Mendi- The sun tribe that casts a dark shadow (Patreon)

Once, the Mendi were one of countless clans and families that travelled on the great migration.  They were a humble people.  Not the largest, nor the strongest, nor the wealthiest.  However, the tribe did have one thing many others lacked: a keen curiosity in healing techniques.  When the families stopped to raise their young and recover, the Mendi would seek out the healers of other clans and ask to watch their techniques.  With a little flattery, a little bribery, and honest interest, they soon became the clan others sought out to learn from and to seek healing for.

And one day, they were sought by the Propoli who had an idea: a house of healing.  It would be, they said, a place where the Mendi could stay, year round, and help all that came to them, and learn from all that passed through.  Though happy to continue the migration, the possibility was too tantalizing to resist, and they accepted.  And immediately they saw the need: clans and families elsewhere on the migration who had no concept of healing at all.  Simple injuries leading to deadly infections.  Ailments of the mind treated as possession with wicked spirits and left to die.  The Mendi prospered, whole clans leaving the migration to stay near the ones that did so much good.  And so the Mendi were declared a tribe by everyone else.

The early Mendi followed the teachings of the great healer Mendus: "Do no harm onto a patient until knowledge is certain.  Do not be certain of treatment until you have the advice of three other healers.  Do no treatment that is untested save in the direst of circumstances.  Do no action without the patient's life in mind."  These early teachings encouraged a break from quackery and risky treatment that often imperiled the patent more than helped.  Many disgusting and dangerous 'treatments' treated as traditional were also challenged and discarded.  For the Mendi, the question was always 'Is the patient better?'

The early Mendi lived simple lives in the houses of healing in the Propoli village.  Any sick or wounded could come for treatment at any time, and the Mendi cultivated a number of herbs and supplements which were popular with the migrants as they came in, bringing wealth and trade to the tribe.  One of these was a humble plant that proved immensely popular: tea.  The Mendi cultivation of tea leaves guaranteed the tribe's prosperity and enabled their ability to treat others free of charge.  They venerated the sun itself almost to a religious degree, even leading to some 'fanciful thought' like sunlight was a panacea or that zebra could live on pure sunlight alone.  Luckily, they escaped the Starkatteri's abuses by being centered on the opposite side of the world.

The tribe was due for a shake up, and it happened with the Long Night.  When Nightmare Moon hid the sun, the disappearance of the sun harrowed the tribe.  The tribe everyone came to when unwell suddenly had no one to turn to.  The trauma left deep and lasting scars in the Mendi psyche, and their teachings and help collapsed.  It wasn't until a generation who had never known the Long Night came of age that the tribe gradually regained its footing.  It took years of patience to mend damaged minds left in the wake of the Long Night.

Their skills were put to the test when, in an explosion of magic, Daybreaker arrived in the zebralands.  She was dangerous, deranged, furious, and wounded.  The zebra did not understand her orders or attempts to demand they return her to her kingdom.  The second Empire readied itself to kill this firey threat once and for all.  But a Mendi asked permission to try and help.  More interested in learning weaknesses than helping, the Empire permitted it.  A dispatch of Mendi sought out Daybreaker, bringing food and tea and waited patiently while she raged and demanded.  Eventually she calmed.  Eventually she learned to talk and they learned to talk to her.  Eventually she confessed her story.

She was Princess Celestia, the mare who had banished her sister to end the Long Night.  The guilt of that, her inability to calm her people's nightmares, her frustration, her longing, had caused her to break.  Worse, rival princesses had arose and challenged her rule.  It was they who deposed her, attempting to banish her to the sun.  She was hurt and afraid and very angry.  The tribe understood and did what they did.  They helped.

