[Culture] The Smoeni

[Remyy 952]

 

 

The Smoeni

OOC note

Spoiler

The Smoeni are based off of Amazons, which is where most of the ideas originated from. This idea started off as a ‘joke’, but a few of the amazing people who helped with this decided to make it a reality. If you have any questions, or think anything needs to be changed, please refrain from any rude or toxic comments. If you want to play one of these, send me a PM!

 

To the common eye

---

 

 Deep in the Forests of Axios resides a smaller tribe of nomadic warriors, mostly known as the Smoeni. The tribe is a group of tall, young women, males seeming to strangely have an absence to an outsider's eye. Many of the women seem to be beautiful young women, with skin coloring varying across each Smoeni. They seem to be extremely tall, peaking up from heights of 5’5 to 7’ depending on the woman.

 

History

 

---

 

 Years ago, there was an assembly of four half-orcish women. The first being quarter-orc, with smaller tusks and light brown skin. Her name was Atizar the Savior, and she was the founder of the first house. The second was half-orc, keeping larger tusks than Atizar. Instead, she had light grey skin and towered over the other three. She was known as Tumash the Conqueror. The third was another ashen skin, but with much less orcish blood, not possessing tusks. She was Olirel the Wise. The last and final half-orc, was a darker ash skin, with no tusks but a taller height. She was known as Minilmia the Tricky. Each of these four gathered, on a hill. They had formed a pact, a pact to run away from society, each hurt and tormented from events that had harmed them.

 They traveled the land, roaming free from the enslavement of the curses. It wasn’t until one day, Atizar had a ‘vision’ in her dreams. It was a beautiful woman, with seven heads of large cats. The woman appeared as a goddess, and told her of a tale. No one knows of what was told in that dream, and Atizar would rather die than tell. When the sun rose the next day, the eager woman told her companions of the vision, of the goddess Kesag. Atizar told them of how Kesag would help them, save them, for one price. The heart of a human male, every three years. At first they were reluctant, displeased with having to use one of the disgusting curses of their fathers and mothers. The women, however, did not know, that sacrificing a male heart would affect their views on men drastically. It all began when Minilmia traveled to one of the elven towns, she had tried to retrieve a male in a platonic manner. To her dismay, the male chosen had other ideas with the wider she-orc. It wasn’t long till she ended up giving in, and ended up bedding the first father. She had slit his throat soon after, her gaze forever looking at the opposite gender differently. Silently she carried the corpse back to the camping ground, where they held the first Heart Festival.

 

 It was a month afterwards when Minilmia learnt that she had become impregnated, with the child of a ‘pig.’ Minilmia was sorrowed, not wishing to ever bear children due to the horrible curses given to her and her sisters. Atizar lifted up the spirits quickly, after hours by hours praying to Kesag. She performed another heart festival, which only strengthened the curse. Yet, good news came through to the light. The first child would be a female, a beautiful female. Kesag continued, and with each offspring the child will flourish as a flower, as long as the father's heart was given to the twisted deity.

 

 And thus, the time of the Smoeni began. Creating the many traditions hold dearly by the great great great grandchildren of the four elders.

 

 The Smoeni of today continue to offer sacrifices, although not as originally thought. Each generation came, each mind warped, into the different outlooks of the opposite gender, now in their view like a completely different race. Despite the ‘blessing’ of Kesag, males are still born into the tribe, but not allowed to be seen in the public. Olirel’s great granddaughter had a male child, she became enraged and forced her granddaughter to murder her son, and so that became a rite of passage. Whether it be brother or father, the same blood of the young woman had to be sacrificed, in order for the woman to become Smoeni.

 

 Throughout the travels, many young women have been introduced to the tribe. Most, of course, turning down the option to join in utter disgust. Yet, every once in a decade, a young woman would take up the option to join mixing the diversity even further.

 

Appearance

---

 

  As stated, the Smoeni are very diverse. Although the born into the clan each have different appearances, based on the original mother.

