Chosater (chohs-ah-tayr)
Xiongren - Dayangyu, Kumajin - Daiingo
“It is common sense within the Middle Empire to respect not only the gods, themselves, but those who have the power to speak with, and for, the gods. The Emperor and Empress, themselves, are descended from the two greatest divinities, and are the highest moral authority. Embodying the Six Virtues. Therefore, for one to be able to channel the gods’ power bespeaks moral character. When an entire race takes on a religious mantle, as have the Xiongren, there can be no doubt as to their Uprightness.”
Sage, Tong Zhao-zi
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Chosater are an endoskeletal, warm-blooded species with two arms, two legs, and a bear-like head. Most of their bodies are covered in a short, fine and silky fur with the exceptions of the palms of their hands and the bottoms of their feet. This fur is even softer on their faces, and somewhat longer and thicker around their necks and shoulders. The fur on their chests and bellies is shorter and even finer than on the rest of their bodies. Though this fur tends to be black, it can vary between grey to red, there is a patch of white or cream-colored fur on their chests which forms a characteristic sunburst crest. Their relatively short muzzles are tan, brown, or cream-colored, and the edges of their hands and feet are tan or brown. Their hands and feet have heavy, sickle-shaped claws for climbing.
Biological Traits
Males of the species tend to be around 5 ft tall with a weight average of 100 - 200lbs. Females are smaller with heights averaging around 4.5 ft tall and averaging 60 - 100lbs in weight. Males of the species tend to be a bit larger and more powerfully built, with denser muscularity and denser bone mass. Females tend to have a wider hip to shoulder ratio to accommodate live birth and breasts for suckling young.
Genetics and Reproduction
Reproduction is accomplished between the male and female sexes of the species. Young are birthed live after a gestation period of 10 months.
Growth Rate & Stages
Chosater babies are mostly helpless and completely dependent upon adult caregivers. They learn to walk within the first year of life, go through an adolescent period of about 11 years, and reach sexual maturity between 12 - 14 years of age. Though, this can occur at a younger or older age depending on factors such as diet, parentage, or environment.
Ecology and Habitats
Though Chosater can survive in a wide range of habitats and climates, they are mostly encountered in their island rainforests on the Isle of Seven Soul Lakes located deep within the Ghost Sea.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Chosater are capable of being an omnivorous species, but, due to their religion, are strictly vegetarian and gain all their sustenance through vegetable matter. They supplement their dietary protein requirements through dofu, a food source made of compressed soy curds.
Biological Cycle
Chosater age at the same rate as humans. They are considered to have reached adulthood between the ages of 15 - 20. Old age is reached around 60 years. Death usually occurs around the age of 80+. Though, these stages can occur at a younger or older age depending on factors such as diet, parentage, or environment.
Additional Information
Social Structure
The Chosater society is organized into monastic communities called gedun. With the most enlightened and closest to the Ultimate Truth, usually the eldest, being the leaders of their monastic communities, and the younger, less enlightened, following their word and example. Adult bear-folk (monks and nuns) are expected to preserve and uphold the doctrine of the Eightfold Path. They are expected to live an austere, upright life of study, meditation, good work ethic, & good moral character & thus provide a living example for the young bear-folk and the laity who follow the religion. Each temple or monastery is run by an abbot which is usually the eldest or democratically elected by the community to hold the position.
Young bear-folk typically receive their first ordination around the time they're six years old when they receive their Novitiate (given) name. They receive their full ordination around the age of twenty when they become adults and receive their Holy name. During their youth, they are trained in the ways of the Eightfold Path. While some are trained to be scholars and diplomats to wander the world and find the secrets of the world, others may be trained in a trade or in the way of the warrior-monks who act as guards for the temples or wandering scholars.
Young bear-folk typically receive their first ordination around the time they're six years old when they receive their Novitiate (given) name. They receive their full ordination around the age of twenty when they become adults and receive their Holy name. During their youth, they are trained in the ways of the Eightfold Path. While some are trained to be scholars and diplomats to wander the world and find the secrets of the world, others may be trained in a trade or in the way of the warrior-monks who act as guards for the temples or wandering scholars.
Facial characteristics
The faces of Chosater are ursine in nature. They have a rather round face with small, round eyes, that ends in a short, narrow snout. Their ears are small, rounded and set rather low on the sides of their heads. Their faces are mostly covered with fine, dark fur except for their muzzles which can be grey, silver, or a reddish-orange color. The fur around their eyes is often the same color as their muzzles. They have large canines, a testament to their more savage and carnivorous past. Giving them better depth perception than a mundane bovine.
The faces of females are finer and leaner than those of their male counterparts.
The faces of females are finer and leaner than those of their male counterparts.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Though invidual Chosater, or even clans, can be found nearly any place within the empire, they primarily occupy their arboreal-temple homes in the rainforests on the Isle of Seven Soul Lakes. There is always at least a single family of the bear-folk which inhabits every Creation's Dawn temple across the face of the empire.
Average Intelligence
Chosater are a sapient species capable of having complex thoughts and possess self-awareness. They form societies and utilize the technologies extant in the empire.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Family Names
Family names, themselves, are rarely used among the Chosater. Considering their past, family names are often viewed as being a source of hubris and pride. Instead, they use what are called Dharma Names among the bear-folk and are the most ancient names still in existence among them. They are usually used in the wider world, such as with imperial census-takers, for instance. These are based upon the Four Ancient Tasks the Tonpa Shenrab bestowed upon his first followers: Khanbu (scholar or learner), Pashi (teacher), Khan (worker or laborer), Yedpa (maker). The Chosater use these names due to their perceived humble connotations and, if their names are being translated, will insist upon the most humble translation available. For instance, a bear-folk with the Dharma Name of Khanbu, would insist that the name means "learner" rather than "scholar". Since "scholar" has connotations of ego.Among themselves, they use what are known as Temple Names. This name is generally the job or task their family has traditionally done within Chosater society since the Dharma was taken up by their race. Temple Names are derived from the more ancient Dharma Names, such as Zhinpa for "farmer", Zoshin for "carpenter", etc. These names were taken up by the bear-folk as a way to differentiate the family of bakers from the family of carpenters. Since, under the original system, they would both be called Yedpa.
The Dharma Names and the Temple Names are rarely, if ever, used together. If, however, they were to be used together, the Dharma Name would come before the Temple Name, and both would come before the given name.
Given Names
Young Chosater generally receive their first, real name at the age of six years at their first ordination. This name is called their Novitiate Name. Until that time, they use a Milk or Intimate Name which is given to them by their parents and are usually made of common words to wish for good luck, happiness, humbleness, joy, etc. Traditionally, these names are usually blessings, such as the most popular being Tashi and Drolma meaning "good luck" and "goddess" respectively. These names are usually used by parents and close family, and may continue to be used by them throughout the Chosater's life.Their first, true name is generally bestowed upon them by the one who conducts their first ordination who is usually an elder that's attained the rank of lama. These names are also composed of readily understood words in the bear-folk's tongue, and tend to contain at least one syllable from the lama's own name. Most given names are unisex, though there are a small handful which are gendered.
The, usually, final name that a bear-folk may have is their Holy Name. This name is chosen by the Genbu conducting their second ordination into the religious society of the Chosater. This usually happens around the age of twenty, but can happen earlier if the youngster is particularly studious and diligent. Holy Names tend to have a religious bent to them, invoking religious icons, past figures, or religious ideals. Though, generally, a Chosater only has one Holy Name for the rest of their life, particularly noteworthy contributions to bear-folk society may cause one of the bear-folk to take on another Holy Name to memorialize the deed. Some common bear-folk names are: Bhuti, Choedon, Dolma, Gyaltsen, Jampa, Karma, Lhami, Metok, Namgyal, Pema Chosater names are based upon real-world Tibetan names.
Major Organizations
The Chosater council, called the Tsun-gedun, nominally rules over the bear-folk community from their main city-temple, the Oldest Cathedral of Trees, on the Isle of Seven Soul Lakes. The Tsun-gedun sets precedent, codifies law, and hears major disputes (and the few criminal cases) for the entirety of the sun bear race.
The members of the Tsun-gedun are made up of those who have obtained at least the first stage of Awakening to the Ultimate Truth. Those who rule are the four elders who have either achieved yang-chub, (Awakening), or are closest to achieving this status.
The members of the Tsun-gedun are made up of those who have obtained at least the first stage of Awakening to the Ultimate Truth. Those who rule are the four elders who have either achieved yang-chub, (Awakening), or are closest to achieving this status.
Beauty Ideals
While the Chosater are supposed to be above the lures of the material world, such as physical beauty, to say that it doesn't have its own influence would be to lie. While they try not to allow its influence to attach them overly to the material, the bear-folk are just as capable of appreciating the beauty of the physical world as any other living being; said physical beauty can, of course, influence the bear-folk in their choice of partners.
Like with many of the shouren, the fur of a potential partner is the most obvious, and the first, place physical attraction begins. In both sexes, dirty, ragged, or clumpy fur is the opposite of beautiful. They prefer their mates to be clean and well-groomed. Thpough the most common, overall, coloration of the fur on both males and females tends to be black, there are enough variations in coloration and pattern that gendered preferences have cropped up over the course of the species existence. Females seem to prefer darker fur colorations and patterns in their men. Even in the coloration of their muzzles and chest patterns. While males seem to prefer lighter shades in their females with a marked preference for auburn or red fur.
