Cleuchs

The Cleuchs are an ethnolinguistic group traditionally inhabiting the Cleuch Valley and surrounding highlands in the fictional Draven region. They are named after the rugged landscape's clefts, or cleuchs. The group spoke Cleuchic, a North Dravanic language with several regional varieties; now endangered or lost in many communities.

Historical sources from neighboring polities and archaeological finds indicate a village-based society organized around kin-based clans. The Cleuchs are first attested in medieval records from the 10th to 12th centuries. They maintained a relatively autonomous highland economy until the expansion of neighboring states in the early modern period, when many Cleuchs migrated to lowland towns or integrated into larger polities.

Social organization relied on long-standing kinship groups and councils. Landholding was held by lineages; barters and seasonal labor shaped economic ties. Crafts included metalwork, wood carving, and textiles with distinctive geometric patterns. Religious practice blended animist elements with later Christian influence; seasonal ceremonies honored rain, harvest, and mountain spirits. Sacred sites include standing stones and rock art in the highlands; oral tradition preserves myths about mountain guardians and ancient leaders.

Economy was mixed: subsistence farming on terraced fields, livestock herding, and small-scale trade with lowland communities. The Cleuchs produced wool textiles, metal goods, and timber crafts for local markets and barter networks. Settlements were small and dispersed, with communal houses and watch over local resources.

In the modern era, Cleuchs identifying populations have decreased due to assimilation and migration. Language transmission declined, and Cleuchic is endangered with only a few elderly speakers in some villages. Cultural revival and documentation projects have emerged, seeking to preserve artifacts, music, and place names. The Cleuchs are now largely represented through cultural heritage programs, regional museums, and folkloric festivals.