Lusnian

The Lusni Yerekhanerin, or Children of the Moon, are the largest mardish ethnic group in Borea. Originating from the steppes of northern Harenik, they were driven north and west by pressure from neighbouring groups, eventually crossing an ice bridge to invade the Fallonese islands.
They are distinguished by their belief in a pantheon of three gods: the mother goddess Ashkharh, and her two warring suitors Lusin, the moon, and Arev, the sun, who are locked in an endless struggle over the right to marry her.

Ashkharh

Ashkharh is a fertility goddess identified with the earth. According to myth, she either is the earth itself or lives within it. Either way, she is said to be curled up asleep after the exertion of giving birth to all sentient life.

Lusin

Believed to be the father of mardik and dwarves, Lusin is the patron god of the Lusni Yerekhanerin and the being from whom they take their name. His primary aspects are as a deity of freedom and concealment.

Arev

The sun god Arev is the antagonist of the pantheon, characterised as a god of tyranny and destruction. He is credited with fathering motu, humans, and elves. There are various cults which secretly worship Arev as the true chief of the gods.

Culture

Common Taboos

Fire is believed to be the work of Arev, the antagonistic sun god, and is therefore only used under strictly controlled circumstances by designated priests.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

The role model for female behaviour is the mother goddess Ashkharh, a fertility goddess who sleeps beneath the earth. Farming and gathering food from the ground is believed to be women's work, as is raising children. Women are expected to be passive and submissive but are respected for their ability to bear children and thus allow the community to grow.
Men, on the other hand, are hunters, following the god Lusin. War is the domain of men, who must defend their band against their rivals. Men are expected to be aggressive and assert dominance in their relationships with others. Fights for one's position within the band are commonplace.
Neither of these social categories is strictly tied to biological sex. Smaller and weaker males, or those with physical disabilities preventing them from hunting and fighting, may take on female dress and a woman's social role so that they can provide for the band in some way rather than being a failed hunter who cannot bring home any meat. This path is also chosen freely by some mardik who are capable of fulfilling a male role but decide that the woman's path fits them better. As such people are incapable of bearing children, they are likely to end up as second or third wives who help raise the children of their biologically female sister wives.
Similar transformations also happen in the opposite direction. Particularly tall and strong women, or those who train hard enough and gain enough prowess to compensate for their smaller stature, may gain recognition as hunters and warriors. If a female mard fights in a battle or takes down a beast, she is entitled to wear the trophies of her victory just as a man would, and may earn an epithet. Sometimes, these warriors may even take a wife. There is at least one documented case of a biologically female warrior having a child with a biologically male wife.

Relationship Ideals

Due to the dangerous lives led by warriors and hunters, somewhat fewer men than women reach marriageable age. This has led to a custom of polygyny in which the most accomplished warriors take multiple wives. Some women take advantage of this to select their sister wives so that they have some control over who they live with. For example, pairs of close friends (or lovers) may tell prospective husbands that they will be married together, to the same man, or not at all. Alternatively, a woman who is already married may select a new wife for her husband.
As previously mentioned, some biological males may also take on a female role and be married to men. Although they cannot bear children themselves, to have such a person as a wife is thought to increase the fertility of one's other wives.
The ideal or archetypical relationship setup is as follows. A warrior will have multiple wives, including one who is biologically male. Several of his wives, whatever their biological sex, might be in intimate relationships with each other, particularly if their husband spends much of his time away on campaigns or hunting trips. For his part, while he is away, he may have a male lover of his own in his warband, typically one who is unmarried himself and is younger, weaker, or both. The older, stronger warrior is expected to take the active role in such an affair, with the passive role being seen as shameful and a sign of weakness or effeminacy.

Encompassed species

• Mard