Luari

Luari is a northern culture prominent mostly in Grasalia.

It values strength and independence to the point where in some rural areas boys are still sent into the wilderness armed but alone to kill a wolf or bear and become a man. But Luari is also the only human culture where men and women enjoy equal status. Women hunt as much as men do and fathers are proud of and spend time with their children just as much as mothers do. Even in warfare do women participate. There are only a few activities that are segregated by sex: Women don't gamble, men don't fish or lay traps, for example.

Traditions

A distinct Luari tradition that has fallen our of fashion in most other areas of the world is gladiatorial combat as a spectator sport. In villages and smaller towns, these are conducted between locals much like any sport, and typically with wooden weapons. Bruises and minor injuries are fairly common at these events and carried with pride.

Just like amateur sports, there is also a more professional level of pitfighting (as it is called at the middle, semi-professional level) or arena fighting (the highest, pro-level). These battles, sometimes 1-on-1 but more often 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 are fought with real armor and actual, though blunt, weapons. Local rules as to allowed hit locations differ slightly, but even if the head is disallowed, fighters generally wear helmets. Stabbing is also often not permitted.

Wounds of all severities occur in many of these fights, and several gladitors all over the Luari areas die each year. This violence is culturally excepted and considered entertaining, much like public executions elsewhere.

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

Architecture

Most of the Luari lands are mixed or coniferous forests (taiga), which makes wood the obvious construction material of choice. Almost every building in Luari culture is made from wood, with the exception of city and castle walls.

sketch of Luari half-floor architecture

The most typical feature of Luari architecture, however, is the popularity of half-floors. In the hills and mountains of the southern Luari regions, where the culture possibly originated, this is simply a practical way to build on a slope. In a half-floor building, part of each floor is built at ground level and the other part is built half a floor higher, with a staircase in the center connecting all floors. So you would move from floor one to floor one-half, then to floor two, and floor two-half.

This style is now used even when houses are built not on a slope, with the half-height parts at the ground and top floors used as storage spaces or sleeping quarters. Sleeping in a half-height room needs some getting used to for foreigners, who regularily bump their heads on the low ceiling when standing up (the top floor is often under the roof, so the center of the room is just high enough to stand, but the sides are not).

Clothing

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