The Thousandforms of the Intersedran Empire, who inhabit the Broken Continent to the east of Pretheya. Though not Pretheyan, a small number of them have moved to the continent, and their fate has been entwined with that of the Pretheyan since before the dawn of the First Country.
Courtship Rituals
Though unclear whether it is an instinctual behaviour or a cultural one, the Thousandforms of Intersedra are known for their extremely intricate rituals and practises related to acquiring a mate.
In love partnerships (ie, those pursued outside of an arranged marriage, which are common in Intersedra) there exist strict courtship practises that men are instructed to follow when attempting to find a mate. For starters, it is considered improper for a man to attempt show interest in a woman without her first doing so towards him. This will usually be done only in a subtle way, and so men are expected to be able to interpret potential signals that a woman may be interested in them; their ability to do so constitutes the first test that they must pass. The next steps of the process consist of impressing their prospective mate; the way through which they must do so varying depending on the woman's character.
Intersedran women are encouraged to be highly choosy with their partners. Men are perceived amongst women as being primarily motivated by physical desire, and so women are taught to look for men who show an interest in them for reasons other than their appearance. For this reason, men who wish to court a female must strike a delicate balance between being suitably appreciative of her looks, but doing so in a way that refrains from making themselves seem excessively lustful, and while also making sure to demonstrate that they are interested in other aspects of her. Restraint is considered a highly virtuous and desirable quality in men, and is considered indicative of an ability to overcome one's baser nature. For this reason, some females will go out of their way to tempt prospective mates with intentionally seductive displays, with the intent of seeing if they are capable of remaining unaffected or not.
Another prized quality in males is their skill with children. The ability for a man to be liked by children and to know how to take care of them is often considered the indication of a good mate beyond anything else, and men who exhibit these traits are often among the first of a generation to find partners for themselves. Skill with children is also important on a practical level for the man; who will be the child's primary caregiver once they are old enough to no longer need to nurse.
Although the system of courtship generally highly favours the women involved, there are still some expectations placed upon them. Intersedran women are expected to wear elaborate, customised makeup that enhances whatever facial markings they were born with, to dress as well as is feasible for their station, and to take good care of their hair. The latter in particular is considered a sign of moral virtue, as women who do not care for their hair are thought of as lazy and improper.
Various regional communities in parts of Intersedra also require individuals to train in certain styles of dance, traditionally one that is performed during the wedding ceremony, and another that is involved in a step in the process of proposal. However, as Intersedran society has changed over the years, the importance of this aspect of the courtship ritual has gradually diminished; coming to be seen as excessive even by Intersedran standards. The marriage dance is now rarely practised in urban parts of Intersedra, and is largely relegated to the role of a rural tradition in the countryside.
Tattooing
An incredibly important development in Intersedran history was the invention of tattooing. Through this technique, Thousandforms became able to enhance their natural markings through the addition of new colours and patterns; usually drawn in a way to compliment those they were born with. The most common usages of tattooing were at first to simply correct natural patterns that were not symmetrical, as having identical markings on both sides of the body is considered conventionally attractive. Over time the practise advanced to include expansions to existing patterns, such as increasing the surface area of coloured patches, or adding dots or other shapes. Eventually, it became commonplace to draw entirely new patterns, and as time passed, having many elaborate tattoos on one's body came to be seen as a sign of prestige.
This has lead to a thriving tattooing industry in Intersedra, and all individuals from the rich to the poor will likely get at least one tattoo throughout their lives. The social status associated with these tattoos varies based on the complexity of the design: Simple tattoos consisting of unbroken monocolour lines - known as 'tribal' tattoos - are most common among the peasantry. These are simple enough to create that even relatively inexperienced village tattooists can design them. All but the smallest Intersedran settlements will have at least one person who serves as a part-time tattooist, which makes basic tattoos accessible to even the lowest ranking members of society.
Larger settlements often have full-time tattooists who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of the craft. These are most commonly found in towns and cities, the latter often being host to dozens of them, each with varying skills and competencies in different kinds of tattoos. The most skilled tattooists are sought after from far and wide, and often cater to members of the upper class seeking to have unique designs made as a show of prestige. These individuals can command high prices for their services, similar to those of goldsmiths and jewellers, and their cultural importance has allowed tattooists as a whole to enjoy a privileged position in Intersedran society.
There are a number of tattoo patterns associated with cultural and religious ceremonies within the Intersedran Empire. Most commonly, all Scalebearers are required to receive a tattoo in the shape of a scale on some part of their body, most commonly the back of their hand, as a symbol of office. Additionally, each Prismatic Empress will be adorned in a series of elaborate temporary tattoos for the various stages of the coronation ceremony as they ascend to the throne. The new empress will pick one individual from the most skilled tattooists in the realm to perform this duty, and the individual in question will traditionally be drafted into her service as a member of the imperial court afterwards, to serve permanently as the empress's personal tattooist.
