Post by Kizmet on Jun 13, 2011 23:21:12 GMT -5
HISTORY
Long ago there lived a single people on the whole of Lamavia, known simply as the Haida, meaning 'The People'. As time passed, some found the plains to their liking, others the Forest, some the Mountains, some the North. And some of the Haida found that they preferred the heat and harshness of the desert. Over time the Haida split into 5 distinct groups, naming themselves after the lands they liked best. And so, before history was recorded and before the land beame known as Lamavia, the desert dwellers began to call themselves the Ivera'l'Haida, or The People of the Desert. They are also call themselves Ashu'l'Sethu, or The Guardians of the Spirits.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
The Ivera are the smallest of the Haidans, probably an adaptation taking effect due to the heat of their desert environment. Men average 5'4" and women average 5'. Their skin has a yellow pallor from the dusty sand of their homelands, but the actual color is a medium ruddy color, brown or tan with a touch of red. Male and females of all ages are kept shaved from head to toe. Like all Haidans, pure Ivera'l'Haidan have brilliant cerulean blue eyes. They are powerfully built, with especially strong arms. The only Ivera that do not shave their heads are the Shaman, who allow their hair to grow continously.
POSSESSIONS
The Ivera do not have much in the way of physical possessions. They have bowls made from gourd crops such as squah and pumpkin. They have blankets that are used to sleep on and cover with during the cold nights. At the entrance to their homes hang chimes made from gourds, corn husks, rocks, cactus, and bone. The Ivera believe spirits, both evil and benign, travel in the wind. The chimes invite benign spirits in while warding off evil spirits. Every Ivera, even children, carry on their person at all times a small drinking gourd and a small sharp stone knife. The walls of the homes are decorated with pictures drawn onto them that depict family stories and which can be refrenced to when the family sits and tells stories during the night.
LIVING QUARTERS
The Ivera live in large caves that are carved into the sides of the rocky hills that border the North-Western edge of the desert. The caves are natural occurences, and many family units live together in a single cavern. At the back of the caves food is stored.
SOCIAL SKILLS
The Ivera are the most openly hostile of the Haidan natives. Only under the most extreme of circumstances are non-haidans allowed within the vicinty of Hakeysh'l'Ashu. The Ivera take no hostages, and will kill those who invade their land. Hakeysh Ashu, meaning 'The Spirit Rocks' is considered a place of some religious importance among the Ivera'l'Haidan. They believe only natives may walk there, or those specially ordained by The Ancients (their Gods/Goddesses). Otherwise, chaos and plague will consume the Haida peoples. To non-haidans, the Ivera appear cold and emotionless. To one another they show their softer side. Calling themselves Ashu'l'Sethu, they believe they are the Guardians of The Ancients. Respect is shown to the Shaman, the Elders, and ones own parents more than any other.
DIET
The Ivera predominately live off of the plants they find and grow and the fish they catch in the river, with little meat from land animals. Their diet is richer than that of the Akadians because they incorporate more fruits and vegetables and less grains by collecting a variety of wild plants.Wild Plants include Mesquite Pods, Saguaro Cactus Fruit, Prickly Pear Cactus, Saltweed, Pigweed, Purslane, Tumbleweed, Stinging Nettle, Cholla Buds, Pinon Nuts, Agave, Acacia, Black Fig, Apricots, Tomatillos, Sesame, Juniper Berries, Sumac Berries, Lentils, Onions, Plantain, & Pomegranate. Grains and Cultivated Plants include Corn, Sorghum, Barley, Rice, Chile Peppers, Olive, Beans, Squash, & Millet. Meat and Fish include kin'l'enu'ekem, Alem'l'mw'ekem, Kangaroos, Jack Rabbits, Snakes, Lizards, Camels, Coyotes, Fennec Foxes, Mule Deer, Rats, Pupfish, Salmon, Trout, Bass, Catfish, Rockfish, Sandfish, Crayfish, & Fresh Water Clams. The Ivera eat several tiny meals a day, mostly of fresh picked greens of one sort or another. There is a larger meal eaten around dawn, and a larger meal eaten around dusk, and these two meals are the only ones to incorporate meat and grains, and the only meals to be eaten hot. They are cooked just outside the entrance of the cave over a open fire.
