Bulwari

The **Bulwari people** (Bulwari: Surakeši) are an ethnic group of humans native to the Bulwar subcontinent, known in Bulwari as Surakeš. The origins of the Bulwari culture can be traced to 2800 BA, when according to legend, the djinn Brasan taught the humans the art of Genie-binding, causing the revolt of the Bulwari against their djinn masters, and starting the Age of God-kings, the oldest period of the Ancient Bulwar age.

The Bulwari people descend from the native human inhabitants of the subcontinent, as well from Zablatari peoples, such as the Akalites, the Qašnitu and the Abadi, who settled in the middle and lower Suran plain during Ancient Bulwar.

For most of its history, Bulwar has been divided into city-states and petty kingdoms, with the Harpy Hills and the Salahad desert dividing the subcontinent into three different regions. For those reasons, Bulwar has strong regional identities, and while most people speak Standard Surakeši, a common tongue developed in the mid-1800s between scholars of the Overclan and the Jadd Empire, languages like Bahari, Gelkar, Mašnsih, Brasanni and Akalšesi Zanite remain spoken in their respective regions.

In addition to Bulwar, the Bulwari people and Bulwari descendants can be found in other regions, such as the Trollsbay, Cannor and Rahen.

### Etymology

The name “Surakeši”, their endonym, etymologically derives from the word Surakeš, the name of the subcontinent, that can be translated as Land of the Sun, or as Land of the Sun King, in both cases referring to Surakel, the god of worship of the Sun Cult, Bulwar’s native religion.

### Ethnicity

While "Bulwari" is used to refer to the native humans of Bulwar, this meaning is used primarily outside of Bulwar. Inside of Bulwar, "Bulwari" is used as an ethno-religious denomination that includes any person that lives in Bulwar, shares common cultural practices and, most importantly, has converted to the Sun Cult. By this definition, Bulwari not only includes the aforementioned humans but also Desert and Sun Elves, Exodus Goblins, Sandfang Gnolls and Firanyan and Siadunan harpies.

## Culture

### Bulwari Sun Cult

*Main article:* Bulwari Sun Cult

The native religion of the Bulwari, the main teachings of the faith are centered on a dualistic view of good and evil, and the eternal fight between light and darkness. They believe that all gods are dead, with the last god, Surakel, sacrificing himself to become the sun in order to keep the Malevolent Dark at bay. The followers of the cult seek to protect the Light fighting the Darkness by rejecting lies, sadness and despair, helping the needy and maintaining hope, until the day Surakel returns.

The Cult is divided by academics into three main denominations, the Old Sun Cult, the New Sun Cult and the Jadd, being the last one the dominant denomination in modern Bulwar.

### Land Ownership

Historically, most of the land in Bulwar was owned and worked by free peasants, who paid property tax directly to the state.

This form of land ownership can be traced back to ancient Bulwar, as peasants paid a tax to the temple or to the local God-king. With the passage of time, some land ended up in the hands of Gnolls and later Sun Elves, but the grand majority of the land remained in human hands.

Due to this, Bulwar never experienced the countryside-city migrations in a massive way, as happened in Cannor, but rather it was a more gradual process, with exceptions such as the Naza plain, which was concentrated in the hands of a few landowners during the Sareyandi estate and the Early Jadd Empire.

### Nobility

Nobles in Bulwar are known as Barkabti (Bulwari: aristocrat, nobleman), and this social class is composed by the families of Bulwari aristocrats, including the families of kings and priests, landowners with sizable lands, and families that descend from a noteworthy ancestor or formerly reigning dynasties.

Nobility in Bulwar is hereditary, but there are no definite noble titles. Families that can trace direct descent from a noteworthy ancestor are regarded as part of the Barkabti. Aristocratic families are generally recognized for the use of family names composed for the word szal- (Bulwari: Blood of) and the name of an ancestor: E. g. szal-Fazil, szal-Lekad. Older aristocratic families, such as Gillu-gameš (Those who pray to Gillu) or Araškaysit (Scions of Araš) follow a different naming convention, as the use of szal- was only adopted during the Castanorian Age.

Nobility in Bulwar doesn’t have associated any privilege, but Barkabti families are usually in control of the state and other institutions, like the Temple. The aristocratic families build networks of relationships among themselves, using political marriages, business contracts, and bureaucratic positions, which allows them to keep control over the kingdom/city state affairs.

The Barkabti see the state as a patrimony of the nobility, and they consider that they are the only ones capable of managing it. Despite this, the Barkabti are not a closed social class. If a lowborn bureaucrat or promising merchant draws the attention of one of the aristocratic families due to his potential, connections or position in the government, they will try to integrate them into their sphere of influence through marriages, commercial contracts or favors. In general, the human nobility is mostly urban, and focused on trade and management of the state, while the elven nobility, known as Ralkadezim, are a rural landowner nobility.

### Polygamy

While monogamy is the most common form of marriage in Bulwar, the Bulwari are also known to practice different forms of polygamy like polygyny (several wives) and polyandry (several husbands).

The two practices of polyandry and polygyny are more common in the upper strata of society, both human and elven, and are associated with dynastical, strategic and commercial alliances between the upper classes. Polygyny is more common in groups like the Gelkar and the Mašnsih, since those groups historically had a lower number of males due to the harpy kidnappings.

Officially, the Sun Cult takes no position on the matter, despite being the institution in charge of keeping the records of marriages. In practice, the Cult condones any family structure so long as it doesn’t negatively affect the upbringing of the family’s children. While multiple relationships within marriage is accepted, adultery, on the other hand, is not. Not only is the act of adultery illegal, but it is also widely condemned by the Bulwari society as taboo.

### Paradise Garden

*Main articles*: Paradise Garden and Kirimahsur

Paradise gardens are a form of garden whose origin dates to the God-Kings era, they are formal, symmetrical and usually enclosed by a wall. They are omnipresent in Bulwar, and all cities have at least one. In Bulwari mythology, Surakel was the God of Gardening before his sacrifice, and for them, gardens represent Order and Light.

### Festivals and Celebrations

#### Umaslu

A celebration of Zanšapi origin, celebrated during the last month before the winter solstice, in which the Bulwari tend to respect the tenets of the Sun Cult to the letter to support Surael in his fight against Darkness. The day of the solstice was called ‘Umaslu’ or ‘the day of the sheep’, and families gather around a big plate of ovine meat before praying for the return of longer days. The practice spread to other parts of Bulwar during the 16th and 17th centuries and is now practiced by most followers of the Sun Cults.

## Historical Bulwari peoples

### Ancient Bulwar

The **Harrites** lived in the Harra oasis and on the shores of the Bituzan river. During the Age of Monsters they were enslaved and displaced by the gnolls, with the survivors being integrated into the Surani people.

The **Pešakizzu** lived in the northern valleys of the Harpy Hills, and during the Age of Monsters they split into three peoples: the Enrakizzu, the Iqnakizzu and the Ittukizzu.

The **Šedunni** lived in the mouth of the Suran and in the Drolas peninsula. During the Golden Age of Brasan during the 6th century, the culture shifted, and the Šedunni renamed themselves as Brasanni.

The **Nazites** lived around the Naza lake and the eastern Naza plain. In the 9th century BA the Nazite kingdom was conquered by the Akalites, and by the 4th century AA, the Nazites had been integrated into the Zanite people.

The **Baršibu** lived in the middle and lower Suran plain. They were displaced by the Qašnitu from the northern bank of the Buranun in the 16th century BA. The middle Suran plain was conquered by the Akalites in the 3th century AA, and by 4th century AA, the Baršibu had been integrated into the Zanite people. The Baršibu identity survived in the lower Suran plain until they were integrated into the Brasanni people during the Golden age of Brasan in the 6th century AA.

The **Qašnitu** lived in the northern banks of the Buranum river. They descend from nomads from the Forbidden Plains who invaded Bulwar at the end of the God-kings. The middle Suran plain was conquered by the Akalites in the 3th century AA, and by 4th century AA, the western Qašnitu had been integrated into the Zanite culture. The eastern Qašnitu were displaced by the gnolls during the Merchant Queendoms period and were integrated into the Brasanni people.

The **Yametšesi** lived in western Bahar. Their culture had a strong influence from the dwarves of Ovdal Tûngr, and later, and, while they still kept a regional identity, the are integrated into to the greater Bahari people and identity.

### Age of Monsters

The **Abadi** lived in the area surrounding Anzabad and in the Kuzarami plains. They were the descendants of nomads from the Forbidden Plains who invaded Bulwar after the Onslaught and founded the city of Anzabad. The Abadi were integrated into the Šedunni peoples after the DoAS diverted the Buranum river and most of their land sank into the Gulf of Glass.

The **Enrakizzu** lived in the western valleys of the Harpy Hills, with their capital being Akurmbag. During the 6th century they were conquered by the Iqnakizzu, and they were incorporated into the Gelkar peoples.

The **Iqnakizzu** lived in the central valleys of the Harpy Hills, with their capital being Gelkabar, and later, Gelkalis. During the 6th century AA they managed to unite the other mountain peoples and forge the Gelkar culture.

The **Ittukizzu** lived in the eastern valleys of the Harpy Hills, with their capital being Arkašul. During the 6th century they were conquered by the Iqnakizzu, and they were incorporated into the Gelkar peoples.

### Age of Petty Kingdoms

The Maqeti lived in northeastern Sarhal, around the west end of the Gulf of Rahen. They were the descendants of Zanite and Brasanni slaves that fled south during the Age of Petty Kingdoms. They were known for following the Old Sun Cult.

## Modern Bulwari peoples

*See also:* List of Bulwari people

The Bahari inhabit the forested northern lands of Bulwar, between the Divenhal and the Harpy Hills. Famous for their merchants, sailors and for being the only providers of wood of the East Divenhal. Most of their population is concentrated around the cities of Aqatbar and Re’uyel.

The Gelkar are the inhabitants of the Harpy Hills. Their millenia-long relation with harpies made their society more female-leaded than other Bulwari cultures. The main Gelkar settlements are the cities of Gelkalis, Akurmbag and Arkašul.

The Kuzarami are cousins of the Gelkar and they inhabit the Šad Kuz, the southwest mountains of the Harpy Hills. While very similar in culture to their cousins, they have a closer relation with the Bahari, since Kuzaram is the only land route between the Suran valley and Bahar. They are known for worshiping Kuza, the mother of Surakel.

The Brasanni live in the Drolas peninsula and the lower Suran plain. The region was traditionally divided into hundreds of city-states that fiercly defended their autonomy, and by that reason, the Brasanni have strong local cultures.

The Zanites inhabit the middle Suran and Naza plains. Their culture was forged during the conquest of the region by Akalšes, and by their policy of population movement. Zanite culture is the most known outside of Bulwar, as it was the courtly culture of both the Phoenix Empire and the Jadd Empire.

The Surani inhabit the upper Suran plain. Their culture is deply religious, since their lands hold two of the most holy places in Bulwar: the temple-city of Eduz-Vacyn and the grand temple of the Jadd of Eduz-Meduru.

The Mašnsih inhabit the Salahad desert, they are a semi-nomadic people, mainly nomadic pastoralists, but the degree of settledness varies from tribe to tribe. They also live in the merchant cities of the Gulf of Rahen and the oasis of the Far Salahad.