Ajereni

He is leaning against the railing, D'Fairyn Orus-Creda, our king — my lover. The banister, a graceful lattice of white wood so artfully carved as to seem like branches with trefoil leaves moving in a petrified wind, is the only thing between him and a fall to certain death far below. Around his brow, glistening in the pale moonlight that sets aglow the olŷna in the grounds beneath, is Il Cordë Olira, the Moonlit Circlet, the symbol of kingship over our grand and beauteous people.
He turns as I enter the balcony behind him, wrapped only in the sheer silken cloth of my nightly gown. As he turns around and his face catches the moonlight, my breath catches in my throat. He is beautiful beyond compare. The rivulets of water falling from the silver circlet that he wears upon his head glimmer in the moonlight. His eyes, bright as they are, are aglow with power.
We made love not too long ago. Truth is that some part of me yet aches from his passion. And yet, I find myself inevitably drawn to him, my feet moving of their own accord. He catches my lips in his, and his warm breath ghosts against my cheek. "The winds are changing," he whispers, as he presses against me, hard and aching against my thigh.
I nod to him in agreement. I can feel the chill bite upon my face and through the thin cloth wrapped around me. This is hardly the natural cold of the moonrise. It is different. The winter is upon us once more, and, if the divinations of the sages are to be believed, this winter shall be harsher than any in history.
I know Fairyn's plan, and I stand behind it. With the crisp winds of winter come a chance for us to retake what is rightfully ours, and yet, in the back of my mind, I cannot help but fear that there is something more ominous in wind's bite.
Fairyn nibbles the lobe of my ear and I cannot help but groan against his touch. His hands roam down my neck and over my chest, flat like his but less defined, and my smooth stomach. His fingers cup around my bottom and he seizes me with possessiveness.
"Lovely," he whispers, as he grinds his hips against mine. My manhood cannot help but respond. No doubt us two will indulge in our passions again this night. I will receive, as it is my delight to. But I do hope that he allows me the privilege of showing that I am as capable at giving as I am at taking.
And yet, he pushes me away. He looks into my eyes. In this single, transient moment he looks so vulnerable. It would be so easy to push him over the banister and take his crown for my own, and yet I know that my mind would never be capable of willing my hands to do so.
He speaks, and I cling on to his every word. "When the first frost comes," he says, "We will destroy those pale monstrosities. We will take back what belongs to our people, break their false gods, and retake their stolen empire."
I smile at him, and he presses his lips against mine. I pray to Nelua, as Fairyn embraces me, that Fairyn will succeed where his ancestors, all of them, have thus far failed.

— Deýdë Rhomydë Il Lanan (My Lover the King) by D'Ynlarin Jarë Yara, The Deer Prince

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Anara, Blinë, Briun, Corminë, Cirriel, Lyana, Llyra, Mora, Noriel, Nriya, Nyadra, Rillë, Siellë, Styra, Swira, Swyna, Thriel, Twyl, Varia, Vena, Vranya, Wylla

Masculine names

Adlan, Arian, Beliren, Cilmar, Cindar, Fiel, Lirnen, Loren, Lithien, Mrien, Miedor, Rindell, Rimel, Sornen, Surien, Sundyr, Thiel, Thrim, Torel, Wildur, Wyndell

Family names

Astara, Anathiel, Caradim, Everathel, Esella, Llarë, Nua, Miellë, Miranë, Ruthael, Samarin, Wirellë

Other names

Among the upper class, people of status, political clout, and generally elevated social standing, names are as much a place to display one's pursuit of beauty as anything else. They eschew family names in favor of more poetic names. Typically, they take their birth name and append something descriptive to the end. For instance, the author born Ynlarin Nuarë, after publishing his first title took on the name D'Ynlarin Jarë Yara, Ynlarin of the Silver Tree.
Otherwise, members of the lower class have their birth names and their family names to use.
Descriptive Names: Altiyal (High Blood), Hyrjal (Noble Blood), Nyvellë (Starry Forest), Vysellë (Starry Eyes), Jarë Yara (Silver Tree), Denvysë (Dawn Eyes)

Culture

Shared customary codes and values

The Ajereni value one thing above all else: physical beauty. Where others might base their systems of government or social promotion on the notion of individual merit, the Ajereni view physical beauty as the hallmark of a person who has been touched by Nelua, and given the gift of leadership over their people.

Any and all pleasures of the mind or of the body can be and must be freely pursued but for those that cause harm to another person, either born of Nelua's loving embrace or who lives by virtue of Nelua's mercy, who does not, with sound mind and heart, consent fully.

