The Der Malian Clan

Steeped in rich culture, deep history and strife, the Der Malian Clan has existed for purportedly thousands of years. Though their exact origins are murky, their influence on their surroundings have resulted in being feared by Rowan, a fear that once had them prosecuted. It's only been in recent centuries that Rowan has managed to gain an amicable relationship with them, but the people of the Der Malian Clan are weary by nature and though they have forgiven how Rowan has wronged them in the past, they are keen about never forgetting what had occurred in the past.

A proud people who believe in Balance, and Perseverance, through all Trials in life, they value their independence and families. The gravest sin one can commit against them is to kill their blood.

History
No one knows for certain how long the peoples of the Clan resided in Rowan and Tempera as a whole, but what IS known is that they were once a Nomadic people very in touch with nature and preserving balance. Originally consisting of many tribes who were distantly related, it is unknown when they began calling Rowan their home, or who was there first. What is known is that they always had disagreements about Religion, Cultures, and Land with the rest of Rowan. As tribes, they were disorganized, but the charismatic leadership of a young leader of the Mali tribe -- Inara -- brought them together as she showed them how they were kin, through their language, religion, and their blessings from Jasmine in the form of her children, their summons. The tribes all agreed and began to rally around a singular leader -- Inara, and her powerful summon,  Lucilis. Thus began the Der Malian clan.

The Der Malian clan waged war with the rest of Rowan for many years under the leadership of Inara, but during the Battle of Talgamest -- a territory South-West of present day Temperance city, occurred an event which later became known as the First Massacre of Talins, where many of the Clan Members were poisoned by the enemy who managed to reach their camp’s water supply, and died. Inara knew that the increasing brutality of the war between them meant that eventually the Der Malians and the people of Rowan needed to come to some form of agreement or they would risk wiping each other out. She began opening channels and eventually sanctioned dialogue which resulted in the Clan being granted territory on the Island South West of Temperance City, later known as Talins. They established their village there. In memory of how they came to be, the Der Malian clan took a local animal infamous at its perseverance in life and highly venomous nature -- a Black scaled, grey under bellied, red eyed snake -- known colloquially as “The Snake of Talins” -- as their clan symbol, seen on their crests, banners, and even as tattoos on some of their members.

Inara and her wife Aria’s passing created unrest with the Der Malian clan, which led to a few battles, but was reigned in by her successors before it turned into full blown war. The Clan knew an uneasy peace with Rowan for many, many years, but often kept to themselves, leading much of Rowan to see them as still a potential threat due to their perceived “secretive” nature. There were skirmishes, but never a war of the likes before the Clan was officially established. They were largely ignored by Rowan, and in turn ignored Rowan just the same when ever the mainland was involved in war. Few of Rowan’s governments opted to work with the Der Malian due to differing culture and government structure, seeing them as inferior. The Der Malians thus, as a prideful people, never reached back, and eventually some women who took on the Mantle of Lady Der Malian began to see that this lack of cooperation on both ends was harming the over all growth of the Clan.

The twentieth Daughter of Inara, Lady Morena began building a bridge between the Der Malians and the Government of Rowan literally and figuratively. Thus, Talins became accessible without the need of a ferry, and the Clan began to have a voice in the rest of Rowan’s affairs so that they were aware of the decisions and how they were affected. Thus, a hesitant, but understanding commodore was formed between the Clan and the rest of Rowan, and they slowly became amicable towards each other over the centuries.

These efforts on Lady Morena Der Malian’s part nearly collapsed many years later with the emergence of the woman who is the first believed Chair of the Council to call herself Pallas Athene (there is some debate as to whether Pallas Athene was many women over the years, or to the defiance of logic and life spans, one woman). An ambitious woman, Pallas Athene had insisted upon involving herself in all Der Malian affairs and having a say in how they conducted themselves -- something greatly rejected by the clan as she threatened their autonomy, which they held dear. The growing animosity gained from the Council’s insistence of having control over the Der Malians and their insistence of independence led to hostility when Athene insisted that if they wanted to be a part of Rowan, the Der Malians had to subject themselves to the Council, and that if they didn’t, then they had no right to their land. The Thirty-third Daughter of Inara, Lady Zhera Der Malian replied to Athene’s threat by personally destroying the bridge that linked the island to the mainland with her own spells and summon.

