| Yakira | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Height |
Male: 5' 8" Female: 5' 4" | |
|
Weight |
170 pounds | |
|
Form |
Humanoid - Tan/Brown | |
|
Lifespan |
70 | |
|
| ||
Physiology
The Yakira are a tan/brown-skinned, slender, 5 foot 8 (average) race of Men. They typically have brown or black hair, and brown eyes. The women are slightly shorter at 5 foot 4 (average).
Culture
The Yakira are a jungle dwelling, tribal race, who value power and status more than anything else. Living in rainforests, they typically live in small villages nearby rivers, where they find ample supplies of food and water.
Yakira society is centered around the forest, and the spirits that live within. As well as worshipping the various gods, they worship the jungle themselves, and believe that they need to appease the evil spirits that lurk within. The spirits of the Kam'ak'tuun are the deadliest - black beasts that descend from the trees, and steal the souls of their prey.
To this end, the Yakira practice ritual human, animal sacrifice, and other primitive rituals to appease the spirits. In their eyes, the only way to protect ones soul is to offer the spirits another in return. The Shaman of the tribe are charged with protecting the other villagers - and will do anything from annoiting them with blood, to dark, obscene rituals.
Societal Structure
The Yakira society is built around a caste system. From the bottom up, the order is Gatherers, Hunters, Craftmen, Warriors, Shaman, Chieftain.
Gatherers
Gatherers are typically unskilled individuals, too weak to be warriors, too slow to be hunters, and too stupid to be shaman. However, they are fulfill a very important role in Yakira society - namely, fishing. As well as gathering berries, nuts, honey, and other food stuffs, they also fish the rivers the Yakira depend on, and therefore are extremely important.
Hunters
Hunters are often warriors in training, though they often employ very different tactics than the warrior caste does. The Yakira hunters use bows and arrows primarily to hunt, as well as traps, fire, and other primitive, but effective tools. While the majority of the food is provided by the Gatherers, the rare piece of red meat make Hunters a cherished, if overvalued caste.
Craftmen
Craftmen, or simply "Makers", are the builders of Yakira society. They build houses, make weapons, weave baskets, and even more. They are not only a very important caste socially, but are fundamental to their continued existence. They are one of the only castes to actually receive some form of education.
Warriors
The Yakira are proud warriors, who fight with little or no armor on - and indeed, little or no clothing. They often war against each other, with the only alliances arising out of a joint bid for power (which usually collapses upon victory, destroying what the alliance achieved), or when an invading force attacks. In battle, they fight with spears and shields, ferociously attacking their enemy. However, the majority of their fighting is guerilla warfare - poisoning water supply, crippling food supplies and the kidnap and murder of enemy women are all part of their brief.
Shaman
Shaman are in some ways, the most revered caste in Yakira. They are conjurers, divinators, and priests, devoutly following the Primal Gods, and the Mystic Gods to a lesser extent. As well as performing priestly duties ranging from reading the stars to sacrificing animals and people, they also practice cannibalism, and necromancy. Necromancy is reserved for fallen enemies, whose corpses are enslaved and used for labor and rituals. Such rituals happen behind closed doors, and no outside has been ever able to observe them.
Chieftain
The Chieftain is the leader of the tribe, who rules over his lands (usually just a village and the surrounding areas), and settles any disputes between people. He is the judge, jury and executioner when it comes to the law, personally carrying out punishments. He is usually drawn from the Warrior Caste, and is always the son or daughter of the previous Chieftain. The Chieftains wife or husband (not related by blood) is always drawn from the opposite class of the Chieftain - either a Warrior or a Shaman.