— Ajereni Law

Hedonism is a cornerstone of Ajereni society. Although not specifically mentioned in the Ideal, which simply stipulates what constitutes the ideal son of Nelua, the Ajereni believe that the pursuit of pleasure, both mental and physical, is inherent to the blessing that Nelua endowed upon them as the most beautiful creatures in the world.
They believe, that is, that they are empowered to pursue their personal pleasures to the exclusion of everything else by the will of Nelua. At the same time, however, they believe that it is every person's sacred duty, be they Ajereni or otherwise, to uphold and protect that empowerment and the means by which they are able to utilize it. Thusly, the Ajereni justify the drafting of young men, women, and slaves into their armies for the protection of the blessing of Nelua.
Outwardly, the Ajereni decry the use of subterfuge and deceit as they are considered unsightly. They profess to believe that anything worth doing is worth putting on display for everyone else. However true this may be for the lower classes, among the aristocracy and nobility, a penchant for deception and subterfuge is actually, privately, sought after.
There is a constant raging battle between the highest echelons of Ajereni society, each person and each house jockeying for higher positions and power over one another. Deceit and subterfuge are valued because while assassinations are considered too much, one of the easiest ways to get rid of an opponent is to mutilate them and make them ugly, destroying not only their social standing, but also their self-worth.

Common Etiquette rules

The Ajerêni abide by a strict set of social morays that further reinforce the stratification of their society. For instance, all accompanied women are expected to walk two paces behind their accompanying men. Similarly, in a pair of two unrelated men who are not in a life bond, the person of the lower social rank is expected to walk a pace behind his superior.
When a member of the nobility and the aristocracy is borne on a palanquin through the city streets, all citizens of the peasant class are expected to move to the sides of the road and stop in respect for their betters. Similarly, when visited by nobility and aristocracy, peasants are expected to prostrate themselves in front of their betters until told to do otherwise. Often, higher class individuals conduct their business with the peasants prostrate the whole time.
During a meal, it is expected that no one eats until the highest-ranked man involved in the meal begins, or in the absence of a clear "superior," until the eldest begins to eat. Similarly, it is considered quite impolite to continue eating after the superior has finished, and, alternatively, it is also quite rude to finish eating before the superior has finished. In essence, one must always eat less than one's superiors.

Common Dress code

One of the aspects of physical beauty that Il Luathar does not touch on is that of clothing. And yet, while this may be the case, there exists a corpus of work, Il Lumithar, that builds on the rules of Il Luathar and includes a section on clothing. Unlike Il Luathar which is more or less stable over long periods of time, Il Lumithar is regularly updated. The section on clothing, Il Tivasiel, is updated with the latest fashions every season, and among the upper class, adherence to the provisions of Il Tivasiel is of paramount importance.
In more general terms, however, Ajerêni are expected to wear the fanciest clothing that they can muster. The more expensive the outfit, the better. They are expected to have on their person jewelry that is befitting of their station, and as such that are often decorated in rings, collars, hair nets, circlets, and bangles.
Anyone who is anyone in Ajereni society wears white as their primary item of clothing. White is believed to be the most difficult color of clothing to keep clean, and thus the most expensive to maintain. By virtue of wearing white and displaying that it is unsullied by any unsightly colors or stains, one is already making a statement about their wealth. This is the biggest factor in why the aristocracy and nobility of the elledyn'ni make their way around the city on palanquins or in carriages—in order to minimize the risk of soiling their pristine white clothing.
As for other colors, azure, purple, green, silver, and gold, are all considered beautiful accents to accompany a primarily white outfit. If one cannot afford white, however, any one of the four is considered passable. Black, red, and brown are considered offensive to the eyes, and as such the peasants and slaves are restricted to wearing only clothing of those colors unless given special license for looking more beautiful than the others by the krosârë.

