Sworicks

Sworicks, also known as Glavell furs or casually as furries, are a religious and ethnic minority living in the north of Doggerland, almost exclusively in the province of Glavell. Sworicks have historically faced bigotry, and have been societally treated similarly to the way Roma people have in many nations. Originating from pagan traditions, Sworicks have a deep, yet often secular, cultural connection to their fur identities and lifestyles.



Culture
The Glavell fur culture which makes up the Sworick identity can be traced back to their pagan roots, in which animal worship was very common, and worshippers would dress as animals to be “one with the gods”. While most Sworicks are no longer pagan, opting instead for a more secular worldview, this fur culture continues to be the cornerstone of their ethnic identity.

Similar to most groups of people who fall under the category of furries, Sworicks have a long history of dressing in animal costumes. While these can sometimes be full body suits, they can be just ears or a tail.

Art is also incredibly important in Sworick culture. Nearly every member of the community is able to draw competently, and their artistic abilities holds significant leisure, cultural, and economic value. Sworick art is makes up a significant percentage of the economy of Glavell, as customers all over the world commission Sworick artists for a myriad of projects, furry or otherwise.

Due in part to their own difficulties with finding social acceptance, Sworicks tend to be very accepting people. Polling shows that nearly all Sworicks are in full support of the LGBTQ+ community when it comes to things like adopting, reassignment surgery, and marriage, are against traditional gender norms. Sworicks have also been historically supportive of open and polygamous relationships, provided that there are no imbalances of rights or abuse among partners.

History
Modern Sworick culture emerged out of pagan traditions in the early 1800s. Already a marginalized group in the overwhelmingly Christian nation, the isolated pagan population in the north of Doggerland had an insulated and unique culture of animal worship. Along with the adoption of modern artistic practices, the wearing of animal costumes for ritualistic purposes began to morph into more casual wear. However, this practice resulted in even more scrutiny and marginalization for these early Sworicks, who were already disliked by many due to their religious beliefs.

As the nation rapidly modernized and industrialized in the period following World War One, newly constructed institutions in the north of the nation often left out those who had already lived there for centuries, causing a significant wealth gap between the new settlers and the native Sworicks. Due to these economic difficulties and increasing marginalization by the primarily Christian settlers, many of them began to flirt with leftist politics. This ultimately would manifest in the Great Pagan Strike of 1934, in which tens of thousands of Sworick workers striked because of terrible working and living conditions. This event is infamous for its outcome, where the Federal Dogger Guard massacred 7 protesters and injured dozens of others in the city of Pokovo.

After the start of the Cold War and the rise of the Soviet Union, many Sworicks slowly became dissolutioned with leftism, and gravitated back towards social democratic politics. However, the leftist period of many citizens resulted in atheism becoming mainstream among most, who left their pagan roots but remained culturally connected with anthropomorphic-related art and clothing. While things have improved economically and socially for the Sworicks since the mid 20th century, a disproportionate amount still live in poverty and many still hold negative views of the community.