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====== The True Navi People  ======

===== Physical Appearance: =====
Remember! We encourage variation; this is merely a reference guide, not a requirement

A staunch sea-faring people, usually found to have darker hair, albeit black or gray, that usually dominates the standard colors of hair. Their olive skin tone is distinct among other peoples for slight variations in its depth of light to dark pigment. Green or hazel eyes are usually the most dominant eye colors though variations are known to exist. A relatively medium-sized person overall, their women are generally a few inches smaller than their male counterparts. However, their hairstyles vary; however, commonly seen styles include short and medium lengths with their curly hair. Their wolf forms retain the same coloring; people have fur colors ranging from dark brown to light tawny. Black is a bit rarer but not unseen. People born with light-colored hair, especially blond, are often seen as impure Navi and shunned. Dark hair and olive skin is a strong trait for the people.

  * Unique to the royal family is their blue eyes, said to match the color of the One True God. Children born in the royal family without blue eyes are often ridiculed for not being divine and treated poorly. It is a taboo but allowed practice of King’s requiring their artists to paint their sons with blue eyes even if they do not have them and require utmost secrecy about the truth. Women intended to be the Queen of the Sea will often be chosen based on both political connection and eye color.

Wolf Form:
  * One's wolf form is often viewed as one's 'inner self' most people will refer to their wolf form as 'my wolf' and see it as a bit of duality within themselves. While each person is unique in their identity, that is the most common. In addition to the wolf form being another side of the same person, it is uncommon for wolf forms to be seen during the daytime, most prefer to do so at night. In addition, it is unorthodox for wolf forms to be used on ships it is dangerous.

===== Clothing: =====
Women's customs for hair are simple, styled up when going out with decorative hairpieces as a display of wealth. Courting gifts often include elaborate hairpieces to be worn out of the home as statement pieces. Makeup is nearly nonexistent despite the wealth of trade, women are expected to be naturally beautiful and not hide it. Adult women wear kimono-inspired dresses with the fabric and length of the garment determined based on their lifestyle. An average day's dress will be made of cotton with a wealthy family having access to silks and other expensive cloth will commission dressmakers to custom order. The average woman's dress will have a wide variety of patterns. There is an influx of veils being worn by unmarried women when out of home as they follow suit with the trend of the unmarried royal women travel out of their homes. The veil is often pinned into the hair to cover just the face.

Men by standard use the same fabric but wear a single-colored tunic with a matching set of wide-leg pants. A rope is often used as a belt with ties at the waist and ankles to give a more secure fit. Belts can be decorative but typically cost more money and are saved for special occasions. Like women's fashion, wealthier men will have their clothing made from more expensive fabric.

In the colder months, people will wear a large wide-sleeved overcoat in a specific pattern. This coat pattern is dubbed the 'family coat' and in small communities, no two families will have the same pattern or colored overcoat. This is not the case in larger cities where the difference in color becomes more important.

The customs as mentioned are maintained by the royal family but with a stronger emphasis on expensive fabrics and elaborate patterns. The Royal Family's coat pattern is that of a large wave crashing, the sky and clouds visible, the sleeve hems display ships and various birds.


===== Family Culture & Dynamics: =====

  * Birth Order - The order of a person’s birth impacts what access they have to specific things in life. In the event a father has no sons to inherit, his boat may be gifted to a relative, usually his daughter’s husband if he has one. It is not uncommon for later sons to be 'adopted' by families without sons. Families stay small to avoid conflict.

  * First Born Son - Will inherit his father’s ship and be the first of the children to eat and be expected to uphold the family’s honor if his siblings step out of line.

  * Later sons - Do not inherit their father’s ship unless their older brother is unable to and usually go work for his brother or another Qayid. Some take up crafts.

  * Daughters - Regardless of birth order daughters do not inherit much and typically are taught to be housewives. However, there has been a small trend of daughters refusing traditional lifestyles and attempting to live a more free lifestyle by pretending to be young men and getting hired on various boats.

  * Homelife - The families of True Navi are close-knit and generations upon generations will live in the same house. Typically there is a grand bedroom, lived in by the patriarch and his spouse, then a moderate size bedroom had by the parents of the patriarch. When the patriarch reaches a certain age that they can no longer work, then they will step down as patriarch of the family and his son will take over. The other rooms in the house are lived in by their children. When the younger generation moves out of their birth home it is usually because the daughter is married or the younger-born son has grown to adulthood and decided to leave. Bachelors often move into boarding houses.

===== Death Practices =====
When a person of True Navi dies, their body is to be prepared for cremation using a specific type of powder to make the body burn blue. After which the ashes of the deceased are added to the family's shrine, with a portion that will be returned to the sea. Most families have personal shrines at their homes, but families with limited space will take the remains to a shrine within a community area.

Funeral Service is a private affair, depending on the gender of who died the location of the service will be different. Only direct blood is allowed to attend the services which is conducted by a member of the Order of Sentiels. In the days to come, the family may not speak the name of the deceased. This mourning period lasts 40 days. There is a sacred day in the Winter month where all death is honored. Families prepare bundles of food to be put out to sea.

===== Social Norms & Customs: =====
  * It is taboo to step onto a boat without invitation

  * Carpcats are favorite pets on boats and in local towns for the ability to reduce the rodent population. A carpcat is often a gifted item to a newlywed couple.

  * Sails are unique to each Qayid and are to be replaced when a new one takes ownership of the boat. The sails are then saved for when the former Qayid dies and is in need of burial.

  * Boat ownership is passed from father to firstborn son, the term Qayid serves as a title to the owner and captain of the boat. These sizable fishing boats require a crew of at least five and Qayids often hire later-born sons to man their ships.

  * Women are not permitted to be on boats without the company of a male family member and are never seen on deck unless there is an emergency.

  * Bowing is the typical greeting, with neither touching hands. It is against social norms to touch someone outside of the family unit unless there is an emergency. Men will bow with their hands at their sides, women will bow with one hand over the other in front of them. The depth of the person's bow is determined by age and rank with the younger less experienced person bower lower.

===== OOC =====

  * **Player** [[user:hellion]] created this on 2021/10/13 19:24.
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