Zenithian Culture

[Nepheli N. Tzunidahr]

Zenithian Culture: Firebound Unity and Seaborne Pride

The culture of the Crown of Zenith is forged from the crucible of revolution, bound by steam, fire, and an unshakable belief in unity through strength. Founded by Nepheli Tzunidahr, the Zenithians view her as both sovereign and symbol—the living embodiment of resolve and rebirth. Her unification of Enpor, Badas, Madi, La Palas, and Caridad through diplomacy and conquest is mythologized in art, song, and ritual, often depicted as a “march of flame across the sea.” As such, fire and sun motifs dominate Zenithian architecture, fashion, and symbology.

Zenithians are a proud, industrious people whose lives revolve around shipyards, markets, and naval academies. They revere engineering and naval prowess as near-spiritual pursuits, and their cities are often divided into “crests” based on trades—Steamwrights, Flamekeepers, Ironbinders, and Sailpriests. Social mobility is high for those with skill and daring; pirates, engineers, and statesmen often blur the lines between class and ambition. Festivals often involve fire dances, black powder salutes, and sun-chariot regattas, celebrating both their celestial patronage and technological might.

At the heart of their worldview is the doctrine of Firesworn Brotherhood—the belief that every Zenithian owes their life to the unity of provinces and must defend it with unyielding will. This manifests in their martial culture, where every citizen trains in basic boarding tactics and where conscription into the fleet is seen as an honor, not a burden. To defy the Crown is not merely treason—it is sacrilege against the very light that binds them.

 

[Nepheli N. Tzunidahr]

Zenithian Fashion: Brass, Flame, and Function

Zenithian fashion is a bold fusion of elegance and utility—refined yet hardened for the demands of life at sea and in the forge. Dominated by hues of crimson, bronze, charcoal, and sun-gold, clothing often features reinforced seams, leather paneling, and brass buckles, blending protection with panache. Common folk wear high-collared coats, layered skirts, and fitted trousers, often accessorized with sun-shaped pendants or gearwork brooches marking provincial origins or trade affiliations.

Officers, nobles, and war-priests dress more elaborately, incorporating sunsteel filigree, ceremonial sashes, and long, fire-patterned capes that echo the unification banners of Nepheli’s march. Women and men alike wear corseted vests or armored bodices, adorned with chain-stitch embroidery depicting flames, waves, or celestial symbols. Goggles, gauntlets, and steam-turbine accoutrements are common among engineers and fleet artisans—serving as both functional tools and status symbols.

 

[Nepheli N. Tzunidahr]

Zenithian Cuisine: Flame-Kissed and Salt-Cured

Zenithian cuisine is rich, hearty, and steeped in traditions drawn from its five founding provinces. Coastal flavors dominate—salt-cured meats, fire-roasted fish, and citrus-brined shellfish are staples. Meals are often cooked over open flames or in brass-clad ovens fueled by powdered coal and driftwood oil, imparting a smoky depth to stews and breads alike.

Signature dishes include Caldera Broil (a spiced seafood boil with sun-pepper oil), Forgebread (a dense, iron-cast loaf stuffed with molten cheese and salted herbs), and Mariner’s Ember Tea, brewed from dried sea-fruit rinds, clove, and volcanic bark. Spices are bold—coriander, ashroot, sun-pepper, and black citrus rind are favorites—and fermented sauces made from pickled kelp and crushed fire-plums serve as marinades or dipping bases.

Public feasts are often theatrical: whole sunfish skewered and roasted on open flame-rigs, or “steam feasts” where dishes are cooked in pressure cauldrons and unveiled in billowing clouds. Eating is communal, rowdy, and celebratory—especially among sailors, who toast to Nepheli with cups of hot sea-ale or distilled fire-rum.

 

[Nepheli N. Tzunidahr]

Zenithian Religion: The Deep Flame Below

The Zenithian faith is an esoteric but fiercely held creed centered around reverence for the Deep Ones, a pantheon of primordial sea deities said to dwell beneath the roots of the world. Chief among them is Tharizdun, reinterpreted in Zenithian dogma as The Lightless Flame—a paradoxical god of creation through destruction, fire beneath water, and order born from collapse. Far from a malevolent force, he is seen as a crucible in which the weak are burned away and the strong emerge refined.

Worship is not widespread beyond Zenithian borders, but within the fleet and its domains, flame and pressure are holy symbols—reflections of divine transformation. Shrines to the Deep Ones are often constructed aboard ships in the form of sunken sanctums lit with braziers and kept damp with ocean mist. Rituals are performed in steam-bathed chambers where supplicants wear iron masks, chant in sonorous tones, and offer fire-forged trinkets to the depths.

Tharizdun’s theology teaches that the world above is fleeting, while the abyss endures. Faithful are taught to embrace hardship as divine tempering. Nepheli herself is seen as Tharizdun’s chosen “Enchained Priestess,” forging a new unity through fire and blood. Sailors believe storms are whispers of the Deep Ones, and to brave them is to earn the gods’ favor. The faithful wear pendants of interwoven chains set in obsidian or black coral, invoking protection and insight.

Though seen as a dark faith by outsiders, Zenithian theology values resilience, unity, and rebirth—embracing the paradox that to descend is not to fall, but to rise remade.