The Cerulean people are a diverse lot; their roots in seven different island kingdoms are clear to anyone who spends time within the League, with each Isle contributing something to the League and the Cerulean people as a whole. From the warrior-monks of the valleys of Lakedemos to the ingenious crafters of volcanic Seiklos; from the learned orators of cosmopolitan Atthis and shrewd traders of reef-encircled Ismyra; from the spires of Byoshu and the verdant terraces of Rhoku to the sacred forests of Drunessos; each of the Isles is its own unique note within the song of the nation, but they all proudly call themselves Cerulean, and they will all will rise up in defense of one another regardless of which one of them is threatened.
The complete mastery of oneself and understanding of the world around you are, in Cerulean thought, the two highest goals that anyone can strive for, both as an individual and as a society. Mastery of the self is expressed in their obsession with self-discipline and athleticism, as well as a culture-wide fascination with the mysteries of philosophy, morality, and psychology. It has also given rise to the belief that whatever you do, you should strive to master it and do it as well as you can, to demonstrate (to yourself most of all) how much you have mastered yourself.
The drive to understand of the world around them most often takes the form of a deep reverence for and interest in learning about the natural world. This is expressed most clearly in their cities and daily lives; rather than carving up the natural world to make room for mortal-made structures, Ceruleans prefer to build their society in and around **nature, incorporating it into their urban areas and lives without harming it. Parks, wetlands, and animal trails are considered critical infrastructure in Cerulean civic engineering schools, and Cerulean architects mimic natural shapes and structures whenever possible, believing them to have an innate strength of purpose to them.
Ceruleans prize intellectual pursuits incredibly highly, believing that knowledge is one of the most important factors in their nation’s rise from barbarity in the last millennia. They also believe that questioning one another's ideas, whether through debates or iterated papers and tomes, is one of the best ways to approach the truth of a matter; debates are often held as entertainment, with the most famous intellectuals pulling in crowds large enough to fill grand amphitheaters for their verbal sparring matches.
However, just as the Ceruleans believe that training the mind is critical to maintaining and improving civilization, so too do they believe that training the body is crucial for personal and national capability. Just as they test their ideas in debates, Ceruleans test their physical skills against one another in contests of strength, stamina, agility, and skill. The Pan-Cerulean games are only the most famous example of their love for sport and athletics; soldiers, athletes, and warrior-monks of all levels of skill and fame are celebrated in Cerulean culture, and it’s not uncommon for impromptu physical contests to break out when Ceruleans are in a good mood or need to blow off steam.
What do Ceruleans value in people?
Discipline is the backbone of Cerulean culture, the thing they view as separating them from the savagery of their past and that gives them the strength of will to work towards a better future. Self-control is everything to a Cerulean, with a loss of control representing both a severe social faux-pas and a very real threat of spiritual corruption. Beyond placing a heavy emphasis on control over their emotions, though, Ceruleans view discipline as being the key to achieving greatness of any kind, allowing someone to push through difficult times and come out the other side with victory in their grasp.
In the mindset of a Cerulean, patience is not the same as being slow to change or hesitant to take action; it is the conscious decision to wait for the right time to act, and then acting with appropriate speed and urgency. Theirs is the patience of a praying mantis, waiting to strike, and that of a farmer, waiting for the right time to plant or harvest and then doing as much as possible as swiftly as possible. Take your time and do it right, but never let a good opportunity pass while waiting for the “perfect” time to act.
To be able to act when circumstance dictate, you must be strong enough to take that action. The Cerulean view on life is one of constant gentle struggle, punctuated by moments where great strength — of spirit, mind, or body — is necessary to accomplish one’s goals. To cultivate one’s strength in preparation for such times of Testing is a virtue that all should pursue, in their eyes; scholars and craftsfolk are encouraged to exercise their bodies, while athletes and warriors are expected to be able to hold their own in philosophical debates, and folk of all walks of life are judged on how strong their will and spirit are when tested by the world’s tribulations and the Old Gods’ whispers.
