Elkir (el ki r)

The Elkir are the largest subgroup of the Hulder race. When the rumari empire fell the Hulder folk who still lived tried to use magic to protect themselves from those who still wanted them dead. However something went wrong and a huge magical explosion occurred burning all it touched and reducing the Rumarians who stood too close to dust.
The aftermath left the hulder folk in a burnt down wasteland that would never sprout life again. Some of the hulders saw this calamity as their own doing and decided to inhabit these scorched lands. They renamed themselves the Elkir meaning the shamed ones in rumari.

Naming Traditions

Other names

Most elkir have an added name or sound after their name. this sound is representative of the name of an ancestor and symbolises that that ancestor is the spirit guardian of the elkir.
Eks: Utries-Etri vermion. etri being representative of his uncle Etrid.
The suffix is usually only used formally and in ritualistic circumstances. And such names are only for full clan members.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

The elkir believe that the colour of ones hair says a lot about them and their future.
Red hair: being born with red hair is believed to signal a great and ferocious warrior.
Green hair: Being born with green hair is believed to signal that they have a deeper connection to the ancestral plane.
Blue hair: being born with blue hair symbolises that they will be a master of their craft.
Golden hair: Being born with golden or light hair symbolises that the person will bring bad luck. Many so called pale haired elkir are exiled because of this.

Shared customary codes and values

elkir culture values the family and the families and ancestors honour. Honour is seen as a fixed amount so in order to get honour you need to take it from someone else. but if someone takes honour it is dishonourable to not take it back either on behalf of yourself or someone in your clan.
one must work for their right to become a full clan member before this the elkir are not seen as adults no matter their age. before this the elkir will need to get the approval of a full clan to do things that might affect their clan and their clans honour. since they are not full clan members doing something dishonourable is placed upon their guardian rather than them. If a full clan member brings dishonour to their clan they will either loose their title as a clan member in small cases or be exiled or executed.

Average technological level

because they live in a mostly magical wasteland food preservation is one of their most important technologies. One way they do this is by using the water sources they have as that didn't disappear with the calamity. they use this for preservation by wrapping wet cloth around jars containing the food that needs to be preserved. another way of preserving food is drying it therefore fish and meat are usually dried.
Another way the elkir stay alive is by making food by using some unorthodox ingredients in order to make the most of the resources they have and produce more food. This is because even though they have little plant and animal life in their surroundings they still have other recourses under ground. Things such as iron, gold and silver are valuable recourses that elkir trade in small amounts in order for them to get massive amounts of what what those they trade with deem to be useless.
Another challenge all Rumarians face is sunlight and light irritating their skin. the way the elkir deal with this is simply by wearing capes and living in shaded areas away from the sunlight. Shade camps are usually set up along travel rutes for nomads and travelers to stay safe.
Fire is also not great for elkir as it gives off a lot of light, therefore they use hot rocks in order to stay warm by putting it in their beds and in special holes in the floors of their homes. But how do they warm up these stones?
The elkir need fire for many things such as to make food, warm up stones and to do blacksmithing and metalwork. most of these things the elkir achieve with their stone ovens. The elkir put in what they need to be warmed and then shuts the oven door as to not be too exposed to the light. Most of these ovens can be found on the outskirts of the settlements so that smoke from the fires can flow away without disturbing most people.

Common Etiquette rules

offering ones cape to someone is a gesture of offering someone protection. (this stems from olden times when capes where vital to the elkirs survival)something seen as a sign of respect is to put their hands on their hearts in the presence of ones ancestors symbol or remains.

Common Dress code

warm clothes mostly wool and fur. dresses and tunics are popular. capes are a must have for any elkir. and most importantly lots of colour! best is red, blue, green or cyan. Bright colours are a sign of wealth and peace as washing off blood and dirt weakens the colour on the clothes.

