Tumukan

The Kastaen, as a nomadic people, are not particularly well-known for opulent, ostentatious structures such as temples, palaces, and cathedrals. That is not to say, however, that as a people, they build purely for practical purposes. In every Kastaen encampment there is a hut built from the best canvas that the tribe has to offer, decorated with silks and precious metals, with dried herbs hanging from racks strewn across the ceiling, that no one lives in.
This hut is known as the Tumukan, the house of the Tumuk, the god of fertility and good fortunes. To the Kastaen, the Tumukan is a precious place where they secure the past, the present, and the future of their tribes. The silks, rugs, precious metals, and precious stones used to decorate the interior of the Tumukan are passed down from one generation to the next, and any new offerings to Tumuk must be consecrated before being allowed inside the Tumukan.
The Tumukan is of such cultural importance that even during times of war, between tribes that may have feuded for centuries, it largely remains untouched. To desecrate the Tumukan of any tribe, your own, or even the Tumukan of the tribe that you hate with every shred of your soul, is considered perhaps one of the most heinous of crimes to the Kastaen. It is viewed as an act on the same level as genocide, and unlike the latter which is sometimes accepted as the only possible end to a blood feud, the former is completely unjustifiable and unforgivable.

A Tumukan (pl. Tumukanen) is a sacred, ceremonial building dedicated to the Kastaen fertility god Tumuk located in every Kastaen encampment. Unlike most other structures built by the Kastaen, which serve specific practical purposes, sometimes in addition to other purposes, Tumukanen serve only a religious and ceremonial purpose. Specifically, the Tumukanen is the site for many fertility rituals that the tribe relies on to ensure healthy herds and continued prosperity.

Purpose / Function

A tribe's Tumukan is said to represent three things: the tribe's past, the tribe's present, and the tribe's future.
The Tumukan represents the past by way of its interior decorations that are passed down from one generation to the next. Although it might be considered more practical to repair older decorations, the Kastaen believe that the heirlooms within the Tumukan should not be tampered with, even for repair. The aging of these decorations is considered an important part of their identity as a reminder to future tribespeople of the longevity and history of the tribe. Instead of repairs, each new generation of Kastaen adds its own decorative pieces to the Tumukan, not only adding to its history, but also replacing older decorations that have degraded beyond usefulness.
The Tumukan represents the present by way of the offerings that are placed within it. The Kastaen believe that they must prove worthy of the blessings of Tumuk on a regular basis. Dried plants and meats are placed within the Tumukan not only to appease the god and gain his favor, but also to signify the hard work that is required to maintain the prosperity of the tribe. Generally speaking, a small portion of the best cut of meat of every slaughter is dedicated to Tumuk and placed in the Tumukan after preservation. When members of the tribe forage for roots and other such plants, small bundles of dried plants are also placed in the Tumukan as an offering.
The Tumukan represents the future of the tribe by way of its function as a sacred site for the tribe's fertility rituals, which is the only time during which the hut is inhabited. These rituals are performed on prospective fathers, prospective mothers, couples wishing for children, couples having difficulty producing children, as well as the animals that the tribe relies on for survival. The Kastaen believe that by neglecting these important rituals, the tribe will be brought to ruin by a curse of barrenness from Tumuk, thereby erasing their future.

Type

Hut