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The Phan'Niir


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The Phan'Niir

 

 

"Deep within the caverns, a family of 'ker wanders through. Male and female, side by side with spears in hand, navigating through the darkness of the underground. Their ears picks up the dripping of water far beyond their mere sight. In desperation, they follow it, only to come across a cavern filled with water. Though, the water reflects light, but not that of the torches the 'ker brought,

But light from the surface."

- Phan'Niir origins, a mere legend

 

After the underground dwelling 'ker had lost their home, legend says that they found a way up. Their dark skin greeted the sunlight, first with joy, then with worry. Throughout their lives, the Phan'Niir clan had lived underground as nomads. However, many stories state a form of undoing of their home. Some mention the stone rupturing to reveal scolding hot lava, others mention swarms of large insects. Either way, the Phan'Niir now dwelve on the surface after they escape their cavernous home. But, the biggest change was their way of life. These mali'ker began to build homes of clay, using the natural resources at their disposal. They began to farm wheat, vegetables and they began to hunt. Though not many, they had formed a new, small civilization. The Phan'Niir even began to master certain niche arts. Pottery, woodworking, and sports. However, let's start at the begining.

Phan'Niir Appearances
A Phan'Niir 'ker have deep grey skin and charchoal black hair. Much like most 'ker. Rarely are Phan'Niir seen to have white hair, or skin any darker or paler. Occasionally, thier charchoal hair can be seen as raven, leaving slight accents of blue in their hair.
Their eyes are said to have the same color of the Alexandrite gem. A pale green, or even a pale rose. However, it's much less common to see the rosen eyes.

 

Phan'Nirros clothing is often described as simple. Often white linen, laced with a color, or accompanied by garbs of other colors. It's said amongst the Phan'Niir 'ker that the additional garbs gives life to the person, often through the colors they hold. Often, these colors are purple, yellow and brown. Hats of grey and brown are known to accompany the male 'ker's clothing, to be both aesthetically pleasing and to protect against the sun and rain. Sandals are also common with these 'ker. It's rare to see a Phan'Niir with leather or hide boots, beyond a hard working farmer or hunter. The sandals are often made of leather and wood.

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Two Phan'Niir of different professions - a potter and a farmer respectively


Often, their clothes are made to weather their bodies, as they often work long and hard every day. Endurance is important to these 'ker, and their way of keeping themselves conditioned is through such clothing. All clothing are often made to accomodate their professions, meaning that a hunter would be seen with more protective clothing. Farmers often wear conditioning garments, and easy to make, usually.

Jewelry is rare to see among the Phan'Niir. Valuable pieces of jewelry are often pushed aside in favor for spending thier valuable resources on tools and on their homes. More often than not, they convey their riches through pottery, and decorations in their homes rather than fine clothing or jewelry. Facepaint can be seen amongst the Phan'Niir. However, this is often reserved for the accomplished, and the famous. Such being famed warriors, athletes, and the various family leaders. Often, the facepaint consists of certain patterns that convey stories of one's achievements. Colors and shapes vary.


Speech

 

One painful realization many come to is that the Phan'Niiros speech patterns are truly odd to most mali. Elven words, twisted with additional or retracted pronounciations. Added -os to words meant to noun groups. -e added to words for objects. One such example is the word "Lliran" - a Phan'Niir 'ker would rather say "Lliranos", as it's much more pleasing to their ears. The R's are rolled, and the h's residing in their throat more, in both the common language and elven tongue.

Likewise, their names are different to most others. Often names of popular ancestors of theirs, such as Beores and Cadarios. Sometimes, these names are reformed to let the named be more distinct from the ancestors of which they borrow their name from. Beorios and Cadarie are examples of this.

 


 

General Culture

 

Hard work, hospitality, and loyalty are what their world is built on. After the Phan'Niir 'ker had escaped the underground, it was only through hard work that they were able to adept to the nature of life above ground. Abandoning their old way of life, as nomads, they came to learn from nearby settlements the way of life of civilized surface dwellers. In turn, they found themselves valuing the hardworking. Laziness to the Phan'Niir, is a vile trait of any 'ker and descendant alike, and in turn they often scorn those that find themselves sleep their days away, and refuse to do any hard labour on their own merit.

Servitude has also become a central aspect of the Phan'Niiros culture. By paying off debts through labour, rather than resources at times, they had found that loyalty and servitude to other 'ker is an admirable quality within any mali. And in turn, the Phan'Niir are known to often be employed as servants of different kinds, either as maids, personal warriors, helping hand or the like. It's not rare to see a Phan'Niir serve as a farmhand, or a personal guard to anyone within or outside of their clan. Loyalty is a well regarded quality within the clan, and is seen as honourable. In turn, traitors are seen as vermin, so to say, and are often excommunicated and less trusted. Disrespected, they are, and even run the risk of being murdered by the ones they betrayed, or by allied parties involved to the betrayed. Occasionally, one is even branded by a hot iron at a visible spot on them, such as their forhead, the symbol of a broken sword, to convey the meaning of a traitor. It's through this sign that one can see when a Phan'Niir 'ker is disloyal.

