Hannomai

The Hannomai

Overview

The Hannomai are a collection of groups native to the desolate places of northern Nirann, particularly being concentrated along the Mardaikin, Rulagmos, the Straits of Faenradama, Imaskkhen, and Sukhuta. They are hated by the rest of Nirann due to their nature as cannibals, aggression, and outright hatred of the other peoples and creatures of the world.

Appearance

Hannomai most commonly have skin that is a tinge reddish to a lighter golden color. They are as tall as Niranni, sporting teeth even longer than they, along with some having slight horns. They sometimes sport two fleshy horns of small and thin stature. They almost always have black hair, and golden eyes. They are not considered to be Niranni by the Niranni, although some like the Sitirics argue otherwise.

History

The Hannomai are descended from the Proto-Niranni, similar to their neighboring folks.

Legendary

The legend of the Rulagi states that when mortal souls were given bodies, there were only a few souls made for the many bodies. As the first mortals wreaked havoc in their presence, the empty husks became filled with resentful spirits.
In the Tsennari legend, the Hannomai are descendants of the first kinslayers. They were Niranni that became so polluted from shedding blood that they were stained by it and forever made into hollow husks.
In Thadian legend, they are descendants of an old class of shamans-witches that ruled over vast swathes of Imaskkhen before the hero Kothlan cleaved his way through their homes and sent them running for the hills.
Some clans of Hannomai have mythos where their people were once beloved by the world but were soon banished and hated, being taken into the care of a deity who to them is known as Pakrash.

Scholarly

Scholars believe the Hannomai to be a sister group of the Niranni due to a variety of reasons. Hannomai are similar in appearance to the descriptions ancient Niranni, almost moreso than the living Niranni. Ingharan legends refer to the Hannomai as the banished ones and depict them as antagonists of the early Ingharans and Sailemai.

Known Events

Hannomai were known to have joined Suigan in his conquests, with some claiming that Suigan was half-Hannomai as a way to demonize him. The Hannomai are known to have conducted a series of wars in the late Ingharan age that saw them conquer Shushannan and almost as far south as Onno before being pushed back later on.

Culture

Ask any Niranni and the phrase "Hannomai culture" would be seen as a laughable oxymoron. This is not exactly true though, as they indeed have a semi-organized society even if they are a menace to all outsiders. Hannomai are a rather diverse people, consisting of sixteen or so ethnolinguistic families. For purposes of naming, below is the dialect of the largest and most influential Hannomai from the area in Imaskkhen and Rulagmos.

Societal Structure

Familial

Hannomai organize their familial clans around a central mother, which is seen as the central shamanistic figure. The mother is seen as sacred due to her life-giving and is thus protected and kept well fed at all costs. Women in this regard are seen as valuable and are protected, while the men are the primary laborers and outside workers. This familial clan is known as a Kuw or Kuwr.

Political

Hannomai are organized into groups of clans ruled by a central shaman-mother. This collective, known as an Ashk, consists of 2-18 familial clans, with most hovering around five.

Warfare

Hannomai are highly militaristic, with young men taking a ritual wandering known as the Pulkin. The Pulkin is where a group of young adults or teenagers arm themselves and attack outside settlements or caravans, bringing home trophies. The most common collected trophies are ears or canine teeth. Eyes are never touched in a Pulkin due to the fact that it is believed sacrilegious to look into a dead eye or even touch one. Pulkins are usually against outsiders but can be against rival clans. Formal raids organized by adults are known as Shakin. Shakins are a relatively rare event, and see several Ashk come together to target high profile locations, such as when Shushannan was conquered and the Hannomai began their rule over their slice of the Gendur.
Hannomai are often known to be decent archers and setters of traps, with this being the most common way for their ambushes to go.

Crafting

Hannomai are decent craftsmen, although are much poorer in resources than the Niranni. Metal is rarer, and is often reserved for weaponcraft and toolcraft. For armor, the Hannomai commonly employ plates of reed, bone, and wood. This works for them due to the fact that their main tactic in warfare is to ambush their opponents, with their prowess often decreasing as a battle continues.

Song and Dance

Hannomai love to sing and dance, especially with weapons and magecraft involved. They often sing as they travel, dancing in little troupes as they conduct the Pulkin raids. They love to dance with swords, a custom possibly imported from Inghara or Thadia, even or native to the ancient Niranni.

Architecture

Hannomai are known as ruin dwellers, but they do also construct buildings of their own sometimes. The most common dwelling is a low to earth stone hut with a thatched roof, partially underground and concealed by forest or boulders. The most extravagant settled clans have constructed underground villages with shrines and temples. Besides this, many simply dwell in tents, most commonly the nomadic men who are on their Pulkin.