Rites of Passage
There are four rites of passage as observed by the Communal Family: birth,
coming of age, pregnancy, and becoming an elder in your community. Each
community celebrates these with slight variations, but generally they are
celebrated as follows:
Birth: The infant is taken from the parents before the first day is
out and is given to that Unta. At that time the Unta cleans the infant,
rubbing special oils on the baby’s feet to celebrate the long path before
them. This child is then seen as being blessed by the Communal Family and is
accepted as a blood member of the community. Noble families have very
special, specific rites that are followed and may be found in their
documentation.
Coming of Age: This
typically takes place around the age of sixteen and is celebrated with a
large feast by the entire community where the child is the only server in
the procession. Before the final course is delivered the Unta will ask if
there is anyone who is not appeased by the offering from the child.
Traditionally the child’s father or mother, depending on the child’s sex,
will stand up and announce that no, there is one thing missing from the meal
that would appease their hunger. They will then decide upon some reasonably
difficult object or food to acquire that the child will then do whatever it
takes to get. The entire communal family will remain seated at the table
until the child either returns with the item in question, or with their
notice of failure. With success, the child will be embraced by their
challenging parent, and the meeting will dispense. With failure everyone
except the Unta and the challenging parent will depart, leaving them to
discussion on what to do with the child. It is typically no sooner than ten
years before another ceremony can be had. Again, noble families have
different coming of age traditions (while children are home from school on a
break), with generally the same hope behind them, though they tend to be
more difficult physically or intellectually.
How Elves Age
Click
the above Link for an explanation of Elvish Aging.
Pregnancy: The father of
the baby first goes to each member of their community asking if when the
time comes if they would bless the child and accept them as a member of
their family. Typically the answer is yes, but with a negative response it
is the duty of the father to do whatever chores and labor is required of
them in order to win the dissenter’s approval. In the exceptionally rare
case of the Unta’s disapproval, the father is immediately banished to the
forest until the day of the child’s birth, having no contact with the
child’s mother or the rest of his family until that very day. It is then up
to the mother to win the Unta’s approval, by giving them daily updates as to
how large and firm her stomach is getting and how swollen her breasts are. A
large and firm belly and swollen breasts are an obvious sign of an addition
of strength to the community, and the Unta will be pleased. With failure to
win the Unta’s approval the father, mother and child are then banished to
the forest for no less than five years, the child only able to be accepted
as a member of the community once they are sixteen and attempt to come of
age. On the days nearing birth, the father will then paint the mother’s
stomach with the symbols of luck, fortune and success, while adding figures
to represent the child and the wished upon path for them. During these days
the mother will make every effort to meet with all the members of the
community, meeting each of them with her torso exposed to display the
prowess of her motherhood. A time will be set where the mother will then
enjoy a bath of kora fruit juices, water from Tow’s fountains, and flowers
given to her by the women of the community where the paint is washed from
her stomach, in an effort to further soak the coming infant in the love and
good wishes of the community. With this the process is complete.
Again, nobility may have further requirements, and difficulty in proceeding
is much more intense.
Promotion to Eldership:
This takes place between the prospective elder and the Unta, no earlier than
the age of forty-eight. The Unta will quiz the prospective elder on what
they believe it takes to lead the community and how this further respect
will affect their daily life. If the Unta is pleased with the results, they
will then go to the community and challenges will commence. The elders of
the community will demand gifts from the prospect, requiring they impress
with their well-rounded nature. Some will desire handcrafted goods, others
fresh spoils, and some feats of magic unlike anything they have seen. These
tests are typically set up for success, as the Unta has likely been
observing their prospects for quite awhile and has a good idea of who will
eventually become an elder. Within the noble houses, and because those
families are generally smaller, promotion to eldership may occur much
earlier, especially in House Kondei, where so many are lost in battle at an
early age.
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Religion
The primary religious belief for the people of Tow is that the Forest is the
most sacred location in the expansive world, having been created by the
elves of the ancients when the Sphere destroyed everything in its path.
