The Metobesebi are a Mengi culture residing in the Telekenid sub-region of Madriamilak. Meaning 'Hundred families', the Metobesebi land is composed of a hundred tight-knit family-clans descended from legendary leaders, prophets, and scholar-heroes that fought and defeated countless enemies together. Due to this even today, through age-old bonds of family, hereditary friendship and family customs reign important amongst the people. This has also led to countless different dialects of the Mengi language that have spread across the Meteobesebi people. One dialect 'warrior' may refer to a male soldier, but another dialect may have the same word refer to a female soldier due to an ancestral history of women warriors. This has made Metobesebi language excruciatingly difficult for foreigners to learn, even so among their Mengi kin.
Religion[]
The primary influences of the Metobesebi Myths are the Myth Tablets of Metobesebi that are said to have first been written by former followers of Ardimya-That-Was, a genie that led his followers from Bulwar to Ardimya, scattering boons and treasures upon all he met. This has created a significant tradition of writing amongst the Metobesebi, primarily pertaining to religion and law. When the Raheni came and brought paper and their own script it was a welcome innovation, creating a now-existing mixture of Raheni script and ancient jinn that then spread across Madriamilak.
Another main influence on the religious beliefs of the Metobesebi is their geographic location, typically living in high mountains. Believing themselves to be living closest to Amilak, Lord of the Sky, the circular shapes of these celestial objects they saw above became ingrained in their beliefs as a holy symbol. Circular lip disks, circular earrings, these have become a key part of Metobesebi life, fashion, and religion.
Customs[]
A key part of Metobesebi culture is their terrace farming system that has excelled with time. Organised into terrace palaces ruled by local Patriarchs of familly clans, the seemingly useless hills and mountains of Telekenid have been turned into golden treasuries of wheat and other grains. Even today they are a substantial source of food with still-working farms. If cut off from obvious sources of water and food, such as river valleys, they sustain.
Terrace farms are especially important given that the Metobesebi do not partake in the consumption of any meat, instead opting for a plethora of vegetable recipes. With countless unique vegetables and fruits, the Metobesebi clans have invented a multitude of recipes such as several different types of red lentil stew.
Though it would spread to all Mengi through repeated Metobesebi victories, the hairstyle that Mengi people are so often known for did in fact originate from this culture. In the style of the Metobesebi lions which have black manes, the people have imitated these animals in the form of their hair. As the terrifying animals attack farmers, labourers, and are used to frighten children, the depiction of one can often be used to frighten foreigners too. It is believed by them that a warrior who has made their hair so will be able to fight as fiercely as the Metobesebi, or the lions, do. With the fear that this hairstyle inspired, they would come to be known as "dreadlocks".