Wunarense Nomads

Raiders, traders, herders, mercenaries and occassionally missionaries, the many nomadic Wunarense clans have made their presence known across all the Vonayres plains, both in establishing trade routes and destroying entire kingdoms with their fearsome malones. This disunited green-eyed folk from the flatlands are both feared for their devastating raids and admired for their love of freedom, no matter how much that freedom may cost.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Mará, Iuana, Wikturia, Vylma, Ana, Sekilia, Milakrus, Pas, Krus, Iandra, Gímena, Ylén

Masculine names

Niqu, Iandru, Luka, Marku, Murisku, Míteru, Atrizziu, Gímenu, Iuan, Uíktur, Kekiliu, Zekiel

Family names

Bérez, Chulz, Rámrez, Kristukruz, Azzaru, Gutzález, Dakri, Yanelu

Other names

Tigr, Iewa, Zurru, Cabayu, Wiluchu, Wurriún, Urneru, Zurzal, Parru, Lebre, Dwende, Turu, Vaka, Puyu

Culture

Average technological level

Though not sedentary, the Wunarense have developed some crude metallurgic industry, being able to smelt bronze and in some cases iron, even if most of their more sophisticated weaponry is usually stolen during raids. When it comes to construction, Wunarense camps rarely make anything more imposing than leather tents or straw huts, but on the few more-or-less permanent settlements they have, they are seen to build more sophisticated wooden dwellings.

Common Dress code

Baggy pants, sandals or foot wrappings, loose vests and shirts, ponchos or chiripás, the Wunarenses are not too dissimilar to other horse nomads of the Vonayres Plains , with the main differences being the use of red and their long red caps, making any Wunarense raid or malón as an overwhelming red tide. The women also wear red and ocassionaly partake in raiding too, but when not riding they swap the pants for long skirts or robes usually showing the shoulders.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Being a society lacking any formal rules or laws, the "blood feuds" or "sangradas" are common conflicts, sometimes causing the separation of entire tribes and generations-long conflicts, as the murder/dishonoring of a Wunarense will mean their family is encouraged if not obligated to avenge the victim, often creating cycles of violence and animosity between the families. This also applies to the Wunarense tribe leaders, the Caudillos, and many of them lost their place as head of their tribes due to blood feuds.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Baptism varies depending on whether the tribe practices Catholicism or the traditional religion. While Catholics will baptize their children in the typical fashion, "heathens" will instead place the newborn on a cradle of horse bone and place horse bone marrow on the infant's forehead to give him strenght. A second rite done a month after birth consists on the child's father, uncle, cousin or elder brother to hunt an animal to offer to the Duendes. The name of the animal will be given to the child, so that evil spirits won't torment them, thinking they are that animal (showed in the "other names" tab). That name is called the "birth name", and it will remain the child's only name until the age of five, where their proper name will be given, keeping the "birth name" as a sort of middle name. Although not too common, it is known that people with names of strong animals such as Tigr (cougar) or Turu (bull) are sometimes seen in higher regard than people with names of weaker/easier to hunt animals such as Urneru or other such bird names, whose father would be seen as weak or lazy. Its more common to see the father of a child named Dwende as a powerful hunter, as that name means the father managed to hunt down a Duende on his own for the sake of his child. Kids that have no father for whatever reason and lack any other male family members, or have them refuse to do the hunt, will mean they will have no "birth name", instead being referred to as Wawa "baby" until the age of two and "Aie" (Nameless) until the age of five, keeping that as their middle name. "Nameless" people are usually shunned by their community.

Coming of Age Rites

At the age of 12, young Wunarense boys become adults in the eyes of the tribe. In order to be considered men, a coming of age ritual is made in which the children are paired off against adults of the tribe, dressed up as demons and armed with clubs. The boys are to withstand the beating and defend themselves. If they managed to either throw the adult to the floor or stay on their feet for half an hour, they are considered men. Women don't get a coming of age rite unti they are 16, where they suffer much of the same but on the hands of the elder women of the tribe. At that same age, the tribe will pick wives for the younger men of the tribe, and that final rite of passage is for the new couple to successfully hunt a specific prey, based on the wife's "birth name", together.

Common Taboos

Like many other nomadic peoples, even getting near to one of the ancient Tower-men ruins is considered terrible sacrilege. Also, they believe that God created mankind in the sea, so eating fish to them is considered an equivalent to cannibalism. Rape and prostitution are seen as abominable acts, as they have the chance of leaving "Nameless" children behind. The punishment for both those acts are death in Wunarense tribes. Blood feuds, having a very important role in Wunarense society, are seen disapprovingly when not continued. Forgiveness is usually seen as weak when the offense towards a family was recent. As a society that greatly values freedom, slavery is seen as a heinous crime, which is why they tend to act more ruthlessly towards the realms to their south that are more accepting of such actions.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The Wunarenses find brown hair and green eyes as signs of beauty, and the men tend to keep beards, specifically moustaches, while the women tend to braid their hair. A slim figure is appreciated, as it's seen as good for the harsh life of a nomad.

Diverged ethnicities