The Farath

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“All Farath are businessmen. All of them. They work any number of occupations, yes. But to them, every trade is a business, which they run on calculated logic at all times. This extends to their social life—to a Farath, there is always something to be gained from conversation.”

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-A Zeri, regarding the Farath

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“Trustworthy? The Farath? Perhaps that ain't the 'ight word for 'em. More like... dependable. True to 'emselves, true to their word—mostly—but if you don't got a deal, don't expect nothin’.”

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-An Upoth, on the same

Hailing from the network of rivers that was the continent of Faramine, the Farath are a people of trade and individualism. They make up a rather small portion of the human population of the The Great Storm, and reside primarily within the inner islands. Many of their number prefer the Oasis Skerry—it’s sandy shores and warmer climate bearing them greatest resemblance to their homeland of the isles within the Great Storm. Yet they can also be found in Port Brimsey, where the bustling of a wide variety of people presents an opportunity for business.

Capitalistic Individualism

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“Some state that all we Farath care for is the glimmer of gold—they are wrong. What I want is to achieve, to prove to myself and my family that I'm not only a merchant, but an expert in trade and one who understands human wants and needs and uses that information for the benefit of myself and others.”

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-A Farath Trader

It is no secret that the Farath primary take on occupations involving frequent monetary transactions and deals with a variety of individuals. Typically, Farath families each work the same occupation, with the children learning by watching the parents work until they’re old enough to start working themselves. Some families can trace their currently practiced trade all the way to the start of the Great Storm, with a few even having records of times prior. It is expected for at least one offspring from a Farath union to take on the mantle of the family trade to continue until they themselves have children. In many Farath circles, permanently taking on another occupation is seen as ungrateful to one's family name.
Yet merely following one's elders is not the aspersion most Farath hold. Rather, it is expected of every Farath to go above and beyond their parents, and for them to utilize what they earn to their own ends. One is to not only distinguish themself by achievement in business, but also but the purchasing of apparel and various artifacts that display wealth. Many families have treasured heirlooms created or purchased by previous members which they hold as a reminder of that individual's accomplishments.

Physicality

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“Tis strange, thinking about how we differed—she stoodith shorter than I, yet her legs were about as long, if not more so. And whilst my weight was set higher, upith in my breast and shoulders, hers was set low, toward her trunk and legs. I knew myself to be fleeter of foot and one of greater dexterity, yet she naturally swayith less, had better balance than I did.”

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-Lenore Courtney, regarding Ocea Twalk

Of all major ethnicities, the Farath tend to be the most uniform in their statures and builds. While some variation in their physicality exists, their common lifestyle choices render them subject to a median form. In general, the Farath stand shorter than other humans, with the tops of their heads reaching the noses of those from Metania. Despite their overall short builds, their legs are abnormally long, generally being a bit longer than their head and torso combined. Their bodies overall are leaner than those of Metian or Upoth heritage, granting them better balance and endurance for running in their vast desert homeland.

Common Practice

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“It is of human nature to seek individuality. Some do so through advancement, others through apparel, others still through impact upon civilization. I, personally, desire to distinguish myself through all three.”

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-A Successful Farath Entrepreneur

A culture based around individuality will naturally have considerable variance in its members. However, there are certain traits that, while not universal, do apply to a considerable number of the Farath. The first of these traits are the Farath’s religious practice, or rather, their lack of a religion.

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“We used to believe in gods. Contrary to what Diwons think, we don’t simply hate their deities. It’s simply that, after years of interacting with everyone, we realized they couldn’t all be right. Frankly, the evidence for most beliefs was about the same.”

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Though most Farath do not believe in an afterlife in the conventional sense, many hold a view that there does indeed exist a life after death. Exact beliefs vary, though reincarnation is a common idea to many Farath. Despite their lack of a religious afterlife, though, most Farath practice a death ritual of sorts. Called Sarc-tì, the ritual is started either days before a Farath suspects they will die, or as soon as possible after their death. The ritual involves hiring a craftsman to make Sarc-tì pot—a piece of ornamental pottery constructed typically out of expensive materials. The Sarc-tì pot is then decorated, and finally the deceased’s ashes are placed into the pot to be kept by a friend or family member.

Regarding the practice of religion itself, those few religious Farath generally hold faith in the deities of the Metian or Zeri culture, or in the spirits of the Upoth culture.
The Farath also retain another habit from Faramine not corresponding to faith or death; that being their sleep habits. As Faramine was a desert land, the heat frequently became unbearable during midday. For this reason, it was common for the working class to abandon work to rest during the hottest time of day. As some did not have anything else to do, they simply slept during that time period. Eventually, most in Faramine broke their sleep up into two periods: once during the day at around noon, and another late at night.
This rest habit has received considerable pushback from the other cultures, who generally work from dawn till dusk, only sleeping at night. Thus, the practice is only common on Farath-dominated islands, namely on the Oasis Skerry.

Art

To a Farath, one's occupation is their legacy, and they should take all the pride possible in that occupation. To provide an example; a blacksmith is expected to not only produce durable, workable tools of iron, but also to instill his or her works with decor when requested. His or her "hobby projects" would also be related to smithing and steel. This is true of virtually all occupations, especially family businesses, where each member of the family is expected to add something new and unique to the practice.
It is not uncommon within families of Farath to name particular adaptations of their trade after the innovator.