With the Mendi, Celestia regained herself.  Daybreaker was banished into the nightmares of her mind.  And, surprisingly, she found love.  With the aid of the spirit of Equus itself, she even had children with stripes of brilliant gold.  But Celestia learned her lifespan would soon eclipse those of her children and grand children.  She'd also learned that the princesses that had arisen in her absence were causing pain and misery to her people back home.  With a heavy heart, but experience and wisdom, she departed the Mendi, returned to Equestria, and ended the war of Nine princesses.  Historians horrified by the dark age of Equestria would all but omit the era from record.

Following the mending of Daybreaker, the Mendi could do no wrong.  They were the first tribe to have three consecutive Caesars.  They remained true to provide care free of charge to any and all that needed it.  In spite of this free care, the Mendi coffers overflowed with grateful donations and the tribe achieved it's distinctive loot:  Mendi are frequently regarded as looking 'ponish'.  Mendi mares have more rounded eyes and muzzles; the consequence of frequent 'intermingling' with pony visitors and invitro treatments.

Eventually, cracks began to form in the tribe.  Some Mendi advocated for 'preventative' care.  The best healing was healing never needed.  Preventativist Mendi used their excess to fund safer housing, broadening diets, emphasizing exercise, and good family planning.  Conservative Mendi, however, pointed out that the tribe was offering help where the patient had not asked for it, and that the help occasionally did not work, and even backfired.

One of the most tragic examples was the Preventativist's attempt to 'fix' the Orah, starting with charitable aid, leading to mandated farming, to prohibition of alcohol for the tribe, to indoctrination centers to try to teach the tribe how to be a 'proper' tribe.  The overbearing treatment lead countless Orah to commit suicide or to lash out equicidally.  The Orah pointed out that none of the Preventionist's dictates changed the OTHER tribe's treatment of them; it only turned them into slaves of the preventionists' hubris.  While in all the preventionists' recommendations were beneficial, their few mistakes tarnished the tribe, and Orah today will rarely seek out Mendi.

The preventionists' failures lead to the rise of another schism of thought.  The Mendi were accomplished healers, but they were not perfect.  Worse, with traditional care, ailing terminal patents could endure years of suffering.  Eutharos, a renowned healer, stated that if death was the inevitable relief of a disease, and the patient did not want to suffer further, a healer should administer the final remedy to pain: death.  If the preventionists strained the tribe, the rise of euthanites nearly shattered it.  Never before had the tribe faced such internal division.  Conservative and preventionist alike raged against the cold logic of the euthanites.

The conflict was never resolved.  While euthanites were gradually suppressed, books of their thoughts and teachings continued to circulate, and lead to other practices such as contraception and pregnancy management.  The final schism came with the purifiers.  Originally a reaction against Propoli corruption, the purifiers claimed that injustice, corruption, and outside influences were poisoning the zebra race itself.  Inflammatory and disruptive, purifiers agitated against harm both real and imaginary.  Like the preventionists before them, the purifiers did some good, but they also became a simmering undercurrent that would be turned to dark ends.

Ironically, your average zebra would be oblivious to this discord.  Mendi were good at keeping their fights 'in house' rather than presenting it to the zebra race as a whole.  Some zebra might have been aware of the vying ideologies of the tribe, but few realized how deep the acrimony ran.  The Mendi kept providing excellent free care, but occasionally one would promote a strange rare herb, or another would advocate thinking about the end, or a third probe into your private life.  Even their failures were swept under the rug by most.

The rise of the Last Caesar rose on a Mendi divided.  They couldn't even decide on a candidate at all, and voted almost at random in support of the Zencori candidate.  The Mendi were so oblivious and divided that it seemed nothing would prevent the tribe from disintegrating completely.

Then the Caesar declared war on Equestria.

Perhaps the only inarguably good thing that came of the war was that it supressed the Mendi internal bickering.  Preventionists, conservatives, euthanites, and purists alike all agreed that going to war with Princess Celestia was wrong.  However, a wounded soldier was a wounded zebra and the tribe had a mandate to help.  Though the factions didn't like it, they rendered aid to the wounded Romani while constantly calling for an end to the fighting.  While there were occasionally a radical idea promoted here or anti-pony rhetoric spouted there, the Mendi were focused to trying to prevent as much harm to zebrakind as possible.

