Sheial

Naming Traditions

Family names

Each Sheial, no matter their parents or biological family, takes the name of their Kilidug of birth, even if they join another Kilidug.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The Sheial speak their own language, which is viewed as being almost totally alien from other languages across Idua.

Shared customary codes and values

The Sheial place an extreme emphasis on two things above all else: their Kilidug and horses. A Kilidug, or literally "Leaders of the Horses", is the primary unit of family, organization, and power in Sheial society. As such, the Sheial are loyal to their Kilidug above all else, even their allies in other Kilidugs. The other part of Sheial culture that is placed above all else is the almost worship-like treatment of horses. Seen as a gift from Orhak Kiltelmik, they are use for transport and milk, and are treated far better than horses living in more "civilized" nations, receiving better grooming, better food, and better care and attention than their northern and eastern counterparts. Dogs are also seen as incredibly useful among the Sheial, and are also seen as a gift from Orhak Kiltelmik. They are used to track animals, aid in hunting and combat, and act as a sort of alarm system against any attacks on a Kilidug's campsite, be it from a wild animal or another Kilidug.

Average technological level

The Sheial use rather primitive technology such as bows and arrows, spears, and clubs for weapons, simple hammers, pestles, flattened rocks for digging, and leather and sinew for rope as tools, and using animal hides and parts to construct most all of these, including shelter.

Common Etiquette rules

It is generally seen by the Sheial that all those within one's Kilidug are equal to one another, even the Telmiks, who are seen less as rulers and more as firsts among equals. Thievery is a foreign concept among the Sheial; all own all in the Kilidug, as the saying goes. Each individual works within the Kilidug to bring the most benefit to the entire group, and as such individual accomplishments are also strange to the Sheial. A standard greeting between two Sheial of the same Kilidug is often a quick embrace, showing camaraderie and amiability between the two. Sheial from outside one's Kilidug that have just been met and are not immediately hostile often punch one another in the chest as a sign of strength; if one of them is knocked down or keels over, it brings dishonor t the entire Kilidug, as the person in question has shown weakness. Friends from outside one's Kilidug (which are not common but not completely unheard of) are greeted with significantly softer punches, showing that neither one means to test the other's strength anf that neither one wishes harm done to the other.

Common Dress code

The Sheial mainly wear buffalo-fur clothing in winter and antelope-hide clothing in summer.

Art & Architecture

Sheial tents are made from the dried skins of hunted animals in the Great Grass Sea, propped up by multiple bones (usually buffalo limb bones). Other than this, they do not build any permanent settlements and thus have no architecture to speak of. However, they do have extensive artwork, with the Sheial dyeing animal hides into pictures (usually of hunts, battles, or mythical events) or using these same dyes to draw multiple pieces of artwork on large stones jutting out of the ground.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Children are born rather unceremoniously into their Kilidug. Rather than having a mother and father taking control of each child, the women (and oftentimes men) collectively work together to parent all of the children, in this way making sure that all of the children grow up similarly and with similar values, to produce better cooperation between them as adults.

Coming of Age Rites

When a Sheial child turns 17, they are given a Name-Day Ceremony. In this ceremony, they first choose their gender. To do this, the Telmik of the Kilidug holds before the child a bow, symbolizing manhood, or a root, symbolizing womanhood. The child selects their gender by taking one of the items out of the Telmik's hand. After this process is finished, the Telmik tells the child their name, which they will carry till death, and then the Telmik takes the child's right shoulder and cuts it with his spear, collecting the blood in a cup and pouring it into the Kilidug's campfire in order to finalize their place in their Kilidug.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Upon the death of one of their own due to peaceful means, the body is collected by the rest of the Kilidug and a funeral pyre is built, upon which the body is burned. If, however, one dies in combat, then all of the bodies are left as they fell, as to even touch the dead of combat is seen as a deep offense to the cause that the person died fighting for. Even animals that are killed that the Kilidug did not originally intend to eat or use are given this treatment, as are any people killed by animals.

Common Taboos

The most grave offense any person can commit against a Sheial is to kill a horse or a dog. The horse provides transport and milk to each Kilidug, and is seen as a gift from their god, Orhak Kiltelmik. The dog is also seen as a gift from Orhak Aratelmik, and is used for hunting, combat, and defense against wild creatures. The next most severe offense is killing a person outside of official combat or self-defense. Equal to this offense is killing an animal other than for food, clothing, or self-defense. Below this is touching the body of any once-living creature that died in combat, other than combat for food.

Historical figures

Atoro, Telmik of Lohavu Kilidug Gewn, Telmik of Orhaviu Kilidug

Ideals

Gender Ideals

In Sheial society, gender roles are not nearly as strict as they are in other lands, although there are several general trends. Male Sheial tend to be warriors, hunters, and military leaders within the Kilidug, while women tend to gather the few edible plants in the Great Grass Sea, manage the daily and peaceful affairs of the Kilidug, and guard the young of the Kilidug. However, unlike in most other societies, children are born nameless and genderless (officially), and remain this way until the age of 17, at which point they choose their gender and are granted a name by the Telmik of the Kilidug.

Courtship Ideals

Within Sheial society, it is strictly forbidden for members of the same Kilidug to procreate with one another. As such, procreation only occurs when two Kilidugs meet one another in an attempt to form an alliance. Each Kilidug finds an equal amount of men and women, pairs them up with a member of the opposite sex and Kilidug, and sends them off to procreate. In this way, the two Kilidugs both continue producing new members and form an alliance that lasts for exactly three yeas between the two Kilidugs.

Major organizations

The Sheial have no permanent settlements, although dozens of Kilidugs exist across the Great Grass Sea.