Menvetoth

The Menvetoth tribe once lived centuries ago in the kingdom of Tirosanioth, along with the Amantoth, their sister tribe, in what is now known today as central Dymin. They worshipped the goddess of memory, Veniathan, and were a very spiritual people who valued life, nature, and remembrance. They referred to a person's spiritual third eye as the Eye of Dreaming, and were known for their powerful druids, and Seers, which in their language were called gweleth. Many lived in the city surrounding the Living Castle, the capital of Tirosanioth, but a majority lived in more remote towns and villages deep in the highlands. Their communities were lead by Archdruids, who were revered for their wisdom, and prowess in magic and healing.

Many druids were also seers and healers, but not all seers and not all healers were druids. The highest position of healer in any Menvetoth community was not the Archdruid, but rather a different title, the Anamnesur. The Anamnesur was an extremely holy figure in Menvetoth society, thought of as a shepherd of souls. They were the only ones permitted to look upon or touch the bodies of the dead, and the responsibility of preparing the dead for burial was theirs.

The perception of the Menvetoth was largely one of mystery and recluse, even to the Amantoth, but they did have contact with other peoples outside of Tirosanioth. They engaged in trade with other nearer clans as well as with distant foreign nations, exchanging fine soaps and medicine for other goods. Tirosanioth had strong relations with the northern Kaatoq in particular, and the trade between them and the Everwinters-dwelling bird-folk was vigorous. In addition to soap-making, the Menvetoth also boasted highly advanced fibre arts and weaving technology, as well as intricate woodcarving, and some ironworks.

As a druidic society, they did uphold values such as the harmony of nature and balance of life, and they believed in peace, but they were hardly a passive people. The northern highlands were home to many different nations, clans and tribes, and attempted invasions from neighbouring countries was frequent, so the spilling of blood was often unavoidable. The armies of Tirosanioth were mostly Amantoth soldiers, but the Menvetoth also had many strong warriors, and honoured those who fought to protect the land, their people and their homes. It was because they so strongly valued life that it was considered unacceptable not to fight to live. They did not take life lightly, not the life of their enemies nor the animals they ate. Menvetoth warriors were primarily hunters, and most hunters were also warriors. They wielded knives and shortswords, spears, clubs, and bows for both hunting and combat.

Naming Traditions

The Menvetoth do not use last names. If it was ever relevant to mention that one was related to someone else, it would simply be said so then. Their first names are also not quite considered their 'given' name, as a person's true name is not one chosen by anyone but Veniathan and the golden spirits, and is revealed in a dream-vision to the one who will name the child. Typically that is the parents, or another member of the family or community, typically in the last days before the child is born. The true name is also not revealed in the form that they will actually be called, but rather the meaning, the essence of the name. For example, Siromsja's name means 'burning star' as it was revealed to her father, precisely at dawn on the day she was born. Thus, upon her arrival to the world she was named Siromsjos, since she was born male. Siromsja later altered her name slightly, swapping the masculine element for the feminine. The meaning is the same, however, so in this way, even though technically she is now called something different from before, her name has not truly changed. Siromsja's father was named Cerumnos, meaning 'moon holder', and her sister was named Artula, meaning 'laughing bear'. Affectionate pet names are used between family and lovers, but the concept of shortening one's name as a nickname is an utterly foreign concept. A person's true name is an aspect of their soul, it would simply be odd to abbreviate it.

Culture

Common Dress code

Frigid winds coming off the northern seas and down from the Everwinter mountains make the highlands of Tirosanioth cool even during the summer, and brutally freezing in the winter. The Menvetoth wear clothes made out of linen and wool, and use lots of woven fabrics in patterns of criss-crossing horizontal and vertical bands, in a variety of size and colours. They wear sashes and shawls loosely around their shoulders, across their torso, or tied around their waist under leather or cloth belts. Men wear layers of shirts and long tunics, and simple pants or leggings. Women mostly wear layered dresses, and pants or leggings underneath in the winter, but it wasn't ever too uncommon for women with more active lifestyles to also wear tunics and pants, especially if they were hunters.

They wear fur pelts of many sorts, as cloaks, coats, vests, and tunics. They wear boots made out of leather and hide, and leather and fur leg and arm warmers or wraps. Their armour is made of leather. They don't wear much jewellery, but both men and women often wear necklaces and pendants, made of various charms, runes, crystals or stones, or combinations of small numbers of beads, on string. Their purposes range from protection to good luck to decoration to representing status or role. The same kinds of things that they would string on their necklaces can just as often be seen hanging from their belts. Their metal resources were typically reserved for weapon and toolsmithing, so they don't wear much of it, but they have belt buckles made out of metal and sometimes pendants and hair beads.