Appearance and Gender

Self-maintenance is an absolute must in Farath culture. Due to how often social interaction is required in the culture, it is seen as an insult not only to oneself, but to the entire community to become visibly disheveled. Farath take socialization as one of the most important aspects of life, and to not be presentable—or rather, to make little of an attempt to be—is seen as a failure. It is considered rude to insult others to their face, but criticisms of ill-maintained appearance are seen as acceptable. This includes even at formal gatherings, where disapproval is often subtly expressed.
Farath standards of beauty do vary somewhat depending on sex, though not significantly. Both men and women wear accessories of precious metals and sometimes gemstones. And both can have any length of hair they desire, though the hair itself is typically kept loose and not held up. Decorations to the ends and top—namely with metal or cotton—are also common for either gender.
In terms of modesty, Farath standards vary by whether the person is in public, and who is nearby. Due to the harsh sun of Faramine, it was custom to always keep one's shoulders and upper body covered while outdoors. Thus, the shoulders are generally intended to be covered while working, along with the hips and crotch, for obvious reasons. When indoors and in private, the standards tend to be laxer, and its not uncommon for Farath to put up their outerwear coats.
Contrary to Zeri and Metain beliefs, Farath do have gender roles—though they've deminished since entering the Great Storm. Men generally take on more adventurous, active roles. In times predating the Storm, such 'active roles' included international trade with the Metian lands, Zeri Empire, and Upoth chiefs. Said men would bring these supplies across the continent of Faramine. Women, meanwhile, generally ventured less, trading only between the nearby towns. The men earned wealth and forged bonds, and the women maintained that wealth and kept stability.

Trends of the Aristocracy

Farath society generally changes more quickly in its nuances compared to that of the other cultures. These changes almost always originate from what the wealthy have done as of late, with many rushing to accommodate for Rich's practices. For example, most fashion trends—including what is considered modest—are set by what the wealthy wear, especially when they're doing business. To those with such wealth, the imitation of others is seen as appraisal, rather than as mockery of bandwagoning.
Not all of these practices outlive their founders, though some do, and remain in Farath culture for centuries. Some even become permanent, established as unspoken rules, holidays, and other aspects of the culture that simply are. Many Farath don't even know why they do certain things, or what the origin of the idea was. Sometimes such trends are not even started by one of Farath culture, and is instead performed by an endowed Zeri or Metian, who the Farath then copy.

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“If the wealthiest man in the Great Storm once went outside without his pants, you'd see an abrupt upturn in Farath nudity for the following years.”

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-A Metian on Farath imitation

Population

Human Population Makeup: 20%
Total in Great Storm: 19,625
Sex Ratio (M:F): 52:48
Most Populated Islands: The Oasis Skerry (45%)
Port Brimsey (24%)
Horizoncliff Island (17%)
Religious Practice:
Atheist (67%)
Diwonism (13%)

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Exterior Appearance

All of Faramine bloodlines have darker complexions, ranging from the light bronze of arid dirt, to the rich brown of watered soil. Their eyes take on similar hues, rarely sporting other colors. In accordance to their organized yet individualistic social circles, they often style their curled hair, usually keeping it at long lengths should doing so not prove hazardous to their occupation. While their hair typically consists of shades of black and brown, occasionally one will spot a Farath with crimson or even blonde hair.

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Dress

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“People oft think cloth is separate from the person. This is untrue; what you wear becomes a part of your identity, an aspect of who you are and how others see you.”

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Due to their preference of warmer climates, the Farath generally wear clothes light in both weight and color. Their day-to-day wear often covers the entire torso along with the shoulders in loose cotton jackets. Most Farath clothes also have a surplus of pockets. This is due to the tendency to pick up and carry various items and tools found throughout the day.
This trend of utility-based dress extends to both sexes in Farath culture, yet gendered clothing does still exist. For men, overcoats tends to be shorter, going about to the hips, and are generally open. For women, overcoats tend to go to the knees, and are sinched at the waist. Other gendered clothes obey this trend of length.

Weapons and Combat

Most Farath weapons were designed to be carried for self-defense or for small-scale skirmishes. Battlefield combat was a rarity in Faramine.

Shalve

A slender, single-handed sword which curved abruptly outwards at the end. The pick-like tip at the end of the blade is the primary striking point, as doing so deals the greatest damage to the target.
The Shalve became popular among other cultures in the Great Storm for it's lethality and ease of use. Officers in the Black Iron Navy sometimes wield such blades.

Balkimina

A more recent invention utilizing Zeri firepowder. “Balki” means two—and designates this firearm's unique design. It has two barrels, each of which can be loaded, and must be manually rotated to fire, as it holds only one firing mechanism.
Usage of the Balkimina is uncommon in the navy, though some island militias and pirate bands utilize them. They tend to be unreliable, and sometimes fire off both barrels at once. Reloading is also significantly slower compared to most other handguns.

Romance

Courtship between members of the Farath usually starts with gift-giving. Romantic gifts tend to be dedicated, and are given when the giver is granting no others. Thus, holidays are rarely utilized for romance except between known partners, as all gifts given are expected to the platonic. Nalka’vana—the designated Farath day of gifts—is the exception to this rule. During it, gifts wrapped in red indicate romantic intentions.
Regarding gender roles in courtship; while it is more common for a man to initiate romance, women may do so as well. Regardless of gender, it is expected to be straightforward with intentions if asked. This is sometimes expressed in an old Farath saying: “winds which blow in all directions will guide no sail”.
While heterosexual partnerships are the norm in Farath society, same-sex pairings don't tend to be heavily discriminated against—provided the involved party of the relationship does not involve the last of a bloodline. In such a setting, families will often request that the individual get into a relationship which will produce offspring.
Kissing, whether on the lips or on other parts of the face or body, is generally seen as unseemly. Instead, intimate gestures include touching the face; embracing with both participants on their knees; and hand massaging.