New CBB

I've been doing a bit of work to revise my two main concultures the Amjati and the Inyauk. Please ask me questions about either or both of them.

Amjati Overview:
They are ruled by a king who is believed to be of divine descent. The god he is descended from is thought to have transformed into a human to unite and bring order to the chaos before. Unfortunately, the god was stuck in human form and died as a mortal.

They have a caste system with strict rules as to how a caste is assigned to a certain person. This system also includes a caste of slaves who make up around 5-10% of the population.

Inyauk Overview:
The government is a sort of oligarchy chosen from the elite within the City of the Gods. They have a mandatory military service/training program for all citizens.

The Inyauk religion focuses on four main gods and the relationships between them. There is also a commonly help belief in shadow spirits that interact with humans (for better or worse).

_________________
Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.

The two things that I have always found to be the most defining of any culture is their cuisine and their treatment of the dead, so;

What type of food do your conpeople eat? Are there and differences among the various groups based on region, status or edibility (some things poisonous and others not to certain groups)?

What is the average age of death? What rituals go along with death? What are the theological implications of death in this conculture?

Amjati-What is their religion like besides the divine king? What do they think of the outsiders who are not Inyauk?

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"Wait for the starvation of glaciers, chicken hamburger Noel Weber Arthur."

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I'm answering both question in regards to the Inyauk as I have more developed for them. (I might add Amjati answers later if I'm not lazy.)

Food depends very much on the region. All regions rely on farming of crops such as corn and tomatoes. The main differences appear in regard to meat. Inland regions raise sheep (deliciousness and wool) and hunt wild deer. The one thing they will not eat is fish though as it is considered to be poisonous. Because fish live in the ocean, which is the realm of one of the gods of destruction, it is believed they bring death.

However in the costal region of Urukar they see this differently. Because fish can live in the ocean they must be immune to death. Therefore if one eats fish they can gain some of this immunity and prolong life. This difference is probably do to traditional diets with religious reasoning used to support the continuation of them.



The average Inyauk lives for 40-50 years with 60 being an extremely old age. Death rituals also vary by region as they are often traditions from when the Inyauk were divided tribes.

In the Pinyar region, bodies are usually carried into a small sacred area of a nearby forest at night and buried next to a tree. The name of deceased is painted onto the tree. When the paint has worn away then the mourning period is considered to be over. It is also important that this happens at night as the moon is the other god of destruction.

In the northern region of Atsar where there aren't many trees, bodies are buried in shallow graves. On top of which blankets are placed and held down my large stones (and/or burying the corners). In the case of the death of a spouse, the survivor will typically get a tattoo of a black line down the inside of both forearms. Tattoos are becoming more common across all regions and for the death of any family member.

Along the coast bodies are wrapped in a large sheet. Stones are placed inside the sheet down by the feet and a black stripe is pained from the head to the toes. The body is the carried out to the water and dropped.

Death is thought to be a final thing. They have no concept of an after life. It is believed however that shadow spirits 'hiusa' can steal a dead persons face. This means that the spirit can walk around assuming their appearance. A spirit can also grab a certain facet of their character such as their laughter, anger, or sadness but they can never fully recreate a personality.

_________________
Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.

You're never lazy.

Speaking of which... do the Inyauk (or the Amjati) consider it a bad thing to work a lot? (if someone works themself to death, is that seen as virtuous?)



If a traveler described a desert to the Inyauk, would they consider it a paradise, given the lack of water? Or is it the ocean specifically which is the realm to avoid, and large lakes and-or rivers are okay?




If a non-Inyauk say they have seen a 'hiusa' (or they give a description of what an Inyauk knows is an 'hiusa'), does that make the person more or less likely to be killed by Inyauk?

How is this paint made? Is it used for any other purposes or is it considered sacred and reserved for this ritual alone? Are various colors used to denote status, gender or any other characteristics of the individual?

Oh how little you know me.



I don't know if I would call working virtuous for the Inyauk but it certainly isn't considered shameful. Their society is mostly agrarian with physical labor a necessity.

Working oneself to death would just be considered foolish though.

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As for the Amjati, a person's view on work depends on their place in society. Physical work would be considered shameful for an Eljek (noble) or Vrem (royalty). That sort of work is restricted to Ozjumi (slaves) and Aleni (servants/artists). Ozjumi and Aleni make up around 80-90% of the population. Korsal (merchants/traders) take the more skilled labor jobs as well as trading and selling of goods.

