Hanxiao/Hanyo (Hahn-hsee-ow or Hahn-yoh)

“One of these beings must be at once pitied and given great honor. They are the joyful outcome of a tragic union. Daily must they struggle with their dual nature as spirit and mortal. So give them honor, and let them be a poignant reminder of the folly of coming too close to the realm of spirits.”

Sage, Tong Zhao-sa

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

As is the case with family names, given names will often take the forms of whatever culture they grew up in. While having a name of the opposing culture could be considered exotic and interesting to those around them, the need to fit in with the majority often wins out. Other times, half-elven children will have more than one given name, or a name which combines charateristics of both their ancestries.

Masculine names

The given names of half-elven children will reflect whatever culture their parents wish to highlight. Sometimes, they will have more than one given name or their name will be a blending of the two cultures from which their parents come, reflecting the half-elf themselves.

Unisex names

These names follow the same rules as those for male or female names.

Family names

Hanyo are the children of humans and elves, accordingly their family names will naturally be based around the society in which they were raised. If they are raised among the elves, then their names are more likely to follow the naming conventions of the elves. While if they're raised in human societies, their names are more likely to reflect one of the human cultures. The latter is much more common than the former. In the case of unclaimed children, more common in human lands than elven, half-elves often use a diminutive of Xiao, Yosei, Kawa, Mu, Kitsune, or Hao depending upon the ethnic group they're descended from.

Other names

When a half-elf reaches their age of majority (around 50), and are allowed to take up their adult name, they will choose the style of name with which they resonate. This could be either human or elven, or, again, a fluid combination of the two. Whichever part of themselves they feel closest to.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Hanyo are often raised in bilingual households, and, therefore, often speak Xiaoyu along with the common tongue of their human parent's ethnicity.

Culture and cultural heritage

There is no overarching culture among the Hanyo, as a whole. Their culture may be a blending of traditional cultures from each of their parents. While the overall culture will likely be whatever is predominant among the culture they were raised in.

Shared customary codes and values

Hanyo are not a monolith. They are too few to have a unified culture or to constitute a true ethnic group in the literal sense. However, when taken as a group, some commonalities do tend to stick out. Once of these being the sense of dichotomy. Those born in human lands are often celebrated in part due to the very rarity of their births, and partly due to the belief that they're closer to the spirit because of their ancestry. While this is certainly true to an extent, it does put a great deal of the burden of expectations upon the young half-elf due merely to their ancestry. All the while feeling apart from this community because the very spiritually inclined nature causes them to age more slowly than their peers and gives them a deeper connection to The Tao, either subduing or heightening their emotions to a frightening degree. 
While all children are viewed as borderline miracles, resulting from their notoriously low birth rates, Hanyo are often looked upon with sympathy, or even pity, among the elves. Seeing them as trapped between two worlds. Neither of which they can ever be fully a part of. Indeed, many of the same problems that half-elves have in human societies, are nearly the same in the elven lands - just from the other direction. They age and mature at a faster rate then their peers, while having a less deep connection to the Tao and the natural world than full-blooded elves. Leaving them feeling ostracized and alone even if this is not intentional. 
Another commonality which many Hanyo share among themselves and among many of the Hanshin, is a deep and abiding love for the natural world. It is the thing which connects them to their elven ancestry and natural places are often the one place where a half-elf actually feels like they truly belong.

Common Etiquette rules

The etiquette practiced by Hanyo is going to be that practiced by whatever society they were raised in. While they may be, also, be taught the ettiquette of the oppositve parents, the etiquette they're going to fall back in, that which feels most natural to them, will be the rules under which they lived their daily lives.

Common Dress code

Like so much of everything else, the style of clothing the Hanyo choose to wear will be dictated by the trends of the society they were raised in.

Art & Architecture

Obviously, not being a true ethnic group by themselves, the Hanyo have no architectural style which is uniquely theirs. Whether they grew up among elves or humans, the half-elves will, however, find ways to modify the interior and exteriors of their homes to more suit their dual natures. Bits and pieces of manipulated plant life may wind up embedded into the walls, floors, or roofs of dwellings, water features making their way through cunningly crafted runnels in floors and walls, or an earthen bed having the feeling of a den, are all possible features any, particular, half-elf may add to their homes.

Foods & Cuisine

Foods are one of those things which are highly influenced by the Hanyos' half-elven natures. Those born of the wood elves, for instance, may have a more difficult time digesting meats and prefer more plant-based dishes. While those born of the foxes or the tanuki may have more craving for meat-based cuisines.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

The customs and traditions of the Hanyo are influenced by the society they grew up in. As with the culture, they may have a blend of customs and traditions that they follow passed on by each of their parents. Perhaps, in their household they celebrate both human and elven holidays, for instance, or perhaps they alternate, or trade off.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Any birth or pregnancy rituals observed are going to be largely dependent upon the race of the mother, often with only minimal input from the father, in cases of giving birth to a Hanyo. In the case of the half-elves, themselves, being pregnant and giving birth, this will, also, largely be influenced by her own mother, and her own proclivities. Whether she blends the rites of Mu Xiao and Dayangren, or uses only human or only elven rituals is entirely up to her alone.

Coming of Age Rites

In the case of coming of age rites, many Hanyo actually elect to use the elven rites, as opposed to the human ones. This is mostly due to the fact that many times by the time they come of age, many of their human peers will be old or dead and unable to witness them becoming an adult in the eyes of society. This holds the most true for their human parent. Now, this is not always true, of course. Their human mother or father may still be around. In which case, they may decide on a blended ritual. Most often, though, they will choose the elven rituals.

Funerary and Memorial customs

When it comes to funerals, the half-elves' elven nature often reasserts itself with a vengeance when they're near to death. At this time, they often prefer the idea of an elven funeral and being bound with the natural world after death, as opposed to a human one.

Common Taboos

Taboos are cultural and, therefore, the taboos regarded by any Hanyo will invariably reflect the culture from which they came.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The beauty standards of the Hanyo can be as varied as those of their human ancestry, and tend to follow the same trends as those of the culture in which they were raised. Many of those, especially those few raised in elven lands, will find themselves more drawn to the ethereal allure of the elves. This creates a rather tragic scenario for these half-elves as they compare their own features to that of the being around them and constantly find themselves coming up short. Even if only in their own minds.

Gender Ideals

The idea of gender roles among half-elves is greatly dependent upon which society they were raised in. Observed interactions between the parents, and the values taught will have an inordinate amount of influence over their view of gender and roles.

Courtship Ideals

Elves and humans, in general, have different views when it comes to the ideas of courtship and marriage. Some ethnic groups of elves are very stringent when it comes to the public face of courtship versus what is done in private, while other ethnic groups are very laissezfaire about the entire procedure. Most human cultures lie somewhere in the middle of those extremes. Any, single half-elf's viewpoint on the ideas of culture is going to be shaped by, both, culture and the ideals of their own parents.

Relationship Ideals

This goes right along with both the ideas of gender and courtship. The viewpoint of any Hanyo is going to be shaped by the their society's values and those values demonstrated by their parents.

Hanyo Traits

Starting Attributes - +2 Elegance, +2 to two other attributes of choice.


Alignment - Hanyo typically have a strong affinity for the alignment of their elven parent.


Qi-sight - allows for vision in near-total darkness. For an extra point of Qi, they may use the Qi-sight of their elven parent.


Human Versatility - +2 points to Arts of choice.


Starting Face: +2
Starting Qi: +2