Dalár

Dalár is a fictional ethnolinguistic group and their language in the highland region of Valoria, a setting used in fantasy literature and role-playing games. The name Dalár is often linked to a local term meaning "stone," reflecting the rocky terrain that dominates their homeland.

Geography and society: The Dalár inhabit the Western Highlands and adjacent river valleys. Communities are organized into clans governed by elder councils; historical migrations have produced dialect differences among valleys.

Language: The Dalár language is described as agglutinative and subject–object–verb, with evidential mood markers and a noun-class system. It uses a writing system influenced by a syllabary, and in many stories there are efforts to revive it through schools and cultural associations.

History and culture: Earliest references appear in medieval Valorian chronicles. The traditional economy centers on terraced farming, timber, and metal crafts. Cultural life emphasizes kinship networks, polyphonic song, weaving, and pottery. An important harvest festival called Nalari marks seasonal cycles.

Modern status: In contemporary fiction, the Dalár maintain cultural organizations and language-preservation efforts, though diaspora communities in port towns and markets appear, and urbanization is depicted as a challenge to traditional lifeways.

See also: The Dalár are often discussed alongside broader Valorian linguistic traditions and highland cultural practices.