The Romini

Owing allegiance to no nation or people, the Romini are the oldest and supposed favorite mortal creation of the god Mikon. The first humans to appear on Avlis were the ancestors of the Romini, created directly by Mikon. When created, Mikon commanded them to spread over the planet and bring balance to the world. They were told to be free, yet fair, and to call no one place their home, but rather many places.

Mikon's greatest gift to his creation was the freedom to choose their life path. He did not restrict them to the ways of good or evil, nor law or chaos. He simply told them to be. He told them that they must do what the moment requires and not to worry about past or future, but rather to exist as needed for the immediate time period. Much to Mikon's pride, his creation took his words to heart and did exactly as he bade. Human beings spread all througout Avlis, differentiating into various cultures.

Some humans collected in the areas known today as the Kurathene Empire and The Seven Cities, or even as far north as snowy Tyedu. Some went to the other side of the continent and eventually became the warrior maidens of Jechran. The largest and most populous group stayed in the area of M'Chek that was supposedly the site of Mikon's prison when he was kept by the Negerai during the early days of creation. These various groups of humans developed widely different cultures ranging from the female dominated people of Jechran, to the imperialistic Kurathenes, to the pseudo-feudal M'Chekians, to the pseudo-democratic inhabitants of The Seven Cities.

Many of these groups went so far as to forget Mikon completely. Women of Jechran worship Dre'Ana, as an example. This did not disturb Mikon greatly, for above all he gave them a choice. However, in his deepest godly soul, there is some small sadness, it is said by some. One group however managed to retain their love of Mikon and the freedom he offers: The Romini. For this reason, the claim to be highly favored by Mikon, and some think it is true.

The Romini people have a great love of Mikon and his ideals of balance and choice. They are not the lawful adherents to faith like the humans found living in Mikona, nor are they zealots of balance in its aspects of give and take. Romini live by the flow of the water in the rivers, and the smell of the air in the breeze. They do what is needed, when it is needed, and never any other time.

When it is time to wander, a Romini will go. When it is time to settle, a Romini will stay. But they form no attachments to what they do. If a camp is needed they will camp. Some of those camps can become semi-permanent places of settlement, although the inhabitants that live there are seldom the same from one year to the next. Romini are fond of moving around the world and experiencing their freedom. They can be found in every nation making their camps, some temporary, some not.

No nation in the world will refuse the Romini entry either. They never participate in the affairs of the nations. They only exist to exist, and thus are considered harmless by their hosts. They do not partake of wars or national struggles, even if it concerns their patron god Mikon. They choose not to.

Romini will make their living any way they can. Some are accomplished craftsmen who sell their wares. Others are singers or entertainers, and some even make their livings at others' expense. Romini can range the whole gamut of the spectrum between pleasant and downright nasty. Nations will not refuse them, but individuals will often be wary of them for their diversity in world views on making a living.

Although they are often berated for being loyal to no one, Romini are actually intensely loyal to each other. A Romini will not kill or harm another Romini unless it is totally necessary, and even then they will seriously consider not doing it. Whenever a Romini finds another of their kind in trouble, they will always find the best way to help them when possible. Though they are diverse and scattered throughout the world, they have a tremendous sense of their own unity and culture. Even a Romini from Tyedu who meets a Romini from M'Chek will converse as if they were brothers who have known each other their whole lives. It is this closeness that has allowed them to survive as a people and not become so scattered that they are forgotten. If you are Romini, you are Romini... one of them. If you are not, you are ‘georgio,’ the term for a non-romini.

Because the Romini don't make their own cities, they do not have any use for governments. All of their society is one big extended family. The father is the head of the immediate family, and his brothers are the uncles and their children are cousins, etc. If a number of related families wind up traveling together a lot, a single man will often be chosen as the leader of the troop, sometimes it may even be a wise old woman. Whomever it is, the leader will make the decisions on where the group goes, though no one is obligated to follow. They are free to decide for themselves. However, the group often does as the leader asks.

If a leader comes into control of a particularly large group of extended family, they will sometimes be dubbed as a Romini King. Kings are really just older men who are recognized by a lot of families as being pretty good at deciding where to go and how to run daily affairs. At any time, there are tens of Romini Kings on the continent, each presiding over an independent large group of traveling or camped Romini. The title is more of an affectionate designation given by the members of the bunch as a sign of respect and trust. It is not passed down through heredity or any other means. It can only be earned by wise deeds.