Post by Horsie on Jan 2, 2015 23:17:40 GMT
The Ano-Chee
The Ano-Chee physically resemble foxes and have a culture similar to that of pre-colonial native American tribes. Their magical elements are Life and Nature.
To most people in Vellastrom, the Ano-Chee are shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of ferocious barbarians hiding in the woods and on the open plains on the eastern coast.
Tales tell of dark rituals, ritualised cannibalism and hateful, savage warriors.
This image of fierce savages is ironic as the Ano-Chee generally view most outsiders as being brutish, savage, filthy and ignorant.
The Ano-Chee society is made up of numerous tribes that form a confederacy of largely independent nations.
Ano-Chee leaders are called chiefs, but they are quite unlike the formally appointed or hereditary leaders of many nations.
When a community has a gathering they will select from their number an individual to lead them who is approved of by the majority and he or she will then become chief. Chiefs remain in their position for as long as the majority continues to support this or until they decide to step down.
This style of leadership can seem informal, but once given their position, a chief holds a great deal of power and authority and other Ano-Chee will be expected to obey their directions as leaders of other nations are expected to be obeyed.
Chiefs are often selected to deal with a specific problem or situation, such as to fight a war or organise a particular hunt, with the position relinquished once that situation is resolved . Others are appointed into longer roles of leadership. Chiefs are appointed by each community independently, with more powerful chiefs are appointed at the tribal level. These chiefs will meet at gatherings between tribes to discuss issues of importance.
In addition to the chiefs, the Ano-Chee have a powerful religious caste of shamans. They do not hold an official leadership position and cannot be appointed as chiefs as this would compromise their spiritual role with political concerns. Shamans are deeply respected though, so chiefs will often look to them for guidance and counselling. If a chief was condemned by a shaman for his behaviour, it could quickly turn the population against him and cause him to lose his position.
This type of ad-hoc leadership suits the Ano-Chee due to the lack of industry and infrastructure in their culture, meaning they do not require a complex bureaucracy to support it.
the Shamans wield powerful magic, in their case focused largely on healing, control over plants and animals and spells and rituals to enhance the powers of the Ano-Chee warriors. They serve as priests, advisers, midwives and doctors.
The Shamans most remarkable power is the ability to raise the dead, a power unique in all of Harkovast, unknown even to the Wizards of Eldex.
Powerful Shamanâ€(tm)s commune with the ancestor spirits, learning to understand the ebbs and flows of the spirit world as it touches on Harkovast. When the time is right, it may become possible to resurrect certain individuals. The Shamanâ€(tm)s do not control this interaction with the spirit realm, they simply interpret it. They cannot decide or influence which people may or may not be resurrected, they can simply search and sudden for opportunities that arise. A more skilled Shaman may be more effective at identifying souls that can be returned, but if a soul cannot be brought back, then it simply cannot. The Shaman cannot change this anymore then he can stop the sun from rising in the morning. When an individual is identified who can be brought back to life, complex rituals are performed that eventually return the individual to life. In some cases, when the person is recently dead, they may be returned in their original body, though in other examples more difficult rituals may be needed that create and entire new body for the person. Individuals return complete and unharmed, remembering their death but with no memory of what, if anything, they may have experienced beyond death. They may also reappear physically younger or older then they were at the time of death.
Opportunities to raise people are relatively rare, with only about a dozen a year being returned amongst all the Ano-Chee.
The Ano-Chee believe that long ago their species existed as spiritual beings, inhabiting an unseen world known as the Joyous Land outside the physical one, able to observe but limited in their ability to directly influence it. These spiritual beings, the First Ancestors, decided to grant their children physical bodies, so they could go out into Harkovast. Here they would be known as the Ano-Chee and would gain wisdom and knowledge that they would bring back to the Joyous Land when their physical bodies died, and would then give guidance to their living descendants as their Ancestors had given it to them.
The Ano-Chee generally portray these Ancestor gods as being strange and inscrutable, as it is not for the living to question or even understand their decisions. In the same way, the Ano-Chee do not claim to know exactly what the afterlife entails and consider that the nature of the Joyous Land as something mortals are simply not entitled to know.
