Rites
of Passage
There are four rites of passage as observed by the Communal
Family: birth, coming of age, pregnancy, and becoming an elder
in your community. Each community celebrates these with slight
variations, but generally they are celebrated as follows:
Birth: The infant is taken from the parents before the
first day is out and is given to that Unta. At that time the
Unta cleans the infant, rubbing special oils on the baby’s feet
to celebrate the long path before them. This child is then seen
as being blessed by the Communal Family and is accepted as a
blood member of the community. Noble families have very
special, specific rites that are followed and may be found in
their documentation.
Coming of Age: This typically takes place around the age
of sixteen and is celebrated with a large feast by the entire
community where the child is the only server in the procession.
Before the final course is delivered the Unta will ask if there
is anyone who is not appeased by the offering from the child.
Traditionally the child’s father or mother, depending on the
child’s sex, will stand up and announce that no, there is one
thing missing from the meal that would appease their hunger.
They will then decide upon some reasonably difficult object or
food to acquire that the child will then do whatever it takes to
get. The entire communal family will remain seated at the table
until the child either returns with the item in question, or
with their notice of failure. With success, the child will be
embraced by their challenging parent, and the meeting will
dispense. With failure everyone except the Unta and the
challenging parent will depart, leaving them to discussion on
what to do with the child. It is typically no sooner than ten
years before another ceremony can be had. Again, noble families
have different coming of age traditions (while children are home
from school on a break), with generally the same hope behind
them, though they tend to be more difficult physically or
intellectually. The above scenario is an example, and a
common method of the coming of age challenge, but is not the
only one, nor is it the one that every family follows. (If
you have questions for whether something is appropriate, either
contact the staff, or post your query on the discussion board
for more insight.)
Pregnancy: The father of the baby first goes to each
member of their community asking if when the time comes if they
would bless the child and accept them as a member of their
family. Typically the answer is yes, but with a negative
response it is the duty of the father to do whatever chores and
labor is required of them in order to win the dissenter’s
approval. In the exceptionally rare case of the Unta’s
disapproval, the father is immediately banished to the forest
until the day of the child’s birth, having no contact with the
child’s mother or the rest of his family until that very day.
It is then up to the mother to win the Unta’s approval, by
giving them daily updates as to how large and firm her stomach
is getting and how swollen her breasts are. A large and firm
belly and swollen breasts are an obvious sign of an addition of
strength to the community, and the Unta will be pleased. With
failure to win the Unta’s approval the father, mother and child
are then banished to the forest for no less than five years, the
child only able to be accepted as a member of the community once
they are sixteen and attempt to come of age. On the days nearing
birth, the father will paint the mother’s stomach with the
symbols of luck, fortune and success, while adding figures to
represent the child and the wished upon path for them. During
these days the mother will make every effort to meet with all
the members of the community, meeting each of them with her
torso exposed to display the prowess of her motherhood. A time
will be set where the mother will then enjoy a bath of kora
fruit juices, water from Tow’s fountains, and flowers given to
her by the women of the community where the paint is washed from
her stomach, in an effort to further soak the coming infant in
the love and good wishes of the community. With this the process
is complete. Again, nobility may have further requirements, and
difficulty in proceeding is much more intense. This should
be considered the 'average' manner in which pregnancy is
approached in society, with various small changes here and there
as is appropriate to the family involved. (If you're
confused by this, try to imagine how your family celebrates a
major holiday and how it differs from how you've seen other
families celebrate!--As always, come to the discussion board if
you're unsure of a possible scenario.)
Promotion to Eldership: This takes place between the
prospective elder and the Unta, no earlier than the age of
forty-eight. The Unta will quiz the prospective elder on what
they believe it takes to lead the community and how this further
respect will affect their daily life. If the Unta is pleased
with the results, they will then go to the community and
challenges will commence. The elders of the community will
demand gifts from the prospect, requiring they impress with
their well-rounded nature. Some will desire handcrafted goods,
others fresh spoils, and some feats of magic unlike anything
they have seen. These tests are typically set up for success, as
the Unta has likely been observing their prospects for quite
awhile and has a good idea of who will eventually become an
elder. Within the noble houses, and because those families are
generally smaller, promotion to eldership may occur much
earlier, especially in House Kondei, where so many are lost in
battle at an early age.
Religion
The primary religious belief for the people of Tow is that the
Forest is the most sacred location in the expansive world,
having been created by the elves of the ancients when the Sphere
destroyed everything in its path. Throughout the generations the
reverence for the Forest and all that it can provide, as well as
knowledge that the spirits held within protect and guide the
elves of Tow, has grown to an almost fanatical level. Religious
cults have sprouted up over time, all with the consistent
background that the Goddess is the power that binds the forest’s
powers to the elves and that Her all-knowing wisdom will bring
further prosperity to their people. This is the basis for
the church of Virtue. Life isn’t taken on a whim by any
elf, as all elves know that every tree, blade of grass, and
creature in the forest was put there by their ancestors for
their benefit. It is this reverence of life that causes some
hunters to sink into deep, guilty depressions in knowing that in
order to provide they must take from the Forest. As such, the
Goddess is seen as no less than a deity who is the only one who
can truly harness the vast power of the Forest and act as a
conduit to the power of the Ancestors. Every child in Tow is
raised with these beliefs or some variation of these beliefs.
