(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.)
Humans tell a thousand stories about where they came from, but the mansthein know for certain: their home is the continent of Orphos. Though they have spread throughout the world since then, some expeditions occurring millennia ago, their cultural institutions maintain a sense of connection. Easy transportation between continents (see voidlinks below) has meant that their language has only evolved into several dialects.
For many generations, Orphos has been ruled by several families that are interested in unifying all mansthein. Some smaller cultures have been reeducated or crushed, but no power is capable of erasing the differences between the three dominant cultures:
All mansthein share red eyes, but otherwise they display considerable variety. The majority of all mansthein fall into the three common ethnicities, pictured above. Though all three are generally united in the central armies, a great deal of history and bloodshed lies between the groups. Each contains several sub-cultures, but there are broad stereotypes that hold true.
When many humans think of mansthein, they think of the Feinan. They're the most populous group and the most likely to join the military. In ancient times the Feinan had their own empire in the southwest of Orphos - though some outsiders view them as brutes, pride in that tradition still runs strong.
Though Feinan warriors are often quite muscular, this is a result of their skills and training, not their inherent biology. Untrained Feinan are often smaller than average and Feinan women (who are a minority of all births) can be quite diminutive. Their training generally leaves Feinan warriors strong and durable, however: it is no accident that they form the backbone of the Catai troops.
Skin color and mottling varies across sub-groups of Feinan, but in the era of modern travel, it's usually not a major concern. Some Feinan groups are capable of growing hair, but many who do shave it off, as it's seen as a sign of an impure bloodline. Conversely, there are those who go the other direction and try to make themselves look like the next group...
Though the official propaganda is that all mansthein are equal, if you look at members of the Senate or those with economic power, it's clear that the Seinan are more equal than others. Many join the military, but they're disproportionately represented among the officers. Their home region, the north of Orphos, has become more cosmopolitan but retains a Seinan majority.
Seinan warriors are capable of putting on muscle mass approaching that of Feinans, it's merely considered inelegant. Some of their most famous martial arts styles favor skill over strength, but their styles are not soft: their warriors are also known for developing the combat potential of their claws and teeth.
The Seinan ideal of beauty is pure gray skin, partially to distinguish themselves from other groups. This is not truly due to purer breeding, as they claim, and there are Seinan groups with different shades or somewhat mottled skin. There are also subcultures that are born with tails, but many have them removed to better match the dominant look.
When the Senate was forcibly uniting all mansthein subcultures, the Laenan never bowed and never broke. Though they are firmly allied in the present day, the Laenan stand somewhat apart, a large percentage of them residing in their southeastern domain. Compared to the Feinan and Seinan, the Laenan are a newer offshoot that doesn't fall into the old system of social class. There are those who wish they could gain that respect and also those who spurn it.
Though ostensibly under the central command of the Senate, Laenan armies maintain their own hierarchies. Until recently their sein arts were considered inferior, but the rising of a Laenan warrior to the rank of Zeitai has earned them more respect.
Laenan subcultures are currently diverging, some attempting to mimic the Seinan appearance and others going in other directions. The Laenan culture is generally more open to experimentation, and it's said that the Feras type originated from them.
The mansthein development process is not as similar to humans as most humans assume, but I'm going to keep quiet about that until later books. ^-^ You might have guessed that the above is a rebirth chamber, though this is only one example of a great many models. What's notable for now is that this process is not natural, but technology. That has led to certain innovations...
The Towd form is not a natural state or an ethnicity, but military technology. Mansthein who undergo this process acquire several skills that would normally require decades of training, most notably skin that will turn aside ordinary weapons. Due to the military advantages of this form, the Towd state has become almost synonymous with the Catai rank, though that once implied a more comprehensive level of mastery.
There are many other facets to the mansthein, other cultural groups and other unnatural forms, but I will leave those to be revealed later.
Mansthein are facultative carnivores and their cuisine reflects this. Their population was limited by available food until an agricultural revolution that led to vastly increased availability of inexpensive meat. Though these herds support the population, more costly animals are considered higher class fare.
Due to this diet, mansthein are nearly unmatched when it comes to the preparation of meat dishes. There are hundreds of regional variations of spices and sauces throughout Orphos, and they always bring innovation when they live on other continents. Attitudes toward other foods vary, but most mansthein do eat them by choice or necessity.
Though many focus on military force, in fact one of the mansthein's greatest strengths is administration. Their armies are supported by significant amounts of logistics, and would be completely impossible without specialized support units such as the Voidwalkers.
