1. Maharani: Yiroa Ruan
2. Nation colors: Red and gold.
3. Animal: Snake.
4. Flag: A dark red flag with a gold uroboros in the center.
5. Demonym: Thanati

Thanatos has a tropical climate with daily rainfall. The land is lush and green with rich, misty rainforests growing well into the southern mountains. The land is rife with large, leafy ferns, bright flowers, and bamboo. However, the soil (shallow with the nutrients close to the surface) is poor for farming and it takes a lot of extra work to grow crops on the isles. Likewise, most of the vegetation found in these rainforests is useless to humans. While a variety of fruits grow there, many types are poisonous. In fact, much of Thanatos' natural flora and fauna is dangerous, from the wide variety of gorgeous, brightly-colored flowers to the vivid, sometimes neon reptiles, birds, mammals, and insects. The animals native to Thanatos are mostly small tree-dwellers: monkeys, snakes, and lemurs with a few small cats, foxes, and mongooses. The largest animals native to Thanatos are no bigger than a boar.

Due to the poor quality of the soil, it is expensive to raise large livestock. Animals other than dogs, cats, pigs, and fowl are rare to see, owned only by the wealthy. Horses are also quite rare on the island and few can afford their care.

Rising examples include a good marriage arrangement or a higher caste individual repaying a favor to a lower caste individual by ensuring their children will advance to the next caste. Whereas falling examples might include an individual's punishment extending to their child and their children's children resulting in the entire family being demoted. Most people however remain in their family's caste and it is considered rarer but not impossible to change.

The majority of the Thanati population is made up of poor farmers or craftsmen, with very few individuals being in true abject poverty. Most people can make enough to live decent lives.

There is no nobility as the nation lacks a monarch, but those who have managed to make money, mostly through trading or rising in rank through the temple, make up the upper castes.

The caste system ranks are as follows:

1. The Temple
The Temple presides over the nation, making this caste the highest one can achieve. It includes the Maharani, priests and priestesses, scholars, teachers, monks, warriors, and other government administrators. Every member of this caste works directly for the Temple. They are the only caste whose members are allowed to carry a weapon.

Priests and priestesses are exempt from arranged marriages as their focus should instead be on the community and spreading Inima's guidance. Pregnancy and children are not frowned upon, as they are seen as part of Inima's will and a blessing. Given the busy nature of priests and priestesses however, their children are often given to others to raise while they focus on their work and the care of the existing Temple children.

Warriors often retire and become monks when they get older. Unlike priests and priestesses though, they are permitted to have relationships and expected to marry, the same as other Thanati citizens.

2. Commerce
This caste is a generally wealthy one that includes merchants and traders. Many members of this caste could be considered upper class. However, there are still plenty of struggling merchants within this caste.

3. Maoin
The Maoin caste is the only one not made up of individuals born specifically into it. Maoin are traditionally male but there can be women as well. They are entertainers specializing in the arts of dance, song, music, painting, and conversation. They are valued for their beauty and skill and may be booked for their time and entertainment. Some do sleep with clients, but this is not expected of them and it is a very expensive add-on to their usual services. Some even go on to become concubines to the wealthy. They are not, however, prostitutes, though some foreigners confuse them as such. Maoin are considered to be very noble and respectable.

There are many different Houses that specialize in training Maoin, and most Maoin are given to these Houses at an early age, when they are no older than six; eight is considered potentially too old. Parents are compensated by these Houses with a monetary gift known as Inima-hasi which is meant to represent Inima's smiling, good fortune on both the family and the new, hopeful trainee.

It is important to note that while their parents are given Inima-hasi, these children are not slaves. From the moment they are brought into the House, they are trained and educated daily, usually by an older Maoin who serves as their mentor. The training is intense and not every child makes the cut. Those who do not, are sent back to their families, who are then expected to return the Inima-hasi they were given in exchange for their child, thereby continuing the spread of good fortune.

However, the members of their House become their family, and the other Maoin become as their brothers and sisters while the head of the House often becomes like their parent. Full-fledged Maoin are easily recognizable by their beautiful, expensive clothing and elaborate hairstyles.

Romantic relationships are highly frowned upon for actively working Maoin. This is to prevent jealousy or the complications of client versus partner. Some Maoin retire to become concubines to wealthy patrons. Marriage for a Maoin is very rare, as a Maoin would have to retire and marry outside of their caste.

While contraceptive use is taboo, some Maoin (especially women) do use contraceptives to prevent pregnancy in their line of work. In cases where a Maoin does not use contraceptives or the contraceptives fail, the lives of the resulting children can take a number of paths. In the case of female Maoin, she may give the child to their father's family, her own family, or tithe the child to the Temple as an orphan. Male Maoin are expected to be distant from any children they may father, and if there is interaction it is in the role of a fond uncle rather than a father figure.

4. Skilled Trade
This caste includes service providers, craftsman, flesh sculptors and artisans, people who have a trade skill.

5. Farmers
This caste includes the agriculturists and fisherman that grow and catch the food that keeps everyone fed.

6. Untouchables
While many Untouchables are indistinguishable to foreigners, this caste includes fishmongers, prostitutes, cremators, and necromancers. People within this caste are considered the lowest of society because they are viewed as tainted due to their unclean work, and thus, untouchable. They cannot touch others except for those of the Temple, and others avoid contact with them. They are to drink from separate areas, they live on the outskirts of society, and regular citizens tend to even avoid eye contact with them. Often, they're even denied service.