 

Atizar- The descendants of Atizar are very few in numbers, not as plentiful as the original kin. Their skin tends to be a lighter brown, at times mixing with darker and lighter tones depending on the father before. Their eyes are always in a variety, although at times have a light blue or a radiant green. Their heights range from 5’5 (Being the less likely) to 6’4.

Tumash- Tumash’s kin seem to have light ashen skin tones, and large eyes. They tend to have larger frames than the other three, if they had completed the regular training sessions given to the women. They are taller than the lighter kin of Atizar, ranging in heights around 5’11- 7’. Strangely, the children have more of a chance appearing more orc like, not appearing as ‘beautiful’ as her sisters.

 Olirel- Olirel’s children have darker skin tones than Tumash, although are shorter and have less muscular mass. They tend to be sharper, and have quick eyes. Following, their eyes tend to almost always be brown, but not stopping depending on the father's eye color. Their heights range from 5’7-6’8.

Minilmia- Finally, the children of Minilmia, the birth mother. They tend to have a medium of ashened skin, mixing regularly due to the birth father. They tend to have a more flexible build, with a more ‘appealing’ exterior. These young women tend to serve as Seductresses, and lure men into their death, or enslavement. They range in the heights of 5’9-7’.

 

((They still have Orc blood, although most of the Orcish features have been flushed out due to breeding. But! There are still Smoeni born with features of Orcs, although the tusks seem to be non-existent due to how far the Orc blood is))

 

Religion

---

 

 

 

To outsiders, they see big cats just like wolves, as pets, the Smoeni forbid owning a big cat, as they are holy figures.

Atizar saw Kesag, claimed her to be a Goddess, and along with that, the seven big cats as holy figures. The Council each represents one big cat, having a tattoo on their back of their cats face, it’s on their back to make sure men are not scared away by it.

Atizar’s great great granddaughter wrote a book on the religion, stating that a newborn female child must be baptized in a fountain, the fountain must be prepared first, by the mother cutting her finger slightly so that  drops of blood drip into the water, the priestess will provide a bandage before dunking the newborn underwater and chanting “Blessed be” in their ancient tongue, before holding it up towards the sun and wrapping a black cloth around the child.

The Holy Figure Kesag

 

(((Art Tba)))

The Holy figure Kesag grew fondness to the strong animals of the jungle, especially the large snakes that roam there, however, she admired the strength and aggressiveness of bears, and so she blessed them as her ‘children's’ mounts, letting them use the snakes also to torture inferiors if they anger them.

Kesag was pictured and described wearing white robes, with strings of gold and brown. The Priestess, every generation, was brung up to devote themselves to Kesag, and teaches the other children of her.

When The Priestess passes, her eldest daughter takes the role.

Big Cats:

 

Lion- tastefullygay (Kalista) Auturim

Tiger- TheCheshireNeko ( Leona Ri’on ) Allim

Leopard- AlsoNotKryyyyyy (Arezara Minilmia) Semad

Panther- UberEsry/Nekodere (Myrta Minilmia) Magh

Lynx- LittleCakes (Mosha Atizar) Priestess

Cougar-claireanne (Rosha) Holder of Keys

Jaguar- MisterPapiOfLOTC (Azar) Keeper

 

Culture

---

 

 Smoeni have a wide culture, varying across from cuisine, to the usage of slaves and servants. Despite this, they still keep most of the culture from outsiders, and have a very different outlook on the few who enter their camp.

 

Slavery

---

 

 It is not uncommon for Smoeni to have male slaves, that have been deemed too impure to breed with. The slaves are used for more mundane jobs, like cooking or tending to the house, and any male children. The slaves are called Akeytie, and are given new names once enslaved. If a slave attacks or harms a female, attempts to escape, or causes any harm to the tribe, the punishment is an instant death, depending on the moods of the council. Slaves tend to wear colors detonating their owner, and their rank. They tend to wear the colors of their owner, with their arm patch detonating rank.

Red- Labor Work

Blue- House Work

Green- Tribe Sons

Purple- Future Offerings 

 While a low possibility, males could possibly be released. Under the discretion of the women. This tends to only happen with Tribe Sons, generally due to the softness of mothers not wishing to kill the children they have only just birthed.

