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Manax
(pronounced: Man-'aks)
Manax have existed on Ta Los since the beginning of mortals began walking upon its surface. They have thrived living in the shadows and in the background of all the other species that have existed in this world. They are at home living peacefully in the existing cities, towns, and villages through out the world; as well as its wild lands far from common civilizations.
They spend their lives carving out homes and communities behind the scenes of the larger species, often taken up roots in central parks, large alleys, and spaces between buildings. Rarely do they build communities in the world outside of the larger species communities, and when they do, they do so where the community is enclosed and very difficult to find and attack.
Manax come in all shades and shapes as most humanoids do. They are tall and thin, short and robust. Manax are covered in fine fur of various colors and shades, most are of a solid color, many others are bi-colors, tri-colors, and still others have striped, marbled or a pattern fur.
There are as many differences in Manax sub-cultures as there are individual Manax communities, though most all have a strong foundation base of commonality between all Manax.
Psychology
It is a very big world, filled with a great number of dangers, and when you are the smallest civilized species in the known Omniverse, you tend to want to avoid it; or at least be able to disappear into the background as much as possible.
Manax are not naturally assertive, they are gentle folk, accepting, forgiving of others shortcomings and have a wide use of euphemisms. Yet, they can be very direct, opinionated and straightforward, they often lack a filter between their thoughts and their mouths.
Predominately, most Manax do not like to go adventuring, its messy, filled with danger and it takes you far from home. However, many of the younger Manax, almost in a rebellious like manner, literally run away from home to experience the world beyond the sheltered lifestyle of the community. While most of this travel is within a few dozen miles of exploration, every Manax family has that crazy aunt, uncle or grandfather that “looked over the edge” and jumped.
When another species meets a Manax for the first time, most Manax come across as a being of extremes, almost frantic in their movements and skittish in their responses. They tend to fall somewhere between always on filled with vigor and ferocity and depressive timidness, shyness and introversion. There is very little room between these in the Manax’s mind. Though oddly they always seem to be eternal optimists: philosophical, laid-back and resilient.
Most Manax are superstitious, are slow to trust others that are not openly friendly. Manax have proven time and time again to be loyal friends that are quick-witted and very courteous and decent.
As a culture and people Manax do not trust magic or those that use magic, and are unconformable around those that use magic. This is a result from the history that the Manax has with the sorex that have used dark and evil magics against the Manax for as long as the two species have been at war. Though many Manax have learned to trust items that hold magical charges such as thaumic batteries, dolakh crystals and many magical items.
Unlike most smaller races, the Manax have no aversion to combat. They have a long familiarity with violence, having gone through many wars with the Sorex and other races who have driven them from home after home.
Society and Culture
Manax have existed on Ta Los since the beginning of mortals began walking upon its surface. They have thrived living in the shadows and in the background of all the other species that have existed in this world. They are at home living peacefully in the existing cities, towns, and villages through out the world.
They spend their lives carving out homes and communities behind the scenes of the larger species, often taken up roots in central parks, large alleys, and spaces between buildings. Rarely do they build communities in the world outside of the larger species communities, and when they do they do so where the community is enclosed and very difficult to attack.
Through out the Omniverse, Manax communities are tightly woven groups that tend to be found in the shadows of other species. They tend to have deep and extensive connections with these other species that they share space with. Manax have a natural knack for figuring out what the rest of the world needs and work hard to give it to them, mostly to make their presence in the worlds welcome.
Their quick minds make them excellent merchants, spies, and conspirators; one can always be sure something is going on when they’re around. Manax have quiet, peaceful homes that are absolutely devoid of clutter.
Manax live in many of the same areas as Aelwyns, whom they love, and Sorex, whom they hate. The Manax enjoy a very deep friendship with the Aelwyn people, and the two often play games and defend each other. The enmity against the Sorex is equally deep, going back to times neither can remember, and their rivalry has plunged many a slum or sewer of an ancient city into a war zone.
There is very little privacy among the Manax, as they are very self-centric society, they are rarely alone usually with family or friends. Individualism in other species is foreign to the Manax social consciousness and experience.
Manax are tribal oriented communities that are made up of 10-15 families, with 5-6 individuals per family. Each tribe is overseen and ruled by the tribal council of the Nine. It is made up of a mix of both elders (to preserve the past) and youngsters (to see the future).
Family and Structure
Manax family life revolves around the heart, hearth and home. Manax know the strength of family both close and extended. Manax families are made up of a pair, generally male and female, three to four children, unmarried brothers and sisters of the pair, grandparents and sometimes a great grandparent or two. These are the core elements that have kept the Manax species alive and going for a millennia.
Manax tend to follow a matriarchal lifestyle, with the females in charge of most things within the family. They enforce their family codes, raise and teach the young Manax and ensure that each family within the community is pulling its weight to the benefit of each community.
No one Manax is without a family. On the rare occasion that a non-community Manax enters a new community they are generally accepted and are under the auspices of the eldest female in the community and is given responsibilities based on their age and gender.