7. Unseen
Thanati who have committed a great act of shame (such as breaking the law, betraying another, or some other major infraction or great failing) are easily recognizable by the mark on their left cheek; a brand in the Thanati symbol for "shame on you." This mark is painlessly applied by flesh sculptors as physical pain is considered an inhuman punishment. This group of individuals, known as the Unseen also must keep their heads shaven regardless of gender.

Some families will even go so far as to disown individuals who have committed a dishonorable act in order to save face and avoid the entire family being lowered within the caste system. The Unseen are considered not only beneath, but also outside of the caste system completely. There is no rising out of this situation and the only people who are permitted to speak with the unseen are priests and priestesses from the Temple.

8. Unknown
As a society that historically has suffered slavery, exodus, and discrimination, the Thanati are strongly against execution as a form of punishment. As such, the most heinous of crimes like murder result in total banishment from the community and erasure. Not only is every piece of evidence that they ever existed destroyed and obliterated, but a Flesh Sculptor also "erases" their face, destroying any notable and distinctive features, leaving behind the same smooth, blank canvas all Unknown share.

Humility, legacy, and tradition are the most important things to Thanati, and the worst thing one could do is to shame their family or their name. Life is a balance between pride and humility. Thanati have great familial pride and will never allow themselves or their family to be shamed, but they do not really brag or boast, nor do they indulge in arrogance. (Or, at least, they're expected not to show it.) When praised by someone, such as a superior or master, the Thanati are expected to downplay it. Often when superiors are praising others, such as a master praising a servant or a mother praising a child or a wife praising their husband, it is often done by pointing out flaws so as not to encourage vanity--but it is also done in an almost playful, teasing way so that the true meaning shines through.

1. Education
Thanati value learning, and even those of low castes can rise far in society. While there is little effort to educate the poor, there are several schools for those that can afford them. Anyone with an aptitude for learning can apply and the Temple will pay for their education. In exchange, they must join the Temple when they graduate.

Those who lack funding may also be tithed to the Temple by their parents, which is also one way lower caste individuals can move up in society. While the parents will not rise in caste, they are supported by the Temple for their generosity and their children will at least have the opportunity to achieve a higher caste.

Most people tithed into the Temple get assigned to manual labor (such as cleaning) and have to work very hard to rise through the ranks. It's very, very rare that any actually manage it.

Members of the Temple love acquiring new knowledge and seem welcoming to educated foreigners. In reality they're always excited to discover and explore new innovations and concepts that could aid and ease daily life, and think nothing of using foreigners to aid their own success.

2. Views on Magic
Divination (especially mediumship, the communion, summoning, and conjuring of spirits) and primal magic are the main types of magic found on the isles. Magic that disturbs the natural order and balance of the world (such as elemental magic) is taboo to Thanati and considered to be dangerous. Those that possess that type of magic are encouraged to never use it, and to do so is to dishonor themselves and risk becoming one of the unseen.

Life magic and healing abilities are considered rare on Thanatos. While Flesh Sculptors can heal wounds by mending flesh, they can't heal infections or blood loss. Their abilities lie in easily moving flesh and organs but not in adding things that aren't there. Those with specific healing abilities are considered blessed by Inima but are also bound by certain societal rules to not disturb the natural order of things. Thanati healing operates on a no heroic measures type of system. Survivable injuries are allowed to be treated and healed with life magic while mortal wounds are to be left as they are as to not disturb the natural balance between life and death. However, non-magical methods of treatment such as in treating a drowning victim are considered perfectly fine as it is not an attempt to cheat death with magic or abuse Inima's gift.

Working With the Dead
Of magics, the Thanati appear to have a particular affinity for divination and mediumship. Mediumship - communication with the spirits of the dead - is deeply important in Thanati culture, as it is a means for Thanati to draw upon the wisdom of their ancestors.

This is in stark contrast with what the Thanati consider to be necromancy - the raising of the dead in bodily form to be commanded.

Where mediumship is an exchange with respect given to the dead and full, free participation on both sides, necromancy is viewed as a form of enslavement. In necromancy, there are no clear boundaries for what the necromancer may command, what the dead may refuse, and how long the dead can be expected to be under the necromancer's control.

Besides the clear moral issue with enslavement, necromantic practices are also seen as an affront to the natural cycle of life and death and rebirth - the domain of Inima alone.

Flesh Sculptors
As their name implies, these Thanati use primal magic to melt and mold skin and muscle like clay. They can rearrange features and bone, often for cosmetic purposes. While it is not true life/healing magic, it can be used as a substitute by a skilled practitioner.

Additionally, flesh sculpting can be used to aid individuals in their transgender journey all without the need for hormones or surgery! Truly skilled Flesh Sculptors can use available hormones and tissues in the body to remold existing sex organs into the correct ones and help their clients achieve a rebirth as their true selves. As matter cannot be created from non-existent materials, transmen and transwomen who fully transition will not be able to biologically reproduce like their peers but will be able to use their newly repurposed organs normally..

Soul Speakers
Mediums. These Thanati have an affinity for spirits, ghosts, and apparitions. They can summon and communicate with the dead via automatic writing, summoning, and even spirit possession. Soul Speakers have to be careful of demons and other supernatural entities that might pretend to be spirits in order to trick them into deals.