Attempting to divine the will of the Ancestors is the designated job of the Shamans. They do this through deep meditation in sweat lodges and ingesting powerful potions or smoked substances that they believe can open their minds to the spirit realm. Shamans act as advisors and perform magical and religious ceremonies. They also record tribal history, provide healing, deliver babies, and numerous other important functions.
Since Ano-Chee require some physical remains for their resurrection magic, storing their dead is very important. When ever possible, the dead have their flesh removed and their bones broken up and placed in clay pots. These are then stored at sacred caves and lodges throughout their territory, where people can pay their respects or shamans can find the dead to bring them back to life.
There is a unique type of religious figure, exclusive to the Near Mountain Tribe, called the Contrary.
These odd warriors are part of a strange cult who deliberately behave in reverse of normal customs and expectations. They greet people by saying goodbye, say they are full when they are hungry and tell people to stay when they wish them to go.
They live apart from the tribe as hermits, acting as clowns and fools during gatherings and celebrations.
The Contrary's role is supposed to hold up a mirror to the tribe's preconceptions, acting as a sort of devil's advocate in all things. Though they provide a humorous role, it is also a very sacred spiritual one that other Ano-Chee (including those of the other tribes) treat with reverence.
Shamans and chiefs will sometimes seek them out too, as a Contrary will present a deliberately opposite point of view to what seems sensible, thus causing their visitor to be exposed to the alternative and question their own assumptions.
What's more, a Contrary spends a great deal of time on focusing their body, mind and magic to perfect their martial prowess. They are fearsome, yet bizarre opponents, charging forwards screaming that they surrender and calling for a retreat, sometimes even riding their suss bird backwards into battle.
Ano-Chee have a strong understanding of the natural world, allowing them to handle animals very effectively as well as survive in the wilds with relative ease.
Ano-Chee can quickly recognise every edible plant or beast around them, which leads many people to the misconception that Ano-Chee just carelessly eat anything and everything. In fact the Ano-Chee, while highly omnivorous, are very careful about what they eat, they simply have the ability to identify food from amongst wild plants and animals. It is quite normal for an Ano-Chee to just pluck up plants and mushrooms and start eating as they walk. Ano-Chee like their food plain and simple; elaborate spices and rich sauces are disgusting to their pallets. A raw vegetable would be far more appealing!
The Ano-Chee are meticulously clean, washing themselves frequently. They consider the cities of other races to be filthy, squalid places, over run with disease and struggle to understand why anyone would want to live like that. To the Ano-Chee, surviving in the forests or on the plains comes so naturally that it is difficult for them to comprehend someone not being able to do this.
It should be noted that the Ano-Chee do NOT engage in cannibalism in any form.
One of the most important aspects of Ano-Chee society is the concept of marriage. Ano-Chee form powerful life bonds with a single partner during their lives. This will be the person they marry and the only person to whom they will be sexually attracted to. To the Ano-Chee, the idea of sex with someone you are not ‘life bondedâ€(tm) to is a disgusting sexual perversion (on par with beastiality or some other unacceptable deviancy.)
These life bondings are considered to be one of the greatest gifts the ancestors bestow on them, allowing them to experience a love and devotion that makes the fickle romances of other cultures seem shallow and vulgar.
Ano-Chee weddings are huge occasions of celebration, where whole tribes will turn out to cheer for such a joyous event.
Ano-Chee are incredibly devoted to their spouses, with their happiness deeply tied to the happiness of the one they love.
The down side to this is that should the spouse die, the surviving partner will be truly devastated. Suicide amongst surviving spouses is not uncommon, and at the very least the one who survives will never entirely be the person they were before, eternally pining for their lost love.
If the Shamans are able to raise someone's spouse, this is considered a truly great blessing, and a sign of the ancestors continued love for the Ano-Chee race that they along have this hope of a second chance.
Because they are so capable of surviving in the wild, Ano-Chee have never had a great need to advance technologically, so their society is relatively backward in this regard.
They make use of some metal tools, but often use wood, bone or flint as cheaper alternatives.
Some tribes live in permanent wooden or occasionally stone structures known as Wigwams, while other more nomadic tribes (typically those living on the plains rather then in the forests) make use of easily dismantled animal skin tents known as Teepees (those the settled tribes also make use of these for their armies or when they need to travel).
Ano-Chee are casual about nudity and when the weather is hot, wearing just trunks or a loin cloth (with a bra top for women) is considered perfectly acceptable.
Hunting is also very important, with skills at shooting animals or catching fish being highly prized and admired. Ano-Chee shamans are capable of using their magic to lure animals to be killed easily but this is considered a rather crass thing to do and would only be used in times of desperation. Hunting also provides a great opportunity to hone skills that are essential in times of war.
Another way that warriors practice their skills is in ritualised combat between tribes. This is done both as traditional events or to settle disputes and disagreements between them. The skirmishes are generally conducted between small groups of warriors, at most twenty a side.
The combats are often very strange-seeming to outsiders, involving odd objectives or restrictions placed on combatants.
The battles are usually not intended to be to the death, but until some particular feat of daring or skill is accomplished by one side. This might be to pull weapons from the hands of enemies, to dismount them from their suss birds, or to mark them with a painted hand print.
People will often gather to watch these events, but they should not be mistaken for just a sporting contest. To the Ano-Chee these mock battles are a very serious business, with the losing tribe often making concessions to the winner, or having to acknowledge the victors as right in the particular battle disagreement.
Warriors taking part see these battles as a good opportunity to gain prestige and prove themselves in times of peace. They enter into them with as much dedication as they would a real one, and it is quite possible to be badly injured taking part. Deaths are rare, but not entirely unknown.
The Ano-Chee consider fighting or brawling outside of ritual combat or actual war to be highly offensive. A warrior who conducted himself in this manner would find himself looked on with scorn by the rest of his tribe.
Ano-Chee engage in large tribal celebrations throughout the year. These can be for scheduled holy days (the most important of which is Cheyoma, when the spirit world is said to be closest to the world of the living), celebrating a great victory in battle, or celebrating a wedding.
Ano-Chee parties involve wild dancing and music that can go on all night. During such a celebration the Ano-Chee smoke or drink various psychoactive substances brewed up by their shamans which further enhance their euphoria. For more relaxed entertainment, Ano-Chee enjoy story telling (often done by the shamans), with their tales being love stories--often complex tragedies of unrequited lovers.
Ano-Chee armies are made up of lightly equipped and mobile warriors known as braves. These fighters generally make us of only light armour made of bone or wood, or in most cases no armour at all. Their primary weapons are short bows. These have relatively limited range but are ideal for close range ambushes where skilled Ano-Chee can pick out weak points in enemy armour with precise shots or fire rapid volleys on more lightly armoured enemies. In close combat they make use of iron axes, spears, and long knives.
Ano-Chee warriors often undertake magical rituals before battle to enhance their speed, strength and prowess, in some cases granting them remarkable physical abilities.
Their most fearsome magical skill is the ability to camouflage themselves amongst the wilds, changing the colour of their fur to blend in perfectly with their surroundings.
Enemies of the Ano-Chee that enter their territory are liable to come under sudden attack from all sides by hundreds of unseen warriors who seem to appear from no where and disappear just as quickly.
Ano-Chee also make use of cavalry riding Suss birds. They generally perform as mobile missile troops, firing their bows from Suss back, though they also have long spears to use in hand to hand. These light cavalry are no match for a heavy Darsai knight or Tsung-Dao Samurai in hand to hand combat, but are fast and agile, striking and then fleeing. They are ideal for harassing enemies or running down archers or fleeing enemies.
Ano-Chee warriors are brave and skilled, but they lack the regimental organisation or heavy armour and equipment needed for open conflict. In a pitched battle they would not be a match for more modern armies like the Darsai or Ivos, so generally concern themselves with defending their own territory rather then taking war to anywhere else.
The Ano-Chee are not actively hostile to foreigners, but treat them with a certain suspicion. They commonly refer to other races as "Ghost Hands" since Ano-Chee have black fur on their hands and the great majority of foreigners do not.
The Ano-Chee, more so then perhaps any other race, are close allies of Eldex, assisting the wizards when ever possible, recognising that they hold the key to defeating the forces of the West. The Ano-Chee, unlike many races, are all too aware of the danger the West poses. Unfortunately, lacking an army that project power abroad, their ability to hold back the forces of the Enemy alone is very limited.
In Ano-Chee society the genders are very equal, with all jobs open to both sexes, including braves, chiefs and shamans.
Ano-Chee are entirely comfortable with homosexuality, as long as you only engage in it with someone you are life bonded too!
