Post by Kizmet on Jun 13, 2011 23:20:22 GMT -5
HISTORY
Official records date back to 373, when the city of Akadia was established. The territory of Akinosh was established in 63 and the Ivera'l'Haidan were than the only people who lived there. Outcast Iveras were banished to the Eastern edge of the territory, away from the camp-city of Hakeysh'l'Ashu. Here they met with travelers and traders from exotic lands overseas. Together, they began to form their own settlements. As the years passed and different peoples intermarried, a new race was born. In 373, a powerful man named Abdiel Salib consolidated most of the villages together to create a large and powerful walled city called Akadia. Before long the rest of the smaller villages were destroyed or taken over, until only great Akadia remained. Akadia is a very ancient city, the oldest still standing in all of Lamavia, save for possibly some similarly aged ones in the Shinohi region.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
The Akadian race is relatively small, adult men rarely exceeding 5'6", and the woman rarely exceeding 5'. They are dark-skinned people, the color ranging from a dark dusty tan to polished ebony. Their eyes and hair are similarly dark, though they can be of any color as long as the shade is very dark, so that the different colors are difficult for a Non-Akadian to distinguish. They are a heavily built population, with very distinct bone structure. Their muscles are usually large and well-developed, except in the case of the less-active wealthy citizens and the scholars. Their hair is slick and smooth, and can be board straight, loose ringlets, or tight springs. Their eyes are small and oblong shaped, their noses large either by width or by length, or both. They are not an unattractive people; their dancers are known for their exotic beauty all across Lamavia, and they can be found in the entourage of most any King. Men and women both tend to keep their hair very long, styling it in many different ways. Only the Sultan/ess and High Level Clergy shave their heads, as this denotes their high status. Beauty in every respect is important, so men and women upon reaching their 14th year, when they become considered an adult, are tatooed in such a way to excentuate their natural beauty. Eye Shadow, Blush, lipstick, etc. is all tattoed on. Highborn males remain clean-shaven throughout their lives except in times of mourning. Lower born males normally sport hair above their lips and on their chins. The clergy let the hair on their cheeks grow in but not elsewhere.
POSSESSIONS
Akadians are a very material people. Even the poorest have many objects such as decorative bowls and vases, rugs, jewelry, etc. In this society possesions show status, so everyone is eager to aquire as much as they can. Most of their possessions are purely decorative, though some are neccesary, such as weapons and clothing. Having money on hand is important as well.
LIVING QUARTERS
Most buildings in Akadia, save for the royal palace and some of the Churches and Upper Class Homes, are made of clay, straw, and wood. The structures start with a wooden frame that has a mixture of clay and straw formed around it until the walls and ceiling are nearly a foot thick. They are usally 3 stories, with wooden or rope ladders leading up to a balcony on the next level. There are no windows in these clay houses, only the opening for the ladder and an opening for the door. The doorway is covered by a thin blanket hanging from the top of it. In every house is a small hole where no sunlight ever reaches. This is where the household can go to escape the heat or to hide during the tornados and severe sandstorms that are not uncommon. In the morning, ice can be collected from down here, having formed on the ceiling and walls overnight. This accounts for the family's daily water, unless they live close enough to the river to go and collect it every day. Chamber Pots are used in place of bathrooms because there is no running water. Again, bathing and washing is rare except in homes located close to the river. The first floor is the largest, with a family area where they can sit and talk, tell stories, and entertain one another as well as eat. It also contains a small cooking hearth. The second floor has only two walls. The Eastern and Western sides are left open, the Eastern side before noon, the western side from noon until dusk. This helps the clay to absorb the suns heat so that the family will be warm at night. Heavy carpets hang from the ceiling on the Eastern and Western sides. The 3rd floor is the smallest, with only enough room for one or two people amongst all of the idols and offerings that make up the familial alter for speaking to and worshiping the ancestors and the God/desses and asking for help, protection, good fortune, etc. The houses have rounded edges, and each subsequent floor is smaller than the last. The houses are excellant for the area, building materials being cheap and plentiful and every aspect of the buildings being utilized to some purpose. The only drawback happens during the freak torrential storms. The pounding rain can liquify the clay, causing the houses to essentially 'melt', entombing any occupants. If not dug out before the clay hardens back into it's former cement-like state, they will die, and often do anyway. The Royal Palace is the largest building in the city, followed by the Churches. The homes of wealthier citizens are made of cut stone, marble, granite, glass, and metals. These palaces have water piped directly in, as well as flushable toilets.
SOCIAL SKILLS
Akadians tend to feel people outside of their race are intellectually inferior. They also believe that anyone outside of their religion is condemned. For this reason, they do not touch the bare skin of any non-akadian, deeming these people spiritually 'unclean'. The merchants are the only ones who really associate with 'outsiders' on a regular basis, and undergo spiritual cleansing each night to account for it. In Akadian Society, respect and reverence is shown for those who are a higher rank or caste than you. This includes those with more political power, those with more belongings, and those with more money, as well as the clergy. Elders are often shown more respect than the average person as well.
DIET
The diet consists mostly of grains and nuts with very little in the way of meat or greens. There are normally 2 meals a day, with a light snack midday. The light snack is because of the heat; it is too hot to eat a full meal than. The morning meal consists of a grain-based mush with nuts and meat and greens left over from the previous evening meal (if there are any). Leftover mush is mixed with crushed nuts, spread out and baked into thin, hard sheets that are similar to matza or crackers. These are than used for the midday snack, sometimes alone and sometimes with a small amount of greens and/or milk. If there is not enough mush leftover from the morning meal, the mush cracker is replaced with nuts. The evening meal consists of a circle of bread about eight inches in diameter, topped with meat, greens, and nuts cooked in a blood-based broth. Most of the meat is fish caught in the river that flows alongside Akadia's western border, with very little being from land animals such as cows, goats, pigs, cat-like creatures (known as kwati in the Trader's Language, and called kin'l' enu'ekem' in the Native Tongue), dog-like creatures (called Dargin in the Trader's Language but Alem'l'mw'ekem in the Native Tongue), sheep, and kangaroo among others. Greenery consists of carrots, cacti, ferns, lichen, water plants, cabbage, strawberries, prickly pear, juniper berries, lima beans, onions, lentils, Acacia, Agave, Dates, Amaranth, Arrowroot, Asparagus, assorted berries, burdock, dandelions, and plantain, among others. Grains include corn, barley, wheat, sorghum, rice, oats, millet, teff, and others. Nuts include walnuts, peanuts, almonds, acorns, pecans, and beechnuts among others.
FASHION AND DRESS
Traditional clothing worn by the poor consists of a single thin sheet of a light material that is wrapped and tucked. It is moistened in the morning and at noon to help keep the wearer cool. Wetting it also helps to be able to wrap it tighter. Men wrap only their loins, leaving their upper body, head, legs, and feet bare. Women wrap from their knees to their necks. Children until the age of 6 wear nothing, at which time they undergo a ceremony in which they earn the privlege of clothing, among other things. These wraps are inexspensive, and most are not dyed any color, Most undyed wraps vary in color from light brown through off-whites, tans, pale yellows, and beiges to an almost true white. The wealthier serf-status Akadians wear wraps dyed in solid colors, most often greens, blues, reds, and purples. The Upper-Class Akadians and Scholars normally wear cut fashions imported from Aquilos and, less often, Messina. Gaining popularity is the waearing of bright multi-colored Haidan blankets as traditional wraps. The Sultan/ess and Clergy are the only people allowed to wear Traditional Wraps, made of traditional material, that are intricately designed with multiple colors and pictures. It is an obvious sign of one's power to dress in these expensive garments that are often embroidered in gold and silver with precious and semi-precious metals and stones set into the fabric. The Dancers of Akadia are the only women permitted to show any flesh from their knees to their neck. Their outfits are made from the traditional material. The outter bottom layer consists of a thin, see-through skirt of a solid color, embroidered with a fringe of another solid color. This is wrapped around the waist and secured at the hip by a jeweled broach, making a split skirt. The skirt reaches the ankles, and the side with the broach opens as the dancer moves. The outter top layer is a shaw that matches the skirt of the bottom layer. As the dancer dances, the shaw is removed to reveal a traditional wrap that covers only the breasts. This is not see-through, being thicker than the shaw and skirt, but is the same color as these other garments. The skirt is also enevtually removed, the broach being transfered to the head to hold up the dancers hair. Beneath the skirt is another traditional wrap, very similar to the loin wrap worn by Akadian men. It is the same color and material as the breast wrap.
