Ryninia

History/Rough Town Personality

Ryninia is a small (though larger than you'd think) town, located within the Whispering Sea on a bit of land that is, well, slightly less marshy. Many families live here, but few have been here for more than a few generations. Nearly everyone who lives here fled from Siregal, for reasons they are not allowed to say (it is taboo to say the name or write of that northern country). Founded some just over a hundred years ago, and with the most recent renegade coming only thirty years ago, it is not surprising that they would rather ignore that pain and focus on the happier now. While it is not a rich town, they also have no need for riches, as there is no trade. Most time is spent gathering materials for buildings, food, and painting. Painting is their most favorite past time, and some of the mages who live there are able to create pigments unseen in the natural world. It is not unusual for the buildings to have several layers of different paint, people drawing over or building bigger the stories that people did previously.

There are several jobs available, and no one is assigned one over another. You simply pick where it feels best for you. If there is not enough work done in a place that is needed, anyone currently painting may be asked to spend a little time doing the needed activity, but that rarely occurs. There have been too many early years where they did not provide enough shelter or gather enough food, and, currently, people still remember. No one will say which of their tenets is new and what came from wherever they came from, and no one questions. It is just... how things are. You are, however, welcome to question - it's just nothing that has an answer. Few people who leave for distant travel ever return, and there is a week of mourning for each as there is no certainty that they will survive. The common jobs are harvester (building materials, food, paint materials), creator (build buildings, prepare meals, create paint), and minders (primarily to make sure children do not fall into the marsh). A few hours of work a day is typical, but not expected, with a time of creation considered a better use of time than working more than is needed.

There is little contention, and little demand for anything except survival and find what is best for you. Sometimes people just wish to argue, but those who become… more, who remind them too much of their past, have a habit of needing to go into the marshes for something no one else cares to see, and rarely return. There is no official leader, but people watch, and wait, and listen, and judge. What is more individual than trusting you may know best for others?

Tenets

• Mages and nonmages are equal in all things.
• Individuality is highly prized. You are welcome to join yourself to others, but you are still yourself, with your own thoughts and hopes and wishes, and these are valid. The purpose of the whole is to make sure the individual is allowed to thrive.
• Painting their body is considered sacred, and if it is done, that is part of the spirituality of the individual and does not influence anyone else. The only paint that is really "expected" is on the feet, and is reapplied weekly, on the day that the individual finds most sacred to them. The paint symbolizes that balance is easiest when fully planted/rooted to their gods, their family, their loves, and themselves. The actual colors do not matter, and frequently change until the age of 21, though they may change as the individual continues to grow. Color is more about what they "feel" represents the symbols.
  1. The front right hoof (or the right hand) is painted a color to symbolize the connection to the parents. It can be the individual color of any parental figure they choose, or a mix, or designs. It is simply to help the individual feel close to their roots
  2. The left hind hoof (or left foot) is painted in the individual's color. This is to symbolize that knowing yourself is to have a foundation between the earth and sky, and that the individual is both a part of something greater than themselves and yet they being themselves is also considered Great.
  3. The right hind hoof (or right foot) is painted in their partner(s)'s color, or a color that reminds them of their partner(s). This is to symbolize that caring for another(s) with their soul can bring them closer to the individual that they want to be, and that both they and their partner(s) are equal "footing" in all things, neither more important than the other.
  4. The left front hoof (left hand) is reserved for paint to their deities, and who they are closest to. This is the least often painted, as most do not feel a strong tie to any specific deity unless they are in current need. If their whole heart is not turned to a deity in times of ease, it is preferred (and expected) to not paint their reminder. When the deity hand is painted, it is to symbolize that they need only reach out and they will find the ones who will help.
• Each child goes through a rite at the ages of 6, 10, 15, and 21. They sit on the edge between the marsh and the town, seemingly alone, contemplating their purpose and, most importantly, contemplating who they are. At this time, they give a loose choosing of their preferred color, and a more firm choice of their name. Some children are given a name by their parents and never change it. Others take hours during their fourth rite to finally find a name. It is not unheard of to change again, but those are usually treated more as "nicknames" than as true names (unless the child insists on the nickname for over a year)
• During times of mourning, the individual (not the person who left, but the individual remaining) will paint their face in their own color (color b), and their ears in the color of those who left. Little is said, unless the individual wishes to, but, for the most part, life merely moves on.

Deities

While there is some belief in the patrons of Ivras (fortune, grace, destiny), each people has brought additional members to join into a pantheon, and none are put higher than another.

Additional deities include (but are not limited to):

• Akeyti - god of the lost. Many worship Akeyti when they have questions that they are unable to quiet in their hearts.
• Hylud - god of the found. Often invoked when someone has lost an object or person that they wish kept them company.
• Cilagoti - god of the frost. Her name is whispered most often by those who feel unsteady, especially those who are having difficulties with themselves, their families, or their partner(s). She is the one who solidifies the swampy ground
• Navozu - god of heat. Most commonly danced to when partners desire a child, or as a blessing before they try something new
• Gymeed - god of silence. While rarely invoked, they are said to give clarity of mind, to do the things that are difficult. Often associated with putting others above the individual.

Known Members

Edynu - played by tiyre Itb - NPC/side character, created by tiyre Nysll - NPC/side character, created by tiyre

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