Rowan

The Rowan are one of the two races of humans along with the Changelings and are defined by a distinct culture that was founded at the end of the Second Age. They occupy the Chama Peninsula, Maroe Archipelago, much of Olegard and Almia and the moon Oculus Pets. The Rowan are the patron race of Roe. From the Fourth Age onwards, they have shared a nation with the Changelings, first the Empire of Humanity and later the United Republic of Evalon.

Culture
The Rowan culture descends directly from the Wan tribe of Western Chama in the Second Age. It additionally has strong influences from the other tribes absorbed during the nascent Rowan's expansion to their present day boundaries and has some Changeling influence too, for example the Rowan writing system was originally adapted from the runes of the Changelings.

In general, the Rowan are an expressive and friendly people who value family ties and dislike strong authority. There is no sociatial prohibition of public nudity and very few sexual taboos. They live in relatively large houses shared by one extended family who live and support each other as one unit.

Rowan buildings are usually ornate and decorative, with the smaller houses made of wood and the larger built from stone. There is typically a strong nature theme to Rowan artwork as a result of their culture's forest origins and much of their mythology is based around animals and the natural world. Their writing is similarily decorative as their other creations.

Religion
The religion of the Rowan is primarily taught from the large ornate stone temples which are found across their lands. The temples tend to be colourful on the inside and are staffed by priests who dedicate their lives to the study of legends concerning Roe and the other gods to a lesser extent.

The Book of Rowan is the most important document to the religious Rowan, written some time between the Second and Third Age by an unknown group of authors. There are slight variations between different versions but most cover both the life of Roe from his creation up until the end of Second Age and also the history of first humanity and later the Wan tribe.

There is no one central authority for Rowan religion but rather a number of sects, however the three most numerous sects make up over 90% of all adherents. They are:

Kaitists: The largest Rowan sect, the Kaitists tend to be spread out fairly equally across Rowan lands. These adherents believe very strongly in the sacredness of childhood and are known for providing charity to not only mortal children of all races but also the Kinderven. They used to lead missions to provide aid to the Kinderven city of Quadringa upon Coelus, prior to it's destruction.

Chamists: The second largest Rowan sect and mainly based in the east of their lands, the Chamists particularly focus on the importance of the Chama Peninsula and consider it the holy land of the Rowan, they also honour the city of Manor as the birthplace of their race. They believe the Chamite King, by the Fifth Age long since deposed and with no remaining political power, has a special role to play in spiritual borders, even beyond human borders.

Millenarists: A minority sect, the Millenarists live mainly in the western lands of the Rowan, particularly Olegard. They focus on a set of prophecies that predict that some time in the future Roe will return to Evalon and become King of the Rowan, replacing the President as their head and leading to a new age of paradise for mortals.These views were controversial to authorities in the past, though tolerated in modern human society. Millenarists also honour Petal particularly strongly, believing she will eventually become Queen when the foretold Kingdom comes.

Politics


The Rowan are one of the two main component races of the Evalon Republic, along with the Changelings and a minority of Ekiruru, Kinderven and Mizzen. The monocameral government of the Republic is elected by a AV+ voting system with one vote for all citizens aged above 16 and parents gaining an extra half vote for every child they have. The president is elected with the same voting requirements but under a two round system where the top two voted candidates face each other off in a second round.

The Rowan flag, originally that of the historical Kingdom of Chama but by the Fourth Age adopted for use by all Rowan, combines the blue standard of the Wan tribe with the white flower that was found on Petal's body after the battle of Manor. The white flower is seen as the symbol of kinship between god and mortals.

Relations with other races
The Rowan have a very close relationship with their fellow humans the Changelings, with whom they share a nation. They also are particularly affliated to the Kinderven as a result of both cultures sharing a common creator, with the Treaty of Manor setting out laws for how the two would interact. Ekiruru form a signifcant minority in Rowan lands and those living on the planet Eld have good relations with the Rowan, due to a shared worship of Roe and Petal. There is a degree of trade between the Rowan and Dues Filli and also friendship between the two races.

Aside from those, there is also good relations between Rowan and Mizzen, due to their close proximity and joint administration of Minas Kei. Rowan trade ships are a common sight around the western shores of Almia and occasionally reach as far west as Ortaw. Interaction with the Lainir, Dwarves, Stryfe and Verr is limited, due to their isolation on other planetary bodies. Relations with the Grigori are severely strained after the Quadringa massacre of the Kinderven and Grigori are banned from entering or holding citizenship of the Evalon Republic.

Rowan's historical range in the Third Age
The below map shows the historical range of the Rowan and where their greatest population densities are still found even in the Fifth Age. At the present time they are found everywhere within the borders of the Republic.