Those who traverse the great, desolate scrape of the eastern wastes know not to tread the shadow of the mountain without an offering. It is blood that feeds this land, and blood that keep it, and none other may sate it so.
ADALIA x THORN • OPEN ADOPTS
HISTORY
For ages the Devorre have held the rolling wastes of the deadened velds to the south, securing their place in the bloody tales of merciless ruination. They have reaved and ravaged, plundered and pillaged and harrowed for resources, power, sport. The sanguinary but elegant aristocracy of the Deivalun in the eastern mountain forests were recently the first to make a steady ally of the Devorre, and have since made such great strides in influence that the two clans are near indiscernible. The Devorre have adopted much of their culture and beliefs, but will forever retain their primal hungers, their brutal natures, shadowed by the ancient curse of unrest and insatiable wants.
CULTURE
-- RELIGION; pagan-similar ideology, loose polytheism. they believe in nature as a force, but also believe an individual has the capability of making oneself a deity through memorable acts great and/or terrible.
• The only god beside ancestors they may honor would be the Naesarpe - a flighted serpent that lives in the mountains and can be an omen of fortunes or terrors.
• To be born under the appearance of the Naesarpe is a blessing.
• There are "hallowed grounds" of significance that are to be respected highly, and one will know them when they see or feel it. Disrespect is to be punished.
• Moon cycles are regarded closely: the Waxing cycle is for preparations; Waning is expense and action. A clear full moon night is great fortune; a starless, moonless night may be inopportune for anything but rest.
• Glory to those who die battling. Immortality is offered only to the brave and ambitious.
• One's power is in blood, and therefore, consuming a powerful individual's (or prey's) blood or flesh is to absorb that power.
• It is believed that blood from a living being is most potent and powerful.
• Astronomical events are significant; a clan may rely on their clerics to interpret.
-- PRACTICES;
• Marriage may be consummated by the sacred act of exchanging the partners' blood - a clan will not acknowledge any other union.
• Yearlings, at the mark of their first birthdate, will be sent on a hunt on the night of the first full moon following. They may not return to the pride until they are successful. (anything gazelle-sized or larger)
• When cubs are weaned they are bathed in the blood of worthy prey.
• Significant decisions may be made by a "council" of Elders (an age group often 8+) and higher ranks.
• The Devorre place a high value on freedom so arranged marriages are rare but may be seen as necessary in certain situations.
• Runts of the litter, by custom, have always been killed and offered back to Naesarpe or eaten in Its name. Only the strongest may survive.
-- RULES;
• High Sovereign is given the first choice of cut from a hunted prey. The Sovereign follows, then cubs (under 1 year), then the rest. Brains are typically avoided after an unfortunate spread of madness once.
• None may touch a cleric but a medic. To harm the cleric is punishable by death.
• Polyamory is not discouraged but only cubs born within a blood union may take part in the clan's practices unless proven worthy by some monumental event.
• Partners outside of a blood union are not Devorre, and therefore are excluded from Devorre practices.
• Disputes may be resolved in battle, but no battle may result in the death of a relative unless deemed proper consequence by trial.
• Prisoners may not be killed, unless deemed useless. Most are kept as bartering chips. Sharing clan information with a prisoner is forbidden.
TRAITS
-- PHYSIQUE;The Devorre have always known to be massive, burly, squared things, but modern descendants have been known to be a more elegant balance of leaner muscle to the titans they are.
• They tend to be on the high side of Medium build or Large.
• Small & X-Small offspring have been known to be born, and most of them may have been eaten by a parent or few.
• Not many are known to have a light, graceful gait - moreso violent and sweeping or a heavy plod.
-- COLORS;
• Earthy hues: clays, bronzes, browns, grey/blues, etc. though color varies by bloodline.
• Albinos are revered and guarded, rare, seen as fortunate signs.
• Stripes, gradients, dorsals, and spots/freckling are common. Brindling and rosettes are uncommon but not unheard of.
• Silver, light blue, orange, and red are common eye colors. Partial heterochromia is also common.
-- MUTATIONS; not all Devorre have mutations, and few have all - lives of more comfort in the modern bloodline have allowed for most genes to become recessive.
• Slightly longer fangs, for ripping
• Slightly longer claws
• Extra fluffy, from originating in chillier temps - but not year-round full winter coats
• Slitted pupils, their ancestors having been ambush-animals in the Wastes
• Maned lionesses & half manes are rare but occur.
INFLUENCES
The Devorre family is a new congregation built off the original family of the Deivaleonne (Deivalun here), who were vampiric and based solely in Romanian lore. Not the sparkly-boi vampires or the proper kind that give interviews but the charismatic and primal vampires that lure you into the dark and rip your throat out, unabashed of the blood spray. The Devorre can be considered something more of a lycanthropic influence - they are feral, insatiable, and more often than not, ruled by their savage whim. You may also liken their demeanor and clan-life to that of the Dothraki from GoT, though the culture is entirely their own.
Their names may be Romanian, French-similar, and Dark Elven. Any bloodline influences by marriage will be affected otherwise, as seen in the Adoptable lineages.
The languages the Devorre speak are broad due to mixing cultures by marriage or absorption via their invasions. They are mainly known to speak Commontongue and Romanian, but also have a very basic comprehension of French and Swahili and have been seen mixing languages either by habit or with the intention of confusing foreign company. Their knowledge of French and Swahili does not venture far past common words, greetings, or commands. Dependence and comprehension in otherwise language varies by bloodline, I.E. the Vicario-influenced line may speak Italian.
Their religion is based on ancient and neo-pagan ideology that is immersed with an awe for nature. They believe that the afterlife for those who make something of themselves in life is a route of immortality - and they may live on as spiritual deities, and that they exist as facets of nature with the purpose of guiding the Devorre in intuitive practices, hunts, and battles. The Naesarpe is the appearance of the Northern Lights, but the big kitty death machines don't know that.