Koryo

Koryo is a naval culture in the south-east, especially on the main island of Hampa. The culture is deeply affected by the fact that the oceans out there are often hostile and tsunamis sweep away entire villages at the coast. It is the dominant culture in the Hampyan Republic and the Duchy of Mun.

Traditions

It is common in Koryo culture to enter private houses or temples without shoes. There will always be a shoe rack or other place to put yours outside or, in larger dwellings, in the entrance hall. There is also commonly a large bowl with water to wash your feet. Among peasants, who sometimes walk barefoot, this is actually used. In higher social circles, it is retained as a small, symbolic bowl of water, and sometimes used for washing hands instead when entering the house.

This page is still incomplete and missing content or details that are planned, but have not been added yet.

Storm Law is rooted in Koryo culture as much as it is rooted in Hampy governance.

Common Phrases

• "Calm winds" - I wish you a peaceful time, good wishes in general
• "Once in a red moon" - not very often, but it does happen

Architecture

Most buildings in Koryo lands are sturdy and relatively simple. Tough to knock down, quick to rebuild is the concept. Local materials are used, wood in most places, mud and straw outside the forests, stone when it is available.

Buildings also tend to be round in shape, with a central courtyard thus somewhat sheltered from strong winds and outside views. Many buildings house an extended family or in large villages an cities, multiple families who each occupy a section of the house. In some of the large cities, three-story round buildings can be found with space for a hundred people and a courtyard with its own well and small gardens or plots for chickens.

In the countryside, some large buildings are only one story high but wide enough to have inside and outside flats with a corridor circling around at the centerline. This corridor has no outside windows and will instead have rooflight domes for light, which is why it only very rarely will be found in multi-story buildings.

Many old castles are essentially large and fortified houses following the same building style, though they tend to have a corridor near the outside that can be use to quickly reach the battlements and is open towards those, allowing light to come in.

This page is still incomplete and missing content or details that are planned, but have not been added yet.

(TODO: illustrations)

Villages are also less evenly distributed than in other lands, and tend to be clustered together for mutual support and protection in times of crises.