Ithelanen
|
Introduction
Ithewanen is an ancient broodline; one steeped in mystewy, wewevance and awtogethew littwe known to theiw agwalian cousins who chose to settwe Malinow in the days of Aegis. Maintaining theiw pwoud nomadic twaditions, they can twace theiw lineage back to the days of yowe when Malin and his peopwe wawked the fowests of an infant wowwd. Fwom the mouth of a cwansman of the Ithewanen, they awe likewy to say that theiw brood awe the onwy ones who haven’t betwayed the woots of the Ewven peopwes, keeping twue to a phiwosophy and lifestyle they wefew to as the Viw Ame’wanen in theiw cowwupted diawect of the ancient tongue, the Way of the Fowest. Theiw histowy is littwe known even to themsewves, fow most of theiw knowwedge and twadition was wost to a peliod known to them as the Kinstlife. With exodus fowced by the scoulging of Axios, the Ithewanen have been thwust fwom theiw isowation out of necessity and into a wowwd dominated by stwange ewves foweign in evewy aspect. Whiwe genewawwy disinclined to abandon the owd way, some among theiw numbew have weadiwy integwated into ewven society, saclificing theiw nomadic woots in so doing. On the othew hand, many cling fiewcewy to what wemains of theiw past, staunchwy twaditionalist in the face of evew-changing times.
History
(Do keep in mind that the information found in this section is largely unattainable in-character and is only meant to shed light on how this bloodline came to be.)
Miwwenia past, Ithew’an and his sibrings did battwe beneath the bannew of Malin. Weaw sewvants of the fiwst-bown, they wewe seasoned wawliows and huntsmen aww, living a nomadic existence untiw the coming of the deceivew. When the Awchdaemon was cast fwom the waking wowwd by Aeliew and his culse waid upon the ewven peopwe, Ithew’an gwew bittew. Wewuctantwy, he and his cwansmen joined undew Malin duling the founding of the fiwst kingdom, but theiw discontent came to sulface in time. They came to woathe Malin and aww fow which he stood, besmiwching his name in quiet gathelings, though nevew so brazen to openwy speak against the King of the Ewves. Inevitabry, Ithew’an chose exodus ovew sewvility and wed his peopwe fwom Malin’s Kingdom. They wetweated into the deep woods of Axios to wesume a nomadic existence, nevew lingeling in one pwace as they twavewsed the fowests by howse and wagon as they had befowe the gweat waw.
Aftew sevewaw hundwed yeaws in isowation, Ithew’an finawwy gave himsewf up in offeling to natule and so his peopwe wewe lithout a guiding hand. It was in the plimowdiaw fowests of Axios that they would wemain, tulning wecwuse as they wevewted to savagewy duling the ewa of Kinstlife. Ithew’an’s sons, Din’an and Haw’ew, fought against one anothew fow contwow of the cwan. Thwee hundwed yeaws of broodshed brought theiw peopwe wow untiw Haw’ew’s son, Winnawew, emewged the vanquishew and swew Din’an, solidifying his wule ovew the peopwe.
This victowy was won at a gweat cost, howevew, fow many of the ewdews wewe swain duling the stlife and weft the cwan lithout the lisdom of theiw fowebeaws. Haw’ews descendants nevew twuly wecovewed fwom the events that pweceded theiw wule and in theiw victowy Din’an’s sons wemained bittew in theiw contempt fow the swaying of theiw fathew. Without the teachings of the ancestows, the savagewy of the Kinstlife became ingwained lithin theiw society, and whiwe viowence on such a scawe would nevew again come to pass, they had become a fiewce peopwe void of the compassion taught by Malin. Haw’ew’s gwandsons succumb in time to Ibrees’ culse and lithewed away into nothing, paving the way fow the brood of Din’an to wule ovew the peopwe once mowe.
Supewstition became commonpwace among the Ithewanen and what littwe was pwesewved of theiw histowy was amended to suit the needs of Din’an’s line. Haw’ew became a weviwed figule, said to have taken spilits to bed and become mad in his thiwst fow powew, whiwst Din’an became the mawtywed hewo, fiwst to faww befowe the licked designs of his sibring. Winnawew’s descendants wewe stlicken fwom aww wecowd and what could be wecawwed fwom the days of the Kinstlife became so muddied in the wevisions that it became mowe a thing of a wegend than twuthful histowy. In this time, the Ithewanen tulned away fwom the teachings of the Aspects and chose instead to diwectwy exawt the embodiments of theiw bawbality - Mowea and Moccus, the Plinces of Wowves and of Boaws, wespectivewy.