Like many of the other species and races of the empire, there are general differences in the refinement and softness of the facial features between male and female Chosater. These features, in females, tend to be much softer and refined than the harsher angles of the males. As with the Sarlagkhun, the females tend to carry a bit more subcutaneous fat and denser musculature than the females of other species. Therefore, even at lower weights, the women of the Chosater tend to be a bit curvier than other women. A fact their men seem to appreciate. Large, expressive eyes, petite canines, delicately shaped ears, and finely curved claws fill out the general beauty ideals of males.
The same biological consistencies with the subcutaneous fat and denser musculature hold true among the males of the species, as well. As does the trend of males being more heavily muscled than females. Therefore, though they are usually much shorter, male Chosater tend to appear bulkier than the males of other species. Females, of course, tend to prefer these bulkier frames, thicker fur, and a thick neck ruff on their males. Larger claws and canines are considered to be a sign of virility.
Like with many of the shouren, the fur of a potential partner is the most obvious, and the first, place physical attraction begins. In both sexes, dirty, ragged, or clumpy fur is the opposite of beautiful. They prefer their mates to be clean and well-groomed. Thpough the most common, overall, coloration of the fur on both males and females tends to be black, there are enough variations in coloration and pattern that gendered preferences have cropped up over the course of the species existence. Females seem to prefer darker fur colorations and patterns in their men. Even in the coloration of their muzzles and chest patterns. While males seem to prefer lighter shades in their females with a marked preference for auburn or red fur.
Like many of the other species and races of the empire, there are general differences in the refinement and softness of the facial features between male and female Chosater. These features, in females, tend to be much softer and refined than the harsher angles of the males. As with the Sarlagkhun, the females tend to carry a bit more subcutaneous fat and denser musculature than the females of other species. Therefore, even at lower weights, the women of the Chosater tend to be a bit curvier than other women. A fact their men seem to appreciate. Large, expressive eyes, petite canines, delicately shaped ears, and finely curved claws fill out the general beauty ideals of males.
The same biological consistencies with the subcutaneous fat and denser musculature hold true among the males of the species, as well. As does the trend of males being more heavily muscled than females. Therefore, though they are usually much shorter, male Chosater tend to appear bulkier than the males of other species. Females, of course, tend to prefer these bulkier frames, thicker fur, and a thick neck ruff on their males. Larger claws and canines are considered to be a sign of virility.
Gender Ideals
In the earliest days, when the Chosater were the Ater-sedar, the males were the hunters, soldiers, guards, and laborers, while the women ran the homes, and many of the religious and government institutions. Once the bear-folk began following the Eightfold Path, however, the traditional roles became less about gender and more about what fit a particular individual on their journey to yang-chub. Which is, of course, where the Dharma and Temple names came from. Therefore, while men tend to fall into more physical roles, and women into more caregiving roles, these are not set in stone.
Courtship Ideals
Courtship and weddings are an incredibly important part of Chosater life. Since courtship is expected to ultimately lead to a marriage, it is thought to be just as important in the perpetuation of the Chosater's, and all conscious beings, place in the world and under Heaven. Therefore, the customs surrounding the coursthips of the bear-folk are more ritualistic than many of the other peoples of the Middle Empire and always involve what are called the Six Gifts and invoke the Five Precepts in one form or another.
Within areas of the world with larger Chosater populations, such as the Oldest Cathedral of Trees or the Burning Star Temple, the courtship rites are much easier to perform. The male nearly always initiates the courtship, which he does by approaching the woman, giving a traditional greeting, and presenting her a plum blossom. If she accepts the gift, he then asks her age and birth date. He then takes this information to an elder skilled in the art of divination. If the divination proclaims them to be a good match, he returns to the girl and brings her a white lotus. If she accepts the gift again, they are officially courting.
The first outing of a couple will often invoke the First Precept and the underlying virtues associated with it. This outing usually involves going among the lay, or general, population to perform charitable acts. This can be any number of things, from watching over the temple children to offering healing (magical or mundane) services pro bono. Any outing which invokes the virtues of kindness and compassion and allows the couple to see these virtues in each other is considered to be a successful one. At the end of their outing, the male gives her another gift, this time a bowl carved from a large cypress tree. If she accepts the gift, the second outing is planned.
The second outing will invoke the Second Precept and its underlying virtues. This outing can involve going among the population and performing community services such as giving food or clothing to the needy, volunteering time to teach orphans, or even something as simple as a walk through the natural world or joint meditation. Anything which invokes the virtues of Generosity or Renunciation are considered satisfactory. At the end of the outing, the male presents the girl a blue lotus. If she accepts, the third outing is planned.
The third outing is typically set aside for the couple to meet each others' parents. Thus, invoking the Third Precept and its attendant virtues of contentment and respect. Commonly, the girl's parents are hosted by the man's and a humble dinner and tea service is set for the party. This is a time for the families to get to know each other and observe how the young couple interacts together. The young couple, in turn, are to observe, and be mindful of, their parents' contentment. At the end of this outing, the young man gifts the young woman a jar of honey which he has harvested himself. If she accepts, the fourth outing is planned.
The fourth outing will invoke the Fourth Precept and its accompanying virtues of honest and reliability. Volunteer work is often done for this outing, as well. Though, at this juncture, the work is often done for the temple, itself, rather than the greater population. This is often busy-work meant to showcase the couple's reliabie natures and allow them time to speak honestly with each other about anything at all. At the end of this outing, the male gives the female a set of mala beads commonly carved of rattan seeds. If she accepts, the fifth outing is planned.
The fifth outing will invoke the Fifth Precept and the associated virtues of mindfulness and responsibility. This last outing is most often spent around children, whether the temple children or orphans. This is meant not just to show their mindfulness in their duties but to reflect their responsibility in caring for the young ones. This is often also meant to showcase their readiness for family and children of their own. If this final outing is successful, then the male presents the female with a final gift of a red khata. If the girl accepts, they are considered to be engaged.
While these five outings are considered to be official in the eyes of Chosater society, this doesn't mean that they take place on sequential days, or even that these are the only times the young couple sees each other or spends time together. These are simply thought to be crucial steps in the development of the young couple's relationship. It should be stated, though, that any time the couple spends together outside of the official dates, they are being watched over closely by (often discreet) chaperones. As well, the gifts given by the young man to the young woman are meant to, both, be symbolic of the Precepts the next outing will invoke, as well as, being symbolic of the gifts given to the Tonpa Shenrab by the populace as he taught the Ultimate Truth. While the gifts are often exactly as described, some may be changed depending upon the environment and society in which the Chosater dwell. So long as they invoke the associated virtues of the Precept, any small gift is appropriate. The only one that is set in stone is the final gift of the khata.
It should be stated that, within temples which dwells a single family of bear-folk, the courtship rites are much more difficult to practice. In these cases, the young man typically makes a pilgrimage to another temple, or to one of the larger temples in the empire. Either the Oldest Cathedral of Trees or the Burning Star Temple. Word will commonly be sent ahead of the young man to alert the temple as to his purpose. In which case, the girls of marriageable age will often make themselves available upon his arrival. The third outing will also be changed slightly, in this case, to being hosted by the girl's parents along with an elder Chosater who sponsors the boy. Otherwise, the courtship proceeds as normal.
Within areas of the world with larger Chosater populations, such as the Oldest Cathedral of Trees or the Burning Star Temple, the courtship rites are much easier to perform. The male nearly always initiates the courtship, which he does by approaching the woman, giving a traditional greeting, and presenting her a plum blossom. If she accepts the gift, he then asks her age and birth date. He then takes this information to an elder skilled in the art of divination. If the divination proclaims them to be a good match, he returns to the girl and brings her a white lotus. If she accepts the gift again, they are officially courting.
The first outing of a couple will often invoke the First Precept and the underlying virtues associated with it. This outing usually involves going among the lay, or general, population to perform charitable acts. This can be any number of things, from watching over the temple children to offering healing (magical or mundane) services pro bono. Any outing which invokes the virtues of kindness and compassion and allows the couple to see these virtues in each other is considered to be a successful one. At the end of their outing, the male gives her another gift, this time a bowl carved from a large cypress tree. If she accepts the gift, the second outing is planned.
The second outing will invoke the Second Precept and its underlying virtues. This outing can involve going among the population and performing community services such as giving food or clothing to the needy, volunteering time to teach orphans, or even something as simple as a walk through the natural world or joint meditation. Anything which invokes the virtues of Generosity or Renunciation are considered satisfactory. At the end of the outing, the male presents the girl a blue lotus. If she accepts, the third outing is planned.
The third outing is typically set aside for the couple to meet each others' parents. Thus, invoking the Third Precept and its attendant virtues of contentment and respect. Commonly, the girl's parents are hosted by the man's and a humble dinner and tea service is set for the party. This is a time for the families to get to know each other and observe how the young couple interacts together. The young couple, in turn, are to observe, and be mindful of, their parents' contentment. At the end of this outing, the young man gifts the young woman a jar of honey which he has harvested himself. If she accepts, the fourth outing is planned.
