Sunren
“Many tales are told among the Sunren of Sun Wukong, the Stone Monkey King, he who was the Dasheng and Equal of Heaven, from whom they claim descent. This great being is said to have hatched from a stone egg atop the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, and subsequently founded his entire race from the rest of the monkeys that dwelled there. It is said that Sun Wukong ate of the Peaches of Immortality, gained invincibility by being tempered in a god’s crucible, and challenged the gods of death themselves to grant immortality to his children.
According to the Sunren nothing has been seen or heard from him in many generations. The reason for which, they assert, is that an angry god locked him away in a prison of the five elements, and warded it with many spells so that the clever Sun Wukong could not escape. For Sun Wukong was the only one who had the power to destroy this being. However, since none of these events can be accounted for, and all know that Takami-musubi created all life, including all Shouren, it is considered nothing but a myth designed by the overly clever and imaginative Sunren.”
attributed to poet Ni Cui-qu
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Sunren are an endoskeletal, warm-blooded species with two arms, two legs, a head, and a long, prehensile tail. Most of their bodies are covered in a fine, silky fur with the exceptions of some of their facial features, their hands and feet. The fur on their chests and bellies is shorter and thinner than on the rest of their bodies. On females, this hair is fine to virtually non-existent. Their legs are a bit shorter and their arms a bit longer than most other humanoid species. This, combined with a flexible spine, allows for quadrapedal movement. Their feet are prehensile, allowing them to grasp and hold things with their feet as well as their hands. Thus, allowing for faster, more stable, movement when climbing than other humanoid species.
Biological Traits
Males of the species tend to be around 5.5 ft tall with a weight average of 120 - 150lbs. Females are smaller with heights averaging around 5.0 ft tall and averaging 80 - 100lbs in weight. Males of the species tend to be larger and more powerfully built, with denser muscularity and denser bone mass. Females tend to have a wider hip to shoulder ratio to accommodate live birth.
Genetics and Reproduction
Reproduction is accomplished between the male and female sexes of the species. Young are birthed live after a gestation period of 9 months.
Growth Rate & Stages
Sunren babies are mostly helpless and completely dependent upon adult caregivers. They learn to walk within the first year of life, go through an adolescent period of about 11 years, and reach sexual maturity between 12 - 14 years of age. Though, this can occur at a younger or older age depending on factors such as diet, parentage, or environment.
Ecology and Habitats
Though sunren can survive in a wide range of habitats and climates, they are mostly found within the high rainforests and hot springs on the eastern side of the Fallen Cloud Mountains.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Sunren are an omnivorous species and freely consume both vegetable and animal matter.
Biological Cycle
Sunren age at the same rate as humans. They are considered to have reached adulthood between the ages of 15 - 20. Old age is reached around 60 years. Death usually occurs around the age of 80+. Though, these stages can occur at a younger or older age depending on factors such as diet, parentage, or environment.
Additional Information
Social Structure
The sunren society tends to be mostly independent and libertarian with no real central authority to rule over them or enforce any societal laws. Each village or town is largely independent of any other and has their own village head or council of elders which have nominal authority over the people who live within. The only rules, or ruler, which the sunren officially acknowledge is their "father" and god: Sun, the Stone Monkey King. Only nominally following imperial laws out of a sense of courtesy for those people around them.
Facial characteristics
The fur of the sunren can be anywhere from white to black to reddish-brown or grey or any shade in-between. Their faces are quite expressive with either round or oval-shaped eyes with rather heavy brow-ridges and typically dark-brown irises. They have round muzzles with small nostrils on the upper side and small, flat noses and wide, expressive mouths bearing long, sharp canines. Short, soft fur covers nearly their whole faces except the skin directly around their eyes and the tops and front of their muzzles. Even their typically small, round ears are covered in soft fur. Males tend to have short, bristly whiskers around the tops of their muzzles.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Though invidual sunran, or small groups, can be found nearly any place within the empire, they occupy the deciduous rainforests of the Fallen Cloud Mountains where the northeastern edge of Qinglong's Sea meets the mountain range. A place replete with sweet, fruit trees and geothermal pools. An area they call the Promised Home of Sweet Fruits and Heavenly Flowers, or Sannyā'kap Ban (Promised Home), for short.
Average Intelligence
Sunren are a sapient species capable of having complex thoughts and possess self-awareness. They form societies and utilize the technologies extant in the empire.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
One of the strangest things about the sunren from an imperial perspective is their near-universal lack of surnames. Even with the imperial edict enforcing the use of surnames among the various peopels of the Middle Empire, only a relative handful of the monkey-folk possess a surname. Oftentimes, one which was made up on the spot to appease the Imperial Census-takers.
Much like the raven-folk, the given name plus any titles or honorifics of an individual is most often used in any official paperwork or situation, even if an individual possesses a surname. In their daily lives, however, the sunren most often refer to each other by their seu-lin, or "play names." These "play names" are the first names that one of the monkey-folk are given upon their birth. They are often unflattering or based on peculiar characteristics as a way to protect the infants from malevolent spirits.
The given names, or even surnames when they're had, come from a variety of influences such as nature, animals, elements from the tales of Sun Wukong, or even characteristics or titles popularly attributed to the Stone Monkey King. Sunren names are based in real-world Lao.
Much like the raven-folk, the given name plus any titles or honorifics of an individual is most often used in any official paperwork or situation, even if an individual possesses a surname. In their daily lives, however, the sunren most often refer to each other by their seu-lin, or "play names." These "play names" are the first names that one of the monkey-folk are given upon their birth. They are often unflattering or based on peculiar characteristics as a way to protect the infants from malevolent spirits.
The given names, or even surnames when they're had, come from a variety of influences such as nature, animals, elements from the tales of Sun Wukong, or even characteristics or titles popularly attributed to the Stone Monkey King. Sunren names are based in real-world Lao.
Major Organizations
Due to their largely decentralized nature, the sunren don't really have much in the way of organizations within their society. Each village is largely independent of every other village in their range, after all.
Classically, the only major organization of which the sunren were a part was the fraternity of the Seven Sages. While the Seven Sages were largely decimated after the dark god's strike on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, they were once a large coalition consisting of the tribes of the Ox King, the Water Dragon King, the Mountain Oni King, the Peng (Giant Bird) King, the Lion Spirit King, and the Macaque Spirit King. In the past, each of these kings and their tribes, including the Stone Monkey King, would gather on the Mountain at the height of the Wood Season, to discuss their alliance, their obligations, and to have a raucous, if largely non-lethal, battle.
These days, though, with many of the affiliated tribes in disarray even millennia later, the Seven Sages fraternity is a shadow of its former self. The yearly meeting is no longer upheld, and only the Peng King and the Water Dragon King visit sporadically when their duties allow.
Classically, the only major organization of which the sunren were a part was the fraternity of the Seven Sages. While the Seven Sages were largely decimated after the dark god's strike on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, they were once a large coalition consisting of the tribes of the Ox King, the Water Dragon King, the Mountain Oni King, the Peng (Giant Bird) King, the Lion Spirit King, and the Macaque Spirit King. In the past, each of these kings and their tribes, including the Stone Monkey King, would gather on the Mountain at the height of the Wood Season, to discuss their alliance, their obligations, and to have a raucous, if largely non-lethal, battle.
These days, though, with many of the affiliated tribes in disarray even millennia later, the Seven Sages fraternity is a shadow of its former self. The yearly meeting is no longer upheld, and only the Peng King and the Water Dragon King visit sporadically when their duties allow.
Beauty Ideals
Like many of the other species and races of the empire, there are general differences in the refinement of the facial features between male and female sunren. These features, in females, tend to be much softer and refined than the more coarse and sharp angles of the males. For example, the brow ridges of males have a sharper overhang, and therefore, they tend to find softer, elegantly arched brow ridges the most attractive in females. While females see the heavier brow ridges to be a sign of masculinity and strength.