When Princess Luna rose, however, the tribe shifted.  Where before conservatives had anchored the tribe, purist voices came to predominate.  Equestria was sick.  Nightmare Moon was the cause.  And so the tribe, like so many others, was sucked into fighting against Equestrians.  Mendi medics were imbedded in units.  Mendi field hospitals were incorporated into the army.  Some Mendi euthanites worked to perfect chemical and biological weapons.  Conservatives, lead by Zarrabia (Or "Bramblewine"), tried desperately to work out a peace with Celestia (offering sanctuary to Celestia and even to 'heal' Luna if Celestia deposed her).  This failed at Shatter Hoof Ridge, silencing remaining conservatives who opposed the war vocally.

The Day of Doom marked the greatest failure of the tribe since the Long Night.  Some of the tribe felt they were utterly abandoned by the spirits and left the tribe.  Many committed suicide.  At a time the zebra needed them most, the Mendi were at their weakest.  Paralyzed by the failure, they were unable to prevent the legions from butchering the continent in their victory purges.  By the time new leaders were born and rose to power, it was too late.  Zebrinica had fallen.

The Mendi retreated to their remaining city, Sanctuary.  They fell back to the oldest foundation of their tribe's identity: help those who come to you for help.  While seeming to be one of the most stable tribes following the Day of Doom, the reality is Mendi are anything but.  The failure and shame of the tribe is their sickness, and the old schisms that divided the tribe still linger, like faultlines.

Despite the day of doom, Mendi culture has changed little.  The house of healing is the nexus for Mendi in every village.  A Mendi who walks into a house is supposed to be as respected as one that has lived there their whole life.  In reality, most undergo a few years 'attending' and doing difficult work before becoming an equal.  Houses of healing are clean, with isolated rooms for patients, well ventilated, with clean water and fresh food.  Many have a garden on site were patients and doctors alike can work and associate or relax.  Larger houses of healing will have a formal school attached, teaching that house's technique and specialization.  Some houses of healing are single room affairs, while others were monastery like fortresses built around a renowned house.

Medical care is the calling of all Mendi, and Mendi tend to fall into five categories.  Doctors learn to diagnose ailments and their source.  Chemists study the wide variety of herbs, minerals, and other treatment options.  Healers oversee the administration of the treatment and recovery of the patient.  Nurses support all three as well as managing administration and organization.  Custodians keep everything neat, clean, and running.  All Mendi align with one, and some attempt to align to all five.

'Dignity' is central to Mendi, and many Mendi wear a mask of social aloofness, kindness, and respectability.  A Mendi never shouts in public, attempts to always appear fair, and de-escalates conflicts.  While harmony may be the goal, in reality most Mendi simmer with repressed feelings.  The Mendi, while excellent with dealing with other's illness, are loathe to admit when they themselves are sick or need therapy.  Many claim to be 'too strong' or 'too tough' to admit their fears or failings.  Mendi are never publicly drunk or disorderly, and such behavior is shamed.

Mendi sexuality is also somewhat repressed.  The tribe stresses monogamy rather than polyamorous relationships, but unlike Carnillians, homosexuality is not condemned save by the most rabid purist.  Family planning is encouraged, and quality of children is emphasized over quantity of children.  This leads to high expectation in Mendi youths, to be orderly, studious, and dignified.  This tends to encourage them to run away to other houses of healing, or even just leave to get away from the constant expectations of perfection.

Mendi do, however, possess a curious 'attraction' towards ponies.  Some even fetishize the race, particularly unicorns and pegasi.  Mendi have developed invitro methods to 'nudge' a child towards their zebra heritage, and the tribe is much more open to zonies as a rule.  Though no Mendi would ever admit as such, 'paint play' is a very popular kink in the bedroom.  Many a Mendi parent dread the idea of the door opening and hearing the question: 'Mommy, why are you painted green with feathers on your back?'

