[Tzi]

People and Places
Area Map:

Spoiler

About the Inan Plains
The region is defined geographically by the wide, mostly flat, green belt between the Anash and Enki rivers which give life to an otherwise lifeless desert. The soil is uniquely fertile, and with its extensive irrigation and agriculture, the Inan is the most productive agricultural land in the world. Producing more grain per acre then anywhere else. However this agricultural abundance also makes it a target. Empires within and without have sought to rule the whole region for this ability alone. Numerous outside armies have thrust themselves into the plains for the chance to control the verdant bread-basket and feed an empire. From the successful Hyperians who ruled the land for nearly a century, to the unsuccessful Lydians whose armies were consumed by sandstorms and marauding bedouins before they could reach the rivers, the land has a long and blood soaked history.

These lands saw the first true cities, and the first true wars over land. Wars among locals often start from simple land disputes between tribes. A farmer and a herdsmen will disagree, and seek out the nearest friendly king, soon this dispute is lost in the fight for prestige and control over land. Wars are spawned over grazing land, wheat fields, and irrigation canals most frequently.

People and Cultures

Tamazian:

Spoiler

"We Tamaz, the brothers of Peji and Sinat, were brought to the fertile delta by the Mermaids. From out of the shallow tide-pools and sea caves Anash and Enki nourished us and gave us the fields to till and plow."
- Anjarban, Chief scribe of Anat.

History:
... rewrite coming, check History section

Culture and Religion:
Tamazian culture is defined heavily by three factors, religiosity, purity and its castes and traditions. Everyone knows who they are and what the Gods expect them to do with their lives.

Religion plays a key role in the lives of the Tamazian people. For one, the prime deities are Anash and Enki, the two mermaid Goddesses that they worship as the pinnacle of their pantheon. Worship and devotion often consists of animal sacrifices, burnt offerings, and occasionally a form of human sacrifice called scapegoating. A practice that involves finding a person whom has transgressed the Laws of Contamination or the caste system and ritually burning them alive to appease the Gods.

The Laws of Contamination form a sort of purity code in Tamazian life. The rules dictate what can be eaten, when and where it can be eaten, how food must be prepared, how one is to clean and groom themselves, How frequently one should bathe, what actions are clean and unclean, what clothing one can wear. One may not eat the flesh of a land serpent, but a sea serpent is acceptable, one may eat any form of fish or shell fish but one may not it squid or octopi for example.

Then there is the castes. Almost universally caste is something one must be born into. First is the Priests and Priestesses. Unlike Vabbian culture, the Tamazians have had women rise to the heights of the religious caste. Next is the Nobility, Kings, Queens and Landlords. Next is the Merchant caste. consisting of those whom own land, businesses and manage or are members of guilds, next is the slave caste consisting of bonded laborers. However now all slaves are property of the King, similar to Vabbian customs. Then there is the outcast or outlaw caste which consists of those who transgress the rules, disobey the established order. While the social caste system goes back to time immemorial, its hold of the Tamazian's is fading. Now under the royal of a Vabbian royal family and increasingly newer generations are abandoning the caste system leading to conflict within traditional Tamazian society.

While Tamazian culture is rigid and more conservative then most, It is also a culture that grants women considerably more equality then Vabbian society in many instances. Women can own land and property, even when married, and women have to give consent to any marriage arrangement. More over while the Vabbian custom of temple prostitution and ritual sex is eschewed, Tamazians are more open to pre-marital sex, extra marital sex for both people and unlike Vabbians polygamy is considered sinful. And like all Inannan cultures, hospitality is a supreme virtue.

Kingdoms, City-States, Prominent Tribes:
To come.

Vabbian:

Spoiler

"They, the sons and daughters of Ammon, come by the droves with thirsty mouths and hungry bellies. Terrible drought has dried their lakes and grazing land, Akhkzomet cursed them with famine and drove them to the safety of Anash and Enki."
- Anjarban, Chief scribe of Anat.

History:
... rewrite coming, check History section


Culture and Religion:
Vabbians worship primarily Nazrael, Ziel, Mizarom and gods and goddesses related to them. Originally they did not worship Anash and Enki as those were exclusively Tamazian Goddesses. It was not until Vabbitic speakers colonized the Inan plains that the mermaid Goddesses entered their pantheon of worship. Vabbitic culture is generally regarded as patriarchal. For example, their societies embrace arcane magic, however teaching women arcane magic is almost unheard of. Though some of the tribes that still live in the Vabbian Desert will teach women magic. The only female arcane spell casters are those chosen by destiny and wield magic without training such as sorceresses or witches. Likewise the elite religious and political institutions are nearly universally dominated by men. Though cults of Nazrael often have mostly female priestesses, many act as both priestesses and temple prostitutes as Nazrael is a Goddess of both the sun and sex. Also these priestesses are subordinated to the nearly universally male priesthood of Ziel. Men also can have multiple wives, though most Vabbitic kingdoms limit it to five. However marriage contracts can stipulate that he only have one, and even that a man can never employ the services of a prostitute. Women do hold some power over the terms of marriage contracts.