Females with a smaller, more lithe and athletic, form with finer and silkier fur are often found to be the most attractive. Males also tend to prefer a long, supple tail and elegant, delicate-looking, hands and feet in their females. Round, expressive eyes with long lashes, petite canines, and delicately shaped ears round out the general beauty ideals for males. Whereas females tend to enjoy a more robust form for their males with the musculature visible even beneath the fur. Females share the ideal of a long, supple tail, but prefer thicker, bigger hands and feet on their men. Eye shape is not really a preference for females outside of the craggy shadow cast by a brow overhang which, to the females' reckoning, makes a male appear more mysterious. Large canines are thought to a be a sign of strength and virility in a male.
In both sexes, dirty, ragged, or clumpy fur is the opposite of beautiful. They prefer their mates to be clean and well-groomed. Females seem to prefer darker fur colorations and patterns in their men. The closer to the slate-grey fur that Sun Wukong was said to have, the better, to their minds. While males seem to prefer lighter shades in their females with a golden- or buckwheat-blonde seeming to be highly sought after.
Females with a smaller, more lithe and athletic, form with finer and silkier fur are often found to be the most attractive. Males also tend to prefer a long, supple tail and elegant, delicate-looking, hands and feet in their females. Round, expressive eyes with long lashes, petite canines, and delicately shaped ears round out the general beauty ideals for males. Whereas females tend to enjoy a more robust form for their males with the musculature visible even beneath the fur. Females share the ideal of a long, supple tail, but prefer thicker, bigger hands and feet on their men. Eye shape is not really a preference for females outside of the craggy shadow cast by a brow overhang which, to the females' reckoning, makes a male appear more mysterious. Large canines are thought to a be a sign of strength and virility in a male.
In both sexes, dirty, ragged, or clumpy fur is the opposite of beautiful. They prefer their mates to be clean and well-groomed. Females seem to prefer darker fur colorations and patterns in their men. The closer to the slate-grey fur that Sun Wukong was said to have, the better, to their minds. While males seem to prefer lighter shades in their females with a golden- or buckwheat-blonde seeming to be highly sought after.
Gender Ideals
The animalistic, and primitive, beginnings of the sunren tend to be reflected in their ideals about gender. Males, being bigger and stronger, are typically seen as the traditional ideal of the protector of the territory and the provider of meat. Traditionally, female sunren are portrayed as symbols of elegance and refinement. Their small, graceful forms nurture the young and gather the fruits for the tribe. These ideals are, of course, reinforced through their ideals of beauty where females prefer larger, more robust men, whereas men prefer lithe and graceful figures on women.
The gender and beauty ideals are, of course, broad generalities. They reflect the tendencies of the race as a whole and not, necessarily, individual members of the species. Many of Sun Wukong's people heavily gravitate toward the martial arts, both male and female. In large part, due to the influence of the Monkey King, himself, and his storied prowess with what the monkey-folk call Hangkaitosu, or body fighting. The practice of which is partly responsible for the ideal body types that many of the monkey people possess. Therefore, it isn't unreasonable to state that, in reality, the ideal of either gender is that their opposite practices the martial arts in one way or another.
Another ideal that was instilled in large part by the Monkey King is the practice of sorcery. Practitioners of sorcery are more well-known for their wisdom and learning than they are for their martial prowess. Therefore, especially in males. not tending to possess the more well-developed, athletic frames that are more commonly admired by the larger population of sunren. That being said, Sun was as well-known for his cleverness and sorcery as he was for his martial prowess, and there are definitely those monkey folk which admire more that side of the King than the martial side.
What all of that means, of course, is that because the sunren are more independent and libertarian in their natures, there are no set gender roles within their society. Merely ideals that some within their loose society have a tendency to follow.
The gender and beauty ideals are, of course, broad generalities. They reflect the tendencies of the race as a whole and not, necessarily, individual members of the species. Many of Sun Wukong's people heavily gravitate toward the martial arts, both male and female. In large part, due to the influence of the Monkey King, himself, and his storied prowess with what the monkey-folk call Hangkaitosu, or body fighting. The practice of which is partly responsible for the ideal body types that many of the monkey people possess. Therefore, it isn't unreasonable to state that, in reality, the ideal of either gender is that their opposite practices the martial arts in one way or another.
Another ideal that was instilled in large part by the Monkey King is the practice of sorcery. Practitioners of sorcery are more well-known for their wisdom and learning than they are for their martial prowess. Therefore, especially in males. not tending to possess the more well-developed, athletic frames that are more commonly admired by the larger population of sunren. That being said, Sun was as well-known for his cleverness and sorcery as he was for his martial prowess, and there are definitely those monkey folk which admire more that side of the King than the martial side.
What all of that means, of course, is that because the sunren are more independent and libertarian in their natures, there are no set gender roles within their society. Merely ideals that some within their loose society have a tendency to follow.
Courtship Ideals
Like the Bamboo Dragons far to the southwest, the meetings of young, sunren couple are usually facilitated through village events, festivals, and cultural traditions. At these gatherings, time and space is set aside to allow the new young adults to meet and get to know each other in a more relaxed setting. These types of events are especially common at larger scale festivals where many local villages or the entirety of the sunren gather together; such as the Nganbun-puukaw-læ-dokmai (Festival of Mountain and Flowers) which is held in mid-spring.
Males and females alike will dress in their best clothing and jewelry for the festival. Girls and boys will don their ceremonial, adult, headdesses, probably for the first time in public. Both will be freshly bathed and well-groomed in order to impress any potential paramours.
At the festivals, themselves, the young people are thrown right into the mix almost from the outset. The traditional dances to celebrate, especially the Ngabun-puukaw, are often performed by young people and act as both a celebration of their old home, the Huaguoshan, and as a sort of mating dance to draw in potential matches. These danecs evoke the beginnings of the sunren and are modeled on the more primal forms of mating rituals of their simian ancestors. Girls dance sinuously and slowly, evoking images of the flowers of the Mountain swaying in soft breezes. At the appropriate time in the ritual story of the dance, the males will leap into the circle, howling and beating their chests, in a display of masculine strength and vigor, to evoke Sun Wukong. Once the dance, and the story, ends, the young couples pair off and celebrate the rest of the festivities together.
In general, the younger generations are relatively free to choose their own partners in much the same way that their ancestors did. The main differences since Sun Wukong enlightened the tribe is the overall belief in fortune, auspicious events, and that the elders must always approve any match. While the sunren may not cleave to the teachings of the Dasheng the way the rest of the empire does, they still have a deep respect for the elders of their race. It was the deep love and respect the Monkey King had for the First Elder who died that drove him on his quest for immortality, after all, and if Sun Wukong had love and respect for the elders then his people must follow suit.
This means that after the festivals are over, any young couple who wishes to continue courting must petition both their own parents and the parents of their potential partners. If permission is granted, then the couple begins officially courting. For couples who are from different villages who met during one of the larger festivals, the courtship is often continued through letters. In fact, petitions to parents often initially come in the form of letters, themselves, in these circumstances. Most parents' approval is given on a temporary basis until they can meet the young man or woman wanting to court (and marry) their child.
Eventually, the young man, whether he's the petitioner or the petitionee, is expected to visit the home of his paramour's parents. During these visits, he's expected to bring gifts and participate in conversations with the female's parents and activities with her family. The family may also bring in a matchmaker during this visit to check whether or not the pairing is an auspicious match. After this initial visit, it usually isn't much longer before the couple are making wedding plans.
As a result of their largely decentralized and egalitarian society, at least in comparison with most of Middle Empire societies, something which one village considers a tradition, may be less common, or even taboo, in a village a few miles down the mountain. For instance, one village may require the female to visit the male's parents in their home. While in another village, it's not just the parents who are involved in approving a potential match, but the village elders or council. In some villages, it may be traditional to contact a matchmaker and arrange marriages, and only participating in the youth festivals to allow the arranged couple to meet each other. There may even be a village where it's considered taboo for a male to see the female's face before their wedding day. In these cases, the females will participate in festivals with a veil attached to their headdresses.
Males and females alike will dress in their best clothing and jewelry for the festival. Girls and boys will don their ceremonial, adult, headdesses, probably for the first time in public. Both will be freshly bathed and well-groomed in order to impress any potential paramours.
