[Awtothir] - Dawnmen
Starting Location: Upper Mespotamia, along the arc of the two rivers, and down into babylon.
Structure:
Like most of it’s neighbors, there is a very strong belief in gender roles, especially the lower in society one is, with the masculine world being outside the home and the feminine world being inside. However, a key difference from elsewhere is that education and all its trappings are seen as an activity of the home. As such, it is actually women who typically gain literacy, and the bureaucrats and functionaries of Awtothir states are overwhelmingly female.
All Awtothir are led by a balance of secular and spiritual power. Whether greater power in a Awtothir City or tribe resides in a King (Known as Krek) or a Magshekem depends entirely on the group, and likely shifts depending on the charisma and strength of the individual.
The Spiritual guardians of the Awtothir are the Sekem, who are drawn up from the ranks of the people of the city based on prophetic dreams they or an already ordained Shekem may have at any age between five and fifteen. Traditionally, shekem were trained in an apprenticeship system with an older shekem teaching a younger shekem everything they know (lore, history, medicine, etc), and, theoretically, passing along the relationships that he has with local spirits. This still tends to happen in smaller Sínja korù villages. However, the advent of larger cities has shifted the focus of shekem training from a one-on-one practice to a more academic institutionalized one, though students are still selected through the traditional methods. In cities, many female Shekem also serve as historians, bureaucrats, and record keepers. Often, in these cases, though Shekem may have Alliances with individual spirits, the city as a whole also has it’s own network of relationships, especially with the spirit of the city.
The Krek is a hereditary position, and is meant to lead the people in all manners secular. Some evidence suggests that this position was originally a “chief-diplomat,” in charge of interacting with other groups of people. However, be that as it may be, the Krek now is ostensibly the one in charge of the military, trade, and development. Beneath the Krek, and there to assist them, are the noble families.
Also powerful, though not nearly as much as the Nobility are the Brewers, who hold a special place in society, as they produce beer and wines (Fruit and honey.) These products are seen by the Awtothir as key to nearly all formal social interactions.
Subservient to them are craftsmen, farmers, and artisans, who generally live on the outskirts of cities and come in to sell their products.
Gender roles within Awtothir society are segregated at the lowest levels, and relatively open at within the spiritual ranks: as Sekems are discovered through spiritual means, there are as many men as women. However, the roles that these Sekems perform are divided along gender lines. Kreks are almost exclusively men.
Lineage: Lineage is traced matrilineally, and descent is traced from various “clans,” those who once led the exodus from the Mawr-Ansa
Values: Respect
Religion(s): The world the Awtothir inhabit is a living one. The world and the spirit world have existed forever in their current state. The material world is mundane and solid and what humans inhabit. The Spirit world is very different, though it is a reflection of the material one. Physical things, events, strong emotions, and metaphysical concepts spawn spirits, who inhabit the spirit world. Most of these spirits the boundaries of reality unassisted, unless they have help from a shaman. Great and powerful spirits can cross over without a problem, though very rarely do so. Instead, their effects tend to be felt even when they remain in the spirit world. Additionally, Shamans (Sekemns) can throw themselves over into the spirit world, at least mentally. Sekemns exist to build alliances and relationships with spirits, ensuring their people are safe.
The Awtothir believe themselves to be patronized as a people by a Great Spirit, or Great Ensha, known as Migwon. Migwon is a great hound, born of the friendship between Sínja korù and Dog. As such, the dog plays an important part in the symbolism of the Sínja korù, representing both Strength and Trust. Additionally, Theran and Jenashak, the Ensha of the great rivers, Shul, the Ensha of the sun, and Aymo, one of the greater embodiments of love, are are believed to be spirits friendly to humanity.
The Shape an Ensha may take is defined greatly by what kind of Ensha it is, though power is a limiting factor. A Very minor fire Ensha, for example, can only be a spark or small flame, while a Great Fire Ensha can appear as anything even vaguely connected to fire. The Truly Powerful Ensha have no restriction on shape.
