Races

Ferinals - by C. Stephens ©2011 v1.2. Submitted for use with the World of Imarel.

Racial Articles The Traditions of the Ferinal People

Maturity for mating is typically reached at about sixteen years of age, however the young are not encouraged to take a mate until they have found their life's path, and have set to a good journey upon it. Ferinal typically mate for life, unless a mate falls to battle or hunt, then a second mate may be considered, though it is rare, and approval for the coupling must be approved by the council of elders. It is not at all unusual to find an unmated warrior among the pride, the more dedicated warriors wait until they are older and have most of the fire out of their blood before they will ultimately settle down.

Mating can occur any time of the year. Typically a female will give birth to two cubs, though three is not unusual. Every member of the pride has a hand in the raising of young, and every member being sacred to that pride, always has something significant to contribute to the way the new cubs will grow and prosper.

Death is greatly honored as a part of the life-cycle, including their own. When a Ferinal falls to cruel pleasure or sport hunts, and their body cannot be recovered, the possessions are burned on a pyre in lieu of the fallen, a ceremony performed just as if they were burning the body itself. Their spirit and soul are given back to the Great Grandfather and Grandmother; the ashes will be taken to a place called the Sacred Rock in the Burning Lands, where it is said the first Ferinals found each other; this is done with great care, for the site is dangerously close to D`Mir.

Ceremonies and traditions, for the Ferinal, are a major part of life. Significant aspects of life are given ceremony and celebrated: birth, transition into adulthood, marriage, a good hunt, the need for a good hunt, and death. These ceremonies help the Ferinal people establish social bonds, develop a sense of unity with the pride and foster a strong sense of both religious and moral values based on that particular pride's traditions.