Heilynite

**Heilynites** (*HAY-lih-nye-ts*) were a cultural group of people living on the planet Heilyne, situated by the northwestern corner of the Ice Quartz Sector. While most Heilynites were Human, individuals from other groups of sentient species also lived on Heilyne and referred to themselves as Heilynites.

## Society and Culture

Most Heilynites were born accustomed to the freezing temperatures of their planet. Because they were split into different factions and polities over the course of history, the Heilynites were divided into a set of sub-races that differed from one another on a cultural and societal level.

### Banithians

The **Banithians** lived under the semi-presidential republic of Banith Caba. They were a religious people who prayed to a Goddess of Sunrise and a Goddess of Moonrise, believing the two deities to be responsible for bringing life to their homeworld. Some Banithians respected and gladly upheld the way in which their government functioned, whereas others were more critical on Banith Caba's bureaucratic systems. They believed in the power of teaching children valuable life skills at an early age, some of which may have seemed excessive or harsh to outsiders. This included skills like self defense and performing acts of physical labor. This belief was a result of a collectivist cultural mindset.

The national color of the Banithians was purple, taken from the color of the snowgrapes that grew in the cold forests of Heilyne. The Banithians were proud of their snowgrape cultivation and attributed their agricultural successes to their goddesses. Banithians wore purple-colored head scarves as a part of their culture and religion.

### Minla

The **Minla** lived under an alliance of cities known as the Minla League. They were a matriarchal society who prayed to a Goddess of Creation, whose spirit was believed to have been inside every female follower of the Minla faith. Conquerors of sort, the Minla considered themselves superior to the other factions and cultural groups found on Heilyne and deemed it necessary to be in control of others. The Guide, an elected leader of the Minla League, was typically a well-respected woman in society and believed to have been the bridge between mortals and their Goddess of Creation.

The national color of the Minla was steel blue, representing the absolute strength of the people. Sparring was a common past time for the Minla.

After the Minla War, the remnants of the Minla people were exiled to the moon of Lorosa Maria, where they continued to live and develop for centuries.

### Brokshona

The **Brokshona** lived under a kingdom known as the Brokshona Unity. While generally open-minded people who were accepting of other points of view, the Brokshona held a shared sense of loyalty through common cultural values, despite the scattered, federation-like presence of their kingdom on Heilyne. While the Brokshona did not explicitly stress conformity, contributions to the greater society around oneself was very much encouraged. The Brokshona were typically civil to outsiders and enjoyed the exchange of cultural goods and ideas.

The national color of the Brokshona was pale blue, representing the peace throughout the Brokshona Unity's scattered society. Pale blue headwraps were worn as a sign of unity between the dispersed people of the Brokshona Unity.

### Mininori

The **Mininori** were an ancient people who lived together in tribes, believed to be the first settlers of Heilyne. The Mininori lacked a centralized political faction, which differed from the other three Heilynite sub-races. While some small communities existed within Banithian and Brokshona society, most Mininori tribes were nomadic and traveled the frigid lands of Heilyne, only stopping to rest at night. They were a pastoral people who kept and looked after groups of grazing animals.

They believed themselves to be the protectors of Heilyne's natural state and often communed with plants and animals. They believed life and spiritual energy was inside anything found in the natural world, which included the mountains and winds on top of plants and animals. This belief was stronger and more zealous in some Mininori tribes compared to others, with some tribes believing acts like resource mining or even cutting down trees to be heretical and a stain upon the universe. Other tribes merely prayed for forgiveness when using Heilyne's natural resources, believing them to be gifts from the itself universe.

The more vehement Mininori tribesmen sometimes attacked manmade settlements in order to prevent the further exploitation of nature's bounties. Such Mininori hunters often used rudimentary weapons and tools, ranging from heavy maces and crossbows to javelins and kite shields.