FASHION AND DRESS
During the day, male Ivera'l'Haidans, young and old, wear a type of skirt around their waists. It is made of strips of animal skin and feathers. One strip is wrapped about the waist and tied in the back. The other strips, all about 12 inches long, are tied to the waist strip and left to dangle down about 10 inches. They also wear animal hide shoes to protect their feet from the hot sand and rocks. Females wear the same, as well as an additional 'skirt' that is tied just beneath their arms. The 10 inch strips of skin and feathers dangle down to cover their chests. These 'skirts' are called teffa by the Haidan peoples. At night, three-layer fur suits are worn. The outter layers are made of skin. The two skins have a 2 inch layer of blubber between them. The outter skin layer has fur facing outwards away from the body, whereas the inner layer has the fur facing inwards toward the body. The Ivera, men and women, make and wear jewelry of clay, bones, dried corn, semiprecious stones, gems, and metals, and rocks. All garments and jewelry are painted with brightly colored inks made of natural dyes from plants.
EDUCATION
There is no formal education for Iveran children. They learn what they need to know to survive from their parents and other Tribe Members. Until they are 5 they stay home with their Mothers. Once they turn five they begin to go with the men to Farm and Fish and Hunt more and more often. When they are 10, the boys join their Fathers full time, while the girls stop going and stay with their Mothers except for special occassions. All children are taught to draw, sing, and play instruments. All are told the stories of the Haidan, and specificlly the Ivera'l'Haidan on a regular basis.
COMMUNICATION
The Ivera'l'Haida speak the Native, or Haidan, Language. All of the Native Tribes speak the same language, harkening back to the days when they were a single people. They do not speak the Traders Language because they have little contact with the outside world, and few leave Hakeysh Ashu and return. The Haidan Language is a complex, vowel-laden language often connected in long strings with commas. It involves the use of hand signals and body languagea great deal of the time and can be difficult for a non-native speaker to learn.
PROFESSIONS
All Iverans help, in one way or another, with everything. Predominately the males are the Farmers, Hunters, and Fishers while the females are Home-Makers, Cooks, and Gatherers. Men and women both make clothing and jewelry and help with rearing the children. Sometimes, the roles are switched up. If a girl-child shows an apptitude for what is seen as a man's job, she is most often taken and trained in this and allowed to flourish naturally. Same as a boy-child with a 'womans' job. The only other job for an Ivera'l'Haidan is that of Shaman. A child who shows an aptitude for magick and magery is trained in the ways of the shaman and considered to be 'marked'. They cannot mingle with the other Ivera except in very strict circumstances. There can only be 3 Shaman in the Tribe at once. If a child is born as a fourth, it is attempted to first stiffle their abilities. If this cannot be done by the time the child reaches their 5th year, or if their powers prove too strong to handle before that, they are taken just past the river that flows closest to Hakeysh Ashu and left there with what supplies they will need for a small amount of time. Surrounding peoples tell stories of these children banding together to form a nomadic tribe of Ivera'l'Haida offshots, but it is unproven. Most end up in Akadia or joing the Yakima'l'Haida when the wagons come through.
MEDICINE
The Shaman serves as the Healer for the Ivera'l'Haida. Through complex ritualistic prayer coupled with use of medicinal herbs, the Shamanic Healer tends to be able to solve most ailments that are found in the people. Because of their isolation, the Ivera rarely get strange and exotic diseases. But, this isolation also causes any such outbreaks to be extremely severe, and possibly part of the reason for their self-imposed isolation at Hakeysh Ashu
RELIGION
The Ivera, like all Haidans, believe in The Ancient Ones, a race of Gods and Goddesses who control nature and can either help or hinder the mortals living in Lamavia. Known as 'Ashu Ashee' in the Native Tongue, the Ivera believe all Haidans are the chosen race of The Ancients, and that the Ivera are the protectors of the Ancient Truth. The Cycles of the Sun and Moon as well as the Seasons and the Weather are celebrated by all Haidan Tribes, each embodied by a specific God or Goddess. (For more information on this religion, see the seperate topic 'The Native Religion' found under 'About Kizmet's RPG, Religion)
PROTECTION
The Ivera'l'Haida make many different weapons to help them keep their lands safe. They also train coyotes, Kin'l'enu'ekem, & Alem'l'mw'ekem to protect the camp. They use mostly rock and bones to make weapons, making spears, bows and arrows, swords, daggers, knives, shields, and a variety of other similar weaponry.
