Ristew'Naan

Ristew is a contraction of Rice Steward and 'Naan denotes a Master level rank. Ristew'Naan is a rank found primarily in Four Rings where sea rice is a primary crop. Some may also be found in the area of Faals where mountain (or Faelian) rice is grown.
Ristew'Naanem are responsible for overseeing:

• Ristew'Naan'Ven - apprentice Ristew'Naanem
• sen'Ristewem - Rice Stewards who have reached Master level, but do not wish to take on a management role and are perfectly happy to continue working in the rice shallows (Four Rings) or on the rice slopes (Faals) and mentor others in their craft
• journeyman Rice Stewards - those who have passed the apprentice level in knowledge, practical skills and comprehension but still need some seasoning
• Ristew'Ven - apprentice Rice Stewards

For the most part this is an administrative role whose duties may include:

• Tracking and comparing harvest statistics and trends
• Overseeing exports and in-Rhejhe distribution
• Hiring merchants and caravan guards and evaluating trade routes
• Preliminary arbitration of trade and/or merchant disputes and spokesperson for any higher level adjudication of same
• Representing their island or ring at the Rice Stewards & Harvesters Gheln meetings
• Training the Ristew'Naan'Ven
• Supervising the sen'Ristewem
• Matching Ristew'Ven with experienced mentors and evaluating their progress

There are a variety of specialties and disciplines contained within the rank of Ristew'Naan that are denoted, not by modifiers to the rank, but by variations in tattoos, which are accumulated over the Rounds and become more elaborate as time goes on. While both Faals and Four Rings have tattooing traditions around the ranks of their Rice Stewards & Harvesters, those of Four Rings are by far the most striking as they are "inked" by time spent in the concentrated blue dye waters caused by the vividly colored stalks of the sea rice. Those who have spent many 'Rounds in the rice shallows will also have a blueish tint to those areas of skin which are regularly immersed in these waters.

Type

Professional