 

Clothing

---

 

 It is common for most of the women to ‘under-dress’, mainly for the sole reason of capturing and breeding. Colors are an important part of the culture, specific colors being associated with other objects. General colors are:

 

Red: Rage/bloodlust

White: The ‘Goddess’ Kesag

Green: The Forest

Brown: Life/The Forest

Purple: Wealth

Black: Feasts, The Senutir

 

Language

---

 

 

 Most of the tribe do not know how to read in common, and instead use the Smoen alphabet to write letters, or literature. The letters make a very firm resemblance to pictures, each symbol having a separate meaning if alone.

 Smoeni have a stranger accent, speaking mostly in common- despite having a different written language. Their accent varies, some thicker than others. They also have several words and phrases in their own ‘language’, even though most of it is borrowed from Blah and Ancient Elven. Their tongue is twisted and hard to speak, only to be broken and not a whole complete language.

((In real life, the accent would be equivalent to a thick Navajo accent))

 

Karug- Greetings

Van’ye- Farewell

Ahernug- Thanks, Thank you

Smoenii- Sister, Tribe Mate

 

 

 

 

Cuisine

---

 

 The Smoeni have a vast array of dishes, their diet usually healthy with lots of greens and meats. The Smoeni are a hunter tribe, and have many meats due to their hunting. Normally their dishes are spicy, with sour twists and tinges- certain dishes being extremely hot for one who has not tasted some of their delicacies.

 Even though it is not common, there are multiple festivals that have events that require the consumption of Descendant flesh. They are also known for placing the flesh of ‘clean males’ in other dishes, more than likely serving it to an outsider as if it was normal.

 

Festivals

---

 

 Many of the Smoeni are very festive, and it is shown throughout the many festivals held throughout the elven calendar! Most festivals are small, and are held due to a child being born, or a marriage within the tribe. Although, each heart festival happens on the last day of the year, every three years.

 

Marriage

---

 

 Even the barbarics of Smoeni have love in their hearts! Though, the event is not as annual as other events, I.e Harvest Festival, or Sacrifices, or even the slave auction. To start, to get engaged, one Smoeni must gift the bride with a wolf pelt. If accepted, the bride to be wears the pelt until the wedding. The current Spiritual Leader will then wed the two together, with vows in a mixture between Blah and elven. The priestess would then carve a specific symbol into the Smoeni’s arm,  that way the marriage is sealed, and if they end up leaving, or perishing, the memory is never forgotten.

 

The Senutir

---

 

 The Senutir, also referred to as the ‘Council of Seven’, is the Seven leaders of the Smoeni. Each member is referred to by, ‘Sister (blank)’ depending on their title. Senutir were established by Olirel, after Tumash passed in battle. She gave ranks to her surviving sisters, and continued to thrive and grow for the tribes sake.

 

   The Priestess of Kesag- One of the highest titles within the Senutir. She is the leader of faith in the tribe, and is tasked to learning and teaching the truth of Kesag. Once the Priestess passes, it is the duty of her children to take on the role, unless, she appoints a new Priestess before passing.

 

   The Keeper- Despite the Smoeni being extremely.. Savage, they still have a care for learning and reading- even if it's not in the common language. The Keeper is in charge of education, and teaching the young more of basic living necessities. She also records the travels the tribe has made, and keeps it tucked into one of the many chests filled with books. If passed, the first born rises to the rank, unless she chooses a Keeper while living.

 

   The Allim- The Allim is the one in charge of.. Well, keeping the Smoeni birth rate up. She decides whether a man is  ‘clean or unclean’. It is the Smoeni’s duty to tell Allim if they found a sustainable ‘donor’. The Allim is tasked with keeping balance, making sure the supposed mother would be able to even take care of a child- meaning if they were a drunkard who would ignore the child, the Allim would reject the offer. If passed, there is a festival held for the sole purpose of choosing a candidate.

 

   The Auturim- The Auturim is the war leader, and one of the most powerful warriors within the tribe. Her duties are to make sure the military is strong, and holds daily training matches on the basis. She may be challenged to her title in a fight, if she loses, then the victor will take up the title as the new strongest.