Names are very important to the Manax. Every family has its own name, every community, and every group of community in a given area. Such as the Arhcers of Elderknot within Dardura Sheva.
Community
For the most part, Manax really do not lay claim to a land of their own, there is no Kingdom, Nation, or Realm of Manax. They often build their own communities within the larger communities of other species that they have “adopted”, they function as permanent guests within these communities. They will build these small communities in less “desirable” locations that the Manax fit into.
Each family within the community takes on a very specific and important role in order to support the whole community. Some families are called upon to be defenders, others merchants, others teachers and still others are called upon to be workers.
these families follow a semi-rigid hierarchy based on their family Pagobre (yae’hldra for social position) and Batung (yae’hldra for duty). Each family decides which duty they wish to apply themselves: Ngetsha (yae’hldra for priests,teachers), Mfazali (yae’hldra for warriors-guards), Bartafa (yae’hldra for traders, merchants), Msebahni (yae’hldra for workers) or Nyaniki (yae’hldra for caretakers). While in most caste systems there is a sense of discrimination, this does not occur within the Manax.
This system allows and encourages Manax to pursue self-improvement, self-enrichment and the betterment of their communities.
Art
Manax have a deep love for all types of art from sculptures, to painting to unique iron works. These crafts allow the Manax’s creative side to be explored in detail. Most Manax art is down for its own sake allowing for each Manax to explore their own notions with many being able to sell whole collections of their talent showing their most rudimentary and simple beginnings to their highly detailed and intricate designs.
With their agility and fine-dexterity they are able to create highly complex designs in textiles, fashion, metalwork, and especially jewelry crafting and woodworking.
Many communities, while built from the unwanted or discard materials of the larger species, are often built in intricate ways unique to that community alone.
Like many species, music and poetry, have a special place in the world of the Manax. Many times songs are used by groups to encourage themselves, and should a good song be struck, it will soon echo through the entire community as a song-round. The wider communities outside of the Manax are often in awe to this, and to hear one is very up lifting.
Customs, Traditions and Beliefs
As a very superstitious species Manax have more customs, traditions and beliefs that many families and communities have large volumes describing them.
To many Manax the color white, and rare naturally occurring white in flowers such as roses, heather and sunflowers are thought to be very, very lucky. Often Manax warriors, explorers and adventurers wear these white flowers for their protective powers.
It is customary for children or younger Manax when they greet or say goodbye to their elders that they do so by bowing their heads before them and placing the elders hands on their heads. This is thought to bless the young with much needed wisdom.
Traditionally, newly wed or partnered Manax tend to wash their faces in the dew of the morning after their pairing/marriage. It is believed that this will bless the union with vitality for the new marriage in the years ahead.
This following tradition has been around for thousands of years in nearly every Manax community, though the wording changes from time to time, it is still believed that saying these “blessed words” on the first day of the month will bring you good luck for the rest of that month.
Marriage
Because family is essential to the way of life among the Manax, they strongly believe that marriage or pairings of between two Manax that have strong and constant affection for each other is one of the most important activities that they can do to support the community.
Manax are very romantic when it comes to affairs of the heart. Serenading is one of the most popular forms of courtship to show that one Manax has for another and is very serious with their intentions towards another. A serenade would require the young lover to sing a love song in front of their intended’s house. Normally, they are accompanied by their friends who act as back-up singers.
They would have to wait until their intended love opens a window to listen. It would be up to them if they wanted to invite them in for some refreshment and to chat after the song. Even if they had been asked to come in, the suitor would not expect that they could have the chance of a private moment with their object of affection. It was highly likely that the parents would also be there to entertain them and their friends.
Once a marriage or pairing is initiated the festival and ceremony tends to be an entire community event that takes place over several days and nights. It is filled with fun, drinking and merry making. The new couple is showered in good thoughts and gifts to start their new lives together.
Holy/Dates of Importance
Most dates of importance tend to circle around concepts and dates that have affected the community or the family. Like many other cultures there are a number of days that the Manax identify as having significance as well as having supernatural effects and thus creating more superstitions.
Manax celebrate the various equinoxes adhering to a very specific set of things that they must do to avoid bad luck or bad fate. These can range from all night celebrations, to making toasts to the rising or setting sun followed by a quick prayer before the sun fully rises or sets, which is thought to bring good luck for until the next equinox or bad luck if the prayer is not finished in time. The prayer consists of eight, which is a luck number for most Manax, stances that if not said correctly or must be repeated will cause the inciter to not finish the prayer before the event ends.
All Manax communities celebrate Founding Days, which are held once per year on the day that their community was founded or first established. This often includes the celebration of founding of a family, which is slightly different than the celebration of wedding or pairing anniversaries. These days are spent cleaning then entire community, resetting alarms and traps, and sprinkling blue salt around the entire community to ward of evil and chaos.