All Akadians, men and women of every caste, love jewelry. Most have many various piercings, and like to wear many rings, anklets, bracelets, neckleces, broaches, pins, hair peices, etc. Some of the wealthier citizens, those who can afford it, have holes drilled through their teeth so that they can insert small jeweled pins. Cheek, eyebrow/lid, lip, tongue, multiple ear, skin, and other piercings are also very common, as are a multitude of tatoos.
EDUCATION
When an Akadian child reaches the age of six, they enter their formal education. Because education is so important in Akadia, all but the very poorest send their children to the schools. The schools are free, but the free schools are very overcrowded and the education is poor. The poorest children do not attend school because they must work to keep their usually very large families clothed and fed and do not have time to attend school. The poor children who do attend the schools only do so for a few years, a few hours a day, normally from ages 6 to 10, and for about 4 hours a day. During harvesting season they often do not attend at all. These children attend school to learn to read and write, basic math skills, and about current events in the country. Once this is accomplished their formal schooling is over. The boys than join their Fathers at their work, and the girls learn housekeeping from their Mothers. Children of middle wealth normally attend the free schools, unless their family is very small. They typically attend school until they are 12, though some attend until they are married. When they are young they attend full 10 hour school days, and once the basics are learned the schooling is reduced to 6 hours a day, so they may learn their parent's trade (in the boys case) or housekeeping (for the girls). Few from these two castes, poor or middle-caste, go on to attend advanced schooling, and almost no girls at all are able to have this. The wealthier, Upper-Caste Akadians send their children, boys and girls, to the large and expensive paid schools. The price of these schools varies greatly, with the wealthier going to the more expensive schools. These students attend school 12 hours a day, normally until age 20, unless they are married sooner. These schools normally offer basic and advanced schooling. Students intending to be scholars move on from these private schools at age 20, unless they are promoted earlier, to attend specialized schools focusing on one, or sometimes few, subjects. Some wealthy Akadians send their children to specialized schools in Aquilos if they show an early adeptness for a certain subject. Those who are musicly inclined are normaly sent to the Bardic School in Sulusk, Messina. Informal education is taught at home in the lower castes, with Father's teaching sons, and Mother's teaching daughters. Higher Castes send their children to Etiquette Schools to learn these sklls, such as cooking, cleaning, etc.
COMMUNICATION
Akadians speak the Traders, or Old, Language. It is also known as Irayan, or The United Northern Kingdom Language. It is the language originally spoken in Iraya, the Kingdom that used to be Messina and Aquilos. It is spoken by many different people all across Lamavia now, and any Merchant must speak the language in order to legally sell his wares in any market place. Many Akadians speak Haidan, or Native, words with the Old Language, using them like slang. This harkens back to the Ivera'l'Haidan heritage the Akadians shared.The Old Language is a rough, thick language. It is easy to learn and speak, having been developed for ease. Very fluid, it can be spoken quickly, often making things more difficult when someone learns it as a second language and tries to speak to someone who learned it from birth. (Basicly, this is the language we RolePlay in, or English, though I did not just describe the English Language. For a list of words that are not quite English, but are consider to be the Trader's Langauge, such as curses, slang, made-up animals, etc, please see the posting 'Traders Language', located under 'About Kizmet's RP'. You will also find a posting called 'Haidan Language' there, detailing the Native Language spoken by the Haidan Tribes.)
PROFESSIONS
In the lower castes, there are few options when it comes to professions. Sons are expected to follow in their Father's footsteps, being apprenticed by him and taking up his trade as their own. Girls do not take occupations, they are homemakers. They raise the children, do the cooking and the cleaning, care for any sick family members, and keep the household running smoothly. The men go out and bring home the money, food, and other items. Most Low-Caste males are Farmers, working the river plains. Other professions include Carpentar, Fisherman, Hunter/Gatherer, Miller, Military, etc. The Middle-Castes are similar, with more diverse and better options. The women rarely take on a profession, and either way the home-making always comes first. Sons normally follow their Fathers, but do have a choice. Common professions include Bankers, Merchants, Tailors, Entertainers, Musicians, Military, etc. The Upper-Caste is completely different. All men and women are expected to pursue careers, any career of their choice. Many are given early and intense training in the subjects that interest them. They attend schooling for many years, as long as they wish to. Only the chosen heir must marry; many Upper-Caste Akadians never marry, instead pursuing their own interests. Common professions include Advisors, Musicians, Actors, Scientist, Astronomers, Botanist, Archaeologists, Biologists, Scholars, Military etc. A person from any caste may choose a life of outlaw, of course, though most are from the lowest caste and choose this path out of neccesity when their Father dies when they are young and there is no one to apprentice them. If caught, they will be executed if they are Lower or Middle-Cast. Upper-Caste outlaws are merely exiled. It is rumored that many of Akadia's outlaws leave Akadia and journey to the Southern Sandseas, where there is a tribe of the most notorious outlaws living out in the desert.
MEDICINE
While herbs and natural healing is practiced, most Akadians believe in Divine Healing. Most refuse any type of Medecine, instead praying to the Ancestors/Divinity. If there is no intersection, it is believed the Family did not pray hard enough or sincerely enough, or that the victim did something to anger the Heavens, perhaps soemthing no one else knew about. Those who do accept Medicinal Healing are often shunned as Non-Believers, or at least of having a very weak faith. The only ones who really use Medicines are the very wealthy Upper-Caste. Mental illness is treated as possession, as a punishment from the Heavens. It is believed the Divine, or a disgruntled Ancestor, comes to Earth to torment an unfaithful or sinful person. Those unfortunate enough to be in a Lower-Caste will be killed, most often stoned to death. Those in the Higher-Castes are usually entombed in their own room and fed through a slit until they die. Once they die the room is completely closed up, and the person is forgotten, as though they never existed.
RELIGION
The Religion followed in Akadia is one that has many different Gods and Goddesses, with different appearances and personalities. They can manifest as 'The Goddess' or 'The God', or they can manifest as a particular God or Goddess. Ancestors are also spoken to, worshipped, and prayed to. There is a day set aside each month to honor the Goddess, and one to honor the God. Every year there is a day to honor Sultan Abdiel Salib, the man who founded the city of Akadia. The Churches are used on these special days by everyone, and elsewise they are for the Clergy. The Clergy live here and worship here daily. Clergymen/women start out low ranking, but can rise to become second in importance only to the Sultan/ess. They do not marry, their devotion being entirely to their religion. Every family shares an alter where they make burnt offerings to Divinity/Ancestors, burn incense, pray, worship, sing, and essentially just celebrate daily in their own way.
PROTECTION
The entire city is protected by a large, strong, stone wall that is patroled constantly by foot soldiers and archers. The Military of Akadia is renowned all across Lamavia. The soldiers are excellantly trained, and the weapons are top-of-the-line. There are archers, swordsman, cavalry, cannons, catapults, etc.
Official records date back to 373, when the city of Akadia was established. The territory of Akinosh was established in 63 and the Ivera'l'Haidan were than the only people who lived there. Outcast Iveras were banished to the Eastern edge of the territory, away from the camp-city of Hakeysh'l'Ashu. Here they met with travelers and traders from exotic lands overseas. Together, they began to form their own settlements. As the years passed and different peoples intermarried, a new race was born. In 373, a powerful man named Abdiel Salib consolidated most of the villages together to create a large and powerful walled city called Akadia. Before long the rest of the smaller villages were destroyed or taken over, until only great Akadia remained. Akadia is a very ancient city, the oldest still standing in all of Lamavia, save for possibly some similarly aged ones in the Shinohi region.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
The Akadian race is relatively small, adult men rarely exceeding 5'6", and the woman rarely exceeding 5'. They are dark-skinned people, the color ranging from a dark dusty tan to polished ebony. Their eyes and hair are similarly dark, though they can be of any color as long as the shade is very dark, so that the different colors are difficult for a Non-Akadian to distinguish. They are a heavily built population, with very distinct bone structure. Their muscles are usually large and well-developed, except in the case of the less-active wealthy citizens and the scholars. Their hair is slick and smooth, and can be board straight, loose ringlets, or tight springs. Their eyes are small and oblong shaped, their noses large either by width or by length, or both. They are not an unattractive people; their dancers are known for their exotic beauty all across Lamavia, and they can be found in the entourage of most any King. Men and women both tend to keep their hair very long, styling it in many different ways. Only the Sultan/ess and High Level Clergy shave their heads, as this denotes their high status. Beauty in every respect is important, so men and women upon reaching their 14th year, when they become considered an adult, are tatooed in such a way to excentuate their natural beauty. Eye Shadow, Blush, lipstick, etc. is all tattoed on. Highborn males remain clean-shaven throughout their lives except in times of mourning. Lower born males normally sport hair above their lips and on their chins. The clergy let the hair on their cheeks grow in but not elsewhere.
POSSESSIONS
Akadians are a very material people. Even the poorest have many objects such as decorative bowls and vases, rugs, jewelry, etc. In this society possesions show status, so everyone is eager to aquire as much as they can. Most of their possessions are purely decorative, though some are neccesary, such as weapons and clothing. Having money on hand is important as well.
LIVING QUARTERS
Most buildings in Akadia, save for the royal palace and some of the Churches and Upper Class Homes, are made of clay, straw, and wood. The structures start with a wooden frame that has a mixture of clay and straw formed around it until the walls and ceiling are nearly a foot thick. They are usally 3 stories, with wooden or rope ladders leading up to a balcony on the next level. There are no windows in these clay houses, only the opening for the ladder and an opening for the door. The doorway is covered by a thin blanket hanging from the top of it. In every house is a small hole where no sunlight ever reaches. This is where the household can go to escape the heat or to hide during the tornados and severe sandstorms that are not uncommon. In the morning, ice can be collected from down here, having formed on the ceiling and walls overnight. This accounts for the family's daily water, unless they live close enough to the river to go and collect it every day. Chamber Pots are used in place of bathrooms because there is no running water. Again, bathing and washing is rare except in homes located close to the river. The first floor is the largest, with a family area where they can sit and talk, tell stories, and entertain one another as well as eat. It also contains a small cooking hearth. The second floor has only two walls. The Eastern and Western sides are left open, the Eastern side before noon, the western side from noon until dusk. This helps the clay to absorb the suns heat so that the family will be warm at night. Heavy carpets hang from the ceiling on the Eastern and Western sides. The 3rd floor is the smallest, with only enough room for one or two people amongst all of the idols and offerings that make up the familial alter for speaking to and worshiping the ancestors and the God/desses and asking for help, protection, good fortune, etc. The houses have rounded edges, and each subsequent floor is smaller than the last. The houses are excellant for the area, building materials being cheap and plentiful and every aspect of the buildings being utilized to some purpose. The only drawback happens during the freak torrential storms. The pounding rain can liquify the clay, causing the houses to essentially 'melt', entombing any occupants. If not dug out before the clay hardens back into it's former cement-like state, they will die, and often do anyway. The Royal Palace is the largest building in the city, followed by the Churches. The homes of wealthier citizens are made of cut stone, marble, granite, glass, and metals. These palaces have water piped directly in, as well as flushable toilets.