Pallas Athene the First then declared the Der Malians public enemy number one. They had held their ground for years in the on going struggle, but when Rowan enlisted the help of another faction, Glaston, the Der Malians were finally overwhelmed and suffered great losses due to chemical warfare. This caused what is known as The Second Massacre of Talins. Pallas Athene the First was reportedly assassinated, bringing an end to the fighting, thought it was unknown whether the culprit was a Der Malian or not. An uneasy peace was met with the Clan, and Rowan’s Government but the Der Malians had become jaded and bitter towards Rowan and closed themselves off once again as they rebuilt. They still remained involved in the Government, but whenever a leader used the name Athene, they became vicious and antagonistic towards the Government, and much more withdrawn from the rest of Rowan.

The Second Massacre had long reaching effects on the Clan. Though they have grown much during the last few Centuries that they have a population in the millions, with another potential several hundred thousand who do not declare their links to the Clan, their Head family -- those actually named Der Malian have been nearly infertile, resulting in a limited amount leaders over the years to follow, though the Head Family shows signs of regaining reproductive health. The Clan have become a strong and somewhat intimidating force in the Government as many still recall how it took the assistance of Glaston to reduce their numbers in a situation where they were defending themselves from Rowan -- not attacking out of free will. They are now led by the Forty-Fourth “Daughter of Inara” Lady Raleigh Lynnette Der Malian, who has been highly involved with Temperance and Rowan since her youth.

Structure
As a Clan, leadership is passed through the Head Family, but what makes them unique is firstly their matriarchal system. Women are in predominant roles of power throughout the clan and directly involved and contributing, and titles are passed from Mother to Daughter. The second? That the current Lady Der Malian has a final say in who will be her successor if she chooses to step down before she dies, or initiates the choosing process before her death because she is aware that it is arriving soon. If no successor is chosen before the current Leader’s Death, the Circle of Elders will run the clan until the Lady’s Successor is found. When this occurs, typically, the former Lady’s immediate family are all quieried about taking on the roll. The Elders do the same thing if the successor who is named is currently too young to take on the responsibility. In this case, the Circle of Elders are relieved of their duty the moment the successor is capable of taking on her responsibilities.

As a product of their culture, the chain of Authority is based on age, position, and education. The well studied are seen as an authority over the unstudied, and the studied, wise Elder who becomes a member of the Circle of Elders is seen as one of the highest ranks one can get without being a part of the Head Family. The highest rank, of course, is the honour of being Lady Der Malian. This does not mean people lower in the chain are not respected. Respect for your kin is the first and foremost law of the Der Malian, as to them, all of the Clan are family. It is acknowledged, however, that all have a role in the Clan and specialize in that role and therefore it is inappropriate for them to be involved in certain matters, like political delegations with Rowan.

Chain of Authority


Lady Der Malian (or Rigelibe in Malik) ⬇ Heir Apparent (*Gerinelibe or "Small Lady" in Rowan), *if she is of age ⬇ Seeile Der Malian (spouse of the lady)⟺The Lady’s Advisor ⬇ Circle of Elders ⬇ Master Summoners (Most are Guardians) ⬇ Specialists of Knowledge (Doctors, Crafts men, Sword smiths, Poison-masters) ⬇

Apprentice Summoners (Guardians and Sparks alike)

⬇ Those who serve the Peoples (Guardians who can’t summon, Military, Agricultural) ⬇ Those who serve Family (Mothers) ⬇ Commoners (Children, non militia, those without families) ⟺ Those who serve Profit (Merchants and Entrepreneurs)



*If the Heir Apparent is young, but in her teens, her authority is similar to those of Master Summoners, placing her in this odd limbo of having more authority than the Specialists of knowledge, but less authority than that of a Master Summoner

*Small Lady is an inaccurate translation, but there is no good translation from Malik to Rowan that describes their word for the Heir apparent, though it roughly means "She who is not yet the Lady, but will succeed the Lady"

Family
Originally a group of Tribes, they became a Clan when they rallied around Inara of the Mali -- also known better to Clan members and Rowan citizens a like as Inara Der Malian. As all of the Mali but Inara and her wife Aria, were killed in the First Massacre of Talins, all of Inara’s successors come directly from her blood, which is why a Lady Der Malian is always referred to as “The Gracious Daughter of Inara”, along with a number denoting how many in the line she is, and the title “Lady”. For example, Inara’s Forty-Fourth successor, Raleigh Lynnette, by full title is “The Gracious Forty-Fourth Daughter of Inara, Lady Raleigh Lynnette Der Malian”. This is also why Der Malian is the head Family name -- it denotes with the word “Der” coming from the Clan’s tongue, that the individual is of the Mali tribe and therefore Inara’s blood relation.