Both men and women grow their hair long, but rarely leave it all loose. Men keep their hair out of the way with simple ties-- half up half down was always a popular style. Only women braid their hair. It's traditional for mothers to teach their daughters how to braid their hair, showing them how to put it up in styles that range from simple to extremely elaborate. Specific techniques, styles or patterns of braids differ from family to family.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

The Menvetoth believe in reincarnation. Their philosphy is one of eternity, not finality, and all souls and all life are a part of the endless river of time. When a person dies, their soul leaves their body and travels through the realm of dreams, back to Veniathan's spring, which is also called the Wellspring of Memory by the Menvetoth. Souls travel from the spring back into the river of time, until they are eventually reborn as a new person into a new life. Over the course of their life, Menvetoth frequently experience dreams and visions involving memories of their past lives.

Prayer is an important part of a Menvetoth's daily life. To begin their day each morning, they pray to Veniathan by cupping clean water in their hands and reciting their prayer until all the water has drained through the seams between their fingers. This is done either alone or in groups, depending on one's preference and schedule.

Coming of Age Rites

A coming of age rite observed for all Menvetoth people regardless of gender was the receiving of a ring of memoria. Simple stone rings a little smaller than the palm of one's hand, they were carved with archaic runes along the inside, crafted by one's parent or another close, elder member of their community, and given to them on the day they turn seventeen. Each ring of memoria was unique, and uniquely dear to its bearer. They were frequently worn around one's neck, or kept on their belt, and were used as a sort of magnifying glass for the eye of dreaming. They were essential tools of gweleth, but used often by non-seer druids as well.

Stone rings of memoria fell out of use following the Great Maelstrom. Modern Menvetoth instead have a circle with the same traditional runes within tattooed on the back of their non-dominant hand.

Common Taboos

To the Menvetoth, the dead and dead bodies are extremely taboo. The true essence of a person runs much deeper than just their body; a person is the sum of their body and soul. When a person dies, and their soul leaves their body behind, the body is no longer that person, it is no more than dead flesh. The flesh of the dead is unclean and aggressive, it carries rot and disease. It is absolutely forbidden to touch or even look upon the flesh of the dead, no matter how recently deceased, even if it has only been minutes. To touch a dead body is to invite its soulless rot into your own soul, and if one does, they must immediately be thoroughly cleansed, both physically and spiritually.

After the Fall of Tirosanioth

The third rampage of E'erendar in the mortal world is referred to as 'the Great Maelstrom'. It is the event described in the ancient prophecy about The Daughter of Light, except that unlike what everyone believed, the Daughter of Light, the third vessel of Veniathan, did not appear on that day to stop E'erendar. Tirosanioth was destroyed, and thousands of lives were lost. The Menvetoth and Amantoth people were nearly erased from existence completely, with only a fraction of their population remaining as survivors of the Maelstrom. It was a permanent blow to both groups; all of the souls of everyone who was killed that day were consumed by E'erendar, meaning that they were truly, permanently gone, forever, and would never return to Veniathan's spring and never reincarnate.

In the wake of the initial destruction came even more catastrophe, still. The Cult of End appeared and invaded the ruins of Tirosanioth, establishing what would eventually become the empire of Dymin directly on top of the wreckage of the old kingdom. Unable to drive the worshippers of E'erendar out, the remaining Menvetoth and Amantoth were forced to go into hiding. All they could do was preserve their culture and way of life, and try to build a livable future for their children and descendants.

The rest of the world soon began to forget about the Menvetoth, and those that remembered believed them to have been completely wiped out in the Maelstrom, with no survivors. The Menvetoth who did survive have since kept their continued existence a secret. They have little choice, as the followers of E'erendar made it part of their mission to hunt down and exterminate all followers of Veniathan.

Today, most Menvetoth live in Asunemith Village. Rather than an Archdruid, or a monarch, they are led by a chieftain, and druids and seers are now much more rare. Of those that do remain today, they can't attain the same level of power they would have once been able to, as E'erendar's presence drains life and energy from the land, leaving little for the Menvetoth to draw from for their magic.

Few Menvetoth venture out into the rest of society, concealing their identities when they do. A very small number reside in the capital of Dymin, there to keep an eye on proceedings in the core of the kingdom of their enemy, and gather intel. The rest go out on patrols in search of the lost resting place of the Daughter of Light, as described by the first chieftain of surviving Tirosanioth, Artula the Valorous. They prepare for the reawakening of the third vessel of Veniathan, and E'erendar's impending return-- this time, there will not be another chance to stop him from truly destroying everything.