Mari (Mar-e)
Humans who dwell in Armarium, they faithfully serve the Celestial protectors of the realm.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Feminine names typically are indicative of gentle virtues, often utilizing the pronouns heunt or ae, such as Cansae (Faith), Heuntio (Hope), or Klau̯plaus (Patience).
Masculine names
Masculine names typically involve proactive and strong virtures, often utilizing the pronouns ist or su, such as Istrit (Justice), Suclops (Stamina), or Cedvist (Loyal).
Family names
Familial names often invoke an object or concept, preferably related to a Celestial Paragon, such as Ionthim (Of the Sword), Flisau (Thinker), Flibriu (Fixer), Aspacu (Wild One), or Fliscuseb (Truth-Speaker). It is also very common for fathers to pass down their name to their firstborn son, which often includes an additive to the end of the personal name, based on how many times the name has been passed down. Other sons would often be named after extended family relatives, especially those who died young.
Other names
Notable Mari can achieve a third name, known as the peivo (Glory Name). These are only gained through direct action, and can be lost if shame is later brought upon them, and the name always is related to the action that brought it upon them
Thus, a common name a great warrior could achieve is Istritfloc Ionthim Crifliguru, which would translate directly to Justiciar the Second, of the Sword Family, Slayer of Demons.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The Mari speak Armmar Common, and many strive to learn to understand Celestial. Speaking Celestial is frowned upon, except for higher classes of nobility, and Flisi (Holy Speaker), translaters who specialize in transcribing the words of higher beings.
Common Etiquette rules
All Mari are expected to show deference and respect to any Cosmic Races, as well as any divine outsider they may encounter, with the exception of Tieflings. Tieflings are viewed as unholy abominations and are killed on sight.
Common Dress code
The Mari wear simple white toga or tunic-style robes. The mari's status is symbolized by both the complexity and length of their toga, as well as the color of the toga's trim. Most mari also had a dark brown robe known as a linfraut (Mourning Robe), which was used exclusively for funeral processions and other somber moments. For most Mari, nudity of anything beyond the arms, legs, and head, is considered a slope that leads to uncleanliness and sin, and thus it brings great shame to be seen unclothed.
Common folk generally only had a single formal toga, with no extra length or coloration, known as a pambrist (Common Rag).
The next level was typically colored a a light blue, the fibrionei (Worker's Clothes), held for civil servants that did not partake in manual labor, but also were not in high level positions of power, such as bankers, merchants, and clerks.
The next level was worn by doctors and other physicians and alchemists, marked by a light yellow trim, known as a bofraut (Doctor Gown).
Above them was the Soldier caste marked by gray trim, known as criurkimion (Soldier Suit).
Prominent mages, typically ones associated with arcane magic, are draped in red trimmed robes known as mihadbri (Magic Cloth)
The longest form of robes are worn by politicians and senators; these long robes are typically green trimmed and are known as flmaucan (Speaker's Shirt).
The highest level of toga was reserved for the clerics and other servants of the churches of the Celestial Paragons, and are adorned with pure golden trim. These robes are known as Munclunsoe (Hood of Heaven).
The Mari who dwell in the colder region of Zioh often have more fur on the linings of their toga to protect them from the cold, and thus have their signifying colors more in the central regions of the cloth.
Art & Architecture
The Mari love to craft both buildings and sculptures out of marble. As most Mari have their basic needs met as long as they remain in good standing, many pursue a career in the arts. This leads to an incredibly competive atmosphere between various art troupes.
Foods & Cuisine
Consumption of alcohol is mostly frowned upon in Mari society, but as grapes are one of the most common crops of the realm, wine is considered a more acceptable drink. There are three prominent types of wine, Eisiuco (Holy Blood), very weak wine used in religious ceremonies; Fridlub Gift of Drink, a moderately potent wine used as to give as gifts during political or business meetings; and tromcum (Water of Emotion), a very potent wine, which is only used for important celebratory or somber events, such as a wedding or funeral. Those that drink tromcum with regularity are viewed as unsavory drunks. Most of the grapes to make these wines are imported from Nirvana as their primary crop.