Seam Menders and Seam Rippers
Seam Rippers are masters of the forces of decay. They can rot things with a touch, slow decay, and have the ability to affect luck, which is just the decay of probability. These individuals are highly sought after by the temple to have their abilities trained and honed in order to aid in food production and preservation. Their abilities allow them to quickly make fertilizer, speed up fermentation, and slow or even completely stop the decay of food so that it can be kept longer.

Opposite of Seam Rippers are those with the ability to heal using life magic, known as Seam Menders. Their abilities are highly regulated to ensure that Inima's will is not undone.

It is strongly encouraged for individuals with either of these rare abilities to be tithed over to the temple to prevent abuse of their abilities and to better protect the children from accidentally harming others or offending Inima before they know how to control their magic. Both are kept cloistered within the temple from a young age with a guardian of the opposing magic ability keeping watch over them until they are educated and old enough to be of service to the community. As adults they are paired with a partner of the opposing magic as well as one to two guardians as chaperones when they are outside of the temple.

Fortunetelling
Gifts of divination run high among Thanati and fortunetelling plays a large role in their day to day lives. The most common forms of fortunetelling are through mediumship, palmistry, crystal-gazing, Fuiyun (the Thanati equivalent to tarot), and casting bones onto a fire to read the cracks. Reading the threads of fate is considered a talent bestowed by Inima in order to watch for intrusions by the dark foreign gods.

3. International Relations
While Thanati are accepting of other races (including non-humans), they are not accepting of other cultures. Thanati are a very polite, if xenophobic people. Their history with Le'raanans as the aggressors who drove them to the isles in the first place has left them with a deep distrust of outsiders historically, culturally, and personally.

However, despite its small size, Thanatos has managed to avoid being overtaken by the larger nations by maintaining good diplomatic relations and fueling rumors of the mystique. Thanatos wields a lot of power via technology and magic that few outside of the nation understand, leading to a lot of fear and superstition surrounding what they are truly capable of. Another factor in Thanatos's favor is that given the country's physically small size, it is not considered enough of a threat nor a worthy monetary asset to attempt overtaking.

Most foreigners visiting the isles, however, stick to the port cities as not only are the Thanati not very welcoming to outsiders on their land, but also they have built a tourism industry meant just for Le'raanans there. Teahouses, bathhouses, "Thanati-style" hotels, brothels, and more all keep the tourists well entertained without giving them a reason to venture further into the isles. Additionally, Le'raanans are strictly forbidden from ever stepping foot on the southernmost island.

For foreigners wishing to book the renowned time and entertainment of a Maoin, they first must have the recommendation of a local native-born Thanati. Then, they have to pay as little as double if not triple the fees native Thanati would regularly pay to have the Maoin come to them. Any foreigner who misbehaves with a Maoin is not only banished from the isles but the one who recommended them is also subject to Unseen punishment or worse. These rules help protect the respected work and status of the Maoin and dissuade any opportunistic merchants from trying to book Maoin appointments to unvetted tourists for a few extra coins.

Despite their xenophobia, Thanatos trades heavily with other nations, exporting luxury items such as their cloths, rich dyes, palm oil, cocoa, glass beads, and many spices. They also bring in a large variety of goods that they can't make or grow on the island. Much of their grain supply comes from Le'raana along with cotton, wool, and precious gems and metals. Thanatos is also always open to trading for new technologies and innovations that would aid their growth.

A closely kept secret by the Thanati is the existence of Panzhong with whom they have been heavily trading with for years. The southernmost island is used exclusively for Rulastinian trade who imports items from all over Panzhong including travel safe foods and materials such as taro, ube, bamboo, sugar, silver, and silver weapons. Some of these items the Thanati keep for themselves while others they pass off as their own and sell for higher prices to the Le'raanans. Sugarcane is an excellent example of this as while the Thanati do grow their own and it is considered of very high quality, its in such low quantities that they keep it for themselves and instead import and export the Rulastinian variety to the Le'raanans.

4. Greetings
Thanati greet each other by bowing. A lower caste person greeting a higher caste person will bow lower and longer than the higher caste individual, while people of the same caste match each others' bow.

5. Race
Thanati have dark skin, ranging from a pale tawny color to a deep umber color. Their hair comes in shades of blond, white, silver, and even red, with silver being highly coveted.

Red hair, however, is considered a bad omen, which might seem odd since red is otherwise a very lucky color in their culture. It is a common folk belief that those born with red hair are cursed individuals, destined for misfortune and pain, and that their goddess granted them their red hair to give them a little luck for the hardships ahead.

Thanati tend to have green, blue, or purple eyes. Other variations and genetic mutations are possible but uncommon.

They're a short people, with men ranging from between 5'3" to 5'9" and women ranging between 5' to 5'6". They tend to have straight hair, wide upturned eyes, and oval facial structures with high cheekbones. While they tend to have thick heads of hair, they typically do not grow much body hair and so beards are uncommon.

6. Gender and Sexuality
On the whole, the genders are mostly equal in Thanati culture, with no specific gender roles expected of any sex. There is, however, a slight bias towards women. Women often find it easier to move through the Temple ranks, and the majority of leadership positions are held by women. Men are capable of achieving everything a woman can, but it necessitates hard work on his part.

