Wanagi

Wanagi are the name of a small group of people in Meldaran that have studied Makoce (the dream world aspect of the Astral Plane) and made bonds with the spirits that dwell there. Though human in race, during ceremonies done during their baptism, children are bonded with spirits of the astral plane. The tribe is known as the Wanagi. They separated from the northern tribes of Meldran and are primarily Nomadic, traveling around Tsoh Sei.

Wanagi Features:

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom and Charisma scores both increase by 1. In addition, one ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Wanagi develop physically at the same rate as humans do and have similar lifespans.
Size. Wanagi are similar in build to humans, though they are typically a few inches taller. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Dual Mind. You have advantage on all Wisdom saving throws
Mental Discipline. You have resistance to psychic damage.
Mind Link. You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see, provided the creature is within a number of feet of you equal to 10 times your level. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. When you're using this trait to speak telepathically to a creature, you can use your action to give that creature the ability to speak telepathically with you for 1 hour or until you end this effect as an action. To use this ability, the creature must be able to see you and must be within this trait's range. You can give this ability to only one creature at a time; giving it to a creature takes it away from another creature who has it.

Severed from Dreams. Wanagi sleep, but they don’t connect to the plane of dreams as other creatures do. Instead, their minds draw from the memories of their otherworldly spirit while they sleep. As such, you are immune to magical spells and effects that require you to dream, like the Dream spell, but not to spells and effects that put you to sleep, like the Sleep spell.
Languages: You can read and write Meldran Common, Fetreon Sign Language, and one other language of your choice.

Naming Traditions

Family names

Wanagi have a complex naming system that typically involves up to 5 names. The first name is a title based on birth order, and parents. Usually a combination of parent names, with a suffix donating birth order. Most children will have similar names at birth. Their second name is typically a name of honor after their "spirit binding", usually given by the religious leader of the tribe who performs the ceremony and is typically decided based on images seen in the smoke of the ceremony. Third names are typically special deeds accomplished by the individual and can change over time depending on their most valued deed. Fourth names are nicknames typically given by close friends and family only, usually short adjectives that describe them to some degree. These might also change over time. Fifth names are discovered around their Coming of Age ceremony and are typically called their "spirit" name. When introducing oneself, someone might give any number of the names until they are an adult. As an adult, they will typically only use their spirit name for formal settings and give any number of the others in informal settings.

Culture

Shared customary codes and values

Wanagi have a shared sense of respecting ancestors, spirits, and the natural world. They try to live humbly and honorably in all things. During their travels, they came across a collection of Tajul Halflings, forever traveling and displaced from their home. These halflings traveled with the Wanagi for some time and grew incredibly amazed by their way of life. These halflings, now called Niya Halflings, now travel with the Wanagi, in reverent service to them. They have a mutual relationship of shared respect and tradition.

Common Etiquette rules

There is a strong idea of respecting and bringing honor to your elders, ancestors, and parents. Boasting and displays of self-pride and confidence are not only common but encouraged, however, it's important to have someone confirm these boasts in order to keep people honest. Despite these boasts and displays of pride, people of Meldran know that all people are equal in value and that their upbringing and circumstances of their birth often influence their actions. This is why an insult to someone is generally more of an insult to their parents because their parents are responsible for their upbringing. However, that does not mean people do not actively try and be better themselves or that a person cannot be bad despite all of the best efforts of their parents.

Common Dress code

People of Meldran have grown used to leather worked clothing and hides or thick wool fabrics. They incorporate furs of various animals into their clothing to adjust for the northern winters or use simple leather pants and tunics for summer wear. They often incorporate beads and dyes to these clothing, feathers, and bone. Their style may be similar to that of the giants though they rely far more on bison than they do on mammoths. There isn't a huge distinction between upper and lower class in this territory, however, those with more leadership power or wealth tend to have more well-designed clothing or styles. Its not uncommon, however, for people of the "upper classes" to donate the excess to the lower classes to maintain a balance and sense of community and prevent fighting.

Art & Architecture

Primarily Nomadic, the Wanagi travel around the steps and parts of the forests of Tsoh Sei. They survive primarily off the wild herds of animals, migrating with them at times, and living in easy-to-pull tents and wagons. They are well known for their blankets and tapestries of rich furs, leatherworking, and beading. They make extra money to trade for goods through their arts and trinket crafting or selling their meets and furs.

Coming of Age Rites

People of this region usually celebrate becoming an adult with a community feast on their 16th summer. If there are multiple individuals celebrating their 16th summer, they will celebrate together with a large feast. After this feast, they are considered old enough to marry and make their own decisions. This is often when they chose their "spirit name" after a fair amount of self-reflection. For 24 hours up to the feast, those that are taking part typically fast, and isolate themselves to meditate deeply in tents burning herbs and the like. It is improper to discuss this experience as it is a very private sense of communion with the spirit within. During the feast, the community will usually gift them their own home at that point (usually a well-made tent and a horse to pull it). If they marry and move into their partner's home, this tent goes back to the community for the next to be gifted.

Funerary and Memorial customs

People of this area tend to do funeral pyres as a habit being nomadic people that wouldn't be able to go back and visit graves. Archaic tradition had them make tattoos out of the ashes of lost ones, but that has fallen out of favor, and now. The community has developed a culture of saying goodbye to their dead in somber rituals and songs, before moving on and not looking back. As part of funeral culture, the community will never say the name the deceased "spirit name" again (unless a new person chooses the name for themselves as part of their coming of age ritual).

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

People of Meldran tend to be very self-expressive and decorative. People often value how an individual expresses themselves via their talents, or how they show off their home and traditional skills of homemaking, hunting, gathering, or farming. For example, a hunter with well-made hides of fur, bone decorations, and claw necklaces would be considered very stylish and desirable.

Gender Ideals

Males are considered hunters, warriors, or sailors while women tend to stay home and care for children, cook or mend and maintain the home. There is a great pride and social expectation to display skills within expected gender roles. For example, a male might be expected to be a proud and a good hunter. He might display his furs and bones decoratively as beauty ideals and act proud or boast of these skills in order to gain social popularity. A woman might be expected to maintain a house, cook, and care for children. She might display good craftsmen of fabrics or host a gathering at her well-cared-for home with delicious foods. She would be proud of these skills. These skills also reflect on how well they were raised. Children are often seen as the pride of their parents and an individual with poor skills reflects poorly on the parents. Rejecting these roles is not just a rejection of social expectation, but also a rejection of your parent's ability to raise you and is an insult to them.

Courtship Ideals

The community often notices the skills and displays of the youth to make themselves seem desirable and will play matchmaker, often bringing couples together that seem exceptionally well suited together. Dating becomes more of a simulation among the elders than something the couple engages in. If it doesn't work out, the community understands but will get increasingly more frustrated if the couples are considered "picky." If someone is homosexual, they often show this by not partaking in beautiful displays of pride displays and let the community know that they are not interested in marriage. This is usually left alone, with some negative stigmas and communal disappointment.

Relationship Ideals

Since people are usually drawn together by the community, relationships tend to be well matched if they succeed and diversity in skill and traditional values are encouraged. Together, a couple should be self-sufficient and independent, working together as a cohesive unit.