Menteśi of the Urals

On the edge of Eastern Europe, or in its very center if you count the european part of Russia as, well, Europe, there is a country called Hungary. Ethnically and linguistically it is surrounded by Germans, Slavs and Turks, all of which have either a very distinct heartland, or their area of settlement is very easy to track. The Germans came to their forests a long time ago, the Slavs migrated in V - VI centuries, and the Turks can be tracked from the Altai Mountains deep in Siberia, through the Great Steppe and Iran to what we now call Turkey. If we don't count remnant cultures such as Romanians, the Hungarians are basically the only buffer between their neigbourghs. Their language is closer to Finnish and small dying Ugric languages of Northern Russia.
The reason for this anomaly is the Magyar Migration that happened over the couse of six hundred years. They were the only people that originated near Ural Mountains and then migrated not west, as the majority of their relatives, but south. What prompted such a relocation is relatively unknown: historians have many theories, some of them generic and boring (lack of pasture, for example), some of them contradict each other, but the Fringe disagrees with all of them. The Fringe knows at least a part of the truth. The Magyars, the future Hungarians, were driven by their chieftains that were not of this world. The Menteśi, externally almost indistinguishable from humans but in actuality so different, they're considered an Inhuman species rather that a human race. The Menteśi feel cold, tall and distant, their very presence feels magical and imposes order and submission on those near them. But like the Yuan-Ti of Egypt, the mysterious hungarian chieftans vanished, dissolved into humanity, and left no trace behind them.
All we know about the Menteśi originates in a work of a scholar, a byzantine monk Hierotheos, bishop of Tourkia.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

The following names are distinctly Menteśian:

1. Adua
2. Bekvina
3. Radudek Sepa
4. Yedek-Kvara
5. Zedekoka
6. Tecentona

Masculine names

1. Xesesonoj
2. Radekunuoj
3. Radudek
4. Tekvar
5. Nenaudek
6. Atridek

Family names

The convention of surnames appeared way after the Menteśi disappeared. Hierotheos mentions that the chieftains used common Hungarian names, but they also had their own names which were rather complicated, though shared the same word. The monk knew only of five these "parts" of the name: Kansumado, Demastruma, Reprovzajoj, Arango, Kelegigo. Hierotheos was sure there were more, though.

Other names

These variations can usually be found in Menteśi names, according to the byzantine monk. As always, meanings aren't clear, though it sometimes seems similar to a Romance language:

1. Beagulo
2. Zejunuloj
3. Dedungito
4. Zeestro

Culture

Common Dress code

When in public but not in battle, the Menteśi wear loose clothing akin to what Christian monks and priests are wearing, though they prefer it to be white. Hierotheos heard that in private they do not wear clothing at all, and even the winter's cold don't stop them from this frivolous tradition. When in battle, they're in light armor, usually aketons or even armor resembling ancient Greek linotorax.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Once a year, usually somewhere near the All Saints' Day, Menteśi have a universal gathering. By this time those who are in foreign lands are recalled, and almost nothing can stop them from reaching the designated area. They occupy a forticifaction, and their inner circles make camps around it, thus creating a defensive army thousands large. This it the only period when these humans that are most close to the chiefs can intermingle. The Menteśi themselves close all the windows in the fortification with some kind of a solid cloth that prevents even hearing what's going on inside. They stay there for two days and then get back to their duties.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

There isn't such a thing as "Menteśi children", noticed Hierotheos. Some kids are always around at the chief's household, of course. Half of them were bred by human concubines, which is sinful, as the monk notes. The other half, he is sure, were birthed by Menteśi women. But these children do not resemble the noble leaders even a little.
They're baptised like Christians: most Menteśi did convert to the true religion, even though they made their pilgrimages to Rome more often, and were, like many recent converts, not very devout and kept some of their pagan beliefs.

Coming of Age Rites

Children that reached the age of 13 became of age. On their birthday they came to their leader and spent a whole day with them. After that, most children got back to their usual lives. Some went on to joining another Menteśi's inner circle, some eventually became small chiefs and village leaders, most just joined Magyar mercenary bands and rose through the ranks. But some of the children came back from their leaders changed, their features started to transform to Menteśi, their behavior changed over time, though they recognized everybody they knew before coming of age and mostly lived their old lives, except the time they had to spend on a special education provided only by their Menteśi relatives.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Menteśi reminded Hierotheos of Parsis, the long gone devouts of Zoroastrianism, the main religion of the former Byzantine rival, the Sassanids. They used to leave their dead to decompose atop burial hills. This is exactly what Menteśi do, letting their elders' bodies to the fate and ravens. These burial grounds were never too close to settlements, though.

