Afespí

All feminine names end in "-ía" Or it could end in "-han" Examples. "Menthía" "Chengōhan"

All masculine names end in "-í" Or it could end in "-mőt" Examples. "Mōrneaní" "Melmőt"

Don't have a particular ending, and are usually names from the old tongue. Examples. Ssaellen

Family names change depending on whether you are wedded or not. A child will take their parents' name, but it will change once they get married.   Example. The daughter of the Kechtelía family marries someone of the Thakhtwn family, she then adopts the name Kekhtwnía.

The most widely spoken language by the Afespí is Őntazhera, which is the Lingua Franka of the whole world. The language is one of the many dialects of Őntazra.

Many Afespí will speak the language of their community, however. So if they live in a large community of Cin, then their main language they speak might be Cin ~Rick-Ipa~. Or if the main community are Alora, then they would likely speak the Alora dialect of Elvtuven.

They are warriors of the coast, raiders with great knowledge of the sea. They raid the coasts of the Gôr Empire in their wars, very rarely opting for mainland battle, only doing so when the 'Shebraerían' Cavalry is trained well enough. They often will defend anyone fleeing the Gôr Empire using their great navy and control of the coast. Their great navy controls whatever goes across the seas. They dominate the trade industry with their great knowledge of the sea routes. Because of their greatness at sea, they have become highly skilled in the art of fishing, and they can tell when a population of fish is getting too low to safely fish them. Regardless of the tide, the winds, and the weather, they will always have a bountiful boat of fish.   It's very common to see that many families will co-own a plot of land together and farm it together. Instead of each individual family having one plot, four families will work together on four plots. They also adopted the 'Polder' system of farming for those on the coast. Often they will reclaim land from the sea, separate flood plains with a 'dike,' and separate marshes from surrounding water using a dike, and they are sometimes drained.   They regard the rule of law very highly, and anyone caught breaking the law is often given little pity when ostracized. Truth and impartial justice is one of the most important things that one can take part in. If you broke a law, you are expected to receive the proper justice.   The Afespí of the Island of Emeralds have become excellent horse breeders, and their horses have subsequently become highly regarded throughout the whole world. The Shebraerían horse is the strongest and largest horse to ever have lived, many of these horses can even rival that of an ox in strength. They are part of The Three Great Cavalries.   Having been shamed by their past of fleeing, they have adopted a very strong sense of defending their home, defending others, and defending themselves. Usually on the field of battle, they would rather die than flee.   They hold in high regard those who are motivated to help the less fortunate. They believe that being a charitable person is one of the most honourable things one can be. If one is living comfortably, there is no reason to horde more money for themselves, so instead give it to the poor.   Music is almost treated as if it were its own language with different styles of song for different events. Birthdays have a style of music played, festivals have a style of music played, feasts have a style of music played, and war has a style of music played. Every event in Afespí culture has a style of music.   They love to learn the languages of other people, they believe it will bring you closer to peace and to the language of the gods. To learn more than just your language is a quest many set out to take.

Opportunity, education, balance, exploration, and freedom is the basis of Human philosophy. Human life is fleeting and every individual should have the opportunity to fully experience and embrace their humanity. They recognize the brevity of life and emphasize the importance of seizing the present moment, particularly during the youthful years when possibilities abound. The belief that there is a phase in life, usually between adolescence and early adulthood, is strong with humans, the primary purpose of life shifts from personal growth to the nurturing of younger generations. There is great importance on sharing knowledge, teaching skills, and offering support and solace to those who are embarking on their life journey. Wealth and prosperity is important to humans, however, there is a point when one has so much wealth, that they disregard others, and stunt their journey in the world. This is seen as a moral decay or corruption of the soul. Humans hold a profound belief in the exploration of the world and the freedom to do so. The idea of a burial is seen as very disrespectful, and something to never do as it confines the soul to the depths of the Earth, thereby keeping it from continuing its exploration. Humans value personal liberty, the ability to make choices, and the absence of undue constraints. Autonomy to shape your own path is very important to humans, autonomy to pursue one's passions and deter their own demons is the most important thing to them. Human philosophy is based on the fleeting nature of their life. It requires you to guide and educate future generations, on the pursuit of balance in wealth, liberation of the soul in death, and the primacy of freedom in their lives. These principles foster a society that seeks opportunity, values education, embraces exploration and cherishes freedom.

