Iraniins

Iraniins are a fictional ethnolinguistic group used in worldbuilding and speculative fiction. They are imagined as descendants of ancient Iranian peoples who, in an alternate historical development, formed a distinct cultural and linguistic community centered on the Iranian plateau. The name is drawn from a local autonym in fiction and is used by authors to explore cultural variation within the broader Iranian world.

Geographically, Iraniins are described as inhabiting a broad arc across the central and eastern Iranian plateau, including highland valleys and desert fringes corresponding to a modern Iran, parts of Afghanistan, and adjacent regions. Their language, called Iraniin, is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch, featuring several dialects. In many depictions, Iraniin is written with a Perso-Arabic-derived script closely related to Persian, with scholarly and literary traditions.

Culture emphasizes poetry, craftsmanship, and architectural traditions adapted to mountain and desert landscapes. Social organization is often portrayed as clan- or neighborhood-based, with customary practices surrounding family lineage, hospitality, and seasonal cycles. Religiously, Iraniins in fiction may practice forms of Islam, remnants of pre-Islamic Zoroastrian heritage, or syncretic beliefs that blend local rites with scriptural traditions. Festivals frequently celebrate agrarian cycles, light, and poetry.

Historically within narratives, Iraniins arise after the fragmentation of a large imperial realm, maintaining political autonomy in the highlands and engaging in trade and cultural exchanges with neighboring peoples. Diaspora and intercultural contact in later timelines lead to multilingualism and the emergence of hybrid artistic forms.

Because Iraniins are a fictional or speculative construct, real-world references do not identify them as a separate people. They are used in fictional maps, novels, and games to explore identity, language evolution, and regional diversity.