Mesinyu

The Mesinyu are a minority ethnic group inhabiting the tropical forests of the Kingdom of Yiru which survives through hunting and foraging. Their most distinctive feature is their short stature. As urban settlements in the area have expanded, they have lost access to much of the land where they used to live, and their numbers - always small - have shrunk. Mesinyu culture has also suffered through prolonged contact with Foru settlements: their native language has been extinct for several generations, and they even tend to use Foru personal names. They are largely nomadic, and have few permanent settlements, but will often establish long-lasting trade links with Foru villages and towns on the edge of the forest: Mesinyu will trade products of the hunt for metal and wooden goods, but rarely produce such items themselves. Each village group contains around dozen nuclear families or more, each of which constructs and lives in their own temporary hut; village groups do not appear to compete for territory, and will form alliances through marriage. A woman is expected to join her husband's village. Each group will have dedicated hunt leaders, but general decision-making results from discussion and consensus, with no overall hierarchy. As more Mesinyu people leave their traditional settlements in favour for an urban lifestyle, they are developing a reputation as skilled storytellers, known for their excellent memories and generally humorous style of narration, and as cooks who are keen to experiment with different flavours and spices and who can make use of almost every part of an animal.

Culture

Common Dress code

The Mesinyu rarely wear clothing in their own settlements, unless they are expecting visitors from other cultures. During brief visits to other settlements, they favour simple loose clothing; those who settle in urban centres seem to enjoy trying out a range of styles, often creating their own clothes which imitate the fashions favoured by traders from around the world.

Art & Architecture

Architecture is practical and temporary, as family groups tend not to stay in one place for more than a season. Settlements usually consist of around a dozen small, circular huts with roofs sloping up into a dome: walls are back of sticks and mud, while the roofs are made of leaves and grass. Such buildings are designed to fall apart and return the forest to its natural state once they have served their purpose. A few long-term settlements - those which are particularly close to favoured trading posts - will have larger rectangular buildings made of mud bricks. While hunting or foraging in the forest for sustained periods, adults will often camp in the open air. Art is based in music, songs and dances that involve the whole community, rather than the production of material goods; wooden drums and trumpets feature heavily.

Funerary and Memorial customs

The dead are buried in their temporary villages before they are abandoned; no grave markers are used. However, funny or interesting stories from a person's life are recounted by their friends and descendants for years after their death, and in this way their memory is kept alive. When returning to a site which was previously settled, older Mesinyu will take the time to explain who they remember as being buried there.

Common Taboos

Hogmeat is considered taboo to eat, which seems a reflection of the destructive abilities of wild hogs, but Mesinyu hunters will happily trade hogmeat to others. Beating, killing or imprisoning members of one's own community is generally avoided, in favour of banishment as a punishment for serious crimes and short-term shunning as a punishment for lesser misbehaviour.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

Society is largely egalitarian, but there are still some specific gender roles. Hunting is primarily a man's domain, although women and children assist wih nets, and responsibility for obtaining water and keeping a hut in order is largely a task for women. Foraging and childcare duties are equally shared, and all adults have an equal say in decision-making.

Typical appearance

Height: 4’6” – 4’11” (female) / 4’9” – 5’3” (male).
Build: Thickset, short-legged with thick calves.
Facial structure: Wide round face with a jutting jaw and small receding chin; very wide flat nose, thin lips, soft chubby features.
Skin tone: Dark reddish-brown with cool undertones.
Eyes: Medium to dark brown; very large with creased lids.
Hair: Medium to dark brown or black, sometimes reddish-blond, tightly coiled; moderate body hair.