To the Thanati, sex is traditionally viewed as an act of creation. Sex without the intent of producing children was, in the past, considered highly wasteful. Similarly, birth control was traditionally forbidden.

Presently, topics like recreational sex and homosexuality are part of a complex cultural debate. Traditionalists and old-fashioned scholars will argue that creating life is a holy act, and of supreme importance to Thanati culture. Other scholars recognize that while an emphasis on procreation was important during the Thanati's diasporic period as a means to sustain their population, this is no longer a necessity.

As the holy texts are silent on this matter, attitudes towards recreational sex and homosexuality are varied and nuanced. There are more traditional areas of Thanatos where homosexuality is rejected, sometimes violently, but there are just as many areas of Thanatos that are wholeheartedly accepting.

Marriages are commonly arranged by a matchmaker and based around practical ideas like shared values, lineage, and finances with the end goal of a viable, long-lasting, harmonious marriage. Love is secondary to other areas of compatibility, as they value secure relationships over unpredictable whirlwind romances. That doesn't mean there is no romance! Couples are expected to try to make it work, and love often grows over time. Parents typically consult a matchmaker if their children are not already betrothed by the time they hit puberty at eleven or twelve. It is common for children to be betrothed at very young ages, sometimes even before they're born.

Most Thanati are married around 16 years old. However, spouses do not live with together until they are fully adults and have completely their apprenticeship between 18-22. Until then, the married teenagers will live separately with their own families and instead have chaperoned outings together. Chaperones are a married couple (usually related to the new couple) who will teach them about married life and are meant to set a good example of what a successful marriage is. Thanati have the option of divorce if things really don't work out, though divorce is seen as a shameful last resort, and it may be difficult to remarry as a result.

Polyandry was commonly practiced in ancient times when Thanati still lived on Le'raana as a persecuted people, as they had fewer resources and smaller populations. Today, it's not uncommon for a wealthy woman to take multiple husbands if she can afford it, as it means more resources and political/financial connections for her. Some more traditional families also still practice it, but overall it has become a rarer practice among the common people.

Virginity is not a sacred thing to Thanati, neither prized nor stigmatized. Sex before marriage, or outside of marriage, is not frowned upon, and bearing a child out of wedlock is not viewed as a negative thing; it is viewed as a positive thing, a sign of fertility. Children are considered blessings, and multiples are considered to be especially lucky.

7. Style
White hair is currently one of the big fashion trends on the island and many people use cosmetics or magic to try and get that effect. Clothing tends to favor bright colors and patterns. As dye is expensive, most commoners settle for patterns and colors in smaller amounts, trims or sashes are common ways of getting color into their clothes. Head scarves are also popular and few people are seen without them.

There aren't many animals to use, so leather, fur, wool, and other animal-derived materials are uncommon in clothing. They use plant fibers to make most of their clothes. Silk is more common on the island than in other locations, but still rare and expensive. They have amazing plant dyes available in many rich, beautiful colors and have developed the ability to produce some complex patterns.

As bodies and appearances are ever-changing with time, piercing, tattoos, and scarification are popular and considered very attractive. Some are more extreme than others, but even small children tend to have some sort of body modification. Thanati clothing is rather revealing and is designed to better show off their body art. Flesh-sculpting is also available to those that can afford it, making them stand out in a crowd.

8. Food
As animals are scarce on Thanatos, Thanati eat a predominantly vegetarian, and sometimes pescatarian diet. To them, consuming the flesh of animals is considered impure. The only exception to this rule is the consumption of scaled fish. Shellfish and other non-scaled fish are likewise considered impure.

The typical Thanati diet consists of fruits (mangoes, papayas, pineapples, coconuts), root vegetables (yams, potatoes), bamboo shoots, sugarcane, soy, and rice, though only some parts of the isles can support rice paddies. Rice wine is also a popular beverage of choice. Spices play a heavy role in all their cooking as they have a wide and unique variety of them.

Thanatos also does a lot of trade with the continents and gets a wide variety of products from them, including grains. Instead of the popular silverware of Le'raana, the Thanati use chopsticks for eating like the people of Panzhong.

9. Language
Thanati is the dominant language. It is a complex language, soft and tonal where emphasis affects the meaning of the word. It can be a tough one for foreigners to pick up as a result, and usually leads to quite a few hilarious mistakes when something innocent turns into something crude just because they put emphasis on the wrong part of the word.

Common, the Trader's Tongue, is spoken mostly by merchants and scholars. By and large, though, they expect foreigners to make the effort to learn their language, and some will pretend not to know Common until the foreigner at least makes an attempt.

Rulastinian, a dialect of old Thanati, is able to be understood by current-use Thanati-speakers with some practice. This is due to Rulastinian being less tonal than Thanati, making Rulastinian sound flat and heavily-accented in comparison. This is something the Thanati like to good-naturedly poke fun at their distant cousins for. Rulastinian as a dialect is predominantly spoken by scholars and merchants who deal with Rulastinians in their day to day, however with some effort any Thanati speaker may communicate with any Rulastinian speaker with only some minor confusion.

Their writing system is also complex. Instead of using letters, they use complex characters, each character representing a word. They are written using ink and a brush and there is an entire art form dedicated just to painting these characters. There are thousands of these characters, but the average Thanati is literate in only several--the ones that will get them by in day-to-day life.

