Dalar. Arluroi Vardagael and Eirleena Lutrei are two of the most notable magic-users to come from the city.

Dalari revel in the arts, in all forms. Visual arts such as painting, sculpture, and charcoal are favored pastimes, with most surfaces in Dalari cities covered in some form of mural, fresco, or graffiti, as well as brightly-painted statues. Landscapes and portraits are particularly esteemed. Music and dance are also very popular, with Dalari music commonly being highly rhythmic to encourage rapid movement; vocals are usually limited and repetitive, sometimes nothing more than utterances. Written works are slightly less popular among the Dalari, with fiction rarer than nonfiction writing, but some notable works exist, often based off of ancient oral myths.

With their focus on the arts, the Dalari do not neglect the culinary realm. Dalari food is heavily spiced, with a heavy focus on meats and pastas, as well as indulgent desserts. The Dalari are also noted for their plethora of bread varieties, so much that it is estimated they have upwards of two hundred words for "bread" in Emelese.

Dalari take their love of visual spectacle and apply it equally into their fashions. Pathin is the most noteworthy Dalari city in terms of fashion developments, due to its strategic position on the Brightwater meaning all incoming shipments of luxury fabrics must pass through there. Most Dalari clothes are of solid colors, though some groups prefer plaids. Many Dalari tend to wear colors that match their hair and/or eyes, or that compliment them. A Dalar also usually matches their clothing to their environment, so ones in colder environments tend to wear tight-legged trousers and long-sleeved shirts, while Dalari in warmer areas will wear skirts and often go topless. The common factor between the two is that they have a love for belts, either rope or leather, set with bright gemstones and fashioned around heavy rings. Ornate necklaces, earrings, piercings, and rings are also popular, as are tattoos and other forms of body modification.