Long ago there lived a single people on the whole of Lamavia, known simply as the Haida, meaning 'The People'. As time passed, some found the plains to their liking, others the Forest, some the Mountains, some the North. And some of the Haida found that they preferred the heat and harshness of the desert. Over time the Haida split into 5 distinct groups, naming themselves after the lands they liked best. And so, before history was recorded and before the land beame known as Lamavia, the desert dwellers began to call themselves the Ivera'l'Haida, or The People of the Desert. They are also call themselves Ashu'l'Sethu, or The Guardians of the Spirits.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
The Ivera are the smallest of the Haidans, probably an adaptation taking effect due to the heat of their desert environment. Men average 5'4" and women average 5'. Their skin has a yellow pallor from the dusty sand of their homelands, but the actual color is a medium ruddy color, brown or tan with a touch of red. Male and females of all ages are kept shaved from head to toe. Like all Haidans, pure Ivera'l'Haidan have brilliant cerulean blue eyes. They are powerfully built, with especially strong arms. The only Ivera that do not shave their heads are the Shaman, who allow their hair to grow continously.
POSSESSIONS
The Ivera do not have much in the way of physical possessions. They have bowls made from gourd crops such as squah and pumpkin. They have blankets that are used to sleep on and cover with during the cold nights. At the entrance to their homes hang chimes made from gourds, corn husks, rocks, cactus, and bone. The Ivera believe spirits, both evil and benign, travel in the wind. The chimes invite benign spirits in while warding off evil spirits. Every Ivera, even children, carry on their person at all times a small drinking gourd and a small sharp stone knife. The walls of the homes are decorated with pictures drawn onto them that depict family stories and which can be refrenced to when the family sits and tells stories during the night.
LIVING QUARTERS
The Ivera live in large caves that are carved into the sides of the rocky hills that border the North-Western edge of the desert. The caves are natural occurences, and many family units live together in a single cavern. At the back of the caves food is stored.
SOCIAL SKILLS
The Ivera are the most openly hostile of the Haidan natives. Only under the most extreme of circumstances are non-haidans allowed within the vicinty of Hakeysh'l'Ashu. The Ivera take no hostages, and will kill those who invade their land. Hakeysh Ashu, meaning 'The Spirit Rocks' is considered a place of some religious importance among the Ivera'l'Haidan. They believe only natives may walk there, or those specially ordained by The Ancients (their Gods/Goddesses). Otherwise, chaos and plague will consume the Haida peoples. To non-haidans, the Ivera appear cold and emotionless. To one another they show their softer side. Calling themselves Ashu'l'Sethu, they believe they are the Guardians of The Ancients. Respect is shown to the Shaman, the Elders, and ones own parents more than any other.
DIET
The Ivera predominately live off of the plants they find and grow and the fish they catch in the river, with little meat from land animals. Their diet is richer than that of the Akadians because they incorporate more fruits and vegetables and less grains by collecting a variety of wild plants.Wild Plants include Mesquite Pods, Saguaro Cactus Fruit, Prickly Pear Cactus, Saltweed, Pigweed, Purslane, Tumbleweed, Stinging Nettle, Cholla Buds, Pinon Nuts, Agave, Acacia, Black Fig, Apricots, Tomatillos, Sesame, Juniper Berries, Sumac Berries, Lentils, Onions, Plantain, & Pomegranate. Grains and Cultivated Plants include Corn, Sorghum, Barley, Rice, Chile Peppers, Olive, Beans, Squash, & Millet. Meat and Fish include kin'l'enu'ekem, Alem'l'mw'ekem, Kangaroos, Jack Rabbits, Snakes, Lizards, Camels, Coyotes, Fennec Foxes, Mule Deer, Rats, Pupfish, Salmon, Trout, Bass, Catfish, Rockfish, Sandfish, Crayfish, & Fresh Water Clams. The Ivera eat several tiny meals a day, mostly of fresh picked greens of one sort or another. There is a larger meal eaten around dawn, and a larger meal eaten around dusk, and these two meals are the only ones to incorporate meat and grains, and the only meals to be eaten hot. They are cooked just outside the entrance of the cave over a open fire.