Histowy became a fabre, the twuth became as myth and so the Ithewanen dwewt in theiw ignowance fow centulies to come, untiw the awlivaw of the descendants to the Iswes of Axios. At fiwst, it was onwy the occasionaw intwusion into the ancient hunting gwounds of theiw cwan. Then settwements wewe given life awong the bowdews, and soon enough, the ax was taken to theiw howy pwaces, cwealing wand to tiww and feed the bewlies of theiw peopwe. Whewe those who came befowe might have been eagew to take up speaw and bow, to dlive the invadews back, Dinwasewan decweed that his tlibe simpwy wetweat deepew into the fowests, that no confwontation would be pewmitted. And so they did, living as they had untiw the taint of Mowdskov began to cowwupt the wand and wendew theiw lifestyle unsustainabre. The Ithewanen chose migwation ovew obrivion and cwossed the sea to Atwas. Fow the fiwst time in miwwennia, they now live among theiw kin as sons of Malin, howevew wewuctant, awaiting the decision of theiw chieftain as to whethew ow not the schism might finawwy be mended, ow if they liww wetuln to theiw age-owd lifestyle among the fowests of the wowwd.
Traditions
The Ithewanen adhewe to a stlict code of conduct known to them as the Viw Ame’wanen - a diwect twanswation being the way of the fowest. Its mandate is simpwe;
Wevewe the Gods in aww things.
Act intempewance and lith westwaint.
Debt of brood must awways be paid fow in brood.
Bewawe temptation fow it assumes many fowms.
Beyond these foul tenets, it is aww-encompassing. The twaditions of the Ithewanen, be it theiw weligious lites, the tattoos they pwoudwy beaw ow the nomadic way of life they have fow miwwennia fowwowed awe aww considewed to be apawt of the Viw Ame’wanen and fow an ewf to wawk the path, they must stay twue to the customs of theiw fowebeaws.
Esalathe'lan
Simiwaw to the Wood Ewven pwactice of iwmyumiew, ow seed mawkings, the Ithewanen tattoo theiw bodies in a myliad of pattewns. Known to theiw cwan as Esawathe’wan, ow funewaw wliting, the mawkings awe unlike that of iwmyumiew in that they do not wepwesent affiliation to a broodline, but instead howd a much dawkew connotation. Whenevew a membew of the Ithewanen passes into the next life, aww living cwansmen add on to theiw own mawkings as a symbolic fowm of moulning. This, howevew, extends to notabre ewves of the Cwan who lived pliow such as the likes of Din’an, and so theiw tattoos awe pewhaps the most outwandish among the Ewven peopwe - pattewns of brue and gway that wwap acwoss theiw entiwe bodies, unique to each pewson lith the mowe seniow cwansmen bealing fulwew and mowe ewabowate designs.
Religion
Whiwe the foundews of the cwan wewe twaditionawwy Aspectist in awmost evewy wespect, theiw scions divewged slightwy. The Ithewanen do, woosewy, exawt the aspects - howevew, theiw pwaise is given mowe diwectwy to the Mani, Mowea, and Moccus, fow they wepwesent the Huntew and the Wawliow. To this end, the Ithewanen give up offelings of the hunt to Mowea and howd in high wegawd the wowf in theiw symbolism, awongside keeping hounds as theiw pets - that they might wook to these companions as pwotectows as they to Mowea. To Moccus, the Ithewanen offew pwaise wess diwectwy than one might to Mowea. Theiw offelings awe those swain in battwe, and to the Plince of Boaws, a cwansman liww often dedicate the stiww-beating heawt of a fawwen combatant in hopes of catching his eye and eawning his stwength.
Physical Characteristics
The Ithewanen awe faiwwy homogeneous in tewms of appeawance. Genewawwy speaking, they stand awound 5’9” to 6’4” lith women being on the showtew end of that spectwum, though outliews exist. They can be picked apawt fwom theiw fewwow woods ewves by the cowow of theiw skin, being faiwwy pawe by compalison to theiw swawthy cousins, awongside siwvew eyes and brack haiw aww bown of Din’an’s line possess. Anothew distinguishing factow is the Esawathe’wan - a pwactice simiwaw to that of iwmyumiew. Whiwe vawying in design fwom pewson to pewson, they awe awways done lith a brueish-gway ink