Members of the Der Malian Family who are well known to the rest of Rowan
Lady Inara Der Malian Seeile* Aria Der Malian The Gracious Twentieth Daughter of Inara, Lady Morena Der Malian The Gracious Thirty-Third Daughter of Inara, Lady Zhera “the Fortunate”* Der Malian The Gracious Forty-third Daughter of Inara, Lady Nadine Der Malian Seeile Longwei Der Malian (Notable for being Nadine’s advisor as well as husband) Lynnette Der Malian (Never succeeded Nadine, Mother of Raleigh Lynnette) The Gracious Forty-Fourth Daughter of Inara, Lady Raleigh Lynnette Der Malian

The Gracious Fifty-third Daughter of Inara, Lady Kerwyn Yule Der Malian


 * The Lady’s spouse, "Seeile", meaning Soul, denotes the person’s close and intimate relationship with the Lady of the Clan


 * Certain things in Der Malian Culture are considered lucky, such as the number three. Due to being the thirty third successor, Lady Zhera was considered especially lucky.

Other Families
There are many families who are a part of the Clan, but do not carry the name Der Malian. The more readily identifiable families use the prefix “Der” before their names, denoting the original tribe their ancestors come from. Others still, due to the years since their establishment, may not have the prefix in their name anymore, due to blood mixing with other residents of Rowan and Tempera on a whole. What is common, however, is that most of the sparks in the family will have an affinity for summoning.

Culture
From Religion, to Luck, Tattoos, Summoning, Language, Scars and Poison, there are many things that make the Der Malians stand out from the rest of Rowan. They are perfectionists at their nature, striving to be the best at whatever they do all while following their own beliefs. Their differing views are confusing to some and to others, seemingly violates their views on religion. Despite this, the Der Malians are known for not pushing anyone into their beliefs but wishing for everyone to leave theirs well enough alone.

Summoning
Summoning is seen as the cornerstone of the Clan. To be a summoner means that one is enlightened, in touch with both the higher powers and one's self. Summoners are thus seen as wise and educated. Master Summoners in particular are reowned, as they are both well educated in combat, but spiritually educated about the dieties and nature though the aid of their summon.

Summoning and Culture
To the Clan, there is no such thing as a woman who bears the name "Der Malian" and does not summon. There is no record of such an incidence in the history of the Clan, though it is known that former members of the Head Family who did not summon until much later in life were ostricized for potentially bringing bad fortune to their family name. This is isolated, however, due to the fact that the Head Family are seen as an authoritative power, and thus all of the Clan have high expectations for them. Summoning is highly prized among the clan, and if you have the spark -- better known to them as the Gift of Simone -- it is expected that you can summon. Those who have no affinity for summoning are not looked down at. Der Malian teachings say that every person is equal, but that each person has a role to fufill. As a result,  there is no discrimination, but Sparks who do not summon are seen as less enlightened to Balance, and lacking in spiritual acuity. This is not seen as a bad thing, but rather, they are seen as merely being different for the purpose of fufilling a role unrelated to Summoning.

Summoning and Religion
Master Summoners are regarded as spiritual leaders of the clan. To attain the rank of Master one must gain true balance with nature, their inner self, and the dieties. They maintain peace and are seen as the physical link between the mortal realm and the realm of Gods. Der Malian ledgend claims that Inara was once taught to be a Summoner by none other than the Goddess Jasmine herself, and in turn, Inara taught the Master Summoners after her. By tradition then, a Master Summoner attains her status through being taught by an Elder Master of the spiritual world and all of the teachings of their ways and forging strong bonds with her summon(s). It is commonly expected that the Lady Der Malian will not only be a Summoner but that she will eventually achieve the status of a Master Summoner herself.

Religion
The Der Malians are a deeply religious group, though not conventionally so. Their beliefs are typically easier to understand when broken up into three main areas: Balance, Nature, and Ancestors.

Balance
Balance is the cornerstone of the Der Malian religious beliefs. They have a strong belief that both dark and light is needed in a person and that a Summoner is at her strongest when she acknowledges that she is a child of both darkness and light. Der Malians both believe and feel strongly in the tradition of taking weaknesses and making them a strength through years of work and perfection, as a way to attain true Balance. They also believe in the Six Virtues of Balance, as being the necessary things that all Mortals will experience. These are: Birth, Agony, Healing, Pain, Joy, and finally Death. As an oddity of their religious beliefs, Jasmine is seen to them to be a deity of excessive light, and Grimm of excessive darkness, while Simone is seen to them as the Goddess of true Balance, and it is believed that all should strive and follow her example. They also believe that achieving Balance should be easier for those fortunate enough to recieve Simone's Blessing in the form of having the Spark.

