Panuin

Panuin and Maothi are terms used in forest people's society. Both are titles that work as personal names as well, because the personal name of those who became Panuin or Maothi are never pronounced again. 
   To call a Panuin by his former name would be a severe offense to his tribe, and to all forest people. More than enough reason to start a war. Not even in reference to that person's childhood one can mention how the Panuin used to be called, supposedly everybody forgot that, especially the Panuin himself. Those who grow up after the Panuin earn his title have no way to know what was the personal name of this individual. 
  Each forest tribe has one, and only one, Panuin. They are referred to by title and tribe. "The Silent Climbers Panuin", "the Deadly Bites Panuin", "the Bone Breakers Panuin", "the Yellow Sap Panuin" and so on. As far as the forest people is concerned there is neither a mean to know who is the individual you are referring to, nor need for that information. You may want to accuse the predecessor of this Bone Breakers Panuin for something, or pay a dept of honor you contracted with the Panuin of that tribe who came before that predecessor, but to the forest people your requests of information will make no sense. If anything, they will feel insulted. 
    The Panuin is something close to a absolute king. His word is law, and his commands are implicitly carried out by any member of his tribe without hesitation.             The only limits for Panuin authority are settled in unwritten tradition, they are recognizable for forest people almost since birth and the Panuin himself is the ultimate physic manifestation of those principles. So whenever a Panuin comes close to not fully honor the unwritten tradition he is considered so nefarious that his even his flesh is rejected by the tribe. 
    Usually the forest people eats their undeserving enemies and their slaves after clean, spice and cook their flesh. They eat their beloved ones and the most respectable foes raw, using only fangs and talons, in ferocious savagery. The funeral rites being more ferocious according to the importance of the deceased person and the sincerity of grieve. Only the worse traitors are abandoned like poisonous arcasses, and not be devoured by your tribe is the worse fear for members of this human sub-specie.   
    The Panuin reaches the position by challenge, winning a challenge against the predecessor. Theoretically any male member of the tribe can make the challenge at any time, but that is not exactly true. Theoretically the Panuin can reject any challenge to his authority and kill the challenger or have him killed if he so chooses. That is not true either. 
   What actually happens is that before a challenge can be made the person must earn respect enough from the tribe, a reputation must be build that stands for itself and cannot be ignored even by the closest supporters of current Panuin. The future Panuin must recognize the merit of that one he intends to kill, and must be a model of correction in the eyes of his tribe. Only them there is a confrontation, and during this confrontation the challenger and the challenged only look to each other, while their supporters call insults and exchange treats. 
   Up to this point the challenge is irreversible. Someone will die, either the Panuin or the one challenge him for the title. 
   The details depend on each specific tribe, time of year, and where they are at the moment. Is usual that a message is sent to the ungnui (the plant people allied to the forest people) inviting them to send a representative to be present at the ritual combat. The ungnui seldom accept the invitation, even when the tribe in question is one of the largest and most powerful.       
   Is not impossible for challenged and challenger die during the combat, both. That is considered a sign of bad luck for the tribe. 
   A new Panuin is them chosen by combat between all voluntary candidates available, or by acclamation. The most usual in those unhappy circumstances if for the Maothi suggest a name and the rest of the tribe accept it.

Requirements

Only forest people who are male and from the tribe can challenge a Panuin for his position. Beyond that, they must be incontestable recognized as living embodiment of tribe ideals, up to a point when even the rivals cannot deny they are potential head tribes. They will have a long and impressive historic of battles, and many prestigious hunters who have chosen to join their band.   
  Also, they must fight the current Panuin to death, according to tradition. And survive that fight, what implies have killed the former Panuin.

Appointment

Ritual of Challenge.

Duties

The Panuin has no interest, personal life, or privacy. He is not a person strictly speaking, he is the Panuin. 
 No one can question his commands and no one will disobey him inside the tribe (except, in very controlled circumstances, the Maothi).  The other side of that is that all decisions a Panuin makes must be for the sake of his tribe. 
In the end the Panuin must die for his tribe, either in battle or by ritual challenge.

Responsibilities

The everyday business of forest peoples bands take care of themselves in most part. Superficially speaking they are very anarchists most days, individuals do what they feel like and conflicts are common but not serious. Most things that can't be solved by consensus can be solved by duel (the forest people version of that, which excludes weapons others than claws and fangs) so there is not much for a Panuin do in that front.         The Panuin advises those who seek him for advice, who are usually the band leaders, and he determine tasks. For those tribes with a seat on Alkavalla City, the Panuin is the one who points representatives for city councils and sets the politics those representatives will advocate.   
   When there is war against another tribe or against an enemy from outside the forest people, the Panuin must set the strategy and lead the combat.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

There is two ways of take a Panuin from his position. 
   One is challenge ritual, the other is distrust. The challenge ritual applies to a proper Panuin who has past his time to rule, while the distrust applies to one who is no Panuin. 
    The distrust "ritual" is as simple as a hunter of the tribe calling his Panuin for the personal name it had before became Panuin, or in any other way declaring the other is not Panuin. The hunter in question is given one chance to step back and apologize, if he don't take it he will be torn in pieces by the tribe: unless he isn't. When the tribe chooses no to kill this hunter, that decision proves his point.  
   The distrust is a extreme situation. When things go that far tribe is about to brake into pieces and has little chance to survive long enough for a new Panuin rebuild its pride.  
   The most curious detail for outsiders is that those predatory, bloodthirsty, barbarians have no dead penalty for the Panuin who lost the trust of his tribe. He cannot stay, but he could walk away relatively unharmed with no difficulty. Those who supported him will feel far too shamed to take vengeance, those who opposed him first will be no less shamed. If anyone chooses to attack the 'non-Panuin' that decision is personal and no one will question it, but most sensible forest people would prefer it the non-Panuin just walked away to never be seemed again.     
   Since the non-Panuin is after all a forest men, chances are that he will attack his band in mad frenzy or cut his own throat before leave the land of his tribe.

Form of Address

Panuin

Equates to

True Kings.

Source of Authority

Unwritten tradition.

Length of Term

Each individual can be Panuin only once in life.