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| {{Races Infobox | | {{Races Infobox |
| |Name=Minthari | | |Name=Oinien |
| |Civilized=Yes | | |Civilized=Yes |
| |Image=[[File:Minthari - Art 01.jpg|center|frameless]] | | |Image=[[File:Oinien_Female.jpg|center|frameless]] |
| |Plural=Minthari | | |Plural=Oinien |
| |Classification=Subterranean Human | | |Classification=Human |
| |Homeland=Terasil | | |Homeland=[[Orinilure]] |
| |Average Height=4-5 feet | | |Average Height=5 ft (152 cm) |
| |Average lifespan=90–120 years | | |Average lifespan=90–120 years |
| |Distinction=Blind; echolocation-based perception; born of subterranean adaptation | | |Distinction=Nearly blind; echolocation |
| |Factions=Minthal ([[Anvil Range]]), Minthsen ([[Astralith Range]])
| | |Language=Oinien |
| |Inhabitants Name=Minthari | | |Factions=[[Orinilure Collective]], [[Erden Monopoly]] |
| |Type=Civilized Corporeal | |
| |Realm=[[Terasil]]
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| |Capital=[[Minthal]]
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| }} | | }} |
| {{Races Sections | | {{Races Sections |
| |Introduction=The '''Minthari''' are a subterranean lineage of humans whose civilization has evolved entirely beneath the mountains of central Terasil. Drawn into the deep places of the world by an insatiable yearning for hidden wealth and forgotten truths, they were gradually reshaped—both in form and in spirit—by the darkness they embraced. Born from the twin forces of '''Desire and Greed''', the Minthari embody the tension between ambition and excess, between the sacred act of seeking and the peril of hoarding. | | |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. |
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| Over countless generations, they abandoned the surface world and its sunlit rhythms, adapting to eternal night through echolocation and vibration-speech. Though blind to light, they perceive their world with astonishing clarity through sound, touch, and resonance. Theirs is a society of miners, sculptors, and seekers—delving ever deeper not just into stone, but into the meaning of want itself.
| | 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. |
| | |History={{See also|Deep Roads}} |
| | 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. |
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| Minthari do not consider themselves exploiters of the earth, but rather its '''interpreters'''. They see in every gem a memory, in every metal vein a buried will. Yet among them, this reverence divides: some view Desire as a sacred call to creation, while others surrender wholly to Greed's darker promise.
| | 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. |
| |Origin and Nature=The Minthari trace their origins not to the surface-born lineages of Terasil, but to an ancient migration—voluntary or compelled—into the cavernous depths beneath the Anvil and Astralith Ranges. Generations ago, a sect of humans driven by an unquenchable hunger for wealth and knowledge descended into the earth, believing that the world’s greatest truths lay hidden in darkness. In time, this descent became permanent, their bodies and minds irrevocably changed.
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| Minthari are profoundly adapted to life underground. This transformation was not merely biological, but '''spiritual'''. The Minthari were shaped by two primal forces—'''Desire''' and '''Greed'''. These are not deities, but elemental truths: Desire as the force of creation, striving, and becoming; Greed as the shadow that clings to all wanting, capable of both ruin and revelation.
| | 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. |
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| From this metaphysical crucible emerged a people who perceive the world not through sight, but through '''sound and vibration'''. Their reliance on echolocation, subtle throat clicks, and harmonic mapping defines not only their senses but their entire way of life. In Minthari myth, to see with the eyes is to be deceived by surface things; only resonance can reveal the true structure of reality.
| | 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. |
| | |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. |
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| Though their origin lies in base yearning, the Minthari do not reject this past. Instead, they ritualize it, embedding it in their lore, ethics, and crafts. To be Minthari is to understand the cost of wanting—and to mine that cost like ore from stone.
| | 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. |
| |Biology and Physical Traits=Millennia of subterranean life have profoundly altered the physiology of the Minthari. Though human in origin, they are no longer fully adapted to the surface world. Their biology reflects both environmental adaptation and the metaphysical imprint of their descent into darkness. | | |Abilities and Osia=Oinien echolocation is the basis of their skill in tunnelling and mining. |
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| Blindness is universal among the Minthari. Their eyes have regressed into pale, milky remnants, sensitive only to pressure and ambient heat. In their place, the Minthari have developed an extraordinary capacity for echolocation. Using a combination of low-frequency throat clicks, footstep vibrations, and ambient echoes, they construct precise mental maps of their environment—far surpassing visual detail in texture, shape, and density.
| | 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. |
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| Their skin is pallid—ranging from bone-white to bluish-gray—and thin enough to reveal faint [[veins]] beneath the surface. It offers minimal protection from ultraviolet light, making prolonged exposure to the surface hazardous. Hair is sparse, often silvery or translucent, and typically worn short or bound close to the skull to minimize interference with resonant detection.
