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The Arvellon | Watchers of Autumn


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The Arvellon Seed

Watchers in the Autumn Woods

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“From our trees of red, gold, and orange do we watch.”

 

The Autumnal Lore

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    The Arvellon Seed is one of the smaller and lesser known tribes amongst the first migration of Mali’ame. Whilst others adorned themselves in unique and colorful markings and apparel, the Wood Elves of the Arvellon were only identifiable by their shared physical traits and their name. Yet even this left them confused with the seedless brothers and sisters.

    However the Mali’ame of the Arvellon did not mind this for centuries to come. They enjoyed the ease in which they could meld within the rest of their tribal society, watching and listening as the Wildcats of Felixii do. Little is known concerning their worship of the Wildcat Princess, as is most things with the feline mani. Similarly shrouded is the seed’s later adoption of worship to Kwakwani, the Trickster Raven. Though they took to these new ways and meshed them with that of Felixii’s, creating the unique and unknown culture that they are in the modern age. 

    In the times of Malin and the nomadic Mali’ame, the Arvellon were led by a man known as Carsul’il. Known among his kin as the Laughing Lynx for his hearty attitude and his peculiar style in hair. Carsul’il was the first to take on the name of Arvellon, and the founder of their ame’lie, a grove considered to be only myth and named the Harvest Wood for some said it was a place of perpetual autumn that was always bathed in a copper and gold light from the rays of sun shining through the canopy. Many thought the grove was a legend for rare few knew of its name, much less of its existence.

    While most of the tales sprung from this age, and of Carsul’il specifically, are considered myth and the true events that happened are lost to the winds of time, the more modern era of the Arvellon is easier to recollect if similarly unknown to anyone but the Arvellon. Carsul’il eventually disappeared into the wilds as most ancient mali’ame do, leaving behind his ways for his second child, Merriel Arvellon. Unlike her father, Merriel did not have many daring adventures. She preferred the quiet and watchful side of their ways, living her life upon a simple farmstead with her mate and listening to the breeze for all manner of news and secrets until the day she had her first and only child, Miklaeil.

    Miklaeil was bound to take after his grandfather from the day he began to walk, always grinning and dashing about from one adventure to the next with the clever wit of a cat. Only his mother could truly tame his lust for the thrill and unknown, until the day he came of age for manhood. Miklaeil gathered what few things he owned and set off into the world, leaving a supportive but deeply saddened Merriel behind. Years passed and the young Arvellon found himself in what was known as the Dominion of Malin.

    It was here that Miklaeil decided to first attempt securing a steady life after thirty or so years of travel, though doing so cost him the identity of his ancestors within him. He donned bronze and silver platemail, shouted cries of war in the name of various princes and princesses, and even took on the name and beliefs of another seed entirely in his patriotic vigor. He began to look less and less like that of Carsul’il, and his letters to his mother grew less and less filled with wonder and joy but instead with grim and dark experiences. It was about this time that Merriel Arvellon died, caught in an accident with farm equipment.

    Years passed and Miklaeil gradually fell back into the old ways of his grandfather, Carsul’il. His constant grin and cheeky quips became his trademark, and his vigilant and cat-like eyes always watched with a certain mischievous glint. Twas long after the Dominion collapsed when he became a Lord upon the council of Aegrothond, then yet more until he met the lovely Empyreal Princess of Alderyn, Layla Le’Cai. It was not long after noticing the same playful glint in her eyes that he fell in love and returned fully to the ways of Carsul’il. Between the two of them, the Arvellon seed’s history and culture were reborn into something both new and old.

    Several decades pass and the Arvellon are now grown and changed beyond what they were upon Miklaeil’s reclamation. It was around this time that the seed was begrudgingly convinced to join the fledgling Forest Realm of Irrinor. The reluctance of the seed’s chieftains to take such a step proved correct when the Aspectist nation fell to infighting, leaving the Arvellon to flee back to the Talus Grove. Disillusioned with the politics of greater elven nations following the fall of Irrinor, Miklaeil declared the rite of Maya’meracahe to prevent more misfortune befalling the Arvellon.

    Several families were born and brought into the seed’s warm embrace following its departure from Irrinor, allowing the group to spread out and diversify amongst themselves as they chose according to the rite of Maya’meracahe. Despite this rebound, Layla and Miklaeil were left tired and in need of a respite from the civilized places of the world. A moot of the seed was held in the Talus Grove where Eretria and Nerrin were chosen to be the next chieftains, allowing Layla and Mikaeil to delve into the deep wilds of the world for the next decade.


 

Beliefs and Values

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The ways of the Arvellon are deeply rooted in Aspectism and the Mani pantheon, basing most all their various styles and values upon that of the old ‘ame teachings.

 

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Religion

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“Given a wink from the Wildcat and a grin from the Raven, Carsul’il set off into the wood.”

 

    Aspectism and the Mani pantheon are both well-cherished parts of the Arvellon culture, most everything about them being divined from these practices. However, like most other Seeds, the Arvellon worship a select few Mani in particular. Those being Felixii, Princess of Wildcats, and Kwakwani, Princess of Ravens.

    Both of which heavily influence the day-to-day lives of the Arvellon, making for Elves with an odd mixture of secretive yet colorful personalities, flitting back and forth with words and actions like a cat or bird at play. Oftentimes these Elves make offerings to both Mani in the form of tricks and pranks upon those deserving of it, or merely for the fun of it.

    With regards to Felixii, the Wildcat is seen as the head of a lesser pantheon of her own that includes the other feline Mani gods. The Lion, Tiger, and Panther Mani all fall into this grouping though are not quite so revered as the Wildcat herself. Many decide to incorporate the teachings of these individual Mani princes into their worship of Felixii. Those Arvellon particularly devout to Felixii tend to tread through life with care put toward their own actions, yet are not afraid of the spontaneous. Witty, clever, and watchful are the best descriptions for an Arvellon Wildcat follower. It is taught that a proper Wildcat follower should remain ever vigilant for what knowledge they can collect or what whispers they may hear. This is usually referred to in regards to one’s own pursuits or craft, meant to encourage learning and growth in the mind. 

    The Trickster Raven teaches her followers in the Arvellon the ways of artistry, beauty, and fun-loving attitudes. Those devout to Kwakwani are often the most playful of the seed prone to pranking their family and friends when it is least expected, or developing skill with their hands in the way of arts and craft. Many Arvellon take up trades in things such as painting, jewelry, writing, or even blacksmithing and woodworking. Their work is done with the intention of creating beauty with their very own hands, worshipping the Raven in the act alone. 

 

Appearance

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“Touched by the season of Autumn in body as well as mind.”

 

    Elves born of the Arvellon typically share the same set of physical traits, depending on the circumstances of their birth. An Elf carrying the traits of the Arvellon would be bronzed or tan in skin tone, usually a warm hue of some sort. Their hair tends to be curly or unruly in varying shades of red and brown. This coupled with brown or green eyes make them quite suitable for their favorite season, Autumn. Although, not every Arvellon is born from the autumnal bloodline. The modern generation of the seed is a wide variety of adopted members and members who married into the seed with the proper rites taken. This means that one could find most any Elf of any mix of traits donning the autumn paints of an Arvellon.                                                                                                                                                                                                       cSeraphina2.pngmewliet_druid_no_bg.png

    Their apparel tends to reflect the colors of Autumn- Red, gold, yellow, and orange in various shades- to symbolize the changing and colorful personalities of the Arvellon and to acknowledge the natural cycle.

 

Values

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“Live your life to the fullest, my child. Raise your boy, love your family, and see them flourish as I have.” - Carsul’il to his daughter, Merriel Arvellon

 

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    When the Arvellon realized that the world is much too dangerous to face alone, they began to stick closer and closer together to ensure safety and prosperity despite the ordeals that the Descesdent world is prone to endure. Thus their ideology grew over time to incorporate values based upon the creation and protection of family. 

 

  • Family is treasured above all else to Arvellon. To protect and provide for one’s family is the highest priority and one that each Arvellon is expected to see done. Providing for the family also includes having children with which to fill it and continue the legacy. Due to the elven curse of infertility, adoption is not unheard of amongst the seed and is even considered honorable. With family comes Love. It is a sacred emotion connected to the very soul of a person that shapes them as it grows and evolves over time’s passage. An Arvellon couple is accepted as an eternal bond and a testament of passion and loyalty for such long-lived people as the elves. To break off that bond is a break of trust that many consider to be deserving of no less than a shun or, if the cause of division is so revolting, death. Love does not extend only to romance either. An Arvellon finds love in anything that they wish to look for it in. Some pursue trades and crafts to pour their passions into.
  • Trust is built through experience and time together. An Arvellon without the trust of their kin is an Arvellon surrounded by the hounds of darkness, bound for an early rise of elven madness. Along the same vein of thought, Unity within the seed is expected by all its members to uphold fervently. According to the rite of Maya’meracahe, the Arvellon should never allow the frivolous squabbles of greater elvenkind and the Descendent world as a whole to divide them. 
  • Cheer and light-heartedness are seen as desirable traits among the Arvellon. Being a fun-loving people, they seek it out with a Lust for Life that goes unheard of among many other elven cultures and even in the mali’ame themselves. Adventure, pranks, good fun amongst their kin, all this and much more are the deep thoroughfare to an Arvellon’s heart. 




