Northern Khettadine

The Northern Khettadine are genetically quite similar to the Central Khettadine, but culturally distinct. The Northern Khettadine trace their roots back to the first Khetts to harness fire, who were swiftly exiled to the Northern Deserts for creating such a threat to their shared forest habitat.
Thus began what is arguably the most consequential of the great Khettadine civilizations. Due to their use of fire, they became a technological powerhouse and allied with the Greater Shoreborne, who conducted trade along the Ostwidy River.
The Northern Khettadine are commonly referred to as "Des-Khetts," a term even many of them use as a snappy way to refer to their people-group. However, they are disparagingly known as "dusties" by other Khettadine races, a name which draws from their life in the deserts of Khetta's main continent.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Much like Cent-Khett names, Northern Khettadine feminine names are based on desirable qualities and virtues. However, the virtues and desirable qualities vary dramatically from those of the Cent-Khetts. For example, rather than beauty, most desirable qualities have to do with physical or temperamental features that would make them good mothers, wives, community members, or fill some other role seen as important by the parents. Thus, most names are adjectives and end in an "a" sound, although the rule is not total.
"Cor" is a root word meaning "body," and thus is fairly common in Northern Khettadine feminine names. As a result, many names have a varient that drops it.
Additionally, some names refer to a phase, in which case a tense is added to the name and the name is changed as the correct tense for the word changes.
Common examples include:

• Cojemm/Jemm ("Tough, physically imposing")
• Corogatta/Rogatta ("Hardy, robust, durable," also the name of a mythological heroine)
• Corravok/Corravot/Corravod, Ravok/Ravot/Ravod ("Fertile")
• Daletta ("Bright," as of mood and intelligence)
• Desconsa/Dessa ("Loving," lit. "one who burns with kindness towards others." The shortened version is common only as a nickname)
• Folzeena ("Oasis," taken literally, carries the concept of fruit as a mercy to the barren. A common name of adopted daughters where the adoptive mother was infertile, or of daughters borne after long infertility.)
• Oscorwida/Ostwida ("Life-giving body," or "nurtures with the body." Often applied to large or particularly chubby infants, as a large body is more robust and better for birthing and nurturing young. Also the name of the foundational river.)
• Paroda ("Hopeful")
• Postenka ("Inventive")
• Shonsuwolj ("Fire-like soul, soul of fire," to represent passion, strength, and mercuriality)
• Vidkonsy ("Wise counselor")
• Yinesa ("Gentle")

Masculine names

Northern Khettadine males are typically named after feats it is hoped they will accomplish, or roles it is hoped they will fill. They are almost always forward looking; even with namesakes chosen as role models to be emulated, the name takes on that historical Des-Khett's accomplishments in addition (or even instead of) its literal meaning. Since most names are roles, most end in a "y" sound, although the rule is not total.
Additionally, some names refer to something where a tense would be appropriate, such as a goal to be accomplished or a role to fill, in which case a tense is added to the name and the name is changed as the correct tense for the word changes.
Common examples include:

• Daskumaly ("Mighty warrior")
• Maltasby ("Merciful conqueror")
• Merakutinsty ("Guide," lit. "walking harness")
• Monstvidtay ("Reclaimer")
• Ostwiravy ("Nurturer of the earth")
• Ogwoljtotsviateby ("Stalwart defender," also a great historical figure known for strength in battle)
• Partavidst ("Just ruler")
• Parzeeny ("Turns desert into forest," lit. "one who brings trees to absence")
• Rotakta ("Mason")
• Sitojenky ("Fine craftsman")
• Sfesy ("Deft one")
• Skaletty ("Light-bringer, enlightener")

Family names

The Northern Khettadine language finds its roots in the Central Khettadine language, but both evolved separately and are quite different, with the Northern Khettadine language taking many influences from the Shoreborne. Likewise, their culture deviated significantly, and so while some similarities exist it is quite unique. One illustration of this duality is how even though the living arrangements are quite similar, the naming conventions differ extensively.
Like the Central Khettadine, "family" names are instead derived from the warren in which the Khett is born. Unlike the Cent-Khetts, however, Northern Khettadine names take on a more poetic nature, dating back to the very first warren, which was known—according to legend—as "Enduring Flame." More practical names also exist, but usually take a more grandiose form. Northern Khettadine names range from places ("Mercy of the Sands") and occupations held in common ("Vanguard of Glory," "Splitters of the Rich Earth") to the poetic or memorial ("Joyful Communion," "Memorial of the Outcasts"). Quite often, the name of the warren has an abreviated form used for last names (such as "Earthsplitter" or "Vanguard") rather than the full name.
Middle names serve a role more comparable to what is commonly thought of as a family name (a name indicating bloodline). These are derived from the parent of the same sex, so in the case of a son the father, and in the case of a daughter the mother. When two Khetts marry, traditionally each spouse takes the other's first name as a third name, placing it before the warren name and after the parent's name. For example, Ogwoljtotviateby Maltasby Merashur's name became Ogwoljtotviateby Maltasby Yinesa Merashur when he married Yinesa Postenka Merashur, whose name became Yinesa Postenka Ogwoljtotviateby Merashur. In the modern era, this is still the norm, but it is not uncommon for both spouses to add the name of the warren in which they were married (usually being the birthplace of neither) to the end of their name instead of taking each other's name as part of their own (Name/Parent/Birth-warren/Marriage-warren).
Common examples include:

• Asya Kheroga; Roga ("Joyful Communion"; "Friend")
• Attswida Shonsu; Attswida ("Enduring Flame," by legend the first Des-Khett warren; "Enduring")
• Bar Totsviateby ba Shonsuroggatta; Totsviateby ("Of the Defenders of Sovereignty," a memorial warren for a military unit; "Defender")
• Caidemast bar Zeenparstip; Teyst ("Memorial of the Outcasts"; "Peace")
• Darparmerod Stenworettok; Stenworetty ("Future Beheld"; "Beholder")
• Folzat bar Ravzeen; Folzeen ("Mercy of the Sands"; "Oasis")
• Konsmerap ba Skalett; Konsmera ("Scholars of Enlightenment"; "Scholar")
• Krakta bar Ograv; Ogkraktay ("Splitters of the Rich Earth"; "Earthsplitter")
• Merashur ba Shonsua Rasht; Merashur ("Vanguard of Glory"; "Vanguard")
• Merastenyp ba Skaznoth; Merasteny ("Seekers of Revelation"; "Seeker")
• Sidar Merastyp; Merast ("Star Travelers," as in guide; "Journey")
• Worettoth bar Shonsua Konsip bar Shonsurog; Worettothy ("Keepers of the Knowledge of Power," an aristocratic warren; "Keeper")

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Northern Khettadine comes from the Central Khettadine language group, but diverged dramatically and is not mutually intelligible, even though it shares some words.
There are a few dialects across the Northern Deserts, but they are all quite close to the standard, with the variations being almost entirely in pronunciation and slang terms.
It is the third most common language behind Central Khettadine and Shoreborne, and considered "polluted" by the more puristic Khetts, who see it as a jumble of the two more common languages.

Culture and cultural heritage

The Northern Khettadine originally hailed from the area that is now The Centrality, but were exiled upon their discovery of fire, which posed a threat to the entire region.
While they carried certain primitive traditions and customs with them into the wilds, the culture of the jungles and forests of central Khetta was nascent, allowing a more unique culture to grow in the foreign environment of the deserts and river plains.
Their exposure to the Shoreborne also formed and shaped their culture through trade and the free exchange of ideas, but impact was fairly minimal during the formative centuries; the Des-Khetts wanted nothing to do with the rivers and seas, and the Shoreborne wanted nothing to do with the waterless deserts.