Art & Architecture

Most elkir settelments are in either ravines or caves, terefore most housings are carved out of stone in the walls of the ravines and caves so most of what is seen on the outside is a door. This they decorate with symmetrical carvings of geometrical or natural shapes always with some kind of beast hidden in the carvings.
There is a huge variety of the style of carvings on the different door frames. this is because once something is carved in it is hard and or costly to change it. therefore the doors can be an indication of when the house was built depending on the style of carving in the frame.
When the housing is exposed it is usually heavy, geometric and flat except for the huge decorated pillars. The housings of rumarians in general does not have many windows as that can let in sunlight. Although they do need fresh air they simply just replace the doors in their houses with grates and put cloth over for privacy.

Coming of Age Rites

one of the most important ceremonies in an elkirs life is the ceremony to become a Full clan member. meaning they will be allowed to bear their clans symbol, Make their own decisions without counsel.
The ceremony to become a full clan member starts when the elkir goes to the clan chief or shaman and declares themselves ready this usually happens at age ten. If they agree the elkir will wait until the end of the month when all elkir who declared themselves ready will be tried on their honour and skill. The way they do this is by blindfolding the elkir and placing it in the wilderness. The elkir then has to survive and find their way home.
if they succeed the test they will be washed of their previous title and become a clan member and receive their spirit guardian name. afterwards the elkir and the rest of the clan might spend the evening drinking and enjoying themselves.

Funerary and Memorial customs

It is a custom to bury the Elkir of great honour in The black shore or ruh val. If the passed elkir was not honorable enough to be buried in the black sand their remains will be put in catacombs.

Common Myths and Legends

One of the most common myths among the elkir is that their skin hurting and turning to "stone" in light is a byproduct of when they burnt their lands, because the spirit of light cursed them for their misuse of magic.
Another myth is that the mountains are what remains of gigantic beings that were also cursed by the spirt of light to turn to stone.
It is a belief that carving the entryway of ones home with monsters will scare away ill meaning spirits and people.
The bone maiden Is a story every Elkir has heard of.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

The ideal Elkir does not bother other Elkir unless they have to. They are strong but does not gloat. Showing humility is a sign of strength and self awareness. And most important of all: the Ideal Elkir is loyal and puts their family before themselves.

Major organizations

The Ru'muar alliance is the biggest and mightiest of the elkirs organisations. the alliance is one that is between three of the mightiset elkir clans. Rumuar.
The vermion clan is the ruling clan of Rumuar, the territory where most elkar live Vermion.
The Amaroon clan is one of the most powerful clans. in the Ru'mnuar alliance. Amaroon
Most widespread religion is the wanderers of the ancestral plane wanderers of the ancesteral plane.
The Rumari empire has shaped a huge part of Elkir culture:  The Rumari Empire

Encompassed species

• Hulder folk

Related Organizations

• Rumuar
• Vermion
• Wanderers of the ancestral plane

Related Myths

• The bone maiden

Languages spoken

• Rumari

Feminine names

Some letters and sounds can be defining if it is a feminine or masculine name. some of the more feminine are: Y,O and ea.
Some feminine names are for example: Ydrea, Emurys, Ydnea, Pronounced: y-dre-a. e-mu-rus. Y-dn-ea. Y-mune.

Masculine names

some of thee more masculine sounds are :I,U,and ae
Some examples of masculine names are: Utries,Idrae, Entruis, Irven, Imine. Pronounced: U-try-es. I-drae. en-tru-is. Ir-ven. Im-i-ne.

Unisex names

Unisex names are names not containing any of the letters or sounds above. Some examples of names like this is: Makar, Navran, Pronounced: ma-kar. na-vran.

Beauty ideals are for both genders

• Having full eyebrows
• Having a muscular body
• wide shoulders
• looking well fed
• being strong physically or in character in seen as very attractive.

Taboos

Light magic is a major taboo for most elkir as it is the magic that destroyed their sanctuary and doomed them to live in the cold dark mountains.