The Ano-Chee physically resemble foxes and have a culture similar to that of pre-colonial native American tribes. Their magical elements are Life and Nature.
To most people in Vellastrom, the Ano-Chee are shrouded in mystery. Legends tell of ferocious barbarians hiding in the woods and on the open plains on the eastern coast.
Tales tell of dark rituals, ritualised cannibalism and hateful, savage warriors.
This image of fierce savages is ironic as the Ano-Chee generally view most outsiders as being brutish, savage, filthy and ignorant.
The Ano-Chee society is made up of numerous tribes that form a confederacy of largely independent nations.
Ano-Chee leaders are called chiefs, but they are quite unlike the formally appointed or hereditary leaders of many nations.
When a community has a gathering they will select from their number an individual to lead them who is approved of by the majority and he or she will then become chief. Chiefs remain in their position for as long as the majority continues to support this or until they decide to step down.
This style of leadership can seem informal, but once given their position, a chief holds a great deal of power and authority and other Ano-Chee will be expected to obey their directions as leaders of other nations are expected to be obeyed.
Chiefs are often selected to deal with a specific problem or situation, such as to fight a war or organise a particular hunt, with the position relinquished once that situation is resolved . Others are appointed into longer roles of leadership. Chiefs are appointed by each community independently, with more powerful chiefs are appointed at the tribal level. These chiefs will meet at gatherings between tribes to discuss issues of importance.
In addition to the chiefs, the Ano-Chee have a powerful religious caste of shamans. They do not hold an official leadership position and cannot be appointed as chiefs as this would compromise their spiritual role with political concerns. Shamans are deeply respected though, so chiefs will often look to them for guidance and counselling. If a chief was condemned by a shaman for his behaviour, it could quickly turn the population against him and cause him to lose his position.
This type of ad-hoc leadership suits the Ano-Chee due to the lack of industry and infrastructure in their culture, meaning they do not require a complex bureaucracy to support it.
the Shamans wield powerful magic, in their case focused largely on healing, control over plants and animals and spells and rituals to enhance the powers of the Ano-Chee warriors. They serve as priests, advisers, midwives and doctors.
The Shamans most remarkable power is the ability to raise the dead, a power unique in all of Harkovast, unknown even to the Wizards of Eldex.
Powerful Shamanâ€(tm)s commune with the ancestor spirits, learning to understand the ebbs and flows of the spirit world as it touches on Harkovast. When the time is right, it may become possible to resurrect certain individuals. The Shamanâ€(tm)s do not control this interaction with the spirit realm, they simply interpret it. They cannot decide or influence which people may or may not be resurrected, they can simply search and sudden for opportunities that arise. A more skilled Shaman may be more effective at identifying souls that can be returned, but if a soul cannot be brought back, then it simply cannot. The Shaman cannot change this anymore then he can stop the sun from rising in the morning. When an individual is identified who can be brought back to life, complex rituals are performed that eventually return the individual to life. In some cases, when the person is recently dead, they may be returned in their original body, though in other examples more difficult rituals may be needed that create and entire new body for the person. Individuals return complete and unharmed, remembering their death but with no memory of what, if anything, they may have experienced beyond death. They may also reappear physically younger or older then they were at the time of death.
Opportunities to raise people are relatively rare, with only about a dozen a year being returned amongst all the Ano-Chee.
The Ano-Chee believe that long ago their species existed as spiritual beings, inhabiting an unseen world known as the Joyous Land outside the physical one, able to observe but limited in their ability to directly influence it. These spiritual beings, the First Ancestors, decided to grant their children physical bodies, so they could go out into Harkovast. Here they would be known as the Ano-Chee and would gain wisdom and knowledge that they would bring back to the Joyous Land when their physical bodies died, and would then give guidance to their living descendants as their Ancestors had given it to them.
The Ano-Chee generally portray these Ancestor gods as being strange and inscrutable, as it is not for the living to question or even understand their decisions. In the same way, the Ano-Chee do not claim to know exactly what the afterlife entails and consider that the nature of the Joyous Land as something mortals are simply not entitled to know.
Attempting to divine the will of the Ancestors is the designated job of the Shamans. They do this through deep meditation in sweat lodges and ingesting powerful potions or smoked substances that they believe can open their minds to the spirit realm. Shamans act as advisors and perform magical and religious ceremonies. They also record tribal history, provide healing, deliver babies, and numerous other important functions.
