Gatim
The Blood Coast is largely peopled by the Gatim, who consider themselves the most advanced and civilised inhabitants of Chaha Ris .
They built the great cities of Telek Tarim and Nan Tarim and make up most of the population of those cities. The lands in the delta between the cities are peopled mainly by Gatim too.
Physically they are taller than the Cheldrim and Tokrim and have darker skin. They claim to be the original inhabitants of Chaha Ris who spent centuries in exile beyond the sea before returning again to reclaim the rulership of the land.
Social Classes
The Gatim have a very stratified society and it is practically impossible to move outside the class born into - the only exception being if someone of a lower class is chosen for the Priesthood.Royalty
The highest social class is royalty of course. Queen Keledra of Nan Tarim and Barada of Telek Tarim and their immediate families make up this class. Their word is law, and can mean life or death to others on a whim. They live in whatever luxury they choose to live in.Nobility
The noble class of the Gatim make up the rulers of districts and owners of land under the authority of the royal families. They command wealth and wield power and they compete among themselves for more and more.Priests
The Priests and Priestesses of the Gods of Chaha Ris are powerful in Gatim society. They remain aloof from the everyday lives of their flocks and commune with their gods and attendant spirits. They often mark their bodies in ways appropriate to their patron deity and they expect to be obeyed as proxies for the divine.Citizens
Citizens can seek education and training, and make up a large proportion of the population of cities (and a small proportion of the village population of the deltas). They can own property and engage in commerce. Merchants, doctors, scholars, builders, entertainers and so on generally come from this class.The Kept
The lowest class of Gatim society are the Kept. They are bound to the land of the noble or royal family that directly rules them, and they owe only service. They are labourers, farmers, fishers and so on.Religion
The Gatim worship the Gods of Chaha Ris as do the Cheldrim but in their own way. Among the Gatim the gods are seen as distant and dangerous beings and the only people who can safely deal with them are the priestly class, ideally in consecrated temples. The Gatim interpret the gods in their most extreme forms and often perform rituals of sacrifice and devotion that would appall the Cheldrim worshippers of the same deity.Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Among the Gatim it is considered primitive and uncultured to have uncut hair - and the nobility and higher classes tend to shave their heads at least in part.
Men often wear neatly styled beards, often decorated with braids or cords, or cut into a deliberately styled shape.
Women often retain some hair, perhaps a single braid, but typically the shaven head is considered a sign of civilisation and culture.
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