Shared customary codes and values

The Northern Khettadine maintain a very cohesive culture given their rather small origin, and live by certain unspoken codes that affect how they live their lives from day to day:
Family and community:
Family, community, and country are all extensions of each other, and have responsibilities to each other. The individual has a responsibility to them all, in order from family to community to country. In modern times, the alliance of Khettadine nations now sits behind country, although some reject placing it in the order at all.
Productivity:
Discipline, efficiency, and competency are qualities expected of all Des-Khetts, whether working in the home, the field, or the office. A Khett who does not work is not worth the food it consumes, and a worker who does not produce is not worth the space or wages it takes. Laziness is shunned, and even those who produce more efficiently don't earn themselves extra rest.
Trade:
Because trade with the Shoreborne was so important to early Des-Khett life, they have a lot of respect for honorable merchants. Indeed, merchants are addressed as "honorable merchant" until dishonor has been proven.
For the merchant, honesty, fairness, acceptance, and polite customer service are all expected.
For the customer, deference, prompt payment, loyalty, and polite interaction are all expected. Additionally, it is considered quite rude to enter a shop if you know you intend to purchase what you seek elsewhere, because by doing so you waste the time of the merchant whose shop you enter and insult the other merchant by implying you might purchase the item elsewhere.
Hospitality:
It is expected that a Des-Khett family graciously host friends or family on occasion, and to be able to use their resources to assist needy relations. Guests are expected to be grateful and to return the favor as soon as possible, for food is a valuable commodity. Additionally, the host is expected to protect those at his table, and those at the table have a corresponding duty to protect their benefactor. Exemplifying this are the Des-Khett words for these roles, which are "consatotsviateby" ("kind defender") and "ravotifonna" (table-guard). The duty each possesses lasts until they separate, and then the two parties must maintain peace until the following evening, making meals common settings for negotiated truces or ceasefires.
Virtues:
While related to the above, these are more general concepts of how a Des-Khett should comport him or herself. There are four morally neutral virtues, four moral virtues to govern them, two masculine morally neutral virtues, and two feminine moral virtues to govern them. The assignation of virtues to a particular gender does not mean that such values aren't relevant to the other, but merely that they are more strongly expected of the gender to which they are assigned, and are typically more relevant to their roles in society.
Morally neutral virtues:

• Creativity
• Fortitude (or perseverance)
• Industriousness
• Curiousity

Moral virtues:

• Hope
• Justice
• Love
• Wisdom

Masculine morally neutral virtues:

• Fire
• Strength

Feminine moral virtues:

• Care
• Peace

Average technological level

The Des-Khetts advanced quickly ahead of their neighbors due to their discovery of fire, which had been their undoing when they were banished. However, with the mineral riches they uncovered in the hills along the Ostwidy, they were able to form weapons, tools, and armor.
Contact and trade with the Shoreborne increased the technical prowess of both cultures significantly, and the Long War of Justice spurred further growth as they were constantly searching for solutions to new problems or new ways to gain an edge.
Even once the Central Khettadine had reverse-engineered their tools and weapons and began using fire themselves, still the Des-Khetts maintained the technological edge due to the emphasis put on discovery in their culture. This edge would last generations, until Alliance Day, when it was largely erased by various technology-sharing treaties and agreements meant to bring the different nations to technological parity.
Individual Des-Khetts enjoy and often seek out modern technology, filling their homes and warrens with cutting-edge appliances and devices. Due to this demand, the practical technology level is higher in Des-Khett territories or colonies than on worlds populated by the Cent-Khetts or Ice-Khetts.

Common Etiquette rules

Greetings

Greetings in the Northern Khettadine culture are quite short and simple, usually requiring no more than a basic acknowledgement of the other person's presence by saying their name. On a first meeting, if the name is unknown, the generic "Khetta!" will suffice.
Formal greetings just add a little bit of decorum, with it being customary to say "Khetta, I am [name]."

Farewells

Farewells are likewise simple, but traditionally take the form of a kind of blessing or proverb. For example, "Watch out for shifting sands."
These sorts of sayings are still common, but are often used teasingly or even to be passive-aggressive or otherwise hostile. For example, "Watch out for shifting sands" can be used to warn an adversary that the tables will soon turn.
After a particularly disgusting or angering conversation, one or more of the participants might turn and sweep its tail across the ground, as if to wipe out footprints in sand.

Hospitality

When visiting for a meal, the guest is expected to bring a gift of some kind for the hostess, but not money. A monetary gift will almost never be a market price for the meal provided, while implying that the meal is purchased by the guest. Thus it is doubly insulting to the hostess by paying very little for a service that was offered as a grace.
At the meal, it is important that the guest eat no more than his hostess, but that no dish that cannot be preserved be left unconsumed. To waste a hostess's food is to waste her generosity, and is therefore seen to imply that the guest is wasteful and ungrateful.
It is very important to express gratitude and to compliment the hostess's cooking, if indeed she cooked it. Due to the responsibility of the woman of the home to be the hostess, if an unmarried man (or one who is divorced or whose wife has passed) has the option to meet his guest at a third-party establishment designed for the purpose or to hire an in-house hostess. This latter choice is fraught, however, as they are commonly used as cover for prostitution and sex trafficking. Accordingly, such companies are outlawed in many regions. A corresponding cultural push all but killed the tradition, meaning that when a woman could not host a man would instead.
The tradition still lives on in some small numbers, but most commonly takes the form of the previously mentioned third-party establishment. Only the most traditional or those with ulterior motives utilize hostess services (accordingly, "hostess" is sometimes a euphemism for prostitute).

Agreements

When a solemn agreement of some kind has been reached, they exchange some kind of offering, of a value according to the importance of the agreement. The point of this is to show good will and a personal stake, but a poor gift can be seen as an insult and such agreements aren't finalized until the exchange is made.
Some waive the custom, however, and others consider it a quaint formality to be committed to celebrate the occasion. Thus, its commission varies from situation to situation.

Common Dress code

Females

Typical dress for females consists of an ankle-length skirt, often with short pants underneath for comfort or modesty, and a full-length top with long, baggy sleeves. The hem of the top is tucked into the waistband and fastened by elastic or a belt. Traditionally, both would be white for fashion and practicality, because not only does white look good against light fur, but it doesn't absorb as much heat as other colors. The belt and hems would feature flashes of color, and jewelry would add additional style. Gold has always been a fashionable highlight color, complementing light fur well.
It isn't uncommon in more recent ages to wear short skirts and sleeves, but it is not the traditional style, except for inside the home.
For females, "homewear" is an entirely different classification than clothing meant to be worn outside, and is characterized by clothing that can be comfortably worn around the house or even to bed. Contrary to the perception in many other cultures, it isn't "homely" or inappropriate for social events. In fact, it's usually more formal than the outfits they would wear outside the warren, and is what would be worn when hosting.
The materials are typically softer, often thinner, and usually have a higher range of colors. The most characteristic outfit consists of short pants and a short-sleeved tunic, bound at the waist, that reaches down to the middle of the upper leg (a couple inches above the hem of the pants).
Outdoors, females typically don a flowing head covering to keep off the sun, little more than a roughly rectangular piece of cloth held in place atop the head by a thin circlet which rests over the ears (which pass between the cloth and the ringlet, not under the cloth). Indoors, they typically go without a head covering, as it's unnecessary.
Most commonly taking the form of simple gold rings or diamond studs at the tips of the ears, piercings are common choices of ornamentation for Des-Khett females, especially because valuable earrings are the traditional betrothal token, a custom adopted from the Shoreborne. They are also worn casually, however, the main distinguishing feature being that marriage rings are right at the tip, while purely decorative earrings are a little bit lower and along the underside. If a female has more than one pair of earrings on at a time, it is almost certainly indicative that she is betrothed or married.

Males

Males typically wear long, baggy pants and forego a shirt except in more formal situations or when needed for safety.
Like females, males typically don a headcovering when outdoors. It consists of a roughly square piece of cloth and a circlet to hold it in place in much the same way as the headcoverings of females. The sole difference is that it does not have extra fabric flowing out behind. Stylistically, the circlet is usually much simpler and is not decorated.
Piercings are uncommon, but not unheard of. While they are generally considered a style for females, it isn't considered feminine for a male to wear them, just an unusual style choice.

Art & Architecture

To understand Northern Khettadine art, the first thing that must be understood is the art system. In the Northern Khettadine culture, there are two categories of art: "high-art" and "low-art." "High-art" refers to works of art made by career artists under the patronage of the monarch or other elites, and is generally of a larger or more complex nature requiring special training, while "low-art" is popular art made by ordinary individuals in their spare time. The terms do not imply that one method of art is more inherently worthy than another, they merely diagnose. However, "high-art" tends to be more valuable due to greater quality and complexity.

