Vistani

The Vistani seem to be a race of humans who follow the path of the traveller. They travel where the road takes them, and are as mysterious as any can be. Primarily related to the Romani of Earth, they can be found in a number of Material Plane worlds. Here they will happily take in a number of different races such as Halflings, who will follow the same traditions. They have unfortunately received the name of "Tinker" in many places where they wander. This seems related to their ability to work tin especially, along with wood, and other minor blacksmithing. They also breed horses, and will buy and sell both them, as well as information.
The Vistani are known for their bright, almost garish clothing, unique cant only known to themselves, and their ability to use Tarot / Tarroka cards, tea leaves, & crystal balls to both predict the past, present & future. With travelling in caravans of their own making they are noticeable due to the workings covering the caravans. As bright and as colourful as their clothing they are the pride & joy of many Vistani. When one dies in their clan, and the owner of a caravan, it is burned to stop his or her spirit lingering in it. They are sometimes found in the presence of a heavy cold mist, and some suspect they are touched by powers & places no-one would care to know. The Vistani themselves are secretive round outsiders, and will rarely take in anyone they don't know nor trust.
One thing that is apparent, is that when the Vistani appear, and the mists rise, people and/or places disappear. Usually they are never seen again. In rare instances things best left unspoken, let alone seen or heard, is left in their wake. According to what is known about them, they were touched in some way by a curse that allowed them to travel to different dimensions using the mist, using what is referred to as Mist Talismans, to travel to different domains. They are able to travel great distances using these, and will on occasion help others do the same. They might even be able to be persuaded to hand over a talisman, and show how it works.
Many clans of Vistani exist, and are generally quiet, keeping to themselves, and only to the edges of societies & settlements where possible. They will come into settlements as and when necessary, and they all appear to be quite religious. Many appear to be Roman Catholic, and a few clans appear pagan. Both the latter and the Vistani cant appear to be a mix of Slavic in origin, with a little bit of Hindu belief mixed in, along with Urdu language-wise. If a approached peacefully they will be hospitable & courteous, and even help locals any way they can within reason. Unfortunately, most locals in areas frequented by them don't trust these outsiders, treating them with distain at best, and outright hostility at worse. Many places they travel along believe they curse others with the Evil Eye, steal away children & wealth, and cause crops & livestock to fall ill.
Each Vistani troop (as they are known), is made up of an extended family with elements from other clans present, and sometimes the odd outsider that is accepted by them. When two or more troops of them meet, they camp down for a few days. There they feast, drink, carry out basic religious duties, marry, bury the dead, or any number of different actions. They take the time to swap information, organise business & forthcoming marriages between different clan members, and settle any differences. These differences are done with fists, with the wronged party fighting one-on-one with a member of the opposing clan member. This bare knuckle boxing ends when the other admits defeat, left unconscious., or just can't fight no more. The elders control the clan, and oversee everything, including the bare knuckle fighting. As for the latter both sides leave with honour intact, and if one doesn't show up, or just doesn't fight, the other is classed as the winner, and the loser is classed as being without any. This can stain them until the fight is fulfilled, or until a year & a day passes. This can affect the standing of the loser's clan, making it harder to deal with other clans for that period of time.
Most of the Vistani clans have clear gender roles with the men being dominant, and the women being classed as the ones who look after the home and children. The men are looked upon to carry out any work, and to defend the troop when need by. Any of the girls seen talking to anyone outside the clan, and especially to any non-Vistani, are classed as 'dirty' by Vistani standards. The boys are meant to 'kidnap' a girl they want to marry, and do it without the family knowing, especially the males. They may beat him, though not severely, and let him go. If the girl is violated them it is a great dishonour for every family involved. If it goes smoothly and the boy gets time with the girl to talk, they are classed as being engaged from that point on.