Mantatra: Children of Man-Tara

One Man's Wish
400 years ago, there lived a Velo named Man-Tara, who was born without the innate laziness that his kin possess. He was always well-known in his tribe for being a hard worker. As he grew up, he felt the need to devote his life to the tribe as a whole. So he made a set of tight fitting garments to remind himself of his duty, and founded a group called the Man-Tatra. It was originally an orphanage for raising children to believe in Man-Tara's ideals. The name of the organization comes from Man-Tara's name, and the word "Tra," which in the Velo language means "Children." His first group consisted of six children, who then grew up to assist Man-Tara to train his next group, which numbered 27. In his old age, Man-Tara decided to design a new headband to denote followers of his way of life.

In Defense of the Green Lands
It wasn't until Man-Tara's death that the Mantatra had such a heavy emphasis on combat. Not long after his successor, Lan-Ska became leader, the Sul began their assault on the Northern Shore of Velo Island. The Mantatra quickly re-purposed their bows to defend their homeland. It was initially a militia, with 1 year tours. A small group among them decided to stay on fill time. Eventually, they thought up a name for themselves: The Taut Battlefront. It wasn't until Sul discovered gold in their land and started their full-scale mining that the name The Ashen League was thought up. As the League grew, and some of the first forts went up, it became practical to design a headband for them.

Straight and True
The Mantatra have become the best arrow-makers on the planet, especially on Velo. They are also incredibly interested in preserving their forests, whereas the civilians are all about deforestation. The civilians do not necessarily have the foresight to want to plant new trees to replace the ones they chop down.

Training Regime
Mantatra children begin combat training at age 6, and are usually finished by at or just before age 20. There is no set finish date, but only a test. This test is specifically designed for each individual, and preys upon the participant's strengths and weaknesses. After this test is complete, the Velo is given a solid Silver Arrow. This arrow signifies full membership into the group, and stays with the Velo all his life, and he is buried with it upon his death. In the event that a member is exiled from the Mantatra, his arrow is taken from him and melted down to form a new one, and his Mantatra headband is burned as well.

After becoming a full-fledged member, each Mantatra moves into field-specific training. These can include, but are not limited to: Ashen League membership, craftsman (Such as Silversmith, Tailor, etc.) or a merchant. This training is typically completed in 5 years, and is not nearly as strenuous than combat training.