Ethnicities of Heimland
There are multiple races and cultures of Heimland, from the warrior-races of the feline Yea'haa'weh to the more humanoid common people to the spider-like Surakh. Some races are peaceful and loving, others (like the Indagarians) are vicious and cruel. The machines of Heimland (made by the Old Folk) could be considered a race, considering how they each have been built with their own emotions and objectives.
The main races of Heimland are the Yea'haa'weh, common people and machines. Smaller races include the Vedda and the Drekkin.
Many races speak their own languages, and thus have shaped their names to fit with their speech. Some names have clicks, others have sounds common people are unable to pronounce (such as the famous "ks" sound in which a person shapes their mouth to produce a "k" sound but instead says "s" whilst whistling. Only the Yea'haa'weh and Vedda have perfected the sound). Names among races show the person's status in the society, nameless people are considered untrustworthy or alien among the peoples of Heimland.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Yvan- meaning "Lovely", used among common people.
Faun- meaning "Innocent" or "Pure", used among Yea'haa'weh.
Ogma- meaning "Strong", used among Indagarians.
Phern- meaning "Grass", used among Vedda.
Tsiri- meaning "Cheerful", used among Drekkin.
Ksksi- meaning "Blood-Drinker", used among Surakh.
Popova- meaning "Inventor", used among machines.
Masculine names
Kharon- meaning "Boatman" or "River", used among common people.
Ahhr- meaning "Brave", used among Yea'haa'weh.
Ali- meaning "Elephant" or "Mammoth", used among Indagarians.
Toju- meaning "Funny", used among Vedda.
Homish- meaning "Winged", used among Drekkin.
Ksksar- meaning "Blood-Worm", used among Surakh.
Asimov- meaning "Intelligent", used among machines.
Unisex names
Barron- meaning "Title", used among common people.
San- meaning "Sun", used among Yea'haa'weh.
Rakh- meaning "Gold", used among Indagarians.
Grenlef- meaning "Green Leaf", used among Vedda.
Drek- meaning "Reptile", used among Drekkin.
Ksyks- meaning "Red Eye", used among Surakh.
Beemer- meaning "Bulb", used among machines.
Family names
Traditional family-names include "Drabnik", meaning "Dragon-Neck", from the words "Drab" (Dragon) and "Nik" (Neck/Throat) and Arthur, meaning "Bear-Son" or "Son-of-Bear" from the words "Arth" (Son) and Ur (Bear/Beast/Strength) These names are used more among the common people. Another common name is "Norbert" meaning North-Bright, from the words "Norb" (North) and "Bert" (Birght/Star). The Vedda (meaning "Tree-Folk") have names like "Manwood" or "Oakleaf" or any other term that describes a particular flora or fauna of the Heimish-Forests. Each race has their own family-names.
Other names
Tsar- a title, meaning "King"
Rajini- a title, meaning "Queen".
Og- a title, meaning "God". Used to refer to priests and clergy.
Bane- a title, given to a warrior or someone who has done a brave deed.
Sla- a title, given to musicians.
Javvi- meaning "father".
Maman- meaning "mother".
Boah- meaning "brother".
Akka- meaning "sister".
Silla- pronounced as "Shylla", a title given to any relatives, including aunts and uncles and cousins.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The Yea'haa'weh speak Baghavad and Ch'r'kee, two of the six languages of the Forests.
Common people speak Lowtalk and Lowertalk, a form of the language spoken by the Old Folk.
Vedda speak Karakaeya, a form of Ch'r'kee and Lowtalk mixed together.
Indagarians speak Indagita, one of the six languages of the forests.
Drekkin speak Dreb, one of the six languages of the forests.
Machines speak all languages of Heimland, including Lowtalk and the six languages of the forests. They also communicate in B33P3R, a form of robotic Morse-code.
Surakh speak Ksksksky and Surakhiya, two of the six languages of the forests.
There are two main language-groups; High-Talk (in which Lowtalk and Lowertalk are classfied) and the Geeta (the six languages of the forests; Baghavad, Ch'r'kee, Dreb, Indagita, Ksksksky and Surakhiya) languages such as B22P3R and Heimtongue are languages of the machines and half-machines. There are various dialects of the same language, such as the Lowtalk word "Arth" being pronounced as "Artt" or "Harth". This is mainly due to location, but most speakers can still understand each other on a basic level since all the langues of Heimland originated from the speech of the Old Folk.