Music

Music exists as a cultural blindspot, with virtually no Des-Khett musicians ever having been produced, but this doesn't mean they don't have any interest. Many do enjoy music, and Shoreborne musicians can make a good living in their territory, but they can't (or won't) make any music themselves.
"Songs" only exist as work chants or cadences, sometimes to a beat. However, even this is only a repetitive rhythm, not what any would consider music. The complete lack of musical ability baffles those who study it, with the common answer for Cent-Khetts not even holding water, for the Des-Khetts do seem to enjoy music, albeit perhaps less than most cultures.

Sculpture

Sculpture is an appreciated art, if rarely practiced, with one exception: wax figurines of the deceased are quite common, even mundane, with many having several small statuettes around the home.
But since wood is so rare and stoneworking is seen as a waste of time, most sculptures are made of clay, which is far easier to acquire anyway.
What non-funerary sculptures that are made are usually of people notable for other reasons, such as a military commander or a politician. Most sculptures are of a small size, to the point where the largest sculpture in the kingdom is a life-size bronze statue of Ogwoljtotviateby Maltasby Yinesa Merashur, a popular monarch, dedicated by Shonsurogst Skaletty Partavidst Ravot Merashur on the 200th anniversary of his death.
This is the crowning jewel of the palace grounds, but to the novice visitor would seem no more notable than a statue one might find in a town square on another world.

Imagery

Two-dimensional imagery is the second-most common art medium of the Central Khettadine, and itself comes in multiple forms. The most popular method for "high-art" is engraving on a stone tablet. This has been expanded to engraving on stone itself, with many stone palaces featuring intricate carvings on foundation stones, in basements, over entire walls, or anywhere else the master wished or the artist envisioned.
Painting is the most popular method for "low-art," and is a common pastime for children done with school for the day or as a leisure activity for mothers able to take a rest. Many warrens have painting classes or groups.
Some of the finest artwork ever produced by Khetts has come from the brushes of anonymous, humble homemakers, whose artwork was discovered tucked away in some corner of a warren. Thus, the undiscovered genius artist has become a trope in fiction.
Subject matter for two-dimensional artwork is extremely diverse, ranging from portraits to scenes to meaningless patterns deemed attractive by their designers. Most Khett families have many heirloom pieces they can trace back generations, and will gladly explain this history to visitors upon request. Such a request is considered very complimentary, and is a sure way to solve an awkward lull in conversation.

Literature

Literature is the most popular medium for artwork in Des-Khett culture given the stress placed on literacy, with most children going through some sort of writing phase, producing numerous works of dubious value. The only separation between "high-art" and "low-art" is technical, strictly a matter of whether the person is producing art under patronage. Beyond that, there is no difference.
Literature is the province equally of the two sexes, but they each typically address different genres and audiences. Most fiction is written by females, but that written by males is geared towards adult, often male, interests (such as military fiction), while most fiction written by females is geared towards children and is often of a more fantastical nature.
Poetry, likewise, is split in interest. However, females again tend to focus more on what will be enjoyable to children (e.g. nursery rhymes) because that is the context in which they are creating poetry, while the poety written by males tends to be directed more towards adults, whether through simple entertainment value or as a means of wooing females.
The significant majority of non-fiction is written by males, and there is a tremendous quantity of it. Every scientist, explorer, engineer, scholar, or the like is expected to write multiple books detailing what was learned, proved, or disproved, and chronicling the paths taken to reach knowledge. This, however, leaves masses and masses of books which no one has read or wishes to read, but which fill scholarly libraries for the mere virtue of having been written. Many a naive student has been led astray by finding the books of a fool and following the significant body of work which inevitably follows any fallacious line of reasoning until abruptly discovering at the harsh mercies of a schoolmaster that months have been wasted upon exploded systems and shattered theories.
Yet, all calls to cull the herd have gone unheard, and the great library expands daily.

Performance

Performance art is a common "low-art," and is the province of children. They will often put on skits or plays for the benefit of their warren at the direction of some elder who took an interest in the youngest generation once retired and no longer rearing children.
As far as theater or movies go, however, neither caught on. It was initially attempted to record and replay the same childhood performances, but these were widely rejected. Some saw the use of children as exploitative, while many viewed the performances as either too polished to be entertaining as a performance by endearing children, or performed by children and thus not of a quality not worthy of time unless to enjoy the company of one's fellow warren members. Given the disastrous receptions of these early attempts, the medium is almost solely used for news. Thus, both mediums lag far behind their clusteral contemporaries and exist only on very small scales.

Architecture

Traditionally, homes would be built of sod or dug into the ground, with buildings in the desert often being built of adobe and partially buried. Entire networks would be built together to create a warren, although sometimes rather than a network it would be a large, raw room that would then be partitioned or simply apportioned.
Soon, however, an intermediately civilized architecture grew to prominence, with smooth stone and stucco structures becoming especially common, and bricks also becoming a common building material. These buildings were quite simple at first, but the artistic revolution engrained the principle that if a building were to have a large, flat space, it would only be so that a mural could be better displayed. There was a sudden explosion in creativity as domes, spires, arches, geometric cut-outs, overhangs, and multitudes of other features suddenly leapt into prominance. Architecture suddenly became a high-art, although lacking the principle of patronage, and architects became as much artist as engineer.
Several unintentionally appallingly grotesque buildings and some structural collapses tamped down enthusiasm for such enterprises, and they were resumed with more circumspection.
The era approximately three centuries after the initial boom is considered the apex of architecture, and the styles of the time are commonly mimicked in modern constructs, especially when building around historical cities whose buildings from that age remain intact.
The common architectural style features very smooth lines and transitions from square walls to domed roofs, recurved arches for windows and doors, and teardrop-shaped detailing on the edging that overhangs a roof, undergirding gutters.
The inside of domes, when capping a vaulted ceiling rather than holding a room, are often painted or engraved ornately, telling a story of some great event, whether historical or fictional.
Skyscrapers are built of metal and glass, however, and much as many might wish otherwise, that cannot be changed. However, the interior is often at complete odds with the exterior—warm, smooth, and inviting, adhering to the same architectural style as its more ground-bound neighbors.
However, a given city is likely to have only a few skyscrapers. Far more commonly, the streets are claustrophobically crowded by chaotic mazes of buildings no more than three or four stories high, from warrens bundling in eighty Khetts to businesses serving 800, it's always a bustling mess.
Streets are always overflowing, such that the invention and affordability of anti-gravity cars was more necessity than anything else.
Three-dimensional roundabouts are periodically dotted across the cityscape, funneling the air lanes to the ground level like traffic whirlpools, while some businesses provide elevated parking at the level of one of the air lanes so that customers can simply park on a street fifty feet above the ground and walk right in on the top floor.

Foods & Cuisine

"Five thousand dishes with five thousand more beside" is how one writer described the culinary climate of the Khettadine culture, and this pronouncement extends to the Northern Khettadine as well, though it is, of course, an underestimate.
Their desert climate made food more scarse, but the area is not as barren as most expect when hearing the term "desert." While there are certainly great areas of desert, even these grow some plants suitable for food.
However, the bulk of the Northern Khettadine diet is furnished from the river and the plains, from fish, fowl, and cattle.
From the backs of their horses (often called "Khorses" by those more inclined to word play), ranchers manage large herds of cattle who graze on the prickly desert grass, while fishermen cast nets and lines in the Ostwidy, taking the gifts of the life-giving river, and farmers raise poultry on the grain grown in the broad, arable plains that run parallel to the great river.
Fruits are furnished from the Folpar tree which dots the occasional inland oases, while tubers are grown in fertile soil near the river. However, these are in much smaller supply than meat and grain, and are correspondingly more expensive.
The staple foods of the Northern Khettadine are bread and beef, often supplemented with poultry, and with fish in regions closer to the river.
Each dish can be prepared any number of ways, in large part thanks to the spices with which the Northern Deserts are surprisingly richly endowed, mostly of a rather mild variety which add flavor rather than a burning sensation. However, there is one, made from the fruit of a rare cactus, which is renowned for the suffering it causes in unprepared samplers. When specially dried and sapped of its precious water, the shriveled fruit can be peeled and ground into a very potent ingredient unsurprisingly called "fire spice."
Trying to summarize what a general dish can be expected to consist of is difficult given the variety inherent to Khett cuisine, but most full meals consist of a meat dish of some variety, usually including at least two other ingredients, and at least one side dish of a grain- or vegetable-based food. Whenever possible, fruit is also enjoyed.
In the modern age, with the greater availability of imports, Des-Khett meals tend to more closely resemble those of their southern neighbors of the plentifully-endowed forests, although more traditional or culturally distinct dishes retain their prominence and unique qualities.