At the festivals, themselves, the young people are thrown right into the mix almost from the outset. The traditional dances to celebrate, especially the Ngabun-puukaw, are often performed by young people and act as both a celebration of their old home, the Huaguoshan, and as a sort of mating dance to draw in potential matches. These danecs evoke the beginnings of the sunren and are modeled on the more primal forms of mating rituals of their simian ancestors. Girls dance sinuously and slowly, evoking images of the flowers of the Mountain swaying in soft breezes. At the appropriate time in the ritual story of the dance, the males will leap into the circle, howling and beating their chests, in a display of masculine strength and vigor, to evoke Sun Wukong. Once the dance, and the story, ends, the young couples pair off and celebrate the rest of the festivities together.
In general, the younger generations are relatively free to choose their own partners in much the same way that their ancestors did. The main differences since Sun Wukong enlightened the tribe is the overall belief in fortune, auspicious events, and that the elders must always approve any match. While the sunren may not cleave to the teachings of the Dasheng the way the rest of the empire does, they still have a deep respect for the elders of their race. It was the deep love and respect the Monkey King had for the First Elder who died that drove him on his quest for immortality, after all, and if Sun Wukong had love and respect for the elders then his people must follow suit.
This means that after the festivals are over, any young couple who wishes to continue courting must petition both their own parents and the parents of their potential partners. If permission is granted, then the couple begins officially courting. For couples who are from different villages who met during one of the larger festivals, the courtship is often continued through letters. In fact, petitions to parents often initially come in the form of letters, themselves, in these circumstances. Most parents' approval is given on a temporary basis until they can meet the young man or woman wanting to court (and marry) their child.
Eventually, the young man, whether he's the petitioner or the petitionee, is expected to visit the home of his paramour's parents. During these visits, he's expected to bring gifts and participate in conversations with the female's parents and activities with her family. The family may also bring in a matchmaker during this visit to check whether or not the pairing is an auspicious match. After this initial visit, it usually isn't much longer before the couple are making wedding plans.
As a result of their largely decentralized and egalitarian society, at least in comparison with most of Middle Empire societies, something which one village considers a tradition, may be less common, or even taboo, in a village a few miles down the mountain. For instance, one village may require the female to visit the male's parents in their home. While in another village, it's not just the parents who are involved in approving a potential match, but the village elders or council. In some villages, it may be traditional to contact a matchmaker and arrange marriages, and only participating in the youth festivals to allow the arranged couple to meet each other. There may even be a village where it's considered taboo for a male to see the female's face before their wedding day. In these cases, the females will participate in festivals with a veil attached to their headdresses.
Relationship Ideals
The Children of Sun possess an almost childlike sense of optimism and positivity which the other, more jaded, races have long-since lost. Even their elders seem to come at every problem with a sense of wonder and an almost supernatural sense of curiosity which borders on a seeming lack of common sense. Thus, is their approach to interpersonal relationships. They approach nearly all interactions with a sense of wonder and enthusiasm, expecting the best outcomes and finding a sense of joy in every moment. Partners often engage in adventures, explorations, and all other endeavores together.
Though, their seemingly preternatural resistance to common sense and fear of bodily harm can often carry the day as they approach any challenges with a "can-do" attitude and a feeling that together they can overcome any issues, these very traits can often prove their own obstacles when it comes to decision making within the relationship. These traits can lead the monkey-people to overcomplicate a seemingly simply issue or to take the path which seems more "fun" over the simple, more practical, path before them.
These self-same traits can often prove a boon in times of doubt, however, as it tends to lead to an unwavering support, encouragement, and near-ceaseless motivation in fueling their partner's passions, ideals, and pursuits.
Though, their seemingly preternatural resistance to common sense and fear of bodily harm can often carry the day as they approach any challenges with a "can-do" attitude and a feeling that together they can overcome any issues, these very traits can often prove their own obstacles when it comes to decision making within the relationship. These traits can lead the monkey-people to overcomplicate a seemingly simply issue or to take the path which seems more "fun" over the simple, more practical, path before them.
These self-same traits can often prove a boon in times of doubt, however, as it tends to lead to an unwavering support, encouragement, and near-ceaseless motivation in fueling their partner's passions, ideals, and pursuits.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
The sunren speak their own language called Khamwaokhong-ling in their own language. It's a play on the human word for their language, which the monkey-people found clever.
The language is known as Hóuzi-húyán-luàn-yu in Dayangyu, which means "monkey babble." In the ever-practical Daiingo, the language is called Sarugo. Khamwaokhong-ling uses real-world Lao.
The language is known as Hóuzi-húyán-luàn-yu in Dayangyu, which means "monkey babble." In the ever-practical Daiingo, the language is called Sarugo. Khamwaokhong-ling uses real-world Lao.
Common Etiquette Rules
Much of the sunren's basic etiquette is based on the more primitive organization of the original tribe of monkeys which Sun Wukong awakened. Their society lacks the strict system of social class that many of the other races of the empire have and is much more egalitarian like the river elves or bamboo dragons. Respect among the sunren is accorded on an individual basis and is typically afforded to age and experience. Elders among the sunren are greeted with a deep bow with the right fist cupped into the left palm over the heart called the phakdi. The phakdi is a gesture of respect and loyalty to those elders it is thought that Sun Wukong loved and revered, as well as their long lives and the wisdom they've gained.
The greeting between sunren of roughly the same age is generally a nod of the head or a slight bow. While greetings between those who are younger and adults of an age to have children of their own is a deeper bow of respect.
It is considered to be impolite in the extreme to not offer food or refreshment to a guest or visitor to one's home or to offer a portion of one's own food to a friend if they're around. In the same vein, showing proper hospitality such as offering of food and shelter to travelers or those in need is considered to be proper conduct. The custom of gift-giving is much the same among the sunren as it is in the rest of the empire. For instance, it is generally expected that a visitor will bring a small gift to show their appreciation to their host. Even those in need who are given shelter among the sunren are expected to show a proper amount of gratitude in order to repay the hospitality given. In these instances, bowing to offer the gift or accepting of gifts is appropriate.
Unlike most of the empire, using both hands to pass items is not as common among the sunren unless offering something to an elder. Instead, the right hand is most often used to pass objects to others.
Sticky rice is the most commonly eaten form of rice among the sunren and is typically eaten with the fingers since the sunren consider that the easiest way to eat it. Other foods are typically eaten either with the rice, itself, or with edible leaves of one form or another. Chopsticks are generally only used for noodles or noodle soups. Like the rest of the empire, dishes are served communally with each person taking a portion for themselves from large, communal plates.
The highest ranking members of a household, usually the mother and father, take the first bite of food before the rest of those present are allowed to eat. This rule is also followed by any guests. Reaching for food at the same time as another person or before a person of higher rank. A guest leaving a bit of food on their plate is considered to be respectful to the host.
Sunren are quite fond of their liquor, and even brew their own in the trunks of trees from the fruits native to their environment called Loa-ling. Many times, after dinner, the heads of a home will throw an impromptu drinking party to celebrate having a guest. The host pours the drinks for everyone gathered, starting with the guest or guests, and pours each person nine shots of liquor. Though subesequent shots may be refused, everyone must partake in the first shot or risk insulting the host.
Though they don't have much in the way of honorifics, the sunren still have a small handful used before their given names to address each other politely:
The greeting between sunren of roughly the same age is generally a nod of the head or a slight bow. While greetings between those who are younger and adults of an age to have children of their own is a deeper bow of respect.
It is considered to be impolite in the extreme to not offer food or refreshment to a guest or visitor to one's home or to offer a portion of one's own food to a friend if they're around. In the same vein, showing proper hospitality such as offering of food and shelter to travelers or those in need is considered to be proper conduct. The custom of gift-giving is much the same among the sunren as it is in the rest of the empire. For instance, it is generally expected that a visitor will bring a small gift to show their appreciation to their host. Even those in need who are given shelter among the sunren are expected to show a proper amount of gratitude in order to repay the hospitality given. In these instances, bowing to offer the gift or accepting of gifts is appropriate.
