Laqs

The Laqs are an ethnic group native to the foothills of southeastern Benacia. Over the course of history, Laqs and their culture has expanded and contracted alongside the development of nations and migrations of peoples, such that pockets of Laqi settlement are spread out throughout much of the southern half of Benacia.

Many self-described Laqs speak one of the Laqi Languages, though some populations, in line with their degree of cultural assimilation, have adopted Istvanistani. Some of the Black Laqs, especially those associated with Minarboria and Kalgachia, have adopted Mishalanese despite retaining their cultural distinctiveness.

Subgroups

The Laqi People are divided into different subcultures, originally describing their geographic distribution. In Laqi culture, the cardinal directions have associated colors, with Black for North, White for South, Red for West, and Blue for East. Their modern distribution, however, has been affected by migration and assimilation and have more to do with a clan's cultural idiosyncrasies than their location.

White Laqs

The White Laqs, aka Swalakk (WL. S°alaꝗ'ei, RL. Fyẑylaqehe), were the southern Laqs that lived in Modan-Lach. As Brookshirian settlement and industrialization accelerated throughout the Third Era, the White Laqs became more marginalized in their own homeland. This culminated in the Laqi Free Republic movement of 1567 AN. Following its defeat and the resumption of Imperial control in the area, assimilation, forced relocation, and resettlement has eliminated this ethnic group's distinctive cultural identity.

During the late years of the Ayreon IV's reign and into the Kalirion Fracture, attempts by descendants of the White Laqs to reacquaint themselves with their ancestors' culture has tended to consist more of adopting the dress and language of the Red Laqs than resurrecting that of the White Laqs, going as far as not even using a correct rendering of their ethnonym.

Black Laqs

The Black Laqs, also known as Karalakhs (BL. Qarelaqħehe), lived in the hilly frontier region along the borders of Modan-Lach, Crestfall Downs, and Lywind. Seen as backwards by the more urbane White Laqs, the Black Laqs were cut loose by the Laqi Free Republic movement, resulting in its failure as a pan-Laqi movement.

Under the tutelage of Maria Dolores von Rossheim-Maltenstein, the Khanate of Karalakh was carved out from Crestfall Downs, Lywind, and Shimmerspring as a personal fiefdom. Upon her ascension to the Golden Mango Throne, Kaiseress Mira Raynora Minor remodelled the Great Hall at Raynor's Keep in Black Laqi cultural motifs. This included wallpaper that featured intricately coiled vines and ceiling corbels carved to resemble horse's heads.

Some portion of the Black Laqs migrated westward in The Great Replanting of 1617 AN. Of these Laqs, some continued in the area following the fall of Minarboria and helped to found the Republic of Inner Benacia with Red Laqs who had already migrated to the area in late Ashkenatzi times. Others became involved in the founding of Kalgachia, and have since become known as Green Laqs.

Among the Black Laqs involved in the development of the Republic of Inner Benacia, worship of The Name of God has become predominant.

Green Laqs

The Green Laqs, aka Zeleniyi Lahy (Msh. Зеленії Лаги) are the Laqs of Kalgachia, notable for almost entirely switching from a dialect of Laqi Language to one of Mishalanese while retaining a distinct culture.

Despite the name suggesting an association with the East (green and blue being seen as shades of the same color category), the Green Laqs emerged in the far west, as a subset of the Black Laqs who had migrated during The Great Replanting to Minarboria and had come under the control of Kalgachia, which has remolded the culture of the Black Laqs into something more manageable for the Kalgachi state.

Red Laqs

The Red Laqs, aka Plizhlaqeh (RL. Plyžlaqehe), emerged as a distinct identity in eastern Shimmerspring and southern Caverden. As the group on the western frontier, the Red Laqs were poised to take advantage of the destabilization and fall of Ashkenatza, expanding early and heavily into western Benacia beginning in the late 1590s AN.

Their presence was brought mostly under control by the rise of Minarboria, some choosing to assimilate into the transplanted Black Laqi culture. Upon the fall of Minarboria, however, the Red Laqs again expanded their reach, contributing to the lawlessness of the so-called Benacian Green.

Blue Laqs

The Blue Laqs, aka Shontlaqeh (RL. Śħ°ant'laqehe) are two separate groups of Laqs in history. The original Blue Laqs were those who lived in the Crestfall Downs in the late Second Era, becoming increasingly irrelevant and sparse as the region became increasingly settled by Brookshirians.

Later, when the Khanate of Karalakh was formed, a portion of the Black Laqs refused to subjugate themselves to an undead ruler. Since Marie Dolores von Rossheim-Maltenstein had asserted dominion over all Black Laqs, these refusers renamed themselves the Blue Laqs, after the earlier group. This second wave of Blue Laqs settled in the hill country of eastern Lichbrook until the fall of the Liches.

In more recent times, the Blue Laqs have assimilated into the Red Laqi culture, retaining only their identity as Blues and some embroidery patterns more reminiscent of their Black Laq origins than that of the Reds.

Origin

The origin of the Laqs is unclear, being solely indigenous to the continent of Benacia yet having no obvious cultural relatives among the peoples also indigenous to Benacia. The first mention of Laqs in the historical record is at the dawn of the Second Era, and then only to describe mounted warriors in the personal guard for Kaiser Edward I, following his conquest of Shirekeep and the assertion of his blood right to the Kaisership.

Some scholars have noted either cognates or deep loanwords that connect the Laqi Languages to that of the Khaz Modan, a vast and ancient technomagic maritime empire centered on the islands south of mainland Benacia. The actual connection between these two vastly-different cultures remains unknown.