Hanzeizh

*“Culture is what defines a people, without it we are nothing but squabbling states united merely by ideology; ideology changes on the emotions, culture however follows with us all.” Loic dem Spheniscidae speaking with Breton Salvay during the Constitutional Convention.*

**Hanzeizh** is both referring to the culture and language of the Viodoxan people in Adytum and of the government. The language is related to Paloran yet differs greatly in grammar. It utilizes a vast amount of loan words from older languages such as Nieden. Meanwhile, the cultural aesthetic is often described as both oriental and byzantine in complex building structure and art. Hanzeizh was formally documented first by Loic dem Spheniscidae who promoted it to the Viodoxan populace.

## History

### Origin

The earliest documented instance of Hanzeizh goes back to February during the Valentine Migration and the Emerald Conflict. The deviation from Paloran language created a dialect that used different verbs and shortened much of the pronunciation. Overtime, many slang words and loaned words from Soleannen were used during the conversion of Adytum by the Escharian Spirits. Most of the most complex words are loaned from Soleannen religion and Nieden language. As time passed however, Hanzeizh began to form its own distinct language similar to the Kumuuran language. It began to mold with the native pronunciation and speech of Cymru and became distinct for its slurred-snakelike words. Hanzeizh never used a different writing script as Loic hoped to retain national unity by making formal Hanzeizh easy to learn. Richard dem Spheniscidae, Borakan dem Spheniscidae, and Heinrich val Oberstein, relatives of Loic began to promote the language and assisted in formalizing much of the syntax. This change allowed for it to be spoken with ease especially with the addition of explicit accents.

The greatest breakthrough was when Richard and Loic created the phonetic map of the language which most other languages had yet to complete. It was then easily learned by many high-ranking members who began to use it in simple speeches and during national praise. After the national anthem was established Hanzeizh became a symbol of Viodoxan pride and unity still being used to this day.

## Language

The language is a Paloran-Havenite language which descended from the original Paloran language of central Haven. The language is originally spoken in Northern Cymru in the province of Adytum. It comprises of 24 Consonants and 10 Vowels. It is considered quite easy to speak as the language lacks forced tenses thus making it easy for people with basic conversational skills to speak with ease. Often times words can even be made up from affixes and still be comprehendible.

## Subgroups

* **Adytum Hanzeizh** - The original group of Hanzeizh people. Its roots trace back to the old days of Paloro, when Loic lead his people to Viodoxa during the Valentine Migration after the Coup of Paloro. Adymites mainly inhabit the province of Adytum and are most prominent in the cities of Viodoxa and Valentum.

* **Hantseakii** (Travelers tongue: "Children of Hanzeizh") - Hantseakii are the creole mixture of Hanzeizh and Slaekii (native Tsaelomans) ethnicities in Tsaeloma. The creole culture ended up being the most prominent and most advanced in this area, turning into a minority ethnic group.

* **Doiran Hanzeizh** - This near-extinct group of Hanzeizh people previously lived in the former province of Hireathium, in southeastern Cymru. The denonym "Doiran" comes from the short-lived successor state of Hireathium officially called Ashannate of Doiro, that was thriving under the government of Imperial Archonal Union. After the collapse of IAU, Doiro was annexed by the Kartek influenced warlike State of Confusion & Ainsel, which later reformed into the Aeternum Order. Since then, local culture of Hanzeizh started to decline, eventually resulting in the abandoment of the Hireathium city. Because of the expansion of the Requiem knight order, a new city, called Nibelungen was founded on the old ruins of Hireathium, thus marking the fall of Doiran culture.

## Culture & Ethnography

A significant part of Hanzeizh Culture can be attributed to the harsh conditions forced upon the original followers of Loic during the Valentine Exodus. In Hanzeizh built or run towns, Bunkhouses are a frequent sight, and homes for an individual or their family are typically reserved for the upper classes, who are worth using the extra land for.

Hanzeizh Towns, most prominently Viodoxa, normally feature communal farms, expected to be ran by a community rather than individuals or smaller groups.

The Hanzeizh Communal Spirit can even be seen in artwork. The most common forms of Han Literature are collaborative works or collections of various works, while individually published pieces are comparatively rarer.

## Clothing

The concept of traditional clothing in Han culture is synonymous with the clothes worn by the people of the city of Viodoxa and its surrounding areas. The clothing of people of different castes differs in brightness and sophistication: the higher a person's position in society, the more colorful and ornamental his wardrobe will be. The noble and wealthy townspeople usually wear rich colored, formal and stylish clothes, while the middle and lower class folk will choose practical, casual clothes, the colors of which will be less vibrant, sometimes drab and earthy.

Men - The traditional and more typical fashion for men, especially those of upper and middle classes wore distinct royal/dark blue uniforms of a military/noble style. Other colors are also worn, usually red, yellow, and white. Hats or caps were far less common but still worn on occasion. Much of the lower classes dressed with more practicality in mind and had much less color variety, usually stuck to the colors of yellow, maroon, brown, off-white, and grey.

Women - For women in Viodoxa and Adytum as a whole the typical fashion is very flowy and loose-fitted dresses paired with matching jewelry if they had access to any. These dresses come in a large variety of colors and within the upper classes women would usually wear a matching headdress to go with their attire, something that displayed their status.

## Cuisine

Like the tradition of clothing, Hanzeizh cuisine is inseparable from the culinary traditions of Viodoxa and therefore is an identical concept.

### Viodoxan Cuisine

Viodoxan cuisine, due to the city's geographical location has a heavy presence of seafood. The main assortment for diet was as follows: Fish, shellfish, occasional red meats, cheeses, fruits, legumes, tree nuts, honey, vegetables, milk, olives, and bread. Viodoxan's traditionally have 4 meals throughout the day, Ientaculum, Prandium, Coenum, and Cena.

*Ientaculum*, or breakfast is mainly centered around leftovers from Cena and always starts with a cup of water and milk. For children Ientaculum was predominantly bread and milk.

*Prandium*, or lunch is a small meal usually consumed while standing during work hours. As such typical Prandium fare is food which can be made quickly and is usually acquired by vendors and is almost always accompanied by wine mixed with honey or spices.

*Coenum*, or supper is a light meal traditionally prepared by women of the household for the return of their husbands from the workday. It is always served with watered down wine and usually consists of soft, freshly made bread.

*Cena*, or dinner is the heaviest meal of the day and is usually accompanied by cheeses, bread, fruits, vegetables, olives, legumes, and fish sauce. Herb infused olive oil is also a common condiment along with black vinegar and salt. The meal is prepped by the woman of the household unless the family is of the upper class, in which servants typically perform this function.

Notable Viodoxan Dishes:

* Honey Glazed Salmon
* Sweet Buns
* Pork Skewers
* Fig Bread
* Seafood Bisque
* Fruit Patina
* Broiled Mussels

## Notable Figures

**Loic dem Spheniscidae** - cultural leader of the Hanzeizh people during the Valentine Migration.