The Eljeki do have a responsibility to the king to provide services for the kingdom. This can range from anything from monetary tribute to the production of cloth, food, jewelry, medicine or volunteers for the national army. Or really anything the king asks for. If an Eljek fails to provide something of use they could be jailed or lose their status.

Working oneself to death would also be considered foolish tot he Amjati. Even working a slave to death, while not illegal, would be considered a waste.



They don't fear the water just as they don't fear the night or the moon. The gods of destruction are worshipped equally with the gods of creation. Coastal Inyauk have many fishing vessels and boats are used for shipping along the central river.

Utsim the ocean god is believed to live in the ocean and so you cannot drink the water there. But he is believed to have control over all water sources. Part of Utsim's destructive force is what happens when drinkable water is not available.



One hisa, two hinisa, three hiusa.

Hiusa are believed to interact with people on a regular basis so it would not be surprising. It is one of the reasons why the Inyauk are so distrustful of strangers. It can be difficult to detect a hisa without knowing the person whose face they stole. (It's called 'face stealing' because if someone were to uncover the body they would find the victims face torn off.)

I'm not sure if it would make them more or less likely to be killed. Generally, if a person is considered suspicious enough they are killed before getting a chance to speak.

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I'm working on answering the other questions. I don't intend to skip anyone.

_________________
Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.

I haven't done much to solidify the Amjati religion but this is what I have so far.

The king god, Ivrek, is the creator of the world, and possibly some others, when he saw his work being ruined by the people he transformed himself in order to enter the world and fix the chaos. While the Ivrek was in the world his children took notice and trapped him there. (They are the sky and the clouds and the stars. Always hovering above to make sure he does not escape.) So Ivrek remained as human for several hundred years until he died. Amjati religion focuses around maintaining the king (and his family) as the directly carry line of Ivrek. Should this line disappear his children will be able to enter the world and return it to chaos.

There are also secondary practices that focus on minor gods within the world. Some of Ivrek's other creations (kinda like pets) were trapped with him. As such there are sacred animals, such as the mammoth, sacred plants and sacred gems. Each family will generally choose a secondary god to worship depending on the traits they like best. Worship includes small in home shrines as well as the creation of talismans.

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The Amjati have good trade relations with the mountain people but that is the main extent of it. The mountain people are not populous enough to be considered a valuable ally or dangerous threat. Most Amjati do not have the resources to travel and do not interact with them.


Paints are generally made from a mixture of oil or egg yolk with certain pigments. These pigments can come from clay, bugs, flowers or ash.

This specific red is made with oil and bugs. There is no change in color depending on status, gender or other feature. The Inyauk generally do not make distinctions based on status or achievements as it is considered to be very prideful to expect such a thing.

_________________
Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.

I see, is this paint used only for burial rituals or is the red restricted to burials and other colors used for other rituals?

The paint is not used in any other rituals nor is red a restricted color. Paint is used for decoration of a variety of objects (knives, houses, jewelry, etc.) and writing. For writing the paint is thinned out to make a more ink-like flow. Red is the second most used color after black in writing.

_________________
Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.

What other significant aspects of the death rituals are there?

That's all I've got right now.

_________________
Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.

OK, cool.

What about warfare? It seems to me that warfare (apart from natural phenomena) is the most transformative aspect of any culture. Do the Amjati or the Inyauk have standing armies? How do they handle large scale conflicts?

my statement is made, based upon all available evidence.



thank you.



sort of a "you were that close to a hisa, and you expect me to believe you simply got away? DIE!" ?

on the other hand, do the Inyauk have any idea what would happen when all the hiusa are gone?

Not at all. If a person was found the decision whether or not to kill them would likely come before they had time to explain anything.

Nor is interaction with a hisa a negative thing. Hisa are common and often seek people out. They are just as likely to help a person as they are trick them. So you have to be be careful when dealing with hiusa.

The hiusa gone? Hiusa don't die so I doubt the Inyauk have any idea what a world without them would be like. If a hisa is in disguise as a person and 'killed' it doesn't stop existing it just reverts back to it's shadow form.

The Inyauk have other more serious reasons than hiusa as to why distrust outsiders. The first of these is people who can in a way take a living persons soul and make that person their slave. The second is a legend about the goddess of destruction, Latxal, descending during a new moon and walking among different villages. The only problem with this is that she destroys everything and leaves the village a ghost town.

_________________
Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.

so if Inyauk had a "be sure to count your fingers after you talk to them" phrase, it would have to do with the hiusa, then?



hm. that's ominous. so...is there any way to repell any hisa who may be nearby/approaching?
"KEEP OUT OF OUR TOWN!"