The Afespí have an egalitarian view of the world, stemming from their parent Afespían culture, however, they are highly influenced by the Pume stoic way of life, as well as their having been born in the flames of war. The Afespí are stoic, but accepting, people. Due to them living in the Kingdom of Ōkalía they have many immigrants. Having lived alongside these many cultures, they have become adept at incorporating foreign languages, traditions, and customs into their own lives. It would be considered unacceptable for a community of people speaking Cin ~Rick-Ipa~ to have to read signs in only Őntazhera. Accommodations for minorities are very common in their culture, and often they will go out of their way to try and to make a person in the minority be as comfortable in their community as possible, within reason.   Hospitality is one of the most important etiquette to the Afespí. Guests are treated with utmost respect and are often offered refreshments upon arrival. It is polite to accept such offers graciously and show appreciation for the hospitality extended. To the Afespí, not offering or accepting gifts is one of the greatest showings of disrespect you can show. If one does do such a thing, it is likely you are not liked by them. Often the guest will bring a gift for the host, it is usually something like flowers or food, but if it is a more joyous occasion, such as a birthday or wedding, there would be a much greater gift, ranging from a hand-carved idol to jewelry.   It is important to the Afespí to show utmost respect in locations like a temple. Temples are not considered holy grounds, as they are to Elves and some of the Men. To the Afespí a temple is merely a location to meet with the Learned Ones, also called the Great Teachers, and to show respect to them is highly important, and because they control the temple, as well as take care of it, to show any form of disrespect within the temple would be disrespectful to the Learned Ones, and is thus highly important to not disrespect the temple.

The standard for the peasant to middle-class folk was a long leather-brown tunic that covered much of the pants. The pants would go down to the back of the shoe, which would often be a small sandal-like shoe. They wear a thick belt around where the waist area which can hold many different tools. Often the belt is made of leather, but it is not unheard of to see some made of waxed cotton (usually the upper-middle-class individuals).

When working on the boats, often they would wear a similar thing, but the tunic would not go down as far, and usually end around the upper thigh, the shoes they wore would be large boots, with their pants tucked into them. Finally, they wear on hung over their shoulders a shawl.

Finally, the royalty wear has a bright red, (#F93600) and a darker blue shawl surrounding it, (#214869). This darker blue also cuts off the bottom of the skirt or legs of the pants, from halfway down the foreleg. There are often intricate designs on the belt and the lining of the shawl. The belt is usually made of cotton, the same material as the lining of their shawl. Along the ends of their wrists and either the bottoms of their pants or skirts there are often the symbols of their family dynasty (the symbol of the family which founded the dynasty). Finally, they have symbols drawn near the bottom of their skirts, just above where the colour breaks off, of their family.

They adopted a mix between the traditional Afespían art style as well as the traditional art used by the Elves. Very often it is included either on the side of ships, on clothing, on the side of doorways, or around the corners of the books. It is characterized by knots, loops, and braids that are weaved together seamlessly. It is elaborately interlaced and includes perfect curves and spirals.   Music is highly regarded by the Afespí people, having adopted the Afespían means to music, with many different styles depending on the location and event taking place.   Under the prosperity of the Kingdom of Ōkalía, Afespí literature entered into a great golden age, with authors writing many different works, from comedies to tragedies, from epics to lyrics. Great illuminators work to make a book look as perfect as it can. Sometimes books will be laden with gold, and almost all of the books written include much beautiful artwork along its sides.

They value family gatherings highly, they celebrate the world around them with their family, usually having feasts outside. They will have them either by the sea, by a mountain, or in a field. As long as it is in an important part of nature, such as those locations. The elders of the family will tell the children stories of the old days, the different myths, history, and wisdom that they inherited from the Afespíans.   The storytelling tradition is very strong within Afespí society. during festivals, the elders or bards will tell anyone who wishes to hear tales of heroes and monsters. Bards usually tell the history of the world, from the forgotten war to the Invasion of the Rot. Elders on the other hand will tell the myths, or stories from their childhoods. They would also teach of the stories between the Afespí and Afespíans, where as well as between Afespí and Alora, or Afespí and Nōreds. The elders taught of the interactions between the Afespís and the world, whereas the bards would teach more broadly about the cultures themselves. How they differed, yet also how they compared.   The festivals are not just communal, anybody from anywhere is accepted to join, and it is very common to see people from other parts of the Kingdom of Ōkalía who have never seen that town before dancing with the locals. Festivals often include large fire pits around the area where the dancing is taking place. Around each fire pit, there is some person playing an instrument, and in the center, there is anybody who wishes to dance. Around the fire there are the meals, then from there, it varies on town tradition.   Music is integral to not just festivals, but the whole of Afespí society. They incorporated many of the rhythms of the old Pume who lived on the islands and played with percussion instruments made of seashells and the skins of dolphins or whales. However, the majority of their music is based on that of the Afespíans. Where most of the instruments came from.

The Afespí people reject the notion of burial, similar to their parent Afespían culture. They believe it traps the soul into the earth. Therefore, they lay the body out in the forest or on the coast, allowing for the person to give back to the world what they had taken from it in life. The Afespí put a special rock with the name of the individual carved into it within the person's hand to act as a tombstone for the family, and others, to return to the place of their death.

They follow the same religion as the Afespían, however, the faith changed due to influence from the Pume.

