Khamadian

Work in progress

Khamadians are a group of people stemming from the Morvátian Peninsula and most belong to the kingdom of Khamad. One defining feature of Khamadian culture is their strong reliance on tradition and long history. Khamad was founded and has remained a single nation for over a hundred years, a fact that many Khamadians are extremely proud of.

Khamad and its people are the heart of Charos' old realms, and that can be seen in modern Khamadian culture. Their values very strongly reflect the ideals of Charos, including his motto of "Ghoj vatlh dah!", meaning "Strength and honor".

Ghoj vatlh dah. ("Strength and honor"). Note that the "a":s in this script use an archaic form of the letter, with the top wave connecting at the top of the stem, instead of slightly down on the stem as in modern qaj. by Tobias Linder

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The dominant language of Khamadians is Qaj, as is the case for most people in the peninsula. However, a large portion of Khamadians are also somewhat fluent in Ósleiðr, given their tight border to the empire of Kfandr. Particularly those living along the border with Gimroan neighbours or those who are frequent travelers, such as diplomats and traders, are fluent speakers of Ósleiðr.

Khamad is a very large nation, spanning an enormous area, which means that language is bound to change and shift depending on where you live in the country. A few notable differences are the far northern dialects among the mountain tribes and remote farms, where certain sounds are present that don't exist in standard Qaj. In the north, you have a distinct "F" sound from a beginning "V" (such as "Fynr", rather than "Vynr".) In addition, they have a straight nasal "N" sound which does not exist on its own in standard Qaj, instead being a voiced, velar nasal "NG" sound. Compare "Vyngr", the traditional Qaj-sounding name to "Fynr", a northern variation of the same name.

Common Etiquette

While the Khamadians are nowhere near as burduse, and depending on your own culture, downright rude as for instance Irdárians, they're still a very forward and direct people who generally will state their business and be done with you, rather than small talk. Like Irdárians, they value their time and do not spend unnecessary time on pleasantries but will get to the point and state their desires succinctly. It's not uncommon to simply walk up to someone, state your business and then turn and leave without saying either "Hello" or "Goodbye". The conversational partner will understand that you are done when you leave. It's not rude, it's simply custom. However, while other Morvátian cultures largely lack these pleasantries, Khamadians do have them, even if they are not used all the time.

A "hello" or "goodbye" is considered additional politeness when speaking to a Khamadian, rather than a necessary part of communication. A Gimroan might consider you rude if you leave it out, while a Khamadian will see you as exceptionally polite if you add it.

Body language

Body language and physical presence plays a large part of Khamadian customs, much like the rest of the Morvátian cultures. Even if you do leave a conversation without stating a closing "goodbye", it is advisable not to turn your back to them immediately, as this will be seen as a sign of disgust and could be interpreted as an insult, or even a challenge. Instead, take one large step backwards, maintain eye contact and then briskly turn around and walk away. If you are nervous about being interpreted as aggressive or rude, you can perform the traditional salute before taking the step, emphasizing your politeness.

The traditional salute is performed by striking the left side of your chest, right below your collarbone, with your open right hand once, then clenching it to a fist in the same position. The strike should be hard enough to leave a resonating "thud" in your chest cavity, or make your armor rattle.

Khamadian culture is old and lays something of a groundwork to Morvátian customs in general, so it's common to see certain behaviours replicated throughout the entire peninsula. The emphasis on body language and the intricate meaning of seemingly similar, yet subtly different movements are all parts of old Khamadian culture.

Parent ethnicities

• Morvátu

Related Organizations

• Khamad

Related Locations

• Morvátian Peninsula
• Northern Fields of Irdar

Masculine names
Asogh
Adus
Bok'na
Jorek
Kavor
Klaah
Radok
Vadak
Vyngr

Feminine names
Aelanti
Araji
Arij'El
Beyal
Buhda
Chu'key
Chu'day
Dame
Elngira'
Kalitta
Keyla

Related Reading

The culture is rife with small etiquette gestures and you'd do well to study them before you attempt to interact with them. An example is that if you intend to challenge someone's point in a very direct way, you hit them across the face with an open palm. This is commonly only done by those who are of superior stature towards their subordinates, as a way to assert dominance, but can also be used by someone of lower standing. However, if it is done by a subordinate or someone of lower standing, it might be challenged by combat in return.

Be careful not to clench your fist and hit them! A fist-strike to the face is a direct challenge to immediate unarmed combat. Whatever you do, do not hit them with the back of your hand! A backhanded slap is commonly the sign that you intend to challenge them to a duel to the death.

