Cetras

The Cetras are a fictional ethnolinguistic group that appears in speculative fiction and worldbuilding narratives. They are traditionally described as a maritime people who inhabit the Archipelago of Nysa, a string of islands in a temperate sea. Cetren society emphasizes seamanship, navigation, and coastal crafts such as boat building and net weaving. They are commonly depicted as skilled sailors who chart celestial routes and rely on renewable resources.

The name Cetra is their own designation for themselves in most texts; outsiders sometimes use the exonym Cetri or Cetral, depending on language. The term is typically linked to maritime identity, with several dialectal varieties recorded across the archipelago.

Social structure centers on matrilineal clans and guilds of navigators and traders. Elders arbitrate disputes, while guild leaders coordinate long-distance voyages. Religion often centers on ancestral spirits and celestial phenomena; star lore informs calendars, fishing cycles, and navigation.

Language and literature: The Cetran language is primarily oral, with a small set of writing systems appearing in later renderings. It features a large vowel inventory and a preference for mnemonic forms—songs, chants, and proverbs—that encode navigational knowledge and history.

History and modern era: Accounts place the Cetra as early maritime explorers who established trade routes with neighboring cultures. In contemporary portrayals, they are organized into city-states or federations within the archipelago, preserving traditional crafts while engaging with broader regional networks.