Bellu'ye
The bellu'ye or "lost children" represent the elven tribes and communities who, after Umbragol's defeat, decided to return to the Elder Forest. While the drouelf wanted no contact with these "betrayers", they settled on the warmer parts of the Greenshade Forest, to the south.
The bellu'ye spread themselves all through Greenshade Forest, with lesser communities in Witchbog and Wolvenfield.
The bellu'ye have tried to recover (And probably exaggerate) many of the Primordial elves customs. They don't build, avoid metal and arcane magic.
The bellu'ye avoid contact with foreigners if possible, but don't shun them. They are hospitable and helpful, but expect others to be able to look after themselves if able-bodied.
The bellu'ye tell part of their story through tribal tattooes. Blue-colored animal tattooes represent the protection of a natural spirit, detected by a shaman at birth. This often means that they will end up being shamans or chieftains, and that they should mate with other blue-tattooed tribe members. Red-coloured animal tattooes represent the defeat of an evil spirit, often the mark of a powerful warrior or hunter. Black, cuneiform and dot tattooes represent grief.
The bellu'ye use minimal clothing and only build hammocks and basic protection from the weather. They use every part of hunted animals, and if any food remains uneaten, they leave it on the forest for wild animals to feed. This lack of food surplus is the main reason for why their population barely sees growth.
The family unit is rather open. Children are raised by the whole tribe, although the parents do take special care of their own offspring. Couples tend to stay loosely together, though they can still have additional sexual partners with no repercussions. Men and women in a relationship who seek partners for sex tend to seek young adults, as it is seen as a way of teaching them for experience.
The bellu'ye have had several wars with humans from the Union, who have attempted to exploit Greenshade Forest for lumber. The "Bellu'ye Genocide" is a main talking point of elven rebels. In Witchbog and Wolvenfield, the bellu'ye are largely homogeneized with the local populations, but in Greenshade Forest the few remaining have kept most of their customs and traditions.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Bysmiel, Lariel, Anariel, Leviel, Banisel
Masculine names
Malen, Salen, Leven, Tholen, Sailen
Family names
The name of the tribe takes the place of the family name, but they rarely use it, as they lack contact with outsiders.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
They speak a heavily modified version of elvish. A few speak basic common.
Shared customary codes and values
Common Dress code
Clothing is minimal, barely keeping private parts hidden. Their clothing is considered scandalous by most other populations.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
During birth, a bit of blood from the baby is drawn and thrown into a special fire. From there, the shaman shall attempt to connect with the spirits, in order to see whether any in particular cares for the infant.
Coming of Age Rites
Males are expected to start hunting with the adults. After a number of succesful hunts, the great hunter will grant the boy adulthood.
Females are expected to build their own warclub, and seek their first trophy to add. It could be from an animal they hunted, a monster slain, a brilliant feather or rare stone found, or more. The shaman shall decide whether the trophy is properly attuned to the soul of the girl, and will ease her into adulthood.
Funerary and Memorial customs
When someone dies, they are left to rot in the wild. This is understood as returning to nature. If someone held in high esteem dies, they might be left on tree tops so only birds can feed on them.
Those who knew the deceased tattoo themselves lines and dots that change depending on their relationship with them. Parent, offspring, friend, lover, sexual student, hunting partner, foreigner and more can inform the appropiate marking.
Common Taboos
Saving food, keeping private property, shame and pride are badly seen.
The worst taboo, however, is to get a tattoo without proper meaning. To get a blue tattoo without a shaman seeing the connection will incur the wrath of the spirit. To get a red tattoo without defeating the evil spirit will turn one into a vessel for the demon.
To desert the tribe is a sign of disrepect, and will in turn stripe one of the right to return. However, to desert the tribe as someone with a blue tattoo is a terrible offense, and will turn one into a deadly enemy of the tribe.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
The bellu'ye appreciate strenght and fitness over anything else.
Gender Ideals
Males are expected to be good archers and hunters, to be able to track animals, make and fix bows, nets and traps.
Males often build their own bows which they tweak and decorate to their liking.
Females are expected to be fast and alert, to protect the encampment, and to make hammocks, palisades and refuges. They learn to skin and butcher prey.
Females often carry a warclub, in the form of a long, thick branch with sharp stones, thorns, and animal parts such as horns, fangs or antlers.
These warclubs are heavily decorated with trophies of slain monsters and wild beasts.
Courtship Ideals
Either males or females not on a relationship can approach whoever they want. If the ones they approach are not in a relationship, they must offer a worthy gift, generally a trinket or tool. To accept the gift is to accept the right to mate.
If the ones they approach are already in a relationship, they must be older, and ask for sexual guidance. The older one can choose to become their tutor, or not.
Relationship Ideals
Relationships are fairly open and free-flowing. However, those with blue tattooes often are expected to seek others like them. To join with a "normal" elf is seen is a bad omen, specially if a child is birthed and the shaman feels no spiritual protection.
Homosexual relationships are not seen badly, as long as both are also involved in heterosexual relationships.
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