Vistani

A Welcoming People

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The Vistani are nomadic tribes who live outside of cities and towns, and live off the land itself. They travel about in horse-drawn, barrel-topped wagons, called Vardos, which they build themselves. Vistani place a heavy emphasis on clan unity, valuing families and clan ties above all else. They are known for their darker, almost cinnamon color and their black hair. They often dress in fabrics of bright colors and intricate designs, and are known to be incredibly cheerful and hearty folk. 

In contrast to a typical Barovian, Vistani are a incredibly warm and welcoming people. Often considered the kings and queens of hospitality, they will not think twice about welcoming you into their campfires and feasts. As long as you are not their enemy or openly hostile to them, you are their friend, even if they just met you. The Vistani treat visitors with open kindness, feeding them from their tables and making sure they have beds for the night.

They can also be quite loud and boisterous, and are very often seen as flamboyant due to this and their clothing. They are fans of wine, music, and dance; often indulging in all three on a regular basis. Their culture believes that these are medicine for the soul and push visitors to join them in their merrymaking. The more crest-fallen you are, the more Vistani will gather around and push wine into your belly and try and make you laugh.

Sometimes Vistani will set up make shift camps that can last for days, weeks, months, or even years. There are currently two known ones: One at the Tsar Falls, and another by the Lake just north of Vallaki.

Culture

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Vistani do not worship any god, but instead believe in something they call, the Threads of Fate. They believe that all actions have reactions and that fate's wound its strings around everyone. Reading fate is one of the numerous powers the Vistani are known to have, and while they can never read their own fate, the ability to read and alter the fates of others have made them feared in the world. The most powerful of these fate readers become the leaders of caravans and clans, and are revered within the Vistani world.
Rema, the Vistani word for Karma essentially, is one of the core tenants of the Vistani faith and culture, and works in tandem with the Threads of Fate. They believe that kindness breeds kindness and hate breeds hate. If you are kind to them, they are kind back. If you hurt them, they will hurt you back. This core belief system explains why they are so kind and generous to any outside.

Vistani love storytelling and have become experts on the subject. Through their travels they have collected all kins of tales and share them almost every night around their campfires. When visitors come by their camp, they pretty much demand a story as payment for their hospitality. If a visitor is obviously too uncomfortable for this though, they don't push the issue and instead tell one of their own.

Another huge part of their culture is their family. Vistani believe that family comes first and foremost, and to them, family isn't just the people you're related to by blood. Family is all the people around you, from extended family to friends and their families. This dedication to family has given way to some unique cultural traditions. For example, if a Vistani decides to leave their tribe to go live in a city, this isn't a shunning. A Vistani is free to go live away from their people if they choose. They don't become outcasts or hated by their people, but instead, when a Vistani leaves the tribe, it is treated like a death. They actively mourn the loss of a Vistana, and send prayers to the fates for their safety away from their families. This ceremonial mourning is almost identical to a funeral in their culture. These individuals are referred to as Remanio, or Wind Walkers.

When a Remanio returns to the Vistani, they are welcomed with open arms and usually copious amounts of tears and hugging.  This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as if they decided they made a mistake in leaving or accomplished their goal and are ready to come home. When someone is returned to the Vistani, they are called Vani. Vani is a term loosely meaning, 'someone brought back from death.'

Outcasts and Enemies

To be an enemy of the Vistani is something you do not want for yourself. They do not hunt down their foes like a crime family or the law, but if you have wronged a Vistana, all Vistani will know. There is literally no redemption among the Vistani. If you're their enemy, you're their enemy forever. There's nothing you can do to get back into their good graces. Vistani never forgive and never forget.
Mortu is a term for an outcasted Vistana. This is someone who was born Vistani, but did something so awful that they were cast out. A Mortu looses all their Vistani powers. If possible, before being exiled, a Mortu receives a small cut under their left eye that will leave a scar. This scar marks them forever as Mortu.

Mortio is a term for an enemy of the Vistani. A Mortio is an outsider that did some harm to the Vistani and became their enemy. If a Vistana comes across a known Mortio, they will actively try to curse them before chasing them away.

Vistani Language

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The Vistani language is a strange thing. While they will typically speak in common when outsiders are around, they will sprinkle in many of their words when talking in common. The language itself can be quite confusing and both the language and the way they talk is often described as "Musical or Whimsical." Listed below are some terms the Vistani are known to use.

Giorgio - Someone who is not Vistani. A general term for outsiders.
Giogoto - An outsider who has done something so profound, they're basically honorary Vistani. They're accepted as one of the Vistani, though they weren't born one.
Shae - a generic term for an honored elder.
Raunie - A Vistana with an exceptional gift for seeing the Threads of Fate.