The fourth outing will invoke the Fourth Precept and its accompanying virtues of honest and reliability. Volunteer work is often done for this outing, as well. Though, at this juncture, the work is often done for the temple, itself, rather than the greater population. This is often busy-work meant to showcase the couple's reliabie natures and allow them time to speak honestly with each other about anything at all. At the end of this outing, the male gives the female a set of mala beads commonly carved of rattan seeds. If she accepts, the fifth outing is planned.
The fifth outing will invoke the Fifth Precept and the associated virtues of mindfulness and responsibility. This last outing is most often spent around children, whether the temple children or orphans. This is meant not just to show their mindfulness in their duties but to reflect their responsibility in caring for the young ones. This is often also meant to showcase their readiness for family and children of their own. If this final outing is successful, then the male presents the female with a final gift of a red khata. If the girl accepts, they are considered to be engaged.
While these five outings are considered to be official in the eyes of Chosater society, this doesn't mean that they take place on sequential days, or even that these are the only times the young couple sees each other or spends time together. These are simply thought to be crucial steps in the development of the young couple's relationship. It should be stated, though, that any time the couple spends together outside of the official dates, they are being watched over closely by (often discreet) chaperones. As well, the gifts given by the young man to the young woman are meant to, both, be symbolic of the Precepts the next outing will invoke, as well as, being symbolic of the gifts given to the Tonpa Shenrab by the populace as he taught the Ultimate Truth. While the gifts are often exactly as described, some may be changed depending upon the environment and society in which the Chosater dwell. So long as they invoke the associated virtues of the Precept, any small gift is appropriate. The only one that is set in stone is the final gift of the khata.
It should be stated that, within temples which dwells a single family of bear-folk, the courtship rites are much more difficult to practice. In these cases, the young man typically makes a pilgrimage to another temple, or to one of the larger temples in the empire. Either the Oldest Cathedral of Trees or the Burning Star Temple. Word will commonly be sent ahead of the young man to alert the temple as to his purpose. In which case, the girls of marriageable age will often make themselves available upon his arrival. The third outing will also be changed slightly, in this case, to being hosted by the girl's parents along with an elder Chosater who sponsors the boy. Otherwise, the courtship proceeds as normal.
Relationship Ideals
For the Chosater, relationships are deeply rooted within their religious and ethical values. As can be seen above, even their courtship rituals are steeped in their history and religious beliefs. Therefore, an ideal relationship among the bear-folk entails an equal adherence and commitment to the principles of the Eightfold Path. Chosater relationships are often characterized by a sense of tranquility and contentment. Both people in the couple know their place and their role within the relationship, and they've often taken each other's measure on a more fundamental, spiritual level over the course of their courtship. They know each other's worth and where each of them compliments the other.
As well, the values at the core of the Five Precepts do well to serve the bear-folk within their relationships. The ideals of mindfulness and responsibility are particularly useful as the couple is mindful of their words and actions when interacting with each other and the broader community. As each takes firm responsibility for their roles within the relationship.
As well, the values at the core of the Five Precepts do well to serve the bear-folk within their relationships. The ideals of mindfulness and responsibility are particularly useful as the couple is mindful of their words and actions when interacting with each other and the broader community. As each takes firm responsibility for their roles within the relationship.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
The Chosater speak their own language called bod-skad, which is an advanced dialect of their previous language of na-skad. Much like with their own name, the bod-skad portends the adoption of knew ideas and terms into their own language upon abandoning their previous, war-like ways. The bod- conveys the enlightenment of their language, while na- signifies ancient, primitive, and uncouth. The bear-folk are also just as likely to be fluent in Dayangyu and Daiingo, as well.
Bod-skad uses Tibetan as its language model.
Common Etiquette Rules
The basic etiquette observed by the Chosater is often also that practiced by the temples dedicated to the Eightfold Path across the face of the empire. While the bear-folk will freely welcome and behave friendly toward anyone who behaves with good intentions, regardless of their etiquette style, there are some common standards which are impressed upon even brief visitors to their temples. These are:
When greeting someone of sufficiently higher rank, it is common to bow three times from a kneeling position, with the palms flat, and the forehead to the floor in a bow similar to a kowtow. This is most often done when a high-ranking individual either enters a room or upon entering a room with said individual. This is also done every time one of the bear-folk enters a room containing a statue of the Creators As One.
As with many other cultures in the Middle Empire, it is common to bring a small gift when visiting a bear-folk home. This is usually something in the manner of a vegetable, rice, tofu, or even a khata, if one is aware of the custom. When presenting, or accepting, things, it is common to use both hands to give things over and to only accept things with both hands or the right hand.
The eldest person in a group is always given the lead when walking as a group. When dining, it is considered polite to wait until the eldest person present has begun eating before starting. Moreover, it is expected behavior to dine quietly and to avoid taking too much in a single bite, thus avoiding chewing with the mouth open or otherwise making mouth noises. When eating hand-held food, only the right hand is used. Chosater are very generous to guests and will continue serving food to guests until a polite refusal in the form of the prayer gesture and a small bow is made.
Chosater do not typically serve what they call the Five Pungent Vegetables (onions, garlic, shallots, chives, and leeks) for it is believed that they throw the primarily vegetarian digestion out of alignment, causing the mind to become unfocused. As well, it is believed that these foods are thought to increase sexual desire and anger and that the pungent scent will dirty the air of a holy place.
The Chosater have a great number of titles that are used before their names, a whole system of polite language to be used with elders and seniors, but very few honorifics. Since younger people are not allowed to use the full name of an elder, they instead use the terms mepo and memo before an elder's name to refer to them respectfully. Mepo is "old father," while memo is "old mother."
-La is really the only true honorific still in use by the bear-folk. This is a suffix added after anyone's name to denote respect.
As far as titles, most of the titles used refer to an individual's place within the religious hierarchy of the bear-folk. Titles always come before an individual's name. Some of these are:
- Removal of shoes and any head coverings before entering a temple.
- Never step upon the threshold of any building.
- Dress modestly before entering a religious site sucha s a temple.
- Never sit with the bottoms of the feet pointed at an altar or a person. Sitting with crossed legs or in the Yin-style seiza position are acceptable.
- Do not touch, step over, or sit upon any religious objects or texts.
- To speak quietly within religious sites and to not raise the voice, to shout, or bellow.
When greeting someone of sufficiently higher rank, it is common to bow three times from a kneeling position, with the palms flat, and the forehead to the floor in a bow similar to a kowtow. This is most often done when a high-ranking individual either enters a room or upon entering a room with said individual. This is also done every time one of the bear-folk enters a room containing a statue of the Creators As One.
As with many other cultures in the Middle Empire, it is common to bring a small gift when visiting a bear-folk home. This is usually something in the manner of a vegetable, rice, tofu, or even a khata, if one is aware of the custom. When presenting, or accepting, things, it is common to use both hands to give things over and to only accept things with both hands or the right hand.
The eldest person in a group is always given the lead when walking as a group. When dining, it is considered polite to wait until the eldest person present has begun eating before starting. Moreover, it is expected behavior to dine quietly and to avoid taking too much in a single bite, thus avoiding chewing with the mouth open or otherwise making mouth noises. When eating hand-held food, only the right hand is used. Chosater are very generous to guests and will continue serving food to guests until a polite refusal in the form of the prayer gesture and a small bow is made.
Chosater do not typically serve what they call the Five Pungent Vegetables (onions, garlic, shallots, chives, and leeks) for it is believed that they throw the primarily vegetarian digestion out of alignment, causing the mind to become unfocused. As well, it is believed that these foods are thought to increase sexual desire and anger and that the pungent scent will dirty the air of a holy place.
The Chosater have a great number of titles that are used before their names, a whole system of polite language to be used with elders and seniors, but very few honorifics. Since younger people are not allowed to use the full name of an elder, they instead use the terms mepo and memo before an elder's name to refer to them respectfully. Mepo is "old father," while memo is "old mother."
-La is really the only true honorific still in use by the bear-folk. This is a suffix added after anyone's name to denote respect.
As far as titles, most of the titles used refer to an individual's place within the religious hierarchy of the bear-folk. Titles always come before an individual's name. Some of these are:
- Khanpo - which is a term used to refer to male abbots of a particular temple or monastic village.
- Khandroma - is the same term as above, but used to refer to female abbots of a temple or village.
- Geshe - is generally used for those individuals who have had their second ordination.
- Chopa - is used to refer to those who follow the Eightfold Path. It is normally used to refer to lay members, but can sometimes be used to refer to followes, as a whole.
- Draba - is used to refer to a monk who has not yet received his second ordination.
- Ani - is used to refer to a nun who has not yet received her second ordination.
- Loma - is a general term used to refer to students. Usually those who have yet to receive their second ordination.
- Shabji - a teacher's attendant.
- Lama - is used to refer to a teacher.
- Pachen - is used to refer to the scholars who go out into the world to unearth its mysteries.
- Tulku - is a title reserved for those who are reincarnations of a great teacher.
- Nyamme - is used to refer to the highest council of the Tsun-gedun.
- Kunkhyen - is a title to refer to the second tier of individuals in the Tsun-gedun.
