Nyari'kabi
An ascetic Steppe Elf tribe that focuses on mental and physical discipline.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Their ancestors left Norume because they believed the Desert Elf culture had become too decadent and focused on convenience. Seeking a quieter place to start again, the Nyari'kabi eventually arrived in the south of Fir'arun and established a monastery with permission from the locals.
Said monastery is also open to outsiders who show genuine interest in the tribe's way of life. Many of those join temporarily to work on themselves, and some end up staying for the rest of their life.
Shared customary codes and values
Balance of Thought and Emotion
"A quiet heart makes for a free mind."The Nyari'kabi acknowledge that emotions offer an intuitive guideline, but they believe that strong feelings cloud one's judgement. Instead, they aim to observe them from a neutral point of view and take them into account while making logical decisions.
Mastery of the Body
"You control your mortal vessel. It can advise you, but it cannot decide."As with emotional responses, the Nyari'kabi discourage giving in to every physical urge. They optimize their diet for health, not pleasure, and they train for peak performance in the face of discomfort. While they respect healthy limits, their disciples learn to push past mild fatigue or Magical Exhaustion, light pain, or hunger and thirst. Outside of family planning, members of the tribe are supposed to remain celibate.
Common Etiquette rules
Restraint
"Do not attack when you are angry. Do not decide when you are scared. Do not plan when you are overjoyed."Nyari'kabi prefer to think before they act. As a consequence, they can come across as cold or slow towards outsiders, but also as very polite and reasonable.
Frugality
"Be wary of your wants. Many will masquerade as needs."They rarely ask for favors or goods, and only accept gifts if those are necessary for a healthy life. For example, they will accept an offer of food when hungry, but will decline an invitation to an opulent festivity.
Common Dress code
Their clothes are simple and functional, with few decorations. However, they do bear the colorful tattoos that are common in many Steppe Elf tribes. To the Nyari'kabi, those tattoos show the determination to overcome pain and take control of one's "mortal vessel."
Common Taboos
Excessive consumption is frowned upon. This covers all areas of life, from food and drink to sexuality and even the arts. For example, sweet desserts are not found in the monastery, and neither is any form of alcohol or psychoactive substance. Men and women sleep in separate rooms unless they are trying to have a child. Music and paintings are limited to those that support introspection, but dancing or artworks for entertainment purposes are seen as overly indulgent.
Ideals
Gender Ideals
As in most Elven cultures, men focus on practical and physically demanding work while women focus on intellectual matters. As such, men tend to work as martial arts instructors or craftsmen whereas women teach meditation techniques or oversee the monastery's library.
Parent ethnicities
"You seem frustrated." - "I... I just don't see how any of this will help." - "Why? What are you trying to achieve?" - "That's just it. I don't even know where to go from here. Who I'm doing this for..." - "For yourself, young man." - "Why, though? I shouldn't even be here. Not when everyone-" - "Stop right there. Take a deep breath. ... Hold it. ... Release it. Once more. ... Good. Now look at me, and remember this well: You cannot change what was. You cannot control what will be. All you can shape is the here and now. So do not allow the rest to weigh you down."
"Did you hear? Hyan and Umara were caught in the back of the herb garden together." - "What do you mean, they were caught?" - "Oh, you know..." - "Honestly, I don't. What did they do?" - "By the Eight - do I have to spell it out to you?"
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