Ihmisii
The Ihmisii people are the original native inhabitants of what would later be known as Gol-Kasha. They were ousted from their ancestral lands by the Vekhen Empire in 874 BE , being replaced by the Aomeni.
Now, the Ihmisii are scattered across Syvat in small diasporic enclaves, with their only hegemonic concentration being beyond the Wall of Verzit in the Gahet Wastes and western reaches of the Luskat Steppe. The Ihmisii who inhabit the northern reaches of the Luskat are known as the Dëbuii.
The Ihmisii have a reputation as being cunning, poetic, and vengeful to outsiders, though they pride themselves on their loyalty and sense of justice.
Naming Traditions
Unisex names
Ihmisii names are non-gendered, though they are often altered to fit gendered conventions of other host cultures (e.g. Kar ('snow') might be changed to Kara in the Empire to better fit Common Vulgar gender rules). Ihmisii names tend to stem from natural phenomena, such as rocks, rivers, leaves, trees, weather, and the like, but they are often changed later in life once the individual finds a niche they feel fits them well. Ihmisii names are said to be riddles, first one that the child needs to figure out to understand themselves, and later one presented to the world to protect them. It is believed this practice stems from the Feytongue roots of the Ihmish language.
Family names
The Ihmisii do not natively take family names, though they will use the name of a parent or guardian when necessary to differentiate themselves from others with the same name. This is marked by the particle 'gil' that seperates the two names. Example: Nazli gil Endës, 'Nazli, child of Endës.'
Some Ihmisii who have settled in more urban areas have adopted Aomeni, Borenae, or Kaharotan surnames to more easily fit in.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Though an entirely diasporic culture, Ihmish has remained remarkably stable since its speakers were scattered, only changing mildly between different communities. Scholars believe this consistency is an intentional one, with communities of Ihmisii striving hard to maintain their language as close to its original state as possible, to prevent their already fractured communities from becoming disconnected with those found elsewhere. Another aspect of this is how often the Ihmisii travel, often meeting, mingling, and swapping people between wandering groups.
Culture and cultural heritage
It is Ihmisii tradition that their people were given language and guidance by the first Fey who emerged out of Refrain after it was created by Madam Midnight, with much of their culture being developed from that intermingling. Indeed, many Ihmisii can trace their heritage to people in both Harmony and Refrain. Furthermore, Ihmish is closely related to Feytongue, making this belief quite likely to be true.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Guestright
The Guestright is one of the oldest customs among the Ihmisii, harkoning back to their very foundation. The tradition states that any stranger should be first welcomed into one's home and treated as an honoured guest for as long as they wish to stay, being protected from harm, foul weather, hunger, or thirst. The Ihmisii believe that breaking the Guestright — as either the guest or the host — is the height of sacrilege, and will bring about curses from all the Gods. The Guestright is believed to have been the foundation of Ihmisii culture, and the origin of the Ihmisii–Fey Alliance, for they were the first group to welcome the Fey as honoured guests, rather than with fear. Additionally, the Ihmisii were known to have welcomed the Kaharota into their lands before the outbreak of the First Invasion of Gol-Kasha, and thus the unprovoked attack from the Vekhen Empire is said to have laid down a curse on their whole line.Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Most Ihmisii — especially those with stronger links to their culture — have white hair, either naturally or bleached. This is true across all species that make up their people. However, this appears to not be the case prior to their exodus from Gol-Kasha, with recovered artwork showing hair tones ranging from blondes and reds through to black. It is believed that this change in colour is linked to a common Ihmish phrase 'Soğuk, soğuk Kishin takim' "Cold, cold is my crown in the Winter."
Gender Ideals
The Ihmisii culture is agendered — not having the concept of binary gender at all — though individual diasporic Ihmisii often adopt genders based on their host culture. Ihmisii who grew up in an entirely Ihmisii context are typically regarded as agender, whilst those who adhere to a culturally Ihmisii view on gender but grew up in more gendered societies typically label themselves as non-binary; expressing aspects of multiple gendered roles from their host culture, through the agender lens of the Ihmisii. That being said, many Ihmisii do wholly adopt both cis and trans genders from their host cultures, with Ihmisii enclaves adopting the concept of gender from their neighbours.
Examples: Both Eveline Cagri and Florin Fort-Escu are Ihmisii born into a predominantly Aomeni settlement — Zhilisky — and as such have adopted aspects of their gender ideals. Eveline considers themselves non-binary, whilst Florin is a cisgender man. Bestar Snowfang, being a Dëbuii Ihmisii, considers himself agender, but uses he/him pronouns when conversing in Common Vulgar, and other gendered languages.
Diverged ethnicities
Languages spoken
Related Locations
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