FASHION AND DRESS
During the day, male Ivera'l'Haidans, young and old, wear a type of skirt around their waists. It is made of strips of animal skin and feathers. One strip is wrapped about the waist and tied in the back. The other strips, all about 12 inches long, are tied to the waist strip and left to dangle down about 10 inches. They also wear animal hide shoes to protect their feet from the hot sand and rocks. Females wear the same, as well as an additional 'skirt' that is tied just beneath their arms. The 10 inch strips of skin and feathers dangle down to cover their chests. These 'skirts' are called teffa by the Haidan peoples. At night, three-layer fur suits are worn. The outter layers are made of skin. The two skins have a 2 inch layer of blubber between them. The outter skin layer has fur facing outwards away from the body, whereas the inner layer has the fur facing inwards toward the body. The Ivera, men and women, make and wear jewelry of clay, bones, dried corn, semiprecious stones, gems, and metals, and rocks. All garments and jewelry are painted with brightly colored inks made of natural dyes from plants.
EDUCATION
There is no formal education for Iveran children. They learn what they need to know to survive from their parents and other Tribe Members. Until they are 5 they stay home with their Mothers. Once they turn five they begin to go with the men to Farm and Fish and Hunt more and more often. When they are 10, the boys join their Fathers full time, while the girls stop going and stay with their Mothers except for special occassions. All children are taught to draw, sing, and play instruments. All are told the stories of the Haidan, and specificlly the Ivera'l'Haidan on a regular basis.
COMMUNICATION
The Ivera'l'Haida speak the Native, or Haidan, Language. All of the Native Tribes speak the same language, harkening back to the days when they were a single people. They do not speak the Traders Language because they have little contact with the outside world, and few leave Hakeysh Ashu and return. The Haidan Language is a complex, vowel-laden language often connected in long strings with commas. It involves the use of hand signals and body languagea great deal of the time and can be difficult for a non-native speaker to learn.
PROFESSIONS
All Iverans help, in one way or another, with everything. Predominately the males are the Farmers, Hunters, and Fishers while the females are Home-Makers, Cooks, and Gatherers. Men and women both make clothing and jewelry and help with rearing the children. Sometimes, the roles are switched up. If a girl-child shows an apptitude for what is seen as a man's job, she is most often taken and trained in this and allowed to flourish naturally. Same as a boy-child with a 'womans' job. The only other job for an Ivera'l'Haidan is that of Shaman. A child who shows an aptitude for magick and magery is trained in the ways of the shaman and considered to be 'marked'. They cannot mingle with the other Ivera except in very strict circumstances. There can only be 3 Shaman in the Tribe at once. If a child is born as a fourth, it is attempted to first stiffle their abilities. If this cannot be done by the time the child reaches their 5th year, or if their powers prove too strong to handle before that, they are taken just past the river that flows closest to Hakeysh Ashu and left there with what supplies they will need for a small amount of time. Surrounding peoples tell stories of these children banding together to form a nomadic tribe of Ivera'l'Haida offshots, but it is unproven. Most end up in Akadia or joing the Yakima'l'Haida when the wagons come through.
MEDICINE
The Shaman serves as the Healer for the Ivera'l'Haida. Through complex ritualistic prayer coupled with use of medicinal herbs, the Shamanic Healer tends to be able to solve most ailments that are found in the people. Because of their isolation, the Ivera rarely get strange and exotic diseases. But, this isolation also causes any such outbreaks to be extremely severe, and possibly part of the reason for their self-imposed isolation at Hakeysh Ashu
RELIGION
The Ivera, like all Haidans, believe in The Ancient Ones, a race of Gods and Goddesses who control nature and can either help or hinder the mortals living in Lamavia. Known as 'Ashu Ashee' in the Native Tongue, the Ivera believe all Haidans are the chosen race of The Ancients, and that the Ivera are the protectors of the Ancient Truth. The Cycles of the Sun and Moon as well as the Seasons and the Weather are celebrated by all Haidan Tribes, each embodied by a specific God or Goddess. (For more information on this religion, see the seperate topic 'The Native Religion' found under 'About Kizmet's RPG, Religion)
PROTECTION
The Ivera'l'Haida make many different weapons to help them keep their lands safe. They also train coyotes, Kin'l'enu'ekem, & Alem'l'mw'ekem to protect the camp. They use mostly rock and bones to make weapons, making spears, bows and arrows, swords, daggers, knives, shields, and a variety of other similar weaponry.