A typical Thanati name is soft and flowing with not a lot of hard consonants, just like their language. Many of their names are short and "cute," but some can get fairly long.

10. Housing
The Thanati live in multi-generational homes with new couples moving into the bride's families house. The buildings themselves are usually at least three or four levels and built elevated on stilts off the ground to minimize and prevent flooding damage during the stormy season. Those with more money do tend to have higher and more expanded homes than those of the lower castes. But even those of the Untouchable caste tend to have two level homes.

The structures are in an open-air format with gently curving walls and woven thatched roofs all built using bamboo which has been treated with salt to protect the wood from being eaten by insects and damage by the elements. The doors are also circular and hinge from a central, vertical axis rather than from one side.

Their structures are not overly strong, but they are easy to rebuild, and as Thanatos experiences some strong storms this is ideal. Homes tend to be grouped close together, so living spaces are not all that private.

Since it's important for the bamboo to stay dry, the Thanati use copper sourced from Adela for the extensive plumbing in their bathrooms as well as sinks carved out of river stones. Rudimentary forms of electricity and even air conditioning are incorporated into the structures as well.

Bathhouses are an incredibly important and regularly used feature for the community. They are segregated by gender so that all ages may use. Thanati innovation allows for fresh, warm water to flow freely and constantly into the baths with natural salts, rocks, and plants acting to filter out impurities. The used water is then recycled for toilets and agriculture.

Because nature and what Inima has gifted them is so important to the Thanati, they work hard to not take too much and to give back when they can. For this reason, their cobblestone paths always have at least one stone with a shallow well in it meant to collect rainwater for birds and other animals. If there is ever a time these wells dry out then the community will make sure to hand fill them.

Housing in the ports for foreigners does differ greatly to the traditional Thanati housing though. With Le'raanans strangely preferring solid walls, the Thanati have built hotels of solid mud or bamboo walls and loose thatch roofs to accomodate their expectations. These buildings tend to be stuffier without proper outside circulation and a good haven for small animals and insects. And while no Thanati home or respectable food establishment is complete without a few geckos to keep the cockroaches away, the foreigners often complain about the lizards and then don't understand why they have bugs.

Ex-pats learning to settle into Thanatos as their permanent residence however have a bit of a different experience. They live in sequestered housing communities slightly further inland than the ports, where they study and prove themselves to be committed to the citizenship conversion process. Their housing during their conversion period is made of elevated, octagonal-shaped, single-story bamboo buildings with loose thatched roofing in an open-air format. It is considered rude to force them continue living in the inauthentic housing but, in the same breath they have not earned the proper, more extravagant multi-story housing either. Those of the Unseen caste also live in similar style housing on the very outskirts of the main Thanati communities.

In the smaller villages, the local matchmakers have their work cut out for them and are busy as bees with all their appointments!

But, in the big cities, there are mass celebrations and mass betrothals and elaborate parades. There is feasting and dancing and gift-giving as people hope to attract that special someone. Given just how important the time of year is and heavily populated the cities are, the matchmakers there cannot realistically give everyone individual attention in a single day (even if they hoped to attempt such a thing, most are snatched up and booked by wealthy hopefuls for that day). Instead, city matchmakers conduct a special mass matchmaking ceremony.

Names are written on strips of paper and placed in two sacred jars, one for men and one for women. The matchmaker then draws a name from each jar, who are then officially a match and betrothed for a year and a day. If after a year and a day they have not grown to find balance with each other and make the union work, the betrothal is considered null and void with no consequences to either person. However, as it is considered a very lucky day, and believed that it is fate itself that is choosing those names, folks would be genuinely surprised if a couple chose to end the union at the end of that year and a day.

After the choosing ceremony, couples are betrothed in a mass ceremony that ends with the couples and gathered participants throwing colored powders and water at each other until they're covered head to toe. From then the feasting and celebrations can commence!

Some traditionalists hate this holiday. But it's quite popular among the younger generation.

Though this holiday is mostly focused on heterosexual couples, as mainstream Thanatos is largely homophobic, in the big cities things can be a little more relaxed. This is actually seen as a hopeful holiday for same-sex couples because if a couple sneaks into a mass betrothal and is blessed in it, their relationship is considered just as valid as everyone elses for that year and a day since they received Inima's blessing. However, if they're caught beforehand, there may be severe consequences depending on where they are. Thanatos is experiencing a great deal of social change in more recent years, and the gap between the new generation's and older generations's ideals continues to grow. As such there is a push to fight back against the traditionalist ideals that forbid homosexuality. This holiday can be a great place to take a more political stand.

All in all though, it is a day where lots of rice wine is flowing and people are in good spirits, so a lot of attitudes tend to be more relaxed.

Foreigners are excluded from the matchmaking event, and any that try to sneak in are kicked out. Ex-pats who have made the effort to assimilate and adopt the culture may be allowed to participate, if reluctantly.

2. Panday
Every year, in the month of the autumn equinox, the Temple hosts a sword exhibition for all the blacksmiths of the nation. A highly anticipated time of year, the festival of Panday takes weeks of preparation. During this sacred time, the island ports are closed to non-Thanati, and any foreigners who remain on the island during the festival month are confined to their port hotels and forbidden from participating in the festivities.

