It is customary for Ramathians of similar or equal status to either shake hands, or touch one another on the shoulder in greeting. Usually the touching is almost always done with the right hand. The shoulder touch greeting is often used by those who are on friendlier terms with one another, or comrades in arms.
Touch is generally avoided by mages, who are more wary of touch-driven curses. When a mage is presenting themselves as friendly, they will cross both of their arms over their chest, and bow their heads slightly in greeting, all while keeping their gaze fixed upon the individual that they’re greeting. A mage can make this gesture insulting and contemptuous by closing their eyes or deliberately breaking their gaze.
Tattoos are a large part of the planet life on Ramath-lehi. Tattoos are so culturally ingrained in Ramathian society, that it is actually considered weird for someone to not have tattoos. One of the oldest practises involves getting Grading Stripes which are tattooed stripes that Ramathians would receive for recognition of a great achievement. While dated, many Ramathians still get visible Grading Stripes - usually on their faces. However they are not always given out by the Grader family, which was who the tradition originated with. Instead there are many families who chose to reward their own kin with their own markings and insignia.
Tattoos have also become more complicated and ornate over the years. Sometimes Ramathians get their tattoos infused with special magic properties using a special Fronimium ink. These can vary from simple glowing, to colour changes, or even giving off heat. It takes a very skilled mage and tattoo artist to create these particular permanent works of art, and they often do not come cheap.
Becoming a tattoo artist is considered to be a very respectable career by Ramathian standards.
There are two main ways that Ramathians may create tattoos. The first traditional method involves injecting tattoo pigment directly into the skin of the patient. The second and most popular method involves the direct modification of a Ramathian’s individual hair follicles. Using a special tattoo machine, the tattoo artist is able to directly target each individual hair follicle and inject them with a special blend of Fronimium-based ink, depending on the colour that they want the hair to turn. This process is often a lot more labour intensive for the artist, and slightly more painful for the patient.
Once the ink has been injected into the follicle, it will begin to work its magic. The ink will stimulate the follicle and immediately promote hair growth. Approximately 3mm to 1cm of immediate growth is considered to be normal. All newly grown hair will be the same desired colour of the injected tattoo ink. It is recommended that you cut off any old growth hair so that only the new growth will be shown. Once a follicle has been treated with Fronimium-based ink, it is not possible to remove the ink. While colour changes can be made, complete removal also means complete removal of the hair follicle. This would leave the Ramathian hairless (although it is possible to get hair follicle transplants) wherever they chose to get the tattoo removed from.
When a tattoo has been done with Fronimium-based ink, it is then later possible for a skilled mage to attach a magic spell of some sort to them. The permanence of the effect depends entirely on the skill and power of the mage performing the imbuing. For effects like glowing and simple colour changes, a moderately talented mage is able to imbue this effect for up to three years. For more advanced effects like rainbow, or colour changing based on temperature, a moderately talented mage may only be able to cast the effect for up to 8 months. When getting your tattoos imbued, it is best to find the most talented magic crafter that you can afford.
It is not uncommon for family sizes to be very large. Some families have had up to twenty offspring. However the most average family size consists of two parents, and three to four offspring. Being an only child is very uncommon.
It is very common for the parents of a Ramathian to keep the egg shells that their offspring hatched from (if they are an egg-producing species). The shell of a new hatchling is said to have magical properties and is used as a base for many powerful spells. The larger the shell fragment, the more powerful it is said to be. Many Ramathians keep their offspring’s shell fragments and end up getting them encased and put on display in their living rooms. Upon death, these egg shells will often be turned into the focal point of shrines deep within family tombs.
When having someone over at your home, or when hosting a private party, it is customary to offer food or drink only upon your guest’s request. Some hosts prefer to simply leave food and drink out so that their guests may help themselves and negate having to request entirely.
In a perfect world, the residents of Ramath-lehi would have no set life span; they grow more powerful as they age. They could live near forever if it wasn't for the elements, murder, illness, and accidental deaths. However, the average life expectancy of any given Ramathian is between 80 to 140 years.
The older a Ramathian is, the stronger they feel the pull of Fronima. Eventually the pull of Fronima is so strong that they succumb and fall into the spirit world and death.
When a Ramathian dies, it is believed that their soul then goes to Fronima (unless their soul has been lost and/or eaten by a Rapine). Almost always, upon death, a Ramathian’s body is burned to ashes in order to destroy the vessel and prevent all forms of Necromancy. The ashes are then often carried deep into caves and scattered. The specific rituals and customs vary between species (such as the Khell choosing to skin their family members before burning).
Funerals are seen as a way to celebrate an individual’s life, and crying is not very common. Instead there is often a lot of drinking, dancing, and telling stories. Most funerals are public events and anyone may partake.
Not many Ramathians practise Blood Oaths as they are considered to be very archaic. However to make and then break a Blood Oath is an unthinkable thing. Blood Oaths are legally binding and can be proven to be tied to the signing parties based on their DNA and magic signatures. It is impossible to forge a Blood Oath. Breaking a Blood Oath essentially means that you forfeit your life over to the other party. Often the breaking of a Blood Oath results in death. Blood Oaths are still used by the Adamaint Empire when their clientele are unable to make full or proper payments.
Smoking is not a very popular past-time on Ramath-lehi and is generally frowned upon. It has been scientifically proven to cause long-term respiratory damage. However the smoking of nujeq is still relatively popular. It is much more common to see nujeq being taken orally, or baked into things, than smoked.