Curci¶
The Curci (pronounced ser-See) are a hardy human people of tan skin and dark hair, "well known for their music", whose bards are welcomed across the continent. Before the Shattering they were among the best established and most cultured of human peoples; afterwards they were a people of the far north who had "forged Kingdoms from blood and sweat". In the Fifth Age the Curcians are the second most numerous human people of the Broken Sea, nearly four million strong, and more than half of them live inside the Sancturi Imperium.
Also called Cerci and Curic; the adjective and the Fifth Age demonym is Curcian.
Appearance¶
Average in stature, with hair from dark brown to black, sharp features and skin "a medium tan color". A Curcian lord of the Imperium in 704 SM, Rakai Karanovic, wears his silver hair very long and curled and "gestures profusely during conversation".
History¶
The Curci were one of the most well established human peoples before the Shattering, and most of their lands in central Astia were completely destroyed by it. Those who survived on the southern edges of the ruin, which became the north of the southern continent, "had a very difficult existence following the shattering". Many migrated south and blended into other populations or carved out small kingdoms and principalities of their own; those who stayed in the north built kingdoms, "some of which still stand". A part of the Curci population has remained nomadic, "travelling from city to city in search of work and fortune".
Three thousand seven hundred Curcians survived the Age of the Dark Sun. By 704 SM they number 3,920,000: 2,100,000 in the Imperium, 1,400,000 in the Riven kingdoms and 420,000 in the wilds.
Society¶
Curci society has three tiers, the nobility, the landed gentry and the freemen, and "unlike many other societies during this time, it does not recognize Serfdom".
| Tier | Title | Standing |
|---|---|---|
| Nobility | Domnitori | King |
| Nobility | Domn | Duke |
| Nobility | Hospodar | Earl |
| Nobility | Boyar | Baron; hereditary landed noble |
| Gentry | Jude | Landed gentry, not noble |
| Freemen | Raze (pronounced ra-Zee) | Freeman |
The Curci especially revere Arya.
Gap
The Compendium's entries for Curci culture and architecture are placeholders; the other gods the Curci revere are left as blanks.
Lands¶
In the Age of Magic the Curci were common only in the far north, with a few small settlements and principalities elsewhere, most of the southern population having been absorbed into other kingdoms and peoples. Their largest kingdom was Thrace, in the middle of the Storm Coast, "almost constantly covered in mist"; its dynasty is the only one known to have survived the Dark Sun unbroken.
Language and names¶
The Curci speak a dialect of Common. Curcian given and family names follow their own pattern, set out on the Names page.