Throughout the generations the reverence for the Forest and all that it can
provide, as well as knowledge that the spirits held within protect and guide
the elves of Tow, has grown to an almost fanatical level. Religious cults
have sprouted up over time, all with the consistent background that the
Goddess is the power that binds the forest’s powers to the elves and that
Her all-knowing wisdom will bring further prosperity to their people. Life
isn’t taken on a whim by any elf, as all elves know that every tree, blade
of grass, and creature in the forest was put there by their ancestors for
their benefit. It is this reverence of life that causes some hunters to sink
into deep, guilty depressions in knowing that in order to provide they must
take from the Forest. As such, the Goddess is seen as no less than a deity
who is the only one who can truly harness the vast power of the Forest and
act as a conduit to the power of the Ancestors. Every child in Tow is raised
with these beliefs or some variation of these beliefs. Discarding the
conventional frame of mind of generations of elves would be considered some
sort of human influence or deviant attitude, and would be accordingly
ostracized and punished, and while new mindsets and religions are being
developed, that of Virtue, of the Goddess, is followed by the greatest
number of elves in Tow, around ninety-two percent of the population, leaving
the rest (those that follow balance, wrath, or nothing at all) to generally
fall into the "underground".
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Death and Funerals
Death is seen as a glorious and proud moment for those who have died, for
their spirit has returned to the Forest. The body is seen less and less as
remains of a loved one and becomes more like a communal fetish and is used
as such. If the deceased’s community was that of fishermen, then the body
will be returned to the sea as a good luck charm for a season of numerous
good catches. For a community of woodsmen, the body will be covered with
leaves and twigs in the hopes that it will promote prosperity that would
come from the Forest. Rites from magical communities are varied, typically
involving days worth of chanting and requests for blessings from the
departed so that their wisdom won’t be lost. Eventually the remains will be
consumed in a vast fire so that all might be able to breathe in the air and
share on the passed wisdom. Nobility have their own rites that are
held in secret, and kept from the rest of the society, though it is often
whispered that Sole's family estate's entryway is filled with coffins from
floor to ceiling.
As religion has
progressed and grown, the idea of returning to the forest has become a
spiritual ideal as well as a physical one, the path of the spirit moving on
to higher plane of existence, still subsisting near the Goddess, as all
perfection in her presence, living forever happily, with their mate, if
mated during life.
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Marriage
There are two types of marriages for the people of Tow, arranged and
consensual. Arranged marriages were very common in decades past where one
Community would contact another asking for a list of prospective mates that
would nearly be of age and what sort of compensation would be required for
their parting. In every case, regardless of sex, the Community of the older
partner is the one that adopts the new bride or groom. It is then up to the
adopting Community to provide compensation for the other Community for the
lost productivity of the one to be mated. This could simply be having the
prospective bride or groom doing chores and labor for their mate’s Community
until such a time when someone in that Community comes of age to replenish
the workforce. Once proper compensation has been given a small ceremony with
both mates’ Unta’s is held. At that point the younger mate is accepted into
their new Community as a full member. Most marriages are made in such
ways.
Consensual marriages have become more frequent in recent years, yet they are
not without their share of drawbacks. The prospective mates are obligated to
make it public knowledge of their intent to be wed. At this point there is a
period of two-weeks (three real life days) where anyone who is eligible to
take a mate may offer a challenge for either of the prospective mates. This
challenge is simply one of mortal combat, quite simply if you feel like
you’re more deserving of either the prospective bride or groom it is your
duty to remove their intended from the claim. Whoever wins the combat wins
the rite to wed the survivor of the original claim. It is not unheard of for
a long series of challengers to line up for the hand of an exceptionally
powerful, brilliant, beautiful or skilled young male or female. This is the
only time where the elvish reverence of life is put aside, simply for the
sake of strengthening the race and family bloodlines with the best it has to
offer. This lingering affect is from the days when the elves were more
tribal and savage in nature.
*MATING CHALLENGES
During these fights
anything that is legal is acceptable. A master craftsman could forge the
finest weapons and armors for his battle, a Durin could use whatever magics
at their disposal, a Shaman could continually calm the fight in an effort to
win, or someone trained in stealth could use their more sneaky and subtle
means of attack, once the battle begins. Poisons, stenmin magics or having
someone fight by proxy are simply unacceptable and would be punished
accordingly by the DokJin. Mating challenges must have a proper
witness, any member of any noble house-unaffiliated with the battle, to
oversee the contest, or it is deemed illegal, and legal consequences will
follow.
