The Brightest Shadow: The Rhen

(This is the fourth in my series of worldbuilding posts for The Brightest Shadow, leading up to the release of the second book, A Hollow Mountain.)

Though the outsiders call them the Rhen, in truth they are a diverse collection of factions and tribes. They were a single ethnicity in the distant past, but they have splintered into different niches around the Chorhan Expanse. Their leaders occasionally meet at a Confederation of Tribes, and if they united for war their forces would be formidable, but this has not occurred in centuries.

The Rhen are fiercely individualistic, so the above examples don't capture the full diversity of the tribes. It most directly represents the Nelee (Tani's tribe). War masks are more characteristic of the Kelfaa, however, and archery is most known in the western tribes.

Most Rhen village clusters are self-sufficient, though they freely trade with other groups. Each group has its own particulars, but very few Rhen are proficient in smithing or stonecraft while many tribes are known for elegant woodworking and embroidery.

Maturity isn't counted at puberty, but instead following a ceremony in which the youth affirms their decision to join the tribe and decides on their path in life. The exact rituals vary, but they commonly occur between 17-22 years old and involve a major commitment (such as Tani's Farwalk). Unlike some other cultures, the Rhen train nearly everyone in sein in childhood, though only the talented train beyond their formal induction into the tribe.

Rhen food is extremely diverse and generally eaten as many different dishes shared in a family or small group. Most eat whatever fruits and vegetables are local, though tribes that manage livestock can eat significant amounts of meat in season.

Most Rhen warfare takes the form of raids from which civilians are exempt, thus many favor light weapons. The Nelee are particularly notable for weapons with smaller reaches, given their history of forest warfare.

Each Rhen tribe keeps a closely-guarded set of traditions and techniques. In their own language, the word for sein is "wind". Though significant variety exists, in general Rhen techniques are known for speed and subterfuge. In their view there's no shame in learning techniques from other traditions, so long as the warrior has a clear vision of their path.

The sacred texts of their techniques are generally kept in special cases and held by a respected master of the tribe. Individuals are free to ignore the texts, but damaging the texts of any other group is deeply shameful. For some tribes, intentionally destroying texts is a crime punishable by death.