Dress Code and Clothing Culture

Khamadian clothing is often practical and functional first, beautiful second. The focus and important the Khamadians place upon martial prowess truly permeates their clothing culture as well. It is not uncommon to see people walk around their every-day work wearing some form of armor and being armed with a convenient sidearm. Shortswords and war knives are common among Khamadians and are as much a part of clothing as it is a defensive weapon.

Colors tend to be earthy, such as browns, greens and grays. Items of clothing are generally quite covering, with long arms being the norm. Leather is a common part of clothing, often being put on top of fabric as decoration. Clothes are rarely revealing out of practicality, but when someone wishes to "dress up", they'll usually show off large and prominent muscles, such as thighs, calves and the arms. This holds true for both men and women.

A tradition among eastern morvatian cultures is the importance of family and this is reflected in Khamadian clothing through the tradition of wearing the house emblem on your clothing. Each house has an emblem that they bear openly and proudly.

Funerary rites and traditions

Khamad is a country where Ghoj'Sap Tah is the dominant religion and as such, most Khamadians are followers of that path as well, leading to their traditions and myth being those of the Honorbound.

Khamadians believe in an afterlife in Mak'ta'kel, the palace of honor where Charos awaits them. Their souls will be collected by the Rachatlha, the great spirit warriors who serve him, to guide them to the afterlife. In order for them to be noticed, and worthy, of the Rachatlha, Khamadians believe they must die doing something worthwhile. Dying in combat is one of the most honorful things one can do and guarantees one a place in the afterlife. The Rachatlha are empowered by Charos to pass judgement on the soul they collect, seeing their entire life and their deeds. Those unworthy to enter Mak'ta'kel are left outside it's gates, doomed to toil the outlands, or Pu'hleght (not to be confused with the frozen swamps of northwestern Morvatian Peninsula, also called Pu'hleght).

A tradition that has survived until modern day, is that the sould remains in the body for at least a night before the Rachatlha come for it. It is therefore a deep seated tradition for the closest friends and family of a fallen one to sit by the body through the night to protect it from wild animals, to allow for the soul to leave the body and travel to Mak'ta'kel. The tradition is called Bah'ji'batlh'a and is so deeply rooted in Morvatian culture that Khamadians perform it to this very day, even for those who are not at risk of predators that could steal the body. No one truly does it to protect the deceased against predators anymore. It's strictly tradition and is done to everyone who has fallen honorably.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Khamadians are traditional honorbounds, which means they favor strength, valor and martial prowess above many other traits. Beauty, while appreciated, is not the most important part of attraction. Physical prowess, skill and above all; reputation is far more important than your physical appearance. A popular, legendary or politically powerful Khamadian is much more likely to be considered attractive than one who is physically attractive, but largely unknown.

Gender ideals

The Kykr society is binary, so there are strong roles for both men and women to fulfill and while both sexes enjoy a relative equal standing in society, they both have different roles to fit into. As a traditionalist society there isn't much room for those who do not fit into the traditional binary mindset.

Both men and women can be nobility and hold leadership position, even though the kingdom practices patriarchal primogeniture, meaning only men can become kings. Traditional male roles include military service, physically demanding work such as quarry workers, miners, farmers etc while female roles are related to business, home-care, home-defense, childbirth and education of children. This makes women the administrators and caretakers of the home and property. Because of the highly physically demanding work that men are expected to do, their lifespans tend to be shorter than women, especially if employed in warfare. However, the same can be said for women who hold physically demanding jobs or who are employed as soldiers. Just because there's a cultural assumption for men to hold the dangerous and physically demanding jobs, doesn't mean women are barred from them or even discouraged to do them.

Both men and women are expected to be at least competent fighters and both are expected to defend their house if attacked.

Courtship Ideals

Khamadians do not appreciate pussyfooting, but prefer direct and honest people. This holds true for courtship as well. If you want to approach a potential partner, you should be direct about it. Don't sugarcoat it, don't be shy and above all: do not hesitate. State your business and be open with your intentions or Khamadians will misinterpret your behaviour as one of disgust. However, make sure you are respecting consent. Do not touch a Khamadian without their permission or you may lose your hand. Also it's rude.

Social standing is important with courtship. Someone with many victories, songs and legends told about them will have an easier time courting others than someone who has suffered many defeats or has dishonored themselves.