Gallery

Overview

Riojans are passionate, adventurous, emotional people, and are the best known sailors in the world-- however, their main exports are their fashion, food and culture, which they have spread far and wide through all of their bold expeditions. Easily recognized by their loud voices and boisterous mannerisms, Riojans tend to command the attention of any room they enter, and are generally assumed to be the evening’s entertainment— which tends to be the case, whether or not they were hired as such. These dramatic folk are expected to follow their heart in all they do, for in Rioja, planning is the same thing as scheming, and they have no time to waste with such trivial matters. As a famed Riojan bard once said, “Artworks are not objects, they are triggers for experiences”— and Riojans want to experience everything.

Geography

Rioja is a narrow, rocky, coastal region nestled in between the Maker’s Gift and the Summer Sound. Their settlements are typically built more vertically than horizontally, with elegant spiraling staircases and pillared walkways woven in between the colorful layers of tiled roofs and silk awnings. Riojans have elegant lighthouses sprinkled along their coastline, and their harbors are always bustling with a flurry of activity from merchants and entertainers alike. It is extremely unusual to find a Riojan who doesn’t know how to sail, and even stranger to find a Riojan who doesn’t sing or play an instrument.

Further inland, along the mountain ranges, a great deal of the farmland is devoted to growing grapes for wine and terraced plots of wheat and grain. Rioja is the world’s largest producer of strawberries and raspberries, which grow wild on their mountainsides and are often fermented into wines and liqueurs. Riojan settlements tend to be extremely compact, with communities concentrated around social centers and fairly long stretches of farmlands and vineyards separating each town from neighboring town.

Marsaterra is the best known wine-producing region of Rioja, with the most highly prized and most expensive wines regularly produced from their grapes. There are food and wine festivals held in Marsaterra almost every year which are the social events of the season; socialites have been known to make reservations at Marsaterran hotels more than a year in advance. It is also an extremely romantic city, and an incredibly popular spot for engagements, elopements, and honeymoons.

Geography

Settlements

Appearance

Typically, Riojans wear fluid silk gowns, draped kaftans, and blouses with billowing sleeves. Riojan style is quite popular in most parts of the world, and a genuine Riojan gown can fetch a high price at any market. Riojans often incorporate small trinkets and accessories from distant lands into their outfits, but the core look must always be unmistakably Riojan-- it’s a point of pride.

Riojan clothes tend to be in either solid or gradient tones of any color imaginable, often with pops of color hidden in a lining or a fold (Riojans love a good surprise!). They dress in a romantic fashion, forever inspired by the god of love, Yamin. Riojans are associated with classic beauty and style, and are often credited for starting global fashion trends.

Military & Diplomacy

Ostensibly Rioja has an Archduke that is responsible for the unification and protection of all of Rioja, but most “real” Riojan politics happen at a provincial level, with independent dukes and their duchesses ruling over competing territories within Rioja. As a result, Riojan politics have a reputation of being rather tumultuous, with alliances and rivalries changing with the passing whims of a Riojan’s passions…. which might as well mean that they change with the tide, or the direction of the wind. Riojans are known to be loyal only to their own heart, and their hearts are known to change swiftly, easily, and without notice.

For all of its internal squabbling, Riojans have tended to get along rather well with their neighbors. They are respected for their navy, which is considered to be the largest and most skilled fleet in the world, and their swashbuckling legions are a force to be reckoned with in their own right— this much was proven during the Seithrani Civil War, when Riojans intervened on Seithran’s behalf and helped defend the capital.

All Riojans are expected to travel the world (and especially the seas), so it is rather likely that there are more Riojans out in the world than there are in Rioja itself. This is something that Rioja makes political use of, occasionally relying on soft diplomatic efforts to endear themselves to other nations. After all, if your king’s favorite artist was from a small Riojan town, and spoke of it so lovingly…. what king would actually tear that picturesque place apart? Riojans absolutely believe in the powers of art and expression, and rely on the hearts and minds of others to do the same.