Beverages

Practical beverages:
Given the lack of ready sources of freshwater in the more barren expanses of their native homeland, water is highly valued and carefully handled. Many purification methods, primitive and modern, have been devised to make any water go further.
Certain desert cacti are excellent sources of water, and one particular one is universally appreciated by the Desert Khettadine. The "Ostwidy bar Ravzeen," or "life-giver of the desert" can store an astonishing amount of water under its tough, prickly skin. When drained or squeezed from the cactus, the water has a refreshing, subtley sweet taste, and the pulp can be eaten raw.
Tea, of many varieties both produced domestically and imported from the Shoreborne, is very popular for any time of day. Originally, tea was an expedient way to purify water, with herbs added mostly for taste or its effect (one native herb is an excellent relaxant), but the use of tea has become embedded in the culture.
Recreational beverages:
Fruit juices are popular, though not nearly as popular as tea, and carbonated beverages are enjoyed, but neither have made it into the mainstream in nearly the same way as tea.
Alcholic beverages:
Beer is very common, especially in agricultural communities based on the vast plains of grain, and there are many varieties. Drunkenness is very discouraged, however, so most consume it with temperance.
Some hard spirits are distilled on the sly, but the practice is illegal and so there is no sanctioned production or importation.

Meal Habits and Composition

The Northern Khettadine eat three meals per day, each separated by a snack.

• Denzeen, literally "out of bed."
• Das tresporyn, literally "strength snack."
• Folzat bar darmer, literally "mercy of the day."
• Teya tresporyn, literally "peaceful snack."
• Shona trespor, literally "hot meal."

Denzeen:
Denzeen is the morning meal, eaten immediately after rising from bed. Traditionally, it is a cold meal, often fresh produce along with bread and maybe cold meat leftovers from a previous evening, often all combined to make an open sandwich. On Teyadarmerst, their rest day, denzeen will sometimes be served as a hot meal.
In the modern era, many new options such as cereals or prepackaged foods that can be quickly warmed up have changed how the meal is eaten, but it still typically follows the same pattern of a cold meal immediately after rising.
Das tresporyn:
Das tresporyn is a snack, or a miniature meal, between the morning meal and the noon meal meant to reinvigorate Khetts in the midst of some physical labor. It is usually composed of the same cold food as denzeen, packed in the top layer of a lunchbox.
Folzat bar darmer:
Folzat bar darmer is the noon meal and rest period, lasting from one hour before noon to one hour after. It is known as the "mercy of the day" because it allows workers to escape from the scorching sun and relax under shelters, eating and resting until the highest heat has passed. In the warren, this is a communal meal.
The food selection was traditionally quite similar to that of dovzeen, though it often had a greater emphasis on fruits with high water content whenever possible. In the modern day, however, without the same physical needs as in ages past, it usually takes the form of whatever the individual prefers at a nearby eatery or a company cafeteria and runs the gamut from cold food to hot. Similarly, the breaktime has been shortened from the traditional two hours.
Teya Tresporyn:
Teya Tresporyn is a snack, or miniature meal, eaten after the work day has ended, either immediately before returning home at an eatery or immediately after returning home. It is usually quick and easy, light, enjoyable refreshments meant to help relax and unwind.
Shona Trespor:
Shona Trespor is the evening meal, and the only meal traditionally served hot. Some warrens have it as a communal meal, but most warrens have only certain days where it is a communal meal and the rest of the time it's a family meal.
It usually predominately features meat, with the traditional meal structure featuring a main dish of meat, usually cooked with a vegetable, or a stew of meat chunks; a side dish of warm (ideally freshly-baked) bread; and at least one side dish of cooked, spiced vegetables, sometimes a mix, sometimes a single type. Whenever possible (more common in the modern era), a side dish of fruit is also provided. When stew is served, a slit is cut into the side of each long loaf of bread, and when served, the stew is ladled into the cut.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Festivals

Carrying on the traditions that began when they were still part of the Central Khettadine, they mark the beginnings and ends of the planting and harvest seasons with week-long festivals. Additionally, they have their own unique festival celebrating the schism from the Cent-Khetts.
Planting:
At the official beginning of the planting season, each warren hosts some kind of party, traditionally outdoors around a "warren tree" (either the tree above their home or a chosen tree), if possible. In ages past, this festival was timed when the warren tree bloomed, although in the modern age it is commonly observed on a specific day. Given the sometimes harsh conditions, it was not unheard of for warren trees to sometimes simply not bloom, in which case no planting festival would be had.
The occasion is marked by general frivolity: dancing, games, sporting, and boating, often enabled by the Shoreborne merchants who flood down on riverside Des-Khett cities and towns in anticipation of fun and financial success.
It is considered especially fortuitous for a child to be born around this time, since it marks the beginning of a time when food is plentiful.
When the planting season ends, the festival week is much the same. This is also typically when recreational facilities like pools and sporting fields and courts open, and summer is officially declared.
It is considered especially fortuitous for a child to be conceived around this time, since it means the child will be born in a time when food is plentiful. Thus, the summer months are very popular for weddings, engagements, and proposals.
Last-Fruits/First-Fruits:
The beginning of harvest is marked with a feast of the last supplies from the previous harvest and off-season produce, although in the modern era this mostly just means certain types of food since most produce is available year round.
The end is likewise marked with a feast, but this is of the produce of the harvest, all fresh food. Gifts are also exchanged between family and friends, and warrens often assemble gifts for each other.
Much as the planting festival is a celebration of future life, the harvest festival is a celebration of life past and life present, of death and birth. The second day of the festival is set aside for remembering lost loved ones. The fourth day of the festival is set aside for remembering the loved ones who still live, and is when gifts are traditionally exchanged.
Fire Festival:
The Fire Festival is held at the height of summer, and is set aside for celebrating fire and remembering their heritage (notably being cast out of their home forests). Unofficially, it is set aside for copious copulation.
Bright paper banners of red, yellow, and orange adorn the streets and warrens, street performers swallow fire or juggle flaming objects, classical artisans display their methods of making glass or steel with historically accurate tools, methods, clothing, and sets, children perform plays retelling the culture's formative moments, bonfires are held, and firework displays are made.
It is a very popular celebration, and very politically important. Throughout history, Fire Festivals have been the scene of famous (or infamous) speeches demanding "parta" (justice. Literally "trees again"), or even invasion, the occasion for invasion, the target of terrorist attacks from several different concerns (foreign or domestic), and they have even seen two separate coups.

