Maiun dah'Rin

[Veggie 150]

Maiun dah'Rin

People of the Desert

 

Among the more obscure cultures found in humans is that of the Maiun dah'Rin, or dah'Rin(i) for short. This translates to People (Rin) of the (dah') Desert (Maiun). As the name would suggest, they originate from and primarily inhabit deserts. As one might expect, this harsh environment in combination with prolonged isolation from other cultures has lead to a hardy, yet upbeat people with unique traditions.

 

With written documents proving their presence as far back as Axios, and speculation of their history reaching back much further, it's a wonder they've kept their presence so unknown all this time. One could attribute this to isolationism, remote locations, or even being mistaken for other groups, but the true answer has not been found as those who'd know have all passed. In recent times, however, they've made themselves and their ways as known as they can in the face of being lost to history. No known settlements remain of the Maiun dah'Rin, so they assert themselves anywhere that welcomes them. While their own language's alphabet and writing are illegible to most, they still make and publish stories in Common with the hope someone will hear their pleas for preservation. Only very recently has it seemed that their wish will come true.

 

Now when you see those strangers in masks, lanky humans with odd accents, you may come to find you know of their kind. A resilient people who've clung onto the very last strings of identity and finally started pulling themselves back up.

 

Names & Masks

To the dah'Rin, a mask is just as good as (if not better than) a name. While multiple people can share a name, or even all three names, no two people can have a truly identical mask. Along with being distinct, the mask of a riun (singular of rin) will most always have patterns and colors denoting specific meanings. For example, a rugged wooden mask with red paint on the left side can convey that one is a wanderer who's used to living rough, but still holds love in their heart for everyone around. A mask of ebony with intricate gold patterns would show the wearer as important, but not for combat reasons, likely being some form of leader. These masks are to be removed only when necessary or alone.

 

This is not to say names aren't important, however. All three names of a riun are important for different reasons. A first name is shared with everyone, and is the name a riun will refer to themselves by most often. A middle name is rarer to go by, but is usually used when two people of the same first name are together or when a riun dislikes their first name. A last name, however, is considered very intimate. This is generally to be shared with those that a riun dearly trusts or even loves. An important bit to note is that one would not be called by their last name unless they're alone with someone who knows it. To share someone else's last name is to betray the love and trust they've shown you. To take it as your own is to embrace it wholly.

 

Mask Meanings

To expand on what a mask may mean and why, we need only look to three things. Color, material, and adornments.
To start with, colors often share similar meanings to what other descendants give them, but there are some noteworthy exceptions. For example, while red may denote passion or anger, the most common use is for love. Orange is linked to enthusiasm, a love for life rather than individuals. Yellow and gold are notably distinct, with yellow being happiness and gold being importance. Green can indicate a nurturing nature, harmony, and even safety. Blue can be freedom, intelligence, or protection, with the first being the typical use case. Purple is often linked with magic, inner peace, and wisdom.
As materials go, these are usually picked by convenience or aesthetics rather than significant meaning. When a material is chosen for meaning, it usually coincides with the color. However, the material also gives some insight into the wearer's lifestyle. Wood may be used for travelers who want something that will last long without maintenance. Porcelain would be more indicative of a person who's settled down and decided on something that looks nice rather than being durable. Rarer and more sought-after materials may show someone to be important, or that they've done a great service for their community. Giving someone a new mask is not taken lightly. As said before, it's as personal as a name or face, with the added importance of symbolism.
Adornments can be anything from engravings, to shape, to extra pieces added on. These are commonly given meanings by the owners themselves, but an aggressive shape can denote a warrior, and gold engravings usually mean someone of high status. If you're curious about all the intricacies of someone's mask, it's best to ask!

 

Music & Food

Food and music are hard to ignore when addressing the more playful side of Maiun culture. Those who dedicate themselves to a craft don't spend their whole lives perfecting it like those of more competitive cultures might. Rather, these rin will use their skills to impress their friends, family, and even strangers with the main goal of making them happy. This isn't to say they'll be any worse on average than those of other cultures, but there will be fewer who lean so heavily into perfecting a skill.

 

As for the sounds of music, a riun will most often play upbeat, drum-heavy songs with the intent to get others dancing. While it's not uncommon for these musicians to be playing throughout any normal day, they most often gather and play together during festivals. In fact, in the absence of any musicians or even untrained volunteers, a festival will be outright delayed until at least one is found. This is most often a lack of people able to fill the role rather than those willing, as bad music is not judged. Even the poorest artist is encouraged to continue.