Similar to the celebration of Founding Days, Wedding/Pairing Anniversaries of great importance to the Manax. They believe that if the pair or family does not celebrate this yearly event that tragedy will befall the home and the family. This celebration generally takes place over two days where the couple re-enact the serenade and then the bonding. Those that are separated from their paired partner by distance each partner goes through the motions as if the other was there.
All Manax celebrate the new year which tends to fall on the first night of the new moon in the first month of the Lunar Calendar, which usually takes place between the last week of Janak and the third week of Nahtag.
One of the most important to all Manax is the celebration of the ancestors, those that have come before, and the honoring of the first known Manax. Called the Jhung Ancestor Festival, this festival is held each year from the eight to the eleventh of the third lunar month in honor of the Manax ancestors.
Dress/Clothing
Manax prefer simple, comfortable semi-baggy clothing that allows for their tails to move about freely, but tight enough that the clothing doesn’t get in their way when working. Most of their fabric comes from two sources: natural that they must use to create finished cloth and clothing; and left over scraps of cloth from the larger species around them.
They prefer mostly wool and cotton materials along with specially crafted leather gear. Manax prefer cool, dark and neutral colors ranging from deep colors of red, blue, brown and green.
Manax rarely wear footwear, other than the occasional soft leather soles to protect their footpads from extreme heat or cold.
Food
The Manax are fairly obsessed with eating. They have a deep connection to the earth and enjoy its many vegetables and fruits. While not completely vegetarian, they prefer to eat more vegetable and fruits than not. They do enjoy the occasional duck, chicken, and fish, and are well known to hunt down large insect type creatures often cooking these in the same way other species cook shellfish and crustaceans such as lobster and shrimp.
Manax dishes are legendary among the larger species, they are well known for their use of dried peppers, spices and herbs to make simple vegetarian dishes very extraordinary. One of the most popular dishes is a veggie balls in a thick sauce often called Khofkur. It is a dish that is used for special occasions. It uses a mixture of potatoes, cheeses, cream and other vegetables that are combined into balls an are then stuffed with chopped nuts and dried grapes.
Red bean stew, often referred to Khat Cully, is a quick an easy stew that any Manax can make quickly and most Manax carry the main ingredient with them while out adventuring: Red Beans. This dish is mixed spices, onions and garlic or other wild vegetables that an adventuring Manax can find.
Kalu Dhu meaning boiled bug, is another favored dish. It is a very spicy red sauce dish made from shellfish, crustaceans, and the occasional giant bug, like grasshopper, and the dangerous xelsada. It is mixed with tomatoes, hot peppers, spices, garlic, raisins and the appropriate “meat”. This is a popular meal to celebrate community victories as each family has its own traditional take on this dish.
Religion and Spirituality
Manax are not overtly religious or spiritual, and as a highly superstitious species they tend to view the concept of gods as another reason to be superstitious about the whole Omniverse.
This is not to say that they do not believe in the gods, rather they view them as paranormal beings that increase or decrease the luck of an individual as well as their lives. Ones that must be appeased by various rituals, most of which is dealt with by the various Ngetsha of each community and the elders of the family. Many Manax have stopped believing in the gods altogether, and have turned to the use of more modern concepts that the gods normally fulfill such as healing medicines and biomechanics.
The Gods
Manax do not have a specific pantheon of gods. Those that feel that they must worship a god or desire to achieve an understanding of the divine tend to follow the deities of Ta Los as the humans have represented them. These Manax are generally attracted to Elal, Gishra and Akira.
Death and Funerals
Manax are brave but they are neither fearless or foolhardy and hold death and dying in a health respect. They are not afraid of death but neither do they seek it out. They accept death as a part of nature, like most other species.
Manax communities, if they can, hold funerals to mourn the loss of family members and community members. Like wedding or pairing ceremonies, funerals are a held by the entire community. Once the body is put to rest in its grave (of which there are countless superstitions about this, facing east, body wrapped in specific linen, in a specific manner, buried on a specific day, buried within a set period and more in order to avoid the dead from coming back to life) the community celebrates the departed’s life with a grand celebration.
After Life
Manax, being superstitious lot have several believes about life after death. Manax do believe in a soul, and that their ancestors continue to live within the community or in areas where the community once existed, giving rise to the Manax concepts of hauntings, nightmares and paranormal activity.
They do believe that the soul or spirit is no extinguished, but is transfers to another realm of life, which is why the ancestors can still be contacted with the proper ritual.
The believe that a Manax’s actions while living ultimately determines if the soul or spirit of the individual ascends to a higher plane, or is reborn as an animal, a spirit, or even a demon or fiend.
Their superstitious believe of every action begets another action of equal power, whether it be good, bad or neutral. These actions allow the Omniverse to determine if the soul of the dead is reborn and how.
Language
Known as Calithur, the Manax language is based on both squeaks and recognizable words. It is nearly impossible for humans and others to speak Calithur. They have created a hybrid-langauge knwon as Utaghal the does include some clicking sounds blended with Yae’hldra (ancient Common) and undercommon. Luckily, the Manax learn other languages easily — estranged Manax often find work as translators or diplomats.