Not all tattoos drawn are permanent. Those sought out for ceremonial events are more often than not temporary, and it is not uncommon for Intersedrans to get short-term tattoos for various events, such as birthdays, celebrations, or religious festivals. Given the expense of repeated tattooings, however, the ability to afford temporary ones in large amounts is considered prestigious.
Beauty Standards
It is widely considered by Tveirfotr scholars that every culture in Pretheya has a concept of what is 'conventionally attractive.' More often than not, this differs by country, and can sometimes vary between different regions within one country. Generally speaking, the majority of individuals within a given culture will share a similar idea of what construes conventional attractiveness in their community, even if what they personally find attractive diverges from this.
This, however, is not the case within the Intersedran Empire. In contrast to the Tveirfotr - who are defined by the fact that, save for hair and eye colours, they look largely similar - the Thousandforms are characterised by their wildly different appearances, with their bodies varying not just in terms of hair and eye colour, but also hair texture and thickness, as well as body markings. This high level of variance has precluded any single 'conventionally attractive' type of appearance from forming among communities of Thousandforms in Intersedra, and has lead to a cultural dynamic which places a much higher emphasis on individual preference, and also expression.
Instead of having specific physical traits that are considered desirable, Intersedran society works on the basis of having traits and behaviours that are considered attractive. Generally speaking, individual Thousandforms are encouraged to cultivate a unique look which brings together their natural features. They will attempt to dress in ways that compliment their markings and hair, and will often get tattoos that attempt to further enhance these natural aspects of their appearance.
On a macro level, however, certain characteristics have been identified by Intersedran scholars as being near-universally appealing. It has been noted that even within the context of individual expression, most Thousandforms prefer to attempt to create symmetry within their appearances; commonly by mirroring markings on one side of their body to the other using tattoos. Generally speaking, those with symmetrical facial features also tend to be considered more attractive than those without, and this can be considered one of the only 'true' trends within Intersedran beauty. Even then, there are still those who shirk this trend, and various prominent individuals in Intersedran culture have been known for their asymmetrical tattoos and garbs; commonly as an intentional statement of non-conformity.
Skin Patterns
Unlike the clear skin of the Tveirfotr, the Thousandforms are born with colourful markings and patterns all across their bodies. These can come in all shapes, sizes, patterns and distributions, and are considered to be a key part of individual beauty within Intersedran culture. There is no universally agreed upon type of body marking that is considered the most attractive, although various religious meanings are often attributed to the colour or shape of the markings an individual is born with. At times, one colour or pattern of markings may come to be favoured for a generation; most commonly the colour of the Prismatic Empress's markings will be elevated to a position of desirability within the Intersedran court for the duration of her reign, but this is mainly a concern for the nobility.
Foreign Perception
The extensive amount of time spent by Intersedran Thousandforms on courtship rituals in comparison to both the Pretheyan Thousandforms and the Tveirfotr has been noted, and has been the subject of academic discourse among both populations. Each culture generally considers the approach of the other in this regard to be inferior: Rukhmarites cite the Intersedrans' focus on intricate courtship rituals as evidence of lechery and lustfulness, while many Intersedrans view Pretheyans' comparatively simple mating rituals as being indicative of a lack of commitment to their partners. This belief, in particular, has lead to a widespread perception that Pretheyans are prone to adultery and make for unfaithful spouses. This has resulted in the widespread difficulty of Pretheyan migrants to Intersedra in finding partners for themselves, and is thought to be a large contributing factor in why the vast majority of Pretheyans in Intersedra end up marrying other Pretheyans, rather than natives.
Within Pretheya's community of Thousandforms, opinions on Intersedran courtship practises are divided. Among Asutoan Thousandforms traders who do business with their Intersedran cousins, some have begun to adopt the Intersedrans' traditional rituals in this regard. Others on the east coast maintained these rituals despite their separation from Intersedra, albeit to a less convoluted degree, and still practise them in the present day. Generally speaking, the expectation that a couple will follow traditional Intersedran courtship practises is much stronger in the case that both partners are Thousandforms than if one is a Tveirfotr. In the event that the couple consists of one Tveirfotr and a Thousandforms, the Tveirfotr is generally not expected to conform to the practises, but this varies by individual family. In the same vein, the Thousandforms in the partnership may or may not be given an exemption from following the traditions for having a Tveirfotr mate.