Culture and cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is a big factor in Heimland, considering its multiple races all tell stories to their children. All of Heimland's main legends include stories of heroes fighting massive beasts, creation of the planets and stars and possible origins of the Old Folk. Some say the Old Folk were gods, others say they were just like us. But all cultures of Heimland agree on one thing; telling stories is the best thing about their culture.
Shared customary codes and values
Each race has their own codes and values.
Yea'haa'weh must respect elders and ensure continuation of their bloodlines. They have war-ethics: no women or children are to be hurt in battle and elders and the sick are to be protected at all costs. The mother and father of the family are to be honored and respected. A Yea'haa'weh must be willing to die for their One and their children. A Yea'haa'weh that chooses something over their family is a traitor, a "Black-Pelt"
Common people are not allowed to steal, stealing results in the thief's left or right fingers being cut of with a scalding-knife.
Machines must follow the Three-Laws, also known as the Asimov-Laws; they must not hurt any living being, they must not help any living being to hurt another living being and they must always protect themselves without hurting anyone around them.
Drekkin should never lie, or their tongues will be cut off.
Vedda should never touch any weapons, such as guns or knives, or they will be ousted from the tribe.
Indagarians should never refuse other Indagarians, or their arms will be ripped off via a Grinder.
Surakh have no moral codes.
All races of Heimland share one common value: respect and belief. They respect whatever codes they have, and they believe them.
Average technological level
The races of Heimland each have their own levels of technological prowess:
Yea'haa'weh use mainly bows, arrows, knives and swords, slingshots and nooses as their main weapons. Some use guns (also known as "fire-sticks"), but these are outcasts.
Surakh use mainly spears and throwing-weapons.
Drekkin use slightly advanced tech such as dynamite and hand-grenades left by the Old Folk.
Indagarians use liquid-fire, which can't be put out and will continue burning until there is nothing left to burn.
Common people use guns, knives, crossbows, spears, swords and all assortments of weapons.
Machines are the most advanced; using blazer-beams, pulse-grenades, torpedoes, invisibility-gadgets, land-mines, electroguns, hot-rays, sonic-boomsticks and sometimes forefields.
Common Etiquette rules
Most of the races of Heimland maintain certain etiquette when dealing with foreigners. Whether it be a curtsy or salute, each small action has a deeper meaning. For example, the greeting of the common people is a tapping of the nose with the index finger, left if addressing man and right if a woman. The traditional greeting among certain races is "Ayuubowan", meaning "long days and longer nights". A rude person is often referred to as a "skoldpadda", which can mean "tortoise" or "fat stomach", from the words "Skold" (Shield/Plump/Turtle) and "Padda" (Fat/Stomach/Padded). Skoldpadda are normally Indagarians and Surakh, since they look down on other races.
Common Dress code
There are multiple dress-codes for most peoples of Heimland. Whether a Yea'haa'weh or common man, a traveler must always wear a hood and carry a bag with their possessions if exploring Heimland, and as bandits might be nearby it is advised to carry a dagger or thrusting weapon. A crossbow is definitely the best on-road weapon, if affrodable. A long-sleeved jacket is normally the best attire. If you're a Yea'haa'weh, wearing a long dress to cover you furry tail is advised; and maybe a hat to cover your long antlers. If you're a machine trying to pose as a common, wear a simple scarf covering the neck and face, some glasses to cover the eyes and gloves to cover the hands. If you're a common man trying to blend in with Yea'haa'weh, it's best to walk around bare-breasted, unless you are female. The most common dresscode always includes the hat. Whether a stetson or a bowler, a hat is necessary, sometimes even religious. Wearing a poncho or serape is also fine, as long as you're not approaching Surakhnit or Indagar, the cities of Heimland's most vicious races.
Art & Architecture
Each race has their own architecture. Whether it be paintings or sculptures, a person can always find some crerative object of a particular culture. Some include:
Yea'haa'weh- prefer to paint murals of animals and birds, and maybe gods and heroes.
Common people- normally figurines made of scrap-metal, painted with spray-paint.
Vedda- wood-effigies painted with flower-juice and preserved with gum-resin.
Drekkin- massive sculptures of dragons and hydras made of either mud, brick, cement, metal or whatever is nearby.
Indagarians- normally silhouettes of stone and marble, painted jet-black.
Machines- being the most creative, they form massive moving sculptures of metal, wood, glass, stone, brick, cement and wires.
Surakh- being the least creative, they make statues of spiders from bones and skulls woven together with sinew.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Multiple traditions spanning across all the cultures of Heimland are observed. Coincidentally all of them occur when the mon is full at at its peak. Some of them include:
The Festival-of-the-Moon (Poyya) observed by Yea'haa'weh.
The Feast-of-the-Forests observed by the Vedda.
The Night-of-Space-Operas observed by the machines.
The Great-Dance observed by the Drekkin.
The Blood-Rites ceremony observed by the Indagarians.
The Ritual-Combat-Week observed by the Surakh.
The Night-of-the-Old-Folk observed by the common people.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Birth-rites are observed among only two races; the common people and Yea'haa'weh. When a child is born, he/she is dipped into water three times and anointed with a sweet-smelling oil. The child is fed the milk of its mother and is blessed by clergy. The child is dressed with royal silks and kept under the moonlight, where the rays of Poyya-Amma (the "Moon-Mother") will bathe the child and bless he/she for the coming-of-age rites.
Coming of Age Rites
Only the common people, Yea'haa'weh, Drekkin and Indagarians practice coming-of-age rites. The most basic ones include:
Yea'haa'weh- when a child comes of age, he/she is given their first bow and arrow, plus their own dagger.
Common people- the child is given gifts and a cake made of barley, cream, eggs, brown-sugar and coffee, sometimes with a cup of hot-chocolate with cinnamon sprinkled in.
Drekkin- the child is given his/her first set of wings; mechanical wings that will later be upgraded to real ones when the child develops their first set of wings and is ready to fly.
Indagarians- the child goes through their first battle, fighting with the village-elder until one of them is killed. If the child wins, he will be elected for an elder at the age of 15.
Funerary and Memorial customs
When a person dies in Heimland, all races whether machine or Surakh will practice the same funerary-custom once practiced by the Old Folk.
First the body is wrapped up in fine silk, taken to the top of the nearest mountain and buried. After 40 days the body is dug up, cleaned and wrapped in gold silk, taken to a river and sent away on a small raft to be taken to the afterlife. During this time the community will sing songs and send prayers to their gods. After this a moment of silence is practiced for a week before normal life resumes.
Common Taboos
There are multiple taboos in Heimland. Most notably:
Making eye-contact for too long with a person you're having lunch/tea with.
Swearing in public, or lightning a cigarette in front of children.
Urinating on walls, or dumping trash on the street.
Seeing a wallet or some money on the ground, and not picking it up.
Whistling or singing near places of respect, such as cemeteries.
Raising your voice in public.
Fighting in public.
Mentioning the name of a loved one who has recently died.
Speaking during the week of silence.
Not observing the full-moon ceremonies.
Speaking about taboos.
Common Myths and Legends
There are many mythical figures in the legends of many cultures in Heimland. Most notably:
The Yea'haa'weh warrior known as Ahhr-Ali, who died whilst saving a little boy in the heat of a battle. It is said this last act of kindness is what improved relationships between common people and Yea'haa'weh.
The Vedda hero known as Mulba-Jamla, who wrestled with the sun for six days and seven nights to make it go slower.
The Drekkin warrior known as Drebnik Drebbinsbane, who killed the dragon Zmienna and hung her glowing head on a pike in the sky, creating the moon.
The Surakh legend of Tashtai-the-Deathless, an Indagarian who killed his entire village for pure glory before proceeding to lead the Surakh.
The Indagarian "Eeshwara", the eldritch female god with three heads who struck her husband from the sky when she saw him with another woman.
Hugo Asimov Popova, the inventor of all the machines who is said to have been one of the Old Folk.
And finally Will Sutely, the greatest warrior of Heimland who, in the legends of the common people, killed a thousand Surakh warriors in his path with a single legendary "lightning-bullet" that flew around like a hawk. Some call this his "blazer-beam".
Historical figures
Some major historical figures of Heimland include:
Og Turpin Genesis, the greatest Og of his church, who established the religion of the common people; Kristyanitty.
Mag'Mar-the-Weeper, a Yea'haa'weh warrior who led his people into victory against the strongest of the Surakh decades before. He is known as the Weeper because he was the only one to survive the battle, and he cried for every man and woman lost.
Patrick-the-Engine, one of the most powerful machines to be made by the Old Folk, his energy powers all the technology of Heimland.
Csaba, a Drekkin warrior who invented the first set of mechanical wings for Drekkin who were unable to fly.
High-Priestess Egwa, who established the religion of Eeshwara in the city of Indagar decades ago.
Veridu Deergrass, who established the first cities for the Vedda.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Yea'haa'weh- using simple powders and perfumes to improve appearence. Clothes like short-skirts and open-breasted jackets are preferred by the women, whilst men are normally shirtless with only a simple sarong wrapped around the waist and tucked in at the hip.
Common people- transparent lipgloss, used only among men to appear younger. Men wear traditional overalls and blue-jeans whilst women wear riding-shorts or simple silk dresses. Men ans women wear stetson-hats, incredibly similar to western clothes of the 1800s.
Vedda- flowers and leaves woven to make hats or shawls. Men wear jackets and jeans whilst women wear skirts and sweaters.
Drekkin- armor made of bronze, steel and silver plates woven together. Sometimes gold, if the person is a Tsar or a general.
Indagarians- black robes, black eye-liner, black necklaces, black shoes, black bracelets, black earrings, black accessories. Colored clothing is banned in Indagarian society.
Machines- magnets, any metal pieces that will stick to their surfaces.
Surakh- they have no beauty ideals, preferring to walk around naked.
Gender Ideals
Yea'haa'weh- a complex progressive society divided into four gender-groups; male, female, masculine-female and feminine-man. Each member of Yea'haa'weh society has a purpose and duty.
Common people- a society that is mainly patriarchal. Although progressive, women are not given positions of power and men do most of the hard work.
Vedda- a society that involves nature, men guard the villages whilst women maintain the sacred groves of trees in the Forest.
Drekkin- there is no real "gender" classifications. A female Drekkin could gain status as a "man" if she proves her worth in ritual-combat. Men do most of the heavy lifting.
Machines- as there is no gender in machine-society, all machines work at an equal level (although certain machines, such as builder-bots and drones, are treated lower than others).
Indagarians- despite their bloodlust and cruelty, Indagar society revolves around females. Women hold higher positions of power and it is a female High-Priestess (known as the "Inda") that Indagarians worship and revere.
Surakh- their society is completely patriarchal. Men hold all positions and women are treated as third-class citizens. Children are also treated low, and elders are not respected.
Courtship Ideals
Marriages:
Yea'haa'weh- being the most progressive society, a person in Yea'haa'weh society is allowed to marry whoever they desire, whether man or woman. Marrying siblings is prohibited.
Common people- marriage is strictly between a man and woman, although other forms of marriage (such as Human-Yea'haa'weh) are allowed.
Vedda- marrying siblings is prohibited, although cousins and distant relatives are allowed to court. Marriages between same-sex groups is also allowed.
Machines- although there is no basis for marriage in machine society, a robot can "graft" with another robot if they desire, and the two can be considered a "couple".
Drekkin- marriage does not exist in Drekkin society, although "courtship" exists. A Drekkin, whether man or woman, is allowed to "court" as many partners as they desire.
Indagarian- marriage is strictly between a man and woman, and inter-species marriage is prohibited, although marriage with machines is acceptable.
Surakh- marriage is strictly between man and woman, and all inter-species courtships are banned. A Surakh that falls in love with a member of another race is shamed and killed in front of the whole society.
Relationship Ideals
Common people- dating is prohibited, arranged marriage is allowed.
Machines- relationships with other machines is allowed, and the deeper the "friendship" between two machines, the deeper the "data" they share together.
Drekkin- dating is allowed, and relationships are classified by how deep the two lovers are willing to die for one another.
Vedda- once a Vedda meets his/her companion, he/she must immediately marry before full-moon for good luck. Marriage after a full-moon is considered doomed.
Indagarian- arranged-marriage is the main form of relationship. Any who protest are killed.
Surakh- there is not such thing as "dating" or "arranged" marriage in Surakh society. The partner of a Surakh is predetermined at birth, by the patterns of the stars to ensure a succeful marriage. All who protest are killed.
Yea'haa'weh- considred the most compex and beautiful form of marriage, Yea'haa'weh relationships are governed by the philosophy of the "One": once in a lifetime a Yea'haa'weh will gaze upon a person who will be their "One", their "Only". This One will be their destined partner, the companion they will spend the rest of their lives together with. If their "One" rejects them, they must die alone.
Major organizations
Major religious organizations include the Church-of-Kristyanitty, the Cult-of-Indagar, the Bloodborn-of-Surakhnit, the Kingdom-of-Asimov, the Winged-Empire-of-Zmienna and the pagan religions of the Vedda. These organizations hold basic power over their respective locations, although the "kingdoms" of the Old Folk are long gone. Now only splinter-groups and sects remain. Administration is divided among whichever group is ruling that specific piece of territory, there are no "leaders" of Heimland.
Parent ethnicities
Diverged ethnicities
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
Related Items
Related Myths
Languages spoken
Related Locations
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments