{WASC 2022} Hilduni

The Hildun are the inhabitants of the Hildun Mountains, at the heart of the Milhaggar desert. They are particularly isolated, both due to the very hostile nature of the area, and their own distrust of foreigners, who they only trade with in the port-city of Siwakhit, at the edge of their territory. Even amongst themselves, the Hildun keep to their own clans, and most contacts are due to trade more than socialisation.

Naming Traditions

Noms de famille

In Hildun culture, family names aren't really a thing, in the sense that people carry a first name, which is seldom indicative of gender, the name of the parent who carried them during pregnancy, with an added suffix indicating gender (feminine -ea, masculine -ai, neutral -re, agender -o), and the name of their clan. For instance, Aksail Tumkailea Drekaah would be literally understood as Aksail, daughter of Tumkail of Drekaah clan.

Ideals

Idéaux de Beauté

Beauty ideals are influenced by each clan, but one could find a rather common baseline among the Hildun. Considering the importance of cave-dwelling in order to cultivate the food and get shelter from the sun, being tan for more naturally light-skinned people is considered a luxury.
Most of the body is also covered by layers of fine fabrics to help air circulation and cooling outside, and keep warm inside, it is quite rare to see someone's full naked body, except in underground hot springs or outside oasis. Bodies are then heavily sensualised, and it is quite common for tattoos and temporary skin-dyeing to be done underneath the clothes, to work as a nice surprise when disrobing. There isn't much body shaming either, as long as your body allows you to do the work you need to do, being skinny or fat isn't preferred to one another. Being physically capable or dextrous, however, is perceived as beautiful.
There's not a lot of genetic variety in Hildun people, an issue which is generally prevented by marrying people between clans, but that means there isn't much diversity in terms of hair color or texture, eye color, and skin complexion. Most people have tan or darker skin, brown to black eyes, brown to black hair (lighter shades happening due to sun-bleaching or salt mining, for instance). Features outside of that norm are often appreciated due to their originality, especially light eyes or features like freckles, who are rare amongs Hilduni considering their skin processes the sun pretty well.

Idéaux de Genre

Gender in most Hildun clans is heavily influenced by the social status of someone. The society is very horizontal, and someone's job often infers their social gender. Children are gendered as agender, and people who cannot work for a reason or another are gendered as their previous status, or as agender. Professions that demand working outside are often gendered as feminine (herding, cattle rearing, fruit tree growing, dyeing, weaving, shearing...). Professions that demand working indoors are often gendered as masculine (cavefish rearing, shellfish collecting, mushroom cultivation, cooking, saltmining...). Some specific activities give most often a neutral status, such as trading, Ceb'alrai river pearl culture, metalworking and pottery.
Given the nature of how gender works in Hildun society, there are not many beauty ideals or looks expectations based on someone's gender, though there are obviously some ways of dressing yourself more appropriate for this or that job.

Idéaux de Séduction

All marriages in Hildun society are arranged. Marriage for Hilduni is only a means to insure the genetic compatibility and continued diversity of their people : when a person gets to marriable age (that being 25 years old), a genetic profile is established, and the most ideal match is searched amongst the people of similar age in other clans. Once a match is found, the clans discuss dowry, that most often being trade goods those clans could only get from each other, and the spouses are given some time to get to know each other. It does happen that some married couples get romantically involved, but it is not the majority of cases. Most couples already have had sexual relationships before their marriage, and if they are still in relationships, this would also be the time for their future spouse to meet them and discuss living arrangements for the time in which they should try for children.
Some married couples decide to go their seperate ways after the first child, some decide to have more. Some married couples remain together their whole lives, though they may or may not have separate relationships outside of that one.
Generally, Hilduni are very open to sexual, romantic and platonic relationships (including non-monogamy, strictly monogamous couples being rather rare), but enforce much stricter rules when it comes to actually having children, to allow the child to get the best possible genetic material. Contraception is then very freely accessible to anyone in any form, including medication-based one for people with uteri, penises, or whatever else. Sex can be a social practice like any other, hence why underground hot springs often do have separate, "adult-oriented" baths.

Related Locations

• Massif du Hildun