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[Teinyhr]

Anyone who knows even the tiniest bit about Minmatar lore, would know that Voluval is an important rite of passage for the Minmatar. Yet, we have almost no examples of what a Voluval actually looks like, what specific meaning they might hold, and so on. Well, I'm hoping to change that, at least a little.


This is, as should be evident, entirely player fiction. I invite people to invent and, if they like, draw their own ideas of Voluvals in this thread. The intent of this thread is to give people inspiration to invent their own, but also give them some pre-made choices - afterall, Voluvals aren't usually unique, but made of general, catalogued shapes and symbols of which we, as players, sadly don't know about.


I'll start with a few of my own - sourced from ideas on Discord and couple of my own headcanons:

Keeper of Traditions



A campfire / fireplace symbol, this Mark is traditionally considered the mark of a clan leader among Rhiannon. Its associated aspects are kinship, loyalty, preservation, tradition, insularity, deprecating, strict.



Wings of Freedom



Associations: Courageous, daring, free, self-reliance, recklessness, headstrong, proud.



Winged Spear



Associated with exploration, vanguard, innovation, and general far reaching ideals.


Thronebreaker



Associated attributes:  Determination, Strong sense of justice, Leadership, Headstrong, Anti-authoritarian

A Voluval rarely seen outside of the Brutor Tribe, resembling a simplistic Khumaak; Greatly respected because it is thought to be inherited from the collective trauma caused by the eradication of the Starkmanir, though in recent times the mark has become slightly less revered and even rarer after the rediscovery of the remains of the Starkmanir Tribe.



Yetamo's Tongue



Associated attributes: Adventurous, intelligent, Charming, Indecisive, Temperamental, Reclusive, Adaptable

A common mark for Vherokior, but can be encountered in any Tribe. Typical place for the mark to appear is above the navel. Yetamo's tongue is often associated with difficult personalities, but bearers of these Marks also have the drive to become just about anything they set their minds to.

[Jocca Quinn]

My head cannon / notes for JQ say he has the Voluval mark of "The Smith", which is a stylised hammer and anvil ( something representing this https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31MQ-Qiw99L._SY450_.jpg ) on the chest, just to the right of the heart.

I think of this as a fairly common mark amongst Seb's, especially those of the tinkerer ancestry (is that stuff even shown anywhere anymore).

Associations: Hard working, reclusive, intelligent, obsessive, innovative, arrogant.

[Teinyhr]

I like it, Jocca!

Posted on behalf of Melisma Ramijozana:

Bird-on-the-Wind / Birdwind:



Birdwind is a Corovid on the left turning into wisps of wind on the right.
It’s fairly common as a fate symbol among Sebiestor but for Ramijozana it is fortuitous if the cadet chief gets it as a Voluval.


The Long Tear



Looks like a tear in the skin or a trail of tears. It symbolizes profound grief and anyone who gets it as a Voluval is probably about to lose a whole lot of people.


Zemi / Spirit-Touched



Zemi can appear in any tribe but especially Vherokior, Krusual, and Sebiestor. It has a different name depending on which clan/tribe it is. But generally the bearer is spirit-touched and needs to become a shaman.

[Teinyhr]

Fern



Associated attributes: Trustworthy, incorruptible, blessed, spoiled, blunt

The Fern is a mark common to all tribes, considered to signal pure spirits, or someone favoured by the spirits. This mark brings great prestige to their bearer and bearers of the mark are often - but not always - headed to become shamans of their Tribes.



Four Winds



Associated attributes: Unfocused, unpredictable, Creative, Hidden Strengths

Common mark with all the tribes, but often associated with the Krusual. Bearers of the Four Winds mark are frequently judged as absent-minded and unpredictable, but are also credited as people who tend to think outside-of-the-box more than most, and tend to find themselves valued in positions requiring creativity.




Geyser



Associated attributes: Skilled, strong-willed, social

Common mark for Brutor, rarer in other Tribes. The Geyser is among the Brutor considered a mark that signifies high strength - both emotional and physical, and perhaps perplexingly to outsiders, lso taken to imply great self-discipline.


Quicksand



Associated attributes: Treacherous, Untrustworthy, Two-Faced

A mark only seen in the Vherokior Tribe. This mark is the same as the ancient Vherokior warning totems for quicksand. Those who get this mark are considered treacherous, and often get expelled from their clans. Individual families may still choose to retain such individuals, but the families are considered responsible for their actions. Their life outside of family circles is generally a strained one.

