Ancestries: Chelonian
Languages: Kertinian
Polities: Sharburian Empire
Description
TBD
Architecture
A typical Kertinian village is a serene place, with neat clusters of low, rounded homes spaced around a central communal area. The architecture takes cues directly from the Chelonians’ own physiology and their reverence for stability and longevity. Each house is built low to the ground, its shape echoing the gentle dome of a tortoise’s shell. From a distance, these dwellings might be mistaken for natural mounds in the landscape rather than buildings, so smoothly do they blend into their surroundings.
To construct their homes, the Kertinians use a combination of local materials: thick clay coated with layers of lime wash, woven reed mats, and stones gathered from nearby riverbeds. They pack the clay into curving forms that rise up into stable, half-spherical structures, with walls that naturally funnel warm air upward and out through cleverly placed ventilation holes near the apex. In regions where stone is plentiful, small, rounded fieldstones are mortared into the base for extra strength, forming a pattern reminiscent of a tortoise shell’s segmented carapace. In more forested environs, long wooden supports made from gracefully bending branches line the interior, ensuring resilience against the passage of time and weather.
Inside, the ceilings are high enough for a Chelonian to stand comfortably, but the space feels snug and protective. The walls are often painted with subtle earth-tone pigments, giving each home a gentle, soothing ambience. Niches in the thick clay walls hold small oil lamps, herbs hung out to dry, and carved stone figurines that represent ancestors or nature spirits. Most homes include a dedicated hearth placed centrally, around which the family gathers to share stories and long, contemplative silences.
The doorways are broad and rounded, sometimes framed by twisted vines or a simple wooden lintel carved with gentle spiral motifs. In places where the Kertinians have lived for generations, houses accumulate layers of history: a worn threshold stone polished by centuries of stepping feet, faded murals that can only be partially deciphered by the village elders, and intricate shell-inlay patterns along doorframes left by previous occupants.
All together, these homes form a seamless extension of the landscape. They are quiet sanctuaries that radiate a sense of patience and endurance—places where Kertinians may live out their slow, thoughtful lives in comfort and harmony with the natural world around them.
Names
Masculine:
- Charok (CHA-rok)
- Shelgan (SHEL-gan)
- Korikk (KO-rikk)
- Morach (MO-rach)
- Durallan (doo-RAH-lan)
- Rendor (REN-dor)
- Chesmar (CHES-mar)
- Vanraal (van-RAHL)
- Bolarth (bo-LARTH)
- Skarall (SKAH-rall)
Feminine:
- Cheleena (cheh-LEE-nah)
- Morisha (mo-REE-shah)
- Tescaia (tes-KAY-ah)
- Kalora (kah-LOH-rah)
- Shemara (sheh-MAH-rah)
- Chilaena (chi-LAY-nah)
- Zolama (zo-LAH-mah)
- Marishae (mah-REE-shay)
- Rolessa (roe-LESS-ah)
- Dralema (drah-LEE-mah)