Since Ano-Chee require some physical remains for their resurrection magic, storing their dead is very important. When ever possible, the dead have their flesh removed and their bones broken up and placed in clay pots. These are then stored at sacred caves and lodges throughout their territory, where people can pay their respects or shamans can find the dead to bring them back to life.
There is a unique type of religious figure, exclusive to the Near Mountain Tribe, called the Contrary.
These odd warriors are part of a strange cult who deliberately behave in reverse of normal customs and expectations. They greet people by saying goodbye, say they are full when they are hungry and tell people to stay when they wish them to go.
They live apart from the tribe as hermits, acting as clowns and fools during gatherings and celebrations.
The Contrary's role is supposed to hold up a mirror to the tribe's preconceptions, acting as a sort of devil's advocate in all things. Though they provide a humorous role, it is also a very sacred spiritual one that other Ano-Chee (including those of the other tribes) treat with reverence.
Shamans and chiefs will sometimes seek them out too, as a Contrary will present a deliberately opposite point of view to what seems sensible, thus causing their visitor to be exposed to the alternative and question their own assumptions.
What's more, a Contrary spends a great deal of time on focusing their body, mind and magic to perfect their martial prowess. They are fearsome, yet bizarre opponents, charging forwards screaming that they surrender and calling for a retreat, sometimes even riding their suss bird backwards into battle.
Ano-Chee have a strong understanding of the natural world, allowing them to handle animals very effectively as well as survive in the wilds with relative ease.
Ano-Chee can quickly recognise every edible plant or beast around them, which leads many people to the misconception that Ano-Chee just carelessly eat anything and everything. In fact the Ano-Chee, while highly omnivorous, are very careful about what they eat, they simply have the ability to identify food from amongst wild plants and animals. It is quite normal for an Ano-Chee to just pluck up plants and mushrooms and start eating as they walk. Ano-Chee like their food plain and simple; elaborate spices and rich sauces are disgusting to their pallets. A raw vegetable would be far more appealing!
The Ano-Chee are meticulously clean, washing themselves frequently. They consider the cities of other races to be filthy, squalid places, over run with disease and struggle to understand why anyone would want to live like that. To the Ano-Chee, surviving in the forests or on the plains comes so naturally that it is difficult for them to comprehend someone not being able to do this.
It should be noted that the Ano-Chee do NOT engage in cannibalism in any form.
One of the most important aspects of Ano-Chee society is the concept of marriage. Ano-Chee form powerful life bonds with a single partner during their lives. This will be the person they marry and the only person to whom they will be sexually attracted to. To the Ano-Chee, the idea of sex with someone you are not ‘life bondedâ€(tm) to is a disgusting sexual perversion (on par with beastiality or some other unacceptable deviancy.)
These life bondings are considered to be one of the greatest gifts the ancestors bestow on them, allowing them to experience a love and devotion that makes the fickle romances of other cultures seem shallow and vulgar.
Ano-Chee weddings are huge occasions of celebration, where whole tribes will turn out to cheer for such a joyous event.
Ano-Chee are incredibly devoted to their spouses, with their happiness deeply tied to the happiness of the one they love.
The down side to this is that should the spouse die, the surviving partner will be truly devastated. Suicide amongst surviving spouses is not uncommon, and at the very least the one who survives will never entirely be the person they were before, eternally pining for their lost love.
If the Shamans are able to raise someone's spouse, this is considered a truly great blessing, and a sign of the ancestors continued love for the Ano-Chee race that they along have this hope of a second chance.
Because they are so capable of surviving in the wild, Ano-Chee have never had a great need to advance technologically, so their society is relatively backward in this regard.
They make use of some metal tools, but often use wood, bone or flint as cheaper alternatives.
Some tribes live in permanent wooden or occasionally stone structures known as Wigwams, while other more nomadic tribes (typically those living on the plains rather then in the forests) make use of easily dismantled animal skin tents known as Teepees (those the settled tribes also make use of these for their armies or when they need to travel).
Ano-Chee are casual about nudity and when the weather is hot, wearing just trunks or a loin cloth (with a bra top for women) is considered perfectly acceptable.