SOCIAL SKILLS
Akadians tend to feel people outside of their race are intellectually inferior. They also believe that anyone outside of their religion is condemned. For this reason, they do not touch the bare skin of any non-akadian, deeming these people spiritually 'unclean'. The merchants are the only ones who really associate with 'outsiders' on a regular basis, and undergo spiritual cleansing each night to account for it. In Akadian Society, respect and reverence is shown for those who are a higher rank or caste than you. This includes those with more political power, those with more belongings, and those with more money, as well as the clergy. Elders are often shown more respect than the average person as well.
DIET
The diet consists mostly of grains and nuts with very little in the way of meat or greens. There are normally 2 meals a day, with a light snack midday. The light snack is because of the heat; it is too hot to eat a full meal than. The morning meal consists of a grain-based mush with nuts and meat and greens left over from the previous evening meal (if there are any). Leftover mush is mixed with crushed nuts, spread out and baked into thin, hard sheets that are similar to matza or crackers. These are than used for the midday snack, sometimes alone and sometimes with a small amount of greens and/or milk. If there is not enough mush leftover from the morning meal, the mush cracker is replaced with nuts. The evening meal consists of a circle of bread about eight inches in diameter, topped with meat, greens, and nuts cooked in a blood-based broth. Most of the meat is fish caught in the river that flows alongside Akadia's western border, with very little being from land animals such as cows, goats, pigs, cat-like creatures (known as kwati in the Trader's Language, and called kin'l' enu'ekem' in the Native Tongue), dog-like creatures (called Dargin in the Trader's Language but Alem'l'mw'ekem in the Native Tongue), sheep, and kangaroo among others. Greenery consists of carrots, cacti, ferns, lichen, water plants, cabbage, strawberries, prickly pear, juniper berries, lima beans, onions, lentils, Acacia, Agave, Dates, Amaranth, Arrowroot, Asparagus, assorted berries, burdock, dandelions, and plantain, among others. Grains include corn, barley, wheat, sorghum, rice, oats, millet, teff, and others. Nuts include walnuts, peanuts, almonds, acorns, pecans, and beechnuts among others.
FASHION AND DRESS
Traditional clothing worn by the poor consists of a single thin sheet of a light material that is wrapped and tucked. It is moistened in the morning and at noon to help keep the wearer cool. Wetting it also helps to be able to wrap it tighter. Men wrap only their loins, leaving their upper body, head, legs, and feet bare. Women wrap from their knees to their necks. Children until the age of 6 wear nothing, at which time they undergo a ceremony in which they earn the privlege of clothing, among other things. These wraps are inexspensive, and most are not dyed any color, Most undyed wraps vary in color from light brown through off-whites, tans, pale yellows, and beiges to an almost true white. The wealthier serf-status Akadians wear wraps dyed in solid colors, most often greens, blues, reds, and purples. The Upper-Class Akadians and Scholars normally wear cut fashions imported from Aquilos and, less often, Messina. Gaining popularity is the waearing of bright multi-colored Haidan blankets as traditional wraps. The Sultan/ess and Clergy are the only people allowed to wear Traditional Wraps, made of traditional material, that are intricately designed with multiple colors and pictures. It is an obvious sign of one's power to dress in these expensive garments that are often embroidered in gold and silver with precious and semi-precious metals and stones set into the fabric. The Dancers of Akadia are the only women permitted to show any flesh from their knees to their neck. Their outfits are made from the traditional material. The outter bottom layer consists of a thin, see-through skirt of a solid color, embroidered with a fringe of another solid color. This is wrapped around the waist and secured at the hip by a jeweled broach, making a split skirt. The skirt reaches the ankles, and the side with the broach opens as the dancer moves. The outter top layer is a shaw that matches the skirt of the bottom layer. As the dancer dances, the shaw is removed to reveal a traditional wrap that covers only the breasts. This is not see-through, being thicker than the shaw and skirt, but is the same color as these other garments. The skirt is also enevtually removed, the broach being transfered to the head to hold up the dancers hair. Beneath the skirt is another traditional wrap, very similar to the loin wrap worn by Akadian men. It is the same color and material as the breast wrap.
