Vilmere

The **Vilmere** is the name given to the distinct ethnic group that inhabited the island of Vil off the coast of modern day Fleur. They are the ancestors of many Fleurians, both biologically and culturally.

## Appearance

The Vilmere were pale skinned, though only the women are depicted as such in their artwork. Men who labored outside are depicted as tan with dark black hair. The Vilmere women often had red, yellow, or silver hair as well as large light eyes. They were taller than their mainland peers, with men and women both averaging around 5'6" tall.

### Clothing and Dress

Vil is the warmest single area in the North as it is touched by warm western and southern winds. The island of Vil is not particularly rich in fibers, so the clothing of the Vilmere remained fairly minimalist. Men went naked or with a loincloth of woven cloth, fur, or leather. Headdresses were common between both sexes, though men's were far less elaborate, consisting of coronets of inlaid driftwood, ivory, or bands of dyed cloth. Paintings on palace walls indicate that men who were eunuchs wore purple dyed thin cloth ponchos which were open on the sides. Young boys often went completely naked, save for a knotted chord about the waist which was typically braided with shells adorning it, perhaps as charms.

Vil women wore more elaborate clothing. Common across all levels of society were a type of linen breeches, called Vilmere breeches, which were loose fitting but held in place by woven bands about the thighs, above the knees, and across the ankles. Strangest of all is that these breeches were open in the middle, leaving a gap from the front of the crotch to the back of the buttocks. The purpose of this is unknown. For commoner women, this was perhaps their only article of clothing, save for headdresses or other adornments. Upper class women would wear a second piece: a vest of sorts which was fastened to the pants by buttons and which left bare the breasts. Headdresses for upper class women became more elaborate, with some depicted wearing tiered crowns similar to those seen in Kudd, denoting a possible influence. Paintings in the ruined palace show what archaeologists believe to be the Queen Mother of Vil. She is drawn as a white skinned woman with red hair which is woven into and around a six tiered horned crown of what may be wood. Her cheeks, chest, and shoulders are tattooed. She is wearing the typical vest and breeches, though she is also wrapped in a light purple transparent cloth. In one hand she holds a horned serpent and the other rests atop the head of a small female child.

Young girls wore breeches as well as beaded shawls that hung to the middle of the chest or even to the knees depending on their social status.

Men shaved their heads save for a side knot. Murals and archaeological evidence shows that Vilmere men had similarly light hair as the women, but dyed theirs black with pitch or squid ink. Vilmere women kept their hair long, often in pleats down their back or up in fanciful updos kept in place with bone bins.

The Vilmere fashioned their weapons of wood, bone, and copper. They're preferred weapon was spears or tridents, though bows were also employed.

## Culture

Compared to other Northern cultures, the Vilmere were more advanced, perhaps due to the abundance of food on and around Vil as well as their seeming influence from mainland southern cultures. The Vilmere were matriarchal, venerating a Queen Mother as well as a caste of priestesses. Their religion was a subset of the larger northern Dragon Cult, though they seemingly also venerated wyrms as well. Women controlled most of the crafts and governmental duties, while men did labor, farmed and fished, as well as did most of the construction. Building projects were of special importance to the Vilmere; their famous wall stands to this day and surrounded the entirety of the island by the time of Norduren contact in 1499 AE.

### Fishing

The waters around Vilmere are shallow, warm, and abundant with ocean life while the island itself is difficult to cultivate. Because of this much emphasis was placed on fishing, diving, and hunting of sea mammals. The northern and western coasts house two bays which are popular breeding grounds for seals. The southern cliffs are host to a multitude of nesting sea birds. Both were extensively hunted by the Vilmere. Fishing was done on large flat rafts, by either line, net, or spear. Diving for mollusks, sponges, and pearls was common. Both men and women dove, but women alone seemed to be allowed to hunt for pearls. Coral was incorporated into many elements of adornment, especially in headdresses for the upper classes.

Because of the proximity to the mainland, the Vilmere often traded with the Ardenic tribes, mostly for wood, grain, and animal products.

### Farming

Vil's soil is difficult to cultivate. Most crops grown on the island were tubers, some semi-wild grain, and local grasses that could be woven into fiber. Olive trees are common as well as Pilka Trees, short squat trees which produce a round purple fruit. These two trees were extensively cultivated by the Vilmere. Dogs were also raised for both their meat and hair. The Vil Terrier is a small dog which grows long coarse hair that can be shaved and woven into a coarse textile. Game birds were also kept, mostly Arden Hens.

### Religion

The Vilmere participated in a modified form of the Dragon Cult that dominated northern culture. Worship centered on honoring a goddess figure, called the Mother of Wyrms. Whether this figure was a priestess, queen, or deity is not quite known, however her cult image dominates the artifacts of the island. They believed this Mother of Wyrms to be a dragon in human form which acted as a protector to the island. This goddess was placated by sacrifices of goods and animals as well as complex rituals. The most famous ritual was a type of game in which teenage boys would be painted purple, climb to the highest point of the island's cliffs, and dive into the sea below. Those who emerged would try to grasp different objects from the sea floor, sometimes sand or mollusks, other times sacred goods tossed there by the priestesses. Those who returned with the objects would then gift them to the cult statue in the palace temple to appease the goddess.

Women acted as the priestess class. Only eunuch men were allowed to engage in temple rituals.

## History

The Vilmere claim to have always lived on the island of Vil. They claim that they were crafted from coral, sponge, and the menstrual blood of their Mother of Wyrms. For millennia they lived undisturbed on Vil, interacting only with the mainland Ardenic tribes when necessary. A conflict at some point in their history led them to begin constructing a massive wall around the entire island which was completed sometime before Norduren contact. They so thoroughly mined the island of Adilm for this purpose that it sunk into the sea in 1041 AE. Eventually, the Nordurens made contact with the Vilmere in 1499 AE. However, this contact was extremely minimal, being made through interactions at an Ardenic village on the mainland. In 1476, an attempt was made to siege the island but the Nordurens were repelled. The shallow waters around Vil make it too difficult for larger ships to near the shore and flaming arrows from the Vilmere further repelled the attack.

Slowly, throughout the 15th to 12th centuries, the Vilmere became more open to interacting with the outside world. By the 11th century, the island itself had experienced a mysterious collapse in both stability and population. It was mostly abandoned by 1024 AE. Vilmere culture assimilated into that of the now Norduren conquered Ardenic peoples. This new culture would eventually give rise to the pre-Fleurian matriarchal ruling system that would inevitably become the foundation of the Kingdom of Flir in 683 AE.