Holidays

Various special days are commemorated by the Cent-Khetts, such as military victories, diplomatic triumphs, or general days of awareness.
Memorial Day:
Memorial Day is observed on the 25th day of the second month and commemorates the beginning of the Long War of Justice, when with the help of the Shoreborne, the Des-Khetts invaded the territory of the Cent-Khetts, from which they had long been banished.
While the Cent-Khetts have a holiday with the same Aribitral translation (albeit a different native name), the two holidays are different and both predate the peace by hundreds of years. However, they are quite similar, and were united by the Unification Treaty of 3 A.C.E.
The modern experience is as a day to remember and celebrate soldiers who were killed in service of The Fire Kingdom or The United Sovereignties of Khetta.
Peace Day:
Peace Day is observed on the 26th day of the sixth month, and commemorates the official end of the Long War of Justice. It has in the past been referred to as "Reclamation Day" or "Justice Day," but these names have fallen out of favor since relations with The Centrality have improved.
Confederate Day:
Confederate Day is observed on the 9th day of the seventh month and commemorates the alliance with the Shoreborne in the lead-up to the Long War of Justice, and is often an excuse for lots of Shoreborne to come down the river and join a party. It was originally called "Alliance Day," but it was changed to avoid confusion with the holiday meant to celebrate the formation of the United Sovereignties of Khetta after the Northern Khettadine lost their bid to name that holiday "Unity Day." To this day, many still refer to Confederate Day as Alliance Day and Alliance Day as Unity Day.
Alliance Day:
Alliance Day is observed on the 17th day of the tenth month, and commemorates the unification of all great Khettadine nations in 3 A.C.E. Not to be confused with Confederacy Day.
Birthdays:
Birthdays are individual holidays, observed on and celebrating the anniversary of someone's birth. These are typically observed with a party of some kind, and some sort of special food is usually supplied. Depending on the warren and family, this may be a family event held in the privacy of the home or a warren-wide event in a public space. Historically, gifts were not exchanged. But as they became more exposed to other cultures and their customs, they adopted this custom (among others).

Events

Various events are commonly held throughout the year, with no particular relation to seasons or times.
Dances:
Dances are held very frequently, each typically with a certain age bracket in mind (though some cater to broad ranges). The youngest brackets are for minors between the ages of seven and ten, and these dances are typically gender-segregated, with little contact between males and females (although performed for each others' benefit). Dances begin featuring couples' dancing around the age of eleven, and this most popular context continues into even very old age, although the enthusiasm and intensity of dancing certainly decreases with age.
Such dances are typically held outdoors in the sand, and unlike Cent-Khett dances are usually accompanied by music (often provided by traveling Shoreborne bards, some who make a career of putting on dances).
Warren construction:
When it is decided that a new warren is needed, whether because of overcrowding in one, a political schism, or a desire to act benevolently, those wishing to construct a warren purchase a plot of land and dedicate a tree on the property as a "warren tree," if possible. If there is not a suitable tree, the tradition is sometimes dropped. This dedication ceremony can be very simple, particularly in the case of a company building one to sell, but is sometimes quite complex. The nature of these ceremonies is quite diverse depending on peoplegroup and background, but most often takes the form of a party and light refreshments accompanied by some speechifying.
Once the warren tree has been dedicated, the land is appropriately prepared according to the specifications of the construction and then construction begins. When construction is completed, another celebration is held and the warren is named. In the case of a benefactor funding the construction, it is customary for one of the future residents to suggest naming it after the donor.
Warren days:
Many warrens have a "warren day" annually near the anniversary of the warren's naming ceremony, usually on the rest day, Teyadarmerst. The celebration is attended by the whole warren and often people who used to live in the warren, typically grown children.
It is held outdoors, conditions permitting, and usually features yard games and a communal meal. Some urban warrens will hold their celebration in a city park rather than move it indoors.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Since Des-Khetts were usually born underground, parents who wanted their children to be born under the trees like their ancestors would take them immediately after birth to see the warren-tree (or just another nearby tree, as in the case of a warren without a warren-tree). This was the father's duty, as the mother was quite understandably indisposed. If the father was out of the picture, this usually fell to the grandfather, the mother's father.
In the modern age, circumstances have changed radically and it is far more common now for these early arboreal encounters to happen in the safety of a hospital. Those willing to spend a premium can get a room where a tree appears as the roof, typically below a glass dome, while most run-of-the-mill maternity rooms are arranged around a central tree, which is surrounded by benches suitable for a father to sit with his newborns.
This custom did little more than give the father a moment with the newborns and soothe the cultural ache of separation, but it became engrained in the culture and is considered an essential practice even in the modern age where Des-Khetts can freely travel into The Centrality. This custom has also caught on among Khetts born on foreign worlds, especially where trees are rare. Hospitals in more friendly or diverse regions may provide rooms for this purpose, or specifically provide medical escort services so that the newborns can be safely carried away from the hospital.

Coming of Age Rites

Upon turning fourteen, a Khett is considered a full adult.
The day passes without much fanfare beyond the usual festivities, as it does not mark much of a shift in the Khett's life beyond the adjustment of certain legal rights. The Khett is still in school, and will be for years, and will likely already have been working in some sort of apprenticeship or been otherwise training for independent life.

Funerary and Memorial customs

If the body can be retrieved, it is cremated, and the ashes are scattered among the shifting sands. Occasionally, some will choose to store the ashes in some kind of keepsake, ranging from jewelery to jars, but that is uncommon.
Once the body is cremated, the ashes are collected in a large jar and a memorial service is held in a location of significance to the deceased (typically chosen before death, if possible, otherwise chosen by the family). Traditionally, the warren of the deceased, its mate, its parents, and its mate's parents are all invited, and specific invitations are extended to other family members and friends.
At the service, a candle is lit and close family members and friends (typically chosen before the deceased's death, if possible, otherwise chosen by the family) will each relay one of the deceased's accomplishments, then scatter some of the ashes in the sand. When each speaker has spoken, the attendees then each scatter the ashes until they are gone.
Once the ashes have been scattered, the attendees mill about and visit, mourn, and comfort each other. When the candle lit at the beginning of the service has burnt itself out, they disband. Often, the wax of the candle is collected and formed into a figurine of the deceased.

Common Myths and Legends

The Legend of Corogatta is a key myth in the history of the Northern Khettadine, with its authenticity and implications a matter of much debate.
According to the traditional account, when the original Des-Khetts were banished, they came to a large, white rock in the middle of the desert and began to discuss returning and begging for forgiveness, and promising never to use or teach their knowledge of fire.
At that moment, the rock split open and from the blinding light inside, out stepped a radiant woman whose pale features glowed with light as of the moon. She told them that fire was a gift, her gift to all Khetts, and that when she learned her gift had been rejected, she came down to reassure her chosen. She bade them continue, and told them of the great life-giving river around which they could grow food and hunt game.
Seeing that her chosen Khetts were suitably comforted, she returned to her rock, which rumbled, then left the ground, flying back up to the moon. The amazed Khetts continued on, their determination renewed, and began their civilization in the bend of the Ostwidy, the promised life-giving river.
The story is the subject of so much debate because of the nature of the pale visitor and the rock whence she emerged. The traditional representation shows her as a modern-day Des-Khett with very light fur (which would have been alien to the early migrants), but older images and engravings were not quite as clear, with some looking more and some less Khett-like, with a notable example very closely resembling an Arbiter, although its detractors simply accuse the artist of having been unskilled.
Not helping matters is that the story is remarkably consistent with the idea of a ship landing and taking off again, with even the manner of Corogatta's egress from the "rock" potentially indicating a ship opening.
Some question the story around the myth altogether, suggesting that the whole thing is a myth from top to bottom and that it shouldn't be taken seriously at all, but most believe that the myth is historically authentic, even if it is mythological. There are many, however, who take it quite literally and believe that the original tellers were limited only by their understanding. These hold it up as the best evidence yet that the Arbiters meddled secretly in the various nations' affairs long before clusteral expansion.
There have been occasional findings that seek to prove one way or the other, but these are usually either undermined in importance or revealed to be frauds, and most have accepted that the story will never be known for certain, unless the Arbiters know and are simply not telling.
For their part, the Arbiters deny any involvement in or knowledge of the story's origin or veracity.

