The Proto-Niranni
Overview
The proto Niranni, in Imperial called the Ilyunko (Blessed Children), were the ancestors of all Niranni peoples across the world. They lived in the icy wastes during the last ice age, inhabiting warmer vales in a sea of ice and frost.
Subgroups
Aederosha
The Aederosha, or early sproutlings, refer to the many confederations and tribes that left prior to the Maerosha. Their descendants include a variety of unrelated groups, such as the Uzhilli, Sitalans, Kunthira, et cetera.
Maerosha
Maerosha - meaning later sproutlings, are the confederation that were the ancestors of the Ingharans, Siri, Ukori, and others. They are the largest nowadays, and are known for being among the last to leave the old homeland and travel to Nirann. They are the ones who domesticated the horse.
Appearance
Skin
Ilyunko skin was a variety of colors, but often was blueish, reddish, goldish, or silverish. Over time as they migrated south, the colors faded into hints of blue and red by the time they had settled in the region of the modern day Okhotai. After all of the tribes had mixed, this trait was largely lost as the now Niranni peoples retain only the slightest hints of color - although certain professions tended to have more of certain tinges historically as the Ingharan noble families were noted of being more gold and reddish in their youth (traits of the shamans), while warrior clans tended to be of blueish and reddish stock, and artisans tended to be of silver and blue stock.
Horns
Ilyunko possessed a set of two horns on their forehead that rose in straight lines and eventually got smaller and smaller as time went on. They initially were a sign of pride among the warrior class, but were eventually cut to differentiate themselves from the Vanhar they encountered. The grooming of the horns was a trait that Niranni have done ever sense, with nowadays most horns never manifesting past the initial time in puberty - and when they are, they are filed down and hair eventually grows over them.
Teeth
Ilyunko possessed an extra-long set of canine teeth, longer in males than in females - with in ancient times, they were far harder to conceal than in present times.
Culture
Religion
Ilyunko religion, although animistic, was likely was primarily based around the worship of a series of deities that were believed to dwell in the night sky. Above them in the sky were a series of waters, celestial rivers and seas that the gods lived among and beyond. In the sea dwelled a great serpent that would devour everything it saw, which is why stars would go out at times. It is believed that this serpent was banished to the waters by a father and mother pair - the sky and earth. The sky and earth gods birthed many other deities, but had many sets of twins such as knowledge and mystery, justice and revenge, pleasure and celebration. They believed that the spirit world was an extension of the current plane of existence, but that the great houndmaster kept the dead shades separate from the living.
Burial Rites
Unlike modern Niranni who tend to favor cremation, the ancient Ilyunko practiced several forms of burials. For the wealthiest, they would mummify their dead and place them in burial mounds. For those of some esteem, they would burn the bones and place them in wicker baskets that would then be buried in marked locations - usually always a grove or near several stelae. For the everyman, one could expect to be thrown into a mound without much preservation for the corpse - athough burial goods would be kept with the individual high to low in status.
Domestication
Ilyunko , specifically the Maerrosha, were known to be the first people in the world to domesticate ridable animals, being the horsemasters of the ancient era. Prior to this, the wolf was domesticated in the area and found its way to the Niranni - being seen as a sacred companion. Mammoths were not domesticated, but became semi domesticated by the proto-Nirrani, who would harvest their milk and wool. Reindeer were domesticated, and some tribes began to follow them and herd them - most notably those that would become the Ukori and Krosaldyrics.
Stele Carving
Ilyunko took great pleasure in carving their items and features of the landscape, especially stones - which would be have anthropomorphic faces and animals carved into them. A common motif of these proto Niranni is that of the reindeer, being chased by the wolf or snow leopard. Bones were carved into as well, but do not survive as much as steles.
Clothing
Due to their cold-resistance, Ilyunko clothing was not as restrictive as one might imagine. The proto Niranni originally wore longer skirt-like bottoms that sometimes extended up to one shoulder, with a large fur or woolen cloak worn over the top to stay warm in the harsher climes. This large cloak was the premier sign of wealth among the tribes. With the domestication of the horse, pants would arise, originally tighter but later loose in a manner similar to the modern designs.
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