 

   The Semad- The Semad is a simple ‘trader’, she controls the flow of income in selling supplies- and is one of the few Smoeni who can read bits of common. She is the one who sets up trades, for resources needed (as in weapons, armor, food, ect). The Semad is also the leader in festivals, and events. If she passes, or steps down, the next Semad will be one of her daughters, or ‘elected’

 

   The Holder of Keys- This title is simply a more complex way of saying ‘steward’. The key holder sorts out where the Smoeni will move, and the number of tents or houses needed to keep a roof over each head. She is also in charge of directing where the slaves walk, and where they reside for the short time, Seeing as slaves may not remain with the women. If passed, her child takes the role.

 

   The Magh- The Magh is the last of the Senturin, although not as important as the rest. The Magh is the keeper of slaves, and tries to either balance them out- or sell them back to loved ones of the outside. She also holds a public bidding within the  current camp, although only takes objects as bids (Foods, Kha skins, Weapons). If she passes, her child takes the role.

 

Ideals

---

 

   There are several worldviews the Smoeni hold, multiple shared by most of the tribe. As you have read above, the Smoeni are twisted women who ‘despise’ men. Although they are not born into this world with the sexism. Throughout their lives, the young children of the tribe live seeing males used as slaves, and or sacrificed. With time and constant preaching of elders, most of the Smoeni grow to believe them as lesser beings. Although, this is not all. Some of the Smoeni take pity, and attempt to not be as ‘rude’ or even free a slave. This is also with the mothers of baby boys, a mother that had carried a baby around would not be pleased with parting- or watching the child be sacrificed or  enslaved. They may not be pleased with the child, but most will love him enough to either give to an outsider. They also do not hate all men, and would gladly do trades if the trade is good enough, and the man is ‘pure’.

   The Worship of cats is common in the tribe, although despite this they have a different view towards the Kha. They believe the Kha are monsters who strayed from the path of Kesag. Most do not know of the original story of how the Kha were created, with the few that do believing them becoming humanoids was a form of punishment. And therefore, Kha are (mostly) hated throughout the tribe, with any chance given, creating furs from their pelts.

   On the rare chance an outsider, or bunch of outsiders enter the camp, the Smoeni are a fairly welcoming bunch, especially if it be a woman. They would not allow a man into the village unless planning on enslavement, or if he is with a female companion who vouches for him. The Smoeni leaders themselves speak to the outsiders, normally an attempt to recruit. Even if declined, they will still show a great interest, and not remove them immediately. During this time, they will have dances, eat a feast, and play loud music.

 

Music

---

 

   The music of Smoeni would be exactly what you would think. Loud drums and singing, with other instruments like bells chiming in with the tribe. Most Smoeni learn how to play one of the large drums, although this is not always the case.

   

 

Laws

 

---

 

   

 

The Smoeni have stranger laws, mostly formed for the slaves of the clan. The Senutir are the ones who make the law, and judge it.

 

• Killing a sister is illegal, and disgusting, although killing a sister in open battle, as in a fight to the death, will be overlooked.

• If a slave attacks a Smoeni, he will be sacrificed to the great Goddess Kesag, no exceptions. If a Smoeni steals a slave, the punishment may vary, although it is a form of dishonor and will normally result in the branding. If a slave attempts to escape, he will be given lashes and another form of punishment depending on the Senutir.

• Stealing is illegal, and petty. If you steal from your sisters, you will be given the mark of the thief, (depending on what was stolen).

• Defending or attempting to save a sacrifice is blasphemy, and will be dealt with accordingly to the image of the Smoeni.

• Acting, or forcing oneself on  another Smoeni- or outsider, is seen as acting of a man. If this happens, and it is not stopped after a warning, the Smoeni is forced to serve out the life of a man for multiple elven days, as in slavery.

• Mating with a man without the consent of the Allim is a disgusting crime, and if found out will be punished with a stoning- not to the death, but enough till it leaves scars. If the Smoeni dies, she will be buried with men.