Historical figures

In a civilization that has existed for millennia, there will inevitably be far too many major historical figures to list. However, here are listed some historical figures of relevance to this article who will give an insight into the history and culture of the Northern Khettadine:
Maltasby Rotakta Vidkonsy Roga:
Maltasby was destined for greatness from the first. His father, Rotakta, had risen from humble beginnings to become Shonsurogst of The Fire Kingdom after leading an army of stoneworkers to confront the corrupt and weak Shonsurogst who then ruled.
In the newly-founded Merashur ba Shonsua Rasht, Maltasby was raised with the best of everything. Teachers, trainers, tools, and trades. His father's dream was that Maltasby would bring Parta, conquering the homes they had been ejected from centuries ago.
When he became king at the age of sixteen, he formed an alliance with his father's friends, the Shoreborne, who had sent a contingent to pay their respects at Rotakta's funeral.
Within a few short months, he launched the War of Justice, soon to become known as the Long War of Justice, and invaded what would soon become The Centrality. It was a slaughter. They advanced rapidly, annihilating the comparatively primitive armies that stood in their way. They advanced until their supply chains were so strained they could no long advance, then they dug in. Unfortunately, before the situation was stabilized and they could advance further, he died of an equatorial sickness that ravaged the army since the Des-Khetts were no longer immune.
Ogwoljtotviateby Maltasby Yinesa Merashur:
Ogwoljtotviateby was only two years old when his father was killed, and was renamed by his mother upon receiving word of her husband's death.
He was taken to the army, trained by his father's top general, taught to ride at an age where he could hardly walk, given a sword before most children are given a pen, dressed in armor before most children can dress themselves, and commanding war-dogs before most children can pet a tame hound without recoiling in fear.
When Ogwoljtotviateby was nine, a young girl was sent from his home warren to keep him company. Initially, he rejected her. He treated her with the proper respect, granting her the customary home next to his own, but made clear he had no time or interest to spend on a fair beauty. He was at war.
However, the young woman won his heart with her head, and he realized that she was sent not only as a lover for the warrior, but as a counselor for the general.
It was that summer when the flood came. Waves of Cent-Khetts poured from the trees, angry at the interlopers who had killed so many of their kind and taken their choicest trees and most valuable lands (for that which is lost was always the most dear).
With his queen's head-covering worn as a favor under his pauldron, the young king charged into battle beside men twice his age, fighting the wild tree-folk who they had once been. His feats are legendary, and very likely apocryphal. But all the same, he survived, and he won.
He stayed on the frontlines for the next four decades, living to what was an almost impossibly old age of fifty, the whole time with his wise counselor and lover at his side, guiding him and tempering his furor. Accordingly, he established the title of "Daskutiny bar Shonsurogst," which translates as "The One Who is a Power-Bridle of the King," for the queen.
He had numerous children by Yinesa while in the field, and due to their constantly moving nature he renamed their mobile residence "Merashur ba Shonsua Rasht" so that his children would share his name.
His military victories did not end the war—nothing would for nearly two more centuries—but the territory he carved from the haunch of The Centrality would never leave Des-Khett hands.
Yinesa Postenka Ogwoljtotviateby Merashur:
Yinesa was born to a political ally of Maltasby Roga, who had joined him in his warren (Merashur ba Shonsua Rasht).
She was properly educated as a fine young woman should be, and brought up from a young age with the intent that she be a suitable mate for Ogwoljtotsviateby (who she would later affectionately call "Woljy"). She is seen as the most perfect manifestation of a Northern Khettadine woman to have ever existed, although her virtues are perhaps overexaggerated.
At the age of eight, she was dispatched south with a military escort to meet her destined mate, at his mother's hope that she would ease the loneliness of a long campaign and advise him in all things, that he would better lead their people when guided in turn by a queen.
She was rather disappointed by her reception, as while her betrothed was perfectly respectful and courteous, he was clearly none-too-pleased to see her and made it quite clear that she did not warrant his time or interest.
Rather than wishing for return, she took this as a sign that she was as needed as she had been told. When taking her liberty within the compound, she would listen to the talk of the officers and war council, applying what she knew to make sense of the new information. Long after the others had departed to sleep, she would arise from her bed and study the war tables, applying what she had heard to the map, familiarizing herself with the terrain and positions, studying the supply lines, finding the weaknesses and strengths, finding where loss meant disaster and victory meant triumph.
Finally, she approached the table of generals and sat down, immediately drawing the shocked gazes of all those present. "Naught's brought but my ease and your gain," she is believed to have said.
While the others wished to coax her to leave, Ogwoljtotsviateby seemed to finally see her. He looked at her curiously while the others chattered about his ears, eyes flicking across her features and finally resting, gazing into her eyes. "She stays," is all he said.
She became his inseparable companion, valuable advisor on all matters, lover, and finally, the mother of his children, of which there were quite a few. He created the title "Daskutiny bar Shonsurogst," which translates as "The One Who is a Power-Bridle of the King," for all queens of The Fire Kingdom, and for her, his beloved wife, most especially.
She outlived him by two short years, guiding her son as she had her husband until she finally passed into the fire and the sand, leaving an enduring legacy for all Khetta.
Skaletty Partavidst Ravot Merashur:
A direct, albeit distant descendant of Ogwoljtotsviateby and Yinesa, Skaletty was the Shonsurogst who finally saw the end of the Long War of Justice, and the victory that won them their first piece of Parta.
With the war winding down, his parents chose to name him "Skaletty," or "light-bringer" in hopes that he would stimulate the stagnating culture of their nation after so long at war. To this end, they gave him at least as much cultural training and exposure as they did war education.
His father's untimely death from an illness when Skaletty was ten years old catapulted him into a position of leadership at a young age, much like Ogwoljtotsviateby, who was always one of his heroes. He wore it well, leading his armies to a final victory on the fertile plains of Wisinsolm, where the peace was signed not two days later.
To celebrate the end of war, he encouraged the arts and fostered a cultural renaissance within the Fire Kingdom, becoming the patron of many artists (of varying levels of quality). He also commissioned the creation of a bronze statue of Ogwoljtotsviateby who, while not the monarch that started the war, was the one most responsible for its eventual success, and a figure of true legend in the Des-Khett consciousness.
This statue was originally quite underwhelming in its quality, but it was improved and recast and redone several times until it was done right, the final version being unveiled just one day before Skaletty passed away at the old age of 64.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Females

As with the Cent-Khetts, sleekness is prized. However, it is harder to achieve due to the more airy texture of their fur, and does not come from the same reasons. Naturally, Des-Khett fur is shorter and more coarse, although it maintains the same soft underlayer, and the wiry texture does not lend itself as well to lusterous smoothness. Sleekness was not as relevant in bygone eras, but as the societies opened and there was more intermixing between the Des-Khetts and Cent-Khetts, female Des-Khetts became jealous of the beauty of Cent-Khett coats and began trying to emulate them. Thus, there are two contradictory ideals existing in parallel; while many female Des-Khetts try to emulate the grooming of the Cent-Khetts, and many males like that, many other females buck the trend and many males agree with their tastes, sometimes seeing the alternative as foreign, or too Cent-Khett. The more traditional style is especially popular among the more nationalist Des-Khetts, with some radical styles such as spiked guard hairs finding purchase among the more radical youth as a way of signaling their affiliation.
The ideal body shape followed a similar trajectory, with large, plump figures being preferred as they were more healthy and robust in the desert climate, and better for birthing young. However, as civilization advanced and such survival traits became less relevant, a more finely-toned figure such as those possessed by their neighbors became more desirable and is the current ideal.
Light fur is generally prized, although with the lack of variety in Des-Khett coats it plays a very small role. However, a uniform color coat is generally preferred to one that is mottled or variated.

Males

Sleekness is a quality outright rejected among the males of Des-Khett society, who pride themselves on a certain ruggedness and always have. Time spent grooming was time not spent doing something more useful or enjoyable, so while unkemptness is not exactly popular, low-maintenance, simple styles are most common. The naturally short and coarse coat helps with this. By-and-large, Des-Khett females share this preference, such as it is, since they do not particularly care either way unless a male seems "overgroomed," which is deemed indicative of a certain narcissism and laziness, since he could've spent the time doing something more productive.
Similarly, fur color is generally considered irrelevant unless it's the wrong color, with the various mottlings and variations being generally ignored, or seen as endearing distinctions. However, there is a general societal aversion to brighter colors or exceptionally dark colors such as red or very dark brown since it provides no camouflage in the desert. This aversion was strictly in terms of mate selection for life in the desert, however, and did not lead to more generalized discrimination. For example, the Des-Khetts dealt extensively with the dark-furred Shoreborne.
In the modern age, this distinction is significantly lessened as there is not as much need for the camouflage, but the preference still exists to some extent. Again, the preference is much more pronounced among the more nationalistic elements who wish to be wholly separate from the Cent-Khetts.

