Madames et Monsieurs, Hubris presents the first piece of true Fluff this thread has seen for months!
The people of Grouting and the surrounding areas have often been described as "hard-nosed" and "gruff", and, to the passing trader or traveller, it may be easy to say that. However, others who have spent more time among the Groutlendings have ascribed a sort of warmth to these mountain people. While it is true that in their everyday dealings they put on expressionless faces and remain very terse and laconic, even at home, they are quite capable of opening up emotionally to their friends and family in ways that the passing stranger could not hope to experience. They are a hardy folk, living off what vegetables they can grow or find in the thin soil of the hills, and the scarce wild goats that roam the valleys. Often, when they are in need of meat, they will organise large hunts, in which whole villages often take part. These hunts involve two groups of people, men and women alike, working together to trap the wild goats. one group carefully lines up across the centre of a goatvale, and the other stands at the head of the valley. At a signal, usually a blast from a ram's horn trumpet, the group lined up at the valley's middle rush towards the head of the goatvale, hollering. this alrams the goats, such that they charge right towards those whating at the valley's head, who are waithing with large clubs and blugeons. These hunts often yeild up to twelve goats, which is usually enough to feed the village for about two months at a stretch. The meat is then cut into strips, and smoked over a peat fire, yeilding a sustaining, if bitter, product, which is often used as an additive for soups and the like.
On the subject of fashions, the Groutlendings have few traditions, apart from the knitted shawls that all women wear over their heads from the age of sixteen, and the short, loose tunics and loose trousers of goatskin that all Groutlendings wear, which they will often stuff with goat's hair during the long, harsh winters. However, with the advent of a noble culture, as introduced by Grand Duke Ballonas I in the 3rd century A.D., the fashions of the higher class have been modelled on Imperial fashions of the time.
Groutlending music is rather simple, but several esteemed composers of the Old Empire have been noted to include a Groutlending touch to their music, especially their more sombre pieces. That is, however, not to say that all of Grouting's music is sombre and reflective, as they do have several more up-beat dance pieces. Groutlending dance, like their music, is relatively simple, usually involving two rows of people facing each other, and the two at the end dance down the middle together.
~200 B.C.: First Southrel nomads begin to settle down in the hills of Grouting, building crude stone huts.
~290 A.D.: Fishermen from the isle of Biting are blown to grouting in a storm, and, while searching for supplies, stumble upon deposits of gold in the mountains.
-324 A.D.: The Empire, hearing rumours of gold from the south, sends surveyors and prospectors to examine if these reports hold any truth.
-365 A.D.: The Empire authorises the creation of the Grand Duchy of Grouting, and the construction of her capital, Grout. The First to hold this title is Ballonas I, an esteemed military commander, who was granted the lands and title as a reward for his superb strategic abilities in the conquest of Lester in 352 A.D.
~520 A.D.: Military presence in West Grouting becomes increaingly less under the lax rule of Grand Duke Artelen, and West Grouting eventually drops off the map.
~660 A.D.: Tribute of Groutlending gold to the Empire, now ceratinly in decline, becomes increasingly less, eventually dropping to almost none.
~740 A.D. to ~780 A.D.: Grand Duke Ballonas II gradually loses control of North and South Grouting.
~980 A.D.: The corrupt and lazy Grand Duke Miranall fails to prevent the loss of East Grouting to militant tribes from eastern Terrendale.
1000 A.D.: Grand Duke Mortrati ascends the throne of Grouting, upon his father's death of a heart attack.
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Topic: Fiefdoms @ War: Fluff Thread (Read 76050 times)