Culture 

The lives of the Dalmite people are tightly bound to nature and the surrounding forests. They firmly believe that their purpose is to protect the forests, the first children of Kainna and they are devoted to Elaen, the Mistress of the Forest.   

The Dalmites survive in a land that is rich in natural resources and take only what they need, leaving the rest to flourish and grow.  Most tribes lead simple lives, hunting and gathering in the forests, planting small crops of vegetables, grains, and fruit, and creating useful crafts or training animals. Many of the tribes are nomadic or semi-nomadic, following game and the seasons as they travel the forests.  Some tribes have created permanent settlements where they refine and trade their crafts.  Most of these small outposts are built high in the trees, cradled within the boughs of the forest.  Tilitha is the only true city and the home of the leaders of the Dalmite Nation. 

Most Dalmites learn to use a bow and a spear at an early age.  They become experts at hiding and tracking animals and people while slithering silently and unseen through the trees.  Platforms built into the trees serve as hunting perches and can be deadly to an unsuspecting enemy. 

The most honored profession among the Dalmites is the Ledri al weh Seit.  A Caretaker of the Land, the Ledri protects the trees and animals from outsiders and poachers. Deeply devoted to Elaen, the Lady of the Forest, the Ledri are welcome in any treetop community and it is said the blessings of the forests come to a family if a child chooses to follow this solitary but revered life. 

The Dalmites are a matriarchal society, which means that they pass on their bloodlines through the mother, not the father.  The leader of the Dalmites as well as most of the tribe leaders is usually a woman.  Only rarely have men held these positions.  More men have held clan leadership positions although still not as often as women. 

Rites of Passage  

At the age of 12, all Dalmite youngsters go through a Rite of Passage, which marks their entrance into adulthood.  Prior to this time, the youngsters paint their bodies with various colors of the forests.  During the Rites of Passage, these colors become permanent and the child is tattooed with various patterns, which help him or her to blend almost flawlessly into their environment. 

Dalmite Marriage

There are many customs surrounding pair bonding between Dalmites.  One such custom that many Dalmites view as “traditional” and many tribes still perform today involves obtaining the approval of the woman’s mother.  When a young man and woman fall in love, the hopeful groom will go live with the girl and her parents for one month.  The mother observes the man’s dedication to his training and how hard he will work for her daughter.  If the mother gives her approval of the man at the end of the month, a simple ceremony will be performed where the mother blesses the bond between the man and her daughter.  He will then be brought into the family and the couple will be allowed to live there and receive support for a period that could last several years if all involved wish.  If, however, the mother does not approve of the pairing, the couple, if they choose to stay together, will receive no support from the girl’s family.  Many times under these circumstances the couple will run off and join a different clan where they need no approval, or rarely, the couple may go live with the young man’s family.

This custom is usually only performed the first time a bond is made.  Rarely do Dalmites marry for life; two or three bonds over the span of a lifetime are quite the norm, with more than that not considered uncommon.  The second and subsequent times around, mutual consent is usually good enough to form a pair bond, or depending on the tribe, they may perform some small ritual or ceremony.  Much as Dalmites like to search for the best at wrestling events, they like to search for the best partners as well, which is one reason why they may switch partners frequently.  This frequent switching is also one reason why only the mother’s approval is sought the first time around: the father may not always be living with the mother and daughter.

Although some Dalmites may go through several marriages, separation is usually not viewed as a negative or even a trying time.  Most separations are on good terms and many continue to be friends even after splitting up.

 Many Dalmites prefer never to marry at all, instead choosing to focus on and hone their skills of the forest.  Marriage does not affect the social standing of members within the clan.  However, marriage is often used to build alliances between tribes and clans.  Due to the matriarchal structure of the culture, marriage is not socially required to raise children.  Most women are single mothers at least part of the time, either due to the decision not to marry or due to the dissolution of the bond.  Fathers usually take an interest in their children although the relocation to another clan may sometimes hinder the relationship.  Some fathers will take their male children with them when they leave a clan with the mother’s permission.

Birth and Death

 When a Dalmite is born, Zaolla, the Goddess of Birth is thanked for her blessing and the family holds a celebration, inviting family and tribal members to share the joy of the new baby.  A sapling is planted in the woods, a gift to Elaen in return for her blessing on the child as well as a reminder that this child will protect the forest during his or her lifetime.  A child will be given a token deity who will follow and protect them during their childhood.  After the Rites of Passage, the child will spend several years exploring their spirituality, eventually choosing their patron God or Goddess, who will guide them during their adult life.  Often this choice has more to do with the profession they choose rather than some inner calling. 

Just as the passage into adulthood is an important milestone in the life of a Dalmite, passage from life to death also marks a natural progression.  Death is accepted as inevitable among the Dalmites and ceremonies honor this return to Kainna.  Adralis, the Lord of Death, carries the soul of a person from the unconscious state of death and raises them toward Kainna.  It is her choice as to whether the person deserves to be returned to live as a spirit of the forest or whether they remain forever in a dark and dead void.

