rdzenias

Rdzenias is a fictional ethnolinguistic group created for illustrative purposes in this article. The name is thought to derive from the root rdzen-, meaning forest in the language of the people, reflecting their historical ties to wooded plains and the belief that trees embody ancestral knowledge. The term is used both for people and their language.

Geography: In the imagined world, the Rdzenias inhabit a mountainous, forested region in the central continent of Varyal. They live in dispersed villages connected by timber trails. The population is estimated around 1.2 million in contemporary fiction, with concentrated communities in the highland valleys.

Language: Rdzenian is a hypothetical language belonging to a distant forest-dwelling family. It is an agglutinative, SOV language with extensive case marking and verb suffixes indicating aspect and evidentiality. It features noun classes based on animacy and a vowel harmony system. Bilingualism with neighboring languages is common in border areas.

History: The Rdzenias are described as forming forest-daring communities in oral histories, consolidating into a loose confederation by the late medieval period. They maintained forest-based economies and navigated contact with agrarian neighbors, trade networks, and missionaries, achieving a ceremonial council that guided regional relations.

Culture and society: Social organization emphasizes kinship networks and clan lineages. Traditional crafts include woodcarving, basketry, and canoe-building. Cultural life centers on seasonal harvest rites, storytelling, and sacred groves. In modern times, the community engages in sustainable forestry, education, and small-scale tourism.