| | 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. |
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| Other distinctive features include:
| | 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. |
| | |Notable Settlements=* [[Orinilure City]], capital of the Orinilure Collective |
| | * [[Lirépiel]] |
| | * [[Avilîché]] |
| | * [[Aisembier]] |
| | * [[Biulu]] |
| | * [[Lirandi]] |
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| * Elongated fingers and highly sensitive fingertips, used for tactile reading and sensing fine structural vibrations.
| | Outside Orinilure, Oinien communities live in [[Gareag]], in the Biașirisă district of [[Lavierin]], and in the Oinien Quarter of [[Yacinsa]]. |
| | |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. |
| | |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. |
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| * Enlarged inner ear structures, enabling acute perception of subterranean acoustics.
| | 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. |
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| * Compact musculature and slightly bowed posture, better suited to crawling and maneuvering within narrow tunnels.
| | 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. |
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| Minthari children are born without functioning eyes and are trained from birth in the use of resonance and touch. Despite their physical fragility, they possess exceptional stamina and sensory awareness in enclosed spaces.
| | The Oinien have little contact with the [[Mundari]] and regard them as savages. They have supported the Arânzeni against them. |
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| The Minthari view their physiology not as a limitation but as a refinement—a purification of form in service to their purpose: to seek, to shape, and to understand what lies beneath.
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| |Culture and Society=Minthari culture is shaped by its complete integration with the underground world. With no access to sky, sun, or seasons, their society revolves around depth, resonance, and the cyclical rhythms of excavation and preservation. Life is governed by a deeply rooted philosophy that reveres Desire as sacred striving and treats Greed as a force to be understood, not blindly obeyed.
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| ===Social Structure===
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| Minthari society is meritocratic, but not individualistic. Prestige is earned through one’s contributions to the community’s deeper understanding of the earth—whether as a miner, cartographer, artisan, or scholar of echo-lore. Leadership is vested in councils of Resonants, elders trained to interpret the harmonic "health" of the caverns and the moral resonance of community choices.
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| Each settlement, large or small, functions as a Resonance Cell, maintaining acoustic harmony with its surroundings and with the other nodes of the Minthari network. Silence is not prized—controlled sound is. A well-maintained tunnel sings back truthfully; a cracked vault speaks of neglect.
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| Settlements
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| ===Craft and Art===
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| Minthari craftsmanship emphasizes resonance and precision. Metal and stone are not merely shaped for utility or ornament, but tuned—crafted to produce or reflect specific frequencies. Tools, weapons, and musical instruments double as surveying devices, navigational aids, or mnemonic tools in oral history.
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| Art is primarily sonic and tactile: sculptures are meant to be touched, and poems are performed in echo-chambers where meaning is shaped by the return of sound. Written language exists, but is used sparingly, often engraved in vibrating stone lines or raised scripts for touch-reading.
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| External Relations
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| The Minthari maintain isolationist but pragmatic relations with surface peoples. Trusted Intermediaries handle all trade, usually in resonance-sensitive goods such as chime-metal, deep-lode pigment, or geomantic crystals. Surface-dwellers are referred to respectfully as the Unshrouded, though they are often considered naively addicted to light and illusion. | |
| |Notable Settlements=The two major cultural centers are:
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| * Minthal, beneath the Anvil Range, known for its conservatism, ritual stonework, and deeply formalized trade pacts.
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| * Minthsen, beneath the Astralith Range, a more experimental, adaptive society open to limited surface interaction and unorthodox mining practices.
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| Smaller outposts, like [[Minthek]], serve as frontier stations and deep-cavern research enclaves, often occupied by scouts, sentinels, and isolated thinkers.
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| |Relations with Other Races=The Minthari maintain '''isolationist but pragmatic''' relations with surface peoples. Trusted '''Intermediaries''' handle all trade, usually in resonance-sensitive goods such as chime-metal, deep-lode pigment, or geomantic crystals. Surface-dwellers are referred to respectfully as the ''Unshrouded'', though they are often considered naively addicted to light and illusion.
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| |Abilities and [[Osia]]=The Minthari are renowned earth manipulators, shaping their environment with unparalleled skill:
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| * Earth Sensing – Detecting mineral veins, hidden caverns, and seismic shifts deep within the mountains.
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| * Rock Shaping – Using geomantic force to sculpt stone, reinforce tunnels, and create intricate architecture.
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| * Tremor Manipulation – Some Minthari can generate controlled vibrations, either to weaken rock formations for excavation or to defend against intruders.
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| === Language and Communication ===
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| 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.
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| }} | | }} |
| | [[category:Orinilure]] |