When a person dies, his body is carefully prepared for burial.  It is smeared with green and yellow paints, to represent the forest and the light.  Then it is carefully wrapped in leaves and grasses.   During a special ceremony, the body is hoisted into the branches of a tree where the first children of Kainna shelter it until the Mother receives the soul. The body remains in the tree for several weeks and is ravaged by scavengers and insects that return the flesh to the forest, maintaining the balance between the living and the dead. The bones are then buried beneath a tree in the forest; often the sapling planted at the birth of the deceased although any tree can be used.  In this way, the spirit of the person remains in the forest. 

It is believed by the Dalmites that a spirit world inhabits the living forest, unseen by mortal eyes.  Some people have reported gentle touches by their ancestors or whispered words of encouragement at times of need.  Some even claim to see their ancestors in the twilight of the forest, their reflection in the eyes of the woodland creatures or in the bark of a stately tree. 

Diet and Medicine

The majority of the food eaten by the Dalmite people consists of vegetables, fruit and herbs gathered in the forests or grown in clearings.  Meat is also eaten although sparingly.  Hunting parties have limits on the amount of game they can collect at any given time and Elaen must give permission for all animals taken from the forests.  When an animal is taken, all parts are used and nothing is wasted.  Fur or hides are used for clothing and pouches; meat for food; sinew for cord and threads; hoofs and bones ground up for various uses; and fat to produce lotions and oils.  Even the blood is kept for religious ceremonies.  The religious leader of the clan sacrifices the heart of the animal to Elaen.

Farming has gradually evolved within the Dalmite’s forests.  The earliest Dalmites would simply gather what they needed from the forest floor.  Eventually, they began to plant seeds and small seedlings in specific places, returning to gather the harvest each season.  As settlements and outposts grew and became more permanent, farmers began to expand their gardens.  Clearings created when wood was removed, with the blessings of Elaen, were planted with grains and vegetables.  After several seasons, these clearings would be replanted with trees and the crops moved to another newly cleared location.  In this way, the Dalmites have kept the forests from succumbing to disease and insects and have culled old, dying sections and replaced them with new fresh growth.  In some areas of the forests, small orchards were planted and are still tended carefully producing fruit and nuts.  Dalmite farmers also tend Berry patches.  Several Dalmite settlements have become masters at horticulture, creating irrigation systems and breeding plants that flourish in the forest environment.

In the same way that food was gathered from the forests, herbs are also gathered and used by Dalmites to create curatives.  Many healers have created their own herbal gardens to grow and nurture many types of plants with medicinal qualities.  

In the earliest times, most healing was a combination of herbal application and religious ceremony and usually carried out by shamans.  Prayers and chants were the main method of healing a sick or injured person and were just as often deadly as they were effective.  Healers emerged gradually, usually in more primitive clans, hidden deep within the forest away from the more influential shamans.  Some of these healers became experts at finding helpful herbs and in concocting salves, teas, and poultices effective in fighting off common maladies including mild infections.  In some tribes, shamans outlawed healers, refusing to believe a mortal could heal as well as the gods.  It became obvious to the Dalmite people though that the clans which allowed healers were usually the healthiest, bore the most live babies, and resisted or survived disease much better than those who outlawed herbal medicine.  Healers gained status within the clans.  At about this time, an ancient manuscript was found which revealed remedies of common illnesses and maladies.  It was believed the manuscript was written by a shaman of long ago, inspired by Kainna.  This further established healers as a part of the Dalmite culture and gave them religious status as well. 

In 3070 TS, a woman by the name of Crydia was chosen by the Council to lead the Dalmites.  Crydia was very forward thinking and encouraged research into medicinal herbs.  She invited healers from other nations to Tilitha to discuss new advances in medicine.  Crydia and the healers of her time made huge advancements in medicine among the Dalmites.  Although most of their medicine is still herbal, it is based on years of research and study.  Surgical techniques are still rare among the Dalmites although wounds can be seared and stitched and bones can be set.  The current Teila is dedicated to opening up her Nation to more advanced healing techniques and has opened discussions with the Hands of Mercy to have several gifted healers trained within the hospital in Caeril.

Religion

Religion is important in every aspect of the Dalmite people’s daily life.  The Naiir al Dal is the leader of the Dalmite religion and resides in Tilitha with Teila.  He is an extremely influential person in the Nation and his powers are second only to Teila.  Even then, many Teila’s have been influenced by their religious leaders, and sometimes to the detriment of the Dalmite people. 

Each tribe also has a Teiredal, an Elder Shaman who is responsible for the religious leadership within the tribe.  Most clans also have a shaman called the Da’len, or Da’lend.

In Tilitha, rituals and ceremonies to the various deities are common.  The Shamans carry out many of these rites while others involve the entire community.  Each fall, Alondra is celebrated during the harvest season and in the spring, Zaolla is the guest of honor at a festival of rebirth.  

Every Dalmite has prayers, which they use to appease the deities on a personal level.  When an animal is taken from the forest, Elaen is thanked for her gift and Adralis is asked to take the animal quickly, without pain.  When trees are taken for building or bows, Elaen is again thanked for her gift and Zaolla is asked to bring forth new growth to renew the forest.  Couples pray to Zaolla for children, farmers pray to Adondra to bring forth bountiful harvests, and Graem is asked to keep springs and streams flowing, providing water to the people.   Religious ceremonies play an important part in the passage from childhood to adulthood and in death as well as birth.