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| Ziegun |
| Home Continent: Nordin |
| Countries: Kefalê, Omoplate, Gonu, Poiou, Oaktulos |
| Languages: Zieek, Trade |
| Slavery: Legal in parts of Kefalê and all of Gonu |
| Relationships: Neutral to all but the Drude -- on friendly terms with the Drude |
| Average Height: 5'0"-5'7" |
| Average Weight: 143 lbs |
| Lifespan: 100 years |
| Focus: The arts (mainly sculpture and music), philosophy, and fishing |
| Holidays/Festivals: N/A |
| Notable Members: Alastair Andreios, Myron, Arion |
Overview[]
Though they do have a warrior culture, the Ziegun are primarily a race dedicated to the arts and philosophy. Ziegun statues and busts are a prized possession in many a manor around Ehrdi, and aside from fish, are the Ziegun nation's largest export. They are the leaders in various philosophical and scientific fields, and are proud to share their knowledge with the world, though very few nations hold as much interest in the subjects as the goat-kin do. They are also the only nation in Ehrdi to have a true democratic government. Ziegun are a patriarch society, but women still enjoy more rights than in some other nations. Ziegun are intelligent and always up for a friendly debate on politics, religion, or other grounds for a opinionated discussion. Most Ziegun spend their time creating great works of art or studying the works of famous philosophers and scientists. Those disinterested or untalented in such areas often focus upon combat and athletics instead. In fact, sports are another very popular activity for Ziegun, and every four years they hold the Olympics, a friendly competition of sports between each Ziegun country's teams, which are formed by selecting the finest athletes their homes have to offer.
A Ziegun's skin tone is often of a sort of peachy or olive tone, ranging from near-tan to almost-pale. The color of their fur is always the same shade as the color of their hair, which is often black or a shade of brown, and rarely white. Their pupils are always black, but their sclera ("whites" of the eyes) are instead some shade of yellow, from dull to bright.
Animals[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Art[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Children/Families[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Clothing[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Common Classes[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Education[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Festivals[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Food[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Vegetables[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Fruits[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Grains[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Dairy[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Meat and Fish[]
More information on this section coming soon.
Housing[]
Ziegun home designs are varied, but most plans are rectangular and set around a colonnaded interior courtyard. Usually there is a collection of small rooms within the house, but some plans consist of a large rectangular hall that serves as the primary living area. This leads to a columned porch. Small rooms used for servants, storage and cooking branch off from the sides of the courtyard. Houses of the commonfolk are rarely larger than one story, though the wealthy can afford a second floor. Common building materials include limestone and tufa. Wealthier homes are often made with marble thresholds/columns/doorways with mosaic floors depicting scenes of Ziegun or animals. Sometimes plastered walls are modeled to look like fine stonework.
Philosophy[]
Though certain countries like Gonu focus more on warfare, the Ziegun are most noted for their advanced understanding of sciences and philosophy. Many large Ziegun cities feature public forums for citizens to gather and openly discuss politics, philosophy, and other subjects. There are various famous Ziegun philosophies, most of which focus on reason and inquiry, but the most famous schools are:
- Aristoklesian - Followers of Aristoklesian philosophy believe that a person should always try to do well and "know thyself." For instance, a bad command should be disobeyed, even if it violates societal structure. The founder of this school, Aristokles, taught many later Ziegun philosophers, and was an early supporter of democracy when most of the Ziegun nation was still governmentally an oligarchy.
- Leandrian - Those in this school of thought tend to take on a synoptic view of ethics, metaphysics, reason, knowledge, and mortal life. A main concept in Leandrian is that knowledge gained through the senses always remains confused and impure, and that the contemplative soul that turns away from the world can acquire "true" knowledge. The world is an imperfect copy of the real essences of things that only the soul alone can have knowledge of.
- Euphemiosian - This train of philosophy places more value on knowledge gained from the senses, and forms the basis for the scientific method. The philosophy relies much on modal logic, and embraces concepts like possibility, existence, and necessity. While Aristoklesian thinkers believe philosophic method means the descent from a knowledge of universal ideas to a contemplation of particular imitations of those ideas, Euphemiosians believe philosophic method implies the ascent from the study of particular phenomena to the knowledge of essences.
Not all Ziegun by far fall into one of these schools of thought, but most better educated Ziegun at least have a comprehensible grasp of them.