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Appearance and Dress
The clothing styles made by elven tailors are light and airy and are
considered the best that the world has to offer. Favorite colors tend to be
shades of green, brown, white and the occasional blue. Women tend to dress
from the fairly formal of long skirts and dresses to the practical and
revealing of halters, harnesses and thongs, depending on their daily duties
and status in life. Silver jewelry is preferred, simple in ornamentation.
Elvish males tend to be very practical in their dress, wearing whatever
makes their jobs easier. It is not uncommon for males to wear simply pants
and sandals for their daily routine. Due to the rainy and almost tropical
weather of the area the people dress accordingly. As always, anything of
human, dwarf or other race’s manufacture is seen as substandard and unworthy
of the people. Rubies, Emeralds, Diamonds, Sapphires, Garnets, and
Topazes are House jewels, and anyone wearing them, not of the House will be
considered a thief, and treated as such. Nobles tend to wear silks
either in single layer or multiple layers, while the common elf is usually
seen in cottons, linens, and leathers, although all are in brilliant color,
or significant color (black for mourning, white for impending birth).
Gold is never seen on a commoner, nor is it seen on a noble, it is seen only
in the garb of those of Emperial status.
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Entertainment and Dining
Typically the elves of Tow relax playing games of chance and spinning
stories for the entertainment of their peers. There are several taverns in
the town with the favorite being Tufleet’s Tavern, located in the Noble
quarter. Tufleet's has several fine rooms for rent, a lavish restaurant and
an expansive porch with an exquisite view of the lake and beach below. Each
of the noble houses have their own massive suite on the upper floors.
Tufleet's caters to the more Upper Crust of Tow, and is known as a gathering
place of the most influential members of society. The working elf tends to
congregate in the taverns of the main quarter, most notably the restaurant
and tavern, The Taphouse. More affordable in pricing and known as an
entertaining place to hang out, the common quarter is home to several
interesting and unique shops. Generally speaking, the elves of Tow are a
very laid back group of people who find themselves easily entertained by
magic shows, stories of skilled hunts and games that challenge the mind.
The Solestice is another restaurant, located in the northern area of the
common quarter, with filling and delicious meals at reasonable prices.
It also has a stage where entertainers are known to perform. In
Thraille, The Manor House Pub is a wonderful restaurant, where upon the
upper terraces, one may look out over all of the city of Tow in its majesty.
It also is known to have some of the most romantic deserts, and is one of
the most romantic getaways for a date between courting elves.
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Arts and Crafts
The elves of Tow are renowned around the world as the finest and most
skilled craftsmen of silver, as well as being known to make the finest bows,
arrows and leather goods that can be found. Their goods tend to be very
functional, fairly ornate and extremely practical in manner. Artisans are
viewed and revered second only to the magic users in society. It is their
craft and ability that further adds to the beauty around them. They
tend to work in stone, marble, crystal, silver, and wood, and their works
are visible all about Tow from deep in the forest to all over the city.
Most works are highly religious or the views of love and the height of
emotion of each and every elf, which is seen as more intense than any other
race.
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Nobility
There are three classes of nobility in Tow. Those who are nobility by blood
called Dah-Toh. Those who are named nobility, that does not extend to their
family, because of prowess in hunting and scouting called the Mog-Toh. And
lastly those who received title because of their mercantile ability and
increasing wealth they bring into the city called the Zun-Toh. Title for the
Mog-Toh and Zun-Toh is granted only where there is an opening, the final
decision for promotion made by the Emperor/Empress. All nobles are granted
property from which to handle their daily affairs.
The nobles by blood include the House Kondei, which runs and maintains the
Militia, House Sole, which maintains the library and history of Tow, as well
as educating the masses, House Nicolo which runs most of the farms of the
Empire and provides food to the hungry, House MendiKu which grew from the
ranks of two common merchant families (Mendiri and Kunan), granted status
because of their service to the empire and are now the only house allowed to
sell mind altering and illicit substances (not including alcohol which is
sold by Kondei), and lastly House Nae, which handles the finances and taxes
of the Empire, as well as the banks. House Nae is owned by the Empire,
having been disbanded as nobility in 280 A.C.
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