Trent

Giants that look like men

From the northern lands, lie the homelands of Trents, keepers of the trees. A peaceful people they may be, but when angered they are ferocious as bears. There size alone make most men fearful as well for they are the size of a tree. They live in a society that is one with nature and dare not destroy is as it taking a life to them. They are people care little for wealth and power, preferring a simple life over a luxurious one. They do not want to be bothered and no one should bother them or pay the price.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Nelani, Geini, Cene, Jenas, Alena, Orina, Marol, Penila, Cora, Valmare, Sephia

Masculine names

Lomin, Hedar, Loen, Terak, Raben, Parcel, Kelman, Rodenar, Wartam, Olle, Hansten

Family names

Oak, Alder, Ash, Birch, Blackthorn, Elder, Juniper, Willow, Elm, Hawthorn, Pine, Ceder, Hemlock, Spurce

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Dranok(Tree talk)

Culture and cultural heritage

The Trents say they are created from Daina, goddess of nature and Golben, god of the earth who imbued with their powers to make them large and strong. They were chosen by them to protect nature around them and not let anyone disturb it for greed and their own gain.

Shared customary codes and values

Individuality is strong with Trents since nature is uncontrollable and should not be forced change, so personality should not be forced either. Life is a gift that should not be taken away needlessly unless there is a reason such as to eat or self defense. Wisdom is valued above all of virtue for is the bringer of knowledge and understanding and without it their is only chaos and ignorances. Family is also valued for it is love and strength that with guide them on through life and without it they are nothing. Love a powerful thing and with love they will know peace and happiness.

Common Etiquette rules

Hugging is how Trents greet each other for is shows that they love one another. But with a husband and wife they become more intimate with kissing. When visiting a home one must wait before until they given permission to enter, to do so uninvited is to be considered hostile since the home is safe place for the family and uninvited guests could bring harm to them. When meeting a a community leaders you, must kneel before them, look them in the face and say these words "May your wisdom guide us to prosperity." Washing face and hands are also required when entering a public place, during a celebration, and eating to look more presentable.

Common Dress code

Due to their large size Trents can only wear clothing that they make themselves. Which are often tunic since they are easy to make and comfortable. Along with with wool pant with boots. The tunic for women is often longer to make them more presentable. women have their hair in a ponytail and wear a headband. They also are given beads made into a bracelet as symbol of adulthood. With men it brass arm ring. Both wear fur coats from animal that are killed for food. During the months of pregnancy replace their tunic with a maternity bra that is sleeveless and exposes the belly with the child growing. The stomach is painted with a marks to for a protective wards to protect the child from dark spirits and demons that will try to corrupt it before it is born. THe wards are also meant to help the child grow healthy before it is born as well.

Art & Architecture

Trent building are unique more than most of other culture because they look smaller than should such large people to begin with. Many of the buildings are made out of stone since they refuse to use wood. With most being built up to four two tall. But that is the front entrance of the building, this they are actually built underground and the a quite large. Stairs often lead down to the buildings to a door made of wood from trees that up rooted natural by storms because t was dying. Houses are often fit families of twelve, including parents, grandparents, children, and siblings. Public buildings are mean to hold fifty to hundred people with the varying by purpose. The outside entrances of the buildings are not attend to and are allowed to grow over with plants and moss for a more natural and to make it look like burial mounds to trick attackers. Doorways are also blocked with a large stone only a Trent can move.The builds are kept together with clay and stone on the inside, with air vents built let in fresh air and smoke from fires a few feet away. They are used to collect water if rain happens to find their way into them. If there is to much water, it is led into a drain built into the floor and leads out into a river or some other place. The inside of buildings are often covered with herbs, furniture made of stone, other religious items, such as symbols and shrines. Rooms are build deeper in as well to house more people. Art is often religious events, animals, and people. Often they are painted on walls or statues make of brass since its easy to make and work with. Tapestries are also used to create artwork. Trents are also known

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

• Renewal of Life

• The Gathering

• Rock Tossing

• The Old Wood Games

• tree mourning

Birth & Baptismal Rites

The child is given birth under the tree that their parents procreated under, since the tree is consider sacred to giving the child life. Both parents are present and a Priestess to help deliver the child. The mother must be naked to not let any clothing on her to restrain her during the birth in order not to harm her or the child. Once the child is born the priestess take them away form the mother and bathes them in the sap of the tree that they where born under to to become one with it and increase the chance to gain its traits. It is handed to the same parent that is it is it gender and the parent must whisper its name to the tree, for it is for them to only know it and the child to become one with it. The mother then rests until she can move once more and her husband watches over her and the child.

Coming of Age Rites

• The rites are different between the two gender since their duties are completely different from another. For Boys it is a test of strength, focus, balance and endurance. Both are done at the age of fifteen or later depending of circumstances.

• The boys must drink a large amount of alcohol to the point of being almost drunk and then carry a large rock thats the size their chest. They much carry it through the forest without bumping into anything or dropping the rock to a certain destination. The next step is to go through an obstacle course while carrying the rock. They must hop onto rocks and keep balance at the sea time that lead to a fallen tree with a ditch full of mud underneath. They most keep their palace without falling into it. The final obstacle run as fast as you can while rocks are thrown as you to reach a alter to place the rock on. Once that they are given more alcohol and striped naked and covered in dirty and sap of their birth tree. They then must return to their brith tree to do one final task to make it official. They must tell the tree their name so the tree recognizes them and must sleep under it naked. Then as they sleep, the tree will speak to them in the form of an animal that represents them and grant them more of its essence and the strength of the animal to them and grant some of its knowledge to them. When they awaken they return to their home and bathed in water and kill the boy and bring out the man. Once they are clean they given a tattoo of the animal they saw in their dream to represent them. They are then greeted by their family and are clothed. A feast is held in his name as a man, The father also gives them an arm ring make of brass that they made themselves to signify it as well.

• For girls it is about duty, wisdom and temperance, courage. The girl must go with out food and drink for three days before they begin. They are then tempted with food and drink and must resist no matter how tempting it may be, for the great mother is all she needs. Once that is out of the way they must find a priestess to have her test on her faith and wisdom. They most know tenets by heart and must then must solve a series of riddles to show her wisdom. After that they test for their sense of duty, often seeing someone pretending to be injured of asking for help. The right response is to help them since the trial, does not matter if a life is at stake or someone is in danger and they are willing risk personal goals for the sake of others. Once they pass they must eat a as a hallucinogenic fruit know as the madmen's berries. Giving them a different view on the world, and they striped naked and painted green with sap of their birth tree and carried to it. There they will speak their name to and the tree will speak to them their hallucinogenic state. The tree will grant them their knowledge only if they can climb all the way to the top of them without falling. With the courage they can muster they climb with out fear of falling for they a protect by the goddess and if they should fall there is nothing to fear for they will be in the great mother's warm embrace. As soon as they reach the top they will pray for thanks to the great mother and they must sleep up there to be granted the knowledge they seek. Once they awaken they will be greeted by priestesses who will bath them and cloth them bringing forth the women from the girl. They will receive a headband and a beaded bracelet to represent their adulthood. They are then given all the food they can with family around them.

Funerary and Memorial customs

When someone dies all grieve for them family and friends alike for they were loved. Then their blood is drained from their body and gathered to be thrown on to their birth tree to tell it that they are dead. Then the tree will weep and morn for their fallen friend and then they will know peace for they will see them soon when they are buried. A seed from the tree is often keep by them form many years to prepare for their passing. The family will take the seed from the and will prepare a grave dug into the forest. They body is striped naked and buried with the seed buried on top of it. Rites are given by a priestess and words are spoken by friends and family to show how great they where and much they will be missed. Then they leave on with the memories they have of them. As the seed grows it will use the body for nutrients until finally they are fully grown. The soul of the disease is transplanted into the tree and become the tree itself. Forever finding peace and will want for a child to be born under it to guide it how many time it will be. The tree will never be alone either for it will have friends and family among other tree and know happiness.

Common Taboos

• Killing without cause.

• Attacking a women.

• Cutting down a tree

• Forsaking nature and the goddess

• Entering a home without permission

• Allowing outsiders to enter a settlement without permission

• Alcohol other than Maple Beer and mead are forbidden to drink

• Leaving a child orphaned

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The Trent consider size to be an attractive quality, the taller your are the beautiful you are. Strength is also consider attractive since it show that you can defend yourself and other. Long hair is also consider attractive since they believe that the long hair help them become more attuned with nature around them with women often have longer hair than men.

Gender Ideals

The role of men and women are often flipped when it come to Trent society. Men are meant to be hunters to feed the family. They are also meant to be guardians of sacred places and cooks While women are meant to be healers, priestesses, and leaders. But both have the roles of warriors in times of war.

Courtship Ideals

Women are often the ones starting the courtship simply know as the The Pursuit of Strength. They often try to search for a man that can beat them at wrestling. They believe that in order to be a stronger people is to have stronger offspring. The women get to chose because they are the dominant sex in Trent society. Women are considered to be wiser then men and a strong man is considered a worthy mate to her future children.. The wrestling is simple you just have to pin your opponent down long enough until they unable to continue.If the women wins she goes to find a man to wrestle and if the man win he is consider worthy and takes him as her husband. The woman cannot stop the trial until she is beaten, which can take some time depending on how strong she is. After that they find a priestess to legalize the marriage in the name of Daina, Goddess of Nature and all things wild. They are given Caldma Fruit, which boosts sexual activity and they head out consummate the marriage under a tree of their choosing. According to legend the tree will give some its essence into the child during to procreation and its traits become a part of the child and will show when they become older. With oak representing strength, Alder representing Endurance, Willow representing Intuition and so on. The sex has to continue until either partner can no longer participate and they will under the tree naked with only each other to keep one another warm, to represent their love. With the child absorbing more of the trees essences.

Relationship Ideals

The goals men are just to protect the family and care for them. While women are often just care for the children and do their duties for society. Meaning men must be obedient and listen to every command from their wife. When she wants eat, he get her food, if she wants another child, he has sex with her. But they still love one another none the less, for the man listens to her out of love. A women who is cruel can often be left by the man and is shamed the community for behavior and punished . Violence is forbidden to happen between the two. Children of the same gender as their parent are often taught by them as their teachers about the of the rules of society and are taught task they most do when they are older and their faith that they must follow.