There is some contention on the meaning of this mark, as some believe it to be incorrectly interpreted as more damning than it really is. However, the description above is the dominant one in most Vherokior clans.



Yetamo



Associated attributes: Unpredictable, passion, aloofness

A mark seen in all Tribes, Yetamo is a mark associated with opposites - life and death, fire and ashes. Yetamo is one of the marks that is seen less defining than most, where the person themselves will define their mark with their actions. While generally such is to an extent true for any mark, Yetamo is considered especially flexible in this regard.

[Teinyhr]

Echo



Associated attributes: Conforming, Non-Confrontational, Trustworthy, Determined


Mark found in all tribes, with a slightly higher prevalence in Vherokior and Sebiestor. People who receive this mark are often seen "the average joe" of society, neither destined for great glories nor "rocking the societal boat." A common belief is that this mark signifies an honest, hard-worker, and thus finding work is almost never an issue for people with this mark.

[drauqhk]

Hopefully a useful contribution (and one that will be seen on me).  Anyone with a bend to the artistic can feel free to add an image.

two knives
image: 2 stylized knives side by side but reversed from each other
attributes: generally ambivalent, but tending to be distrusted and distrustful; somewhat prone to violence, but can be protective or abusive; not common, and tending to either military service or criminality.  Can be seen in any tribe, but some tribes see it as more negative than others (Brutor tend to the more negative interpretations and Krusual to the more positive, with others falling in between)

Inner and outer conflicts make success difficult, but can manifest as strength or weakness.

One of those 50/50 marks that most people don't know what to make of (hence the whole distrust thing)

[Kentt]

I like it!  I realized with as much as I am heavily into the Minmatar culture and mindset, I have not really though of putting a real name to my voluval. 

Kentt Em'asep's tribe is of Vherokior blood.  A single black line down each side of the face.  Beginning at the forehead, passing through the eyes, and ending at the cheeks.  This is called the Mirror.  He who imitates (mirrors) others.  It can be anything from becoming a quick learner, to one who can pick up bad habits from others.  It can be both good and bad.

[Teinyhr]

I like it!  I realized with as much as I am heavily into the Minmatar culture and mindset, I have not really though of putting a real name to my voluval. 

Kentt Em'asep's tribe is of Vherokior blood.  A single black line down each side of the face.  Beginning at the forehead, passing through the eyes, and ending at the cheeks.  This is called the Mirror.  He who imitates (mirrors) others.  It can be anything from becoming a quick learner, to one who can pick up bad habits from others.  It can be both good and bad.

I like this! Very good.

[Teinyhr]

Censer

Visual Description: Open semicircle with vertical lines of varying width, height and number inside it

Associated attributes: Leader, Spiritual, Pure of heart/mind/intent

Prevalence: All Tribes

This mark is associated with purity and cleansing. Many with the mark go on to become shamans in their clans and Tribes, but military branches, law enforcement and similar professions are surprisingly often the destination of individuals with this mark as well.


Leaves

Visual Description: Two simplistic leaves with a stem, in various positions - opposite of each other, intertwined, partially obscured by each other, etc.

Associated attributes: Health, Vitality, Caretaking, Intelligence

Prevalence: All Tribes

Possibly one of the oldest Voluvals known, the "leaves" have always been associated with medicine and an intelligent, inquisitive mind. It should be no surprise then, that the mark is very often visible on doctors, nurses, or people working in various scientific fields. The mark is slightly less famous for its association with its perceived connection to physical characteristics of the manifestee - many athletes will often carry this mark.

[Saede Riordan]

Climbing Thorns

Visual description: pale scar-like white vines with spikes coming off of them, can appear in a variety of locations on the body spreading out from one location and can be more or less extensive.

Associated Attributes: Willpower, strength, intelligence, cunning, but also naivety, shortsightedness, and emotional volatility

Prevalence:  most common among the Brutor, Thukker, and Vherokior but can appear in any tribe.

This mark indicates a strong will and strength through adversity, however it has a double meaning of someone who can be led astray by emotions, rhetoric, or clever speech. When the center of the vines is located at or near the heart, it is a sign of someone who thinks with their heart more than their head, when the center of the vines is located on someone's face, especially around the eyes, it indicates someone easily blinded and misled. This mark is considered a mixed blessing, a boon, and a curse at the same time.