Nature
Nature is another cornerstone, in that one is drawn to an element because it is what they are at their core. Nature is seen as the adopted mother of all people in the world, where as Simone is seen as the birth mother. The Der Malian believe in five prominent Elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wood/Air, and Metal, which can all feed in or destroy each other. They believe that being drawn to a certain state of an element defines a person, such as ice, the solid form of water. In this case, it denotes that a person is capable of flowing easily when it is warm (prosperous) due to being a child of water, but  they can stand strong tall, firm, and unmovable when times are cold (misfortunate).

Ancestors
With a strong respect for family, wise ancestors are celebrated by the clan. There is even a Feast Day for Inara, and a strong belief in never forgetting where they came from, which is why the Massacres of Talins still cut deeply and leaves a bitter taste in many Clan members mouths when it comes to Rowan. Every year there is a ceremony to honour the family who was taken from them far too early, and a ceremony to honour the wise who have passed on due to finishing their tasks here in the mortal realm.

Luck
To most Der Malians -- luck is irrelevant. Everything that happens is either the direct result of the actions of mortals, or the intervention of the higher powers. They do believe, however, that certain things will bring you favour. The number three is considered “lucky” as being associated with it is believed to bring you the attention of the three original deities (Jasmine, Grim and Simone). So is the number five, which is believed to bring you Nature’s blessings. Four is considered bad due to its close resemblance in their language to the word for death. So is anything that promotes a lack of balance and harmony.

Tattoos
A tattoo is a sign of great Honour. Most Sparks of the clan get their first tattoo in their teens -- a contract with their summon. Thus tattoos are a sign of adulthood, and young men often get tattooed when they reach of age. It is believed that one who marks their body permanently with a symbol meaningful to them is wise, and so tattoos are treated with caution, but never done on a whim. They are also displayed with pride. The most common tattoo is the Clan Crest: The Snake of Talins Wrapped around the dagger. So common that it’s almost become tradition for the Lady Der Malian to be tattooed with it upon her chest -- a sign that the Clan is close to her heart. The Clan Crest features the words in their language that means “True Balance Surpasses Death”.

Scars
Scars are seen with a very dual and opposing view in the Clan. The key is how someone received their scar. An honourable scar was anything received when defending one’s kin (the Clan), or allies (these days, Rowan) in battle. A dishonorable scar is one received when running away from these situations, or for being weak in a moment one needed to be courageous. Where tattoos are a mark of pride, scars are a mark of shame, but both by law of culture are to be displayed openly unless on a part of the body that should not be uncovered. Thus an honourable scar is often tattooed over, where as shameful scars are displayed to show the individual’s humbleness and acceptance of their mistakes. If their transgression is pardoned, they may get the scars tattooed over, but the art style differs from usual tattoos to display that they have been shamed but have regained their honour.

Language
Most people of the Clan are, at the very least, bilingual. They speak the tongue of Rowan, but also their own language, known to them as “Malik” -- once again alluding to their humble beginnings as separate tribes who followed Inara. The language has evolved over the Clan’s long existence. People note that present day Malik is a mixture of Rowan, other Temparian languages, with a smattering of Asian, and Germanic influences and something else that no one can exactly pinpoint. They are known to speak exclusively in this tongue when speaking to each other about sensitive matters in the presence of other Rowan peoples, or when on Talins. It is an unusual language that flows despite the fact that some sounds can be rather rough, while others melodic.

Malik Words that are known outside of Talins
Rigelibe (Rree-gel-leeb) = Noun. The official title for the leader of the Clan in Malik. Means "the most honoured and free". Known to the rest of Rowan as "Lady Der Malian"

Gerinelibe (Ger-ren-leeb) = Title for the Heir/successor to the title. Better known to Rowans as the "Small Lady"

Seeile (sey-Ee-lay)= Title for the Spouse of the Leader. Usually called the "Wife/Husband/spouse" of the Lady or "Mr./Mrs./Mx. Der Malian" by those outside of the clan. It roughly means "soul" when translated, indicating the close bond they have with the Rigelibe.

Der = A preposition meaning "Belonging to" - a designator of whom one is related to by blood.

