Marathan

Orin, a Marathan

Marathans are an agrarian culture, their primary crop and most common occupation is the rice paddy, followed by fish farming. Cutting through the center of Marath is the long, navigable Marath River, a major route for transportation. The river floods its banks every year and leaves behind fertile and dark sediment. The furthest normal extent of the yearly floods is marked with distinct stone markers, both for housebuilding safety and minor ritual significance. Since these flood markers are unique to Marath, they are an interesting attraction to travelers.

## Naming Traditions

### Unisex names

As in the majority of cultures of Paan Atta, Marathan personal names are not gender specific. Marathan personal names are very diverse and can often be mythologically or historically inspired and aspirational, or occasionally taken from a deceased family member to honor their memory. This aspirational kind of name isn't taken that seriously or anything the bearer is expected to live up to. There are also names alluding to a personality aspect of the child, a unique aspect of the pregnancy or birth, or similar. Personal names are usually given to celebrate the second day of life, or the second week in certain Eastern regions.

### Family names

Marathans generally lack family names, unless they have a notable ancestor, then they usually take that name after their personal name. Due to the relative rarity of this, other Marathans will sometimes inadvertently talk about it in the format of a second part to a personal name.

## Culture

### Shared customary codes and values

In Marathan culture, little white lies and lies for your own safety are **perfectly acceptable**, but any lying that does not fall into those two categories is **detested**. As a culture, honesty, and trustworthiness are the main values, which go hand in hand with reliability and hard work.

Ancestors and elders are valued, and anything that could be seen as harming the memory of a deceased person is stigmatized.

### Common Etiquette rules

Practicing with any sort of weapon or any kind of fighting stance etc is not to be done in an even slightly public place, as this is seen as a sign of aggression and an invitation of onlookers to a fight.

Leaving windows open at night, even on the highest floor of a building, is seen as inviting bad luck/spirits/similar. The same is true for sleeping with an open bedroom door or having a bedroom without a proper door.

Burning a candle when it is light outside and this light can be accessed is seen as a 'challenge to the Sun', and invites bad luck and violence.

Drying your hands on your legs (clothed or not) is seen as incredibly uncouth, especially the more public the space this is done in.

### Art & Architecture

Houses are made of mud bricks and similar materials, usually with square or somewhat domed roofs of the same material, supported by walls or wooden beams. The distinct material and interesting colors (ranging from browns to reds to oranges and paler sandy hues) are an attraction to foreigners. Windows can lack glass in the warm regions, increasing ventilation, with innovative shutters and overhangs for inclement weather. Bedrooms are generally on the ground floor for coolness and convenience, with an exception being in colder parts of Marath such as border regions and more inland areas.

### Foods & Cuisine

Marathan food is very unique relative to the other cultures of Paan Atta, both in the use of spices and the combination of flavors. (Sweet with salty, spicy with bitter, and more). For other cultures, rice is almost exclusively prepared in a savory context, but in Marath numerous treats are prepared with rice as the main component along with savory dishes.

### Birth & Baptismal Rites

Birth is generally conducted in water, with an ideal placed on calm, natural bodies of water over human-made containers of water or similar. Birthing is generally undertaken in a quiet environment with just a few people for support and care. The newborn is not introduced to family members until it has been cleaned off, cord cut, and covered up a bit.

### Coming of Age Rites

At the traditional age of 15, a Marathan teenager climbs to the top of a tall and sturdy tree and looks around, preferably for a good amount of time. They observe nature, look at the world, people-watch, and experience the fresh air and elevation. This represents coming out into the world, observing, learning, and growing. Sometimes a family or community will cultivate a climbing tree with this purpose in mind

Climbing a tree at any other time or for any other purpose is **completely acceptable**, this is just a more meaningful tree-climbing ritual, that specifically involves a relatively tall tree.

### Funerary and Memorial customs

To Marathans, funerals are a celebration of life. They exert as much of their energy as possible dancing without any choreography in memory of their loved one, interpreting what they loved about them, and in more traditional ceremonies shouting references to cherished memories. They burn their dead to send their energy/life force/metaphorical spirit and self out into the world and to the winds and metaphorically spread the love and memory of the deceased. In their dance, they wave their arms overhead to help the spread.

### Common Myths and Legends

It is said that there was once a massive, evenly-matched, and incredibly bloody conflict between two factions. The reason varies in different versions of the myth. One parent's grief for their children became so many tears and such a long cry that the river that bisects Marath was created from this.

Both emotionally moved and physically hindered, both sides stopped fighting and negotiated peace. It is said that since then, Marath has been one unified nation.

There are varying accounts of how this parent, Luhanda, became the All-Parent after death, watching over Paan Atta.

## Ideals

### Beauty Ideals

Beauty for Marathans generally means elegant, tapered fingers, rounder jaws, a tapered torso shape with a more trim waist, and darker skin. Hair is preferred to be maintained and oiled, smoothed without flyaways.

### Courtship Ideals

Marathan courtship is demonstrated through giving gifts, with colors and designs or even words demonstrating love, mainly food, but a wide range of gifts are also acceptable. Avoiding any awkwardness, if the other person does not return your affection they will simply give your gift back, no talking needed.

### Relationship Ideals

In a long-term relationship, the Marathan ideal is that the partners will be able to let as many people know as possible that they are in love and committed to one another. This is usually done verbally and through weddings with huge numbers of people invited, but chaste PDA is also seen as lovely and precious.

In Marathan newspapers, public letters, and everything of that sort there is often a page or section dedicated to declarations of partnership on anniversaries, when a pair has decided to marry, and similar.