Soigner of Patrie
Soigner of Patrie: Finest of Graces and Manner
The humans of the state of Patrie, known as the Soigner (swen-yey) could be called, of all the peoples of the Setlaar, the lynchpin of the Confederacy as a political entity. Whether it is the slow and steady Uulchin judgement, the Mahn-Eun's alienating culture, or Jediny's outright strangeness, every state's race have quirks and characteristics that would normally grate on each other, and indeed do from time to time. But the Soigner seemed to have been born to the role of greasing the social gears of the Setlaar, acting as diplomats, corporate reps, political advisors, and generally making coexistence an easier process for the various races sharing the continent. All that, in addition to being regarded as the people most responsible for the advancement of beauty and national pride for the Setlaar.
Physical Description
A race of humans, the Soigner have many different possibilities in their looks, depending on the region they call home. Those from the southern interior, known as 'La Jambe', tend to be of fairer complexion with blonde or ginger hair, blue, green or on rare occasion golden eyes. Soignarans from the northern coast, called 'Il Collo', can be more swarthy, though hardly ever mistaken for their islander cousins in Anpil Peyi, and sport green, brown or even a reddish carmine in the eyes with black or brown hair. Either way, they tend to be rather good-looking no matter the region, with sharp features in the men, waifish figures in the women, and taller heights in either.
History
The Royal Age
Pride in their culture seems to have been an early development in Patrie, as the people that would be called the Soigner began diligently recording their history over a thousand years ago. The first written records speak of two peoples in the lands now known as La Jambe and Il Collo who, after initial contact and skirmishes, realized the value of their cooperation. Their clan leadership soon intermarried, and in time a monarchy that ruled both regions arose from the united families. Centuries of peaceful and prosperous rule ensued, during which the systems of etiquette developed, creating the social philosophy called 'savoir-vivre' which called for the enjoyment of luxury, fine art and cuisine in a manner which complimented both consumer and creator. To create things of great quality and to recognize and properly appreciate those things were reflections of honor, intelligence, and good character. With the plentiful resources in Patrie, this created a sense of refinement among their people while avoiding most of the trappings of decadence.
Eventually, this sense of luxury touched their political fields, and groups of great thinkers formed that spent much of their time theorizing and mapping out a variety of systems, from the populist démocratie to the more authoritative fascisme, though these ideas never seemed to be any more than thought experiments which could, at most, be used to adjust the existing monarchic rule. Thus, these groups were given free-range by the royal family at the time to discuss and debate. What they did not realize however, is that sinister forces were at work to convert these scholastic occasions into a grab for power...
The Reign of Red
In time, a popular figure arose in the political assemblies, Marcelo Caproni, an advocate of an extreme form of démocratie that pushed the abolishment of all rule, arguing that the systems of savoir-vivre and other etiquette-based cultural inventions had ascended the Soigner from the need for higher rulers. As calm discussion slowly morphed into passionate, then vicious, argumentation, the underlying acknowledgement that the debates were simply theory began to disappear. Soon, Caproni's ideas began to spill out from the philosophers' courts into public speeches, and the royal family began to take notice. When the prince of the family met with Caproni, the incident ended in tragedy as a curse-bomb detonated that killed the men and blinded onlookers with dark magicks. This was the beginning of what would become the bloodiest years of Patrie.
Marcelo's brother Stefano called for revenge for his sibling's murder, claiming the magical bomb was meant to slay both Marcelo as a threat and the prince to give an excuse to crack down on the rising movement. Peaceful transition was now revolutionary fervor, and the streets of Patrie's cities erupted into civil war as royalists and revolutionists clashed in the streets. After months of fighting, the revolutionaries came out on top, and the royal family was executed in a grand display in the capital's square. Immediately however, Stefano formed committees dedicated to rounding up the remaining royalists and 'fairly distributing' the wealth of the monarchy. It didn't take long for some to realize much of the immense treasure was being funneled into Caproni family assets, and once again whispers were abound, this time claiming the entire revolution was a trick by the Capronis to unofficially crown themselves as the new powers of Patrie with stolen wealth.
