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The Tanurai are the original inhabitants of the islands which now form Lendosa.

History[]

The first civilizations to exist in modern Lendosa were built by Tanurai peoples. The Kunn culture was the earliest, but the civilizations of Paspalhis, Regnos, and Aystyr were also excellent examples of Tanurai work. Eventually, the islands came under the complete control of Regnos, which established a powerful empire.

In time, however, Regnos declined, and it was powerless to stop the advance of settlers from mainland Longerath. Over a course of centuries, these settlers slowly but steadily advanced through the islands, often mixing with the local Tanurai peoples. Eventually, the relatively small Tanurai population was subsumed into the colonists' culture, with the exception of a few small pockets.

While the Tanurai are no longer the dominant ethnic group of the Lendosan islands, they have not vanished. The people of Rabel and Ranha, two small islands of the Confederation, are of Tanurai descent, and they still speak Tanurai languages. However, their cultures have now been under Lendian influence for hundreds of years. There are also many people who, while regarding themselves as Lendian, have a large amount of Tanurai heritage — this is particularly true in Rivania and Melhoria, the northern regions of Lendia. The darker skin tones common to these places are indicative of Tanurai heritage, as are aspects of the area's music and dance.

Origin of the term[]

The term "Tanurai" is subject to a certain amount of controversy. It was never used by the Tanurai themselves, instead being a modern invention based on a Rabeli word. It was coined in 277 AP by a historian at the University of Gloria Libertatis, who felt that a single term was required to describe Lendosa's original peoples. Critics of the word say that it is misleading to gather all original peoples together under one name, and that it is better to refer to them each individually. Nevertheless, the term has gradually gained popularity, and in 306 AP was approved for official use.