- Abiharim Local Lore -
Work-in-progress
Places and Major Establishments:
Bahra Nehsut (“Waterway of fire”)
In it’s origin, the capitol was at first a mere trading knot on the Nehsut river branch, cycling goods from the southern jungles up to the north, and vice-versa, while being one of the larger areas of agriculture within the region. In how the legend goes, each year Kachikwenej had sought a resting place after his hunt of the southern star and came upon the small village. As he lay down, the moon made the river run silver, until a mercury serpent sprung forth from it and coiled about the god’s neck into a talisman of most extraordinary beauty, allowing him rest until morning, when the serpent would return to the river.
One year, a thief in the village saw both the serpent and the god, and became so entranced by the trinket’s beauty, that he stole it off Kachikwenej’s neck as he slumbered. When the god awoke, he noticed the talisman to have been gone, and in his fury, commanded the mercury serpent to kill the one carrying it. The talisman obeyed, and as the thief was crossing the river, it wrung itself about his neck and pulled him into the water, where the blood mixed with the mercury and turned ablaze. Consumed by the god’s fury and the thief’s remorse, the fire serpent refused to obey Kachikwenej and burned all the bridges of the town, before disappearing. Each year the villagers would rebuild the bridges and each year the serpent would return upon the same day, destroying them once more.
For fifty years the serpent raged, until a sage came upon the village on the eve of the Day of Burning. Aided by Shechisutnne’s grace and favour, he confronted the serpent and used the waters of the river to quench all the fires the serpent would start, until at daybreak, the serpent finally came to admit defeat, twiddling down into a faint smoulder of an ashen core, its efforts undone each time.
Kachikwenej appeared to the sage, and demanded the talisman’s return, saying it is his to give or take, but the sage removed the talisman from the creature and broke it in two, before tossing one half into a fire and tossing the other into the river, where it would be carried far away, saying to the god that the power of avarice was the birth of the creature and thus could not be suffered to continue. The god admitted to the sage’s wisdom, but warned that he now owed him a claim, to which the sage replied to have nothing save the grace of Shechisutnne. The god finally then warned that should he or his kin even step from outside of Shechisutnne’s grace, he would return to ask his due, before leaving to continue his hunt.
Thus the village became known as Bahra Nehsut and eventually was established as the central point of the Kingdom, the sage Avhar-ma’s lineage continuing strongly for two centuries, before the last successor conceded the throne to another dynasty and left the Kingdom in favour of a quest for knowledge in the other parts of the world.
Abiharim (“Land that was received”)
The name of the Kingdom in toweobitih, also how it is referred to by the sphinxes in other tongues. After the fire serpent had left the river’s branch in the battle’s aftermath, it snaked its way in a wide circle of land, scorching a trail of ash in desert and scrub land alike in it’s wake. It is believed that Shechisutnne then appeared to Avhar-ma, and as a token for his courage in facing the serpent, gave him the land, making him the first King. In doing so, she warned that should he or his successors cross their influence beyond the ashen trail in war, Kachikwenej would be entitled to his recompense.
In the years to come, the Kingdom was slowly built up to it's glory and the loose factions of sphinxes within the ash-circled land gathered under one name – the abiharimi.
Borders and divisions:
The Kingdom’s borders in the north ran a jagged course along a slate line of rock, a tower or watch point every few miles. During the later days of the Kingdom, palisade walls would occasionally be built between some towers as a response to the increasing ssashirk tribes’ threat.
To the east and south, the dry planes turned into a sparse forest, providing ample opportunities for fruit import from the neighbouring jungle dwellers. Though the southern forests were much too humid and damp for their liking, the abiharim did establish a small trading region a short distance from their furthest eastern border, separate from the Kingdom’s traditional border. As this was not done through an act of war, it was believed that Shechisutnne’s warning would not come true.
To the west, the border grew close to the Red Wall, but stopped two days' travel short of it. Due to the mythical nature of the region Red Wall region, many of the temples and sites of worship were built close or within the western part of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom itself was divided into three principalities, with the King as the ruler of the central one as well as the effective emperor. The other two were each overseen by a senechal not unlike a prince, but it was strictly prohibited for there to be any blood relation between any of the three regional rulers.
Social Structure:
Relmasuti (“Follower of the war path”)
A class of warriors trained primarily in the art of spear-wielding and tactical combat, slightly less in swordplay. Relmasuti was a position for life and many children were evaluated early on for their suitability, though the occupation was voluntary. All the same, the position was considered to be one of high honour, particularly if one had the talent and skill enough as to get into the Jrimasuti (King’s guard). In times of peace, the warriors were paid with sustenance for them and any family they may have had, while most of the expenses on armour, weaponry or other were covered by the Kingdom’s treasury. It was not uncommon for the craftsmen's’ guilds to pay occasional tribute to the barracks of their city in the form of protective talismans and other trinkets, some of which ended up returning to the market sooner or later.