Discarding the conventional frame of mind of generations of
elves would be considered some sort of human influence or
deviant attitude, and would be accordingly ostracized and
punished, and while new mindsets and religions are being
developed, that of Virtue, of the Goddess, is followed by the
greatest number of elves in Tow, around ninety-eight percent of
the population, leaving the rest (those that follow balance,
wrath, or nothing at all) to generally fall into the
"underground". Those that follow nothing at all are indeed
rare, for proof of the Goddesses existence and abilities have
been proven over time and there are elves that remember a time
when the Goddesses lived (some having known them personally).
Death
and Funerals
Death is seen as a glorious and proud moment for those who have
died, for their spirit has returned to the Forest and the
Ancients. The body is seen less and less as remains of a loved
one and becomes more like a communal fetish and is used as such.
If the deceased’s community was that of fishermen, then the body
will be returned to the sea as a good luck charm for a season of
numerous good catches. For a community of woodsmen, the body
will be buried and then covered with leaves and twigs in the
hopes that it will promote prosperity that would come from the
Forest. Rites from magical communities are varied,
typically involving days worth of chanting and requests for
blessings from the departed so that their wisdom won’t be lost.
Eventually the remains will be, in most cases, buried with some
kind of marker. Nobility have their own rites that are held in
secret, and kept from the rest of the society, though it is
often whispered that Sole's family estate's entryway is filled
with coffins from floor to ceiling, arranged like a great filing
cabinet of the dead.
As religion
has progressed and grown, the idea of returning to the forest
has become a spiritual ideal as well as a physical one, the path
of the spirit moving on to higher plane of existence, still
subsisting near the Goddess, as all perfection in her presence,
living forever happily, with their mate, if mated during life.
Mating is so important because it is believed that the first
mate that you take is the mate that you go to for all time in
the afterlife. In more recent years, with the Goddess'
ascension, that belief has faded to the idea that all return to
all. That family is family, and that you see all of those
you've loved or who have gone before (however long ago) are
accessible in the afterlife. The "Ancients" are old souls.
Some believe they are souls that no longer return to Esos, while
others continually return as they desire to experience new life.
The length of elvish life is the main reason for the changes in
belief.
Marriage
There are two types of marriages for the people of Tow, arranged
and consensual. Arranged marriages were very common in decades
past where one Community would contact another asking for a list
of prospective mates that would nearly be of age and what sort
of compensation would be required for their parting. In every
case, regardless of sex, the Community of the older partner is
the one that adopts the new bride or groom. It is then up to the
adopting Community to provide compensation for the other
Community for the lost productivity of the one to be mated. This
could simply be having the prospective bride or groom doing
chores and labor for their mate’s Community until such a time
when someone in that Community comes of age to replenish the
workforce. Once proper compensation has been given a small
ceremony with both mates’ Unta’s is held. At that point the
younger mate is accepted into their new Community as a full
member. Most marriages are made in such ways.
Consensual marriages have become more frequent in recent years,
yet they are not without their share of drawbacks. The
prospective mates are obligated to make it public knowledge of
their intent to be wed. At this point there is a period of
two-weeks (three real life days) where anyone who is eligible to
take a mate may offer a challenge for claimed party. This
challenge is simply one of mortal combat, quite simply if you
feel like you’re more deserving of either the prospective bride
or groom (the one that placed the claim) it is your duty to
remove their intended from the claim. Whoever wins the combat
wins the right to wed the survivor of the original claim. It is
not unheard of for a long series of challengers to line up for
the hand of an exceptionally powerful, brilliant, beautiful or
skilled young male or female. This is the only time where the
elvish reverence of life is put aside, simply for the sake of
strengthening the race and family bloodlines with the best it
has to offer. This lingering affect is from the days when the
elves were more tribal and savage in nature. Challenges
still happen, but they are considered rare. It is thought
that if the Goddess desires your union, she will intervene if
necessary to see that you win the challenge.
*MATING
CHALLENGES
During these
fights anything that is legal is acceptable. A master craftsman
could forge the finest weapons and armors for his battle, a
Durin could use whatever magics at their disposal, a Shaman
could continually calm the fight in an effort to win, or someone
trained in stealth could use their more sneaky and subtle means
of attack, once the battle begins. Poisons, stenmin magics or
having someone fight by proxy are simply unacceptable and would
be punished accordingly by the DokJin. Mating challenges must
have a proper witness, any member of any noble
house-unaffiliated with the battle, to oversee the contest, or
it is deemed illegal, and legal consequences will follow.
Appearance and Dress
The clothing styles made by elvish tailors are light and airy
and are considered the best that the world has to offer.
Favorite colors tend to be shades of green, brown, white and the
occasional blue. Women tend to dress from the fairly formal of
long skirts and dresses to the practical and revealing of
halters, harnesses and thongs, depending on their daily duties
and status in life. Silver jewelry is preferred, simple in
ornamentation, as more lavish designs are reserved for the
nobility. Elvish males tend to be very practical in their
dress, wearing whatever makes their jobs easier. It is not
uncommon for males to wear simply pants and sandals for their
daily routine. Due to the rainy and almost tropical weather of
the area the people dress accordingly. As always, anything of
human, dwarf or other race’s manufacture is seen as substandard
and unworthy of the people. Rubies, Emeralds, Diamonds,
Sapphires, Garnets, and Topazes are House jewels, and anyone
wearing them, not of the House will be considered a thief, and
treated as such. Nobles tend to wear silks either in single
layer or multiple layers, while the common elf is usually seen
in cottons, linens, and leathers, although all are in brilliant
color, or significant color (black for mourning, white for
impending birth). Gold is never seen on a commoner, it is seen
only in the garb of those of Emperial or noble status.
Platinum is even more rare and is worn only by the Emperial
family.
Entertainment and Dining
Typically the elves of Tow relax playing games of chance and
spinning stories for the entertainment of their peers. There are
several taverns in the town with the favorite being Tufleet’s
Tavern, located in the Noble quarter. Tufleet's has several fine
rooms for rent, a lavish restaurant and an expansive porch with
an exquisite view of the lake and beach below. Each of the noble
houses have their own massive suite on the upper floors.
Tufleet's caters to the more Upper Crust of Tow, and is known as
a gathering place of the most influential members of society.
The working elf tends to congregate in the taverns of the main
quarter, most notably the restaurant and tavern, The
Tokkan-Tarush Taphouse. More affordable in pricing and known as
an entertaining place to hang out, the common quarter is home to
several interesting and unique shops. Generally speaking, the
elves of Tow are a very laid back group of people who find
themselves easily entertained by magic shows, stories of skilled
hunts and games that challenge the mind. The Solestice is
another restaurant, located in the northern area of the common
quarter, with filling and delicious meals at reasonable prices.
It also has a stage where entertainers are known to perform. In
Thraille, The Manor House Pub is a wonderful restaurant, where
upon the upper terraces, one may look out over all of the city
of Tow in its majesty. It also is known to have some of the
most romantic deserts, and is one of the most romantic getaways
for a date between courting elves.
Arts and Crafts
The elves of Tow are renowned around the world as the finest and
most skilled craftsmen of silver, as well as being known to make
the finest bows, arrows and leather goods that can be found.
Their goods tend to be very functional, fairly ornate and
extremely practical in manner. Artisans are viewed and revered
second only to the magic users in society. It is their craft and
ability that further adds to the beauty around them. They tend
to work in stone, marble, crystal, silver, and wood, and their
works are visible all about Tow from deep in the forest to all
over the city. Most works are highly religious or the views of
love and the height of emotion of each and every elf, which is
seen as more intense than any other race.
Nobility
There are three classes of nobility in Tow. Those who are
nobility by blood called Dah-Toh. Those who are named nobility,
that does not extend to their family, because of prowess in
hunting and scouting called the Mog-Toh. And lastly those who
received title because of their mercantile ability and
increasing wealth they bring into the city called the Zun-Toh.
Title for the Mog-Toh and Zun-Toh is granted only where there is
an opening, the final decision for promotion made by the
Emperor/Empress. All nobles are granted property from which to
handle their daily affairs.
The nobles by blood include the House Kondei, which runs and
maintains the Militia, House Sole, which maintains the library
and history of Tow, as well as educating the masses, House
Nicolo which runs most of the farms of the Empire and provides
food to the hungry, House MendiKu which grew from the ranks of
two common merchant families (Mendari and Kunan), granted status
because of their service to the empire and are now the only
house allowed to sell mind altering and illicit substances (not
including alcohol which is sold by all of the Houses in one form
or another), and lastly House Nae, which handles the finances
and taxes of the Empire, as well as the banks. House Nae is
owned by the Empire, having been disbanded as nobility in 280
A.C.
Citizens
The population of Tow is essentially made up of those
who are gifted and those who are not. Magic is the most
revered and powerful element in the society and those
who show the ability are often times viewed as being
favored and more productive to the society’s needs.
Those who are born without the magic gifts find their
way through labor and hard work, earn every ounce of
respect they are to be given. It is not unheard of for
someone totally devoid of magic skill to be highly
revered and influential within the society, through
their deeds, generosity, bravery or kindness. The Empire
itself is made up of the village of Thraille and the
City of Tow, easily the majority of the population of
the Southlands is made up of this group. Other villages
are Marikesh, Saelonna, Daga'Suut, Zuntohki, and
Bhyhdall (while Dwarves, they have allied themselves
with elfkind, thanks to the hard work and influence of
Kaz Beowin Sole and his mate Eliwen Sole and their
family who live among them). Shae is another
rather large city that is far to the south of Tow. |
|
