Alei - Mni Ethnicity

Alemni appearance reflects both their Mni heritage and their regional adaptations to Valenfar’s pale sun and northern winds. They are typically tall and slender, with elongated limbs and fine, graceful features. Their skin ranges from ivory to porcelain white, and their hair varies through a spectrum of silver-gold, platinum, and white, often shimmering faintly in certain lights, a trait thought to be a recessive echo of their species’ ancient bond with starlight. Their eyes are large and calm, usually grey, silver, or blue with limpid, reflective irises.

Movement is precise, never hurried. Posture is taught from youth, straight backs, deliberate gestures, and a restrained expressiveness that many outsiders find cold or inscrutable. Though they are not physically strong by the standards of other peoples, Alemni are remarkably enduring, with lean musculature and exceptional cardiovascular control honed through disciplined civic training. Even their stillness carries weight: to stand motionless in thought, it is said, is a form of argument in itself.

Alemni attire reflects the same values that underpin their society: modesty, durability, and order. Clothing is functional first, aesthetic second, though an understated elegance often emerges from this philosophy. The typical dress for men consists of tunics or long shirts paired with loose-fitting trousers, crafted from hardy wool, linen, or finely woven flax. Women favour ankle-length dresses with high collars and long sleeves, often accompanied by practical cloaks or capes for protection against Valenfar’s sharp winds. Both genders wear sturdy boots, polished and well-maintained.

In formal contexts, civic ceremonies, Directorate audiences, or religious observances, garments become more elaborate. Subtle embroidery, beadwork, and muted metallic threading may adorn hems and cuffs, though ostentation remains frowned upon. Jewellery is limited to simple brooches, rings, or insignias denoting rank or achievement. Fashion, in the Alemni mind, is not a pursuit but a reflection of one’s discipline and propriety. Flashiness is viewed with suspicion, while consistent neatness and dignity in dress are marks of good character.

Alemni cuisine reflects the same measured sensibility found elsewhere in their culture. Meals are modest but artfully prepared, emphasising freshness, nutritional balance, and seasonal availability. The Alemni diet is largely herbivorous, centred on grains, legumes, fruits, and cultivated vegetables, supplemented by nuts and seeds. Meat, when consumed, is drawn from carefully managed herds and reserved for ritual or celebratory occasions. Preserved foods, such as dried fruits, pickled vegetables, and smoked grains, are common, ensuring self-sufficiency through Valenfar’s harsher seasons.

Flavours favour subtlety over excess. Herbs and rare spices are used sparingly to complement, rather than overwhelm, the natural character of each ingredient. Presentation is simple yet refined, with dishes often arranged to highlight natural symmetry and colour. Dining itself is considered a communal act of respect: meals are taken at prescribed hours, often in communal halls, reinforcing bonds between citizens and serving as quiet acts of societal reinforcement.

The Alemni are not a people of reckless invention, but of patient perfection. Their technological progress is steady, deliberate, and deeply rooted in practicality rather than novelty. Over three millennia, this approach has yielded a civilisation of remarkable stability and understated sophistication. In architecture, they have mastered the marriage of form and function, raising aqueducts that have withstood centuries without repair and cities that grow in harmonious concert with the land rather than against it.

Art and construction are inseparable. Among the Alemni, art is not a matter of personal expression but an extension of civic virtue. Beauty is celebrated when it reflects order, symmetry, and the harmony between humanity and the natural world. Every mural, sculpture, and tapestry serves a purpose: to instruct, to inspire, or to honour the collective achievements of society. Even private dwellings adhere to strict aesthetic codes, ensuring that no structure disrupts the collective visual order.

In the arts of war, the Alemni favour precision over brute force. Their mastery of swords, polearms, bows, and siege engineering stands in place of reliance on firearms, which they view as inelegant and disruptive to tactical discipline. Where other civilisations chase after the fleeting stars of sudden invention, the Alemni polish and preserve their existing knowledge, believing that a single well-laid foundation can outlast a hundred hurried innovations.

Among the Alemni, the concept of beauty is not treated as mere ornamentation but as a visible manifestation of internal order, discipline, and harmony. Physical beauty is seen not as an indulgence but as an outward expression of an individual's alignment with societal ideals: symmetry, proportion, balance, and refinement. An attractive form signifies not only genetic fitness but moral soundness and intellectual clarity.

