Arashanti
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Contents |
The Basics
Homeland: The jungles of North-eastern Stranglethorn Vale
Current Location: Dispersed
Lineage: Patriarchal society
Native Language: Arashanti
General Appearance: Most Arashanti are tan to a dark brown in color (the lighter skin is typically considered more appealing as it is not as common), with straight black hair and blue eyes though grey and green are not unheard of.
Everyday Life
In their native lands, up in the northwestern hills of Stranglethorn Vale, the Arashanti lived a life of farming supplemented with hunting and gathering. The women took care of the chores close to home (fetching water, household chores, etc) and tending the small farms (more like gardens just big enough to feed the small village). They originally started out as primarily hunters/gatherers but in recent years (before their scattering), had taken to agriculture as well. The men spent their days insuring tribal order (leading the tribe), hunting and gathering (fishing included). In their free time, the women practiced skills necessary for a good bride (cooking, sewing, growing plants, etc). The normal waking time is to be up with the sun and in your dwelling by sundown, unless you were a stationed hunter on watch or it was a special celebration with a bonfire. There is only one meal, around brunch, that is spent as a family, the rest of the time you eat in small portions throughout the day.
Politics
The Ohalan is the final decision maker in worldly issues, the Vishna (if male), are the final decision makers in spiritual matters and guidance (if female the job of spiritual guidance and spiritual decisions falls to the Ohalan who uses the female Vishna as inspiration). The Ohalan is selected by the Ohalan before him, if said Ohalan dies before making his decision, the job falls to his closest male kin. Most Ohalani (plural of Ohalan) choose their first born son or closest and oldest male kin (under 16 years) to train into leadership. The Ohalan is advised by the Asnami of the tribe, but he can choose to ignore their advice if he wishes. Women always defer to men, whether they are older or younger (a boy is considered a man at 14), the young always defer to their elders and everyone defers to the chief. However, when a woman obeys the order of a man, the order must not compromise her honor or she does not have to follow it, also, if the order is against what the woman knows is expected of her by a man older than the one giving orders, she is expected to report to her husband, father, or the chief. Most citizens are controlled by the concepts of istkashar (shame) and tavomansa (honor), one can lead to being outcast and/or shunned and the other can lead to great respect within the tribe.
Spirituality/Religion
Core Beliefs
Handrilo, or balance in all things. Though somewhere, in history, the balance between male and female was lost. Balance is perfection and tawosnivasho (nature) is held in high esteem. There is no such thing as good and evil for there to be a balance in, there is only handrilo and lisdnato (imbalanced; though those who are balanced would be considered "good" by outsiders and those who are imbalanced are more likely to commit "evil" deeds). There are 7 deities, six are equal and together they make up The Priva Mansa (Primal Spirit) that exists in everything, that is everything, sort of an ultimate being (the universe is seen more as one huge being and everything in it are its parts). The six lesser deities (The Han), which are old spirits and are neither male nor female but andrili or genderless spirits, each representing an aspect of nature and represented by a thin, six-pointed star (the top and bottom points are longer than the four diagonal points). Starting at the top (clockwise) is Tala (Light), followed by Vati (Fire), then Oswa (Earth), then Nilos (Dark) at the bottom, then Vani (Water), and finally Isha (Air). Mansa ("spirit" or "one") is the point where they all meet. This is their holy symbol. The Vishna are representatives of the elemental deities, gifted with magic from birth and able to channel at least one of the Han (six deities).
The Pantheon
Tala (Light)
Unlike traditional belief, the light is not a representative of good in the world, though it tends to embody innocence (not naivety, but worldly innocence). This is the domain of sight (of all kinds) and beginnings. Tala is the most child-like of the handarilo but wise in its freshness of perception. Tala never takes anything for granted, and is seen as responsible for discovery (personal and worldly; you need a light to see things and find them). A phrase like "By the light" would make an Arashanti think you just discovered or realized something. On the negative side, too much tala can lead to a condition called mastinal which basically means you see so much you become blind to many things, often important things (and can apply to many different types of situations, including literal blindness).
Vati (Fire)
Purification and release. Vati best represents freedom, passion, and adventure. This is the domain of intellectual freedoms and occasionally of eccentricities resulting from such freedom. Just like its physical form, Vati consumes all in sight, taking it into itself and releasing it, purifying dead things so that Tala can nurture them into new beginnings. On the negative side, Vati can of course be so consuming of everything around it, so caught up in experiencing everything that it becomes destructive, using everything it passes rather than being with it and then releasing it. Too much Vati can also lead to greed in many things and obsessive conditions. Varaswa is the term used to indicate the negative conditions of too much Vati.