In the faith of the Afespíans, there are two realms, the earth realm (including the 'below-world'), and Swpta'ōkae, the dream realm. However, the Pume believed in a third, which the Afespí adopted, the otherworld.

The otherworld is the same thing as the earth, only where the gods live, as well as all of the creations they had not released, or will not release in some cases, into the earth realm. The sky in the otherworld is black, and the stars are out at the same time as the sun. The water is brighter than in the earth realm, and it has powerful magic in it, if you drink the 'other water' then you could get cured of all ailments.

Some can travel into the otherworld in the Pume tradition, however, the Afespí ended that tradition, thinking that one could only get to the otherworld with help from the divine.    

The story of Ezír Akama, the greatest of all horses. This legend originated in the tale of Kaftía, a Shebraerían woman who lived on a horse breeding farm. The day she was born so too was a little horse born, they named the horse Ezír Akama and the girl Kaftía. They became good friends with each other, and they both grew very renowned within the lands of the island of Shebraer. Kaftía one day wished to help the people of The Eralían city-state flee to The Kingdom of Ōkalía. Thus she went with her trusted horse Ezír Akama. Once she landed on the coast of Ōswethtamí she and her horse began to head for the city through the secret ways that all the smugglers would take. It began to rain and the thick fog that started up caused them to get lost. So during the night, they slept beneath a tree. The sleep was sound until a creature began to slither out from the fog. The creature was fish-like, green in skin with many fins. Its mouth was large and drooling. It pointed its spear at the horse, making a horrific gargling sound. The horse began to neigh loudly but when Kaftía woke up, the monster fled. Back asleep the beast returned and the horse began to violently attack it. After it was over the monster was dead. When Kaftía awoke she saw the creature and praised Ezír Akama for defeating it. The two went on to become feared raiders against The Gôr Empire, but one day Kaftía was caught, and in the Ork's attempt to capture Ezír Akama the horse ran, it ran so fast that within moments it was far out of sight. Thinking the horse was gone for good they began to ride back to their home city, but on the way, the horse came back around and slew all of the Orks in that party. Kaftía and Ezír Akama returned to The Kingdom of Ōkalía and trained the new generation of Shebraerían Cavalrymen.

Since they are a warrior and seafaring culture being physically fit with a strong toned physique is what is to be considered beautiful. Individuals with athletic type bodies are mostly considered attractive. However, there is a limit. Often too much muscle mass will be considered unattractive.   Tanned skin shows you spend time outside, helping with whatever is needed of you. Pale skin is often showing you are lazy and don't get out much.   Jewelry is very attractive to the Afespí, often made of materials that are made of Pearls, Emeralds, Coral, and Shells. Often symbols, either of your family or of a god are carved on the main jewel of the piece.   Long and flowing 'wind-swept' hair is deemed the most attractive. Usually, the colour red is the most attractive hair colour, but it is followed closely by the brown hair colour   Functional clothing is the fashion norm, with colours like white, brown, and occasionally light blue. Even though it is practical for ship work or farming, that does not mean it does not have intricate designs. Often intricate designs show richness in the clothing and are more eye-catching than anything else.

The egalitarian ethos, which the Afespí hold dear, is heavily influenced by their parent Afespían culture, as well as their consistent interactions with the diverse immigrant communities fleeing The Rot. As part of this, there is no stigma towards those working what they wish to work as, however, they do have a practical division of labour. Men on average tend to engage in activities such as fishing, boat maintenance, and joining the military. Women tend to take on the responsibilities related to farming, management of the immediate community, and childcare. However, again, these divisions are not seen as strict.   The Afespí hold in deep reverence the idea of individual freedom. Personal liberty and autonomy are highly important, which extends to gender roles. Individuals are free to make choices about their lives and if a woman wants to be a sailor, or a man wants to focus on farming, they are not stigmatized.   Men and women always work together to ensure the well-being of the community, showing knowledge and skills with and about each other freely. Men and women are equally valued for their skills, knowledge, and accomplishments.

When interested in courting another individual, person A will start out by crafting a small token of appreciation, this varies on the person, but usually it is some carving on a gem, a seashell, or a vase made from the island's wood which is adorned with flowers. The carving will usually represent something to praise person B's family. Person B will decide whether or not they wish to give person A their love, and if they do, they return the gift to them, in secret. From there, person A will get foodstuffs from around the island, all have to be freshly picked. Then they gift it to person B who will then cook something with it. From there, they find a spot anywhere between the two houses and eat the food. Here, they both give a gift to each other, usually something of importance to them (as in, person A gifts person B something that is important to person A). And the meal ends when person A gives back the gift they crafted for person B. At this point, they are now spending time together publicly, but they never truly announce anything outside of close friendships and family relations. At the end of this person A proposes when ready, they do this by presenting a piece of wood, likely oak or palm, to person B. If person B accepts the wood, they begin to carve on it the symbols of their families combined to create their new family.