 

The topic of food actually shares quite a few parallels with music. It's not one's skill as a chef that determines whether their food is eaten, it's a mere matter of who's around to eat it. Even if the meal should make you gag and vomit, you still turn right back around to the chef and tell them what they did right, and how you'd change it for next time. This is likely what caused a shift in dah'Rini meals compared to other human meals - they often make things like cinnamon pork, honeyed vegetables, baked fruits, and many more similar meals.

As for drinks, however, they most often drink water, fruit and cactus juices, and wines. These aren't held to the same level of importance as food, as whatever is available will be happily accepted, but it's not uncommon for a riun to go out of their way to find a drink that complements their meal. If a meal is sweet, drink something bitter. If a meal is savory, drink something with a kick.

 

Language

With the decay of full-blooded Maiun dah'Rin, the full scope of their language has died out, but that doesn't mean they don't speak what they have left. Even those who speak full Common usually speak in the third person or sprinkle in dah'Rini words and phrases. However, it's important to note that dah'Rini sentence structure is much more free-form than Common. Not only that, but the few who can write fluently in dah'Rini will go right to left, bottom to top. This is due to ancient dah'Rini laying bricks, carving words in until they run out of space, and then laying the next layer to not waste materials. From this came the ongoing tradition of grand story walls, sometimes integrated into buildings, but just as often standing solitary for all to see.

Dictionary can be found here.

 

Appearances

A dah'Rini can be of any human skin tone, and very commonly end up freckled. Their hair tends to lean blonde, with even darker-haired rin having a golden shine in the sun. Their eyes can be of any color a human's can, but most common is green. It's less common for a riun to be bulky compared to their fellow humans due to the scarcity of food in the desert, but in recent times, most rin end up nomads or living in other cities. This is completely and entirely attributed to the dwindling population and dying traditions they have. On top of that, there are very few full-blooded Maiun dah'Rin to be found. Clothing-wise, even those who end up in cities will at least keep their mask in their possession, if not on their face. Nomads in particular will also stick to clothing of their people, being loose, flowy clothes with lots of airflow. These are reminiscent of real-world Middle Eastern and Central Asian garbs. Some will adorn their clothes with neat patterns or fancy colors, but most are happy with plain robes with hoods and/or hats of straw.

 

Outsiders

The dah'Rini are very friendly to outsiders, even welcoming them with open arms to join their encampments and traditions. While this has done well for what little reputation they have, it also means they've been raided on multiple occasions by those they let into their homes. Even in these times, when a riun takes down an invader, it is their duty to give them proper medical care and keep them alive, regardless of the damage the invader has caused. Should their enemies die on Maiun land, they are still given a respectful prayer and proper burial, elsewise a sendoff to their homeland.

 

OOC

This is an open culture! Anyone at all can make a Maiun dah'Rin character, and for a full-blooded dah'Rini, you should set your race as Farfolk or just Human. How involved your character is with these traditions is completely up to you! However, it's encouraged to be mindful and respectful of other players OOCly while playing an dah'Rini character, in part because reputation is important early on, but also because you should do that anyway.

There are no dah'Rini settlements and there likely won't be unless there's a much larger playerbase than I'm expecting. However, should this be the case, it will be a large encampment in the desert to best fit the lore provided.

The dah'Rini dictionary is still being worked on, but there should be more than enough words to spice up your roleplay. Make as many new phrases as you'd like - and remember, the sentence structure is more free-form than English! Context helps determine what you're saying (such as "Ron do'pan," which can either mean you idiot or you're an idiot depending on the context).
This page will more than likely be edited!

Don't be mean or I will cry. Consider this a threat.

[drowknows 696]

I suggest posting this in the cultures sub-forum [link]

 

Other than that, it's a pretty good piece of writing, the culture somewhat reminds me of those bandits from Zelda BOTW because of the masks.

[Veggie 150]

1 minute ago, Julio ツ said:

I suggest posting this in the cultures sub-forum [link]

 

Other than that, it's a pretty good piece of writing, the culture somewhat reminds me of those bandits from Zelda BOTW because of the masks.

Ah, I didn't know there was a separate sub-forum for cultures
Is there a way to move the same post there rather than reposting?

Also, thank you for the kind words (: