Sashe (/sasˈhɛ/)
The Sashen are an Elven ethnic group hailiing from the Sünaì Desert of the Lìrna region, having since spread north across the rest of the region as semi-nomadic animal herders, and hunters. Known for their sharp eye, either for hunting or defending their lives from the many creatures and entities from the realm of twilight that intrudes into their ancestral homelands. After their ancestral homeland underwent a protracred drought, many Sashen came to believe they were being punished by their ancestors and adopted the nomadic way of life seen today.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
The Sashe generally live in a communal setting and engage in cooperative child rearing, where many individuals (both related and unrelated) provide care for children.
Shared customary codes and values
The Sashe value martial prowess, with many learning the bow from a young age. A code of duty to the family pervades most Sashe clans. In general, Sashe culture ranges from the most aggressive, martial hunters to the nearly-pacficistic pastoral shepherds. They feel that immediately previous generation angered their ancestors and as such, much of modern Sashen culture is focused around atonement and selflessness. Blind people are considered to have insight into the spiritual, and are often relilgious guides or leaders.
Average technological level
At a point in their past, the Sashen were once a settled pastoral society, however overfarming and clear-cutting led to the collapse of their ancient empire. In modern times, the Sashen maintain high standards of medicine, and they have used potent technology which their artisans and engineers use to improve their nomadic lifestyles. Most Sashe are aware of the rest of the Known World.
Common Dress code
Sashen clothing is largely the same for everyone. Most wear sheets wrapped around the body. Blue and green are common feminine colours, while red and yellow are common mascluine one. Black is a taboo color to wear, due to the memory of the harshness of their dust bowl of a homeland. However, some Sashen wear black clothing as a sign of atonement.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
The Sashe practice ancestor worship, believing many of their dieties to have been mortals like themselves who were particularly powerful during life in some way. Like most Elven ethnicities, the concept of “religion” as a separate element of life and culture is foreign to the Sashe, whose philosophical outlook treats the world around it as animistic and eternal. Most Sashen believe their nomadic lifestyle is a penance for overfarming their homeland brought upon them by their oldest ancestors.
Coming of Age Rites
Sashen are expected to survive on their own for 10 years between their 20th and 40th birthdays before they're considered full members of the tribe.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
While all Sashe genders value traits such as hard work when evaluating for partners, they also value physical attractiveness. Masculine men and women generallly keep their hair shaved to the scalp, while feminine men and women grow it out to a medium length. Long hair is considered a sign of wisdom, and as such only those in their midlife or older wear their hair in such a way.
Gender Ideals
The Sashe have four main genders: feminine woman, masculine woman, feminine man, and masculine man. Additionally, those that do religious service for Alu and Yur'a, the deities of the hunt & harvest in Sashen culture, are often reffered to as "outside" the others.
Major organizations
Primarily nomadic, their traders can often be found in the towns along the upper portions of the Palm Rivers above the Great Cliffs, and rarely in the Settlements just shy of the Cliffs. Most Sashe are organised by multi-family clans. There are a handful of settled, pastoral Sashe, living in the remnants of old Feloran citieis. Outside these settlements, the largest of which is believed to be 2,000, there is no tribal or other governing hierarchy, and almost all decisions are made by reaching an agreement through discussion.. Their religious sites are permanent, and have agrarian settlements around the more sacred ones.
