Solamnics

For centuries, the people of Solamnia were known for
their relationship with the Knights of Solamnia. While
some Solamnics would argue, most people not of Solamnia
said the people of the region were just extensions of the
Knighthood. In many ways, those people were right.
Living with the Solamnic Knights instilled much of the
knightly honor and way of life into the Solamnic people,
making them generally hard working and trustworthy.
They remained as such even through the years of hardship
after the Cataclysm, though a bit a cynicism crept into
their psyche. Now that their country has been freed from
Khellendros and they have united under Emperor Jaymes
Markham, the Solamnic people can see great things on the
horizon.
The average Solamnic citizen is steadfast, loyal, and
hard working. Centuries of living under the rule of the
Knights of Solamnia reinforced these traits in most of the
population. The Cataclysm left much of the population
cynical and bitter, though still good under the surface. In
aftermath of the Chaos War, the Solamnic people began to
change.
Those who stayed in the north after Khellendros
claimed it for his own were forced to live under the rule
of the Knights of Neraka. While the Dark Knights treated
those who followed the laws fairly, this changed the
generation born under their rule in subtle ways. No longer
was the virtue of good upheld in their lives, only those of
order and subservience. Young adults who grew up in this
way are still proud of their nationality, and most have no
love for the Dark Knights, but they also don’t automatically
cling to the old ways of honor taught by the Solamnic
Knights. These people welcomed Shinare into Solamnia
and believe in a more practical approach to life.
The people of southern Solamnia changed little in the
aftermath of the Chaos War. They clung to the Knights
of Solamnia and their views of loyalty and honor. The
Knighthood depend on this as they support Jaymes
Markham as he drives the army of the half-giant Ankhar
out of Solamnia.
Life for many Solamnics is in turmoil. There is war
in the southern regions of the country, which has all of
Solamnia working to support Emperor Jaymes Markham’s
armies of knights. While for some life continues as always,
most of Solamnia has a war mindset. Many places also see
the return of some of the families who fled Khellendros for
other areas of Ansalon.
For most of Solamnia, the culture of the people and
the culture of the Solamnic Knights is the same. Holidays,
customs, and naming conventions are all shared between
the Knighthood and the people they protect. The Solamnic
Knights embody the principles and the culture of the
people of Solamnia, for it is said all Knights are sons and
daughters of Solamnia. Thus, the Order grows and changes
as its members grow and change, sometimes for the worse
but usually for the better.
Solamnics are light-skinned people of Ergothian and
Kharolian stock, although they are essentially an ethnicity
all their own after 1,500 years of independence. Their hair
color ranges from black to light brown and occasionally
blonde, with redheads more common in the western
isles such as Sancrist. Although the Solamnic Knights are
famous for their distinctive moustaches, few Solamnic
men outside of the Orders affect one.