• Heretical statements or beliefs are outlawed, as in the worship of the Moon ‘Goddess’, the belief of the Cannon ‘god’, The sole worship of Ancestors, and so on. If a Smoeni wishes to serve another god, Aspects, (minor) worship of Ancestors, etc, she is allowed to, as long as it does not interfere with the worship of Kesag. If she leaves behind the belief of Kesag, she will be killed.

• Marrying a man will result in death of both the man and woman, the woman watching as her lover is killed. She will then be buried with the man, although the lover's body will be fed to wild animals, not giving the previous Smoeni the pleasure of seeing him in the afterlife.

• Keeping a cat as a pet is disgusting, and disrespects the goddess. If one is found doing this, she will be killed.

• A Male may not be buried in the same place as women, as his corpse may contaminate the women and send them to hell. If a women marries a man, she is to be buried with men.

 

Mounts and Pets

---

 

   It is common for most of the Smoeni to have pets, although, their pets are quite different than most others. As owning cats is disallowed, they tend to have non-poisonous serpents as house animals. Smoeni do not ride horses, thinking that they are weaker. Instead, they mount smaller bears, that are bred into the tribe.

 

Markings/Tattoos

---

 

  It is not uncommon to see Smoeni wearing assorted types of face paint, each with a spiritual, personal, or lawful reason. The picture above is one of the most common paints, with a colorful strip running down the face, black lines under the eyes, and yellow dots lining side (The other two are optional), this is worn as a traditional worship paints, and is seen mostly during the sacrifices. Each household holds their own tattoo, and or facepaint, each worn proudly by most of the Smoeni.

  If an Smoeni breaks the law, and is made to get branded/tattooed, they are made to wear the brand of killer, thief, or traitor.

Spoiler

 

 

 

Killer

Traitor

 

Thief

 

 

 

Special thanks to Maddy, and Humanistic. Both who helped write Religion lore.

 

[LittleCakes 68]

hype

[MyNameIsMason 269]

hype

[dm420 186]

this looks p good kry

[Kvasir 1121]

Eugh... Most unoriginal thing you can do, take the Farfolk race, and add your own flair. Try something new.

[wolfdwg 2677]

cool post, interesting idea! +1

[_Owen 47]

((+1 the would so get mad at my Druid XD

On 2017-02-11 at 9:26 PM, Kinslayer said:

((Eugh... Most unoriginal thing you can do, take the Farfolk race, and add your own flair. Try something new.

((just because they have the same skin color of Farfolk dont mean there farfolk :P, and this is something new 

[dm420 186]

18 minutes ago, Kinslayer said:

Eugh... Most unoriginal thing you can do, take the Farfolk race, and add your own flair. Try something new.

Eugh? why "Eugh" thats awful rude, and maybe u just have different tastes, if u dont have anything nice 2 say dont even bother commenting, and if u have issues you should pm the owner and discuss if u hate it that much

[Babehab 386]

Can't spell Smoeni without Moe

[Remyy 952]

Please keep this civil. I do ask for constructive criticism that way I know what to fix/replace. If this is not your cup of tea, I respect that , I just hope you slightly enjoyed the read.

[Babehab 386]

Pretty not-bad culture here. I hope you guys are ready to accused of frost witchery or homosexuality and subsequently persecuted though. Good luck friends.

[Remyy 952]

1 minute ago, Babehab said:

You're bad. Pretty not-bad culture here. I hope you guys are ready to accused of frost witchery or homosexuality and subsequently persecuted though. Good luck friends.

Yup! one of the many types of RP that will be extremely interesting. Although without being in the tribe, or being a slave, it will be fairly hard to actually learn of the entire culture without metagaming. 

[DahStalker 3692]

wheeze 

[Runabarn 1028]

So, basically feminists.

[Babehab 386]

2 minutes ago, Lil Nugget said:

Yup! one of the many types of RP that will be extremely interesting. Although without being in the tribe, or being a slave, it will be fairly hard to actually learn of the entire culture without metagaming. 

Always expect the worst, but hope for the best.