Bread is the common stable of Diako and the Mari that dwell there. Known as iglebui Life Bread, it is a bland, easily and quickly grown bread. Iglebui is exported all around the realm, and any member of the realm can stop by a food pantry, known as a Eu̯isifird (Place of Holy Gifts), and receive small amounts of iglebui free of charge, although they are typically limited to once per week. Most Mari view stooping to receiving free iglebui as a personal failure, and thus only the desperate will go to an Eu̯isifird. Iglebuis is often topped with cheese or fruit sauce, as its blandness makes complements the outstanding flavors.
For the Mari that dwell in the colder northern region of Zioh, Naecuquiu (Spine Fish) and Ibrile (Wool Milk) are the most common food exports. The Naecuquiu are a delicious spiny pufferfish, but the spines must be carefully removed so to not harm anyone consuming the fish. The poison from these spines are usually sent to the Healing Church for use in medicine, and larger spines are even crafted into writing quills. Ibrile is a milk derived from the Cremqueuc (Snow Sheep), a domesticated sheep that dwells in the northern lands. The Ibrile is often itself not drunken, but instead used to make various cheeses.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
The most common Mari birth rites involve the blessing of a holy priest, typically but not always, one of Hazerial, the Healing Paragon. During the blessing, the priest dunks the newborn in a chalice of holy water, washing away any potential sin and leaving the baby fresh and untainted. After the baptism, the mother dries off the baby and swaddles it, then hands to over to the father to be named. A baby is never named before its baptism, as it must be first cleansed of any evil that the painful process of birth attracted.
For the rare occasions when an Aasimar, Axion, or Casoh is born without the direct lineage of a Celestial parent, such births are both highly celebrated and somber. It is a great honor for the family to add to the Celestial host, but usually the child is than seperated from its parents to be raised in the service to one of the churces of the Celestial Pargons.
Coming of Age Rites
Most churches in Armmarium also double as schoolhouses, and many children are taught the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, history, art, and theology in them. Wealthier families will often hire one or even multiple Treispac (Personal Teacher) to teach their student in the privacy of their own home. Students typically start learning at the age of six, would learn the basics for until the age of 11, and then either would head into higher education or start learning their trade, depending on the social status of their family. This would typically last another 4-6 years and once they reached complete their studies or have learned enough of their work, they would take their Vipeunspe (Dressing) ceremony. This ceremony differs slightly based on gender. For males, their childhood tunic is removed by the mother, and then bathed in water (holy water, for the more wealthy). Afterwards, the father presents their first toga, and wraps them in it, symbolizing that they have moved into adulthood. The process is the same for females, save that the father removes their childhood tunic, while the mother dons them in the adult toga. The ceremony is usually private between immediate family members, but is typically immediately followed up by a public meeting with either the extended family or close friends.
Funerary and Memorial customs
A majority of Mari are buried in blessed graveyards. The bodies are washed first, typically by the deceaseds wife or closest female relative. Then, a funeral is held in a local church, with a preist speaking of the deceaseds honors in life, and then burning a holy root, symbolizing the deads spirit moving on into the Root of Souls. Familiy members would then have a moment to speak, before the casket is moved outside for burial. Particulary important or powerful figures may even have a Celestial Being attend their funeral, which is considered an immense honor.
Common Taboos
Worship of infernal figures is forbbiden, punishble by death, and tieflings are slain on sight. Many have a great distrust of arcane magic, and those who practice non-divine magic who aren't establish by the state are prosecuted as witches and warlocks. Necromancy is only permited for use by the mages of the Healing Church, and only for the purposes of understanding and affecting anatomy, and never for rasing the undead.
