Hadashi Culture
Geographic Presence
is ancient indeed, likely having formed as a civilisation before on Elthos, and possibly, some speculate, even before . Hadash developed along the fertile banks of the Emerald River, largely free of interference from the outside world. Its geography yields significant protection even to this day, between the arid land to either side of the river, the impassable to the south, and the Pearl Sea, which only Cornucopian mariners seem able to traverse, to the east. The only threat might come from across the Sea Between, but it never has. Even the largely spared Hadash. Hadash's greatest threat has always been internal.
Values
Hadashi nobility hold power based on divine right. Provided a sufet or the monarch is willing to formally recognise a child of a noble, then that child is deemed to be blessed by . Whatever a noble happens to do is therefore a noble deed. Hadashi nobles do not need to be married to have children who are recognised and entering into a formal union does not guarantee that a child will be recognised. Some Hadashi nobles might aspire to provide in the way that River provides, or to protect as Sun does, but since they are already blessed nobles, whatever they do will inherently be noble. Commoners in Hadash hold many positions which would only be for nobles elsewhere in the empire.
The exalted status of Hadashi nobility means that values can be somewhat mutable. However, constant civil strife is, perhaps needless to say, not well liked by the common people.
Pastimes
Feasts and festivals are common in Hadash, even more than they are elsewhere in the empire. Every day is a good day for a festival, and there are consequently large gatherings in one place or another in Hadash throughout the year.
Settlement Patterns*
The banks of the Emerald River are densely settled. Most people live in centralised towns and travel out to farmland each morning. Hadashi commoners may live and work where they will. Generally, they rent land from a noble house, which they usually pay for using a share of their crops. Buildings in Hadash are usually built mostly or entirely from brick and stone, which is unusual in the empire.
Festivals
The greatest festivals of Hadash each year are after the inundation of the Emerald River, which makes the land so fertile, and the summer solstice, when the Sun is in the sky for the longest.