Alemni women are most admired when they embody a figure that is simultaneously slender and elegantly curvaceous, with a narrow waist and hips of full but graceful proportion. Hair of white gold, shimmering like mist caught in the dawn light, is considered the highest standard of beauty, associated with purity of spirit and noble lineage. The ideal face is a study in geometry: small, fine features, perfectly symmetrical, with high, sculpted cheekbones, a delicate nose, and a complexion of unblemished alabaster.

In men, the standards pivot slightly towards expressions of strength held in restraint. A lean, muscled frame is prized, eschewing both corpulence and excessive bulk in favour of a physique that suggests readiness, endurance, and control. Male beauty is complemented by meticulously groomed facial hair, most often sculpted beards or clean lines around the jaw, reinforcing impressions of refinement and self-mastery. The male ideal's visage features a square jaw, sharp cheekbones, and keen, bright eyes capable of conveying both authority and intellect at a glance.

Yet in Alemni eyes, beauty divorced from substance is but a brittle mask. Far greater allure is held by those whose physical grace is matched by accomplishments in scholarship, art, or leadership. Intellectual prowess, creative genius, or acts of exceptional public service elevate one's attractiveness far beyond mere bone structure. It is said in Valenfar that the most beautiful face is ultimately the one that has shaped the most enduring legacy.

The Directorate maintains the official position that gender bears no weight upon one's potential or worth within Alemni society. Both males and females are expected to contribute fully and equally to the welfare of the state. In principle, no domain of governance, scholarship, or labour is closed to any gender.

Nevertheless, tradition and quiet expectation still draw subtle lines. Men, more frequently than women, ascend to leadership positions in matters of military organisation and high government. Conversely, women are often steered toward custodianship of cultural memory, artistry, and the softer disciplines of diplomacy and education. These trends are less the result of enforced policy and more a consequence of generations of social conditioning, wherein perceived temperaments are matched to perceived needs.

Physical upkeep is demanded of all, without distinction. Good hygiene, elegant grooming, and the maintenance of a composed and presentable appearance are viewed not as matters of vanity but as signs of self-respect and devotion to community order. Beyond this, individuality is quietly tolerated, even encouraged, so long as it is expressed within the bounds of propriety and does not disrupt the visual or social harmony of the greater whole.

Among the Alemni, courtship, as it is understood elsewhere in Arora, is a relic of chaotic, disordered societies. Within the gleaming cities of Valenfar, it is the Directorate that selects mates, pairing individuals not by passion or preference but according to careful genetic optimisation, psychological compatibility, and societal need. Love, as an arbiter of unions, is viewed with suspicion, an errant force that might undermine decades of population planning.

Thus, no formal courtship rituals exist. Courtship in its traditional sense is almost unknown, its language and gestures fading into near-obsolescence. What remains instead are the deep, affectionate bonds that often form between individuals of the same sex, intense friendships founded on shared experience, intellectual sympathy, and mutual loyalty. These partnerships, though platonic, are venerated, sometimes surpassing spousal bonds in emotional depth and societal prestige.

Nevertheless, once a Directorate-mandated pairing is announced, the expectation is unwavering: the partners must carry out their reproductive duties, raise their progeny with the utmost care, and perpetuate the continuation of the Valenfar ideal. Duty, not sentiment, is the foundation upon which the future rests.

The Alemni formally pass from childhood to adulthood through the Rite of Determination, a pivotal event at thirty years of age. After years of careful monitoring and education, each youth undergoes a series of rigorous tests designed to reveal their aptitudes, temperament, and future role within society. The Rite is neither theatrical nor public. Candidates are evaluated by Directorate scholars through academic trials, physical examinations, and psychological assessments.

Upon completion, each individual is assigned a profession and awarded their common name, an act that publicly acknowledges their readiness to serve. Families observe the occasion with a quiet, dignified gathering, offering private words of encouragement. It is a bittersweet moment, for though the individual steps into their societal role, much of their personal autonomy fades into the shadows of duty.

Death among the Alemni is treated with austere reverence, seen not as an end but as a transfer of service from the material to the remembered world. Funerary rites are swift, solemn, and devoid of personal spectacle. The deceased’s body is cremated within one day, the ashes interred in the communal memorial gardens that adjoin every city and township.

