Messen

The **Messen** are a tribe located within the City of **Korenth**, located within the **Dark Plains** of **Kropari**. It is built low to the ground, with stable structures made of large tree trunks and thatch. Surrounding the city is a tall wall to help protect the city from the strong winds that overtake the plains during the day. The Messen take advantage of the strong winds, harvesting the energy from them through large windmills. They are a peaceful tribe, and are well known as the best negotiators in all of Eprea.

The **Guardian** of Alene, **Ivena Wiesiel**, is also from this tribe.

## Settlement

The Messen settle within the City of **Korenth**, located deep within the **Dark Plains**. It is built low to the ground, with stable structures made of large tree trunks and thatch. Surrounding the city is a tall wall to help protect the city from the strong winds that overtake the plains during the day.

The Messen take advantage of the strong winds, harvesting the energy from them through large windmills.

## History

The history of the Messen is unknown, with it only truly being known who their founder is - one of the original Manna, **Jupiter Veles**. Many Manna believe that Jupiter was not actually a true Manna, due to the strange coloring and appearance that the tribe now has. Some believe that she, too, was one of the first mutated animals of the planet.

## Physical Appearance

The Messen tribe's skin has a strange, unnatural tint to it. The shades of their skin have undertones ranging from grey, blue, to purple. Many Eprean’s believe that this tint of their skin comes from the fact that they live in a permanently dark area, allowing them to evolve to blend in more with the shadows. Their bodies are typically very slender and lithe, with their faces being angular. Their eyes are completely black, including their sclera's. Most have very light colored hair, with dark hair being seen as rare and a treasure.

The Messen typically wear loose, robe-like clothing. The robes are almost always asymmetrical, with it leaning towards one side of the body with the other side exposed. Typically, one pauldron holds the robe up. The robe is slit at the sides to allow free movement of the legs. Instead of shoes, they tightly wrap their legs from the midthigh to the foot in hides. The clothing they wear are typically made from silk, with painstakingly painted on decorations to create depth and affection to each piece. Any weapons that are created are adorned with deer-like decorations in honor of **Pafella**.

## Culture

Men run the settlement and take on leadership roles, with women typically looked down on and meant to stay within the encampment to take care of children or homes, or as **performers** who sing and dance for nightly celebrations in honor of the **Celestials**. Male singers and dancers double as assassins, and are often sent to camps that wronged them under the guise of being peaceful. As a result, instead of the tribe having a leader, they typically have a high-ranking woman and a council of men all working together behind the scenes to run the tribe. It is typically unknown who is on the council.

The only time a woman is revered within the settlement is if she is a Demigod or a descendent of **Pafella**. Women who do not meet these standards can only be seen as equal if they are priestesses who assist in communicating prophecies between the Celestials and the Manna.

### Food

Due to the dark nature of the plains that the Messen reside in, it is hard for the tribe to grow crops. To counter this, the Messen will venture out and forage in the surrounding woods. They often enjoy digging up flowers and roots, but will eat a large variety of vegetation.

The diet of the Messen consists of vegetation and only vegetation, with the entire tribe being vegetarian or vegan. The most popular dish that is shared within the tribe is a **garlic-tossed spring salad**, with shavings of ginger sprinkled on top.

### Trade

The Messen harvest the clays of their land to trade to nearby villages in exchange for food. The Messen are able to trade the clay away with ease, due to it being highly sought after as a crafting material among the Epreans, as well as the **Twazen** often coming by to replenish their own storage of the clay for their worship.

### Worship

The Messen heavily worship the Celestial **Pafella**, due to their founder, **Jupiter Veles**, being the first Manna that had been created by Pafella instead of **Celena**. The Messen believe that Jupiter was actually a mutated animal, much like the other races of Eprea, with the most popular belief being that their tribe has heavy connections with the **Faenei**. Whether this is true or not, it is common for Messen to decorate their pottery with imagery of Jupiter bearing different animalistic features, with each Messen having their own depiction of her.

The members of the tribe also are extremely well attuned with nature, with many of the members being **sorcerers** and **druids**. The Messen have better sight and hearing than the other manna, but the drawback is that they have extremely bad light sensitivity as a result.

### Childcare

The women of the tribe take care of the children, often staying at home and raising them. It is rare for the father of a child to be involved with the childrearing and mentorship.

### Death

Death is simply a part of life to the Messen. No funerals are given, and the dead are left outside of the settlement for **Pafella** and **Eiryot** to fetch. When arriving, Eiryot takes their spirit, and Pafella turns their body into a bed of flowers. As a result, the outside of the settlement is filled with thick beds of flowers and seen as a natural beauty.

### Language

The Messen speak their own language that is extremely graceful and smooth, shared alongside the **Vlennite**, that is called **Vlenone**.

The word Messen means “Moonwalker” in Vlenone.