Muiérre (Moor/Death) (After 283AP)

Muiérre (MOY-ehr) Language: Muiérren (MOY-ehr-in) (Meaning: Moor/Death. Origin: Middle English/Latin) Colors: Blue (Water, Sky, Weather, Freedom), Black (Night, Mystery, Formality), White (Elegance, Peace, Mourning)
A people formerly of the cold highlands and the mountains, the Muiérre are a race of scientists and engineers and spies, valuing the pursuit of knowledge above all else, and pushing boundaries. They believe that life is made of the many changes we make, from the seasons and the weather to inventing new ways of doing things, that all knowledge is important, including the mistakes, that all may learn and grow, and redemption through labor and judge on a case-by-case basis rather than by hard rules. They also believe in collecting knowledge from and information about others, whether they wish to share it or not. The general rule in the Muiérre islands is that if you can get away with it, you deserved it. Though they don't tolerate slavery, all crimes can be worked off by serving a sentence in the mines, if you survive your sentence and have behaved well then you get a second chance at life. They're well known for their elaborate spy-network.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Muiérre (Irish Gaelic and Latin), Athrún (EH-roon) (Irish Gaelic)

Average technological level

Solar-power Glass windows, Hydraulic turbines, Hemp paper (including bath tissue), Hempcrete bricks (hemp, stone, and shells), Waterproof paint, Phonograph, Shortwave radio, Hemp, and Wool fabrics, Weaving machinery, Fine smithing, Tooled leatherwork, Steam Engine, Airships built for harsh weather and long trips.

Common Etiquette rules

You will be asked if you want tea, but you will have tea regardless. The question is a mere formality.
Gift giving: at festivals and ceremonies, when visiting someone's home, and as a sign of friendship.
The Court will rarely show their true faces, masks are worn at all social occasions and some informal ones by those who occupy a higher position at court.
Bows are more common/preferred to handshakes.

Common Dress code

Intricately carved weapons (carried to be shown off as well as used), fine jewelry, colorful dress, and elaborately braided hairstyles, finely decorated masks, and elegant cloaks and costumes are commonplace.

Art & Architecture

Art: Elaborate tapestries depicting family histories and world events, Woven family patterns (tartans), Metalwork, Stained Glass, Calligraphy.
Architecture: Stone towers, stained glass windows (solar power), Stone and Wood lathes (old), most buildings are made from bricks (a stone, shell and hemp mixture). All towns and cities are made to work with the land, using natural resources like wind or rivers to power them and leaving forests as intact as possible, replanting any trees they used for crafting or building.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

A candle is lit in the child's room and must be kept lit for a full day after they're born (considered an ill omen if it goes out), and their name is announced the next day. Either the parents or another close family member will weave a blanket for the infant, in the family's clan colors. This blanket is gifted to the infant to welcome them into the family and to keep them warm. (Many keep their blanket as a treasured gift into adulthood.)

Funerary and Memorial customs

Typically the bodies are burned, and the ashes placed into elaborately carved/forged containers with the person's name and achievements carved or engraved into them. Materials used can vary, as can decoration. Some even have scenes from the person's life engraved into them. These containers are placed in mausoleums, most of which are inside the mountains, in deep tunnels. A quiet procession made up of those close to them walks the container of ashes to where it is interred in the mausoleum, and each comes forward with a short farewell/thank you for how that person impacted their lives. Some small trinkets may be placed in the alcove at this time. A newer custom is to scatter the ashes at sea instead, perform the farewell/death song at the cliffs, and place a commemorative painting of them with an engraved plaque of their accomplishments in the "hall of the dead" which looks like an elaborate art gallery.

Common Taboos

Complacency (Always strive to become better and learn more),

Common Myths and Legends

(Crossroads: Carrefour, Night Sky: Etoile, Light and Beauty: Éléonore, Deception and Trickery: Voiler)

Historical figures

The Blue Empress, The White Duke/Duchess, The Black Duke/Duchess. The three color courts rule in a balanced triumvirate over the Court (a council elected by the people) with Blue ruling at the head (Blue is always female), and the other two courts vying for power. These figures change via an elaborate game of subterfuge within the court which has nothing to do with nobility or birth and is often a bloody or dark game of spy vs spy. The council is an even mixture of spies and scientists, and the scientists are exempt from "the game" and may not be killed, though blackmail is fair game if you can manage it.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Elegant fabrics and styles, Colorfully dyed or elaborately styled hair, Practical elegance.

Gender Ideals

Women are generally considered to be more fierce and deadly.

Courtship Ideals

An individual looking to court someone is expected to take a great interest in their chosen's personal interests and attain (or craft) an item that pertains to that interest, facilitating it in some way. (ex: blacksmith might be gifted a fine hammer or crafting materials.) These gifts may vary between entirely practical and largely decorative depending upon the individuals.

Relationship Ideals

Shared control and equal say, strong lines of communication, skills that complement each other. Household responsibilities are typically divided by individual skill.

Major organizations

The Blue Court, The Black Court, The White Court

Parent ethnicities

• Athrú (Change) (Pre 286AP)
• Audax (Valiant) (Pre 282AP)