Roving May
The Roving May are the forever travelers of the Kingdom of Cynia. With no place to call their own, and few who will let them stay in one place for long, the outcasts of the kingdom come together in caravans. There is safety in numbers and comfort in companionship. Even when it seems like the world's turned against them, at least they have each other in their beautifully mismatched found families.
While most bands are mainly comprised of demi-humans, particularly the freyr and fauns, it is not uncommon to see half-elves, felinis, humans, and even the occasional orc as part of the group.
Naming Traditions
Unisex names
While each species will have their own specific naming customs, names given to children will generally be themed after things found in nature. Trees and flowers are the most common inspiration for names, though some have been named after various crystals or gems. More unconventional parents might name their child after a kind of fabric or name them for the road they were born on.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
The culture of the Roving May is one primarily centered on travel and stories. As a collection of various species, often from different areas, they've developed a sort of a poor man's soup approach to their cultural evolution. Everyone contributes something, and each "soup" is different because every person brings their own experiences to the pot. As the various origin cultural influences intermingle and develop together, each band develops their own unique "flavour", which then further develops when multiple bands come together to share stories.
Art & Architecture
Art for the Roving May takes many forms, some of which tend to go unrecognized as such by the Cynian nobility, among others. Pretty things that exist solely to look pretty have little place in the constantly moving lifestyles of this people. Statues and simple paintings to be hung on a wall are all but nonexistent in their bands, although there are individuals who will create such things to sell.
Instead, art is used to decorate more practical things. Pottery, clothing, and even the wagons often show great displays of colour and mastery of their artists. Commonly used tools or utensils often have decoratively carved handles, and an art of its own has developed among many for styling one's hair in such a way as to be both out of the way and uniquely attractive, including use of elaborately decorated hair pins and combs.
Tapestry is a lesser-used art amongst the Roving May, but is more common to bands who travel further north and thus benefit from additional protection from the cold.
The general rule is that if something will be used for many years, it will become an art-piece of its own at some point or another, or even over time.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Bright colours are highly valued in Roving May culture. Eyes in striking shades of blue or green are considered very desirable physical traits. Additionally, clothes with strong dyes are greatly preferred over weaker dyes, and are often layered over each other for a multi-coloured look.
Gender Ideals
There is no universal delineation of what is considered appropriate or ideal for men or women amongst the Roving May. One band may strictly enforce which tasks belong to which group, while another band may eschew such limitations entirely and simply have each person do what they are best suited for with their skill-set. It is more common to see males filling roles requiring more strength and females taking up jobs that take more patience, but most bands will have at least one or two folk who fill roles that are less typical for their gender. It is recommended to observe a band before making assumptions as to how anyone is expected to behave, particularly in regards to a person's gender.
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