Cosmetics

Cosmetics are almost exclusively used by females, from fur dye to styling gels and tools, and there is a specific market tailoring to the needs of their unique fur texture. However, they use these products not nearly as much as their Cent-Khett neighbors, and there is a correspondingly smaller variety of options.
Due to the great surface area that needs to be covered, few actually use products such as dyes or gels over their whole exposed body, but instead strategically apply it to certain areas. Many of the more artistic sort (or who can afford artistic stylists) apply multiple different colors in patterns across their fur. Like tattoos, these can convey a variety of meanings from simple artistic expression to designs of great personal significance. However, unlike tattoos, they are very temporary. Some Khetts are most identifiable by the fact that their style changes so frequently, rather than through a consistently recognizable pattern.
Most males reject such products, with the most common fur-care kit consisting of a single comb which may or may not be used from time-to-time. Most are content to run their claws through their fur and leave it at that.
Various subcultures may use hair dye patterns, and this is not seen as particularly unusual or unmasculine, but the vast majority of males simply have no interest.

Gender Ideals

Societally, gender roles in the current era have broken down somewhat. No laws currently exist to restrict the prospects of either sex (although some exclusivity still exists, such as certain male- or female-only spaces), and by-and-large there are no cultural requirements that someone take a certain path according to their sex.
However, multiple gendered customs still exist, and most still fulfill roles traditionally associated with their sex. Therefore, below are listed what can be considered "standard" roles and expectations.
A peculiarity of this culture is a lack of gendering of colors, perhaps in large part due to the comparative colorlessness of their desert environment. However, they eventually adopted the same color-gendering of the Cent-Khetts, even though they did not adopt the related customs.

Females

Young girls, in addition to their education, are prepared to bear and rear children. This is essential to early development, as Khetts reach maturity very quickly and thus are capable of bearing children while still very uneducated and typically lacking in decision-making capabilities (making unintended pregnancies very common). Young mothers are generally expected to care for the resulting offspring, although they typically have a lot of support from others in the warren.
Most females spend significant amounts of time at home with their offspring, which can be as many as twelve in some instances. Usually, when the number of offspring exceeds five, unless the warren is well-equipped to support them while she is away, the mother will stay home full-time to look after the children.
As it is her responsibility to ensure that the children receive a good education, the education of Des-Khett females has always been extremely important in society, and many had a higher level of education than their male peers, many of whom were involved in physical labor.
Due to this responsibility, a female Des-Khett will often spend what time she can find studying, in equal parts to train her offspring and to help her spouse, especially if he works in some sort of research role.
The ideal Northern Khettadine female is practical, a committed wife, a gentle advisor, an effective mother, healthy, uplifting, well-educated, hard-working, inventive, and virtuous.

Males

In the past, young men were trained for military service in addition to their education. With an old foe to the south and a burning desire to reclaim their lost homeland, such preparedness was considered indispensible. As the geopolitical tensions waned and peace became more reliable, such training was replaced instead by largely apprentice-type employment. This carries on to the modern day, albeit on a smaller scale, and is open to females as well.
Young male Khetts are even more prone than young females to engage in risky sexual behavior that results in unintended pregnancies, but unlike the mothers they are not expected to care for the resulting offspring. Later in life, however, when they actually marry, they are expected to stay with the single female and raise any children born before or during the marriage, becoming the legal father of any earlier offspring.
Typically, males are expected to be the breadwinner for the household, conducting some outside occupation and then returning home with the proceeds to sustain the rest of his family, and also contribute to the welfare of his warren. While females with multiple children are often considered acceptable liabilities (in large part due to the future potential of the children), males who do not on net contribute to the warren are often expelled. In the modern age, it is more common (although still rare) for males to raise children while the female works, changing the calculus of what is a socially acceptable contribution level.
The Des-Khetts were the first to develop a written language, which they used extensively. While literary pursuits were considered the province equally of males and females, non-fiction (and fictional presentations of non-fiction) was composed predominately by males. In spite of the generalized eschewing of art, literature was encouraged even in ancient times as a way of instructing, entertaining, and enlightening. The greatest philosophers, scientists, and scholars all wrote extensively, using fictional narratives to convey their ideas as often as they straightforwardly outlined them.
Under the reign of Shonsurogst Skaletty Partavidst Ravot Merashur, the arts were encouraged, with architecture becoming significantly more sophisticated and decorative and engravings and paintings becoming established as artistic mediums, although the earliest works left much to be desired.
The ideal Northern Khettadine male is strong, hard-working, intelligent, creative, educated, cultured, and wise, which includes being morally upright.

Courtship Ideals

Young Khetts usually meet each other first either in the context of a warren or in a school, become infatuated, and pursue their attractions to their natural ends. There is little of a systematized courting practice, and it mostly involves the indulging of base passions.
However, sometimes the adults are able to get a better handle on the situation and rein in the young lovers, placing them by force into a more controlled method of courting. This often leads to the two lovers establishing a successful union later in life, and has a greater marriage rate than unsupervised affairs, regardless of the lovers' socio-economic circumstances.
In these more controlled situations, meetings always happen in a neutral location agreed upon by the parents, chaperoned by two adults, one chosen by each set of parents. Usually, the female's parents choose a female and the male's parent choose a male, although it isn't rare for the male's parents to be unable to find a suitable male available for the task and assign a trusted female instead. Some warrens have individuals who specifically volunteer to fill this role, although some parents choose to select someone else anyway.
These supervisors together, as representatives of the parents, determine the terms of the relationship, with the more conservative of the two winning out whenever there is a dispute. Further, they counsel the juviniles independently or jointly and keep both sets of parents informed about the goings-on. Usually it is the parents' representative who reports back, but sometimes both supervisors report to both sets of parents, rather than doing so individually.
The attitudes of these supervisors vary wildly, but the checks and balances in place allow the parents to ensure that the terms of the relationship are at least as conservative as they want, assuming their representative does what they expect.
Although romantic relationships may begin as early as the age of seven or eight, marriage is not permitted until legal adulthood at the age of fourteen. Similarly, the age of fourteen is when it becomes socially acceptable to court without the supervision of parental representatives.
Traditionally, an interested male will present the subject of his attraction with the fruits of his labor (albeit much more complicated in the modern age, therefore taking the form of something purchased), and request that she accompany him to a public engagement (such as a dance) or a private meeting, although the latter is much more common among those priorly acquainted (such as denizens of the same warren). It is also not unusual to approach a stranger, provided she is not displaying an engagement or wedding marker.
If the female accepts the gift, she is committing to a six-week courtship. If she wishes to break off the courtship before the end of the six weeks, she must either return the gift or make some kind of restitution (if, for example, the gift was some type of food, she might pay him the market price).
In the case of a female initiating a relationship (which is quite rare, except when having previously refused a courtship proposal), no gift is exchanged and the custom of a six-week courtship is non-binding, with either party able to break it off at any time.
Commonly, the courting process is broken into four segments of six weeks, eight, ten, and twelve. At the end of six weeks, either may choose to break off the engagement. It is customary for the courters to exchange gifts at this point, if they wish to continue. At the end of the next eight weeks, they repeat this process, and then at the end of the next ten, the male is expected to request that she marry him by presenting her with a pair of valuable earrings. If she assents, the following twelve weeks provide an opportunity to prepare for the wedding and to reconsider the marriage, if any concerns arise. However, by this point it is generally considered a formality and the percentage of relationships broken off during this period is vanishingly small. Most courtships that pass the fourteen-week mark are expected to proceed to marriage, and in some cases the male will propose there, and abreviate the courtship process by dropping the final twelve-week period. However, the female can choose to turn down the proposal and still continue the courtship.
The wedding can be conducted in just about any surroundings according to the tastes of the couple, and is typically attended by an extensive guest list, usually encompassing the entirety of the couple's birth-warrens and the warrens they currently live in, with various friends and relatives added to the list for good measure.
The wedding ceremony is usually officiated by the two supervisors, if the relationship began under the tutelage of supervisors and all parties are still on good terms, or by two other figures chosen by the couple (typically one male and one female).
First, the female's chosen officiator addresses her with a short message and instruction for marriage, and then the male's chosen officiator addresses him similarly. Then the first addresses the male, and likewise the second addresses the female. They then deliver a joint address to the couple and ask the parents' consent (at this stage, a formality; usually skipped if consent would not be given). Finally, the male's officiator asks him if he will marry the female, and likewise the female's officiator asks her if she will marry the male. Traditionally, the couple will then recite vows to each other and then kiss, as the pair of officiators announces them officially wed.
After the ceremony, there is typically a very large celebration, but the nature of this varies. Traditionally, there would not be any food provided and the party would be large in scale more than in length or extravagance, including not only the already-extensive guest list but also whoever happened along and wished to pay their respects and join in the festivities. Such affairs were quite casual, and children would freely run and play without being scolded for their ill manners. In modernity, however, the provision of refreshments and festive furnishings is not nearly as prohibitively expensive as it once was, and so they have become much more formal and exclusive than the parties from which they evolved.