So the Inyauk policy tends to be more along the lines of preemptive medicine. :)

are there areas where belief in Latxal isn't as strong as most places' belief in her?

Did you mention the name of this world in the tongue of the Amjati and/or Inyauk?
Does this world habe any moons? If so, how many?

If someone had to travel very far in a short amount of time (not on foot), how could they do it on this world?
By boat, on mammoth or how else?

You mentioned that they use eggs to make paint. Eggs of what?


You mentioned that one of the deities of destruction, Utsim, resides in the ocean. Where does this goddess of destruction reside? In a volcano, a desert, deep woods, jungles? In other words, is she identified with a particular place like Utsim?

Do you have monkeys on this world? If not, is it because they never evolved, or because they went extinct?


Besides Ivrek's sacred mammoths, name two other sacred animals, and to whom they are sacred.

Oh yes, about the food. What are three other foods (grains, fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts, game) that these folks eat?

Since they grow corn and tomatoes, do they concoct dishes similar to the gustatory pleasures of corn bread, tomato pie, tomato omelet, quiche, corn tortillas, piki bread (google it!), chicha (google, too), or way out, other
fare that's still yummy?

Both the Amjati and the Inyauk have standing armies. Well kinda…

The Amjati army itself is fairly small. it can be supplement by two other forces. The first is the personal guard to the king which is small. While their original task is to protect the king and his family, they also now serve the king in any tasks which require more muscle. The second is from the police force. The police have high numbers in cities (I'd guess about 3x the number of the army) and are spread through the kingdom. Because the use similar weapons and go through similar training they are easily used as an auxilary force should it be needed.

Amjati are somewhat low tech. They mostly use swords, spears and arrows. They do have metalergy skills to produce some alloys and make better weapons and armor. (I don't know or care what alloys though.)

The Inyauk have a smaller over all population but probably have an equal or larger armed force. It is Inyauk tradition for all kids from the age of 15-20 to go into mandatory military training and service. An Inyauk cannot gain full adulthood/citizenship without completing this. So in effect all citizens can fight if needed. However, the standing army will generally consist of a small group permanent soldiers along with patrolling groups usually made up of older trainees. Professional soldiers are generally chosen through the academy system in the City of the Gods.

The Inyauk have a similar knowledge of metals to the Amjati and are also capable of producing improved swords, spears and arrows as well.

I'm not sure how either would react to a large scale conflict as they have both lived in relative isolation. The Amjati force is geared more towards preventing civil unrest rather than conflict with other nations. However, the idea of conflict with the Inyauk seems to be growing as the Amjati expand southward. The last major conflict the Inyauk was a civil war about 80 years ago.


I'm not familiar with any such quote or idiom to compare to.


Nope. But why would you need to? They're not particularly malicious mostly just mischievous.

_________________
Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.

I suppose so.


I don't think so. There are four gods which are summarized by this nice little table:



The gods are pretty much considered equal in power. Some people may give more respect to the sun and the moon but not much. It is important to know that the gods do not act out of kindness or anger or whatever but because it's simply what they do.


Nope. In Inyauk, the name for all known places (and what would normally translate for world in English) is 'siaah' ['siʔaːx]. In Amjati is 'nevesk' /nevesk/.


There is only one moon. For my ease it's basically just earth conditions but with different land masses.


Mammoths do not exist. They are just a legend, like a pegasus.

Boats would be the quickest way I suppose. So long as you want to go somewhere near a waterway. If not, then you're just stuck walking. There's no horses, or equivalent type animal, for people to ride or use to pull wagons. (Unless you want a sheep-powered cart. Lol.) Of course, an important enough Amjati could get people to pull/carry them.


Birds. I'm not sure if they would all be wild or if some would be raised.


Here's this nifty table summarizing the gods.



The gods are imagined both as being the object as well as personified as living there.


I don't know. I guess there could be monkeys somewhere on the world but they don't exist in the area where the Inyauk and Amjati are.


Nope. I haven't gone that far yet.


You are right about the corn and tomatoes. Sheep are raised and deer are hunted. But beyond that I don't have much else. To be honest, it's not a very important aspect to me. I doubt I'll do more development in this area, sorry.

_________________
Ikasmu ati'uki nai uraiur.
Hinai nimuśim naimi nai sasamiur urukani. Śi'ama nai huhumiur na ni'amuśim nai sasamiur.
Pumaki nimuśim śima'a na ami nimuśim ara'a. Hini nihrasum i'aku tumra urukani na nihrasum sanik hraspir.