During the festival, monks judge blacksmiths from all over Thanatos on their ability to forge the best sword. The first competition is held at the local village level, before advancing to the regional, the island, and then finally at the national level. Winning blacksmiths from each island gather in Suna to compete on Panday, hoping not just to win prestige, but also the Temple's support in being the lead innovator for the year.

The swords that come out of this festival are considered truly remarkable feats of craftsmanship and creativity. One example of a winning blade includes a sword that combined the ability of a Flesh Sculptor with the sharp edge so that any flesh the sword cut would remain open and refuse to heal.

In the final week leading up to Panday, Suna becomes packed with people, each having traveled from all over the isles to sell their wares, observe the festivities, or compete. With so many blacksmiths in one place, it's an excellent time to seek commissions or repairs on new jewelry, medical equipment, or even farm equipment. One of the week's activities includes a sword-fighting display by the Temple warriors. A competition in its own right, the winner of these friendly battles earns the winning blacksmith's sword on Panday.

Another anticipated performance is the sword dance of the Khans. These elite warriors, masters of their craft, combine Thanati martial arts with the graceful manipulations of their blades.

Finally, on Panday itself, the top Thanati blacksmiths present their blades for judgment. Once a victor is declared, the celebrations commence in earnest and all the ports and businesses in Thanatos shut down for the day. Vendors make thin, translucent, hard sugar candies in the shape of swords. And there is much celebrating in the forms of music and dance, as well as large grandiose fireworks displays specially imported from Rulastinia just for Panday.

3. Marriage
Marriage celebrations are huge, bright, colorful, and elaborate affairs, with huge feasts. Colorful flowers are used in excess for decoration and perfuming, and the marrying couple usually wears garlands and other floral ornaments. An entire village will participate in the celebration and the families of those being wed will often spend far more money on it than they have. Red and gold are considered to be lucky colors, symbolizing life and cleansing fire, and so the marrying couple usually dresses in those colors.

No one wears white for weddings; that is considered to be an unlucky color, as it is both blank and reminiscent of bones. Wearing white to a wedding is considered hostile and rude, and white flowers are also never used.

While most couples are married on paper around sixteen, the actual celebration and ceremony doesn't take place until they are adults. Long before the wedding date is chosen, the couple always gets their fortune read to determine the best day to wed. The future bride may also be with child by the time the wedding date is set--but this is not considered taboo; it is considered very lucky to marry when pregnant! The morning of the marriage ceremony, the couple bathes together in saltwater from the ocean to cleanse and purify their body, though if they live further inland, they may bathe in a tub of freshwater that salt has been added to--a more expensive alternative, but it is their wedding day!

The actual wedding ceremony is short, fast, and personal; usually only the couple and a priest are present for that, though Thanati believe that their goddess, Inima, serves as their primary witness. Incense is burned, a priest blesses them and passes cleansing fire around them to ward off demons and malevolent spirits, and the couple drinks from a shared cup of rice wine. Afterwards, they are considered fully married, their names are recorded in a book by the priest, and the feast and party commences.

On the wedding night, the groom's family decorates the marriage bed with flowers, for luck and fertility.

4. Funerals
Funerals are not sad occasions. While Thanati grieve for loved ones like anyone, the purpose of a funeral is to celebrate a person's life. According to their faith, death is not the end.

Thanati have a choice of what happens to their body when they die, and most discuss this with family sometime in their life. Since they won't be needing their body anymore, some Thanati choose to have their bodies donated to the Temple, who can use them for research. Others prefer a more traditional end.

Traditionally, the bodies of the deceased are cleaned, dressed, decorated with fragrant flowers, and ritualistically burned on a pyre (along with some precious belongings the deceased may have loved in life) while friends and family hold a vigil--often saying prayers and burning incense. Fire is believed to be cleansing and to drive away malevolent spirits, the burning pyre keeping them away from the site so the soul can have safe passage.

Later, the ashes are put into an urn, and the bones and fragments that didn't burn are gathered and put inside as well. Afterwards, a feast is held in remembrance of the deceased's life. Traditionally, the urn is placed at the head of the table in honor of the individual.

Thanati worship a female deity, called Inima. She is primarily a Goddess of rebirth and fertility and is portrayed as a shapely woman with a round, fertile belly. There is no real death to the people of Thanatos. The body is only a fleshy husk, made up of various elements. Any alchemist could break it down to its base components. What they care about the is the soul, the part that makes up the personality of the person. After all, how is it different to talk to a body with a soul than a soul without a body? To Thanati, there is no difference.

That is not to say the body is unimportant. The body is the temple of the soul and, like a temple, it needs to be cared for so as not to disrespect Inima. However, like a temple, it fades with time.

Their faith stresses balance, harmony, and the unity of all things; they also believe that what will be, will be, that Inima has a plan and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. All things are connected and just a small piece of the bigger picture. Because of this, they also believe that what one does in this life affects them in the next. If they live a good life and honor themselves and their people, they will have an even better life when they are reborn in the next. If they do badly in this life, their next life will be poorer. That is part of why honor is so important to them.

Their religion is a very personal one. While the temples scattered throughout the isles provide services, they are not compulsory. One may attend if they like, as services are more learning experiences than lectures. There are always priests and priestesses available there that can answer any questions a person might have and many people enjoy having philosophical discussions with them.

