Tapız

Tapız people are a cultural ethnolinguistic group of humans native to southwest Istellan. The region they inhabit is referred to as the '''Tapız Cultural Region. '''Their nations include the kingdom of Trıleşka, the grand duchy of İgando, and the kingdom of Þelyşka. Tapız people speak Deloþi.

Culture
Tapız culture was one of the first established human cultures on Istellan. Like many human cultures on Istellan, Tapız culture is a blend of previously established agrarians and horse peoples from the west. Early on, the region was dominated by warlords. The warlord period quickly gave way to a landscape of many small kingdoms with defined borders. Trıleşka ultimately absorbed and subdued most of the other kingdoms, leading the Tapız culture into an era of relative peace.

Tapız culture embraces a feudal-like system with three general castes of people: nobility, crafters & laborers (urban commoners), and rural commoners. Surnames of nobility are generally a combination of a color or quality and an esteemed animal (Whitewolf, Redbear, Stronghorse…). Crafters are named for their craft. Rural people’s surnames are usually a color or quality+ a nearby landmark (Greenfield, Roundhill…)

Physical Characteristics
Tapız people have thick, straight to wavy black or brown hair and brown eyes. Some members of the peasant class have lighter brown or occasionally amber eyes. Most men stand between 5’7” and 5’10”. Women generally stand between 5’2” and 5’4”. Members of the noble caste tend to be on the taller end of the spectrum and slightly leaner.