Beluds

Beluds are an ethnolinguistic group described in a fictional region known as the Belud River valley, located in the eastern archipelago of Karana within the world of Athera. The population calls themselves the Belud, and their language, Beludian, forms the core of their cultural identity. Historically, the Beluds inhabit riverine villages connected by canoes and footpaths along the valley floor and its upland terraces.

Beludian is an agglutinative, subject–object–verb language with vowel harmony and extensive case markers. The society is organized around kin-based clans; an elder council guides major decisions. Leadership rotates among clans, and exogamous marriages link different lineages.

Culture and economy: Household production centers on river crops and fish; crafts include reed weaving, pottery, and basketry. Music features polyphonic singing and a slit-drum. Clothing uses plant-dyed textiles and bark cloth. The economy blends subsistence farming with river trade via seasonal canoe routes, connecting villages to neighboring groups.

History and religion: Settlement dates to the early second millennium CE. By the 15th century, a loose confederation emerged, followed by contact with distant merchants and colonial influences. Beludian religion centers on river spirits and ancestors, with harvest and flood rites forming key communal events.

Today, Beluds face modernization and language shift, though revival programs and bilingual education seek to preserve Beludian language and traditions. The contemporary population is estimated in the low hundreds of thousands within the fictional setting, with a diaspora in urban centers.