Hunting is also very important, with skills at shooting animals or catching fish being highly prized and admired. Ano-Chee shamans are capable of using their magic to lure animals to be killed easily but this is considered a rather crass thing to do and would only be used in times of desperation. Hunting also provides a great opportunity to hone skills that are essential in times of war.
Another way that warriors practice their skills is in ritualised combat between tribes. This is done both as traditional events or to settle disputes and disagreements between them. The skirmishes are generally conducted between small groups of warriors, at most twenty a side.
The combats are often very strange-seeming to outsiders, involving odd objectives or restrictions placed on combatants.
The battles are usually not intended to be to the death, but until some particular feat of daring or skill is accomplished by one side. This might be to pull weapons from the hands of enemies, to dismount them from their suss birds, or to mark them with a painted hand print.
People will often gather to watch these events, but they should not be mistaken for just a sporting contest. To the Ano-Chee these mock battles are a very serious business, with the losing tribe often making concessions to the winner, or having to acknowledge the victors as right in the particular battle disagreement.
Warriors taking part see these battles as a good opportunity to gain prestige and prove themselves in times of peace. They enter into them with as much dedication as they would a real one, and it is quite possible to be badly injured taking part. Deaths are rare, but not entirely unknown.
The Ano-Chee consider fighting or brawling outside of ritual combat or actual war to be highly offensive. A warrior who conducted himself in this manner would find himself looked on with scorn by the rest of his tribe.
Ano-Chee engage in large tribal celebrations throughout the year. These can be for scheduled holy days (the most important of which is Cheyoma, when the spirit world is said to be closest to the world of the living), celebrating a great victory in battle, or celebrating a wedding.
Ano-Chee parties involve wild dancing and music that can go on all night. During such a celebration the Ano-Chee smoke or drink various psychoactive substances brewed up by their shamans which further enhance their euphoria. For more relaxed entertainment, Ano-Chee enjoy story telling (often done by the shamans), with their tales being love stories--often complex tragedies of unrequited lovers.
Ano-Chee armies are made up of lightly equipped and mobile warriors known as braves. These fighters generally make us of only light armour made of bone or wood, or in most cases no armour at all. Their primary weapons are short bows. These have relatively limited range but are ideal for close range ambushes where skilled Ano-Chee can pick out weak points in enemy armour with precise shots or fire rapid volleys on more lightly armoured enemies. In close combat they make use of iron axes, spears, and long knives.
Ano-Chee warriors often undertake magical rituals before battle to enhance their speed, strength and prowess, in some cases granting them remarkable physical abilities.
Their most fearsome magical skill is the ability to camouflage themselves amongst the wilds, changing the colour of their fur to blend in perfectly with their surroundings.
Enemies of the Ano-Chee that enter their territory are liable to come under sudden attack from all sides by hundreds of unseen warriors who seem to appear from no where and disappear just as quickly.
Ano-Chee also make use of cavalry riding Suss birds. They generally perform as mobile missile troops, firing their bows from Suss back, though they also have long spears to use in hand to hand. These light cavalry are no match for a heavy Darsai knight or Tsung-Dao Samurai in hand to hand combat, but are fast and agile, striking and then fleeing. They are ideal for harassing enemies or running down archers or fleeing enemies.
Ano-Chee warriors are brave and skilled, but they lack the regimental organisation or heavy armour and equipment needed for open conflict. In a pitched battle they would not be a match for more modern armies like the Darsai or Ivos, so generally concern themselves with defending their own territory rather then taking war to anywhere else.
The Ano-Chee are not actively hostile to foreigners, but treat them with a certain suspicion. They commonly refer to other races as "Ghost Hands" since Ano-Chee have black fur on their hands and the great majority of foreigners do not.
The Ano-Chee, more so then perhaps any other race, are close allies of Eldex, assisting the wizards when ever possible, recognising that they hold the key to defeating the forces of the West. The Ano-Chee, unlike many races, are all too aware of the danger the West poses. Unfortunately, lacking an army that project power abroad, their ability to hold back the forces of the Enemy alone is very limited.
In Ano-Chee society the genders are very equal, with all jobs open to both sexes, including braves, chiefs and shamans.
Ano-Chee are entirely comfortable with homosexuality, as long as you only engage in it with someone you are life bonded too!