All Akadians, men and women of every caste, love jewelry. Most have many various piercings, and like to wear many rings, anklets, bracelets, neckleces, broaches, pins, hair peices, etc. Some of the wealthier citizens, those who can afford it, have holes drilled through their teeth so that they can insert small jeweled pins. Cheek, eyebrow/lid, lip, tongue, multiple ear, skin, and other piercings are also very common, as are a multitude of tatoos.
EDUCATION
When an Akadian child reaches the age of six, they enter their formal education. Because education is so important in Akadia, all but the very poorest send their children to the schools. The schools are free, but the free schools are very overcrowded and the education is poor. The poorest children do not attend school because they must work to keep their usually very large families clothed and fed and do not have time to attend school. The poor children who do attend the schools only do so for a few years, a few hours a day, normally from ages 6 to 10, and for about 4 hours a day. During harvesting season they often do not attend at all. These children attend school to learn to read and write, basic math skills, and about current events in the country. Once this is accomplished their formal schooling is over. The boys than join their Fathers at their work, and the girls learn housekeeping from their Mothers. Children of middle wealth normally attend the free schools, unless their family is very small. They typically attend school until they are 12, though some attend until they are married. When they are young they attend full 10 hour school days, and once the basics are learned the schooling is reduced to 6 hours a day, so they may learn their parent's trade (in the boys case) or housekeeping (for the girls). Few from these two castes, poor or middle-caste, go on to attend advanced schooling, and almost no girls at all are able to have this. The wealthier, Upper-Caste Akadians send their children, boys and girls, to the large and expensive paid schools. The price of these schools varies greatly, with the wealthier going to the more expensive schools. These students attend school 12 hours a day, normally until age 20, unless they are married sooner. These schools normally offer basic and advanced schooling. Students intending to be scholars move on from these private schools at age 20, unless they are promoted earlier, to attend specialized schools focusing on one, or sometimes few, subjects. Some wealthy Akadians send their children to specialized schools in Aquilos if they show an early adeptness for a certain subject. Those who are musicly inclined are normaly sent to the Bardic School in Sulusk, Messina. Informal education is taught at home in the lower castes, with Father's teaching sons, and Mother's teaching daughters. Higher Castes send their children to Etiquette Schools to learn these sklls, such as cooking, cleaning, etc.
COMMUNICATION
Akadians speak the Traders, or Old, Language. It is also known as Irayan, or The United Northern Kingdom Language. It is the language originally spoken in Iraya, the Kingdom that used to be Messina and Aquilos. It is spoken by many different people all across Lamavia now, and any Merchant must speak the language in order to legally sell his wares in any market place. Many Akadians speak Haidan, or Native, words with the Old Language, using them like slang. This harkens back to the Ivera'l'Haidan heritage the Akadians shared.The Old Language is a rough, thick language. It is easy to learn and speak, having been developed for ease. Very fluid, it can be spoken quickly, often making things more difficult when someone learns it as a second language and tries to speak to someone who learned it from birth. (Basicly, this is the language we RolePlay in, or English, though I did not just describe the English Language. For a list of words that are not quite English, but are consider to be the Trader's Langauge, such as curses, slang, made-up animals, etc, please see the posting 'Traders Language', located under 'About Kizmet's RP'. You will also find a posting called 'Haidan Language' there, detailing the Native Language spoken by the Haidan Tribes.)