During the Rite of Passing, names and achievements are recited by a designated Speaker of Memory, emphasising contributions to the Directorate and community rather than personal sentiment. It is considered a grave dishonour to speak ill of the dead; their faults are buried with them, their virtues polished and preserved for posterity. Mourning is a private affair. Public displays of grief are discouraged, and citizens are instead expected to honour the departed through continued dedication to their own assigned roles.

Alemni society is woven tightly with prohibitions that guard against disorder and decline. Chief among these is the taboo against speaking negatively of the dead, an act considered both a social and spiritual violation. Equally forbidden is public defiance of the Directorate, whose authority is seen as the embodiment of the community’s collective will. Challenges to its rulings, or even vocal dissent, are met with swift isolation and, in extreme cases, sanctioned exile.

Consumption of predatory animals, engagement in unsanctioned romantic entanglements, or forming close associations with non-Mni species, or even non-Alei Mni, are all taboo. Such actions are viewed as breaches of the natural and social orders, undermining the fragile harmony that the Alemni so diligently preserve.

Cleanliness is another silent commandment. Neglect of personal hygiene or a disorderly appearance is treated not merely as slovenliness but as a sign of moral decay.

The Alemni speak a single language: Valen, the sole member of the Alemnic language group. This remarkable linguistic uniformity is a direct consequence of the Directorate’s enduring rule, which has, over centuries, standardised education, governance, and cultural expression. Valen is spoken in all regions of Valenfar without significant dialectical variation. Minor colloquialisms exist in distant expatriate communities, but within the Alemni heartlands, deviation from formal Valen is rare and quietly discouraged.

Its structure is exacting: built on a system of embedded ethical markers and modular clauses that enable high precision and bureaucratic clarity. Poetry and law often overlap, and even casual speech is shaped by a consciousness of tone, hierarchy, and rhythm. As the Magistar Soriah once observed, "A thousand voices speaking one tongue can build a city eternal, while a thousand tongues build nothing but ruins."

Among the Alemni, art is not a matter of personal expression but an extension of civic virtue. Beauty is celebrated when it reflects order, symmetry, and the harmony between humanity and the natural world. Every mural, sculpture, and tapestry serves a purpose: to instruct, to inspire, or to honour the collective achievements of society. Ornamentation is restrained, geometry exalted, and asymmetry rarely tolerated save in carefully sanctioned allegories of chaos overcome.

Architecture stands as the greatest testament to Alemni ideals. Their cities rise as carefully orchestrated works of living stone and cultivated green. Towering spires, graceful arches, and expansive plazas blend seamlessly into the landscape, their proportions designed to evoke a sense of tranquil grandeur. Even private dwellings adhere to strict aesthetic codes, ensuring that no structure disrupts the collective visual order. Gardens and public spaces are considered extensions of this civic beauty, not indulgences, but moral necessities, places where the soul may remember its higher duties.

Music holds a central place in public life. Choral compositions, often performed at festivals and Directorate ceremonies, are written with mathematical precision, using harmonic structures thought to promote emotional balance and social unity. Dissonance is employed sparingly, always resolving back into order. There is no improvisation, only interpretation. To deviate is not merely a musical fault, but a civic failing.

Though the Alemni outwardly revere logic and order, their deepest myths tell of a time when neither yet existed. These tales, preserved in quiet tradition and communal retellings, weave a veiled memory of Valenfar’s most turbulent age: the Clan Wars. In those distant days, it is said, Valenfar was a land torn asunder by a thousand feuding houses, each claiming sovereignty, each devouring the land and its people for fleeting gain. Honour was measured by the sword’s reach, and wealth by the number of serfs one could command.

For a time, it seemed no light of reason would ever pierce the blood mist that hung over the fields and forests. From this chaos rose Alem, though whether Alem was a man, a woman, a collective, or a spirit of the people themselves has long been forgotten. In the oldest versions of the tale, Alem is simply the one who heard the silent cry, the one who gathered the scattered, the broken, and the weary, forging them into something that no sword could sever: a people, not a horde.

The Chronicles of Emergence, sung on moonless nights and whispered in marble halls, recount how Alem taught that freedom must be earned through unity, that law must replace caprice, and that only through absolute commitment to the whole could the Alemni survive their self-inflicted ruin. Battles were fought not merely against tyrants but against pride itself, and when the last banners of the old clans fell, it was said that a new age began, not by coronation, but by covenant.

The Directorate, so the tales claim, was founded upon Alem’s final words: "Not for one, nor for ten thousand, but for all who will choose duty over dominion." Whether these words were ever truly spoken does not matter, for they are engraved upon the soul of every true Alemni. Thus, even today, the myths serve a living purpose. They remind each citizen that beneath their ordered society lies a battlefield strewn with forgotten freedoms, and that their endless discipline is not a yoke, but a fragile bridge, stretched across the abyss of their own nature.

In Alemni tradition, history blurs into legend, and legend calcifies into civic truth. The Directorate has preserved the memory of several figures who, whether real or idealised, embody the virtues expected of every citizen. Foremost among them is Alem the Founder, whose life, if it was ever a life at all, symbolises the triumph of unity over anarchy. Every year at the Festival of the Founding, a single empty chair is set in every public square across Valenfar, reserved for Alem's spirit, and citizens recite the Covenant of Service that legend attributes to them.

Another revered figure is Marnal the Shieldbearer, celebrated in epic verse as the unbreakable commander who defended the nascent Directorate against the last holdouts of the old clan lords. His image, clad in simple armour and bearing a shield of unadorned bronze, remains a common motif in public statuary, particularly near city gates and civic halls.

The philosophical traditions of the Alemni trace their lineage to Soriah the Speaker, a scholar who first codified the ideals of communal duty into the teachings known as the Harmonies. Though Soriah’s writings survive only in fragments, their influence suffuses Alemni education and governance alike. Other luminaries, such as Theron the Architect, builder of the first aqueducts that still feed Valenfar’s cities, and Elara the Wordkeeper, preserver of the earliest oral histories, are venerated for their lasting contributions to the stability and identity of the Alemni people.

Each of these figures, whether warrior, scholar, or builder, is celebrated not for personal glory, but for their embodiment of the enduring Alemni ideal: to labour not for oneself, but for a civilisation greater and longer-lived than any single life.

Upon birth, an Alemni child receives their first name from their parents. This first name is selected thoughtfully, often drawing inspiration from poetic, philosophical, or historical sources. A child’s initial name may embody familial legacy, reflect a specific virtue the parents wish their offspring to embody, or express hopes for future achievements. Typically succinct and melodically resonant, these names may be gender-specific or deliberately neutral, according to family tradition or prevailing societal fashions.

As Alemni approach adulthood, marked formally by the Rite of Determination at age thirty, they receive their second, so-called “common name.” Unlike the intimate, privately chosen first name, this common name is publicly bestowed by the Directorate and directly signifies one's accomplishments, social status, and role within the intricate societal tapestry of Valenfar. Directorate chroniclers maintain a rigorously curated list of these names, and the relative social value of each is common knowledge across Alemni society. Receipt of a highly valued common name signifies extraordinary accomplishment and grants considerable respect, whereas receiving a lesser designation might suggest competence without notable distinction, thus shaping the individual's social trajectory.

An elite few Alemni may receive a third name, or “title,” conferred upon individuals who demonstrate rare mastery, exceptional achievement, or notable authority. The granting of a title represents a pinnacle of recognition, signifying that the individual's contributions have transcended ordinary merit. Such titles evolve dynamically throughout an Alemni’s life, reflecting shifts in status, accomplishment, or responsibility. To carry three names is uncommon and considered a hallmark of greatness, imbuing the bearer with immense societal reverence and responsibility.

The Alemni language itself is particularly lyrical, favouring soft vowels and consonants which lend an elegant fluidity to their names. Each bestowed name carries significant cultural resonance, embodying Alemni values such as precision, knowledge, strength, leadership, and harmony.

Though lineage is tracked carefully by the Directorate’s registrars, it is not personal ancestry but civic inheritance that defines one’s place in society. Family lines are honoured only insofar as they have produced notable public servants or cultural figures, and no privilege is granted solely by birth. Marriage merges bureaucratic files as much as households, and kinship is often expressed through profession, cohort, or educational unit rather than bloodline.

This does not mean that families hold no meaning, far from it. Bonds of affection, tradition, and loyalty run deep within households. But to the Directorate, these bonds must never outweigh the needs of the collective. Should a family consistently underperform or display disruptive tendencies, it may be quietly dissolved through bureaucratic redistribution, a fate both feared and rare.

Most families follow inherited vocations, with professions passed down through generations as part of civic lineage. The child of a stonewright is likely to be trained in engineering; the daughter of a chorister will learn the Harmonies. In this way, personal identity is inextricably bound to communal function, a lineage not of blood, but of service.

Examples of Common Names

Worthy

• Valorn ("bright light"): Awarded to leading minds in science, architecture, or engineering, signifying intellectual brilliance.
• Morvath ("great strength"): Reserved for warriors, athletes, or those who exhibit remarkable physical prowess.
• Elviri ("deep knowledge"): Recognises profound scholarly or philosophical contributions.
• Galandar ("great leader"): Bestowed upon esteemed statesmen, military commanders, or influential societal figures.
• Miriel ("pure spirit"): Honours those who exemplify moral integrity or artistic refinement.
• Jornik ("skilled craftsman"): Conferred upon exceptional artisans in metallurgy, woodworking, or textile crafts.
• Kalenar ("master of magic"): Rarely given, it acknowledges those who responsibly push boundaries in Ferrology.
• Myrathi ("voice of the people"): Celebrates individuals who have successfully advocated for political or social reform.
• Valtorin ("bringer of change"): Reflects substantial innovations, breakthroughs, or societal advancements initiated by the individual.
• Thaloria ("bearer of hope"): Honours healers, mediators, or community builders who revitalise Alemni society during times of crisis.

Recognised

• Arlinn ("efficient worker"): Given to those who consistently excel in their assigned tasks or labour.
• Felice ("skilled trader"): Recognises achievement and skill in commerce and negotiation.
• Kaelen ("resourceful problem-solver"): Celebrates creative and effective responses to challenging situations.
• Marek ("dedicated student"): Acknowledges exemplary academic diligence and achievement.
• Niamh ("compassionate caregiver"): Honours those devoted to healing and nurturing professions.
• Orlaith ("master artisan"): Conferred upon artists who display exceptional talent and creativity.
• Perrin ("steadfast defender"): Given to individuals demonstrating outstanding courage in defence of Alemni society.
• Riven ("experienced traveller"): Acknowledges those who venture beyond Valenfar and return with valuable insights or discoveries.
• Sariel ("insightful scholar"): Celebrates substantial scholarly contributions and insightful research.
• Tamsin ("skilled navigator"): Bestowed upon those who are adept at navigation, exploration, and maritime ventures.

Common

• Elendur ("the content")
• Faelivrin ("the steady")
• Gwyneth ("the reliable")
• Haldorin ("the average")
• Irideth ("the mediocre")
• Jarneth ("the adequate")
• Kethras ("the competent")
• Lyriel ("the adaptable")

These designations imply modest competence without notable distinction, and parents universally hope their children avoid receiving such names.

Realm: [Alaru], Northwestern Valenfar

One of the oldest realms under Directorate rule, Alaru is a vast and temperate land, home to some of the most enduring examples of classical Alemni architecture. Its river-fed farmlands are managed with mathematical efficiency, and its population, overwhelmingly Alemni, is steeped in bureaucratic and philosophical traditions. Alaru is known for producing record-keepers, engineers, and administrators, many of whom go on to serve elsewhere in Valenfar. It is a quiet, studious land, where civic perfection is a craft passed down from parent to child.

Realm: [Evara], Northeastern Valenfar

The heart of the Directorate and spiritual centre of the Alemni people. Evara houses the Triarchal Assembly, the Grand Harmonium, and the Directorate's central data-libraries. Its spires are taller, its plazas wider, and its ceremonial precision more absolute than anywhere else in the world. Here, the ideals of the Alemni are not just upheld, they are born, codified, and enforced. Every inch of its land has been charted, every citizen’s breath accounted for. It is both a marvel and a warning, a monument to what order can achieve, and what it must suppress to remain unbroken.

