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{{Sophants Infobox
{{Races Infobox
|Inhabitants Name=Minthari
|Name=Oinien
|Type=Civilized Corporeal
|Civilized=Yes
|Image=[[File:Minthari - Art 01.jpg|center|frameless]]
|Image=[[File:Oinien_Female.jpg|center|frameless]]
|Realm=[[Terasil]]
|Plural=Oinien
|Capital=[[Minthal]]
|Classification=Human
|Homeland=[[Orinilure]]
|Average Height=5 ft (152 cm)
|Average lifespan=90–120 years
|Distinction=Nearly blind; echolocation
|Language=Oinien
|Factions=[[Orinilure Collective]], [[Erden Monopoly]]
}}
}}
{{Sophants Sections
{{Races Sections
|Introduction=The '''Minthari''' are a subterranean race that dwells within the [[Anvil Range]] and [[Astralith Range]], forging vast tunnel networks beneath the mountainous heartlands of Terasil. Born from the essence of Greed and Earth, the Minthari possess an innate drive to mine, extract, and shape the earth's treasures. However, rather than unchecked exploitation, they see themselves as stewards of stone, sculpting the land while preserving its integrity.
|Introduction=The '''Oinien''' are a subterranean people of humans native to [[Orinilure]], in northern [[Méniail]]. They live in cavern systems and underground cities within the [[Orinilure Mountains]] and the [[Irere Mountains]], and are nearly blind, relying on echolocation in place of sight. They are divided between two states, the [[Orinilure Collective]] in the east and the [[Erden Monopoly]] in the west. The Oinien maintain and extend the [[Deep Roads]], and about 50,000 of them live in the cities of the [[Arânzeni Confederation]] in [[Khamria]].
|Etymology=From the Oinien word ''oinilineu'', "echoing voice".
|Origin and Nature=The Oinien descend from settlers who landed in [[Gosterra]] during the [[Great Migration]]. In 150 ME a group of their descendants entered the Orinilure Mountains and the Irere Mountains and took shelter from surface dangers in the natural caverns of the ranges. The [[Himoja]], the native people of the region, received them peacefully and helped them to establish themselves. Over generations these communities moved deeper into the earth.


Minthari society is divided between the two great ranges—the Anvil Range, where their capital city Minthal resides, and the Astralith Range, home to the shadowed city of Minthsen. Over time, cultural divergences have led to distinct traditions and philosophies among them.
Three [[Ascendant Spirit|Ascendant Spirits]] of Orinilure are held to have shaped them. [[Iriché]], the spirit of desire and greed, shaped their culture and outlook. [[Kiyañ]], the spirit of caves, is associated with the changes to their bodies underground. [[Oviyai]], the spirit of sound and silence, is associated with their echolocation.
|Biology and Physical Traits=* Shaped by their subterranean existence, the Minthari possess unique traits that enhance their adaptability within the deep stone corridors of Terasil:
|History={{See also|Deep Roads}}
* Elongated, Segmented Bodies – Flexible and resilient, allowing them to navigate tight caverns effortlessly.
The settlers of 150 ME found passages left beneath the mountains by the [[Namuril]] and began to extend them. The period of expansion that followed is known in Orinilure and Khamria as the Age of Deep Roads (150 – c. 500 ME). The Orinilure Collective was formed in 230 ME to govern the settlements of the Orinilure Mountains.
* Translucent Skin – Faintly glowing veins of crystalline energy pulse beneath their surface, attuned to the vibrations of the stone around them.
* Crystalline Veins – Their mineral-infused blood enhances their geomantic abilities, allowing them to sense shifts in the earth and manipulate stone with precision.


=== Life Cycle and Reproduction ===
After the [[Arânzeni]] settled the [[Baviare Vale]], Oinien tunnels were extended to their settlements. They reached [[Lavierin]] by way of [[Gareag]] in 372 ME, and a second road to [[Lepigisțil]] opened in 431 ME. Many Oinien settled in Arânzeni cities.
Minthari reproduce through a slow and deliberate process, reflecting their connection to the stability of the earth. Offspring develop within crystalline cocoons deep underground, absorbing the latent energy of the stone before emerging fully formed. This method ensures that every new generation is deeply attuned to their subterranean home.
|Culture and Society=The Minthari are deeply communal, valuing cooperation, craftsmanship, and shared purpose. They honor the balance between creation and preservation, ensuring that their mining and forging practices do not destabilize the land they call home.
The Anvil and Astralith Divide


Over time, the Minthari of the Anvil and Astralith Ranges have developed distinct identities:
In 440 ME the Collective chartered the Erden Monopoly to mine and settle the Irere Mountains. The Monopoly came to govern the western range in its own right, and the Oinien of the two ranges grew apart in custom and belief.


    Anvil Minthari – Pragmatic and industrious, they view the mountain as a forge, ever shaping and refining its materials. Their settlements are known for their grand forges, vast halls, and precision engineering.
The Collective and the Monopoly went to war from 626 to 633 ME. The treaty that ended the war left the land between the two states, around the House of Iriché in the [[Orinilure Valley]], as a neutral zone belonging to neither. Both states built the Treaty Forts along it, and the forts remain garrisoned.
    Astralith Minthari – Reserved and enigmatic, they believe in working within the stone rather than imposing their will upon it. Their hidden cities blend seamlessly into the rock, making them masters of concealment and deep-earth geomancy.
|Biology and Physical Traits=[[File:Oinien_Male.jpg|thumb|550x550px|A Young Oinien Man.]]
Long habitation underground has altered the Oinien physique. They are nearly blind. In place of sight they have acute hearing and use a form of echolocation: from low-frequency clicks, the vibration of footsteps, and ambient echoes they form a detailed sense of their surroundings.


Sacred Sites
Their skin is pale to the point of translucence and gives little protection from sunlight. Exposure on the surface is hazardous, and most Oinien rarely go above ground. The Oinien are shorter than most humans, averaging 5 ft (152 cm), and live 90 to 120 years.
|Abilities and Osia=Oinien echolocation is the basis of their skill in tunnelling and mining.


Both Minthari groups revere certain locations:
Four paths of [[Osia]] are practised among the Oinien. Many who seek power or riches follow the [[Path of Iriché]]. Others follow the [[Path of Oviyai]], seeking sharper echolocation and the ability to manipulate sound. Followers of the [[Path of Kiyañ]] manipulate the caves themselves, and their work is used in architecture and in building the Deep Roads. A significant number follow the [[Path of Yairan]].
|Culture and Society=Oinien culture is shaped by life underground. Without the sky, the sun, or the seasons, Oinien life follows the cycles of excavation, trade, and mineral production. Their philosophy regards desire as a form of striving and treats greed as a natural force to be understood and used rather than condemned.


    The Forgeheart Caverns (Anvil Range) – The legendary first forge, where it is said the Minthari first learned to shape stone into steel.
Communal contribution is held in high esteem, whether through mining, engineering, artistry, or scholarship, but political power follows wealth. In the Orinilure Collective this is established in law: those who accumulate the most wealth in a year govern for the following cycle. The Erden Monopoly is a single chartered company that holds exclusive rights to mining and trade in the Irere Mountains and governs its territory directly.
    The Black Halls of Minthsen (Astralith Range) – A shadowed sanctuary lined with obsidian, where whispers of the earth are strongest.


Art and Cultural Production
Oinien cities are linear, built along the tunnels that connect them, and each settlement depends on the others for food, ore, or finished goods. The [[Irumi]], a blind beast of burden, is used throughout Orinilure for haulage and farming.
Writing
|Notable Settlements=* [[Orinilure City]], capital of the Orinilure Collective
* [[Lirépiel]]
* [[Avilîché]]
* [[Aisembier]]
* [[Biulu]]
* [[Lirandi]]


Minthari written language is carved into stone using precise chiseling techniques. Their records, histories, and poetry are inscribed onto cavern walls, great stone tablets, and even portable metal scrolls infused with geomantic energy to preserve their words for centuries.
Outside Orinilure, Oinien communities live in [[Gareag]], in the Biașirisă district of [[Lavierin]], and in the Oinien Quarter of [[Yacinsa]].
Duration: 24 seconds.0:24
|Spirituality and Beliefs=The Oinien honor Iriché chiefly through mining and the accumulation of wealth. Kiyañ and Oviyai are also revered. Two [[Ancestral Spirit|Ancestral Spirits]] are particular to the Oinien: [[Biseri]], formed from their reverence for the Deep Roads, and [[Mount Dombortisé]], the highest peak of the Orinilure Mountains. [[Eliulien Iler]] is held sacred by the Oinien, as it is by the other peoples of Méniail.
Minthari Music
|Technology and Warfare=The Oinien are the foremost tunnellers and miners of Méniail and are known for metallurgy and for the use of geothermal heat and underground water. They maintain and build the Deep Roads in both Orinilure and Khamria.
Music


Minthari music is distinct from other subterranean cultures due to their unique physiology. Lacking arms, they produce sound primarily through their bodies, using resonant hums, rhythmic vibrations, and airflow manipulation. Their primary musical traditions include:
Because they cannot keep watch on the surface, the Oinien rely on the Himoja and on hired foreign mercenaries as spotters. The practice is most established at Avilîché, the northern frontier post of the Collective.
|Mythology and Legends=Oinien tradition attributes the expansion of the Deep Roads to the influence of Iriché. Biseri is said to appear to travelers on the roads as a guide.
|Relations with Other Races=The Himoja, the native people of Orinilure, have lived peacefully alongside the Oinien since 150 ME. They farm the [[Orinilure Valley]] and supply much of the Oinien's grain, and they act as the Oinien's eyes on the surface. Most live in villages along the valley's rivers, and some live in Oinien settlements.


    Harmonic Burrowing – Minthari create melodies by resonating their segmented bodies against the stone, producing deep, echoing drones that shift in pitch based on movement.
The Oinien are close partners of the Arânzeni. They trade with the cities of the Baviare Vale by the Deep Roads and carry out the engineering on the Confederation's stretches of the network. Disputes do occur: tensions with certain Oinien guilds led the [[Council of Lavierin]] to build the [[Ziplițic District]] in 640 ME.
    Whispering Chasms – By expelling air through specialized throat chambers, Minthari generate eerie, flute-like tones that travel through tunnel networks.
    Stone Songlines – Using specialized pressure nodes in their bodies, Minthari tap out complex percussive rhythms on cavern walls, each beat carrying coded meaning.


Art
The Oinien have little contact with the [[Mundari]] and regard them as savages. They have supported the Arânzeni against them.
 
Minthari art is expressed through elaborate relief carvings, metal inlays, and sculptures. Their craftsmanship is legendary, producing intricate stone murals that depict myths, great historical events, and celestial alignments. Some sculptures are imbued with geomantic energy, allowing them to subtly shift over time.
|Abilities and [[Osia]]=The Minthari are renowned earth manipulators, shaping their environment with unparalleled skill:
 
* Earth Sensing – Detecting mineral veins, hidden caverns, and seismic shifts deep within the mountains.
* Rock Shaping – Using geomantic force to sculpt stone, reinforce tunnels, and create intricate architecture.
* Tremor Manipulation – Some Minthari can generate controlled vibrations, either to weaken rock formations for excavation or to defend against intruders.
 
=== Language and Communication ===
The Minthari primarily communicate through a combination of deep resonant speech and vibrational signals, which can be felt rather than heard. This allows them to convey complex information even in complete darkness. Their written language consists of intricate carvings and reliefs, often incorporated into their architecture.
|Mythology and Legends=Minthari lore is filled with myths of earth, metal, and ambition. Among the most enduring tales are:
 
* The Veins of Fire – A legend of a hidden underground river of molten metal, believed to fuel the forges of Minthal.
* The Crystal King – A Minthari ruler of old, said to have mastered the art of moving mountains before his own ambition led to his downfall.==Relationships with Other Races==The Minthari maintain a neutral stance with most surface dwellers but have complex relationships with other subterranean races. They trade valuable minerals and crafted goods with outsiders but are wary of those who seek to exploit the depths for personal gain.
|Notable Settlements=Major Minthari cities and settlements are embedded deep within Terasil’s mountainous heart:
 
* Minthal- The capital of the Minthari, located in the Anvil Range. A vast subterranean metropolis filled with glowing forges and intricate stonework.
* Minthsen- A secretive city hidden in the dark heart of the Astralith Range, known for its shadowed halls and geomantic masters.
* [[Minthara]]- A thriving mining hub in the Anvil Range, renowned for its superior metalworking and excavation techniques
* Minthset= A watchpoint town in the northern Astralith Range, serving as a strategic stronghold and observation post.
}}
}}
[[category:Orinilure]]
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