Rithi

The Rithi are remembered as the first ire; the progenitors from which most customs, languages, and spiritual rites of Rahmori trace their origins. They embody the essence of Rumira, those dual truths of flow and stillness shaped the first paths of civilization.

Rithi culture values precision, memory, and balance, believing that nothing is accidental; every gesture, word, and craft is part of a greater flow. They pioneered ceremonies of water-offerings, seasonal cycles of remembrance, and the ancestral Dreamturn that persists in Ramithi and Mmirathi traditions.

Sacred memory - Memory holds importance. Forgetting is seen as a dishonor to the waters. Knowledge never leaves the Rithi and thus remembrance ensures eternal flow.

Life of Rumira (water) - Water holds life at every level, which means it must not be wasted, stagnant, or disrespected. To block it's flow without purpose, is offensive.

Balance over Power -0 All actions must be weighed against the ripple-effect on the whole. Each action must ensure balance, even to the minuscule level.

Community above self - An individual's worth is connected to the whole. When one suffers, so does the community. Caring for the community returns care to self.

Rithi's being the first , they catapulted technological advancements. With building the first navigation systems, being the first to utilize the elements, and crafting agricultural systems.

• Watercraft & Navigation - Rithi's were the first to craft reed vessels and pearlstone boats.
• Hydroengineering - Developed irrigation terraces and tide-gates, which later was advanced by the Mmarithi.
• Dream Tools - Ramithi preserved early tools for recording spirit-visions in frost crystals.
• Architecture - Fluid, curving structures inspired by the rivers; both functional and symbolic.

Some of the most common etiquette include the following:

• A libation of water should be poured before every meal or council.
• Never interrupt an ire recounting an ancestral memory.
• Greetings involve a light touch of the wrist; symbolizing "the vein of Rumira."
• Silence is honored; pauses in conversation are part of respect.

• Flowing garments in layered silks and aquatic weaves are often adorned.
• Colors often include warm cools such as soft blues, lavenders, silver-whites, and gray neutrals.
• Jewelry are often crafted from pearlstones memory-infused clay, and shells.
• Hair most often adorned with reeds or tide-flowers during ceremonies.

• Art: Primarily functional but intricately detailed — murals of flowing currents, woven memory tapestries, bioluminescent inks.
• Music: Water-instruments like flow-flutes and ripple drums.
• Architecture: Circular sanctuaries built to echo water’s cycles; houses elevated on stilts above rivers; ceremonial halls with mirrored pools at their center.

• Polluting a river or sacred water is seen as soul-death.
• Forgetting or falsifying an ancestral story is punished with exile.
• Fire rituals within sacred water sites are forbidden.
• To eat land-only creatures (beasts of soil) is considered impure.

The Vein of Rumira: The first river is said to be Rumira’s own vein, cut into Rahmori to feed all life.

The Two Currents: Legends say the first Rithi split when Rumira wept — one tear flowed warm (Mmarithi), one froze still (Ramithi).

The Flood of Silence: Origin myth of the once-in-a-decade hush when all waters pause to honor the lost.

Dream of the Stillwater: Ramithi origin tale where Zhuma awoke in the frozen heart of Rumira.

Eshumir – The First Memory-Keeper, said to have recorded ancestral voices in clay vessels.

Zhura’an – The Still Listener, who discovered Spirit (Zhuma) in frozen silence.

Emmirathi – The Riverbuilder, founder of Emmira, “The Mouth of the First River.”

Irumel – The Tide Singer, remembered for bridging Mmarithi and Ramithi traditions before the exile.