- Choje - is a title used to refer to the third tier of individuals in the Tsun-gedun.
Common Dress Code
The basic costume of the Chosater is a set of voluminous robes or robe-like garments called khashaya. The basic clothing set differs slightly depending upon rank and the climate where the bear-folk live. Non-bear, monastic adherents of the Eightfold Path wear much the same thing.
The standard khashaya is that worn by the majority of the Chosater living on the Isle of Seven Soul Lakes. This consists of a sarong-like undergarment which is wrapped around the waist and falls to around ankle length. it is usually wrapped around the waist, worn with neatly folded pleats in the front, and tucked into a soft, corded belt. Females wear a vest-like garment to cover their upper bodies and give support to their chests.
Up next comes the robe which covers the upper body. This large piece of cloth which is folded and wrapped around the upper body to end by covering the left shoulder and drape over the left arm in a pseudo sleeve. One end is secured under the other at the shoulder, and the trailing end is pulled forward to sit diagonally over the shoulder where it is secured by a wide, cloth sash. Women wear it over the right shoulder.
Finally, comes the outer robe. This garment is usually only used on formal occasions or during inclement weather or in colder climes. This garment is draped in such a way as to cover both the lower and upper body, including the right shoulder. It is most often used as an extra layer during the colder months in more temperate climates. Again, this would be wrapped differently in women to cover the opposite shoulder and arm.
Originally, many of the colors of the robes came about from what dyes were more accessible in different parts of the world at different times. Over time, however, the colors of the robes came to represent the different stages of life within bear-folk society. Children, for instance, often do not wear the multiple layers of cloth which their adult kinfolk do. They are usually dressed in a single robe either left undyed or dyed a slate grey color to represent the formlessness of children at their young ages.
Once a child has received their first ordination at the age of six, they begin wearing the more complex adult robes. Though these are typically dyed a dark, indigo color.
The next color is, by far, the most plentiful and commonly encountered color worn by the Chosater. Once they've received their second ordination, bear-folk don the robes most commonly associated with them and the followers of their religion: the saffron robes, which are a bright yellow or orange.
Upon attaining the first rank of enlightenment, older and wiser bear-folk are allowed to don robes in red and maroon colors to show their heightened state of enlightenment. These are the robes which those of the Tsun-gedun typically wear.
Footwear is not typically a consideration for the bear-folk. For those adherents who do not have bear feet, however, sandals and cloth stockings usually complete the outfit. Non-bear adherents of the Eightfold Path from different areas of the empire have managed to find ways to incorporate the religious costume into the styles of clothing that they often wear, as well. For instance, Daiinjin adherents are often recognized by the distinctive white under-kimono under a black, pleated outer kimono with a saffron-colored wrap over that and draped over the left shoulder which they call the kashaya. Elven adherents will wear white or saffron colored robes in the style of their people with a similar shawl to the Daiin wrapped around their body and draped over the left shoulder.
Kobito disciples tend to wear the same manner of robes as their priestly caste with wide sleeves and without accoutrements. Over that they wear a maroon shawl which drapes over nearly their whole body leaving only the head and right arm free. Dayangren followers wear saffron-colored robes and fitted over-wrap which is clasped at the left shoulder. While Khumuus adherents wear a yellow deel without any clan identifiers with a saffron-colored wrap draped around the body, left shoulder and arm.
The standard khashaya is that worn by the majority of the Chosater living on the Isle of Seven Soul Lakes. This consists of a sarong-like undergarment which is wrapped around the waist and falls to around ankle length. it is usually wrapped around the waist, worn with neatly folded pleats in the front, and tucked into a soft, corded belt. Females wear a vest-like garment to cover their upper bodies and give support to their chests.
Up next comes the robe which covers the upper body. This large piece of cloth which is folded and wrapped around the upper body to end by covering the left shoulder and drape over the left arm in a pseudo sleeve. One end is secured under the other at the shoulder, and the trailing end is pulled forward to sit diagonally over the shoulder where it is secured by a wide, cloth sash. Women wear it over the right shoulder.
Finally, comes the outer robe. This garment is usually only used on formal occasions or during inclement weather or in colder climes. This garment is draped in such a way as to cover both the lower and upper body, including the right shoulder. It is most often used as an extra layer during the colder months in more temperate climates. Again, this would be wrapped differently in women to cover the opposite shoulder and arm.
Originally, many of the colors of the robes came about from what dyes were more accessible in different parts of the world at different times. Over time, however, the colors of the robes came to represent the different stages of life within bear-folk society. Children, for instance, often do not wear the multiple layers of cloth which their adult kinfolk do. They are usually dressed in a single robe either left undyed or dyed a slate grey color to represent the formlessness of children at their young ages.
Once a child has received their first ordination at the age of six, they begin wearing the more complex adult robes. Though these are typically dyed a dark, indigo color.
The next color is, by far, the most plentiful and commonly encountered color worn by the Chosater. Once they've received their second ordination, bear-folk don the robes most commonly associated with them and the followers of their religion: the saffron robes, which are a bright yellow or orange.
Upon attaining the first rank of enlightenment, older and wiser bear-folk are allowed to don robes in red and maroon colors to show their heightened state of enlightenment. These are the robes which those of the Tsun-gedun typically wear.
Footwear is not typically a consideration for the bear-folk. For those adherents who do not have bear feet, however, sandals and cloth stockings usually complete the outfit. Non-bear adherents of the Eightfold Path from different areas of the empire have managed to find ways to incorporate the religious costume into the styles of clothing that they often wear, as well. For instance, Daiinjin adherents are often recognized by the distinctive white under-kimono under a black, pleated outer kimono with a saffron-colored wrap over that and draped over the left shoulder which they call the kashaya. Elven adherents will wear white or saffron colored robes in the style of their people with a similar shawl to the Daiin wrapped around their body and draped over the left shoulder.
Kobito disciples tend to wear the same manner of robes as their priestly caste with wide sleeves and without accoutrements. Over that they wear a maroon shawl which drapes over nearly their whole body leaving only the head and right arm free. Dayangren followers wear saffron-colored robes and fitted over-wrap which is clasped at the left shoulder. While Khumuus adherents wear a yellow deel without any clan identifiers with a saffron-colored wrap draped around the body, left shoulder and arm.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The beating heart of the Chosater culture is the Eightfold Path of Creation's Dawn. Learned from a long-extinct race of shouren, the religion believes in the ultimate divinity of the True Creator, the Unified Being of Yin and Yang, the reunification of Izanagi and Izanami into one being. They believe that only by escaping the Karmic Wheel, through the attainment of enlightenment, can living beings become one with their creator again and tip the balance of power toward the Yang and cause the reunification of the Creator. By doing this, they believe, can death and suffering be eliminated and All Under Heaven can finally be the true paradise it was always meant to be.
The basic symbol of the faith is an eight-pointed sunburst, when combined with the symbol of the Heavenly Princicples of Yin and Yang, it becomes known as the Wheel of Law. This Wheel symbolizes the eight cardinal beliefs of the religion's followers. The four larger points on the Wheel represent the Four Basic Truths of All Under Heaven:
Any violations of the Eightfold Path, if discovered, are publicly confessed and the penance is decided upon by the gathered brothers and sisters of the faith. While sexual relations are not precluded by the faith, as the Chosater are an entire race of adherents, extra-marital affairs are considered a sin of lust against the Way and a step backward along the Path.
The monks and nuns will often earn their own food through farming, or other jobs such as labor or craft, which is considered part of the discipline of their monastic faith. They also perform other services for the general population such as exorcisms or funeral rites and may even receive donations through lay members. The very soul of the Chosater is the concept of karuna, or compassion. This is not the same as pity, which has a selfish motivation. It is the desire to remove harm and suffering from all others. It is the idea that all setient beings are the same as oneself. That in both joy and sorrow all are equal. That the pain and suffering of all setient beings is the same pain. That to alleviate the pain and suffering of others is to eliminate the same in oneself, to liberate others from the Endless Cycle is to liberate all, including oneself. Therefore, being that the ultimate goal of the Eightfold Path is to liberate the entirety of the world from the Wheel of Law, the Karmic Wheel; the end goal of the bear-folk is to become what are called jang-chup-sempa (roughly "saint"). This is a person who has attained the Ultimate Truth and can be free but stays behind to use their enlightenment for the benefit of all setient beings. In other words, the ultimate expression, and embodiment, of karuna.
The basic symbol of the faith is an eight-pointed sunburst, when combined with the symbol of the Heavenly Princicples of Yin and Yang, it becomes known as the Wheel of Law. This Wheel symbolizes the eight cardinal beliefs of the religion's followers. The four larger points on the Wheel represent the Four Basic Truths of All Under Heaven:
- Life is Suffering. This statement not only encompasses the reality of suffering within creation, it also encompasses Izanagi's suffering. Due to his suffering, All Under Heaven suffers with him. Until his suffering is ended, the world's suffering will never end. For, with the Wheel of Law, not even death brings an end to suffering.
- Suffering is Caused by Ignorance. All suffering is caused by ignorance of the true nature of the Creator and of creation itself. Most people believe that the Middle Empire is already whole and perfect. From this ignorance stems craving, undue attachment, and grasping which cause much undue suffering.