Oswa (Earth)
Nurturing, growth, stability. Oswa best represents the sphere of growth in all things and stability, something you can stand on. In the negative, it can chain you to the ground, closing your mind and caging your spirit, burying you under the weight of so many things, usually starting with a feeling of obligation to everyone you care for that you take every little problem onto your shoulders until your back breaks and you are trapped beneathe it all. A person buried under too many problems can react in a variety of different ways, even in complete opposite to Oswa's good qualities, becoming selfish and shakey, resulting in a lack of growth. A person suffering the imbalance of too much Oswa is considered as having a condition called distaro.
Nilos (Dark)
Sleep, seriousness, concentration. Nilos is the realm of necessities, order, and serious reality. It also is the sphere of sleep (though not dreams) for obvious reasons. Nilos is always serious though it has a sense of humor, more of the ironic nature. Everything must be done in order and with total dedication, necessities must be taken care of and not much thought is put into frivolities. As a more serious handarilo, Nilos can be rather jaded on it's over-balanced side, leading to a lack of care for emotions, comfort, and even general well-being of others. Those who have conditions caused by too much Nilos are considered solinras.
Vani (Water)
Calm and thought. Vani holds the domain of thought and reflection. Normally calm in every situation, using wisdom to guide decisions. Vani also embodies memory, dreams, and self-perception, all action involved in reflections (dreams are seen as reflections of subconscious thought). When over-balanced, Vani has a tendency to cause indecisiveness, inaction and stagnation, getting too wrapped up in reflection and inner thought to take necessary actions and make choices. The negative side of this handarilo can be narcissistic, and/or a very cold, calm and calculating sort of cruelty. Those suffering such effects of an over-balance of Vani are called inowasat.
Isha (Sky)
Freedom and imagination. Swift in just about everything and free to blow through whatever it wants Isha is definitely the embodiment of freedom and creativity, the arts. Isha is generally carefree and optimistic as well as extremely curious. In the negative, called asiwan, Isha can be extremely flighty, undependable and so off into the clouds that they leave everyone else behind. Asiwan also refers to those afflicted by obvious mental illnesses of random violent, extremely wierd, or silly nature (the sort of mental problems that cause their victims to be extremely unpredictable and/or non-sensical). Isha afflicted by asiwan can also be so carefree as to be uncaring about anything at all.
The Vishna
The Vishna are special members of the tribe who have been chosen by one or more of the Han to wield their blessings and power in the form of magic. The Vishna are the spiritual figure-heads of the tribe. If the Vishna is male, then he can make any spiritual-based decisions or commands for any other member of the tribe. If the Vishna is female, she is consulted by the chief but for the most part, she is seen spiritual vessel, more of an inspirational symbol than a religious figurehead. Each Vishna bears a faso han, or gem of the han. These gems are set over the third eye, are of a pure gem of a specific element (or combination of elements in some cases), and are cut and prepared very specifically to bring focus and balance to the magical energies within. Each gem is also about the size of a pea.
The Faso han
In General: The faso han are gems placed over the third eye on the forhead to focus the magical energies within and to represent the station of the vishna. Each gem is quested after and sought for its purity as well as its type and color. A store of these gems is safeguarded by the eldest vishna. Every so often, when the store of gems is low, or is close to running out on a specific elemental focus, a vishna is chosen to quest after more gems to restock the collection. Each gem is also cut into the shape of a circle, to represent the cycle of all things and shaped to focus the energy within, outward (basic gem cut with small triangular facets leading to the raised, circular center in the middle' typical circular gem cut, with a small flat circular surface in the middle), which also results in the faso han sparkling like a piece of jewelry. Choosing a faso han: The faso han is chosen after the birth of the vishna to represent the element strongest within.
Birth
Binding
Training
Growing Up
Everyday Life
Duties
Rituals
Death
Celebrations & Ceremonies
Birth
Marriage
Death
Tavomansa (Honored)
Most who die are burned to ashes on a large pyre in an elaborate ceremony that also requires the burning of personal items that are representative of each handarilo. If the deceased was a married man, his wife is expected to have her hair shorn, and wear a binala, a specific robe of six colors, one for each handarilo and she is also expected to go through a month-long period of solitude after the funeral, in a hut on the outskirts of the village. If the widow has a young infant, the child is given to a wet nurse or, if no wet nurse is available, goes with the mother to the hut. The ashes are taken to the ocean and released into the wind. This ceremony is performed even for those who have brought forgivable istkashar to their family, for even those who have little tavomansa are burned to purify their soul for a better life next time around.
Istkashar (Shame)
Those who die with true Istkashar are extremely rare and normally bare the mark of istkashar prior to death (a mark burned into the flesh of the forhead, just above and between the eyebrows, by mysterious/magical means). Those who bare the mark of Istkashar have committed grievous acts that are considered unforgivable to the point that they were marked by the Han directly with the riwashka (mark of shame). Those who die with the riwashka burned over their third eye are buried naked and without ceremony, seven feet into the ground. This is believed to cage their spirit forever in that body, keeping their spirit from moving on. Basically, it is believed that a buried body cages the soul within, burying the body seven feet under (a foot for each aspect of nature, plus an extra for mansa), insures imprisonment for a very long time. Even upon decomposition, the soul is still not freed from the earth unless the Han will it so by moving the earth from over the burial location, and even so, once free the soul can do nothing but wander, unable to ever move on to the next life. Istkashar who die without the mark are always outcasts as well and their remains are not dealt with at all but left to fate.
Dress
Men
Men typically wear leathers and things suitable for hunting and traveling. Pants, boots, gloves, and a tunic of some sort. Most clothing worn by the men blends into the surrounding jungles, being dyed into various shades of green with some brown as well. Other than dresses/robes, men can wear pretty much anything they want. A man in a dress would be considered less than a woman in status and would typically be a shunned member of the society. As such, men who are shunned or shamed must wear female garb and are burned in it as well (though if they bear the riwashka they are buried naked as is custom).
Women
Dresses made of softer, mostly readily available materials. Despite the heat of the jungles, women are expected to cover as much flesh as possible and typically wear a lolanwos, or head covering made of a cloth that matches their clothing. Young, available females are permitted to go out with their head uncovered, but their hair must be braided. Young, available females also typically wear more colorful dresses. Betrothed women wear a black woolen dress and lolanwos (as they are about to enter a serious vow). Married women are expected to wear a lolanwos and typically wear plain dresses of a preferred colour (dependent on availability); a married woman wearing anything too eye-catching brings a taint of istkashar to her husband and family.
Taboos
--Homosexuality between men or women, this is seen as imbalanced to have a man-man relationship or woman-woman relationship.
--Incestual relationships (incest among the tribe is defined as having a romantic/sexual interest and/or relationship with your mother, father, siblings, or any relatives from your father's line. Since lineage is traced through the men, wives become part of their husband's family upon marriage, released from their own).
--Romantic/sexual interest and/or relationships with someone who is not your spouse (this extends after death so widows and widowers do not remarry).
--Women in positions of power (that includea giving orders and making important decisions).
--Pursuing magic when you were not "born with it" (ie using any type of magic at all when you are not a Vishna).
--Women wearing something that shows too much skin or too eye-catching in color and/or design if they are married.
--Men wearing dresses (robes).
--Harming a Vishna (directly or indirectly), no matter the gender.
--Suicide
--Arranging your own marriage or getting married without the blessing of your parents, the chief, and a vishna (if parents are deceased then this role of blessing falls to your eldest living male and female relative; if no older relatives remain then the blessing of the chief and a vishna will do).
--Romantic and/or sexual interaction before marriage.
History
Conception
Progression
Lost History
New History
Present Day
Members on Record
Living
Varsali: Current Ohalan living in Stormwind.
Naija: Elder woman, grandmother of the Vishna, Sharasvati, Shivani, and Shantala; living in Stormwind.
Sharasvati: Vishna of Fire (female); living in Stormwind.
Shivani: Vishna of Water (female); living in Stormwind.
Shantala: Vishna of Light (andril female in appearance); living from inn to inn.
Deceased
Ashuran: Ohalan in training; only son of Ohalan Varsali (istkasi).
Bir: Tribe Asnam, Grandfather of the current Vishna, husband to Naija.
Kaviraj: Father of the current Vishna, husband to Parvati, son of Naija and Bir.
Krisala: A gista, possibily just a legend to scare children into behaving (female; sidaro and istkasi)
Parvati: Mother of the current Vishna, wife to Kaviraj.
