The Djarka People (JAR-kah)

The Djarka ethnicity of orcs originate from in and around the Serpentine Mountains that divide Lar Aslaki and Oristhane, but they are a diasporic community widespread across Aotra. In their mountain homeland, the Djarka people developed a traditional practice of griffon-training and -riding. The skill of Djarka griffon-riders is such that few non-Djarka people can duplicate their capabilities, due in significant part to the way that the Djarka people keep their traditional griffon-husbandry practices a closely-held secret, and griffon-riders train only in their homeland in the Aslakan highlands (a region the Djarka refer to as Djaru). Their unique skill has made Djarka griffon-riders highly in demand as airborn cavalry. Several nations of the Circle contract with Djarka community leaders to import Djarka griffon-riders for work in their militaries. Djarka griffon-riders that immigrate for military work often bring their families with them; as a result, outside of Lar Aslaki and Oristhane, the size of a nation's Djarka population correlates well with the strength of the nation's military, with the more martially-equipped nations (namely Solisvar and the Federation) having substantial Djarka populations.
The relationship of the Djarka people to the militaries (and governments) that employ them is rarely secure and sometimes fraught. Many Djarka people, and particularly many among their griffon-riders, are followers of a stringent, ascetic ethical code that guides almost every aspect of their lives. Where their traditions are embraced, they flourish; where they face pressure to confirm, they rarely stay long. In the last several decades, this latter option has become the case for many Djarka in Solisvar: their asceticism and cultural nonconformity is increasingly unwelcome under the rule of the decadent Solisvaran monarchy. A fair few have defected to Olathe over the last few decades, much to Solisvaran chagrin. Solisvar was once the home to Aotra’s most elite griffon cavalry unit, but that unit’s glory days have faded in the time since several of its best riders have disappeared from their posts. Though the Federation has a much smaller military presence than Solisvar, it has done a noticeably better job at earning and keeping the loyalty of its Djarka troops.
The Djarka people are relatively small by orc standards: they are usually between 6’0" and 6’4" (183–193 cm) in height, and they are often more lightly-built than other orcs, features that are undoubtedly relevant to their history of griffon-riding. Most Djarka people have dark greyish skin and thick black hair. They practice a unique form of ritual tattooing that produces markings of a brilliant azure blue color on the skin, and most Djarka adults (especially those in traditional Djarka communities) are heavily tattooed.

Djarka Names

Some diasporic Djarka people have adopted the naming conventions of the places in which they live, but many continue to follow traditional naming conventions. Traditional Djarka names are made up of several parts: a given name (which is either masculine, feminine, or neutral), a matrilineal name, a patrilineal name, and a heritage name. The matrilineal name is the name of the mother or birthing parent with the suffix "-at", or "-yat" for a name that ends with a vowel, appended to it. The patrilineal name is the name of the father or non-birthing parent with the suffix "-ok", or "-vok" for a name that ends with a vowel, appended to it. For instance, a person whose mother and father are named Arisha and Ssidon respectively would have Arishayat Ssidonok as their matrilineal and patrilineal names. An individual's heritage name refers to the place from whence they originate. For Djarka born in traditional communities, their heritage name is the town or region in which they were born, appended to their name with the preposition "do," meaning "from," e.g., the heritage name "do Ugarit" means an individual was born in the village of Ugarit. For diasporic Djarka, this usually does not refer to their actual place of birth but to the town or region of Djaru, the historic Djarka homeland, that their ancestors lived (which is usually traced along the matrilineal line), and in this case the heritage name takes the prepositional phrase "do dji", loosely meaning "once from."
As such, a traditional Djarka name communicates a great deal about a person's identity and origins. For instance, the name "Jessevel Tanithat Valthassarok do dji Ankrana" indicates that person's ancestral ties to the village of Ankrana, and it specifies that the identity of that person's parents, Tanith and Valthassar. Djarka people often abridge names in casual conversation to the given and matrilineal names, e.g., identifying a person with the aforementioned name as simply "Jessevel Tanithat", reserving the full name for formal occasions and whenever greater clarification or disambiguation is required. Depending on the naming conventions of the places in which they live, some diasporic Djarka people use their heritage name as a surname (e.g., "Jessevel do dji Ankrana", or sometimes even just "Jessevel Ankrana") and treat their matrilineal and patrilineal names as middle names.
Djarka Feminine Given Names: Ahimil, Arisha, Domina, Imasha, Jessevel, Melita, Sheva, Sisa, Tanith, Virkana.
Djarka Neutral Given Names: Arashtival, Avdashtar, Azruval, Hannival, Ithoval, Kharthilles, Melkhartamos, Nikkal, Sikkarval, Yeharval.
Djarka Masculine Given Names: Adonias, Addir, Avival, Dalashar, Gervaal, Shama, Ssidon, Tavnit, Valthassar, Varekval.
Djarka Heritage Names: Ankrana, Arga, Djodi, Djomussi, Gaha, Gavagai, Mehil, Murka, Ugarit, Umit

Meta: Djarka Names

To create more Djarka-sounding names, use Phoenician names for reference, applying the following consonant shifts:
Phoenician "z" → Djarka "ss"
Phoenician "b" → Djarka "v"
For instance, Phoenician "Balthazar" becomes Djarka "Valthassar."

Related Organizations

• Lar Aslaki
• Oristhane