- Suffering is Ended by Conquering Ignorance. Conquering ignorance means conquering those things which cause undue suffering. One of the first steps to conquering ignorance is to give up the attachment to personal belongings and the trappings of social class or rank. The next steps are the conquering of ignorance through knowledge. Learning all that one is able to about creation, learning the secrets of the past and present, and learning the true nature of creation. This quest for knowledge collectively is called the Chos (Shindo or Zhendao, Way of Truth, in the common tongues), and is often used to refer to the Eightfold Path as a whole.
- The Path to the End of Suffering is Eightfold. The fourth point leads to the Eightfold Path which encompasses all points on the Wheel of Law. This Path consists of:
- Right Understanding - understanding of the nature of suffering in the world,
- Right Thought - the desire to follow the Eightfold Path,
- Right Speech - the avoidance of lies and slander, as these things only increase the suffering in the world,
- Right Action - shunning extramarital sex and acts of cruelty,
- Right Livelihood - refraining from immoral and unsuitable occupations,
- Right Moral Effort - cultivating a peaceful and good state of mind,
- Right-Mindedness - awareness of the truth of oneself, and
- Right Concentration - which is another way of saying: meditation.
Any violations of the Eightfold Path, if discovered, are publicly confessed and the penance is decided upon by the gathered brothers and sisters of the faith. While sexual relations are not precluded by the faith, as the Chosater are an entire race of adherents, extra-marital affairs are considered a sin of lust against the Way and a step backward along the Path.
The monks and nuns will often earn their own food through farming, or other jobs such as labor or craft, which is considered part of the discipline of their monastic faith. They also perform other services for the general population such as exorcisms or funeral rites and may even receive donations through lay members. The very soul of the Chosater is the concept of karuna, or compassion. This is not the same as pity, which has a selfish motivation. It is the desire to remove harm and suffering from all others. It is the idea that all setient beings are the same as oneself. That in both joy and sorrow all are equal. That the pain and suffering of all setient beings is the same pain. That to alleviate the pain and suffering of others is to eliminate the same in oneself, to liberate others from the Endless Cycle is to liberate all, including oneself. Therefore, being that the ultimate goal of the Eightfold Path is to liberate the entirety of the world from the Wheel of Law, the Karmic Wheel; the end goal of the bear-folk is to become what are called jang-chup-sempa (roughly "saint"). This is a person who has attained the Ultimate Truth and can be free but stays behind to use their enlightenment for the benefit of all setient beings. In other words, the ultimate expression, and embodiment, of karuna.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Many of the customs and rituals the Chosater practice in the modern era are either modified rituals from their more war-like past or were passed down by the Yuexiongren who originally occupied the mountainous lands far to the west where the Akuma Desert now lies. Unlike with most temples extant within the empire, the inner shrines of Chosater (Eightfold Path) temples are accessible not just to the priests, but to the general public as well. Their temples have shrines in the main hall which are dedicated to the Creator As One. This dedication is enshrined as a statue in the idealized image of the unified being of male and female, yin and yang. This statue is often robed in the manner of Path adherents and depicted as sublimely androgynous; a perfect mixture of male and female features. These statues are left largely undefined in their crafting and having no discernible features of any one race or ethnic group. Divine magics are then woven about them which allows the onlooker to see their own race within the form of the god. As has been mentioned previously, upon entering the main hall of a temple, every monk or nun kowtows to the shrine three times, and does the same upon leaving the room.
One of the most widespread, and easily recognizable, customs is the raising of prayer flags or banners called dar-lcog. These are squares of linen or cotton in sequential colors of red, green (or blue), white, black, and yellow strung on a line or raised on a pole. Far in their past, these flags served as war banners and were stitched with the likenesses of the great demons the bear-folk worshiped. In the modern era, they often have mantras, the Creator, or different figures from legend woven or painted upon them. One of the most popular is that of the Creator sitting in the midst of four, cowering, monstrous figures; the Four Great Demons from the Chosater past.
Another widespread tradition which incorporates this theme is that of the gyae-tsan, or Victory Banner. These are often found posted on the top four corners of shrines and the main halls of temple complexes. They are cylindrical structures of beaten copper or bronze mounted on wooden posts. These cylinders are surmounted by a domed "parasol" and surmounted by the Creator symbolically formed into the Gem of Ultimate Truth. The "spines" of the "parasol" either end in the snarling heads of the Four Greater Demons or the Four Greater and Four Lesser Demons. Each of the demon heads has a small bell hanging from its mouth which symbolizes the Creator's protection and the destruction of evil.
The Four Greater Demons are representative of the myriad of demons and spirits which dragged the Ater-sedar down to the level of base and primitive creatures. They are the Demon of Base Reality or the Demon of Ignorance, the Demon of Destructive Emotions, the Demon of Death, and the Demon of Lust. These demons are very rarely depicted by themselves and only in conjunction with either the Creator in one form or another or by figures like the Tonpa Shenrab, and always in a submissive position.
The Wheel of Law flanked by a deer and a tiger often surmount the gates to temple complexes and shrines dedicated to the Eightfold Path. Throughout the empire, deer are considered to be messengers of the gods. They are also among the meekest of animals. The tiger is one of the most prevalent symbols of power and strength within the empire. It is also considered a symbol of ferocity and lordship. Therefore, the symbolism of this depiction on the gates of Eightfold Path temples, represents the power of the Chos to bring together the fiercest and the meekest of beings.
Prayer is a large part of the daily life of the Chosater. There are many forms of prayer for the bear-folk, which include things like lighting oil lamps and incense before an altar to the Creator, tying prayer flags, and, perhaps the most recognized, chanting the mantras. These mantras are often attributed directly to, or based upon the teachings of, the Tonpa Shenrab. They often involve a repetitive cycle of chanting short lines while counting the number of times they're said on prayer beads. These short prayers are thought to invoke an altered state of consciousness wherein the mind of the chanter makes direct connection to the mind of the Creator himself.
Morning prayers begin at sunrise with the lighting of dozens of rows of votive candles, incense, the blasting of horns to greet the dawn, and the low, rumbling chanting of the monks in their growling language. Many prayers are also made while walking clockwise around sacred sites, such as chorden (mound- or dome-shaped structures containing sacred relics), sitting in meditation, or doing repetitive, mindless, tasks such as raking sand, creating kyil-khor or sand paintings, thangka, or even things like gardening. Nyin-tsupa is a holiday also called the Thanksgiving Festival, which is celebrated on the tenth day of the third month of the season of Fire. This is the day it is said that the Tonpa Shenrab came to the ancient city of Tazik to deliver the salvation of the Ader-sedar. The focal point of the holiday is the cham, a masked and costumed dance which depicts events from the llives of the Tonpa Shenrab and other saints from the Chosaters' past. These dances take place over all four days of the festival and each dance depicts different instances from the saints' lives on each of those days. These are considered to be a form of meditation and an offering to the Creator and his children.
The other major event of the festival is the unfurling of a large thangka, a religious painting on cotton usually depicting the Creator As One, Tonpa Shenrab, a religious scene, or a jil-khor (a geometric design symbolizing the universe). The thangka are thought to purify and cleanse the body and soul of whomever views them on those days they are unfurled.
Since the Nyin-tsupa celebration are typically held in the local temple complexes in which the faithful live, they have the added benefit of bringing many of the laity, or simply curious villagers, from many of the disparate communities around them. This is commonly a day of celebration and ease for these people as they watch the monks and nuns perform the cham, eat good food served by local vendors, and may even have the monks or nuns perform healing services for them, if needed.
Once the two parties agree to the marriage, they choose a good day for their families and matchmaker to get together to work out the date of the wedding. On this day, the young man will bring gifts of honey, lotuses, and khata to each of the female members of his fiance's family to thank them for accepting him into their family. The young woman will prepare tea and snacks appropriate, and symbolic, to the area they reside. In their more traditional, southern climes, these snacks are usually made with rice flour, coconut, and palm sugar or honey, called chema, which is a symbol of auspiciousness. Once the details of the wedding are worked out, the bride's family will serve a small, intimate meal for the families to get to know each other. When the groom's family leaves, the bride's willl present them with khata in return to thank them for accepting their daughter.
On the day of the wedding, the main hall of the temple is decorated with lotus flowers of white and red, to symbolize purity and happiness, images of golden fish for happiness, prosperity, and purity, the Endless Knot fashioned and hung over the doors to symbolize the Creator, the couple's union, and the interconnectedness of all things, and, finally, the Yizhin-khorlo, the Fulfillment Jewel, said to represent the fulfillment of Oneness and achieving enlightenment.
While the bride and groom are dressed much as they would normally be on any other day, the robes of the man are a dark blue color and those of the female are a bright red, and both are allowed to wear silk on this day. As well, as a nod to the rituals of their distant past, both of the young couple wear a wide, silken belt resembling a girdle over their outer robes and tied in place with a white, silken cord. These belts are richly embroidered with images from the union of the Creator. The male's belt holds images of Izanagi and the female's holds images of Izanami. Furthermore, both members wear headdresses of brocade cords strung with beads of red and black jade supporting one of two stones directly over the center of the forehead, just above their noses. The male has a red agate symbolizing courage, strength, and protection. The female wears a dark blue sapphire symbolizing peace, happiness, and spiritual growth. While the male's is fairly simplistic with only three strings, the female's is much more elaborate with multiple strings and dangling bits of brocaded silk and jade beads.
