Twansi

Twansi are often initially suspicious of strangers, but warm up quickly. They are a confident, curious bunch who value education, and the overwhelming majority are literate. The most respected position one can take is teacher or especially professor.
The Twansi people have large families and social groups, and they like to talk. They speak their mind, loudly, and are known to interrupt - it sometimes seems impossible to get a word in without doing so. There is no such thing as personal space among the Twansi, a fact which is sometimes at odds with its people's expressiveness and tendency to talk with their hands. Twansi are blunt, bordering on rude, and as a result most have developed thick skins. Boasting is something of a pastime, and their stubbornness rivals that of dwarves.
A laissez-faire approach to time is to be expected among Twansi, and most prefer to be spontaneous than to plan events. But how many people show up to these events is a significant indicator of social standing. "May none grace your funeral" is a serious curse. More than anything, Twansi fear being alone. Despite this emphasis on social networks, Twansi believe they must take care of themselves, or no one will. Negative emotions are often repressed, for one's social standing depends on appearing happy and successful. It might seem all those friends and family are just for show, rather than for support.
Overall, Twansi are hard-working, intelligent people, and relatively easy to befriend. The largest concentration of Twansi can be found in Kotha.

Culture

Common Etiquette rules

It is horribly offensive to cross one's arms at a Twansi, for this implies they are beneath you.

Common Dress code

Traditionally, Twansi clothing was made from animal skin and fur, and this is still practiced outside of Kotha. But once the Starsea became traversable and intracontinental trade was possible, imported lightweight, breathable cotton fabric quickly became the norm. Fabric is dyed in a variety of patterns and colors and draped loosely over the body.
Feathers from certain birds - especially colorful ones - are a display of prestige that must be earned. In the past this was primarily done by demonstrating one's skill in hunting the bird in question. In Kotha, leaders of the city braid them into their hair, while accomplished military members string them onto necklaces.

Foods & Cuisine

Twansi love fish and spice. They are experts at sun-dried food.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Tattoos are of immense importance to the Twansi, being first earned at the age of thirteen. Women primarily tattoo their face, hands and feet while men typically adorn their back, chest and arms. Tattoos are always applied in either black or red ink, and never a mix of the two. Skilled artists are in high demand, as facial tattoos in particular can make or break a person's attractiveness.

Gender Ideals

Twansi subsist by farming and herding. When a family participates in both, men are typically the farmers while women are herders. Women are considered naturally good at medicine and healing - making them well-suited to caring for animals - and are encouraged to pursue careers in it.
While women are not formally banned from owning a business or pursuing a leadership position, in practice they will face a number of obstacles to doing so. Since women do not receive inheritances, they will struggle to come up with the capital to fund any such ventures, and lack any property to use as collateral for a bank loan. And women are considered better suited for nurturing positions than political ones, making it difficult to gain support. Despite these barriers, Kotha's archwarden is a Twansi woman named Osami Nkoa.

Relationship Ideals

Both men and women play an active role in raising children, but in different capacities. Mothers are expected to be nurturing, guiding a child's emotional and social journey to adulthood. Fathers are responsible for a child's education, logical reasoning, and many physical skills.