Overview

Name of Heritage Group:

Vinesh

The Vinesh are coastal-plains descendants of the ancient Vini people, shaped by catastrophe and survival. When the Great Backfire devastated Druin Frar, a surviving priest of Urkm d’Frar—Oonoven Aahshish—led the Vinesh north-northeast to the reedlands of Wershefh ("Waterdown"). Here they rebuilt their society around weaving, pottery, fishing, and traditions preserved from Drinoven's final days.

Though outwardly similar to humans, the Vinesh retain the Vinecian suspicion, spiritual worldview, and deep-rooted belief that they were formed from earth, rock, and forest by Urkm d’Frar herself.

Species:

Vinian

Race:

Vinesh

Culture:

Indigenous Regions:

Druin Frar (ancestral), Wershefh (current)

Attribute Shifts:

Total IP Cost:

8

Physical Traits

Frame

Average Frame Value (Male):

7

Frame Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Frame Value (Female):

6

Frame Min./Max. Values (Female):

Frame Variation (both sexes):

Average

Height

Average Height Value (Male):

7

Height Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Height Value (Female):

6

Height Min./Max. Values (Female):

Height Variation (both sexes):

Average

Physique

Average Physique Value (Male):

5

Physique Min./Max. Values (Male):

Average Physique Value (Female):

5

Physique Min./Max. Values (Female):

Physique Variation (both sexes):

Average

The Vinesh tend toward the sturdier side of human builds due to reed-harvesting, long treks, claywork, and coastal labor.

Resilience

Resilience:

Age

Average Lifespan:

70 years

Age Breakdown Table:

adjust table based on average lifespan

Interactive Points

IP Gained per interval:

7

(Avg. Lifespan/70 = Interval in yrs.):

1 year

Gender Ratio

% Male:

60

% Female:

40

Appearance

Appearance:

The Vinesh appear similar to humans in proportion and build, but with subtly weathered features from coastal living. Their clothing incorporates woven grasses, reed cordage, and bone decorations. Clan markings often appear in beadwork patterns rather than tattoos or runes.

Inherent Physical Aspects

Inherent Physical Aspects:

Psychological Traits

Inherent Aspects:

Mental & Spiritual Traits

Inherent MS Aspects:

Natural Enemy (Mist Creatures) Rank 7

This bias is deep-rooted and ancestral. Vinesh oral history frames the Mist as a force that stole their homeland.

Recommended MS Aspects:

Heightened Awareness (Coastal Weather)

Instinct (Protect Family or Clan)

Development Considerations

Inherent Expertises:

The Vinesh have a strong artisan and crafting heritage:

• Artisan (Ropemaking) Rank 4
• Artisan (Slingmaking) Rank 4
• Artisan (Pottery) Rank 4
• Craft (Sling) Rank 4
• Craft (Clay) Rank 4

Recommended Expertises:

• Favored Weapon (Sling) Rank 7 - culturally iconic
• Manipulation (Set Trap)
• Manipulation (Disarm Trap)

The sling is not only a hunting weapon but a coming-of-age tool, and its mastery is deeply cultural.

Cultural Features

Environmental Adaptation

Principle Environment:

Coastal Plains

Also adapted to: Plains, Hills, Temperate Zones, Jungle, Coastal Highs

Adaptability:

Can adapt to: Swamps, Marshes, Desert, Artic Lowlands

Their reedcraft and flexible subsistence patterns make the Vinesh versatile survivors in varied climates.

Heritage Orientation

Orientation:

Balanced (Suspicious)

Orientation Description:

The Vinesh are cautious but not hostile. Their suspicion stems from cultural memory of displacement, betrayal by neighboring lands during the Great Backfire, and the belief that Urkm d’Frar shaped them from the land itself. Sacred sexual rites remain as remnants of Vinecian ancestral religion, preserved by Oonoven Aahshish.

Orientation Aspects:

• Reaction (Suspicion)
• Tradition (Urkm d'Frar)

Customs & Lifestyle

• Reed gathering
• Foraging coastal berries and nuts
• Fishing in Wershefh shallows
• Clay harvesting for pottery
• Sling hunting of small game
• Ropework used for nets, tools, traps, and load-bearing harnesses

Their village architecture incorporates woven reed panels, clay-brick hearths, and driftwood scaffolding.

Status & Family

Symbols & Art

Clothing & Decoration

• Cloth or leather armor depending on coastal climate
• Furs for colder seasons
• Bone accessories and bead jewelry
• Reed baskets
• Stone or bone knives for reed gathering
• Rope and cordage in all aspects of daily life

Vinesh aesthetics emphasize function woven into beauty.

Religion & Magic

Primary Deity

• Urkm d'Frar - Goddess of Forests, Passion, and Vile Debauchery
• (The Vinesh preserve a softer, life-affirming interpretation than the Drimvin)

Secondary Traditions

• Vinecian animism - trees, water, stones imbued with spirit
• Seasonal fertility rites
• Reverence for reeds, wetlands, and the "soft earth"
• Low practice of Omnka (runes or magic), but strong taboo against Vunomnka (necromancy)

Magic Use

Few Vinesh become adepts; those who do often focus on:

• Weather-watching
• Nature magic
• Simple runes for marking clay vessels or traps

Language

Language Family:

Vinecian

Dialect:

Vinesh

Contains the same core morphemes as Drimvinian, but softer in pronunciation and more aquatic or reed-influenced in metaphor.

Historical Notes