When the time comes for the ceremony, the groom, along with his family and entourage, go to the bride's home. The groom walks solemnly while the entourage of family and lay-folk following behind sing songs of celebration and joy. The groom carries with him a ceremonial arrow with red and white strips of cloth, bits of carved jade, and burnished pieces of copper braided along its length. It represents his masculinity and strength and his protection of the new family. The bride, meanwhile, is given a similar arrow with braided strips of black and green (or blue) cloths by her father. Which is symbolic of her family's support and is said to bring happiness and prosperity to the new couple. An elder monk carries an arrow with yellow strips of cloth meant to symbolize Balance and the blending of Yin and Yang. These arrows are part of the more ancient marriage rites that were carried over.
When the two parties meet up, the groom slides his arrow into the belt of the bride to synbolize giving her his strength and protection, while the bride slides her arrow into his belt to symbolize bringing prosperity and happiness into his life. The two parties then make their way to the main hall being preceded by the elder monk who still carries the arrow, chanting sutras in order to dispel any malevolent spirits or ill fortune which may come before the wedding party. The groom's family waits along the road to offer bleggings and khata to the bride and her family to welcome them before joining the groom's party at the tail end of the procession.
Once they reach the main hall, each member of the party, in turn, prostrates themselves before the statue of the Creator As One before entering the hall where a carpet with a woven mandala is waiting before the statue for the bride and groom to seat themselves. There, the officiant priest, carrying the Balance Arrow, blesses the bride and the groom with holy water and chants benedictions while the couple ties each other's wrists together with a yellow thread. After which, together, they make offerings of incense, tea, chema, and khata to the Creator and their parents as thanks.
When the ceremony is completed, all gathered adjourn to a secular hall where a large meal has been prepared. There, the couple serves tea and food to the senior monks and their parents before adjourning to their own chambers for the night. The parents of the newlyweds then entertain the guests for the rest of the night.
Of course, upon finding out she's pregnant, the first thing a woman will do is to prostrate herself in the main hall before the Creator in thanks and to ask for protection for the developing baby, leave offerings to the Creator, and to ask for the blessings of higher ranked priests. If she is away from her home temple, she will make the journey to the nearest one in order to complete this ritual. For the duration of the gestation, she will spend more time in spiritual activities than she would normally. This is especially true of lay members. This is the one time in their lives a Chosater is allowed to break their prohibition on meat. Since the developing baby is dependent upon greater amounts of protein, the vegetarian diet does not satisfy and pregnant females are allowed, even encouraged, to partake in dishes of fish and meat broths. This is also the one time that fish are allowed be taken from any of the Seven Soul Lakes. For the next several months, until a month after the baby's birth, the mother is forbidden to touch cold water, as it is believe the excess of Yin energy will harm the mother and child.
When the baby is ready to be born, the parents and higher-ranked priests begin to prepare for the birth by hanging banners from the eaves of the birthing hut to ward off evil and bring good fortune, and they prepare for a birthing ritual called the pangse. This is a ritual which involves, both, physically and spiritually cleansing the infant of pan, spiritual fowl which are thought to accompany the baby into the world and represent the karma of its past life still clinging. Therefore, they perform the se or cleansing in order to rid the child and mother of these pan so that the infant can grow healthy and unfettered and the mother can heal more quickly. This rite necessarily involves prayer, incense, ritual objects such as bells, and a special khata called the dar-sanba. The prayers are chanted, the bells struck, and the incense burned as the infant is being wiped down with the dar-sanba. Once the ritual is complete, the cloth, along with the afterbirth, is wrapped in another khata and stored until an auspicious day is divined to bury it deeply outside the temple compound.
When the child takes its first breath, while the mouth is still open, the attendant priest will paint the character for "wisdom" onto its tongue in saffron powder. This is done so that the child will grow to be wise, discerning, and calm. The child is then swaddled in cotton cloth and given to its mother where they will rest for the next four days. At the end of these four days, the rest of the family and temple are invited to the birthing hut to participate in a welcoming ceremony for the newborn. During this ceremony, prayers are chanted, gifts of clothes and protective amulets are given, and the child receives its first name.
After a month of sitting in, the mother and child are finally allowed out of the birthing hut. During this trip out, the mother will take the baby on its first visit to the temple, itself. There, she will introduce it the Creator to receive Their blessing for the child's health and well-being.
Once the questions are answered and the applicant is judged to be fit to obtain full ordination, the head of the Gedun asks those assembled if they object. He or she asks three times, if none of those gathered objects to the applicant being ordained then they are ordained as a full monk or nun of the Eightfold Path.
With the coming of the Tonpa Shenrab and the Chos, the hungry ghosts were driven out and the bear-folk learned the proper way to care for their dead. There was another problem, however, though they understood that many of the peoples of the world cremated their dead, the Chosater lived in a place which was heavily wooded and the spirits of that place looked unkindly on large fires. The very type of fires needed to burn a humanoid. They learned of the "sky burial" from the Xiongren who lived in the high, mountain fastness where fires burned too low and the ground was often too rocky to properly bury someone. Thus, the Chosater came up with the Kunpasin, or Tree Burial.
Before the body may be "buried", however, the deceased's soul must be taken care of. The body is lain in state and the room is closed off with a banner similar to those used for other celebrations which repels malevolent energies and spirits. In rituals borrowed from the ancient eras of Tazik, the deceased's possessions are moved outside the home for anyone to collect and paper representations of food are burned in a small charcoal burner for the forty-nine days of the bardo (the intermediate period between one life and the next) to nourish the soul. In ancient times, real food was used. However, it is feared that real food may distract the spirit from its journey or draw it to the physical world, so representations of food are used instead. The body is left in state for five days while family members bid farewell.
For the next forty-nine days, the gedun sends chants and prayers from the Book of Liberation in order to guide the deceased from the Chikhai Bardo, the bardo at the moment of death, through the Chonyi Bardo, which may distract and delude the unaware, finally to the Sidpa Bardo, where the soul is guided to its new body and life.
After the five days, another group of monks not related to the deceased comes to collect the body from the family. There they chant prayers, burn incense, and scatter holy oil to purify the body and the room of the lingering energies of death. They then position the body into the lotus position, wrap a white cloth around it, and take it to a grove of paulownia, with an outer ring of sakura, trees set away from the community for the purpose of burial. Once there, it is set upon a wooden platform and raised into the upper branches of the trees where it will be consumed by the animals for the next forty-four days.
Once the bardo is completed, and there is no longer any flesh left on the body, the bones are taken down and burned in a small kiln until only ash is left. If they were sufficiently far along the path of enlightenment, these ashes may be built into a chorden to honor them. If not, their ashes are scattered to the Four Winds so that no attachments are left.
Morning prayers begin at sunrise with the lighting of dozens of rows of votive candles, incense, the blasting of horns to greet the dawn, and the low, rumbling chanting of the monks in their growling language. Many prayers are also made while walking clockwise around sacred sites, such as chorden (mound- or dome-shaped structures containing sacred relics), sitting in meditation, or doing repetitive, mindless, tasks such as raking sand, creating kyil-khor or sand paintings, thangka, or even things like gardening. Nyin-tsupa is a holiday also called the Thanksgiving Festival, which is celebrated on the tenth day of the third month of the season of Fire. This is the day it is said that the Tonpa Shenrab came to the ancient city of Tazik to deliver the salvation of the Ader-sedar. The focal point of the holiday is the cham, a masked and costumed dance which depicts events from the llives of the Tonpa Shenrab and other saints from the Chosaters' past. These dances take place over all four days of the festival and each dance depicts different instances from the saints' lives on each of those days. These are considered to be a form of meditation and an offering to the Creator and his children.
The other major event of the festival is the unfurling of a large thangka, a religious painting on cotton usually depicting the Creator As One, Tonpa Shenrab, a religious scene, or a jil-khor (a geometric design symbolizing the universe). The thangka are thought to purify and cleanse the body and soul of whomever views them on those days they are unfurled.
Since the Nyin-tsupa celebration are typically held in the local temple complexes in which the faithful live, they have the added benefit of bringing many of the laity, or simply curious villagers, from many of the disparate communities around them. This is commonly a day of celebration and ease for these people as they watch the monks and nuns perform the cham, eat good food served by local vendors, and may even have the monks or nuns perform healing services for them, if needed.