Chikasuti (Godesses, “Follower of the god path”)
Priestesses and priests who lived, studied and worshipped within temples, rarely leaving them within their lifetime. The term ‘godess’ is used to indicate ‘one of god’s own’ in a lesser sense, and not to be confused with the gender reference, as both Shechisutnne and Kachikwenej were referred to as a ‘god’, although a tendency towards one gender favouring one god and the other another was notable. The etiquette in both gods’ temples, however, was the same, as the chikasuti were tasked with keeping the hearth of the temple going, as well as doing varying labour tasks around the temple grounds, ranging from gardening to cleaning as temples were not allowed to employ servants (due to the notion slighting both gods).
-- (Scholar, "--")
--
Jriharimhos (King, "--")
--
Manekha (Judge, "--")
--
-- (Senechal, "--")
--
While the senechals did have command of the cities and smaller dwellings within their regions, the control of the army remained with the King.
-- (Mage, Spellster, "--")
--
-- (Layman, Commoner, Worker, "--")
--
Notable names:
Shechisutnne, God of sun and creation.
--
Kachikwenej, God of moon and destruction.
--
Avhar-ma, The First King, and establisher of the Kingdom.
--
History:
---
Social Rules and Culture:
Justice and Law
--
Hairstyles and Make-up
-- (Feathers, lots of feathers. Also a lot of crowns or circlets. Goatees = popular)
Taboos
-- (Waist sash = important)
Naming
Names, in particular surnames, had a heavy impact on the individual within a abiharimi society. Where first names were often more of hopes and aspirations from the child, the surnames were a case of standards and honour in regards to who could carry one kind or another.
A surname was as much of a social rank as was one's occupation or way or life, usually deriving from the former. At birth, one or both of the parents' surnames would pass onto the child, and the child would keep the name until their own demise or until one of two happens: they dishonour the meaning of the name with an evil or malign act, in which case it is removed (or changed to something according, such as 'Oathbreaker') and they have none, or achieve a feat of prowess in some manner that grants them the right to carry a new name (the more eastern equivalent would be something like 'Wolfbane' or 'Fleetfoot') as usually determined by their elder peers or ranking member of the society.
First names, on the other hand, remained with the individual throughout their lives and it was often believed that certain kind of names (usually ones close to words or phrases found in holy texts) would grant them favour, fortune or both protection from and by the gods. (Later centuries following the Kingdom's demise saw a rise to names with mixed ethnic origins, often no longer deriving from toweobitih alone).
Marriage and Children
--
Death and Burial
The tradition of burial in the old days of the Kingdom was an elaborate affair, with small stone human-sized mastabas raised in a necropolis for each individual. Wealthier familiar could sometimes erect entire buildings entirely for their family line, containing alcoves within walls that would become their final resting places. The process would involve washing and cleaning the body, before wrapping them in cloth and linen, decorated with various offerings. The tomb itself would likewise contain more offerings in pots and dishes, from food to spices, jewellery to tools, depending on the nature and profession of the deceased. In essence, what items they might need to pass beyond the doors of Kachikwenej and continue living in the realm of souls.
The living left behind would have to maintain the memory of their ancestors through ceremonies to the dead, performed regularly throughout certain times of the year at the respective mastaba or necropolis. Wealthier members of society could even offer donations and tribute to the temples, to have the godesses there speak for their dead much more directly, thus ensuring a more powerful memory and afterlife. To forget an ancestor was to invoke their anger, and many a disaster or terrible event was said to be the work of a displeased spirit. Thus, keeping them appeased was considered to bring the living family good fortune, as well.
In the days since the fall of the Kingdom, the abiharim were scattered into tribes and forced into nomadic lifestyles. As a result, much of the previous traditions had to be adapted. The tradition of a mastaba was abandoned and the body of the deceased would instead be buried in whichever nearby location was convenient to where the tribe was staying, usually deep within the very desert sands themselves. Though, some looking to invoke the older traditions could still try to bury the body by covering it with rocks, if any where available nearby. As the tribe's nomadic ways made it very much impossible to visit the locations of burials consistently, the importance of the body and the location gradually reduced. In its stead, a new tradition emerged - As the body was buried, with what sparse few offerings the tribe can spare, a part of the deceased spirit was invoked to inhabit a small effigy in their likeness.
The effigy, called a shabti ("sanabitih" in the old writing), was made of clay, showing the characteristics of the deceased. In some cases the shabtis could also be painted, if the family could afford the materials for pigments. The tradition to hold ceremonies in the ancestors' honour throughout the year remained, though now the offerings would be done to the shabtis instead. Each family was honour-bound to carry the shabtis of their ancestors with them, and ensure their survival. If a shabti was broken or lost, it was considered equivalent to forgetting them, and said to bring about the wrath of the spirits in the form of chaos and misfortune, akin to the tales of the older days.
If the last family member and bearer of the shabtis was to die with no descendant to carry on the memory, friends of the family could sometimes take on the responsibility going forward. However, more often than not, the deceased would be buried along with the shabtis of their family instead, as the ended line meant the memory could only be maintained by the spirits themselves and was no longer part of the realm of the living.
In modern days, the tradition of shabtis is a closely guarded secret among the abiharim, from fear that outsiders might seek to steal them as coveted artefacts. While not entirely unfounded, the far greater issue remains the twindling numbers of the abiharim in general - Most tribes now contain far more shabtis than remaining living members.