However, most of their faith is very self-driven; there is not a lot of communal worship. Individuals may worship where they please, when they please, and their methods of worship consist of a lot of meditation and reflection. They also do a lot of physical meditation in the form of slow, stretching movements that work with the body. It's about reaffirming life and reconnecting with the universe, enjoying your own sweat and pulse and the life Inima gave you.

A big part of Thanati philosophy is in letting go; monks often practice this in a ritualized fashion by making elaborate, detailed sand paintings that they destroy upon completion. They believe in minimalism and do not like clutter. Their spirituality teaches that beauty is in the simplicity of things, that a single flower arranged perfectly is far more beautiful than opulence and gold.

The island is ruled by the Temple. The religion is very much built into their everyday lives in little ways. For example, Thanati enjoy arranging what they have very precisely in order to achieve balance and allow energy to flow uninhibited. While people may have different levels of faith, everyone at least goes through the motions.

While Thanati worship only one goddess, they believe in a slew of spirits and demons and there are many local legends and folkloric traditions that tell of them. Many of them have names and even identities, some represented in statues and paintings as otherworldly beings with animal features, multiple faces, and multiple arms. Others are known as shape-shifters, like trickster foxes that take the shape of beautiful men and women. While spirits will never be worshiped, they may be honored and respected, though demons are always malevolent and fire is used to ward them away.

Within the Temple, knowledge is held in high regard. Even the lowest priests and priestesses spend years in school. Those that aren't sent out to the various villages spend their lives in the schools or temples, writing books and compiling what they have learned. The larger temples possess massive libraries, rivaling or surpassing those of the larger kingdoms. While many of the books are available for people to see, they are fond of their secrets and have large collections that no one outside the upper ranks of the temple are allowed to see.

Likewise, rather than making a new type of weapon, they have improved their blacksmithing and are capable of producing some very beautiful and special swords. These blades are not only infused with silver from Rulastinia to ward off against spirits and demons, but are also made incredibly durable and lightweight. The truly spectacular feat of artistry however is that unlike Serenian blades which can be enchanted but require regular refreshment, Thanti blades have the magic permanently imbued during their forging process. It is a very closely held secret and apprentices can take decades to be considered ready enough to learn and apply the technique.

The skill is considered so highly coveted that the Temple not only pays handsomely for these swords but regularly challenges blacksmiths to continue to innovate new and better applications and designs with each passing year. The most common sword styles include ones with forked tips, curved blades, or even asymmetrical blades with rolling, wavy edges. Thanati swords are not for sale to foreigners.

The Thanati also have an excellent knowledge and familiarity with human anatomy and, thus, rather decent medical technology. Healing magic may be rare, but they can perform surgeries with greater success than more magically-inclined nations.

1. Maharani
The Maharani is the official leader of Thanatos. Only women may become the Maharani, both due to long-standing matriarchal traditions, as well as the Maharani's place as the highest part of the holiest caste, and her necessity to embody as much of Inima's teachings as possible.

That being said, the Maharani is not a hereditary title, nor is it necessarily a permanent one. While most Maharani rule Thanatos until their death, there are instances where a Maharani may retire, or even be removed due to gross misconduct. The latter action is a very serious matter, and may only be taken by the Council in appropriately dire circumstances. The Council is also responsible for electing the Maharani's successor, when there is a vacancy.

Outside of these instances, however, the Maharani enjoys absolute control of the government, and her word is law much as any King or Queen's.

2. The Council
Second in power only to the Maharani is the Council. The Council assist in the overall governance of Thanatos and its people. While the Council may not directly veto the Maharani's decisions, they do enjoy a considerable amount of influence, and often advise the Maharani on many matters.

While their influence on the Maharani grants a certain level of social power, the Council's only true power is in their ability to remove the Maharani from her seat. This is extremely rare, and has only been invoked once in the entire history of Thanatos.

It is considered so extreme, in fact, that the vote to remove the Maharani must be unanimous, and were it to be discovered that the Council committed this act for political gain rather than true need, there are dire consequences. Such a betrayal and show of corruption carries the penalty of every last member of the corrupt Council members' families, living or dead, becoming Unknown.

3. Zhaobin
The direct translation of Zhaobin is "holy one" in the Trader's Tongue. However, in the Thanati language, there carries the additional nuance of being awakened to the goddess Inima. The Zhaobin are scholar-priests, and their sacred duty is caring for the Temple libraries. Many young Zhaobin are tasked with going out to accumulate knowledge, while the elder Zhaobin spend their time cloistered in these many Temple libraries, collecting and caring for historical documents as well as recording and preserving new ones. As much of Thanati law and culture is a matter of cultural and historical debate amongst the ruling caste, the Zhaobins' work is deeply important.

4. Priests/Priestesses
The Thanati priesthood is a method of more localized governance, centered around the nearest local Temple. These holy individuals live and work from their Temple, serving as teachers, mediators, and spiritual guides.

5. Khans
The Khans are the highest rank one can achieve in the military, and their duty is as important as the rank suggests. They are in charge of enforcing the nation's laws, protecting its people, and upholding Thanati faith and culture. The Khans answer directly to the Maharani, and even possess the power to arrest members of the Council at her command. Only the best warriors might even hope to become one of the Khans.