Relationship Ideals

Societally, gender roles in the current era have broken down somewhat. However, multiple gendered relationship customs still exist, and most still fulfill roles traditionally associated with their sex. Therefore, below are listed what can be considered "standard" roles and expectations.

Females

Traditionally, females are expected to care for the home and the children, and to contribute to the welfare of the warren through various acts.
Wives are legally independent persons from their husbands and have their own freedoms and property, but there are certain ties that still exist. However, these tend to run both ways, rather than placing the wife in a subservient position as is common in many cultures.
They are responsible for the home and the home economy, and to ensure that their children receive a good education (whether through a government school, a warren cooperative, tutoring, or a home school). In fact, this last responsibility is taken so seriously that many enroll their children in schools with condensed lessons and shortened days, using the extra time their children aren't in school to educate them personally. It's a common compromise for those lacking the time to homeschool full time or with multiple children, some of whom are already being homeschooled.
All money earned by the couple is pooled, and while it is typical for monetary decisions to be made jointly, it is not uncommon for the female to take de facto control of the money as she is the one traditionally responsible for purchasing food and clothing, paying tuition, and paying warren taxes.
The home is the domain of the wife, who accordingly has certain responsibilities and rights. The term "homemaker" in the Northern Khettadine language is quite literal; the wife makes the home for her family. The concept of home is both distinct and tied to the idea of a building. While they have no word for "house" ("warren" is the closest equivalent), "home" is a tethered concept that requires some kind of building, or geographical location in the more metaphorical sense of "homeland." However, it is not a home until the female has made it into one.
A single female living on her own lives in a "home" ("consden") since she can build her own home (and indeed may have to since she could very well be a mother!), yet a single man lives in a "residence" ("dentsenn") since he cannot. Once the single male marries, he lives in the "home" created by the female.
Accordingly, she has decision rights over how the home will be decorated and laid out, although this is often a joint decision anyway. Additionally, a female's vote is worth twice as much as a male's in warren politics, accounting for her greater stake in the polity since she is tasked with building a home in that climate. This applies to both married and unmarried females.
Finally, females are expected to be moderating influences on the males, reigning in their less constructive impulses and harnessing their strength like a horse harnessed to a plow.

Males

Traditionally, males are expected to be the breadwinners, working to bring resources home to the family and warren.
The husband is the head of his household, but his power in that regard is checked by power given to the wife (such as charge over the home). For every advantage granted the male, there is a trade-off given to the female.
He is responsible to provide the female with what she needs to keep everyone fed, clothed, and housed and to assist her in the commission of her duties. He is also responsible for the safety of his family from outside threats, which can include anything from economic crisis to physical aggression.
The outside world is considered the domain of the husband, so much as the wife holds sway over the home the husband leads his family elsewhere. A husband's vote is worth twice as much as that of an ordinary citizen at the city/county (a "city" is a collection of warrens, making it much like a county) and state levels, reflecting his responsibilities and greater stake in the polity in which his wife builds their home.

Mutual

Divorce can be initiated by either party, but requires that abuse, infidelity, or a characteristic shirking of responsibility be proven before a divorce can be provided. They are allowed to legally separate without a divorce conviction, but that is different from divorce, where the marriage is dissolved and both are allowed to remarry.
In a separation, custody is shared equally and finances are still shared (although in a court-adjudicated manner rather than being left to the couple), but they no longer live in the same location or are expected to contribute to each other outside of the court-ordered monetary support. Neither is allowed to remarry.
In the case of proven abuse, infidelity, or irresponsibility, custody may be awarded entirely to a certain parent (or deprived of both) and if it is awarded to the financially-dependent spouse, the divorced spouse will be required to pay a certain amount of support. In addition, the divorced spouse may serve a criminal penalty, depending on the severity of the offense. If he loses custody, the male also loses the additional voting power that comes from being a husband or father.

Major organizations

"The Fire Kingdom" is and always has been the overarching government that controls the Northern Deserts. In the modern day, it is the only recognized government. However, there are component polities which maintain some degree of their own governance or authority or are simply so influential as to deserve an entry.
These are the four most notable organizations within the Fire Kingdom:

• Darog ba Rengaty, which translates as "Guild of Traders" was originally an officially sanctioned union to which all traveling traders belonged. They paid dues and taxes, and in exchange were granted authority over the roads and their laws, and given authority over both a far-flung trade port and a trading post set up to exchange goods with the Shoreborne. In the modern age, the name is something of a misnomer as it is no longer a union or guild, but instead effectively a transportation administration, with jurisdiction over all travel within Shonsuroggattaworett territory, authority over tolls, tariffs, customs, and trade taxes, and responsibility for the veins of travel (be that hyperlane, spacelane, or roadway).
• Darog ba Sidarp, which translates as "Guild of Stars" is the section of the administration set aside for the space territories. Mining platforms, civilian spacedocks, remote outposts, and entire colony worlds fall under this masthead. Each star system owned by Shonsuroggattaworettst is controlled by a "barshonsurog," or viceroy, who is subject to the king, but carries the responsibility of managing all the space holdings on his behalf, pending his direct interest. Each barshonsurog must, however, report regularly to keep the sovereign apprised of the situation. They do not simply get free reign. Most commonly, this reporting to is the minister of the Darog ba Sidarp, who is essentially a go-between and bears no real power, although many have wielded quite a lot.
• Parta Tasb, which translates as "Justice Land," was founded after the Long War of Justice when the borders were redrawn and is a constituent state of The Fire Kingdom. It constitutes the land seized from the Cent-Khetts, and itself is made of two regions. The first, the Wolj ba Parta, or "Heart of Justice," is fertile and forested land suitable for farming. The second, the Totsviatebst ba Parta, or "Defense of Justice," is a heavily militarized area forming a band around the Wolj ba Parta. As borders have shifted with subsequent wars, the borders of the Totsviatebst ba Parta have shifted accordingly. In the modern era, the entirety of the Totsviatebst ba Parta and all Wolj ba Parta territory not part of the peace of the Long War of Justice have been joined to the Cent-Khett Morodith Tosabyr which together serve as a massive joint military base between the Cents and Des-Khetts.
• Shonsuroggattaworettst, which translates as "Sovereign Possession," is the Northern Khettadine name for the "Fire Kingdom" (or "Shonsu Monasdyr" to the Cent-Khetts). The "Fire Kingdom" uses the symbol of a Folpar sheltering a flame within its branches and shielding two firey-red blooms without. The tree represents wisdom, the flame knowledge, and the blooms represent strength and power. Wisdom is to govern and control the other three so that the branches are not burned by fire and the blooms continue to bear fruit. Shonsuroggattaworettst has remained a monarchy for millennia, and will continue to do so for as long as the monarchy is popular with the people (which it is, very). However, over time it has ceded power to regional powers and to a parliament, and thus does not carry quite as much authority as it once did.

Parent ethnicities

• Central Khettadine

Related Organizations

• Ostwidian Strikers

Related Locations

• Khetta
• Northern Deserts
• Ostwidy Horseshoe
• Ostwidy River