Common Myths and Legends

Magyar folklore of Hierotheos' time, Xth century, still has some sporadic mentions of the Menteśi origins. He was told, and rigorously written down, that ancient Magyar ancestors used to live near the mountains, and once a group of shepherds got lost there. They've stumbled upon a cave where good spirits lived. The shepherds rested and recuperated, they were surrounded by the spirits' curiosity and love, and even though the inhabitants of the cave were happy to help the humans get back to their own... The shepherds refused and decided to stay, except just one man. He made it back to his people and told them what happened. Angry wives and children of the missing shepherds took to the caves planning to fight and get their loved ones back, but to no avail. When they came, there were no shepherds and no spirits.
Generations later a young hunter inspired by this tale went into the mountains, got lost and stumbled upon the very cave his forefathers found. The spirits weren't that hospitable anymore, and they only asked: Have your people acquire wisdom in the years past?. He told that they have, and the spirits asked him to prove it. The young hunter saw the missing shepherds among them, all dressed in white and looking happy, and he became jealous that the spirits won't show him hospitality when they did so for the ancient shepherds. Then the spirits threw the hunter out of the cave. When he came back with his people, they, again, never found any signs.
Even more generations passed, and now a young shaman, a priest of the Sky God came along. He, too, heard the stories of the shepherds, but he decided against interfering, telling everybody that the spirits chose their way many years ago. He, too, once got lost in the mountains and stumbled upon the cave. "Have your people acquire wisdom in the years past? - asked the spirits. To which the priest replied: "No wisdom can ever be acquired when there's nobody to teach it. The spirits went silent for a while, and then they replied, promising to teach his people wisdom. He, their "Vokedane-rampilo", which means "The pebble that breaks The Balance", was to lead a flock of children into the caves, which he did. Ten years later, the children came back to the delight of their parents who already buried them in their minds. The children called themselves the Menteśi, and the former priest lead them. They were all pale and white-haired, and they told the tribe that they were to leave the lands for better pastures, better Sun and better future.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The Menteśi beauty ideals are rather cerebral, they do not base their interests on appearance. Nevertheless, they care about how they look simple because they could show no flaw to their human subjects.
The Menteśi are tall and pale skinned. This paleness doesn't look sickly, but rather like they were made of white marble, regards Hierotheos. Their hair is long and snow white. They tend to tie horsetails with it.
Their eyes seem to have a little more blankness to them than normal human eyes. The pupils are agressively blue.
The Menteśi have sharp features, though their chins are usually quite round. Overall, they posess a striking difference with their rather short and rough exteriored Magyar subjects.

Gender Ideals

Though gender equality in many cultures during the early centuries of Anno Domini wasn't a rare thing, Hierotheos remarks that even in the things that are considered "womanly" or "manly" among the fierce Northmen, the Menteśi proved to disregard any usual customs. The household issues they left to their subjects, while governance fell on their shoulders equally. Every single female Menteśi Hierotheos knew could fight, though they mostly preferred ranged mounted combat. They had no quarrels pertaining rights or duties with men, all contributed their fair share of work. The monks also notes that he never saw a number of Menteśi men without the same number of women being around. He also never saw pregnant Menteśi women around, but he assumed that it wasn't customary for them to be seen in public.
In conclusion, Hierotheos notes that he couldn't bring himself to distinguish Menteśi men from women for they were primarily Nobles: by blood, by right and by their very essence.

Courtship Ideals

The word "courtship" doesn't apply to relationsips between the Menteśi: they spend the majority of time in company of their Magyar subjects. Amongst themselves Hierotheos never seen any kind of romantic connections, but he'd mentioned that there was some kind of a connection between them, one that is beyond desires of the flash or experience of marriage. Among humans Menteśi prefer courting those who is educated or sufficiently quick-witted.

Relationship Ideals

Each Menteśi had an inner circle of humans, usually no more than eleven people. Those were cupbearers, food tasters, household servants, occasional lovers and, of course, protectors and honor guard of their chiefs. They were strictly prohibited to have meaningful relations outside of the circle, and those who didn't obey this rule ended up dead along with all their potential relatives.

GM NOTE:

For all D&D intents and purposed this species is the Kalashtar. They share many similarities, but the Menteśi are rooted deep into Fringe Earth lore. That's why it's not advised to make a character of this species just yet ;)