Malian (Mal-lee-ann)= Family name, means "Possessor of Mali’s Blood" designates that one is of the Head Family

Malik (Mal-leecht) = Name of language of the Der Malian Clan. Means "Tongue of the Serpent"

Mali (Mal-lee) = Noun. Clan name, means “Serpent speaker” or "Serpent Master"

Talins (Tah-lean-seh) = The territory of the Der Malian’s The home land, means “Fangs of Beasts”. Yes, Talins is one of those weird words that break their language convention.

Elunae (Ee-luu-ney) = Noun. A colloquialism of the language. Direct translation of it makes little sense (much like the direct translation of Gerinelibe). It's an insult usually directed to the lazy or those who give up easily, meaning that they are so useless/pathetic/lazy that instead of helping, their presence brings more work.

Balantr (Be-laun-tea-err) = Noun. The title of the Lady’s Advisor in Malik

Their possessive designation (outside of those used for their family names) is 'n. When added to a noun, the last bit of sound is exchanged for an "n" sound. Thus Rigelibe (Rree-gel-leeb), becomes Rigelibe'n (Rree-gel-leen), Gerinelibe (Ger-ren-leeb) becomes Gerinelibe'n (Ger-ren-leen), Seeile (sey-Ee-lay) becomes Seeile'n (sey-Ee-lan). The word Malian is already considered to be both simultaneously plural/singular as well as possessive and non possessive, so for that word, this does not apply. Mali is never placed in the possessive terms. Talins (Tah-lean-seh), becomes Talins'n (Tah-lean-sen), Elunae (Ee-luu-ney) becomes Elunae'n (Ee-luu-nen) and Balantr (Be-laun-tea-err) becomes Balantr’n (Be-laun-tea-en).

Poison
After losing so many to poisoning in the First Massacre of Talins, the Clan developed a tradition over studying, making and utilizing poison. After the Second Massacre of Talins, they have ironically become known as the best poison masters in the continent. As they are aware of how terrible it can be -- they are very cautious about using it on a wide scale, but their craftsmanship cannot be compared. Some Der Malian poisons are known to be quickly lethal and capable of leaving no trace in the body within minutes, but they are reluctant to yield this to anyone, so its more common to get an assassin from the Clan who uses this poison. Poison Masters, much like Master Summoners, learn from an Elder Master about all of the ways and teachings. This new tradition with poison started a regime in their Clan where they make all members -- especially those in fields, -- gain immunity to every poison they can manage by administering very tiny doses of poison and gradually increasing it as their tolerance grows. This is a practice that they begin in children as young as five, (as poisons are derived from nature, so five is seen as a number of Nature's blessings), or if they are of the Head Family (and therefore believed to be at higher risk of persecution by enemies), three, as they are under the protection of the three creation Gods when they reach that age. For membrs of the Head Family, this practice is put on hold for a year, and their current immunity is only maintained when the child is four, as it is inappropriate to them to tempt death during that time. As a result of this practice, a new saying in Malik has emerged in the past few centuries, outside of that found on their crest as it is unofficial. In Rowan, the Translation is along the lines of: “One does not poison a snake and expect she will die.”

Medicine
Closely related to their Poison Masters are their Doctors. Due to their close relationship with life and death, it is not uncommon for a Der Malian Doctor to also be trained in Poisons as well as a way to better understand the antidotes. Well versed in modern day medicine with members of the past even making major contributions to the advancement of medicine and medical technologies, what makes Der Malian Doctors unique is that they are aware of many poisonous plants, the making of  antidotes to all of the Clan’s poisons and are knowledgeable of many other plants that are beneficial and potent in terms of promoting health. Many Master Summoners and Apprentice are also proficient enough mages that they are healers, and some will go as far as becoming an MMD as well.

Serpents
Snakes are regarded highly in their culture. Seen as animals of many desirable traits one should strive for. They are seen as humble for they spend their entire lives in close contact with the earth. They are perseverant in that they can survive many inhospitable conditions. Finally, they are seen as powerful, being poisonous creatures who can kill those who threaten them with one bite. Dragons are also viewed with much reverence and respect as proud, powerful cousins to snakes. A Dragon’s life is believed to be many times greater than even the most enlightened mortal. Thus they are a symbol of longevity -- associated with the current Lady Der Malian as a wish for many years of good health. They are also seen as creatures of immense wisdom, yet another reason why they are associated with the Lady, as a wish from the Clan that she will lead wisely. It is said that Dragons in particular are a representation of Inara in the world and the association of Dragons with their current leader is a symbol that she is Inara’s will.