Marriage Rites
Due to their reverence for the Creator As One through the union of Izanagi and Izanami, marriage is considered to be particularly sacred to the Chosater. The union of the man and woman is looked upon as embodying the union of Yin and Yang, the male and female Principles, through the Creator Themselves. Therefore the weddings of the bear-folk are, at once, joyous, solemn, and reverential occasions. Though, because the religion, itself, is so austere in practice, many of the more ancient customs from before the Dharma were kept and given a more appropriate meaning in keeping with their faith. This is also one of the few days of their lives that the bear-folk add any sort of symbology or accoutrements to their normal costume that aren't directly influenced by the Eightfold Path.Once the two parties agree to the marriage, they choose a good day for their families and matchmaker to get together to work out the date of the wedding. On this day, the young man will bring gifts of honey, lotuses, and khata to each of the female members of his fiance's family to thank them for accepting him into their family. The young woman will prepare tea and snacks appropriate, and symbolic, to the area they reside. In their more traditional, southern climes, these snacks are usually made with rice flour, coconut, and palm sugar or honey, called chema, which is a symbol of auspiciousness. Once the details of the wedding are worked out, the bride's family will serve a small, intimate meal for the families to get to know each other. When the groom's family leaves, the bride's willl present them with khata in return to thank them for accepting their daughter.
On the day of the wedding, the main hall of the temple is decorated with lotus flowers of white and red, to symbolize purity and happiness, images of golden fish for happiness, prosperity, and purity, the Endless Knot fashioned and hung over the doors to symbolize the Creator, the couple's union, and the interconnectedness of all things, and, finally, the Yizhin-khorlo, the Fulfillment Jewel, said to represent the fulfillment of Oneness and achieving enlightenment.
While the bride and groom are dressed much as they would normally be on any other day, the robes of the man are a dark blue color and those of the female are a bright red, and both are allowed to wear silk on this day. As well, as a nod to the rituals of their distant past, both of the young couple wear a wide, silken belt resembling a girdle over their outer robes and tied in place with a white, silken cord. These belts are richly embroidered with images from the union of the Creator. The male's belt holds images of Izanagi and the female's holds images of Izanami. Furthermore, both members wear headdresses of brocade cords strung with beads of red and black jade supporting one of two stones directly over the center of the forehead, just above their noses. The male has a red agate symbolizing courage, strength, and protection. The female wears a dark blue sapphire symbolizing peace, happiness, and spiritual growth. While the male's is fairly simplistic with only three strings, the female's is much more elaborate with multiple strings and dangling bits of brocaded silk and jade beads.
When the time comes for the ceremony, the groom, along with his family and entourage, go to the bride's home. The groom walks solemnly while the entourage of family and lay-folk following behind sing songs of celebration and joy. The groom carries with him a ceremonial arrow with red and white strips of cloth, bits of carved jade, and burnished pieces of copper braided along its length. It represents his masculinity and strength and his protection of the new family. The bride, meanwhile, is given a similar arrow with braided strips of black and green (or blue) cloths by her father. Which is symbolic of her family's support and is said to bring happiness and prosperity to the new couple. An elder monk carries an arrow with yellow strips of cloth meant to symbolize Balance and the blending of Yin and Yang. These arrows are part of the more ancient marriage rites that were carried over.
When the two parties meet up, the groom slides his arrow into the belt of the bride to synbolize giving her his strength and protection, while the bride slides her arrow into his belt to symbolize bringing prosperity and happiness into his life. The two parties then make their way to the main hall being preceded by the elder monk who still carries the arrow, chanting sutras in order to dispel any malevolent spirits or ill fortune which may come before the wedding party. The groom's family waits along the road to offer bleggings and khata to the bride and her family to welcome them before joining the groom's party at the tail end of the procession.
Once they reach the main hall, each member of the party, in turn, prostrates themselves before the statue of the Creator As One before entering the hall where a carpet with a woven mandala is waiting before the statue for the bride and groom to seat themselves. There, the officiant priest, carrying the Balance Arrow, blesses the bride and the groom with holy water and chants benedictions while the couple ties each other's wrists together with a yellow thread. After which, together, they make offerings of incense, tea, chema, and khata to the Creator and their parents as thanks.
When the ceremony is completed, all gathered adjourn to a secular hall where a large meal has been prepared. There, the couple serves tea and food to the senior monks and their parents before adjourning to their own chambers for the night. The parents of the newlyweds then entertain the guests for the rest of the night.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Of course, pregnancy and birth are as celebrated by the Chosater as they are by any other people in the Middle Empire. However, as it is with so many other evetns in their lives, this occasion has an extra layer of religious consideration for the bear-folk. Though Reincarnation is an accepted reality by the vast majority of the imperial population, these people simply view it as an everyday fact, a natural force of the world which ensures that more people are born than die. To the Chosater, however, reincarnation is a natural force to be overcome, and each birth is a chance to help a soul in learning what it needs to be free from the endless cycle. For the bear-folk do not believe they are creating life through the act of conception, but inviting another soul their wombs. In fact, many of those women who follow the Eightfol Path (not just the Chosater) describe vivid dreams of inviting a stranger into a nicely furnished room just before finding out they're pregnant. These dreams often allow her to get to know her child before it is even born.Of course, upon finding out she's pregnant, the first thing a woman will do is to prostrate herself in the main hall before the Creator in thanks and to ask for protection for the developing baby, leave offerings to the Creator, and to ask for the blessings of higher ranked priests. If she is away from her home temple, she will make the journey to the nearest one in order to complete this ritual. For the duration of the gestation, she will spend more time in spiritual activities than she would normally. This is especially true of lay members. This is the one time in their lives a Chosater is allowed to break their prohibition on meat. Since the developing baby is dependent upon greater amounts of protein, the vegetarian diet does not satisfy and pregnant females are allowed, even encouraged, to partake in dishes of fish and meat broths. This is also the one time that fish are allowed be taken from any of the Seven Soul Lakes. For the next several months, until a month after the baby's birth, the mother is forbidden to touch cold water, as it is believe the excess of Yin energy will harm the mother and child.
When the baby is ready to be born, the parents and higher-ranked priests begin to prepare for the birth by hanging banners from the eaves of the birthing hut to ward off evil and bring good fortune, and they prepare for a birthing ritual called the pangse. This is a ritual which involves, both, physically and spiritually cleansing the infant of pan, spiritual fowl which are thought to accompany the baby into the world and represent the karma of its past life still clinging. Therefore, they perform the se or cleansing in order to rid the child and mother of these pan so that the infant can grow healthy and unfettered and the mother can heal more quickly. This rite necessarily involves prayer, incense, ritual objects such as bells, and a special khata called the dar-sanba. The prayers are chanted, the bells struck, and the incense burned as the infant is being wiped down with the dar-sanba. Once the ritual is complete, the cloth, along with the afterbirth, is wrapped in another khata and stored until an auspicious day is divined to bury it deeply outside the temple compound.
When the child takes its first breath, while the mouth is still open, the attendant priest will paint the character for "wisdom" onto its tongue in saffron powder. This is done so that the child will grow to be wise, discerning, and calm. The child is then swaddled in cotton cloth and given to its mother where they will rest for the next four days. At the end of these four days, the rest of the family and temple are invited to the birthing hut to participate in a welcoming ceremony for the newborn. During this ceremony, prayers are chanted, gifts of clothes and protective amulets are given, and the child receives its first name.
After a month of sitting in, the mother and child are finally allowed out of the birthing hut. During this trip out, the mother will take the baby on its first visit to the temple, itself. There, she will introduce it the Creator to receive Their blessing for the child's health and well-being.
Coming of Age Rites
At the age of twenty the Chosater, both men and women, are brought up for their full ordination before their local Gedun. With them are their parents and a senior lama who has been tutoring them since their novitiate. This is usually the one who gave them their first name. After assuring that the applicant is physically ready to obtain their full ordination, the Gedun then gives the applicant their adult, Holy, name before continuing the ritual. The applicant is then instructed to answer truthfully and honestly a series of questions meant to ascertain their spiritual readiness for full ordination into the faith.Once the questions are answered and the applicant is judged to be fit to obtain full ordination, the head of the Gedun asks those assembled if they object. He or she asks three times, if none of those gathered objects to the applicant being ordained then they are ordained as a full monk or nun of the Eightfold Path.
Funerary & Memorial Customs
In ancient times, during the age of the Tonpa, death was treated irreverently by the people. The focus of the ancient religion was on the material world and not the hereafter. Most believed that the soul would join their hedonistic gods and spirits on their own and disregarded the earthly remains of their loved ones. Still others had far too much attachment and sought to purposefully keep the spirits of their loved ones with them, in order to remain with them forever. Still other, grotesque, rites called for the sacrifice of sentient beings. Therefore, the ancient city-state of Tazik was rife with the souls of the unquiet dead due to either neglect or attachment.With the coming of the Tonpa Shenrab and the Chos, the hungry ghosts were driven out and the bear-folk learned the proper way to care for their dead. There was another problem, however, though they understood that many of the peoples of the world cremated their dead, the Chosater lived in a place which was heavily wooded and the spirits of that place looked unkindly on large fires. The very type of fires needed to burn a humanoid. They learned of the "sky burial" from the Xiongren who lived in the high, mountain fastness where fires burned too low and the ground was often too rocky to properly bury someone. Thus, the Chosater came up with the Kunpasin, or Tree Burial.
Before the body may be "buried", however, the deceased's soul must be taken care of. The body is lain in state and the room is closed off with a banner similar to those used for other celebrations which repels malevolent energies and spirits. In rituals borrowed from the ancient eras of Tazik, the deceased's possessions are moved outside the home for anyone to collect and paper representations of food are burned in a small charcoal burner for the forty-nine days of the bardo (the intermediate period between one life and the next) to nourish the soul. In ancient times, real food was used. However, it is feared that real food may distract the spirit from its journey or draw it to the physical world, so representations of food are used instead. The body is left in state for five days while family members bid farewell.
