Physical Characteristics and Cultural Aesthetics
The Lost are of a unique bloodline of Io’Larian Syndar, nearly all of them showing the marks of their ancestors through their natural green-tinted skin.
The Lost hold a reverence for nature and their ancestors and this is shown in their clothing, tattoos, piercings, and jewelry. Not all Lost choose to ink or pierce their skin, but those that do see it as a reverential send up to their cultural heritage and a way to showcase a deep, lasting connection to their ancestors.
Religion and Culture
The Lost do venerate Solar and Lunara, like most Syndar. However, it is only a small aspect of their religion. They pay their respects to the main gods, and instead choose to interact and worship their ancestors and the spirits of the surrounding land.
Each Lost also has a totem. Finding one’s totem is a very personal rite, and signifies a Lost coming of age. A shaman helps guide them to find it, but it is up to each Lost to do so. One does not choose a totem though. It is the spirit who chooses.
Almost any animal spirit native to the Celestial Mountains can be a totem spirit. Each animal totem is known for it’s own set of typical characteristics, but each Lost’s individual totem has it’s own distinct personality. The only animal the does not manifest as a totem is Wolf. No Lost has had a Wolf totem since the time of Wargheart. In fact, wolves in any form are considered bad luck, and it is especially bad luck to kill one.
Lost tend to practice blood magic, believing that their own blood is a powerful component. Their totems are gifted their blood and other chiminage in exchange for magic. There are some whispered rumors that the Lost practice cannibalism and are man eaters, but there is no proof of this, and any Lost would immediately deny such accusations.
Lost live in separate family groupings and while these groups live separate from the each other, they still live near enough that they can respond to emergencies and meet for cultural celebrations. Most family groups settle within a day’s walk or so of their neighbors
Because of the very small number of Lost, each female is required to bear a child at least once, though they are not required to raise it. The child may be fostered to another in their family group, and it is in fact not at all uncommon for a child to not be raised by both of their biological parents. The biological parents are of course still involved with the child rearing, as everyone in the family group are expected to help.
A council of Elders from each family group oversee the blood lines, making sure that the entire tribe and it’s blood remains healthy. To do this, matings are often arranged by the Elders between family groups. These pairings are not expected to be permanent, with each party often going separate ways after a child is conceived.
It is not uncommon for a Lost to have various intimate partners, sometimes of either gender, though they usually only form permanent relationships as a pair. Children from such casual encounters are not uncommon, though it is taboo to produce children from within your blood.
On incredibly rare occasions a Lost may find themselves in a casual encounter with an outsider, not of the tribe. This in-and-of itself is not seen as a negative, but any child born out of this union would not be considered a member of the tribe. More often than not these children are birthed in secret and left with their outsider parent to be raised as their Lost parent would not want to subject them to a life of a second-class citizen. Children born from a union with an outsider are traditionally referred to not by their given name, not by their ancestral name, but by their status: Otherkith. Otherkith are not permitted to learn the Shamanic arts of The Lost. They are not permitted to take a totem. There have, in the history of The Lost, been an incredibly rare few otherkith that have grown to a place of acceptance in their tribe and family group. These otherkith, through deeds and actions, regained their names, but not once has one been given the right to a totem. Any child born from a pairing with an otherkith will also be an otherkith and due to this pairings with them that give rise to children are seen as taboo and to be avoided.
Permanent pairs can actually be any gender or age mixtures, because a permanent pairing is not borne of lust. Lust can be taken care of easily, but a permanent bond is very important and special among the Lost. It is built of mutual trust and protection, with each partner willing to die for the other, and watching the others back and supporting them. it could be a brother and sister, father and son, best friends, as well as lovers. A permanent bonding is not taken on lightly.
The concept of honor is very important among the Lost. Because their tribe is so small, they cannot afford infighting and violence amongst their ranks. One’s word, once given, is one’s law. The spirit’s will not deal with oath-breakers, it is believed, and so neither will any of the other Lost. To deal with an oath-breaker is to bring their bad luck upon yourself. To break serious oath, or to murder any of the kith, is to forfeit your life. Any Lost warrior would not hesitate to execute a serious oath-breaker. Because of this, crime is low among the tribe, being as the most severe consequence will be dealt out to the offender, swiftly and mercilessly.
Life among the Lost
The Lost place a heavy importance on one’s family and lineage. One of the first things a Lost child is taught is their lineage, and the deeds of their ancestors. To the Lost, no one has a more vested interest in their well being , than their ancestors. A typical Lost meal includes an empty place setting, set with mead, ale or wine, and the first portion of every dish. This is for any Ancestor or land spirit that may wish to visit the family.
The Lost believe that one’s luck and one’s worth are determined by a myriad, and yet connected set of factors. One’s own deeds are the most influential, but so also can the deeds of one’s ancestors and even those around you, can affect one’s luck and worth. It does not matter if you are a great person, if you are surrounded by scum, you count among scum.
Relations with other species and people
Though most Lost tend to judge a person on their words and actions, there does still exist certain prejudices.
Syndar- Relations between the Lost and the serous Syndar remain fractious at best. The more genteel, city-bred Syndar tend to view their back-water, barbaric cousins dimly, and the Lost tend to return the sentiment. Other Io’Larians are generally respected. Lost tend to view the Celestials as an older and disliked sibling. There is no real hate, but neither do they like each other.
Humans- Surprisingly, the Lost tend to get along better with humans than the other intelligent species of the world. Despite the violent relationship between the Order and the Lost tribe, when out among the world, Lost tend to associate more with humans.
Ulven- There are not very many Lost known as of now on the New World, so the interactions of these two species are mostly speculation. One might think that these two peoples would get along very well, and it is almost true. The best way to describe it would be the Uncanny Valley. The Ulven in culture are so close to the Lost, that a Lost could almost feel at home among them. Then the Ulven do or say something that is so completely alien to the Lost culture, it only further emphasizes the vast differences. There is also the sensitive matter of the Lost being responsible for the extinction of the Great Wolves, the Warg. The Ulven do not know of this history, and it is not known how they will react if they do find out……..
The Lost of Mardrun
As it is known, The Lost did not have the fortune of arriving on Mardrun in any true and large numbers. Many of them had great difficulty finding each other on this new land with little to go on other than reports of other “green-skins” in other areas of the land.
Eventually many of The Lost did find each other and together made a home, though the location of this small village is a well guarded secret. Each of The Lost in this village swear a blood oath on the names of their ancestors that they will never reveal the location of their village to outsiders.
This life did not suit them well in the long-run. After years of attempted isolation the remaining Elders of the Tribe came to the conclusion that they simply did not have the numbers required to maintain themselves without falling to interbreeding between kin. Though the thought of mixing with the blood of other tribes and races seemed entirely out of the question, it did seem more acceptable than mixing with their own family. The decision was made that on rare occasions the Elders may decree that a tribe member must find outside blood and bring it to the fold. This process is highly regulated and regimented and is seen as the only time that an outsider may be brought to their village and not be considered a breach of Oath.
For the first time in the history of The Lost, children born to a single Lost parent are considered to be full members of the tribe.
Some of the Lost lore!