The Upoth

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“A rather spiritual bunch, those Upoth are. Quiet, and rarely involved with politics and the like. They are a content group, I will say, most not seeking gold and the like for satisfaction.”

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-A Farath, on the Upoth

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“Once the lowest of society, now spread to all of the islands within the Great Storm. The Upoth are a hardy bunch, I will say that. A bit too individualistic for my taste though—I do not doubt they care for family, though their tendency for one singular member to define their lineage is odd.”

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-A Zeri, on the same

First a collection of tribes set in Halthen, then the most recently conquered people of the Zeri empire, the Upoth are a group of movement and growth. Of the human populace within the Great Storm, the Upoth are the more scarce, making up less than a fifth of the population. In part, this is due to their original status coming into the island cluster—serving as slaves on board the Zeri ships. Soon after the Great Storm's creation, the practice of human servitude was abandoned, with the Ocean-kin being forced to take the mantle.
Most Upoth culture is reminiscent of pratice prior to the Zeri's takeover of eastern Halthen. This includes their unique naming tradition, their birth-given Whelm necklace, and other practices. While the Zeri did not attempt to squish such features out of the culture, a preference for the Zeri ways was inlaid, and the effects of such cultural clash can be seen in the Upoth of today.

Naming

Of all practiced Upoth tradition, none is quite so known as their unique naming system. To the Upoth, one's deeds should not only be displayed for them, but reflect on their family and descendants. Thus, the “last name” of an Upoth family is based on the most significant action of a member of that family. This last name is almost always a combination of two words in the Upoth tongue.

Physicality

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“He was a man of rather broad statue. I knew from years of observation that I trained more than he did, yet would not reach his mass. He was naturally larger than I would ever be, on merit of heritage alone.”

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-Austyx on Eideard Fau-wasaskin

Stouter than most, the Upoth's value in one's ability to perform labor. They view that with strength, one will always have purpose, and members of Upoth society are encouraged to frequently test their physical prowess against one another. Of the ethnic groups, those of Upoth hiertage tend to be the shortest, yet are also the most weighty for their size. They gain muscle mass easily, and maintain a bit of fat. Such was helpful in Halthen, which was frigidly cold much of the year.
The Upoth's bodies are generally better suited for hiking and climbing more than running, with strong, thick cores. Their legs tend to be on the shorter end, being a bit less than the height of their heads and torso on average, making them slower sprinters, especially combined with their heft. They tend to have larger hands and feet as well, with both considerable strength and finesse in their fingers, making them able to grasp and hold tools and weapons well.

Spirituality

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“Doth the quivering in your breast not give you pause, sir? Have thee no fear of death?” The black-haired woman asked. “Most mercenaries I hire say they doth not, yet thee seem to be the only with true conviction on such a statement.”
“Why should I?” I asked. “There is far more beyond this world than there is within it. Even if I died here and now, I would not truly miss much.”

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-A conversation between Myra Jade and an Upoth mercenary

Deeply ingrained in the Upoth culture is their belief system. Most do not practice religion, having no major institutions, buildings, or collective groups, however, they do hold a faith. This faith is known today as Chuzakai, and is a collection of old Upoth beliefs, mixed and matched to the preference of the individual, clan, or family. Though aspects of the faith vary, there are a few core beliefs which permeate all practice and knowledge.
The first definite truth of Chuzakai is that all intelligent life has a “spirit”; an essence which transcends the material world. Though there are debates on what the classification of “intelligent life” qualifies as, it is generally agreed that most mammals count, as do birds, fish, and amphibians. When one slays another entity with a spirit—especially a human—it is considered righteous to ask forgiveness from its spirit as soon as possible.
The second definite truth of Chuzakai is that there are a limited number of spirits, and that when they run out for a species, that species will no longer be able to reproduce, and will die out. And when all spirits run out, all which will remain in the world will be insects, arachnids, and dust. It is then that the world will truly be abandoned.
The third and final definite truth of Chuzakai is that there will be a total of seven worlds. Each running its course with the spirits passing through it, then falling into oblivion. In theory, all subsequent worlds will be greater as the experience of spirits tame it more quickly than before, making better decisions. However, one's actions in the previous world will guarantee them no position in the next, and thus one who may have been king in one life may be a cripple in the next. It is thought that at the end of the seventh world, all beings will ascend. Though whether onto a new cycle or to eternity, none can say.

Appearance and Gender

While the Chuzakai faith states that a being's soul is seperate from—and more important than—its body, there do exist physical beauty standards in the Upoth culture.
In contrast to their Zeri overtakers, the Upoth's culture and social structure is matricarchal, with women being believed to be entrusted with greater duty than men. This view is deeply ingrained, and tied into the Chuzakai faith. According to the faith, all female creatures are granted the sacred duty of cycling further souls into the world. They also are said to recieve more wisdom from their previous lives, and thus should be entrusted with leadership when eligable. Men, in contrast, were said to be granted greater physical strength as their sole compensation. Thus there exists the belief that women are set to be leaders, and men are suited as followers. Because of this, all chiefs in Halthen (prior to the Zeri takeover) were women.
It is believed, according to Chuzakai, that being a woman is a sacred duty given to souls who performed worthily in their previous life. A human that is a woman has—in theory—already proven herself, and should be trusted over those who have not done so.

Population

Human Population Makeup: 15%
Total in Great Storm: 14,547
Sex Ratio (M:F): 49:51
Most Populated Islands: Southspire Island (35%)
Horizoncliff Island (21%)
Port Brimsey (18%)
Religious Practice:
Chuzakai (72%)
[Zeri faith] (14%)
Atheist (9%)
 Diwonism(3%)

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Exterior Appearance

The Upoth appear quite like the Metian—which makes sense, seeing as the Metian were originally an offshoot group of the Upoth. Those of Upoth ethnicity tend to be pale in skin; with hues ranging from the white of snow to the tan of pearlescent sand. Freckles and other blemishes are also not uncommon. Their hair too, tends towards lighter shades. While colors of light brown are most common, blondes and redheads make up a fair portion of the populace. They have more hair overall than the other ethnic groups, both on their heads and on their bodies.

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Dress

Halthen—at least its southmost regions—is a land of mountains, cold, and rain. Thus, much of traditional Upoth dress revolves around the usage of furs and leathers for insulation, with rare dyed cloth being used for decoration in outerwear. In the warmer months, it was common for clothes to open at the midrift or even to expose the torso and upper shoulders. Many were also fond of checkered or plaid patterns for their drapes.
Today, with the other cultures' views and the limited supplies of the Storm, most Upoth clothing designs utilize fish leather boots and shoulder-covers, along with wrapped garments of linen or cotton. The plaid patterns from the culture's past also remains popular, and spesific patterns becoming motiefs used by Upoth tailors.

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Tribal Politics

The Upoth were once split off into various tribes prior to their lands being overtaken by the Zeri empire. The tribes frequently quarreled over lands and resources, but due to the harsh conditions of Halthen, they would not risk casualties in battles or ambushes.
In addition, most Upoth held a belief in conservation of human life, largely due to the predominant religion they followed; Chuzakai. At the core of Chuzakai was a respect for human life, and that intentionally killing another human was a cardinal sin. Despite this, it was not uncommon for conflicts to escalate to violence, albiet to a controlled measure.
It was not (and is not) uncommon for the Upoth to settle disputes through contest. For control over land, such contests were often duels between small groups, namely a chief and her select Talehmih; a group of professional hunter-soldiers.

Weapons and Combat

Most Upoth weapons are placed into two distinct categories: weapons for war, and weapons for sport. Lighter, blunt weapons were more often used for non-fatal encounters. Including self-defense.

Clevata

A polearm with a metal, crescent head. The head provides a cutting edge in the front and a hook in the back. Was used to pull down mounted foes in battle.

Heimlan

Made primarily for melee, one-on-one combat. A metal ”sleeve” of sorts used to parry with the forearm, then counter with the item's two spikes.

Judeakin

Once the backup weapon of chiefs, this heavy one-handed sword sees little use today. Generally paired with the Heimlan for lethal combat.

Mour

A light, refined haft to sturdy wood, sometimes flanged with bronze. The Mour was frequently used to break limbs in duels, and was made just light enough to make it typically non-lethal.