Adanan Culture
Geographic Presence
The people of the and of some non-imperial lands in central Elthos are Adanan, so called because of the Ada River which flows from central Elthos to the Encircled Sea, eventually reaching it in the city of . There has been some divergence between Adanans of the empire and elsewhere, driven mostly by the reach of the within the Imperial Territories; while Valon is held in high regard elsewhere, he is less likely to be a pre-eminent deity. The divergence is not particularly extreme, because the cult ultimately reinforced certain tendencies that Adanans already had towards a feudal society built around a strong nobility and military strength.
Values
For an Adanan, being true to one's word the greatest of virtues. An Adanan's word, once given in a formal setting, is sacrosanct. To fail to fulfil a promise is a blemish on one's reputation. This does not mean that Adanans hold one another accountable for every word in casual conversation. Properly giving one's word to a person must be in a setting with witnesses and in a suitable formal manner. By extension, most Adanans put much weight on people's sworn duty. However, great nobles have obligations to ensure the safety of their vassals, just as vassals do to serve their lieges, and a failure or indeed perceived failure by one party can be enough for the other to deem its own obligations at least somewhat nullified. The waters are further muddied by the Cult of Valon's teachings regarding strong nobility, and if a noble can contend that another noble is weakening the nobility as a whole, they might find another way to extract themselves from their obligations. More diplomatic Adanans will generally refrain from being too quick to call out another for failing to keep their word or fulfil their duty.
Pastimes
Adanan nobility are often fond of martial pursuits as pastimes as much as just a necessity. Tournaments are a frequent fixture and many knights might spend an entire year travelling from tournament to tournament. A tournament makes for a fine day out for a family, just as much as it is important for the prestige of a knight participating.
Settlement Patterns
Adanans rarely favour the construction of large cities. Sanctuary is utterly anomalous in that respect. Theirs is an agrarian society, its urban areas dispersed among various smaller towns. Minor nobles often hold small estates encompassing a village or two, just enough to support themselves, their family, and a few soldiers.
Festivals
The greatest festivals held by Adanans are to celebrate the coming of spring and the harvest, held at the start of spring and in late summer or early autumn.