The Methlin are a society without a homeland. They pursue a wandering life on huge square-rigged ships, each with the population of a large village. Gehennese teak is one of the favoured timbers for the construction of these clippers, but the Methlin do not trust Gehennese shipwrights.
The Methlin (singular: Methel) support their existence by fishing, sealing, whaling, and trade. They often come to Gehennese waters for sea-dragon hunting, and are the main conduit of imports and exports to and from Gehennum. Because of their trading tradition and precarious life, the Methlin have to be shrewd. They have a reputation for being the most commercial and tight-fisted of peoples.
Racial Type
The Methlin are a small nimble people, with golden-tan skins, straight black hair, and brown almond-shaped eyes. Their strenuous way of life makes most of them lean, muscular, and horny-handed. Exposure to the elements darkens their skin to the colour of oiled teak.
Society
The basic unit of Methlin society is the ship’s crew. Crews are exogamous, and mostly patrilineal. When two or more ships meet there is a great celebration, and a conference between the captains. Marriages are arranged, and crew is exchanged thereby. Usually a man stays in the same crew all his life, and is his wife joins his crew. Sometimes, though, the captains will arrange a transfer of male crew to provide for men who are not getting along or talented juniors whose promotion is blocked, or to make up deficiencies in the number or complement of skills among their crews.
The arranged marriages are solemnised promptly, and any exchange of crew and goods is effected at once. After at most a week, the two ships go their separate ways.
Government
The officers who sail a Methlin ship are nearly always men, promoted through the hierarchy chiefly on the basis of merit, though seniority in practice has some effect. They govern the handling of the ship, train young crew, and set the duty rosters. The captain is chief priest and judicial officer.
Important decisions are sometimes taken in a crew meeting by consensus or ballot, and of course in so small a community social pressure on the officials, especially from their wives, plays a significant role in the administration.
Culture
The Methlin cannot build kilns or forges on their ships, and so must buy vessels, tools and weapons from land-dwellers. Their artistic impulse is expressed in in scrimshaw, and in the construction, carving, and decoration of their ships.
The Methlin must also buy fibre for sails and clothing. They make clothes to their own patterns, of which the basic garments are trousers, full white shirts, and frogged jackets with mandarin collars. Duty costume must be rugged, and is often made of calico or canvas. Festival clothes (worn ashore) and the dress of those who don’t have to climb the rigging is of the same basic pattern, but is as fine, colourful, and elaborately-embroidered as its wearer can get. [The Methlin have a taboo on exposing their genitals, buttocks and breasts, if any.]
Always in some danger of falling overboard, the Methlin do not wear armour or carry heavy weapons. When forced to defend themselves they use harpoons, axes, crossbows, the occasional ballista, sometimes Greek fire, and drop ballast stones into attacker’s vessels, which are invariably lower. Ashore, in battle, and on certain ceremonious occasions they wear light swords designed for thrusting. The Methlin have invented, and many know, a refined sword-fighting system very much like earthly fencing.
Religion
The Methlin are completely dependent on their ships and the sea. The relevant geists are therefore treated with the utmost devotion. Pontus is their all-father and great provider, while the geist of each ship is the tutelary god and patron of its crew. The strict etiquette and customs of a ship, including the respect due to superior officers, are followed assiduously to avoid offending the ship.
The Methlin (singular: Methel) support their existence by fishing, sealing, whaling, and trade. They often come to Gehennese waters for sea-dragon hunting, and are the main conduit of imports and exports to and from Gehennum. Because of their trading tradition and precarious life, the Methlin have to be shrewd. They have a reputation for being the most commercial and tight-fisted of peoples.
Racial Type
The Methlin are a small nimble people, with golden-tan skins, straight black hair, and brown almond-shaped eyes. Their strenuous way of life makes most of them lean, muscular, and horny-handed. Exposure to the elements darkens their skin to the colour of oiled teak.
Society
The basic unit of Methlin society is the ship’s crew. Crews are exogamous, and mostly patrilineal. When two or more ships meet there is a great celebration, and a conference between the captains. Marriages are arranged, and crew is exchanged thereby. Usually a man stays in the same crew all his life, and is his wife joins his crew. Sometimes, though, the captains will arrange a transfer of male crew to provide for men who are not getting along or talented juniors whose promotion is blocked, or to make up deficiencies in the number or complement of skills among their crews.
The arranged marriages are solemnised promptly, and any exchange of crew and goods is effected at once. After at most a week, the two ships go their separate ways.
Government
The officers who sail a Methlin ship are nearly always men, promoted through the hierarchy chiefly on the basis of merit, though seniority in practice has some effect. They govern the handling of the ship, train young crew, and set the duty rosters. The captain is chief priest and judicial officer.
Important decisions are sometimes taken in a crew meeting by consensus or ballot, and of course in so small a community social pressure on the officials, especially from their wives, plays a significant role in the administration.
Culture
The Methlin cannot build kilns or forges on their ships, and so must buy vessels, tools and weapons from land-dwellers. Their artistic impulse is expressed in in scrimshaw, and in the construction, carving, and decoration of their ships.
The Methlin must also buy fibre for sails and clothing. They make clothes to their own patterns, of which the basic garments are trousers, full white shirts, and frogged jackets with mandarin collars. Duty costume must be rugged, and is often made of calico or canvas. Festival clothes (worn ashore) and the dress of those who don’t have to climb the rigging is of the same basic pattern, but is as fine, colourful, and elaborately-embroidered as its wearer can get. [The Methlin have a taboo on exposing their genitals, buttocks and breasts, if any.]
Always in some danger of falling overboard, the Methlin do not wear armour or carry heavy weapons. When forced to defend themselves they use harpoons, axes, crossbows, the occasional ballista, sometimes Greek fire, and drop ballast stones into attacker’s vessels, which are invariably lower. Ashore, in battle, and on certain ceremonious occasions they wear light swords designed for thrusting. The Methlin have invented, and many know, a refined sword-fighting system very much like earthly fencing.
Religion
The Methlin are completely dependent on their ships and the sea. The relevant geists are therefore treated with the utmost devotion. Pontus is their all-father and great provider, while the geist of each ship is the tutelary god and patron of its crew. The strict etiquette and customs of a ship, including the respect due to superior officers, are followed assiduously to avoid offending the ship.