Vabbitic culture is more laid back when it comes to social classes then that of the Tamazians. Without a rigidly defined caste system, Vabbian culture is more upwardly socially mobile. Even slaves enjoy some level of security in this society. Slaves are universally property of their local King. The King rents slaves to land owners, merchants, guilds ect... allowing said people to receive tax breaks. In turn they must treat the slaves as well as they would treat a stranger in their home. To mistreat a slave is to bring the wrath of the King. Moreover slaves gain freedom within seven years of service, unless they were criminals. Also slaves can marry, have children whom are not slaves and can not have their families separated without their consent. Though where Vabbitic culture is laid back in social caste, Vabbitic culture is known for its litigiousness. Kings employ legions of scribes, judges and oracles to create decrees. Laws also generally come with harsh sentencing. An eye for an eye and a hand for a hand are very much the law of the land where Vabbitic is spoken.

Finally Vabbians, like all Inannan peoples consider hospitality a high virtue. A story circulates among Vabbian people of a village, the name differs from region to region, where a villagers ware so cruel and unwelcoming to strangers that it brought a curse upon them. Some stories say the whole of the villagers were turned into salt by Mizarom as punishment, other versions say Mizarom would not accept their dead so the dead would rise and walk as rotting animated corpses, and still others credit Nazrael with unleashing a pillar of fire that burned the village to cinders.

Kingdoms, City-States, Prominent Tribes:
To come....

Sabylian:

Spoiler

"The tents of Sabylia are more colorful then there cities."
- Hamid ibn Azaman, Magi of the Council of Arkech.

History:
... rewrite coming, check History section

Culture and Religion:
Sabylians are more laid back then their more urbanized neighbors to the south. Religiously they are the least formal, often worshiping the Gods on hilltops and in informal yurt shrines. Even the Holy city of Nazri, the temple is the open crater left by the stone from the heavens and the object of worship is a large black stone that Sabylians and indeed many non-Arkechian Vabbitic people will come to pray near. They even dubbed it the "Sunstone."

Sabylians are for the most part pastoral people. With lower population densities then other groups. Cities are smaller in the Sabylian hills then in the central plains. Most Sabylians in fact live in yurts, tents rather then actual buildings. While herding and livestock are the lifeblood of Sabylia, orchards and gardening are practiced but the wide spread agriculture of the southern lands is somewhat alien to Sabylian speakers.

Beyond worshiping Nazrael and Ziel, the Sabylians also worship Izel the cat deity, Asher, and in general all the deities save for the fiendish ones. Even foreign ones can be placed in local shrines. Travelers have even seen idols to very foreign Gods and Goddesses from lands no Sabylian has ever heard of. Sabylians also put an exceptional emphasis on hospitality, like all of the Inan.

Kingdoms, City-States, Prominent Tribes:
To come....

Sinatic:

Spoiler

"Those of Sinat and Molhar once built the city of Ur-Bekk, they were the first to feel the might of the wicked construct know as Gog."
- Anjarban, Chief scribe of Anat.

History:
... rewrite coming, check History section


Culture and Religion:
Sinatic culture is one that values hunting. The King of Akkash, Ninazu, is also called "Lord of the Hunt." They often worship Kishar the Goddess of fortunes, Zolanil God of strength and Asher the God of the Hunt, as well as cults to Izel the Goddess of cats. Though Kishar is the most native deity to the Sinatic people. Those in the remote mountains will revere her more then others. Those who have interacted with other cultures tend to adopt and worship other Gods and Goddesses as well as the Sinatic culture is more malleable towards religion similar to Sabylia.

To prove their manhood boys in nomadic Sinatian societies must hunt and kill an animal, typically an Ibex, Kudu or some horned animal. However the killing a dire animal is considered exceptionally heroic.

Sinatic speakers, like all Inannan peoples value hospitality. However they have stories about being too hospitable and trusting. Tales of vampires and other fiends of Akhkzomet using hospitality to gain access to the family and attack are somewhat common place. Also tales of evil spirits and a greater fear of necromancy pervades this culture, even more so then the others in the area.

Kingdoms, City-States, Prominent Tribes:
To come....

More to come... Map? Clear? Concise? Well done? Terrible?

Also... Cultures and People? Well described? Convoluted? Boring? idk... comments are welcome.