Memnans

The memnans¹ were a bronze age culture which once ruled much of the western Katark Mountains in Laxilþía, and whose sphere of influence reached the people north and south of the mountains, notably ancestors of the Pakrans and Tingreni. They often waged wars against their main rivals, the Káaxans, in the eastern part of the mountains over land and resources.
Like the káaxans, the memnans were skilled engineers and founded a number of fortified cities in the mountains, some of which still remain relatively intact despite centuries of earthquakes, volcanic activity and looting. After the fall of the káaxans due to a combination of earthquakes, famines and subsequent revolts, the memnans enjoyed a brief golden age before they too fell due to invasions and natural disasters.

Religion

Most of their ceremonies were performed on low step-pyramids, some of which had temples at the top, a style which was adopted both by tingreni and pakrans. One of the most important rituals performed there was human sacrifice, followed by consuming some of the victims' flesh, which is still practiced by the tingreni as part of their funeral rites, while the pakrans have since abandoned that custom².

Funerary rites

Memnans constructed elaborate tombs for their kings and elite warriors, filled with offerings of food, jewelry and painted terracotta figurines. Masks made of jade and gold were placed on the dead's face, many of which have since been looted by pakrans and placed in their temples.

Warfare

Although their weapons and some armour were made of bronze, the memnans made heavy use of turquoise and jade plates and beads both to adorn their weapons and arms. Shields in particular often had jade mosaic along the rim or in the center, often displaying the owners' family totemic animal or other symbols. Kings and elite warriors often wore crested helmets made of these two materials as a status symbol.

Memnan jade- and turquoise helmet by Lappalingur

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¹Original icelandic: Memnar, sing: Memni.
²The pakrans in and around the cities of Efþíxis and Krelúta continued this practice as part of their Pardi worship until being annexed into the empire of Resak.