Lienarien

Blacksmithing, Mountainous Views, and a culture filled with food, art, and music which reflects the sprawling mountains and deep caves of the region in which they are from, Lienarian humans are the embodiment of industrialism and scientific expansion.

Hailing from Lienaria, a northwestern area of Nevarine, next to The Teeth, Lienarians are a solitary group of jovial humans. Although they prefer to stay solitary and autonomous, The various Lienarian tribes have been known to socialize with Desert Elves and Dwarves, with the latter theorized to be a descendant human species of ancient Lienarians. Their most reliable trade partner is the Avariel, of whom the Lienarian territories surround. Lienarian culture is very collectivist, with family (aka. Clan) being the most important factor in a person's life. A Lienarian will, on average, focus on taking care of their clan in regard to food, clothing, and shelter. After the clan is tribe, from which the families pool their resources. Each Clan works towards the betterment of the tribe, specializing in food, culture, industry, etc. After tribe is Lienaria, the cultural zeitgeist from which each tribe gets its cultural identity. Furthering the progress of Lienaria through culture and scientific progress is the paramount objective of each tribe, although this notably does NOT include expansion due to the solitary nature of Lienarians.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Ilse, Emmi, Pilse, Felicia, Rose, Cecile, Jennifer

Masculine names

Yannick, Rolph, Otto, Berend, Jens, Denis, Abraham

Family names

Hartknoch, Niephaus, Frenz, Jung, Klügmann, Hannawald, Hafer, Haussegger, Berchtold, Engelmann, Reitter

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Lienarians value many things in their people:

Tan skin implies that one is a hard worker, and puts a lot of effort into helping their people, thusly many Lienarians perceive tanner-skinned people to be more attractive than those who possess pale skin.
Long, full hair conveys youthfulness, and many Lienarians take fantastic care of their hair in an attempt to keep their hair full and healthy.

Gender Ideals

Men

Men in Lienaria do not hold power over their women as is common in other human cultures. Due to the utilitarian and collectivist nature of Lienaria, men focus almost entirely on serving their tribe and advancing the cultural progress of Lienaria. However, this doesn't put them under Women either, as women are just as likely to be found in the fields tilling or mining as men. Men usually possess long beards with braids that function as decorative personal histories. When a Lienarian man performs above and beyond their duty or commits an act that is deemed worthy by the Tribal or Clan leader, that leader can then bestow either a ribbon or bead depending on what actions they have performed. These beads are meant to be worn at all times in public and are made to be secure, but easy to take off and put on as to allow for easy washing of the beard. Most men possess at least 2 decorations due to either schooling or training. Men with extremely decorated beards are considered to be well achieved, and men with no beard or undecorated beards are considered to be close to invalid.

Women

Women in Lienaria are not considered subservient or slave to their husbands, as in the eyes of Lienaria they are just as useful as men. Women and men can both fill the position of Tribal or Clan leader and women in some tribes are considered to have advantageous qualities that would make them better suited as leaders, although such thought is frowned upon in the major tribes. Women usually possess long, braided or tied hair that holds a similar function to the beards of men. A Lienarian woman possesses beads for her accomplishments, but it is also considered standard for women to possess ribbons depending on romantic status, number of kids and maidenhood. Due to the importance of hair in Lienarian culture, it is extremely uncommon to find any lienarian women with less than mid-back length hair. Unless a woman has a plethora of braids, ribbons, and beads which shorten her hair, it can make a woman seem unaccomplished, or unwilling to take pride in her lienarian identity.

Non-Binary

Lienarian culture is unique for having a longstanding history of accepting and valuing non-conforming gender ideals and identities. Although certain clans and tribes disavow those who fall outside the binary, classifying them as "invalids" who can't fulfill their Clan's duty to "spread the next generation of Lienarians", it is much more common for clans and villages to overlook this. In the eyes of many major tribes, the gender of a person is a non-issue, as it has no bearing on their ability to work towards the betterment of the tribe. Many non-binary or gender non-conforming individuals are expected to take on a bead-system of their choice. Although some take both, many pick one as it is unlikely for any one person to achieve so much that they have a need for both systems.

Courtship Ideals

For Lienarian couples and courtship, work is valued above vapid gestures of romance. Clans marry by work ethic, production, and ability to support each other, and for romances outside the facets of clan politics, it is more likely that a woman will find a man attractive and romantic if he shows he can support her and their potential kids (ie. Tanned skin, calloused hands, decorated beards) than if he tries to woo her with poems or art. One example of Lienarian romance is Vennutia, a celebration of the angel of romantic love, Vennus. During which, Men, Women, and Non-Binary Lienarians dance and mingle, describing their decorations, what they do for a living, etc. While they mingle, Men and Women participate in feats of strength, dexterity, and intellect that prove their ability as lovers and partners. Prizes for these competitions do exist, but the real prize is proving to vast swaths of people that the winner is a viable partner. After relationships have matured to a point in which the couple can be sure that they are viable life partners, one of the partners will offer a fine silk ribbon to the other as a marriage proposal. From that point onwards, the ribbon is meant to be displayed prominently as a status of that persons relationship.

Relationship Ideals

Lienarian Relationships are utilitarian in nature, with partners rarely seeing each other between work. However, in their off times, when they can see each other, Lienarian partners are extremely passionate. It is common for outsiders to see the way that Lienarians interact with their partners and think of them as "too handsy" or "too involved".