Magic & Faith

Riojans generally embrace the study and practice of magic and have looser regulations on its use than its neighboring countries. This is especially true of occult magic, as Rioja is famous for their bards and their bardic colleges.

Riojans are also famously fond of Yamin, the god of love and loss, and have a great many shrines and churches build up and down their coastline dedicated to him.

Education & Technology

The premier bard college of Sharum Mal’Kari, Accademia Della Monda, is the crown jewel of Haven and the center of all Riojan diplomatic and artistic affairs. The Accademia serves as a museum, community art center and embassy, where a handful of artists from around the world are invited each year to be honored as Artists in Residence. These individuals often teach during their time at the Accademia, which usually draws a highly international crowd of interested students.

Rioja is also one of the best places in the world to study Languages, with entire centers dedicated to the preservation and instruction of foreign Languages. Partially due to the Riojan passion for travel and exploration, it is extremely common for Riojans to be multi-lingual and conversationally fluent in even rare or exotic dialects.

Additionally, Rioja is home to the Lorenzo Perosi Studios, a very famous bard college and gallery space that focuses on visual arts. All Mal’Karian artists dream of one day having their work hung in a Perosi Studio, and it is largely considered to be the height of artistic achievement to be asked to instruct at this college.

Family Life

It has often been said that the very concept of forbidden love was invented in Rioja, for as much as Riojans are fond of love in all its forms, there is a special place in Riojan society for tales of star-crossed lovers and love that cannot be. In spite of this, there aren’t many forms of courtship, partnership or family composition that Riojans would consider taboo, so they often must look outward to other regions for inspiration for these tales.

Riojans typically have extremely large families but are not expected to stay together. It is extremely important in Riojan culture to follow your heart, so it is not unusual for Riojans to get married multiple times in their lifetime (sometimes even before they’ve actually gotten around to getting divorced). To a Riojan, a marriage is a celebration and a promise for that moment— which is believed to be heartfelt and genuine, but not necessarily permanent. Riojans easily feel trapped with commitment and are extremely suspicious of those who would force them into making long-term promises. There are few things that a Riojan would be willing to sacrifice their freedom for— especially in matters of the heart.

In a true Riojan wedding, the entire village is invited and the celebration goes from dawn until dusk, with wine and spirits flowing freely. It is customary for the couple to take a long honeymoon, usually to a place neither one have been to before. It’s not unusual for a Riojan couple to choose to settle down in the place they took their honeymoon; Riojans see this as good luck, and a way to extend the romance so that the honeymoon never actually ends.

However, no matter how far a Riojan may travel, it is important to never forget where you came from or the family you are a part of. Riojans like to take their fashions and recipes with them when they leave, and often prefer to speak in their native tongue when meeting with other Riojans. They frequently send letters, packages, and money back home to their village and to any family that might still be there; these funds often go to support new couples and send them on their way. When Riojans are elderly, they often will move in with a member of their extended family, or return back to Rioja to be cared for by the youth of their communities if no such family exists or can be found. Riojans have a reputation for being proud of their culture and of looking after their own.

Naming Conventions

Riojan names are inspired by Italian names, especially those from the Renaissance-era. However, Riojans are more likely than most to have been strongly influenced by people and cultures from just about anywhere else in Sharum Mal’Kari, so unless they are associated with a noble house a Riojan could have a name from just about any national background without seeming out of place.

Personal Names: Dante, Dacio, Aidano, Vinfrido, Emmerico, Vedasto, Trasea, Nadia, Franca, Gilda, Letizia, Eraldo, Luciano, Nico, Elena, Elisea, Lidia

Family Names: Cicone, Racanelli, Magliozzi, Marzilli, Sciara, Renzo, Fallo, Pantano, Carinci, Tomasini, Forlini, Rosetta, Romero, Domizio, Arata

Local NPC Compendium

· Nicola Carpio, duke
· Damiano  Volante, duke
· Agostina Bellucci, dutchess
· Iona Michetti, dutchess
· Carmine Rosselli, duke
· Rico di Perna, duke
· Livia Costanza, artist
· Federico Masini, artist
· Marreo Bartolomei, chef
· Casimira Aliano, chef

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