Riwen is a collection of people who are proud of their independence and distrusting of outsiders. Formerly part of the Iksandi Empire, they are notable in that they were the first group of people to rebel against Iksand. In Gani, the most-spoken dialect in the region, Riwen means River Land.
Riwen occupies the floodplain and deciduous forests surrounding the River Riwen, located in the Riweni River Basin. It is bordered on the north by the Dragonback Mountains. The southern border between Riwen and Tylen is not well defined, but it is generally considered to be the Plainroad that skirts the southern forests. The River Riwen through the middle of the confederation is the most important water source, as are its various tributaries. The Silver Tear River and the Dragonblood River are the two largest, though the Catfish Creek and Mirror Brook are important to the Riweni as well.
Riwen is a democratic confederation, with representatives from many different tribes throughout their lands. A total of 31 tribes are members. The capitol is Sun Watch, the town with the most people, and the only truly neutral town in the river basin. Sun Watch lies between the territories of the Star Hill (Azipeme), Catfish Creek (Igikiwe), and Red Canoe (Viraam) tribes. Most major decisions are made by majority vote, where the representatives cast a colored stone into the bowl, and the head of the meeting counts the stones cast. There are sometimes small skirmishes in between different tribes, but the council gets involved if the conflict threatens to bubble over into other tribes.
The Riweni culture is based on tradition and community. They have had a history of war and oppression, beginning with the Iksandi invasion. They are a rebellious people, proud of their independence, and distrusting of non-Riweni people.
There is a division in the religion of the Riweni people. The Riweni Avonists believe in a modified form of the Avonistic religion of the Iksandi people, brought during the invasion. Kewenis follow the older beliefs of the Riweni River basin before Iksandi invasion.
Riweni people live in large extended families, and all help raise each other. All children of one generation are raised as siblings (the words for sibling and cousin essentially mean sibling and sort-of-sibling), and, aside from their own mother, call all female relatives of the previous generation "aunt", and of the generation before, aside from maternal grandparents, "grand-aunt". Male relatives are distinguished by whether or not they are related.
Over the course of a year, the younger folk of the house will leave in the summer and return in the winter, and settle permanently in the house when they have a second child. This can either be as one couple or a few younger siblings banding together. The age of one's first summer outside the house (not counting their childhood) is around 17, when they are believed to reach adulthood. One's summers away are rarely, if ever, spent alone. They are expected to return before or by the autumnal equinox, and if they haven't, the family treats them as if they are dead and hold a funeral, burying an effigy in their place.
Death is dealt with in euphemisms and ritual. They have two words for death: one that is spoken when someone has died and one that is spoken when discussing the concept, which roughly translates to "the distant sleep". Funerals are community-wide affairs, and traditionally begin at sunrise, for that is when the soul meets the sun. Those that deal with matters of life and death live in a seperate house from the rest, and are not permitted to raise their own children, due to a belief that the spirits of the dead that inhabit the house will try to claim the child's soul. Instead, the children are raised out of the house until adulthood, when they can choose whether to live with their adopted family or take their parent's role.
Women are the core of a Riweni family.
A Riweni longhouse is made to hold a large extended family. It is built partially underground, providing heat in the winter and cooling in the summer. The rest of the house is wattle-and-daub, coated with mud from rivers and streams. The roof is primarily bark in areas farther from the river, and closer to the river is thatched with reeds.
The Riweni people wear loose shirts and pants made from wool or leather. In the winter, wool cloaks are worn. Most Riweni prefer to go without shoes when in their home village, but wear simple shoes made of reeds and hide when traveling longer distances. Most clothing is undyed or dyed in colors like red or yellow. Riweni shamans (Zewaneazi, meaning one who knows) and Riweni who deal with matters of life and death, such as healers and gravediggers, cover their hair with headscarves, often dyed in the colors of their associated group. For example, gravediggers wear white head coverings while healers wear green. Shamans wear multicolored headscarves often adorned with beads.
Those that deal with matters of life and death are visually distinct, with headdresses and shawls to cover themselves when they're out of the sacred house. These are often decorated with feathers and clay and bone beads. Shamans occasionally wear antler pieces hanging from their headdress.
Riweni cuisine is based around fish and water animals. A typical meal includes fish or duck, gathered berries and herbs, and roots. Most foods are roasted over an open fire. The most common meal found in Riwen is duck meat roasted in a pan with mushrooms and herbs. The Riweni people don't have many traditional desserts, but sometimes honey is used as a topping for meals.
Riwen has a culture of hospitality, and there is a general format to most requests made in the household, especially when requesting a place to sleep. The request is considered politest when initiated by the host, who begins by commenting on the time or length of journey to the next destination. The guest affirms this or comments on the length of the journey, if the host hasn't already. If this exchange happens between both parties, it typically means that the guest is already granted a place to stay, though a formal affirmation of this fact is usually stated by the host.
People from Riwen are known as Riweni people. All of the native population is elven. Abavani is the most spoken language, the dialects of which are Gani and Kilore. Aheywa, a tactile language used for silent communication, is the second most widely understood language.