Unlike most of the empire, using both hands to pass items is not as common among the sunren unless offering something to an elder. Instead, the right hand is most often used to pass objects to others.
Sticky rice is the most commonly eaten form of rice among the sunren and is typically eaten with the fingers since the sunren consider that the easiest way to eat it. Other foods are typically eaten either with the rice, itself, or with edible leaves of one form or another. Chopsticks are generally only used for noodles or noodle soups. Like the rest of the empire, dishes are served communally with each person taking a portion for themselves from large, communal plates.
The highest ranking members of a household, usually the mother and father, take the first bite of food before the rest of those present are allowed to eat. This rule is also followed by any guests. Reaching for food at the same time as another person or before a person of higher rank. A guest leaving a bit of food on their plate is considered to be respectful to the host.
Sunren are quite fond of their liquor, and even brew their own in the trunks of trees from the fruits native to their environment called Loa-ling. Many times, after dinner, the heads of a home will throw an impromptu drinking party to celebrate having a guest. The host pours the drinks for everyone gathered, starting with the guest or guests, and pours each person nine shots of liquor. Though subesequent shots may be refused, everyone must partake in the first shot or risk insulting the host.
Though they don't have much in the way of honorifics, the sunren still have a small handful used before their given names to address each other politely:
- Bun: is used for elders and is always used as a token of respect for their age and wisdom.
- Nai: is used for married males.
- Nang: is used for married females.
- Thao: is used for unmarried males.
- Sao: is used for unmarried females.
- Phra: is a respectful way to reference any priest or priestess.
- A-chan: is typically used to refer to the child of someone in a more formal setting. It is typically used before the parents' names. For example, A-chan Mi, would be referring to the child of Mi. Otherwise, children are referred to by their play-names.
Common Dress Code
The main upper garment of the sunren is a light, knee-length tunic called sua-nyut. This tunic is typically worn by men, but can be worn by females as well. The front overlaps like a standard, imperial robe and is secured with ties at the sides and a belt around the waitst. Underwear for both sexes is typically a fundoshi-style loincloth. The lower garment, called pha-hang, is a garment of rectangular fabris which is wrapped around the waist, then brought up between the legs and tucked into the back to create a pair of loose trousers. Like the sua-nyut, this garment is typically worn by men but can also be worn by females of a more martial bent. They are always artfully folded and tucked so as to leave room for the sunren's tail.
Women typically don a waist-length shirt similar to the sua-nyut, called sua-pai. It is similar in that it is a wrap-around garment secured with ties. The main differences lie in the paneling and in the collars. The collar of the females' garment is typically wider than the males' and wraps in the opposite way from right to left. The typical lower garment of females is the sin. This is a knee- to ankle-length rectangle of cloth which is wrapped around the waist and secured at the side to create a tube skirt. Women will usually wear a long strip of red-dyed cloth to secure their breasts underneath the shirt.
The textiles of the sunren are typically a lightweight cotton dyed in a wide array of colors using dyes from the wide array of flowers and insects gathered from the forests around them. They generally favor bright colors and flashy designs featuring flowers, animals, and bits from the story of Sun Wukong. It is often easy to tell what village or region a particular sunren comes from by the designs on their clothing.
The headdress which all females wear on special occasions are typically made of a wooden or bamboo frame to which a sturdy piece of fabric is attached. The shape of the fabric, thus the shape of the headdress, depends on the village, region, and even the personal preferences of the individual woman. One of the main ddecorative elements of these headdresses are often old, jade coins or wooden discs. Beadwork, embroidery, preserved flowers, tassels, and, one of the most important elements, feathers. The feathers typically used are pheasant feathers with golden pheasant feathers being particularly prized for their similar colors to the legendary phoenix. Sometimes, actual phoenix feathers are used, but they are only accessible to the very wealthy.
Accesory adornments such as bracelets, necklaces, and earrings are made of wood gathered from the sunrens' native forests. The monkey-folk's woodworking skills are only second to their wood elf neighbors to the south, and are prized throughout the region in which they live. Female sunren tend to wear a lot of bangles and necklaces, and will even hang particularly prized earrings from their headdresses. Males tend to wear earrings and a pair of bracelets.
Due to the unique morphology of their feet, sunren don't typically wear shoes and most homes have a basin of water and a cloth to clean feet in a home's entryway.
The headdresses of priests and priestesses are often quite elaborate with prayers and spells carved into the wood or embroidered into the fabric, or paper amulets with spells written on called khuang-rav, similar to the ofuda or hushenfu used by priests of the other races, being hung from the sides. The headdresses of the priests and priestesses are not ceremoinal as they are a part of their costume and are always worn in public.
Women typically don a waist-length shirt similar to the sua-nyut, called sua-pai. It is similar in that it is a wrap-around garment secured with ties. The main differences lie in the paneling and in the collars. The collar of the females' garment is typically wider than the males' and wraps in the opposite way from right to left. The typical lower garment of females is the sin. This is a knee- to ankle-length rectangle of cloth which is wrapped around the waist and secured at the side to create a tube skirt. Women will usually wear a long strip of red-dyed cloth to secure their breasts underneath the shirt.
The textiles of the sunren are typically a lightweight cotton dyed in a wide array of colors using dyes from the wide array of flowers and insects gathered from the forests around them. They generally favor bright colors and flashy designs featuring flowers, animals, and bits from the story of Sun Wukong. It is often easy to tell what village or region a particular sunren comes from by the designs on their clothing.
The headdress which all females wear on special occasions are typically made of a wooden or bamboo frame to which a sturdy piece of fabric is attached. The shape of the fabric, thus the shape of the headdress, depends on the village, region, and even the personal preferences of the individual woman. One of the main ddecorative elements of these headdresses are often old, jade coins or wooden discs. Beadwork, embroidery, preserved flowers, tassels, and, one of the most important elements, feathers. The feathers typically used are pheasant feathers with golden pheasant feathers being particularly prized for their similar colors to the legendary phoenix. Sometimes, actual phoenix feathers are used, but they are only accessible to the very wealthy.
Accesory adornments such as bracelets, necklaces, and earrings are made of wood gathered from the sunrens' native forests. The monkey-folk's woodworking skills are only second to their wood elf neighbors to the south, and are prized throughout the region in which they live. Female sunren tend to wear a lot of bangles and necklaces, and will even hang particularly prized earrings from their headdresses. Males tend to wear earrings and a pair of bracelets.
Due to the unique morphology of their feet, sunren don't typically wear shoes and most homes have a basin of water and a cloth to clean feet in a home's entryway.
The headdresses of priests and priestesses are often quite elaborate with prayers and spells carved into the wood or embroidered into the fabric, or paper amulets with spells written on called khuang-rav, similar to the ofuda or hushenfu used by priests of the other races, being hung from the sides. The headdresses of the priests and priestesses are not ceremoinal as they are a part of their costume and are always worn in public.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Even a society as scattered as the sunren has a few cultural touchstones that they all can agree upon. The absolute core of their shared culture is their love, adoration, and, at times, even worship of the Stone Monkey King. The mythology of Sun Wukong and their reverence for him plays a central role in their cultural identity. Their love of the martial arts and sorcery can be linked directly to the storied practices of the Monkey King. Even their respect for their elders and their reverence for their ancestors can be placed directly at the feet of Sun Wukong who is said to have been the first to honor the elderly and the First Ancestor.
Sunren society is characterized by its independence and libertarian values. The monkey-folk value their freedom and autonomy and are known for their resistance to any sort of centralized authority. Which is another hallmark of their nigh-mythical founder.
The sunren are also quite well-known for their hospitality. For which the welcoming of guests and the offering of hospitality is a cultural norm. They take a great deal of pride in taking in visitors and being able to provide for their comfort.
Family is as important an institution among the sunren as it is across the empire, and is often the foundation of their social lives. They tend to have close-knit families with around four to five children on average. Also, like much of the empire, having upwards of three generations of people living in a single household is quite common. Members of the village communities are nearly as tightly knit and will often help raise each others' children and share resources. Older children are expected to help out either with caretaking or through assistance with day-to-day tasks.