 

Traditions

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Tradition in the Arvellon seed is developed over the course of time and experience, its members learning new ways to adapt to their environment and adding to their ways to fit.


 

Ilmyumier

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Tattoos designed and drawn by the wonderful Numirya

 

    A recent and modern addition to the rites of the Arvellon is the ilmyumier, thought up and designed by Layla. The tattoo implements three of the most prevalent parts of the Arvellon’s unique culture with the head of a Wildcat, the wings and feathers of a Raven, and the colors and symbols of their beloved season Autumn. 

Along with the primary ilmyumier that is found on the dominant arm, Arvellon of this age are known to wear a stripe of paint across their eyes as a sign of luck to attract good fortune for them and their families, or during times of war and unrest in the world as a whole.

 

Miruel’ame

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    The “Red Trees” of the Arvellon forests that once served as the living, subtle guardians to their ancestral ame’lie known as the Harvest Wood. The cultivation of these trees, once a closely guarded secret held by the main bloodline of Arvellon, has since been passed down to the seed to reintroduce the tree into the world. The tree releases an ever present fog that surrounds its immediate vicinity and is considered to be the reason the Arvellon remained wrapped in mystery in the early eras of the world.

 

Maya’meracahe

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“The bonds of family wave no flags.”

 

    In the ancient times of the Arvellon, when they lived in the depths of the Harvest Wood with their homes safely hidden from the turmoil beyond, the autumnal elves practiced what they called Maya’meracahe. This ‘redeeming balance’ was put into place by Carsul’il after a near disastrous confrontation within the seed between two brothers living in separate nations from each other. Carsul’il decided that the Arvellon seed would not serve as a political entity among the rest of Elvenkind, though it would not limit its individual members from taking part in what nations they chose to reside in.


 

Mallir'hiylun

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“To be an Arvellon man is to have only half a mind. His wife has the rest.”

 

    Love is sacred and precious to the autumn Elves of the Arvellon, an emotion and act held dearly since the days of Carsul’il and the Harvest Wood. Making such a declaration toward another Elf is a grand and life changing event for the Arvellon. To them, there is only one such person to be found in their lives and it is an irreversible, unbreakable bond through both mind, body, and spirit.

    While not used until later in the seed’s existence, there is a binding ritual used to cement this connection between two Elves. Before an altar of Felixii and Kwakwani, the two would arrive in secret during the height of a Harvest Moon. Both would wield ceremonial aurum blades to cut the others palms. After the blood flows from both hands on either lover, the bloodied blades are laid crossed upon the altar before the two clasped hands to mix the blood of their palms and in doing so, intertwining the essence of their bodies and spirit. Once the ritual is complete, it’s said that the mates develop a true and absolute bond. While it’s not known whether this is merely firm belief, or if something truly binds the souls of the lovers, it works. These Arvellon lovers remain together until death, and even then it is said that their spirits pass on as one.


 

Hunt of the Harvest Moon

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Beautiful super moon ! | Moon pictures, Shoot the moon, Beautiful moon

 

    Every year during the Harvest Moon, when the night is bathed in strong orange light, the Arvellon host a ceremonial hunt that begins at moonrise and ends at sunrise of the next day. While the setting is an ominous and foreboding one, filled with shadows cast by the Harvest Moon’s light, the Elves who partake in it are filled with a playful vigor in their hunt. Typically, they will hunt until they find the largest game that they’re able to fell and bring it back to wherever the others are camped. There they wait until all the other hunters return with their prizes, to which a grand feast is held in honor of the peculiar phase of the moon.

 

Rite of the Karin

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    When an Arvellon comes of a certain age, or is adopted into the seed, they are allowed the gift of a twin-tailed, crystal antlered Karin cat. All Arvellon have one of these friendly cats as companions, given as mere kittens before they eventually grow to their full size of about a cougar. Due to the lifespans of these cats being much shorter than that of the average Elf, an Arvellon may have multiple different karin companions over the course of their life. Typically each new companion is a descendent of the previous, making for different bloodlines of Karin amongst the Arvellon.

 

Interested in joining?

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PM DrinkPesticide#3970, Mewliet#6297, Numirya#5929, or ThumperJack#1536 on Discord if you’re looking to join the seed! They’ll explain how it’s done and what may work for you!

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