The Itani

Overview

The Itani are an islander people mostly known for their trade goods that they sell. Masters of their environment, they have become prosperous off of the bounty of the sea. Coral, pearls, exotic fishes and the most sought after trade good, Ironscales. Also regarded as highly skilled in aquatic magics, which they have focused on to the exclusion of nearly all other forms.
Outsiders view them as somewhat backwards, less developed and almost primitive. Usually because of living in homes made from trees and plants instead of stone. Their culture, however, is a very close knit society and technologically advanced.
They hold a long-standing grudge against the Queendom of Vreabia for cutting them off from the rest of the world with the Storm Wall, however they recognise that their principal export is because of the magic of the Storm Wall so are coming to accept it.
They have created a life in harmony with the s that live under the islands they inhabit. They feed and protect the Dragon Turtles and they can harvest the fallen shells and scales.

Art & Architecture

They live in large huts made from supple wood bent in a frame which is then surrounded with a clay that hardens. The clay is a blend of island soil combined with Dragon Turtle feces, which adds strength to the mix. They then top this tough shell with thick bundles of dried and bound branches of leaves. These are affixed in layers that they remove in times of extreme heat. There is a hole at the apex of the grass roof to allow heat and smoke to escape. They have a fire bed sunk into the floor in the centre of the structure for cooking and keeping warm.
They paint the exterior of the clay a clean white to reflect the sun and then over that a range of colours and designs. This makes each village have a variety of looks and, between villages, distinct art styles have emerged.
The Itani have a great love of pottery, making a large range of objects in the material. They like to affix items from the sea to them to give them colour and life. Shells, scales, bones and teeth from aquatic animals are all popular choices. The more brightly coloured, the better in their opinions.

Customs & Traditions

Each village elects a single village chief, which can be male or female. This person is then honour bound to do the best they can for the village. They don’t get any special treatment or extra allowances. They consider it a duty to be performed and not an honour to elevate them over other people.
When each person comes of age, between 16 and 18, depending how the parents feel they have developed, they must go on their first Ironscale dive, known as The First Dive. The first one they must do alone in a special underwater cavern beneath the island. Each village has a cavern like this under it for the purpose. Some people think they are what causes a new village to grow up in that location.

Funerary Customs

When a member of a village eventually dies, there is a day of mourning for all that live there. After this one day, they hold a week of feasting and celebration of that person’s life. If a tragedy occurs that takes multiple people, they still hold only a single day of mourning and a week of celebrating for all. The body is cleaned as best they can and wrapped. Then they take it to the cavern under the island and feed their bodies to the Dragon Turtles that live there.

Trade

Objects from the sea life and sea floor make up much of their trade with the outside world. Rare shells and aquatic life. Pearls and other precious gems. However, the most sought after trade item is the Ironscales. These are scales harvested from Dragon Turtles who live in aquatic caves under the islands. The Itani know the extensive underwater tunnel system under their villages that leads to the lairs of these noble beasts. They bring them tributes and help them with any sickness or injury they suffer and in payment the Dragon Turtles allow them to take shed scales and shells from the dead.