To be invited, is a pleasure beyond most social events. Perhaps, one day, a hardworking farmhand is invited to supper at a potter's family house, either as a thanks or as a mere simple gesture of goodwill. To be hospitable to your own family, and to outsiders, is seen as respectable to most Phan'Niir. Although, the reasons behind it vary. Perhaps, the hospitable matron wants to show off her finely decorated home, or maybe the warrior invites a fellow to show gratitude of any kind. It's not unusual to see anyone even invite in their enemies to try to settle a dispute.


Professions and Portfolios

 

When the Phan'Niir had escaped their underground home, they found themselves in plains, rich of clay, alongside forests of oak. Soon, through conversing with neighboring nations and settlements, they found themselves settling down and learning to live off of the surface. This is where their expertise in pottery came from, as they began to make instruments and items out of clay, and sell it to nearby settlements for profit. The Phan'Niir are also excellent shepherds and woodworkers, as they work off of the land and the local fauna.

Many Phan'Niir 'ker are shepherds and farmers. Quite a few are also proficient potters, fletchers and hunters. All of which fill rolls within their small villages that they make. However, it's worth noting that being a shepherd, hunter, warrior and potter is held in much higher regard than being a farmer or smith.


Art and Knowledge

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Phan'Niir art, often appearing on their pieces of pottery, or clothes

However, potters fill a very unique role in Phan'Niiros culture. They are artists, as much of the pottery they make are decorated with solid and pleasing patterns. Sometimes, stories are told through this medium of art, often stories centered around legend, war and events of the past. Fairy tales are also a topic of which many potters tackle in their art. These patterns are often made to resemble waves, leaves, stars, and other things you could make patterns with.

But, many elders utilize the art of clay in different ways. Much knowledge is stored through parchment, but even more is stored through the making of clay tablets of varying sizes and importance. Scholars within the Phan'Niir family are known to store clay tablets of their ancestors to preserve the knowledge they hold. However, not just the learned uses this method of storing knowlegde, so to say. Many of the common 'ker use this method as well, to document stories, letters, recipes of food even. The children are often taught how to write in clay for this very reason.

It's not uncommon to see the masters make pieces of art with clay. Large pots, laced with metals and written upon stories of old, and painted with dye from plants and the earth itself. Often, these pieces of art act as signs of status, in a sense, decorating the homes of many. This art is often used as a form of present or tribute as well.

Within this group of 'ker, a few musical instruments came to be favoured by them. One of which is the Bouzouki, a stringed instrument akin to a lute, only with 4 sets of double strings made to harmonize. Minstrels use this instrument avidly. Their music is often used for poetry or stories, much like the clay tablets that the scholars make.


Sports and Athletics

A common practice, central to the Phan'Niir, are their events and festivals dedicated to sports. Regarded as a way to prove ones strengths, and a way to compete for respect and honor, these festivals consists of sports that involve many physical and mental challanges. Some of which include: Spearthrowing, Gladitorial combat, Tug of war, wrestling, and marathons where one runs across the territory of any land that they have, or simply the wilderness.

After these festivities, a large feast is often orchestrated. Minstrels, cooks, bakers and brewers are hired to help make the last meal, to be joyful and memorable for the rest of the 'ker's lives. Or so they wish, at the very least. It's at this time where the athletes get to rest and enjoy themselves after days worth of hard athletic stunts. However, sports aren't just relegated to a few festivals every few years. Many indulge themselves in their freetime with games of combat and marathons. It's not uncommon to see a Phan'Niir enjoy themselves with a race across the plains or forests.

 

Sports are important to the Phan'Niir. To them, it is a test of their most regarded trait: Endurance. This is reflected in what sports they indulge themselves in, and in their forms of combat.

War and Combat

War is an inevitability to the Phan'Niir. Although they may not incite it, they are most likely to get mixed up in it, one way or another. Hence why the Phan'Niir has culturarly emphasized the importance of learning how to fight. However, a notable difference is their way of war and combat, rather than the appearance of it.

Endurance is the key to Phan'Niir combat. It is the cornerstone of the design of their gear, and methods of which they fight. Conditioning of their armor is emphasized. Helmets that allow one to breathe and hear easily, even if it sacrifices cover. Free arms and relatively free legs of which allows one to move well and help further condition oneself to remain energetic and avoid exhaustion. Outlasting ones enemy is important to the Phan'Niir, rather than overpowering ones foe.


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An armored warrior, wearing traditional Phan'Niir armor

Ceremonialy, the armors are made to show off or exaggerate the physique of the wearer. Muscled currais and armguards that better fit the forearm.

It's not always a warrior wears any armor beyond a helmet and leg guards. Sometimes, they are simply wearing little clothing, and merely equiped with a round, plated shield and a spear. Protection, to the Phan'Niir, is only neccessary if one cannot protect themselves already with a shield and spear. Being able to fight, is more important than the protection of armor.


War

Although it varies with each skirmish, the Phan'Niir prefer to make lines of shields with spears. Often, they are tasked in holding this line and protect each neighboring warrior with their shields, and thrust their spears at the opposing force. Sometimes, they employ demoralization tactics, such as loud warcries, drumming on their shields and displays of might if they can.

Popular weapons of these warriors are: Spears, swords, slings and even bows and arrows at times.


((OOC: This is still a work in progress, but I'd like to know what people think of this so far. I take much inspiration from the precieved culture of ancient greece. Soon, I want to add religion, but I want to consult certain people beforehand just incase))

Credits:
Skins - Me (Dight#6041)

 

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Kinda lit post my guy

 

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