Post by Achim on Sept 21, 2016 2:46:08 GMT
Religion: The Atticans are deeply religious, but do not treat their beliefs as a series of special rituals that must be undertaking in the presence of a sacred artifact or place. Instead, they go about their daily lives as they normally would, but ensure that their deities are pleased with them. Normally, they will begin and end each month with a sacrifice, the first being to their chosen deity, and the second being to all of the gods. The entire tribe will also gather in a sacred ritual site at the end of each year and spend the last day of the year and the first of the next there, signifying their commitment to serving the gods every year. There is a significance behind this, and that is to ensure that while they may choose their chosen deity, they are loyal to all of the gods in the end. They recognize the existence of numerous gods, even going so far as to accept the existence of other tribes gods. The reason for this is that the Atticans don't believe themselves, or any other tribes, able to fully comprehend the god's nature and just how many there are. In addition to this reverence for several gods and goddesses, each member of the tribe has a particular appreciation for a certain deity and will perhaps pray or offer sacrifices to them moreso than the others.
According to Attican shamans, the gods are assembled in a pantheon, with the four most powerful deities coming together to form a council should the need arise for the gods to take action over the corporeal realm. This is rarely an occurrence, however, as whatever disaster that could potentially warrant such action is normally dealt with by whatever god holds domain over where the disaster took place. Said domains are the elements, and each of the four gods rule over one in particular. In order from the most territory owned to the least, there is Vontus, Lord of the Sea, followed by Geia, Mother of the Wind. Then there is Ouros, Titan of the Earth, and finally Nemisen, Guardian of Fire.
Philosophy: The Atticans, while constantly striving to please their gods, also have a respect for the land around them, since it is still the realms of the gods. This does not stop them from taking what they need to survive in the harsh world they find themselves in, often cutting down trees and digging into the earth to find materials that can help improve daily life for the tribe.
When dealing with other tribes, the Atticans adopt a friendly, albeit suspicious demeanor. They have no reason to outright distrust another people upon first meeting them, though they have no reason to accept them with open arms either. Numerous conflicts with hostile tribes in the past gave rise to this suspicion, but the Atticans are willing to accept the past for what it is and move on. They normally seek trade alliances as an initial gesture of camaraderie, and should such a while such a relationship may lead to prosperity for both tribes, and Atticans will likely not pursue anything more beyond offering military support to their allies.
When at war, the normally peace-loving Atticans become a fierce foe indeed. While many tribes have a favored terrain to fight in, this tribe has always prided itself in it's versatility on the battlefield. As such, it's warriors, while making up only a quarter of the tribe's population, are deadly warriors indeed. Most of those who defend the tribe are huntsmen or fishermen, only a select handful being dedicated soldiers. Thanks to the village's position in a natural half-cave, enemies approaching from the ground or sea are forced to move through up a treacherous land-bridge to the tribe's walls, all the while being pelted by arrows from the tribe's warriors or assaulted by said warrior's Pteranodon mounts.
Government: The government of the Atticans could be described as a despotic democracy. The Hierarch, be it man or woman, is elected to the throne through a majority vote after they have committed a deed that proved to benefit the tribe in a major way, whether that is slaying a mighty beast or finding a new resource to trade. Even finding an artifact believed to be of the gods is grounds for selecting a new ruler. Once a ruler is in place, however, they are there for a term of six years. Afterwards, they return to the masses of villagers and are stripped of any sort of political power. However, most rulers tend to consult former leaders of the tribe, and it is possible for a leader to be re-elected should they do something else to warrant it.
The current Hierarch, Matron Alejandra, was elected to be such after she led a hunting party out into the forest near the village with the purpose of seeking out a Tyrannosaurus Rex that had been terrorizing hunters and fishermen alike for weeks. After a few days of tracking the beast, Alejandra's party corned it and all struck at once, prompting a ferocious struggle for victory. In the end, the soon-to-be Hierarch found herself on top of the beast and jabbed her sword into it's neck, severing it's windpipe and bringing it to the ground. Thanks to this heroic victory, along with having suffered minimal losses from those that were sent out, Alejandra was paraded through the village as their savior, and summarily elected into the throne by a landslide. Now, two years into her reign, she still leads with the wisdom and vigor of her first days, seeking to better the tribe in any way possible.
