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| Related | Amal Culture • Cearden Culture • Ithanian Culture • Wirtem Culture • Anglian Culture • Breizh Culture • Cantaluna Culture • Velheim Culture • Tierravera Culture • Krainivaya Culture • Regal Culture • Aetosian Culture • Dvalan Culture • Sarnan Culture • Moeraslander Culture • Stormenn Culture |
The Amal Culture is a multi-ethnic group once native to the Amelore Kingdom. Since its destruction and subsequent takeover by the Regalian Empire, they have become a nomadic people of beasts and cattle ranchers. They once descended from the Ailor servants of the Methenwë Bel Hammon Elves of the Amelore Kingdom, tending to the creature pens and holding the beasts confined to their arenas and laboratories. While the majority of the Amelore Ailor culture integrated into the wider Regalian Empire, the descendants of these Amal people were held with contempt for serving the Bel Hammon Elves freely and with pride, and thus chose to travel. In the modern era, the Amal still face some discrimination due to their supposed unpatriotic attitudes to the Regalian Empire but are also at once romanticized as no-nonsense, free, and harkening to simpler days before the industrial and magical revolutions set in. The Amal Culture is the closest proximity to cowboy culture in Aloria.
Identity
The Amal Culture is largely made up of but not exclusively Ailor, making it one of the few pan-Heritage cultures that is truly heritage blind. To become Amal, unlike other cultures, one simply needs to choose to be an Amal, as the Amal are always willing to recruit newcomers and “fellow hands,” as they call them, into their ranches. A ranch refers to a group of Amal-cultured people who live and work together, traveling the land like nomadic groups while tending to their cattle, or beast herds. The Amal Culture has no single point of origin or religion, and generally, everyone within it minds their own business, has a rugged individualist identity, and a high code of honor and sense of chivalry despite being the furthest removed from Knights. They lack an autocratic structure or hierarchy beyond the "boss" of the ranch, as the Amal do not engage in nobility or royalty, favor close-knit and fiercely loyal bonds fostered through hardship and struggle, and poetic solitude in their long working hours.
Roams and Ranches
The Amal organize on ranches (several families or bachelor ranchers who live and work together), and multiple ranches together form a Roam. A Roam is somewhat similar to a Guild but much more decentralized, allowing the Amal to easily recognize what type of animal they tend to while out in the wilds. When playing an Amal, choose one of the Roams, as this may affect the color of the ribbons on their hat (see Fashion and Architecture).
- The Red Roam indicates ranches that engage in the ranching of Drakes (often called wyverns), and Draconets (see same link), usually in service of the Draconism faithful, or specific Draconism strongholds like the Castles of Draackenrust. The ribbon on the Amal hat for the Red Roam is red, and the broaches are shaped like wyverns on the ribbon. Many Red Roam ranchers are also Archon or Draconists, due to their proximity.
- The Blue Roam indicates ranches that engage in the ranching of the Taurocamp (the upper body of a bull and lower body of a dolphin) or Hippocamp (the upper body of a horse, lower body of a fish), two rare water-based creatures native to the Vientiane region in the Osteiermark Sea. Because of the pollution in this sea due to the factories of Vultaro, the Blue Roam ranchers take their herds to other seas. Their ribbon is colored blue, while the broaches are shaped like koi fish on the ribbon. Due to the ban on fishing around the Regalian Isle, Blue Roam ranchers are commonly found in Regalia.
- The Green Roam indicates ranches that primarily tend to cattle herds for the other Roams, like cows or sheep, with the intent to feed the larger more carnivorous animals of other Roams. Secondly, the Green Roam also specializes in the breeding of horses or other mounts for the ranchers of the other Roams, thus making the Green Roam very utility-focused. Their ribbon is colored green, while their broaches are shaped like cows.
