Eta
The Eta class in Rokugan , also known as the "unclean" or "hinin" (non-people), occupies the lowest rung of the social hierarchy. They perform tasks considered impure or taboo, which are essential yet stigmatized.
Outcasts: The Eta are considered outcasts, existing outside the traditional social structure of Samurai and Heimin .
Hereditary Status: Membership in the Eta class is typically hereditary, with occupations and social status passed down through generations.
Untouchables: They are often seen as untouchables due to the nature of their work, which involves death, blood, and impurity.
Butchers and Tanners: Eta handle tasks such as slaughtering animals, tanning hides, and working with leather, all of which are considered impure due to the contact with blood and death.
Torturers: Rokugani law states that no confession made by a Heimin is permissible unless it is verfied by torture. Because of the unclean nature of the act, Rokugani magistrates need to employ eta torturers to assist in extracting these confessions.
Executioners: They serve as executioners, carrying out capital punishments and dealing with dead bodies, including preparing corpses for funerals and cremations.
Gravediggers: They dig graves and maintain burial sites, ensuring that the deceased are properly interred according to religious and societal customs.
Waste Management: Eta also handle waste management, cleaning latrines, and disposing of garbage, maintaining public hygiene at the cost of social ostracism.
Isolation: Eta live in segregated communities, often on the outskirts of villages and towns, to minimize contact with other social classes.
Deference: They are expected to show extreme deference to all other classes, often having to lower their gaze or step aside when in the presence of samurai or heimin.
Restrictions: They face numerous social and legal restrictions, including limitations on movement, dress, and public behavior.
Lack of Rights: Eta have minimal legal rights and protections, often being subject to discrimination and abuse without recourse.
Essential Services: Despite their low status, the services provided by the Eta are crucial to the functioning of Rokugani society, ensuring cleanliness, public health, and the handling of death.
Dependence on Authority: They rely on the protection of local lords or samurai patrons who benefit from their services, but this protection is often minimal and precarious.
Segregated Living: Eta communities are tight-knit, relying on mutual support and solidarity to survive the stigma and hardships of their status.
Family and Tradition: Occupations and social status are passed down through families, with children learning the trades and rituals associated with their work from a young age.
Religious Practices: Eta often have their own religious customs and practices, which may differ from mainstream Rokugani traditions, reflecting their unique role in society.
Minimal Contact: Interaction with other social classes is limited and heavily regulated, with Eta generally avoiding contact to prevent social contamination.
Stigma and Prejudice: They face significant stigma and prejudice, often being blamed for misfortunes or treated with suspicion and disdain by other classes.
Essential Interactions: Despite the stigma, other classes must interact with the Eta for essential services related to death, waste management, and animal products
Social Status and Hierarchy
Outcasts: The Eta are considered outcasts, existing outside the traditional social structure of Samurai and Heimin .
Hereditary Status: Membership in the Eta class is typically hereditary, with occupations and social status passed down through generations.
Untouchables: They are often seen as untouchables due to the nature of their work, which involves death, blood, and impurity.
Roles and Responsibilities
Butchers and Tanners: Eta handle tasks such as slaughtering animals, tanning hides, and working with leather, all of which are considered impure due to the contact with blood and death.
Torturers: Rokugani law states that no confession made by a Heimin is permissible unless it is verfied by torture. Because of the unclean nature of the act, Rokugani magistrates need to employ eta torturers to assist in extracting these confessions.
Executioners: They serve as executioners, carrying out capital punishments and dealing with dead bodies, including preparing corpses for funerals and cremations.
Gravediggers: They dig graves and maintain burial sites, ensuring that the deceased are properly interred according to religious and societal customs.
Waste Management: Eta also handle waste management, cleaning latrines, and disposing of garbage, maintaining public hygiene at the cost of social ostracism.
Social Expectations and Conduct
Isolation: Eta live in segregated communities, often on the outskirts of villages and towns, to minimize contact with other social classes.
Deference: They are expected to show extreme deference to all other classes, often having to lower their gaze or step aside when in the presence of samurai or heimin.
Restrictions: They face numerous social and legal restrictions, including limitations on movement, dress, and public behavior.
Privileges and Limitations
Lack of Rights: Eta have minimal legal rights and protections, often being subject to discrimination and abuse without recourse.
Essential Services: Despite their low status, the services provided by the Eta are crucial to the functioning of Rokugani society, ensuring cleanliness, public health, and the handling of death.
Dependence on Authority: They rely on the protection of local lords or samurai patrons who benefit from their services, but this protection is often minimal and precarious.
Daily Life
Segregated Living: Eta communities are tight-knit, relying on mutual support and solidarity to survive the stigma and hardships of their status.
Family and Tradition: Occupations and social status are passed down through families, with children learning the trades and rituals associated with their work from a young age.
Religious Practices: Eta often have their own religious customs and practices, which may differ from mainstream Rokugani traditions, reflecting their unique role in society.
Interaction with Other Classes
Minimal Contact: Interaction with other social classes is limited and heavily regulated, with Eta generally avoiding contact to prevent social contamination.
Stigma and Prejudice: They face significant stigma and prejudice, often being blamed for misfortunes or treated with suspicion and disdain by other classes.
Essential Interactions: Despite the stigma, other classes must interact with the Eta for essential services related to death, waste management, and animal products
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