by TheCalicoTabby » Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:30 am
Appearance:Hair is important to kartheans--long hair is thought to show experience and wisdom. It is often braided and decorated with colourful beads. A karth who commits a serious crime may have their hair cut as a punishment, often being exiled as well. This is one of the only situations a karth's hair will be cut, therefore karth who are not children and have short hair are seen as dangerous and untrustworthy. Wigs or any other kind of fake hair are seen as vain, arrogant, and dishonest.
Kartheans often tattoo their skin and dye their hair in various colours. The hair dye will eventually wash out, though higher quality dyes will last longer. There are two kinds of tattoos. The first are temporary ones, which are often used decoratively in the same way humans use make-up. These can last up to a month before needing to be renewed. Then there are permanent tattoos, usually symbolic, that are often used to mark important events, such as reaching adulthood or becoming bonded to someone. Some common symbolic tattoos can be found here.
Bonding:Karthean's 'bonds' are slightly different than human marriages. They focus less on romance or reproduction, and are often closer to what humans would consider very close friends than couples. Bonded pairs are just as commonly pairs of the same sex as those of opposite sexes. Not every karth will become bonded, and it is not a decision they undertake lightly. To become bonded, a karthean must be 14 years old or older. Though allowed, young kartheans becoming bonded is generally seen as rushed and foolish. Most wait until they are older--at least past 30. A bonded pair is expected to spend the rest of their lives together, protecting and caring for one another. They may still have relationships, romantic or otherwise, with other karth, but are expected to put their bonded partner first.
Childhood:Karthean children are not usually raised by their biological parents. As eggs, they are given to caretakers--kartheans who devote their lives to protecting, caring for, and teaching young karth until they reach maturity. Caretakers are not allowed to bond with other karth; the nature of bonding expects one to put one other karthean above all else, and caretakers are expected to care for nobody more than the children under their care. There are no laws against leaving the job to become bonded, but it is frowned upon. Caretakers are very well respected in karthean society, and though they have no real authority over adult karth, they are often sought out for advice.
Once a karthean has reached maturity at 14, they can choose to leave their caretakers immediately, though many choose to stay for a few more years before they feel ready to set off on their own. Once they do leave, they must choose an area to work in. Some common occupations are caretakers, farmers, fishers, architects, smiths, weavers, dye makers, woodworkers, healers, artists, entertainers, and soldiers. Once a young karth has chosen, they are expected to find an older karthean already established in the trade. They then must impress this older karth in some way. Depending on the trade and on the karth, this may come in the form of gifts, demonstrations of skill, or even sparring matches. Very successful kartheans may have multiple young karth vying for their attention. Eventually, they will chose one apprentice, and will begin to teach them all that they know. It will take anywhere from a year to a decade, but eventually they will deem their apprentice ready to continue without them. At this point, that karth may take an apprentice of their own, and the cycle will continue.
Government:The kartheans in this part of the world are ruled by a queen. Very few have actually met her, and for the most part she does not interfere, allowing villages and cities within her domain to govern themselves so long as they follow some basic laws sent forth each year by a royal messenger, who also collects mandatory 'gifts' from each karthean for the queen. She is rumoured to have a powerful army; not particularly large, but made up of the most strong and skilled kartheans known. Each year, many karthean warriors journey to her fortress in hopes of joining. Most return to their homes disappointed--the others are never heard from again. Whether they met misfortune on their journey or succeeded in their quest is unknown. The queen and her guard are almost mystical figures to the average karthean--apart from the rumours and stories and the yearly messenger, they play next to no role in every day life.
Each individual village and city is lead differently. Some have a single ruler, either voted on, ruling by force, or by birthright, and some are lead by groups with similar reasons. Some smaller villages have no clear leaders, managing to work together without one. One consistent law of the queen is that no karthean or group of kartheans can rule more than one city or village, with rules regulating the size of the city that can be ruled. This law is one of the few directly enforced by the queen's knights.
Economy:Kartheans have no money or other currency. Instead, they trade. Most villages and cities have a large central marketplace where kartheans can come to trade their goods and services for others. The soldiers, who guard the cities and keep the law, are paid by the queen herself. The payment varies, but is usually in small, valuable items (such as fine jewelry) that can be traded for other supplies. Caretakers, who, like the soldiers, serve the community but have nothing to trade, live on donations from the rest of their city or village. Because of how highly respected they are, these are not hard to come by. It is traditional for parents giving a new egg to the caretakers to include a gift with it.
Religion:The religions and spiritual beliefs of kartheans are varied, but the ocean plays an important role in much of their mythology. Though it can be dangerous, kartheans have always relied on the ocean--fish make up a large part of their diet, and ocean water has sustained them in times of drought.
Last edited by
TheCalicoTabby on Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:26 am, edited 11 times in total.