The sunstripes, descendants of Princess Celestia's forays to the zebralands, have all the normal pressures and expectations doubled.  The first and second offspring of a sunstripe are always sunstripe, but the third and following children far less to be so.  Some speculate a magic in the bloodline creates the golden stripes, while others believe it is a recessive gene, as occasionally a sunstripe will be born with no immediate sunstripe parent.  Regardless, aside from their golden stripes, manes, and eyes, they have no supernatural powers, though most are regarded as extremely charismatic and attractive by other zebras.

Mendi art, music, and literature can be described as warm, fuzzy, and generally dull.  To Mendi, art should soothe and bring peace.  It should reaffirm.  It should educate!  Thus most tribes tend to see Mendi art as utterly boring, emphasizing 'feeling good' over any higher expression.  Mendi food is wholesome, nourishing, and unseasoned.  Tappahani have avoided houses of healing simply on the prospect of eating their food.  Mendi fashion is absent, with the tribe donning clothes only to see patients or in inclement weather.  Mendi likewise avoid jewelry, as it could get lost in a patient.

Mendi courtship is complicated.  Hetero relationships involve squares to calculate genetic potential of offspring and long, thorny discussions of ethical considerations.  To most outsider, it's a wonder the Mendi haven't gone extinct.  However Mendi relationships are built to last and to be supportive and productive.  A good Mendi pairing may result of a half dozen or more children, and unlike the Carnillians, those children will be educated and well cared for.    Gay relationships share this stability, and emphasize adoption.  Divorce is seen like surgery: messy, to be avoided, and sometimes unavoidable, with recovery emphasized afterwards. Mendi talismans can alter sexes, and transexualism is seen as normal. Bisexuality and queer expressions are discouraged, with individuals urged to settle on a gender.   While many may think of the Mendi as passionless, in private Mendi love hard, both their partners and their children, and do not suffer the loss of either lightly.

For the reserved Mendi, however, there is one day that stands out: the summer sun solstice.  For one day, dignity and self respect are thrown out the window as everyone gets drunk, gets laid, and generally just enjoy life.  It's a popular myth that babies conceived will be sunstripes and it is ethically permissible to clobber someone you disagree with so long as you don't kill them and buy them a drink afterwards.  Many other tribes join in, supplying food and music on the one day the Mendi want to have fun.  Of course the next day the mess is cleaned up, the hangovers endured, and vows are made to 'never do that again'.  Until next year.

While the schisms still haunt the tribe and bubble up occasionally, one taboo remains firm: necromancy.  Soul manipulation and reanimation of the dead is anathema to the Mendi.  While some deviants may argue that it is 'the ultimate healing', Death is not an enemy to be cheated to the Mendi, but simply the end of a process to be respect.  Reversing digestion is not 'defeating hunger' and is just as gross.  The Mendi have a difficult time dealing with ghouls as a result, and they aggravate the schisms in the tribe.  When a Mendi does start to dabble in necromancy, they tend to get very good at it very quickly, and can commit great harm before being discovered, thanks to their restraint and practice with appearing presentable.

While Mendi proditors are extremely rare, they generally reject the pressure cooker culture of the Mendi.  Proditors reject the responsibility of the tribe, and thus, ironically, become one of the few outsiders that can help Mendi anxiety and stresses.  They know the pressures they face, and have the training to help deal with depression and anxiety.  Some proditors become proditors simply to proclaim to their fellow Mendi 'I understand healers need help.'  Mendi proditors are also informal liasons to other tribes, learning with humility new medical techniques discovered by other tribes that may be reluctant to be judged by their peers.

To many, the Mendi are a simple tribe of exceptional healers.  They see the house of healing, the smiling Mendi, and assume all is well.  Few look beyond the surface at the real face of a complex tribe full of pressures.

Any questions?  Which tribe should be next?