The Color Spyral

Society - Plains and Mountains
Greater minena are naturally creatures of the plains, made for the wide open places and warmth, but some families have taken to living deep in the mountains, hidden in the slightly warmer valleys (compared to the peaks or slopes) from the persecution of kaasht and the interference of Lessers. Thus, the two lines of Greater minena have developed their own separate, though essentially similar, societies. There are cities and towns of minena in both places, though there tend to be more cities in the plains, for the higher numbers of minena there and the necessity of making protection from the war-like Plains kaasht.

Cities aside, most minena on the plains life in mobile packs of two to three families. These packs avoid territories common to Plains kaasht clans for safety's sake and spend much of their time hunting. The hunt is a very powerful and important aspect of Greater minena culture, and both tradition and the minena language, Forrmiir, are liberally sprinkled with hunting words and imagery. The packs are lead by the strongest male, often the head of the larger family, though the transfer of leadership can and often does remain within families in a dynastic fashion.

In the mountains, minena live in semi-stable villages that are larger than the packs of the plains: semi-stable because they are often ready to go into hiding or relocate any time a Mountain kaasht clan starts up nearby. The hunt is not quite as overwhelming an event in mountain minena life as in the life of a plains minena, but the warrior nature of Greaters cannot be denied in the mountains any more than it can be on the plains. There, however, it is channeled into patrols and sports more than into hunting. Villages are ruled by a single family and leadership is passed down dynastically from father to son, or rarely to daughter if there is no son, though overthrow and transfer of leadership to a new family is common.

The mostly nomadic packs of the plains are fiercely loyal to one another, though show an odd dichotemy when faced with other Greater minena packs. They can be and usually are friendly towards one another if they meet while travelling or resting, offering hospitality and sharing stories by campfirelight. However, they turn feral and brutally hostile if they meet during a hunt. Such cases usually end in many deaths on both sides. Mountain Greaters are less contradictory: They tend to keep to themselves, avoiding over minena villages except to trade or to accept the odd wanderer.

On the whole, both mountain settlements and plains packs of Greater minena are self-sufficient and resourceful. They take their independence to a fault, refusing aid from kaasht, Lessers, and even other Greaters. Greater minena often make due with a lower standard of living and less technological amenities than they might otherwise have to because they refuse to take help or even trade from their so-called Lesser kin.

Finally, a defining aspect of Greater minena society, whether in the mountains or on the plains, is their hatred for Coronakaasht. Not even those breeds with which Greaters share the common bond of love of battle and pride are afforded respect, much less friendliness. Groups of Greaters will often refuse aid to even the meekest of kaasht.

Culture - The Warriors
The culture of the Greater minena is much the same as any other warrior culture. The pack is what comes first, family name second, and individual honor a close third. Pride, honor, and strength are the most valued aspects of life, even before well-being and happiness. Observance of tradition is another strong aspect of life among Greater minena, almost as strong as the observance of tradition in a Mountain kaasht clan, though mentioning the similarity to a Greater might bring trouble upon the unwary.

Among their kith and kin, whether family, packs meeting under friendly terms, or within villages, Greater minena tend to be loud and open. They laugh, shout, and play with the least minling. Among strangers or outsiders, however, they become stoic, taciturn, and closed off. Greater minena rarely show their true feelings to any other than another Greater, much less their softer sides, often leading kaasht and Lessers to believe them without softer sides.

Greater minena follow strictly traditional gender roles: mohhrona (plural of mohhro) are expected to be strong hunters and protectors who provide for the family, while mihhrina (plural of mihhri) are expected to be caring mothers and teachers who raise minlings. Mihhrina are given rudimentary training in self-defense, however, for they are expected to be able to defend the home and minlings in the father's absence.


Back to Minena	Society - Plains and Mountains Greater minena are naturally creatures of the plains, made for the wide open places and warmth, but some families have taken to living deep in the mountains, hidden in the slightly warmer valleys (compared to the peaks or slopes) from the persecution of kaasht and the interference of Lessers. Thus, the two lines of Greater minena have developed their own separate, though essentially similar, societies. There are cities and towns of minena in both places, though there tend to be more cities in the plains, for the higher numbers of minena there and the necessity of making protection from the war-like Plains kaasht. Cities aside, most minena on the plains life in mobile packs of two to three families. These packs avoid territories common to Plains kaasht clans for safety's sake and spend much of their time hunting. The hunt is a very powerful and important aspect of Greater minena culture, and both tradition and the minena language, Forrmiir, are liberally sprinkled with hunting words and imagery. The packs are lead by the strongest male, often the head of the larger family, though the transfer of leadership can and often does remain within families in a dynastic fashion. In the mountains, minena live in semi-stable villages that are larger than the packs of the plains: semi-stable because they are often ready to go into hiding or relocate any time a Mountain kaasht clan starts up nearby. The hunt is not quite as overwhelming an event in mountain minena life as in the life of a plains minena, but the warrior nature of Greaters cannot be denied in the mountains any more than it can be on the plains. There, however, it is channeled into patrols and sports more than into hunting. Villages are ruled by a single family and leadership is passed down dynastically from father to son, or rarely to daughter if there is no son, though overthrow and transfer of leadership to a new family is common. The mostly nomadic packs of the plains are fiercely loyal to one another, though show an odd dichotemy when faced with other Greater minena packs. They can be and usually are friendly towards one another if they meet while travelling or resting, offering hospitality and sharing stories by campfirelight. However, they turn feral and brutally hostile if they meet during a hunt. Such cases usually end in many deaths on both sides. Mountain Greaters are less contradictory: They tend to keep to themselves, avoiding over minena villages except to trade or to accept the odd wanderer. On the whole, both mountain settlements and plains packs of Greater minena are self-sufficient and resourceful. They take their independence to a fault, refusing aid from kaasht, Lessers, and even other Greaters. Greater minena often make due with a lower standard of living and less technological amenities than they might otherwise have to because they refuse to take help or even trade from their so-called Lesser kin. Finally, a defining aspect of Greater minena society, whether in the mountains or on the plains, is their hatred for Coronakaasht. Not even those breeds with which Greaters share the common bond of love of battle and pride are afforded respect, much less friendliness. Groups of Greaters will often refuse aid to even the meekest of kaasht. Culture - The Warriors The culture of the Greater minena is much the same as any other warrior culture. The pack is what comes first, family name second, and individual honor a close third. Pride, honor, and strength are the most valued aspects of life, even before well-being and happiness. Observance of tradition is another strong aspect of life among Greater minena, almost as strong as the observance of tradition in a Mountain kaasht clan, though mentioning the similarity to a Greater might bring trouble upon the unwary. Among their kith and kin, whether family, packs meeting under friendly terms, or within villages, Greater minena tend to be loud and open. They laugh, shout, and play with the least minling. Among strangers or outsiders, however, they become stoic, taciturn, and closed off. Greater minena rarely show their true feelings to any other than another Greater, much less their softer sides, often leading kaasht and Lessers to believe them without softer sides. Greater minena follow strictly traditional gender roles: mohhrona (plural of mohhro) are expected to be strong hunters and protectors who provide for the family, while mihhrina (plural of mihhri) are expected to be caring mothers and teachers who raise minlings. Mihhrina are given rudimentary training in self-defense, however, for they are expected to be able to defend the home and minlings in the father's absence.