Common Taboos

Heterosexuality — According to Il Ovyrë Ohyrda, the triple-faced god Nelua created the first elledynnë, Othan in his image to serve as his eternal consort. Thus, one of the tenets of the faith is that the most sacred relationships, apart from those between men and their god Nelua, is the relationship between men.
This, taken in conjunction with the mythology surrounding the creation of women, who are said to have been created in the image of the Raven Mistress to tempt and lure men away from the light of Nelua, means that the very idea of having lasting romantic or even sexual relations with women is abominable to the orthodoxy.
Certainly, as no society is truly monolithic, there are some Ajereni who do not see it as so detestable, but they are in the minority. In any case, this contempt for heterosexuality is so deeply internalized by Ajereni society that it is enshrined in the laws of the Silvered Realm.
A body of laws, commonly known to the public as the "enchantress" laws, bar even the courtship between a man and a woman, and even moreso any romantic or sexual relations between them outside what is necessary for reproduction. These enchantress laws, however, disproportionately assign the blame to the women who are involved, who, depending on the circumstances, may end up either enslaved or outright executed.
Men, on the other hand, are viewed often as victims of the manipulation of these women and rarely ever need fear repercussions in this regard unless caught actively, repeatedly, pursuing relations with women, in which case he will suffer a similar punishment to the woman or women in question.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Main Article: Il Luathar Elledyn'ni society revolves around Il Luathar, the Ideal, a formalized standard of beauty drawn from the interpretations of Ovyrë Ohyrda canon scripture and divine revelation from Nelua by the krosârë. It is a strict code of beauty that explicitly sets expectations for near every part of the body, including genitalia.

Gender Ideals

Ajereni men enjoy a position of privilege in Ajereni society. As Nelua, the god who embodies Il Luathar is male, the canon of scripture contains a stipulation that men, and men alone, are the only ones who could even begin to aspire to attain Il Luathar. A woman, no matter how closely she approximates the strict conditions of Il Luathar, will never, by virtue of her womanhood, attain Il Luathar.
Women are considered imperfect creatures by nature. According to the canon of scripture, women were first created by Mistress of Ravens in her image. It is said that it is because of women that men were cursed to be unable to bear children with one another.
As such, women are viewed in Ajereni society as morally degenerate individuals who, given half the chance, would use their wiles to tempt men away from their relations to one another in the sacred light of Nelua. Thus, women in Ajereni society are expected to be quiet and submissive, talking only when spoken to, and otherwise unintrusive, as a recognition of the superiority of Nelua and his children, as well as in gratitude for Nelua's continued tolerance of them.
Women, thus, are viewed as little better than slaves. They are the individuals tasked with caring for a household so that the men of it would not have to waste any time ensuring that their domiciles are in good condition. They are viewed as good for little more than preparing meals, cleaning, and bearing children.
Ajerêni recognize that women can have a strange sort of beauty all their own, as part of the Mistress of Ravens' plot was to make them attractive to the children of Nelua, but this is generally considered a worthless sort of beauty as the only standard of beauty that matters to the Ajerêni is Il Luathar.
Men, on the other hand, enjoy a much greater degree of freedom than women. Divides between social classes in Ajereni society are gulfs, but even within those different divisions, men occupy a far more privileged position than their female counterparts.
For instance, a man can choose which other man he will spend the rest of his life with, while a woman's father will choose the man for whom she will spend the rest of her life in subservience, and for whom she will bear children that will never know her as mother. In a similar fashion, the coming of age of a boy is celebrated in the typically-garish fashion of the Ajerêni, while a girl coming of age is hardly even remembered.
When it comes to government, a man is entitled to supplicate the courts and have his voice be heard. A woman has no such right. When embroiled in legal trouble, a man is entitled to representation, and when the case is brought forth by a woman, unless there is damning evidence, the man's side is usually accepted as truth.
Men also enjoy a certain latitude to pursue things within their means. for instance, a lower-class boy may pursue training in the arts of war or find apprenticeship in the making of star charts, but a girl of the same social stature and age will be restricted solely to learning the basics of house keeping.
In the upper echelons of society, especially, men are free to do whatever they desire. It is considered their birthright to not have to lift a finger for the luxuries that they enjoy. It is considered their right to have someone else, be it a woman or a slave, do the things that they don't wish to do themselves and expect it to be done.

Courtship Ideals

In Ajereni society, men are expected to court men alone. This is the way that things have been done for decades. Women with whom men may decide to have children are given to them on their request.
Though not specified in Il Luather, the canon of scripture of Il Ovyrë Ohyrda demands that men have no relations outside of reproduction with women. The first Ajereni to be born in the light of Nelua was a man created to be Nelua's partner, and thus, the Ajerêni believe, the most sacred bond that can exist between two people is between two men.
All courtships begin with a profession of love. Or lust, in the case of the Ajereni. They do not discriminate between pursuing a person out of romantic or sexual interest.
A profession of love or lust is considered a great place to demonstrate one's social attractiveness, either through a display of wealth or power. It is considered grounds for rejection if the suitor's profession is deemed to not be grandiose enough or if it is deemed to not demonstrate enough effort.
The Ajerêni romanticize the idea of the whirlwind romance. Love at first sight, the burning lust that consumes a man upon setting his sights upon another that they desire, is considered a wonderful thing that must be pursued. In fact, most Ajerêni believe that should a man experience such a thing, he must quickly act upon his passions.
The Ajerêni believe that the healthiest relationships are built on a foundation of intense mutual passion. Mutual pairs, ideally, should not be able to keep their hands off of one another. This extends beyond mere affection as sex is an important aspect of the Ajereni courtship.
Ajereni men are raised and conditioned to accept that they have a powerful sex drive and that they not only deserve the ability to indulge that drive, but in fact must indulge it. As a result, dissatisfaction with a partner over carnal matters is considered just grounds to end a courtship. That is not to say, however, that sex is the sole focus of the Ajereni courtship.
As a result of their romanticization of whirlwind romances, many Ajereni courtships end prematurely as the two parties involved come to know that there are negative things about one another that they cannot tolerate. There is no negativity associated with a failed courtship, however, as the Ajereni recognize that a man wouldn't necessarily find his life partner on the first try.