Village and People: Attica is located on a cliff-side overlooking a natural harbor, with a land bridge leading down to the water to connect the two. There is another natural ramp that connects Attica to the nearby forest, allowing both huntsmen and fishermen to go out and regularly return with food for the tribe. An ever-defensive people, the Atticans established a wall of sorts comprised of a massive gate preceded by several spiked walls, along with a guard post to regulate traffic in and out of the town. The town hall is toward the back of the village next to another cliff overlooking an ocean. This is the residence of the Hierarch and their family, and the rest of the homes of the villagers are scattered about the town, along with a smithy, a watchtower, and a stables. The primary spiritual center for the Atticans is actually located outside of the village and near their hunting grounds, taking it's place on a natural arch with an awe-inspiring view of a statue of Ouros that resides above the village. Two armories are kept in the village, the first being in the top of the watchtower and the second being in the town hall.
More often than not, the Attican's garb consists of leather gathered from huntsmen and fashioned into clothing by the tribe's resident leatherworker. However, the warriors of the tribe typically bear plates of steel on their form and wield swords and shields. The town has very few beasts of burden, given the limited size of the town, but they use what they have to great effect, ferrying goods and people to and from the harbor with ease. The chosen mount of the tribe is the Pteranodon, a flying dinosaur that allows both the huntsmen, fishermen and warriors of the tribe an advantage over their enemies or prey.
Last names do not exist in Attica, but titles do, and are very prominent. Typically one is referred to by their name in an informal social setting, but their title when formality is required. When dealing with other tribes though, Atticans will undoubtedly refer to themselves by their names.
Most Atticans possess tanned skin thanks to their exposure to the sun, though those who stay in the village are typically a shade lighter than the huntsmen, fishermen, or warriors. Children of both sexes become adults at fifteen, and one of the customs of Attica is that all of it's young adults must spend a minimum of ten years as either a warrior, hunstmen, or fishermen. Following that, they can either decide to remain in their selected field, or choose to take up a skill like carpentry or tailoring and spend their time in the village.
Upon reaching the end of their life, Atticans are sent on a final journey to the tribe's sacred place, escorted by two warriors. Upon reaching said sacred place, the tribe's shaman will be waiting for them. The warriors guard the site for however long it takes the person to pass away, be it days or even weeks. Upon death, the corpse is prepared by the shaman and summarily burned on a pier once nightfall arrives. Should the elder pass away during the night, the shaman will wait until the next night to burn the body. This is to symbolize that even once the dark of night arrives, the fire of the elder's soul will still ignite and live on to be remembered by the gods.
According to Attican shamans, the gods are assembled in a pantheon, with the four most powerful deities coming together to form a council should the need arise for the gods to take action over the corporeal realm. This is rarely an occurrence, however, as whatever disaster that could potentially warrant such action is normally dealt with by whatever god holds domain over where the disaster took place. Said domains are the elements, and each of the four gods rule over one in particular. In order from the most territory owned to the least, there is Vontus, Lord of the Sea, followed by Geia, Mother of the Wind. Then there is Ouros, Titan of the Earth, and finally Nemisen, Guardian of Fire.
Philosophy: The Atticans, while constantly striving to please their gods, also have a respect for the land around them, since it is still the realms of the gods. This does not stop them from taking what they need to survive in the harsh world they find themselves in, often cutting down trees and digging into the earth to find materials that can help improve daily life for the tribe.
When dealing with other tribes, the Atticans adopt a friendly, albeit suspicious demeanor. They have no reason to outright distrust another people upon first meeting them, though they have no reason to accept them with open arms either. Numerous conflicts with hostile tribes in the past gave rise to this suspicion, but the Atticans are willing to accept the past for what it is and move on. They normally seek trade alliances as an initial gesture of camaraderie, and should such a while such a relationship may lead to prosperity for both tribes, and Atticans will likely not pursue anything more beyond offering military support to their allies.
