Taldan

History

On the shores of the Inner Sea sits the kingdom of Taldor, the oldest of the surviving Avistani nations in the region. From it humble beginnings as a trading post where Azlanti fleeing the devastation of their homeland could exchange goods with Keleshites living on the frontier of ancient desert empires, Taldor grew to become a world power in its own right. At one time, the Empire of Taldor spanned most of southern Avistan, north to the River Kingdoms, and west through most of modern Cheliax. Today, however, the kingdom of Taldor is a mere fraction of its former size.

Historians say that the Empire of Taldor, like so many before it, fell due to its own decadence and excesses. The Taldan people became haughty and so sure of their supremacy in the world that they did not even conceive of the possibility that their colonies might revolt, and so were completely unprepared when said colonies slipped away in the Eventongued Conquest. With Qadiri armies amassing on its borders and beset by centuries of decadence, Taldor soon lost control of Andoran, Galt, and Isger, and saw the kingdom of Cheliax grow into a mighty empire.

Society

The Taldan people are known the world over for being among the most accomplished scholars, artisans, and practitioners of exotic martial skills. They are also known to be perhaps the most arrogant, self-important, and dismissive culture in history. Both these reputations are well deserved.

With millenia of cultural development and decadence, Tandor and the people it birthed have achieved the highest levels of education and artistry, allowing both to reach their fullest expression. Scholars and craftspeople from across Avistan and northern Garund claim at least partial Taldan heritage, and many seek to study in Taldor in order to have a connection with the ancient and learned culture spawned there. A year of training in Taldor, they say, is worth five anywhere else.

Taldan arrogant pride manifests differently for the two sexes. Regardless of the specific details of their ethnic elitism, Taldan haughtiness tends to wallow in shallowness. Obviously, not every Taldan exhibits the most extreme arrogant personality traits described here, but enough do to make the pride of Taldans an unfavorable stereotype known throughout the Inner Sea region.

Male Taldans exhibit an arrogant machismo that usually falls just shy of outright misogyny. They speak of conquests and territorial disputes when they discuss Taldan women, and of “bringing civilization to the barbarians” to brag of their exploits with women of other ethnicities or races. This insular fraternity leads to extremely close relationships between men, such that observers from other ethnicities often mistake these bonds as more than just friendship – an assumption that occasionally holds more than a shred of truth.

Women express their ethnic superiority complex via biting commentary of the dress, hairstyle, body shape, or facial features of other females they see. Although they tend to focus their overly critical judgments on women from other ethnicities or races, when bored or among only close friends they sometimes casually insult one another (albeit with considerably less bile than when their attentions are drawn outside their close circles). Taldan women take great pride in Shelyn’s Taldan origins, and frequently do everything in their power (including spending more than they can truly afford) to attain a nebulous level of beauty that differs by individual. In general, Taldan women tend to treat men as attractive playthings meant to entertain, buy perfumes and beauty aids, and then leave when they become boring.

On the other hand, when moved to better emotions, Taldans express their concerns with nigh-unparalleled charity of time and wealth. In fact, the success with which hard-luck tales and wide-eyed impoverished children (especially those of obviously Taldan descent) can convince a Taldan to donate hard-earned coins further leads to the view of others that Taldans throw about their wealth with little concern for the future. This hedonism, critics observe, frequently is the reason why many adults fall on hard times an must turn to their fellows for additional aid.