Ellurian West Teldanari

Etenari
Ellurian West Teldanari
Racial Characteristics
Average Weight:	5'8"
Hair Color:	widely varied, but includes the white of the Teldanari
Eye Color:	widely varied, but does include the strange reddish pink of the Teldanari
Other Information
Country of Origin:	Currently from Elluria via Aslar, ultimately originating in Teldanar
Significant Populations:	Elluria
Language:	Etenari language (a dialect of Teldanari)
Major Religion:	Alouism
Related Races:	Teldanari

The Ellurian West Teldanari, most commonly called Etenari, are a group of Teldanari people who were relocated to Elluria from Aslar in the time before the Southland War. Most of these people were from the middle regions of Aslar and spoke Aslar as their native language. Due to their relative isolation from other Teldanari peoples, they have developed their own unique spin on Teldanari customs. Also, due to geographical relocations over their history and their open-ness to "adoption" (and looser traditional definition of marriage), these people tend to have a lower number of the very pale-white (perhaps albino) features that their eastern cousins display. Many Etenari people look indistinguishable from very fair Ellurian or Aslarian humans (excluding, of course, mode of dress).

After their relocation, many Etenari found work in the docks and fishing cities. They quickly became expert seamen, known for their patient mastery of many ocean-related skills. Etenari-prepared fish is a local delicacy in some parts of western Elluria.

Culture

Etenari revere Alou, the "nameless god" (also "the faceless god"). From the age of 12 on, both men and women cover their faces and their bodies with loose cloth (normally white) as a display of faith.

Beliefs

The Etenari have a song which is passed from generation to generation, telling of the greatness of Alou and how Alou spun the world into existence off of a great wheel. The world and all creations of Alou were beautiful and flawless, but Man grew too enamored of the power of the Wheel and tried to use it for his own amusement, thus irreparably altering both the nature of humanoids and the world. Alou vowed to fix the mistake Man had made by removing Man from being (and thus Men took up the veil (laadakh, called laakh among the Teldanari) to hide themselves from Alou), but one child's innocence and purity stopped his hand.

Mankind was saved, but the Etenari wear the veil and sing the song still, to remind themselves to be humble and think always of the mercy of Alou and the beauty of the natural state of things.

Redemption

Unlike with their Eastern cousins, the Etenari make special exceptions to the general rule of laadakh, allowing for those who have shown great skill and bravery in service of Family and Oaths to remove their laadakh after a rite called Redeeming. This exception applies only to the person who is Redeemed via the rite, and does not pass to their children or relatives, unlike most Etenari honors. A Redeemed Etenari person may still wear the laadakh at special occasions, such as the naming of a child or funerals. A notable Redeemed Etenari person is Sarah Killian.

Circles of Loyalty

Etenari categorize their relationships based on "circles" of importance and loyalty. The lower the number of an individual's "circle", the more important and prioritized their interactions are with Etenari people. This is, of course, just a general idea and not a hard and fast rule. Etenari are human beings and make many exceptions to this hierarchy every day.

Some people have argued for the combining of circles one and two below, since in practice there is usually little difference between how a family member is treated and a clanmember is treated.

Circle	Includes
First	Immediate family, one's spouse and children, siblings, parents, etc.*
Second	Extended family and one's entire clan.*
Third	Business partners and known Etenari of other clans.
Fourth	Relevant non-Etenari.
Fifth	Everyone and everything else.

Peculiarities

Family and Oaths

Etenari people place high value on Family and Oaths. A person will gladly lay down their lives to protect their kinsmen, and will do what is necessary to ensure the continuation of their clan.

A promise made by an Etenari person is widely considered as good as a deed already done.

Dietary concerns

Etenari people refuse to eat eggs or baby animals out of deference to the wishes to Alou. (See "Beliefs" above.) Breads are bound together with chia rather than egg. They have no problem eating seeds and grains as these are not recognised as "offspring". Something which requires aid (in this case water) to become life is not considered a child. Eggs hatch on their own, seeds (agriculturally grown) require preparation of the soil, toil, careful handling, etc, to produce "offspring" (seedlings).

Wholeism

The traditional Etenari consideration is that a family or clan is one being rather than many separate ones bound together by circumstance. This extends to their understanding of nature and the world at whole, as well. One animal is the same as another, one plant the same as another. They are instances of a greater whole. It is for this reason that an individual will gladly give their life to ensure continuation of their family or clan: their life is not being wasted, it is simply one part of the whole acting to defend the whole.

Etenari Marriage

Marriage is less of a binding contract for the Etenari than it is for many societies. A marriage to a person includes a pact to take care of the partner at all costs, to care for the children of the woman in the marriage (there is no homosexual marriage equivalent among the Etenari), and to honor the clans of both spouses.

Etenari are free to take other lovers, and quite often do. Those Etenari who are seafarers tend to have several relationships on the side, though there is a taboo about creating anything stable or long-lasting with anyone other than their spouse. Any children from these other relationships are not considered Etenari or part of the clan of the father if the mother is not Etenari. These children are considered members only of the social group of their mothers. The children of Etenari mothers who are the product of a union with a non-Etenari are considered to be Etenari, but are not considered children of the non-Etenari parent at all.

Language

Ellurian West Teldanari speak an Aslar-influenced dialect of Teldanari which is written with Aslarian glyphs.

Etenari Clans

Etenari people generally fall into one of the five clans. There are technically six, but one has since gone extinct.

Nisaadari

Etenari Nisaad are the Etenari equivalent of priests or contemplative monks. They are the keepers of the song, givers of prophecy, and generally speaking thought of highly by the other clans. Initiated Etenari Nisaad maintain a telepathic link to one another with heavy consumption of the western variety of Nokos mushroom.

Tindasari

Etenayari Tindas.

Adoption

Etenari are distinguished from their Eastern cousins by their liberal attitude towards adoption of outsiders into the whole. Any person who proves themselves willing to lay down their lives to defend a clan of Etenari, or who takes up an oath of an Etenari person and sees it to completion becomes eligible for the status of Etenayari, "Found/Discovered Etenari". If the clan finds them to be worthy, they will become another member of that clan. Immediate full-blood siblings of the Etenayari are also considered to be Etenayari, however recognition of this status requires that they themselves claim it by presenting themselves to the clan Fathers. The children of Etenayari are not Etenayari, but rather simply Etenari.

Etenayari are expected to adhere to the same general guidelines as Etenari people themselves do: protect the Whole, keep one's oaths, etc. They are, however, not penalised if they fail to wear the veil (laadakh) and don't keep to the dietary restrictions (though this is frowned upon).

Etenayari are not clan-mobile, unlike Etenari. (They remain with the clan they are adopted into until they die, and cannot be adopted by/taken into another clan. The exception to this is Etenayari who later become Etenayari Nisaad, Nisaadari (the contemplative Etenari equivalent of monks).)