When at war, the normally peace-loving Atticans become a fierce foe indeed. While many tribes have a favored terrain to fight in, this tribe has always prided itself in it's versatility on the battlefield. As such, it's warriors, while making up only a quarter of the tribe's population, are deadly warriors indeed. Most of those who defend the tribe are huntsmen or fishermen, only a select handful being dedicated soldiers. Thanks to the village's position in a natural half-cave, enemies approaching from the ground or sea are forced to move through up a treacherous land-bridge to the tribe's walls, all the while being pelted by arrows from the tribe's warriors or assaulted by said warrior's Pteranodon mounts.
Government: The government of the Atticans could be described as a despotic democracy. The Hierarch, be it man or woman, is elected to the throne through a majority vote after they have committed a deed that proved to benefit the tribe in a major way, whether that is slaying a mighty beast or finding a new resource to trade. Even finding an artifact believed to be of the gods is grounds for selecting a new ruler. Once a ruler is in place, however, they are there for a term of six years. Afterwards, they return to the masses of villagers and are stripped of any sort of political power. However, most rulers tend to consult former leaders of the tribe, and it is possible for a leader to be re-elected should they do something else to warrant it.
The current Hierarch, Matron Alejandra, was elected to be such after she led a hunting party out into the forest near the village with the purpose of seeking out a Tyrannosaurus Rex that had been terrorizing hunters and fishermen alike for weeks. After a few days of tracking the beast, Alejandra's party corned it and all struck at once, prompting a ferocious struggle for victory. In the end, the soon-to-be Hierarch found herself on top of the beast and jabbed her sword into it's neck, severing it's windpipe and bringing it to the ground. Thanks to this heroic victory, along with having suffered minimal losses from those that were sent out, Alejandra was paraded through the village as their savior, and summarily elected into the throne by a landslide. Now, two years into her reign, she still leads with the wisdom and vigor of her first days, seeking to better the tribe in any way possible.
Village and People: Attica is located on a cliff-side overlooking a natural harbor, with a land bridge leading down to the water to connect the two. There is another natural ramp that connects Attica to the nearby forest, allowing both huntsmen and fishermen to go out and regularly return with food for the tribe. An ever-defensive people, the Atticans established a wall of sorts comprised of a massive gate preceded by several spiked walls, along with a guard post to regulate traffic in and out of the town. The town hall is toward the back of the village next to another cliff overlooking an ocean. This is the residence of the Hierarch and their family, and the rest of the homes of the villagers are scattered about the town, along with a smithy, a watchtower, and a stables. The primary spiritual center for the Atticans is actually located outside of the village and near their hunting grounds, taking it's place on a natural arch with an awe-inspiring view of a statue of Ouros that resides above the village. Two armories are kept in the village, the first being in the top of the watchtower and the second being in the town hall.
More often than not, the Attican's garb consists of leather gathered from huntsmen and fashioned into clothing by the tribe's resident leatherworker. However, the warriors of the tribe typically bear plates of steel on their form and wield swords and shields. The town has very few beasts of burden, given the limited size of the town, but they use what they have to great effect, ferrying goods and people to and from the harbor with ease. The chosen mount of the tribe is the Pteranodon, a flying dinosaur that allows both the huntsmen, fishermen and warriors of the tribe an advantage over their enemies or prey.
Last names do not exist in Attica, but titles do, and are very prominent. Typically one is referred to by their name in an informal social setting, but their title when formality is required. When dealing with other tribes though, Atticans will undoubtedly refer to themselves by their names.
Most Atticans possess tanned skin thanks to their exposure to the sun, though those who stay in the village are typically a shade lighter than the huntsmen, fishermen, or warriors. Children of both sexes become adults at fifteen, and one of the customs of Attica is that all of it's young adults must spend a minimum of ten years as either a warrior, hunstmen, or fishermen. Following that, they can either decide to remain in their selected field, or choose to take up a skill like carpentry or tailoring and spend their time in the village.
Upon reaching the end of their life, Atticans are sent on a final journey to the tribe's sacred place, escorted by two warriors. Upon reaching said sacred place, the tribe's shaman will be waiting for them. The warriors guard the site for however long it takes the person to pass away, be it days or even weeks. Upon death, the corpse is prepared by the shaman and summarily burned on a pier once nightfall arrives. Should the elder pass away during the night, the shaman will wait until the next night to burn the body. This is to symbolize that even once the dark of night arrives, the fire of the elder's soul will still ignite and live on to be remembered by the gods.