Ceruleans value learning of all sorts, but their emphasis is not on the ability to memorize and regurgitate facts; rather, they value both the knowledge of a field and, most importantly, the deep understanding of what you know, the ability to put things in context and apply that knowledge to matters both academic and practical. The scholar who has memorized an entire library is respected for their knowledge, but ultimately if they can’t find ways to do anything with it they’re nothing more than a glorified reference scroll. On the other hand, the student who must refer back to their tomes frequently but who can come up with new ideas quickly and find new applications for what they know is honored and celebrated, despite how little they’ve memorized. Most of all, Ceruleans look down upon those who refuse to learn; lack of knowledge is not itself a sin in Cerulean eyes, but a reluctance or refusal to remedy that lack are scorned in all parts of Cerulean society.
While the League’s focus on discipline and constant growth has a tendency to produce many truly impressive people, it’s frequently remarked upon by foreigners how readily such heroes work with and under others. When Ceruleans hear such comments, they laugh, and remind the speaker that nobody is perfect, and those who are at the top should be all-too-aware of how imperfect they are. As one of the Seven Sages said, “I am wise, for I know that I know nothing.” Humility, the bone-deep understanding that your knowledge will never be complete, that your strength may not be enough, that you may not be good enough to succeed, is one of the ideals that Ceruleans strive for, as odd as it may sound. Overconfidence and hubris are anathema to Cerulean society, whatever the context. Ceruleans seek to be humble in their accounts of themselves, generous in victory and selfish in defeat, raising their comrades up rather than attempting to claim any fleeting glory solely for themselves.
Stagnation, an acceptance of the status quo, is unacceptable in the Cerulean perspective, while progressive improvement is praised, no matter how slow or from what level you began. Ceruleans view growth — of capability, of knowledge, of strength or experience — as one of the greatest signifiers of accomplishment. It doesn’t matter if you can’t match the athletic performance of a winner of the Pan-Cerulean games, or aren’t able to debate the greatest minds in Atthis, so long as you’re stronger, more knowledgeable, or wiser than you were a month or a year ago. The important part is that you have continued to grow, no matter how hard it is or how long it takes — that, from the Cerulean perspective, is enough.
Ceruleans take a great deal of pride in which part of the League they come from, and their names are a reflection of this, usually taking the form of “[personal name] of [town or Isle of origin],” such as “Zirin of Thalemnos” or “Phianaea of Temenos.” The only exception is Drunessos, which no Cerulean other than the Great Sage Kasagan of Drunessos is permitted to use as their home-name; those from Drunessos can use local town or village names, but never their home Isle’s name.
Particularly renowned Ceruleans may gain a sobriquet (“Zirin of Thalemnos, the Brightshield” or “Phianaea of Temenos, the Thrice-Spoken”); such names are always given, not claimed, and it’s considered childish and arrogant to pick your own sobriquet. Ceruleans who have reached such a level of fame usually only start using the extra name when they find it more troublesome to not identify themselves as being the person from the stories attached to that name.
Most Cerulean personal names are some variation on Greek or Hellenistic names, and you can find examples in the name generators below. They also tend to add modifications onto them that make them sound slightly Japanese to non-fiction-world ears, such as turning Archimedes into Archimoto, Ameinos into Ameinomori, or Jason into Joseon.
As a naval nation, the Ceruleans have had extensive contact with all of the nations of the Continent, and it’s not terribly uncommon to see Ceruleans whose parents are recent immigrants and who have personal names based on the naming conventions of another nation. Elves are particularly likely to have such foreign names, as the League draws in elven immigrants at a relatively high rate, though elven immigrants are also more likely to give their children “traditional” Cerulean names to help them fit in, which makes such “foreign” names more of a marker of very recent immigration in elves than in other lineages.
Male: Lykurgos of Filameni, Nikoteles of Drafada, Amphion of Egalaos, Theramenes of Presina, Theocharis of Agrimia, Alkinoos of Filakala
Female: Marilena of Galakastros, Phoebe of Madeia, Akanthe of Kardissos, Theodora of Panosia, Kassiopeia of Lalos, Eurybe of Thendreia