Like many of the Yang-aligned peoples, sunren are matrilocal. Meaning that the male will relocate to the household of his wife, rather than the other way around. The main difference is that they reckon their familial lines through both the male and female. Rather than being strictly patriarchal or matriarchal. This results in the sunren being largely uninterested in genealogy outside of the most recent two or three generations, and they tend to count all ancestors as everyone's ancestors. Much to the frustration of the imperial government.
Sunren society is characterized by its independence and libertarian values. The monkey-folk value their freedom and autonomy and are known for their resistance to any sort of centralized authority. Which is another hallmark of their nigh-mythical founder.
The sunren are also quite well-known for their hospitality. For which the welcoming of guests and the offering of hospitality is a cultural norm. They take a great deal of pride in taking in visitors and being able to provide for their comfort.
Family is as important an institution among the sunren as it is across the empire, and is often the foundation of their social lives. They tend to have close-knit families with around four to five children on average. Also, like much of the empire, having upwards of three generations of people living in a single household is quite common. Members of the village communities are nearly as tightly knit and will often help raise each others' children and share resources. Older children are expected to help out either with caretaking or through assistance with day-to-day tasks.
Like many of the Yang-aligned peoples, sunren are matrilocal. Meaning that the male will relocate to the household of his wife, rather than the other way around. The main difference is that they reckon their familial lines through both the male and female. Rather than being strictly patriarchal or matriarchal. This results in the sunren being largely uninterested in genealogy outside of the most recent two or three generations, and they tend to count all ancestors as everyone's ancestors. Much to the frustration of the imperial government.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
When a sunren couple decides to get married they must first participate in the sou khor, which is a gathering of both families to negotiate the prices of the bride. This procession basically amounts to an exchange of gifts between the families as they each barter and argue over what each of their children is worth. Once the price has been settled on and the gifts have been delivered, the matchmaker is called upon again to consult for the best day to hold the wedding.
Once that's been taken care of, the preparations for the wedding itself begin to take place. Including delivering invitations, preparing wedding garments, gathering all the ingredients necessary for the wedding feast and the pha khuan. Two nights before the wedding ceremony, relatives and close friends of the bride will gather at her house to prepare, both, the feast and the ritual pha khuan. The pha khuan is a ceremonial "mountain" made of large leaves and flowers meant to symbolize the sunrens' ancient homeland and is included in all major celebrations in a ritual called su-kwan.
The bride and groom are dressed in silk clothes which are heavily embroidered with scenes from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. The groom wears a ceremonial Phoenix Feather Circlet, while the bride wears her ceremonial headdress with a golden circlet with golden discs hanging from it. All of her jewelry is also made of gold on this day.
The actual ceremony begins at noon when a procession for the groom goes to the bride's house to deliver the bride price while the groom's party is gathered and waits somewhere down the way. When this is finished, the groom's party is informed, and begins the Hae Keuy, or Groom's Parade, and makes their way to the bride's home. On the way, they laugh, joke, play musical instruments, and sing a traditional song.
When they arrive at the bride's house, where a specially made silver gate and golden gate are waiting for him. The groom must pass through both gates in a symbolic reenactment of the Monkey King's storied journeys into Heaven and Hell. In order to pass through either gate he must use his wits or martial capabilities to win his way through. This symbolizes his willingness to face Heaven and Hell for his bride.
Even when the groom has made his way through the two gates, he is still not yet allowed to enter the bride's home until a younger female (usually the bride's younger sister) has washed his feet. Only then is he allowed to enter the home. He is met at the door by an older, female relative and led to the pha khuan. After which, the bride is led in and seated on his left.
Once everyone is settled into the room, the ceremony begins. This involves a priest or the village head chanting benedictions, the bride and groom feeding each other an egg, symbolic of the stone egg from which Sun Wukong was born and a long, happy life, and the tying of white threads about the bride and groom's wrists by the guests. Some will string jade, money pieces onto the strings before tying them onto the couples' wrists. After this, the white strings strung about the pha khuan are taken in hand by each guest and more prayers and benedictions are uttered to bring the souls of the villagers and the ancestors to the ceremony to offer their blessings.
After this ceremony is over, elder relatives led the couple to the gathered relatives and begin a customary asking of forgiveness for any bad deeds or sins committed against the parents or elders committed during their youthful days and thanking their parents and elders for raising and caring for them all those years. Money and other small gifts are often given at this point wrapped in large leaves. This is the nominal conclusion of the ceremony, for after this a large feast is had with the gathered guests and the bride and groom taking seats of honor at the table.
The true conclusion of the ceremony, however, is after the feasting and partying when the mother of the bride leads the couple to their new bedroom where they will spend the rest of the night. When a sunren woman becomes pregnant, it often isn't long before the rest of the family and even the village hears about the good news. When it's discovered, the expectant mother is given a su-kwan ceremony in order to gain the blessings of the Mountain upon her developing baby. Meanwhile, over the months the baby is developing, the pregnant woman's older, female relatives will prepare many things for the baby such as making baby clothes, medicines, and other ingredients for the eventual birth. They also begin watching the expectant mother like hawks, making sure that she is not doing strenuous tasks, eating appropriately "warm" foods, and otherwise being mindful of the baby inside her.
Meanwhile, the expectant father prepares the other, more labor-intensive, gifts for the baby. Such as the making the cradle and the hot bed, laying in firewood and charcoal, and going into the mountain forests to gather bamboo and herbs for the women, and procure the blessed water for the eventual birth.
When the time of the birth approaches, the female is laid in a nest of large leaves and sweet-smelling herbs and flowers which was constructed for her by the elder females. The female relatives and the husband will say with the mother during childbirth for psychological support. The elder women will prepare herbal remedies, boil water, and prepare clean cloths for use during the birth. As the birth progresses, the most knowledgeable of the women will spread a poultice on the birthing mother's abdomen in order to facilitate the birth and ease the pain of the contractions.
Once the baby is born, the father slices the umbilical cord with sharpened edge of a piece of bamboo and ties it off with a black string. The placenta is then taken and buried under the centerpost of the home to draw the child's soul back whenver it goes wandering and to keep it and the child safe from malevolent spirits. The child and mother are then carried to the nearest hot spring to be ritually bathed and to encourage healing in the new mother. For this same reason, a special bed with a contained fire was made specially for her called a yu-kam, or "hot bed." She will sleep in this bed for the next thirty days, as it is believed that the warmth of the fire facilitates healing after birth. As well, she will be encouraged to bathe in the springs mixed with herbal mixtures frequently for the same reasons.
Three days after its birth, the baby is given its play-name. Three months after its birth, it is given its first su-kwan and introduced to the Mountain and the village. The coming-of-age ceremonies among the sunren are relatively simple. The village typically gathers in the elder's or a council member's home, the youngster dons their adult cloths and the village elder puts the ceremonial circlet or headress upon their head while chanting benedictions of wisdom, good judgment, and kindness, after which the new adult chooses his adult name. Then a su-kwan ceremony is performed to introduce the new adult to the spirits and the Mountain, a feast is held, and the now-adult sunren is given gifts of money and utility. Of course, the death of any being in the Middle Empire is considered to be a tragedy by those closest to them. To the sunren, however, it is not just the loss of a loved one that they grieve, it is a blow to their very worldview and their confidence as a species. Making his tribe and children immortal was the whole reason for Sun Wukong's quest into the wider world in the first place. Therefore, each death results in a blow to their overall confidence in their god and king and, consequently, their place in the world.
Upon dying, the deceased's family will ritually wash their body with water taken from the nearest hot spring. They would never defile a spring by taking the body directly to it and taint the waters with the energies of death. After washing, the body is dressed in white, funereal dress, and the juices of their favorite fruits are dripped into their mouths so that they go into the afterworld with the taste of home on their tongue and do not go to the land beyond hungry. The body is placed into a simple, wooden coffin, the individual's ceremonial Phoenix Circlet is placed upon their head, and sweet flowers are piled around the body. The casket remains in the home for a period of three days so that those who knew the deceased can speak their final goodbyes.
After the three days, the priests of the nearest shrine come to collect the casket to take the body to the funeral tower out beyond the village gate. This is to make sure that the sould of the deceased does not linger in the village to cause mischief or ill fortune. The funeral procession made up of the priests and the deceased's family and friends (usually the whole village) makes their way to the funeral tower with the head priest playing a funereal dirge on a bamboo flute with assistants banging out a slow, sonorous beat on small drums. The priestesses walk behind the priests holding a white cloth which is tied to one corner of the casket to keep the deceased's soul from wandering away.
Upon reaching the site of the funeral tower, the body is placed on a raised, wooden platform inside and the top of the tower is build over the casket in a pyramidal shape with a hollowed, stone egg placed at the top. The white cloth is placed at the foot of the tower just before the deceased's closest relatives. Each of the priests, priestesses, and mourners make their way to the tower and place a single flower or piece of fruit onto the bier. Once this is done, the tower is lit aflame and the body is allowed to burn. The relatives are obligated to stay until the ashes cool. At the height of the pyre's flames, the stone egg splits and, once everything has cooled down, this is the receptacle for the ashes and bones of the deceased.
After the ashes and bones are gathered into the stone egg, it is taken back to the priests who seal it again and it is then carried back to the village and placed at the top of the spirit gate. There it will rest for an entire year while the soul gets used to its new place as a village spirit. During this time, the family will remain in mourning with a white cloth hung over the door to their home and wearing only shades of white. Once the year has passed, the egg is taken down from its place atop the gate and placed in the village cemetery. The su-kwan ceremony is a ceremony meant to honor the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits that was the birthplace of Sun Wukong and the sunren as a race. The pha khuan is the centerpiece and focus of the ritual, itself. It is a cone-shaped "mountain" constructed of large leaves folded around each other and covered with sweet-smelling flowers from bottom to top. Out of this cone project several, thin, bamboo rods around which are wound white strings. The strings are usually very long in order to reach all of the participants of a particular ceremony. The strings are taken between the folded hands and prayed over in order to the draw the wandering spirits of the Mountain to the ritual site and garner their blessings for a particular event. Su-kwan ceremonies are conducted at every major event in a village from pregnancy announcements, weddings, harvest celebrations, naming day celebrations, etc. Spirit gates are constructed at the entrance to every sunren village. They are similar to the torii gates found at the entrance to every temple in the empire. Though they have lived in their current home for many generations, the sunren still believe that many of the local spirits of the forests and mountains around are foreign to them and could wish them harm. Therefore, they build the spirit gates before every village in order to keep the foreign spirits out to prevent bad fortune from befalling the village, and to keep the village spirits, i.e. the good ones, in to protect and nurture the village.
These gates can be quite elaborate or fairly simple, depending upon the village to which it belongs. The tops of the gates are often carved with images of the Mountain, flowers, and Sun Wukong. The latter to swiftly deliver messages to the spirit world in case of trouble. The bottom posts of the gate are carved with images of the sunren, themselves, to promote the vitality and health of the village.
Once that's been taken care of, the preparations for the wedding itself begin to take place. Including delivering invitations, preparing wedding garments, gathering all the ingredients necessary for the wedding feast and the pha khuan. Two nights before the wedding ceremony, relatives and close friends of the bride will gather at her house to prepare, both, the feast and the ritual pha khuan. The pha khuan is a ceremonial "mountain" made of large leaves and flowers meant to symbolize the sunrens' ancient homeland and is included in all major celebrations in a ritual called su-kwan.
The bride and groom are dressed in silk clothes which are heavily embroidered with scenes from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. The groom wears a ceremonial Phoenix Feather Circlet, while the bride wears her ceremonial headdress with a golden circlet with golden discs hanging from it. All of her jewelry is also made of gold on this day.
The actual ceremony begins at noon when a procession for the groom goes to the bride's house to deliver the bride price while the groom's party is gathered and waits somewhere down the way. When this is finished, the groom's party is informed, and begins the Hae Keuy, or Groom's Parade, and makes their way to the bride's home. On the way, they laugh, joke, play musical instruments, and sing a traditional song.
When they arrive at the bride's house, where a specially made silver gate and golden gate are waiting for him. The groom must pass through both gates in a symbolic reenactment of the Monkey King's storied journeys into Heaven and Hell. In order to pass through either gate he must use his wits or martial capabilities to win his way through. This symbolizes his willingness to face Heaven and Hell for his bride.
Even when the groom has made his way through the two gates, he is still not yet allowed to enter the bride's home until a younger female (usually the bride's younger sister) has washed his feet. Only then is he allowed to enter the home. He is met at the door by an older, female relative and led to the pha khuan. After which, the bride is led in and seated on his left.
Once everyone is settled into the room, the ceremony begins. This involves a priest or the village head chanting benedictions, the bride and groom feeding each other an egg, symbolic of the stone egg from which Sun Wukong was born and a long, happy life, and the tying of white threads about the bride and groom's wrists by the guests. Some will string jade, money pieces onto the strings before tying them onto the couples' wrists. After this, the white strings strung about the pha khuan are taken in hand by each guest and more prayers and benedictions are uttered to bring the souls of the villagers and the ancestors to the ceremony to offer their blessings.
After this ceremony is over, elder relatives led the couple to the gathered relatives and begin a customary asking of forgiveness for any bad deeds or sins committed against the parents or elders committed during their youthful days and thanking their parents and elders for raising and caring for them all those years. Money and other small gifts are often given at this point wrapped in large leaves. This is the nominal conclusion of the ceremony, for after this a large feast is had with the gathered guests and the bride and groom taking seats of honor at the table.
The true conclusion of the ceremony, however, is after the feasting and partying when the mother of the bride leads the couple to their new bedroom where they will spend the rest of the night. When a sunren woman becomes pregnant, it often isn't long before the rest of the family and even the village hears about the good news. When it's discovered, the expectant mother is given a su-kwan ceremony in order to gain the blessings of the Mountain upon her developing baby. Meanwhile, over the months the baby is developing, the pregnant woman's older, female relatives will prepare many things for the baby such as making baby clothes, medicines, and other ingredients for the eventual birth. They also begin watching the expectant mother like hawks, making sure that she is not doing strenuous tasks, eating appropriately "warm" foods, and otherwise being mindful of the baby inside her.
Meanwhile, the expectant father prepares the other, more labor-intensive, gifts for the baby. Such as the making the cradle and the hot bed, laying in firewood and charcoal, and going into the mountain forests to gather bamboo and herbs for the women, and procure the blessed water for the eventual birth.
When the time of the birth approaches, the female is laid in a nest of large leaves and sweet-smelling herbs and flowers which was constructed for her by the elder females. The female relatives and the husband will say with the mother during childbirth for psychological support. The elder women will prepare herbal remedies, boil water, and prepare clean cloths for use during the birth. As the birth progresses, the most knowledgeable of the women will spread a poultice on the birthing mother's abdomen in order to facilitate the birth and ease the pain of the contractions.
Once the baby is born, the father slices the umbilical cord with sharpened edge of a piece of bamboo and ties it off with a black string. The placenta is then taken and buried under the centerpost of the home to draw the child's soul back whenver it goes wandering and to keep it and the child safe from malevolent spirits. The child and mother are then carried to the nearest hot spring to be ritually bathed and to encourage healing in the new mother. For this same reason, a special bed with a contained fire was made specially for her called a yu-kam, or "hot bed." She will sleep in this bed for the next thirty days, as it is believed that the warmth of the fire facilitates healing after birth. As well, she will be encouraged to bathe in the springs mixed with herbal mixtures frequently for the same reasons.
Three days after its birth, the baby is given its play-name. Three months after its birth, it is given its first su-kwan and introduced to the Mountain and the village. The coming-of-age ceremonies among the sunren are relatively simple. The village typically gathers in the elder's or a council member's home, the youngster dons their adult cloths and the village elder puts the ceremonial circlet or headress upon their head while chanting benedictions of wisdom, good judgment, and kindness, after which the new adult chooses his adult name. Then a su-kwan ceremony is performed to introduce the new adult to the spirits and the Mountain, a feast is held, and the now-adult sunren is given gifts of money and utility. Of course, the death of any being in the Middle Empire is considered to be a tragedy by those closest to them. To the sunren, however, it is not just the loss of a loved one that they grieve, it is a blow to their very worldview and their confidence as a species. Making his tribe and children immortal was the whole reason for Sun Wukong's quest into the wider world in the first place. Therefore, each death results in a blow to their overall confidence in their god and king and, consequently, their place in the world.
Upon dying, the deceased's family will ritually wash their body with water taken from the nearest hot spring. They would never defile a spring by taking the body directly to it and taint the waters with the energies of death. After washing, the body is dressed in white, funereal dress, and the juices of their favorite fruits are dripped into their mouths so that they go into the afterworld with the taste of home on their tongue and do not go to the land beyond hungry. The body is placed into a simple, wooden coffin, the individual's ceremonial Phoenix Circlet is placed upon their head, and sweet flowers are piled around the body. The casket remains in the home for a period of three days so that those who knew the deceased can speak their final goodbyes.
After the three days, the priests of the nearest shrine come to collect the casket to take the body to the funeral tower out beyond the village gate. This is to make sure that the sould of the deceased does not linger in the village to cause mischief or ill fortune. The funeral procession made up of the priests and the deceased's family and friends (usually the whole village) makes their way to the funeral tower with the head priest playing a funereal dirge on a bamboo flute with assistants banging out a slow, sonorous beat on small drums. The priestesses walk behind the priests holding a white cloth which is tied to one corner of the casket to keep the deceased's soul from wandering away.
Upon reaching the site of the funeral tower, the body is placed on a raised, wooden platform inside and the top of the tower is build over the casket in a pyramidal shape with a hollowed, stone egg placed at the top. The white cloth is placed at the foot of the tower just before the deceased's closest relatives. Each of the priests, priestesses, and mourners make their way to the tower and place a single flower or piece of fruit onto the bier. Once this is done, the tower is lit aflame and the body is allowed to burn. The relatives are obligated to stay until the ashes cool. At the height of the pyre's flames, the stone egg splits and, once everything has cooled down, this is the receptacle for the ashes and bones of the deceased.
After the ashes and bones are gathered into the stone egg, it is taken back to the priests who seal it again and it is then carried back to the village and placed at the top of the spirit gate. There it will rest for an entire year while the soul gets used to its new place as a village spirit. During this time, the family will remain in mourning with a white cloth hung over the door to their home and wearing only shades of white. Once the year has passed, the egg is taken down from its place atop the gate and placed in the village cemetery. The su-kwan ceremony is a ceremony meant to honor the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits that was the birthplace of Sun Wukong and the sunren as a race. The pha khuan is the centerpiece and focus of the ritual, itself. It is a cone-shaped "mountain" constructed of large leaves folded around each other and covered with sweet-smelling flowers from bottom to top. Out of this cone project several, thin, bamboo rods around which are wound white strings. The strings are usually very long in order to reach all of the participants of a particular ceremony. The strings are taken between the folded hands and prayed over in order to the draw the wandering spirits of the Mountain to the ritual site and garner their blessings for a particular event. Su-kwan ceremonies are conducted at every major event in a village from pregnancy announcements, weddings, harvest celebrations, naming day celebrations, etc. Spirit gates are constructed at the entrance to every sunren village. They are similar to the torii gates found at the entrance to every temple in the empire. Though they have lived in their current home for many generations, the sunren still believe that many of the local spirits of the forests and mountains around are foreign to them and could wish them harm. Therefore, they build the spirit gates before every village in order to keep the foreign spirits out to prevent bad fortune from befalling the village, and to keep the village spirits, i.e. the good ones, in to protect and nurture the village.
These gates can be quite elaborate or fairly simple, depending upon the village to which it belongs. The tops of the gates are often carved with images of the Mountain, flowers, and Sun Wukong. The latter to swiftly deliver messages to the spirit world in case of trouble. The bottom posts of the gate are carved with images of the sunren, themselves, to promote the vitality and health of the village.
Common Taboos
Speaking ill or showing disrespect towards the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, which is considered the sacred birthplace of their race, or Sun Wukong as the progenitor and protector of the sunren is a huge taboo. Breaking this taboo is believed to bring misfortune, as it's a direct affront to their spiritual and cultural foundation. It could lead to societal ostracization and a sense of spiritual unease.
Disrespecting or defiling the spirit gates at the entrance of their villages. It is believed that such an act could invite malevolent spirits into the village, causing harm and bad fortune. The consequence involves a highly complicated ritual purification to cleanse the individual and the village, and the person who performs such a misdeed faces isolation until deemed spiritually cleansed. Which could also include penance acts, as well.
Interrupting or mocking the su-kwan ceremony, which is central to many of the sunren celebrations. The interruption of this sacred ritual is seen as a disruption of the connection with the spirits and ancestors. Consequences range from community disapproval to misfortune in the upcoming event.
History
Though they acknowledge that the animals they once were had their genesis with Takami-musubi, the Life-bringer, but they give credit for their existence as a sapient race to Sun; whom they call the Stone Monkey King, a seemingly mythical, intelligent and immortal monkey who challenged Heaven itself.
According to the sunren's own histories, they were once normal monkeys who lived on a mountain far to the east that they called the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. Atop Huaguoshan, there was a perfect stone nurtured by Yang and Yin until it developed a magical womb which gave birth to a stone egg. The egg, in turn, hatched into a stone monkey, perfect in every detail, which could crawl, walk, and talk. Under the Stone Monkey's influence, the tribe of monkeys he fell in with (the sunren's ancestors) grew more intelligent and learned to speak and act as he did. Eventually, through his daring and cleverness, the monkey tribe makes him their king.
The Stone Monkey ruled the tribe for many years until, eventually, one of the monkey tribe died due to old age. So upset was the Stone Monkey that he set off into the world to seek a way to conquer death for himself and his tribe. His journeys eventually took him to the doorstep of a sorcerer who had found a way to use the Tao to gain immortality. At first, the sorcerer refused, but the Stone Monkey persisted until the sorcerer finally relented. From him, the Stone Monkey, now calling himself Sun Wukong, mastered many martial arts and clever sorceries, chief among them the secret of Taoist Immortality. After which, he awakened to discover that he had learned all of these things in a dream of compressed time.
Yet, during his time away, the monkey tribe had been attacked by demons wishing to use them as slaves. Upon his return to the Mountain, he destroyed the entire tribe of demons, set his people free, and plundered the demons' armory for weapons so that his people could protect themselves while he was away. Unable to find a weapon for himself, however, he journeyed to the palace of the Dragon King of the Great Inland Sea. There, he found the great weapon, Hunya-sī-thǭng, the Gold-banded Staff, a staff which could grow or shrink, fly, and attack opponents at will. He was also given by the Dragon King a golden chainmail shirt, the Phoenix Feather Circlet, and Cloud-walking Boots. Upon receiving these princely gifts, Sun Wukong made his way back to the Mountain and forms the Seven Sages, in order to protect his people.
Unbeknownst to the Monkey King, however, the Dragon Kings have reported him to the Heavenly Authorities for extortion, and the Demon Emperor seeks his head for destroying a powerful clan. He spent many years laying waste to every party attempting to fetch him down to Yomi. Eventually, the Sun Goddess grew weary of his antics and invited him up to Heaven with an official posting, in the hopes of making him more manageable. Yet, he is insulted by the posting being nothing more than a glorified stable boy, and sets free the Cloud Horses and proclaims himself the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven.
Once again, the Sun Goddess relented, giving him a post guarding to the Immortal Peach Garden. He learned, yet again to his chagrin, that it was a meaningless post and went about creating great havoc in Heaven, including stealing and consuming several of the Peaches of Immortality, the Heavenly Wine which can bestow immortality, and the Pills of Immortality. When Amaterasu finally grew fed up enough to send her best warriors and armies after him, he defeated them all until struck from behind and placed in the Eight Trigram Crucible in an attempt to distill the Pills from his body.
The crucible, however, had the opposite effect on the irascible Sun Wukong. The fires of the crucible had, instead, burned off the last "impurities" of mortality and vulnerability that Wukong had and made him stronger than ever before.
It was during this time, however, that Amaterasu had become distracted by the war with her brother, Susano-o, and Sun Wukong was allowed to slip from Heaven after destroying the crucible. When Sun Wukong returned to the Mountain, he found his people beset by the foul minions of the Storm God and many had been slain by their hands. The Monkey King grew enraged at the sight of his fallen people and, with the assistance of the Seven Sages, laid waste to the armies invading his home. This act had the inadvertent side effect of attracting the dark god's attention who had just lost a duel with his sister in the west. Lost in his own rage, the Lord of Storms flew to the easter continent and lashed out with his great naginata at the Mountain, crumbling it, and the continent itself, into the raging seas.
As the mountain crumbled after the cataclysmic event, Sun Wukong gathered what was left of his people and flew west across the crumbling lands. Though he could not be hurt, even by the Storm God's rage, the Stone Monkey King had lost his home and many of his people and his pain was unbearable. After many days of running, the hungry seas always lapping at his heels, he came to high ground again at the edge of the western continent. There, even in the lands battered by war, the flowers and fruits of the trees were sweet-smelling and delicious, and the warm waters of the hot springs soothed he and his peoples' aches and weariness.
Though his heart ached with grief at what was lost, he declared this mountain his peopels' new home, and, though he had been barred from Heaven for his antics, he again swore to find a way to bring them immortality. He set off, again, into the now-broken world to do just that, and he has not been seen since. Though many of the wildest rumors and tales suggest that he went to challenge the gods of death, themselves, and was trapped in the lowest pits of Aw-jee (Yomi or that he went to take over Na-lok (Jigoku/Diyu) from the Demon Emperor, or even that he has been locked away by an angry god in a prison made of the Five Elements, nobody knows for sure.
According to the sunren's own histories, they were once normal monkeys who lived on a mountain far to the east that they called the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. Atop Huaguoshan, there was a perfect stone nurtured by Yang and Yin until it developed a magical womb which gave birth to a stone egg. The egg, in turn, hatched into a stone monkey, perfect in every detail, which could crawl, walk, and talk. Under the Stone Monkey's influence, the tribe of monkeys he fell in with (the sunren's ancestors) grew more intelligent and learned to speak and act as he did. Eventually, through his daring and cleverness, the monkey tribe makes him their king.
The Stone Monkey ruled the tribe for many years until, eventually, one of the monkey tribe died due to old age. So upset was the Stone Monkey that he set off into the world to seek a way to conquer death for himself and his tribe. His journeys eventually took him to the doorstep of a sorcerer who had found a way to use the Tao to gain immortality. At first, the sorcerer refused, but the Stone Monkey persisted until the sorcerer finally relented. From him, the Stone Monkey, now calling himself Sun Wukong, mastered many martial arts and clever sorceries, chief among them the secret of Taoist Immortality. After which, he awakened to discover that he had learned all of these things in a dream of compressed time.
Yet, during his time away, the monkey tribe had been attacked by demons wishing to use them as slaves. Upon his return to the Mountain, he destroyed the entire tribe of demons, set his people free, and plundered the demons' armory for weapons so that his people could protect themselves while he was away. Unable to find a weapon for himself, however, he journeyed to the palace of the Dragon King of the Great Inland Sea. There, he found the great weapon, Hunya-sī-thǭng, the Gold-banded Staff, a staff which could grow or shrink, fly, and attack opponents at will. He was also given by the Dragon King a golden chainmail shirt, the Phoenix Feather Circlet, and Cloud-walking Boots. Upon receiving these princely gifts, Sun Wukong made his way back to the Mountain and forms the Seven Sages, in order to protect his people.
Unbeknownst to the Monkey King, however, the Dragon Kings have reported him to the Heavenly Authorities for extortion, and the Demon Emperor seeks his head for destroying a powerful clan. He spent many years laying waste to every party attempting to fetch him down to Yomi. Eventually, the Sun Goddess grew weary of his antics and invited him up to Heaven with an official posting, in the hopes of making him more manageable. Yet, he is insulted by the posting being nothing more than a glorified stable boy, and sets free the Cloud Horses and proclaims himself the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven.
Once again, the Sun Goddess relented, giving him a post guarding to the Immortal Peach Garden. He learned, yet again to his chagrin, that it was a meaningless post and went about creating great havoc in Heaven, including stealing and consuming several of the Peaches of Immortality, the Heavenly Wine which can bestow immortality, and the Pills of Immortality. When Amaterasu finally grew fed up enough to send her best warriors and armies after him, he defeated them all until struck from behind and placed in the Eight Trigram Crucible in an attempt to distill the Pills from his body.
The crucible, however, had the opposite effect on the irascible Sun Wukong. The fires of the crucible had, instead, burned off the last "impurities" of mortality and vulnerability that Wukong had and made him stronger than ever before.
It was during this time, however, that Amaterasu had become distracted by the war with her brother, Susano-o, and Sun Wukong was allowed to slip from Heaven after destroying the crucible. When Sun Wukong returned to the Mountain, he found his people beset by the foul minions of the Storm God and many had been slain by their hands. The Monkey King grew enraged at the sight of his fallen people and, with the assistance of the Seven Sages, laid waste to the armies invading his home. This act had the inadvertent side effect of attracting the dark god's attention who had just lost a duel with his sister in the west. Lost in his own rage, the Lord of Storms flew to the easter continent and lashed out with his great naginata at the Mountain, crumbling it, and the continent itself, into the raging seas.
As the mountain crumbled after the cataclysmic event, Sun Wukong gathered what was left of his people and flew west across the crumbling lands. Though he could not be hurt, even by the Storm God's rage, the Stone Monkey King had lost his home and many of his people and his pain was unbearable. After many days of running, the hungry seas always lapping at his heels, he came to high ground again at the edge of the western continent. There, even in the lands battered by war, the flowers and fruits of the trees were sweet-smelling and delicious, and the warm waters of the hot springs soothed he and his peoples' aches and weariness.
Though his heart ached with grief at what was lost, he declared this mountain his peopels' new home, and, though he had been barred from Heaven for his antics, he again swore to find a way to bring them immortality. He set off, again, into the now-broken world to do just that, and he has not been seen since. Though many of the wildest rumors and tales suggest that he went to challenge the gods of death, themselves, and was trapped in the lowest pits of Aw-jee (Yomi or that he went to take over Na-lok (Jigoku/Diyu) from the Demon Emperor, or even that he has been locked away by an angry god in a prison made of the Five Elements, nobody knows for sure.
Origin/Ancestry
Asian, Macaques, Monkey King
Lifespan
~80 years
Average Height
5.0 - 5.5 ft
Average Weight
80 - 150 lbs
Average Physique
Sunren tend to be shorter than humans, slender and wiry, with their frames packed with lean, powerful muscle. Their legs are a bit shorter and their arms a bit longer than the average human to accomodate quadrapedal movement, if desired. They have 5ft long, prehensile tails and prehensile feet.
Geographic Distribution
Sunren Traits
Starting Attributes - +2 Grace, +1 Power.
Alignment - Sunren gravitate toward Yang Alignment but can be any of the three.
Simian Speed - When climbing sunren may use their full Fleetness score.
Monkey Business - +2 to Athletics Art with Climbing Adept.
Monkey Shines - +2 Long Weapons Combat Art with Staff Adept. +1 in any two of the following skills: Skulk, Vigilance, Sway, or Entertain.
Starting Face: +2
Starting Qi: +2
Alignment - Sunren gravitate toward Yang Alignment but can be any of the three.
Simian Speed - When climbing sunren may use their full Fleetness score.
Monkey Business - +2 to Athletics Art with Climbing Adept.
Monkey Shines - +2 Long Weapons Combat Art with Staff Adept. +1 in any two of the following skills: Skulk, Vigilance, Sway, or Entertain.
Starting Face: +2
Starting Qi: +2
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