Relationship Ideals

There is something to be said about the simple beauty of raw carnality

Ideal Ajereni relationships focus on a life bond between two men. This is considered the most sacred type of relationship as the Ajerêni believe that their god Nelua, who was alone at the beginning of time, created the first elledynnë in order to become his companion and that the two of them together continue to live in the heavenly halls.
The ideal relationship is one where there is a lot of mutual love, care, compassion, and communication. The Ajerêni emphasize this idea of a bond between two kindred souls so much that young men who go into their first few relationships do so in the hope that they will find the one with whom they will spend the rest of their lives with only to later realize that such is not the case.
Although the Ajerêni idealize this notion of finding a single life partner, who will share everything with a man, they are not opposed to the concept of polyamory. In fact, they welcome it. A young man courting an older pair in order to gain valuable sexual and life experience is not unheard of. The Ajerêni have no compunctions against casual sex outside of an established relationship. They believe that the indulgence of sexual desire is a part of the catharsis that the pursuit of Il Luathar can bring and thus do not restrict themselves with regard to sexual partners. It is, however, considered rather immoral to have more than one romantic partner.
Relations between men and women are greatly frowned upon. Romantic attachments, in particular, are forbidden. Sexual relations, for the most part, are considered tolerable as long as no children result as having sex with a woman is considered tantamount to masturbation. In more orthodox communities, however, casual sexual relations with women are outright forbidden save for when a couple are attempting to conceive a child.

Major organizations

Il Ajerë Lanathë — The Silvered Realm, empire of the Ajereni and self-proclaimed rightful leaders of the world at large. Although their influence is severely limited by the fact that their borders only extend as far as their furthest mature olŷna, they are still a force to be reckoned with. The Ajereni obsession with their own beauty and the belief that all other races are inferior and thus must be used to further the pursuit of beauty of those Ajerêni who have the money and power to do so drives a deep-seated expansionist desire in the Ajerêni, but their limitations and the extent of the Dominion's influence has kept them in a defensive stance essentially ever since the Sylvari were brought into the fold.
Il Ovyrë Ohyrda — The World Faith, a monotheistic religion established by the ancestors of the elledŷnnë and revived later on during the establishment of the Silvered Realm. Il Ovyrë Ohyrda revolves around the veneration of Nelua, the Three-faced God who represents the pinnacle of physical beauty and to whose luathar, ideal, the Ajereni are supposed to aspire. Il Ovyrë Ohyrda also preaches that the Ajereni were created as close to perfection as could be possible for a people, that they are the most beauteous of Nelua's creations and thus the most superior.
Il Krosârë — The censors, the inspectors, the adjudicators. Il Krosârë are the highest order of Ovyreni hierarchs. Their charge is the interpretation of the canon of scripture and divine revelations in order to formulate and formalize Il Luathar, the Ideal, so that it can be codified into law. They are also responsible for the delegation of Hâna, judges, who oversee a community and decide the social future of a child upon their reaching the age of evaluation.
Il Allasaya — The name not only of the campus, but also of the organization itself, Il Allasaya, The High Academy, is the premier institution of arcane education in the Silvered Realm. It maintains a council of the eight most powerful olisêrë, mages, of the land. They define what magic is and is not allowed within the bounds of the Silvered Realm, and they also define what it means to be oliserë.
Il Alayuwani — The grove-singers, the alayuwâni are solely responsible for keeping alive the old lore, the druidic arts, in order to grow and maintain the innumerable olŷna trees that are present in Ajereni lands. They also secretly organize, cover up, and obscure the movements of rebel groups within the Silvered Realm in the hopes of gradually weakening it to the point that a significant environmental knock could send it collapsing.

Diverged ethnicities

• The Un-Ideal

Encompassed species

• Elledynnë