Despite their status and training as warriors, members of the military adhere to a very strict moral code, and violence is seen as the very last resort to any conflict. The military is one of the few groups allowed to carry a sword, and with that privilege comes a great deal of responsibility. In Thanati culture, killing is never done lightly, and as a sword is a killing weapon, its carriage and use must be similarly done with great care and consideration. Unless the warrior absolutely needs to cause injury or death, they will not even draw their sword. Waving a weapon around and threatening people is seen as gross, shameful behavior.

To remind themselves of the weight of their duty and obligation, warriors handle their swords in a very ritualized fashion. None but the wielder may touch the sword, the warrior must clean their sword daily, and when in storage the sword must be appropriately displayed in the best room of their home. It is considered very rude and provocative to bring a sword in close proximity to another person, and so a warrior is careful to carry their sword on the opposite shoulder as the one another person may be passing them on. For example, if the warrior is walking down the road and other people are walking to their left, the warrior must carry their sword on their right.

For warriors, swordplay is not just about bloodshed. There is an art form to its use, and putting the full gravity of that artform into perspective. In using a sword, the warrior is taking a life, and as such a warrior should strive to imbue the moment with as much gravitas as possible. This solemnity and care is often found in a warrior's other artistic pursuits, and many warriors are also esteemed philosophers and scholars.

Like most places, murder is considered one of the egregious of crimes and is punishable by being turned into one of the Unknown. There are exceptions however, such as if the murder was an accident. In this case, the convicted is then given the opportunity to exile themselves with their face intact. Additionally, if someone is killed in self-defense or if a military official killed someone during an altercation, then the death does not count as murder and is not a punishable crime.

However, the worst crime is anything that harms or destroys a soul. Soul sucking, draining, or tampering is considered quite vile and offensive and the punishment is not only the culprit's entire family being made Unknown, but also the destruction of the convict's soul.

It is believed that if they are going to wreak such havoc in the world, then they are not allowed to be reborn. Although the official punishment calls for the criminal's family becoming Unknown, this mostly serves as a crime deterrent. While very common in ancient times, it is now very rare that the criminal's family is actually punished. Today, this part of the law is seen as archaic and savage, and only called upon in cases where the family was complicit in the criminal's crimes.

Most crimes in Thanatos, however, are punished by shame and humiliation. To be caught stealing, for example, is not only embarrassing and shameful, but it disrespects both one's name and their family's name--which is one of the worst things that can happen. Criminals are branded on the left cheek with the Thanati character for "shame on you," and their heads are shaved marking them as having attained Unseen status. Repeat offenders are eventually banished from the community and made into the Unknown.

For this reason, there is very little crime in Thanatos, and criminals have to be that much more clever to escape notice.

Minor crimes are treated with their own shame element. Things such as vandalism, excessive public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and public displays of rudeness are all punished by forcing the culprits to wear a tabard announcing their crime and stand on display in the village or market center for all to see. The length of punishment is dependent upon the severity of the crime and number of repeat offenses. Enough repeated offenses also runs the risk of the punishment being escalated into them being made into one of the Unseen.

Other minor crimes are a bit more difficult to place. For instance, the use of birth control is currently forbidden in Thanati culture, but it is very difficult for someone to be caught by authorities on this matter. The general Thanati code of politeness prevents someone from snooping to locate the medicine, let alone announce to anyone else what they'd found or how they found it. Using birth control is one of a few crimes that are usually left to Inima's will.

Adultery is not considered a crime, however it is considered very rude and shameful towards one's spouse. As a rule Thanati are too polite to commit such a disrespectful action that would go against Inima's will and socially harm their partner, especially when divorce is still a viable albeit frowned upon option.

Homosexuality is also not technically a crime, but it is frowned upon and in the more rural areas is often treated like a crime.

Their origins are theorized to be in the Kishahn jungle, and the various independent peoples who make up the southernmost areas of the Le'raanan continent. Many thousands of years ago, strange invaders from across the sea sailed to southern Le'raana, and stole many of the people there to bring back to their homeland. These strange invaders were the scorpion-like Nhoplani, and for several centuries they would kidnap entire villages from the Kishahn jungle to Nhoplan in Panzhong. Those kidnapped were made into slaves to serve the Nhoplani in perpetuity, as the Nhoplani viewed them not as a people but as a construct of the world to be made use of.

Over time, some of the captured humans escaped their Nhoplani slavers. Among them, some chose to stay in Panzhong, finding allies in the Songtu-ren and Gushui-ren, and becoming the Rulastinian people. Other escaped slaves, however, chose to sail across the ocean and return to what they could recall of their homeland in the Kishahn jungle. This latter group would eventually become the Thanati.

Even after escaping their slavers, the Thanati did not have any easy life. Where villages once thrived in the Kishahn jungle, there now was only overgrowth and ruins, as the remaining peoples learned to stay deep in the trees and out of sight of the shoreline lest they be stolen away as well. Some of the exodus wandered westward, joining with other established peoples along the Tuor ocean and surrounding lands. Others travelled eastwards, doing their best to make a living even as their host countries did their best to expel them.

Their strange, primal magic, their association with speaking to the dead, and their status as refugees led the Thanati to be hunted out of all the other nations. Gathering together what groups they could, the Thanati fled Le'raana to a large series of islands in the Hivan ocean. There they settled, and formed the beginnings of Thanatos. They chose the name "Thanatos" for their island deliberately to remind outsiders of their association with death, hoping to protect themselves by discouraging the other peoples of Le'raana from disturbing them any further.