- The White Roam indicates ranches that primarily tend to the pegasi of the Ithanian Kingdom, though usually in the Regalian Archipelago as opposed to Ithania to keep them away from court intrigue that might see them targeted. White Roam ranchers often ride pegasi themselves to catch up to any foals that decide to flee into the clouds. Their ribbon color is white, and their broaches are shaped like dove wings.
- The Brown Roam indicates ranches that primarily tend to non-domesticated animals that are incredibly dangerous, like harpies, basilisks, giant snakes, or Drowda Spiders. The Brown Roam has no intent to domesticate, tame, or otherwise handle these beasts–they are held purely for hunting sports, research, or to have them fight each other in the ring for coin. Their color is brown, and their broaches are shaped like eagle talons.
- The Black Roam is not an actual Roam, but indicates specifically the ranches who have had their entire herd culled or stolen (due to disease, brigands, or state lawfare), and are either in a state of intense mourning or have taken the black to swear vengeance against whoever or whatever took their herds from them. Their ribbon color is black, and their broaches are shaped like swords.
- The Yellow Roam is not an actual Roam, but indicates ranchers who have retired peacefully or with honors either because they are old or their ranch was no longer profitable and disbanded. It can often also indicate ranchers who are looking for work and in-between jobs. Their ribbon color is yellow, and their broaches are shaped like maple leaves.
You can swap Roams through Roleplay choices or backstory changes but these changes should not be frequent, as each change comes with the need for a rancher to be trained on how to handle certain animals, as each type has different needs and behavioral quirks.
History
Amal Culture was largely employment-based among the pen managers and beast-herding Ailor servants of the Methenwë Bel Hammon Elves, who ruled the Kingdom of Amelore. The Kingdom of Amelore had a majority Ailor population in an impoverished state, while the Elves ruled in absolute luxury, and used much of the facilities in their Kingdom to engage in experiments on animal creationism. These Amal ancestors guarded the pens, and took care of the animals, while the Elves did all the thinking and decision-making. Even during the Kingdom of Amelore, there was a level of resentment towards the Amal ancestors for agreeing so readily to work for the Bel Hammon Elves and to accept their payment and gifts. When the Amelore Kingdom fell and the Elves retreated to Bel Hammon, the Amal ancestors were left behind, often at the mercy of the locals. While many of the Amelore citizens joined the Empire willingly and quickly integrated, the Amal ancestors continued to face persecution for their loyalty to the Bel Hammon and were often excluded from public life. When much of the Badlands and the Elven research sites were destroyed, the Amal lost their purpose and became nomadic Roamers. Many of the fertile valleys and grasslands were incorporated into clerical or noble lands, causing their grazing fields to become ever smaller until they too were expelled from the Regalian Isle itself to Roam into the wider Archipelago.
Over the next few centuries, the Amal people Roamed and consolidated a culture due to their distance from all other Ailor. At first, the group was largely ethnically homogenous but over time, other outcasts and travelers joined the Amal Culture, resulting in a multi-ethnic blend. Nowadays, the culture cannot be claimed by Ailor, Elves, or even Eronidas, it belongs to anyone willing to "walk the way,” as the Amal people say. Amal Culture as a whole also had a revival in the eyes of the other cultures of the Empire. While some old superstitions about the Amal persist, such as carrying diseases and deadly animals with them, and the idea that the Amal are disloyal and unpatriotic with a secret hate for the Empire, much of the Amal Culture has also become romanticized. While the Empire at large moves on with new advancements at rapid speed, the Amal remain roughly the same, always recognizable by their Amal hat and chain-lasso arm. The Amal Culture represents an idealized picture of traditionalism that the Regalian zeitgeist cannot even legitimately lay claim to. They are held up as patrons of personal freedom and macho individualism, where every person pulls themselves up by the bootstraps and has a high sense of honor and self-worth, even if the lawfare inflicted by the Regalian state against them constantly tries to restrain these aspects. There is a common saying among the Amal referring to Regalians as NANNYs, which stands for "No Amal Nowhere Near You,” though Regalians love to gaze at paintings of Amal ranchers out in some grass field tending to a flock of wyverns.
Families and Romance
The Amal organize themselves in so-called ranches, which are loose associations of people who agree to live and work together, often also comprising multiple families. It is common for one rich Amal family to split off from a ranch and establish their own, attracting poorer Amal as ranchers to work with them. Each family has their own tent or caravan wagon (usually parked on the outskirts of Regalian cities as they are not allowed to live within), whereas single ranchers usually share a bunk tent. The Amal lack formal arrangements for courtship or marriage. Unions are arranged quickly and broken up just as fast. Children are raised in a communal sense, and also quickly taught how to ride a horse and handle the beasts, to ensure they can help out at a very young age.
Religion and Law
The Amal lack a unified religious belief and, generally speaking, are very open to religious freedom. Ironically, many of them are Unionists, the very thing they are accused of being disloyal to, but many also still hold onto the Estelley faith of their Bel Hammon masters several centuries prior. Religion is a much more relaxed aspect of Amal life, which the Amal believe is largely because of their redirected concept of principle and ethics. While most Regalians derive their sense of right and wrong from their religion, the Amal derive their sense of justice from personal worth, honesty, and dignity. Even though religions translate different sins and virtues that often clash, the Amal all share the same code of justice that lives alongside Regalia's state law that they often fall under due to Roaming within its borders.
Education and Language
The Amal people lack a formal structure for education, with as many as 9 out of 10 being illiterate and only speaking Common. The Amal dialect of Common is often referred to as the Amalic dialect, which is reasonably mutually intelligible, though it may have some outback-inspired vocabulary that may be hard to understand for urban Regalians. Amal names are inspired by the hopes parents have for their children or the conditions of their birth. One male name might be Colt, referring to being born on a cold night, or Boone, referring to this child being thought of as a boon to bring about new fortune for the ranch. For girls, names are often related to crystals or gems, such as Ruby, Pearl, or Emerald. Unisex names are also very common, like Sage, Quill, or Clover, as many families try to impose their sense of rugged machismo on their children regardless of gender.
Art and Crafts
The Amal are remarkably productive despite essentially being entirely segregated from the common Regalian economy. They often hunt and gather their food, or take directly from the cattle of their ranch. Wyvern hides and teeth are carved into souvenirs for discerning Regalian aristocrats, and animals are even sold to high bidders to bring in additional cash flows. As such, the Amal engage in arts and crafts through the produce of their animals and what they can find in the wild. Their leather tanning and engraving are widely known, while they are also excellent blacksteel forgers due to the need to constantly replace broken tools or produce new complex chain-lasso arms. Chain-lassos are blacksteel arm and shoulder armor with an integrated hook-chain and winch mechanism. The Amal use it to rapidly lasso animals with the specially designed self-locking hook, while this device can also be used to rapidly descend cliffs or reach higher ledges, for example, when chasing a wyvern that has broken free and taken flight. The Amal consider these chain-lasso arms deeply personal and part of their cultural heritage, offended when any outsider attempts to buy one, or showcases owning one.
Fashion and Architecture
The Amal wear loose fabrics and coats, as well as their traditional Amal hat. The Amal hat bears a great deal of importance, not only because it protects them against the elements while working outside for days on end, but also because it is a status symbol. The Amal hat always has a colored band, with the color indicating what Roam they belong to. A Roam can roughly be understood to be a Guild, a loose collective of ranches that all focus on working on the same type of animal. The ribbon also has several brooches, with each indicating a full 5 years having worked on a ranch. The more brooches a rancher has, the more skilled they are considered, and it also gives them seniority to other ranchers based on their knowledge, even if they may not be as spry or athletic anymore due to their age. Amal architecture is nigh nonexistent due to their need to nomadically move around. They usually live in round tents with whole families or several single ranchers together in one. Wealthier families can usually afford a covered wagon which may be more structurally sound but is smaller than the commonly used tents. Amal tents and wagons are often decorated with produce from their animals, for example, a wyvern rancher may clad the outside panels of their wagon with wyvern scales. Another strong visual identifier for the Amal is their oversized swords and melee weapons. The Amal must use large heavy weapons, especially to protect their more valuable cattle like wyverns, who are often picked on by predator creatures like the Badlands Woggomp with its thick hide and scales. Only the Amal cleaver swords are capable of breaking the hides of these beasts, which encourages most Amal to carry these weapons with them, or another oversized variant. While the Amal are an analog for a cowboy culture, it is important to keep their visuals grounded in a fantasy-medieval universe. The cowboy hat as described is practically mandatory, but one should avoid spurs or spotted cow-hide patterned coats and firearms (which the Amal avoid), to ensure the ensemble remains plausible for a high-medieval setting.
Magic attitudes
Due to the macho culture of the Amal, it should come as no surprise that Magic is held somewhat with contempt among them. While they do not expel their relatives for being Mages, they do have a chauvinistic attitude towards Magic often compared to Martial Purism, which is the idea that Magic is cheap or some kind of dishonorable shortcut. The Amal frequently engage in honor duels when someone has said disreputable words or dishonored someone, during which Magic may give an unfair advantage. The Amal try to teach their children who show an ability towards Magic by sending them to the Aelrrigan Order, with a vague expectation that they do not return until they can control their Magic. About half the children who are sent off to boarding school this way never return, but those who do are integrated well enough. Arkenborn, Broods, or Marken fare pretty well among the Amal, notably due to these types of persons being thought of as pariahs or exiles from Regalian society, which naturally makes them feel a sense of kinship among the Amal.
Amal Stereotypes
Due to the Amal ancestors being loyal to the Bel Hammon Elves both during their presence and after their departure, whether or not the aversion the Amal have faced since was justified has been much discussed. During the establishment of the Amelore Kingdom, the Amal ancestors were considered enemies, but in the same vein, the Amelore Kingdom was the one aggressed upon by the Five Family Rebellion, not the other way around. The Amal ancestors were defending themselves, though whether they came to blows with the Regalians is lost to time. When the Kingdom of Amelore was no more, it was the Amal who refused to acknowledge the Regalian Empire, and effectively declared themselves strangers in a foreign land. Regalia using lawfare and increasing land appropriation to push them out of their territory was, in effect, justified because the Amal refused to be part of that common society. In a way, many of the ex-Amelore citizens who did join the Regalian Empire felt resentful of the Amal ancestors, because they accepted the praise and gifts of the Bel Hammon, who were not kind to the others, and in effect became a weapon that the Bel Hammon used to pacify the other Ailor under them.
In the centuries that have passed, however, this nuance has reversed, in the sense that none of the stereotypes or hostility are based on fact. Many of the Amal have converted to Unionism and actively work towards the Great Way, providing beasts of burden and mounts to Regalian armies, and in most cases even paying taxes. Most Amal have no concept of what a Bel Hammon Elf is anymore, and should a Bel Hammon Elf return to demand their obedience in the modern day, they would be the first to defend Regalia’s honor and strike them down. Some stereotypes persist, however, due to the unfortunate side effects of the animals they carry with them. The suspicion of disease is, for example, placed on the Amal not because of a lack of hygiene but because the ignorant provincials mistake harpy diseases or basilisk venom seeping into the soil or water supply and causing issues as something to do with the Amal themselves. The fact that they are kept away from urban society is entirely based on ignorant misconceptions about their work, though in the end, it remains somewhat practical to avoid accidents. Most of the animals at the Amal ranches are predators who are easily capable of killing a grown adult in mere seconds.
In conclusion, many stereotypes persist due to a lack of familiarity with the Amal who choose more solitary conditions away from urban centers, which are all unfounded or unreasonable. While the Regalians once had a point in expelling the Amal ancestors from their homeland to preserve peace, those conditions have long passed and any discrimination of the Amal is outright bigotry.
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