There were indeed remaining royalist supporters, as rumor spread of surviving members of the old monarchy in hiding. The cycle of whispers in the street to proclamations in the square began again, this time in condemnation of Stefano's revolutionary groups and advocating for the return of the royal family, and the battles were few and far between as the Capronis and their followers were quickly turned upon by the mercurial crowds. Soon, it was their heads rolling down the road, and the monarchy was reinstated with the surviving family, the memories of what was to be known as "The Reign of Red" haunting the Soigner for generations.
The Burnished Crown
Though the new royal family was much loved and supported, it did not last long before the formation of the Setlaar. In fact, they were key contributors to the plan to abolish the separate governments of the states and instead join them into a single entity, one that would combine the wisdom and wealth of the greatest of each member state of this Setlaar Confederacy, and put them to use in elevating the continent as a whole into a new golden age.
The Alinibal Court was born.
Culture
Through all their political turmoil, the concept of savoir-vivre has endured in Patrie to the present day, and over time has extended to all aspects of life. Of all the various societies in the Setlaar, the Soigner have been the most influential, with appreciation for exquisite art and cuisine, as well as the pursuit of beauty and form over pure utility, even if other races have different ideas of what makes a building pleasing to the eye; even the dull architecture of the Shaqaale is made to appeal to orcish aesthetics, and appears marvelous to them. With this in mind, it should be no surprise that, in both the La Jambe and Il Collo regions, the Soigner are famed for their cooking and creativity. The southern countryside is home to vast tracts of unblemished greenery, occasionally dotted with vineyards such as the beloved Vignes flats that grow delicious Syrah grapes, and the northern mines, dug with great care, produce fantastic marble and granite for construction. With such resources, it's no surprise the natives created a society based around the best in life.
Another important aspect of Soignaran culture is nobility, the proper behavior of aristocrats. The southern peoples have coined a term, known as 'noblesse oblige', which dictates that with wealth and power comes a responsibility to act with honor, generosity, and kind regard for others. Where cities in other states might have a noticeable rift between the higher and lower classes, visitors to Patrie often have a difficult time picking out the rich and poor from each other. Soignaran nobility often hold charity events, run businesses that supply fine luxury goods at affordable prices to commoners, and fund schools that offer high standards of education to even the poorest.
Lastly, despite their reputation as merchants and diplomats, the Soigner have their own martial culture tied into their aristocracy and the division between the La Jambe and Il Collo regions. Tradition holds that princes from both lands competed for the hands of fine ladies during their ancient unification, and continued their duels to settle altercations and courtly intrigue during the monarchy. Rapiers and hand-crossbows are common tools of these contests which continue to this day, and many young men proudly bear scars, which they only allow to heal fully when they marry. Even in modern times, the Soigner hold the title of being the finest duelists in the Setlaar.
Religion
Of all the civilizations in the Setlaar, Patrie is one of the most religiously diverse, save for the famously pious Yauthkair gnolls of Latreia. Many Good deities are worshiped, with Shelyn and Iomedae being among the most popular. A steady contingent of Abadar worshipers also persists, usually in the north, but with the rise of the Gods of Chronus, another deity has become favored. Zaeed Abadi, the Son of Sand, has grown a large flock in Patrie over the years, his advocacy for culture, patriotism, and respect towards other, agreeable societies having garnered popularity with the Soigner. It certainly doesn't hurt that during his mortal years, Zaeed was educated in a Patrien college, a point of pride in the school to this day.
Racial Traits
Soignarans humans have all the same traits and stats as standard humans, including the northern and southern Common dialects of Patrie, but have access to more alternate racial traits to replace either their bonus feat or Skilled.
Beguiling Liar: Members of this race gain a +4 racial bonus on Bluff checks to convince an opponent that what they are saying is true when they tell a lie. This replaces Skilled.
Emissary: Once per day, members of this race can roll twice when making a Bluff or Diplomacy check and take the better roll. This replaces the bonus feat.
Gregarious: When members of this race successfully use Diplomacy to win over an individual, that creature takes a –2 penalty on attempts to resist any of the member’s Charisma-based skills for the next 24 hours. This replaces the bonus feat, and requires the character add their Ability Score bonus to Charisma.
Raw Charisma: Some Soignarans stand above even their fellows in their force of personality, easily bending others to their will for better or worse. They often need it, as the focus often costs them the flexibility other humans are known for. When adding their Ability Score bonus to Charisma, they can sacrifice their bonus feat for another +2.