Agani

An Agani is a piece of cloth (almost always purple), that is tied around the arm, ankle, waist, or forehead of a person to show their Galesian heritage.

History

The origins of the Agani date back to the Before Eras. The Gomon't settlers of the Galic Isles began to grow distasteful with their mainland relatives. To distance themselves from the Camon't (mainland Gomon't), they began to wear bands of cloth around their ankles to signify their "purity". These bands were called the "Gomangi" or "Belt of the Gomon't". The Gomon't began wearing Gomangi whenever they traveled to the mainland to avoid being mistaken for the people they so heavily despised.

By the turn of the 1st Era, the Agani had become a staple of Galesian culture. Originally only worn when traveling abroad or when in company with non-Galesians, the Agani began to became a fashion piece in Galesian culture. Originally colored in whatever dye were available at the time, the symbolism of the color purple took over. With the raising of the first Galic flag for the first Galic kingdom, the people felt they had to show off their pride to all. Galics began to wear bright purple Aganis everywhere, whether for identification or simply for patriotism.

The Second Era and the Agani

Evolving more from it's popularity during the 1st Era, the Agani began to take on a more cultural approach during the second era. The Agani was no longer a fashion product, it was now an object used to show one's dedication to Gales, the "True Kingdom of the Gomon't". Men who did not wear Agani in public were shamed, some even arrested. The punishment for a woman not wearing an Agani was a fine against her husband, or if she was unmarried: a prison sentence. Children were encouraged to always wear an Agani but were not legally forced to. However, once a child turned 14, they were by law required to wear an Agani outside the home.

The Third Era and the Progressive Kings

By the turn of the third era, Agani laws were becoming more relaxed, especially due to some progressive kings. Fines and inprisonment for failure to wear an Agani were no longer enforced. The Agani began to return to its original purpose: to identify Galesians from non-Galesians. One particular Galic king during this time, King Gasran Dales I, refused to wear an Agani all together. By the middle of the third era, the Agani had become a merely optional article of clothing on the Galic Isles.

Back on the mainland, however, the Agani was becoming more strict. The mainland portion of the Galic Empire had experienced a major influx of immigration, leading to a massive divide between Galesians and foreigners. Although Galic law forbade any punishment to be placed on failure to wear an Agani (thanks to Dales I), Galic people found it was easier to identify their fellow Galics when they wore Aganis. Aganis became a forcefield against racism towards outsiders. In the mainland cities, those who did not wear Aganis were subject to cruetly, segregation, and often punishment. Some districts required non-Galesians to wear brightly colored Aganis, often called Troganis from "Tros" meaning "trash". Romanics were given orange or red bands, Euriks and other Northerners blue bands, while Camlerics, Bettians, and beastfolk were given brown bands to symbolize their "animal-like tendencies". This cruelty led to many fleeing mainland Gales, even some native Galesians who disliked the return to the Second Era's ways.