PROFESSIONS
In the lower castes, there are few options when it comes to professions. Sons are expected to follow in their Father's footsteps, being apprenticed by him and taking up his trade as their own. Girls do not take occupations, they are homemakers. They raise the children, do the cooking and the cleaning, care for any sick family members, and keep the household running smoothly. The men go out and bring home the money, food, and other items. Most Low-Caste males are Farmers, working the river plains. Other professions include Carpentar, Fisherman, Hunter/Gatherer, Miller, Military, etc. The Middle-Castes are similar, with more diverse and better options. The women rarely take on a profession, and either way the home-making always comes first. Sons normally follow their Fathers, but do have a choice. Common professions include Bankers, Merchants, Tailors, Entertainers, Musicians, Military, etc. The Upper-Caste is completely different. All men and women are expected to pursue careers, any career of their choice. Many are given early and intense training in the subjects that interest them. They attend schooling for many years, as long as they wish to. Only the chosen heir must marry; many Upper-Caste Akadians never marry, instead pursuing their own interests. Common professions include Advisors, Musicians, Actors, Scientist, Astronomers, Botanist, Archaeologists, Biologists, Scholars, Military etc. A person from any caste may choose a life of outlaw, of course, though most are from the lowest caste and choose this path out of neccesity when their Father dies when they are young and there is no one to apprentice them. If caught, they will be executed if they are Lower or Middle-Cast. Upper-Caste outlaws are merely exiled. It is rumored that many of Akadia's outlaws leave Akadia and journey to the Southern Sandseas, where there is a tribe of the most notorious outlaws living out in the desert.
MEDICINE
While herbs and natural healing is practiced, most Akadians believe in Divine Healing. Most refuse any type of Medecine, instead praying to the Ancestors/Divinity. If there is no intersection, it is believed the Family did not pray hard enough or sincerely enough, or that the victim did something to anger the Heavens, perhaps soemthing no one else knew about. Those who do accept Medicinal Healing are often shunned as Non-Believers, or at least of having a very weak faith. The only ones who really use Medicines are the very wealthy Upper-Caste. Mental illness is treated as possession, as a punishment from the Heavens. It is believed the Divine, or a disgruntled Ancestor, comes to Earth to torment an unfaithful or sinful person. Those unfortunate enough to be in a Lower-Caste will be killed, most often stoned to death. Those in the Higher-Castes are usually entombed in their own room and fed through a slit until they die. Once they die the room is completely closed up, and the person is forgotten, as though they never existed.
RELIGION
The Religion followed in Akadia is one that has many different Gods and Goddesses, with different appearances and personalities. They can manifest as 'The Goddess' or 'The God', or they can manifest as a particular God or Goddess. Ancestors are also spoken to, worshipped, and prayed to. There is a day set aside each month to honor the Goddess, and one to honor the God. Every year there is a day to honor Sultan Abdiel Salib, the man who founded the city of Akadia. The Churches are used on these special days by everyone, and elsewise they are for the Clergy. The Clergy live here and worship here daily. Clergymen/women start out low ranking, but can rise to become second in importance only to the Sultan/ess. They do not marry, their devotion being entirely to their religion. Every family shares an alter where they make burnt offerings to Divinity/Ancestors, burn incense, pray, worship, sing, and essentially just celebrate daily in their own way.
PROTECTION
The entire city is protected by a large, strong, stone wall that is patroled constantly by foot soldiers and archers. The Military of Akadia is renowned all across Lamavia. The soldiers are excellantly trained, and the weapons are top-of-the-line. There are archers, swordsman, cavalry, cannons, catapults, etc.