The Awtothir believe that humans, otters, and dogs are the only creatures with souls. In death, their souls (and that of dogs and otters) makes a perilous journey through the spirit world, the path of which is seen as a great river flowing northwards, until finally arriving and joining with the “Mawr Ansa,” the Sea of Souls, an ocean comprised of the souls of the unborn, where they are washed of their sins and memories, and sent back into life as a newborn child or puppy. The Soul, when it enters the Mawr Ansa is burdened by the weight of the sins committed in life, which drags souls of sinners deeper into the depths of sea, thus taking longer to return to the surface to be reborn. All agree, however, that for a soul to make the journey from death to the Mawr Ansa alone is to court complete destruction. As such, Sekemns are meant to petition friendly minor Ensha to protect and accompany the souls of the recent dead in the village or city, and some even sacrifice a loyal dog upon the death of its owner, so that their souls may safely travel together and be reborn together. Dead bodies are buried, usually with a sacrificed (or recently dead) Pirgwon, and a pitcher of water is poured over the grave to remind the soul of the dead where it needs to go.
With regards to the faith of other people, the Awtothir simply believe that the “gods” of others are simply great Ensha who have demanded a specific kind of worship from humans. Awtothir do not approve of this, as the stories have always said that spirits of that kind are generally not friendly to humans, but know better than to try to actively offend them. AAwtothir travelling to lands ruled by gods will generally carry with them a metal spiral, a token of a friendly Ensha, for protection.
Awtothir believe that the spiral is a difficult shape for Ensha to understand, both confusing and enthralling them, and only those invited in are easily able to travel a spiral unhindered.
Language(s): Proto-Indoeuropean with semetic influences.
Mythos: Human and dog were born on the shores of the Mawr Ansa ages ago, both creatures of the material world and endowed with the inner light of the spirit world. In those days, death was not an obstacle, as the souls of the death had only to travel from the shores of the lake into the water itself, and back out. But things could not remain as such. Deva, an Ensha of death, watched over the people, warding hostile Ensha away.
But, in the darkness of night, the foul Ensha Sora the Greedy, who had long been jealous of mankind, attacked, and with him came a great wave of dark water which poured into the Mawr Ansa, forever tainting the souls of the dead. Nemor, an Ensha of memory, sacrificed himself for a human friend, melted into the Sea itself, causing the Mawr Ansa to make the dead forget their sins and giving individuals a choice between good and evil. Sova and Deva engaged in a combat that still occasionally shakes the earth to this day. Humanity was forced to leave the spirit world by the rising water, travelling in a myriad of direction, and becoming all the people of the earth.
The Awtothir travelled south, guided down the great river and out of the spirit world by Migwon. For forty years and forty days, the Sínja korù roamed, until the Shekem Elel spoke to the Spirits Theran and Jenashak, who both gave the Sínja korù leave to settle on the shores of their river and taught them irrigation and farming.
And so, over the next thousand years, the Awtothir built a number of walled cities, the greatest being the twin cities of Ther-Gunjyo and Jena-Uimei, on their respective rivers. A series of petty kingdoms and Shekem-doms rose and fell, and never were the Awtothir truly united, though they weathered invasion by the Mimen of the hills and the Werothir of the desert, taking and learning from them.
Economic Base: The Crops of barley and wheat and pomegranate are the heart of Awtothir production. Cyprus is cultivated along the rivers and built into large barges that travel down the rivers to carry goods and to trade with the Hagdish and Argasur
Country Names: Use Proto-Indo-European roots and modify slightly
Person Names: Names tend to be Matronymic.
Male:
Ulkas
Argen
Ari
Kian
Etri
Shamash
Dago
Astar
Padrial
Female:
Aria
Resheka
Kiana
Nadja
Etria
Dagda
Astara
Ratshel
Place Names:Use Proto-Indo-European roots and modify slightly