Realm: [Pyra], Western Valenfar

Though somewhat more provincial than Alaru or Evara, Pyra is a vital pillar of the Directorate. Known for its agricultural abundance and stone-carving guilds, Pyra is a realm of civility and quiet prosperity. Its cities are meticulously planned, and its population remains almost entirely Alemni. It serves as a secondary hub of cultural production and Directorate logistical command. Though not as symbolically central as Evara, Pyra often provides the surplus, of grain, labour, and loyalty, that allows other realms to endure hardship.

Realm: [Impa], Central Valenfar

Impa belongs, by birth and breath, to the Zeta Paokus. Its high mountain passes and icy peaks are ill-suited to Alemni settlement. Nonetheless, the Directorate has established outposts and embassies in the lower valleys, seeking trade and diplomatic exchange. These settlements are small, tightly controlled, and often staffed by specialists in cultural negotiation or espionage. True integration has proven elusive, the Zeta remain proudly aloof, and many Alemni stationed here consider it a hardship posting.

Realm: [Uus], Southern Valenfar

Uus was once dominated by the Lizvar, but over centuries the Directorate has claimed its fertile belts through calculated encroachment. The Alemni now inhabit the arable coastlands and river valleys, while the Lizvar are largely relegated to the arid, inhospitable central wastes. Tensions run deep. Directorate settlements are walled, heavily monitored, and self-sustaining. Officially, they are ‘cohabiting.’ In practice, the divide is as stark as the border between tilled earth and blasted stone.

Realm: [Indu], Southeastern Valenfar

Much like Uus, Indu was historically Lizvar land. Here too, the Directorate has claimed fertile valleys and cliffside aquifers. Conflict is more frequent, as the terrain gives advantage to guerrilla resistance. Still, Alemni colonists persist, protected by well-trained guard cohorts and aided by increasingly sophisticated Ferrological defences. The Directorate views Indu as a proving ground, both for new policy and new citizens. To be born Alemni in Indu is to live on a frontier: ordered within, besieged without.

Realm: [Skrul], Southern Arcia

Skrul lies across the channel from Valenfar, and like Uus and Indu, it was once home solely to the Arcus Korlum. Over time, Alemni settlers have taken root, especially along the southern coasts and river deltas. Encroachment has been more subtle here, interspersed with trade, diplomacy, and selective cultural absorption. However, tensions remain, and the Directorate maintains a firm grip on these colonial outposts. The western coasts are also being contested by the amphibious Seishi, adding another layer of complexity to the region’s uneasy truce.

Realm: [Arpen], Northern Arcia

Alemni presence in Arpen is extremely limited. The icy coasts and tundra expanses remain firmly in the grasp of the Arcus Korlum. A few long-term expeditions and trade envoys have attempted to engage with Korlum elders and bards, but these are viewed more as curiosity than colonial investment. The Directorate respects, and quietly resents, the Arcus' refusal to be shaped.

Realm: [Tyros], Island off Northeastern Arcia

Much like Arpen, Tyros is functionally outside Alemni control. It remains an Arcus Korlum stronghold, with only a handful of approved exchanges and ports open to Directorate vessels. Surveillance and mapping efforts continue, but with little success. The island’s climate and spiritual intensity make it deeply alien to Alemni sensibilities, and few volunteer for permanent postings.

Diaspora and Outposts

Despite their reverence for centralised control and deep mistrust of cultural contamination, the Alemni are far from isolationist. The Directorate dispatches envoys, scholars, traders, and administrators across Arora, and wherever they go, they build enclaves shaped in the image of Valenfar: orderly, efficient, and inward-looking. These outposts, while small, are meticulously maintained and connected to the Directorate through elaborate courier networks and surveillance magic. Even far from home, no Alemni is truly free of their homeland’s reach.

Some, however, choose to break away. These are rare: individuals whose assigned names never fit, or whose souls chafed beneath Valenfar’s latticework of duty. Many such exiles flee to Erothi, where the Directorate’s influence is less direct. There, they live as scholars, artists, or mercenaries, always aware that to truly be Alemni outside of Valenfar is to walk without a name, and to speak without echo.

Among other cultures, the Alemni are often viewed with both respect and unease. Their cultural superiority is not hidden; their disdain, rarely subtle. And yet, their presence brings order, healing, and structure to many borderlands. Whether as administrators or architects, their influence lingers long after their passing.