Those that slander the churches of the Celestial Paragons are treated as heretics, and are often cast out of villiages or otherwise punished. Although it varies from area to area, class dynamics are often strictly enforced, with those who try to raise above their birth station often quickly becoming shunned. All mari are inherently considered underneath the aasimar, and thus acting against of them could be considered a crime.
Adultry is also a serious crime, although not one that typically lead to execution, rather harsh monetary or physical punishment. Bastards born out of wedlock are often taken in by one of the churches to become workers or common soldiers.
Common Myths and Legends
Nearly all of the Mari worship one of the five Celestial Paragons; Hazerial, Imperious, Leoaton, Namané, and Vohmana. Since most Mari dwell in either Daiko or Zioh, they tend to primarily venerate Imperious and Hazerial over the other three Paragons.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
The mari are expected to maintain a richness of hair and skin, as well as clean tunics and robes. Long hair in women and short hair in men is typically prefered, and most men are expected to remain clean shaven.
Gender Ideals
Gender ideals value slightly based on the region of Armarium; Those that dwell in Diako typical hold more a more standard, patriarchal ideals, with women remaining in charge of the household and men in charge of earning a living. For Ziohan Mari and Mari that dwell in other areas, ideals are much more fluid, with each individual household leaning either to the standard male-dominated household or a more equal sharing of responsibilities. Regardless of gender, all Mari must respect the wishes of any aasimar, and thus even a high ranking Diako male would not have much authority over a even a lower class Aasmiar female.
Courtship Ideals
Many Mari weddings are arranged between close family friends, depending on the families status in society. Lower-born Mari are often free to choose whoever they like (within their station), while upper class Mari must marry within family guidelines or risk damaging their family reputation. Typically, the male proposes with a ring, often either handcrafted or a family heirloom. Afterwards, the two would seek out the parents of the bride for approval for the wedding. If the parents approved, they would set a date within 5 months, and the two families would work together to prepare a wedding. Weddings were large-scale events, often considered the most important event of the new families entire life, and thus nearly everyone they are in good standing in would be invited. Weddings typically took place at the family home of the bride; typically outside in the back yard. The parents of the bride would help get her ready, with the guests gathering outside for the ceremony. As the ceremony begins, the groom will enter the house, and grab the wife, carrying her outside to the procession. The groom is expected to hold the bride in his arms for as long as possible, signifying his willingness to carry their family through any troubles that might arise in the future. A priest would oversee the speaking of vows and bless the union. Once the union was blessed, the concession would walk or travel to either the grooms house, the house of his parents, or another dwelling rented out by the groom, if the other areas were too far to realistically travel to. Once at the new abode, the groom would take his new bride inside to consummate their marriage, while the guests would be greeted with a celebratory feast.
Sex before marriage was seen as immoral, but it is not a specific crime. Homosexuality is also seen negativly, although this is due more to the fact that most places prevent same-sex marriage, and any form of sex before marriage is viewed is wrong, rather than a bias against two of the same sex engaging in activity. However, many preists of the Church of the First Union are willing to perform marriages for any who are in love, dispite the disapproval of the Churchs of the Celestial Paragons.
Major organizations
The Mari are members of the five major territories of the realm; Diako, under the rule of Heaven and the Archons; The Fields of Nirvana, guided by the Agathions; the cold tundra of Zioh, watched over by the Angels, the sprawling Elysium Wilds, where Azatas run wild, and the Spiral Range, where the reclusive Manasaputra dwell on the mountain tops. Diako and Zioh have the highest pouplation of Mari, as more humans dwell in those areas.
Random Mari Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-15 | Ordered City | Region's Finest |
| 16-30 | River City | Log-Roller |
| 31-45 | Plains Village | Savanah Child |
| 46-60 | Forest Tribe | Spiritual Forester |
| 61-75 | Tundra Village | Child of the Tundra |
| 75-90 | Towering Mountain | Highlander |
| 91-96 | Celestial Stronghold | Scholar of the Great Beyond |
| 97-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland Table) |
Encompassed species
Languages spoken
Related Locations
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