Selunari
To be a Selunari is to be a member of the largest extended family in the world. This is not merely a colorful boast: every Selunari, regardless of blood relation, is connected to one another by a deep empathic bond called sela. Even a Selunari who has never encountered one of their kin feels the pull of this bond, sometimes causing strife when a Selunari is raised by other races (known as eshdir). Likewise, an Elf or High Ogre raised by Selunari might love the race and their adopted family, but they will never feel the true bond of sela.
The sela manifests as an intense wanderlust that some describe more as a genuine physical need than simply a personality trait. Because of this, it is nearly impossible for Selunari to stay in one place for very long. Selunari are also known to place family concerns over all others, making any bonds the Selunari form with eshdir societies highly conditional. However, Selunari harbor no animosity toward the eshdir as a whole; there is simply a fundamental gap between Selunari and eshdir that cannot truly be bridged.
Selunari hold tradition in very high regard. Every caravan has its own Code of Honor by which all the familias within it abide. These Codes are not as mandatory as a Code of Chivalry might be for eshdir; rather they are descriptions of the customs and expectations that each caravan places on all its members. Thus, the Codes may vary widely across the lands of Fortannis. A Selunari travelling without their familia always seeks to learn the specifics of the Code of Honor in any new land or area so as to avoid inadvertently embarrassing their familia name.
Every family has its fair share of conflict and the Selunari are no exception. Sibling and generational rivalries are common, and with no ruling body making decisions for the Selunari as a whole, caravans often find themselves at odds over preferred traditions. Nevertheless, Selunari try to keep these disputes “within the familia”. When these clashes become too intense, Selunari may leave their caravan and travel with eshdir for a time, hoping the change in environment will give them a new perspective and allow them to return with solutions.
Selunari personalities are as varied as the stars in the sky. However, the sela does bring certain traits to the forefront; Selunari have a tendency to be rakish, outgoing, friendly and irrepressibly free-spirited. Their lust for life is legendary, and some might even be considered wild or unruly by eshdir. The one absolute truth is that Selunari are loyal to each other to a fault. Familia needs and familia business come before all else, and those who choose to contradict this may face extreme social consequences. The wandering nature of the Selunari brings them into contact with myriad peoples and cultures, and everything from their dress to their supersti- tions are influenced by the world around them. Selunari possess a wide variety of accents in their speech, which may differ even within one familia, depending on where each member spent their formative years. In fact, these differ- ences are a point of pride: while their accents set them apart from eshdir, Selunari appreciate the variety each person brings to their own familia.
The Selunari are consummate travellers and their dress reflects their endless wandering. Selunari clothing is a vast and varying mixture of styles, colors, fabrics and adornments from all corners of Fortannis. Most familias have a signifying color or palette present in their clothing, though the meanings of colors vary from one familia to another. The one physical marker that ties all Selunari together is the large gems that grow from their foreheads (must be at least the size of a US penny), representing their connection to the distant constellation from which they got their name. Some Selunari possess only one gem, while others may have two, three or even more.
The sela manifests as an intense wanderlust that some describe more as a genuine physical need than simply a personality trait. Because of this, it is nearly impossible for Selunari to stay in one place for very long. Selunari are also known to place family concerns over all others, making any bonds the Selunari form with eshdir societies highly conditional. However, Selunari harbor no animosity toward the eshdir as a whole; there is simply a fundamental gap between Selunari and eshdir that cannot truly be bridged.
Selunari hold tradition in very high regard. Every caravan has its own Code of Honor by which all the familias within it abide. These Codes are not as mandatory as a Code of Chivalry might be for eshdir; rather they are descriptions of the customs and expectations that each caravan places on all its members. Thus, the Codes may vary widely across the lands of Fortannis. A Selunari travelling without their familia always seeks to learn the specifics of the Code of Honor in any new land or area so as to avoid inadvertently embarrassing their familia name.
Every family has its fair share of conflict and the Selunari are no exception. Sibling and generational rivalries are common, and with no ruling body making decisions for the Selunari as a whole, caravans often find themselves at odds over preferred traditions. Nevertheless, Selunari try to keep these disputes “within the familia”. When these clashes become too intense, Selunari may leave their caravan and travel with eshdir for a time, hoping the change in environment will give them a new perspective and allow them to return with solutions.
Selunari personalities are as varied as the stars in the sky. However, the sela does bring certain traits to the forefront; Selunari have a tendency to be rakish, outgoing, friendly and irrepressibly free-spirited. Their lust for life is legendary, and some might even be considered wild or unruly by eshdir. The one absolute truth is that Selunari are loyal to each other to a fault. Familia needs and familia business come before all else, and those who choose to contradict this may face extreme social consequences. The wandering nature of the Selunari brings them into contact with myriad peoples and cultures, and everything from their dress to their supersti- tions are influenced by the world around them. Selunari possess a wide variety of accents in their speech, which may differ even within one familia, depending on where each member spent their formative years. In fact, these differ- ences are a point of pride: while their accents set them apart from eshdir, Selunari appreciate the variety each person brings to their own familia.
The Selunari are consummate travellers and their dress reflects their endless wandering. Selunari clothing is a vast and varying mixture of styles, colors, fabrics and adornments from all corners of Fortannis. Most familias have a signifying color or palette present in their clothing, though the meanings of colors vary from one familia to another. The one physical marker that ties all Selunari together is the large gems that grow from their foreheads (must be at least the size of a US penny), representing their connection to the distant constellation from which they got their name. Some Selunari possess only one gem, while others may have two, three or even more.
Comments