For the next forty-nine days, the gedun sends chants and prayers from the Book of Liberation in order to guide the deceased from the Chikhai Bardo, the bardo at the moment of death, through the Chonyi Bardo, which may distract and delude the unaware, finally to the Sidpa Bardo, where the soul is guided to its new body and life.
After the five days, another group of monks not related to the deceased comes to collect the body from the family. There they chant prayers, burn incense, and scatter holy oil to purify the body and the room of the lingering energies of death. They then position the body into the lotus position, wrap a white cloth around it, and take it to a grove of paulownia, with an outer ring of sakura, trees set away from the community for the purpose of burial. Once there, it is set upon a wooden platform and raised into the upper branches of the trees where it will be consumed by the animals for the next forty-four days.
Once the bardo is completed, and there is no longer any flesh left on the body, the bones are taken down and burned in a small kiln until only ash is left. If they were sufficiently far along the path of enlightenment, these ashes may be built into a chorden to honor them. If not, their ashes are scattered to the Four Winds so that no attachments are left.
Common Taboos
Absolutely no violence or aggressive behavior is not tolerated within the temple grounds. Neither is stealing nor the consumption of alcohol. These can all lead to expulsion from the temple.
The feet are the lowest and dirtiest part of the body. Therefore, sitting in such a way as to have one's feet pointing towards a shrine or another person is disrespectful. This can lead to anything from a soft chiding reminder to expulsion from the temple if the behavior continues.
Wearing of hats, hoods, face coverings or shoes within the temple buildings is disrespectful. Shoes can carry dirt and filth into the temple making it unclean. Anything which can be used to hide or cover the head or face is looked upon as an attempt the openness and honesty required in the temple. Repeated violations of these taboos can lead to expulsion from the temple.
Showing too much skin is considered to be disrespectful to the monks and nuns and to the Creator. Covering the shoulders, legs, and, most especially, the torso and hips, is required before entering the temple grounds. Those who fail to do so can be barred from entry or outright expelled from the grounds.
Do not touch, sit near, climb on a statue of the Creator As One or any other statue depicting a holy figure, nor upon the dais upon which they sit. Acting in such a manner can lead to expulsion.
History
The history of the Chosater is nearly as shadowed and violent as that of the earlist ages, themselves. Though the modern empire likes to bill the early eras of the world as vast ages of peace, the bear-folk, who dig into the world's past and document its mysteries in their search for Ultimate Truth, know better. There have been very few histories in the world that have been unmarred by strife or conflict. Inluding the bear-folks' own past. The elves and many of their shouren partners were embroiled in the War of Tears. Most, if not all, of the varied peoples in existence had their own clan and tribal wars before that. Even the "humble" and "gentle" Chosater have their own karmic debt in regards to their past. A past which is reflected in their very name for themselves.
In the distant past, when the world was still young and the lands, and their Pillars, were whole, the bear-folk inhabited a land known as Tazik. Situated far to the east and south within the lands that the humans call Wa, in what is now the Ghost Sea, Tazik was a theocratic kingdom whose great, priest families continuously vied for the seat of the Tonpa, the supreme religious leader who ruled over even the kings and noble families of Tazik. During this time, the Chosater were deeply engaged in practices which embraced the darker natures of the world's spirits and gods.
In this young age, there weren't as many gods as there are now. Many of the gods familiar in the modern empire either didn't yet exist or were merely spirits existing within the newly born Shinkai. Many of the spirits and gods worshiped by the young Chosater were spirits of war, bloodshed, conquest, strife, dominance, and death. Even many demons, or spirits who later became demons, filled out their debased pantheon. In these days, the bear-folk were called the Ater-sedar, the Demons' Claws. A name bestowed upon them through their various conquests, and a name they wore with pride.
Their priestly caste, in particular the Tonpa, were full of their own hubris and pride. Only looking to gain more power for themselves. Each of the priestly families vied with one another to gain an edge over their rivals in their power struggles, causing much internal strife among the bear-folk population. So corrupt, in fact, were the Ater-sedar that they even subjugated the elven clans they were bound to work beside. They would sell out their Heavenly Mandate to the highest bidder and allowed many of the Pools they watched over to be defiled by the dark spirits they worshiped. Heaven looked down upon their behavior and was wroth.
The turning point in the history of the Ater-sedar came when the first of their cousins, the bear-folk of the Moon, came to their nation. This moon bear, an ascetic follower of a strange path, claimed he was sent by Heaven to bring either peace or wrath to the Ater-sedar people. This incensed the Tonpa, who came down from his great tower to meet the stranger and condemn him for his heresy. First, he demanded that the guards bind the unassuming moon bear, but the guards could not touch him. Those who tried were struck blind and dumb and dropped to the ground in paroxysms. Then the Tonpa commanded the guards to strike the moon bear down, but their swords passed through him as if they were made of smoke.
When the ascetic turned his gaze to the Tonpa, the Tonpa recoiled as if struck by a great hand and fell to his back crying out once before falling silent. After this, it is said, that Tonpa never regained his mental faculties and behaved as if a child for the rest of his days. The ascetic then ascended the great staircase to the Tonpa Tower and none made a move to stop him. Standing before the tremendous doors, the ascetic made a pronouncement that the past age of the bear-folk was over. That it was the Will of Heaven that the bear-folk follow a new path. He and their cousins would show them the path and teach them to walk it.
Though he never took on the title himself, the ascetic came to be called by the people, "Tonpa Shenrab," which means "Supreme Holy One," as he set about righting the Ater-sedar society. Rather than trying to dig out the entrenched priest and noble families, the new Tonpa started at the base of society: the commoners. He began teaching them of the secret history of the world, the reason for the suffering within the world, the need to be released from the endless cycle of death and rebirth, and teaching them of the Eightfold Path. Around this time, many others of the moon bear-folk began filtering into Tazik and the great city in order to help spread the Tonpa Shenrab's teachings.
Tonpa Shenrab faced many difficulties over the years he preached the doctrine of the Eightfold Path. Many attempts on his life were made by the noble and priest families, each one failed, and each time the family responsible met with some grave misfortune which brought them low and destroyed them. Until the final assassin, which was sent by the king, himself.
While Tonpa Shenrab had been living his ascetic lifestyle right out in the open on the landing before the great doors to the Tonpa Tower, the king had been holed away in his palace in fearful seclusion. Always worrying that the Tonpa Shenrab would be coming after him next. Despite his followers' worries over his safety in such an open place, Tonpa Shenrab was fatalistic. Simply stating that the universe would provide what he neeeded and whatever happened would happen. The king's assassination attempt was the desperate, cowardly act of a cowardly man, and it was the one attempt which succeeded in touching the Tonpa Shenrab.
The poisoned dagger merely struck the old bear a glancing blow, but it was enough to do the deed. Over his final hours, Tonpa Shenrab was able to instruct his followers on the proper ways of burying a being such as himself who had glimpsed the Ultimate Truth and come back to instruct others. His followers placed him in the Lotus position and placed him before the great doors to the tower, and, as he chanted sutras in a low, growling voice, began walling him away with bricks taken other buildings. As they constructed the Tonpa Shenrab's tomb, his flesh began to desiccate, becoming thin and dry as paper. His preserved corpse was the last sight of his followers as they placed the last brick.
Though an angry mob did descend upon the royal palace, despite the wishes of the Tonpa Shenrab, it appeared that the king had already breathed his last when he choked on a piece of bone from his last meal. Many speculate that he breathed his last at the same time as the Tonpa Shenrab.
The following ages passed mainly in peace. The elves had been set free from their bondage in the preceding years after the arrival of the Tonpa Shenrab, but they still held their misgivings and would only work at night when the bear-folk were asleep. Until one day, they were simply gone.
The Ater-sedar took on a new name for themselves, keeping a portion of the old as a reminder and penance for their past corruption. They became the Chosater, the Dharmic Demons, atoning for their past and began spreading themselves, and their teachings, out into the wider world. They found quite the receptive audience among the warrior class of the humans of the time whom the bear-folk were uniquely qualified to spealk to given their warlike past. Many of these warriors even took up the monastic lifestyle upon retirement to find their own atonement and peace.
When the God War came, the bear-folk found many of their own temples being targeted especially be Susano-O's forces. They also realized they couldn't always count on the other races for protection for their communities. Thus, some of them reluctantly began taking up weapons and training their own youths and willing orphans in the ways of combat in order to protect themselves and their loved ones. This way it was learned that, while those who brought harm to others could not attain Ultimate Truth in that life, they were granted other abilties and power to compensate and many times the followers of the Dark God learned to their chagrin that the temples of the Chosater were no longer easy targets.
The greatest blow, however, was struck against the bear-folk near the end of the war when the Lord of Storms took his great, shadowed naginata, Habakiri, and cleaved both the Eastern Pillar and the continent of Wa, sinking both into the swirling seas. It was only through the ultimate sacrifice of seven great warriors, known as Longxueren, that even a fraction of the ancient lands, the site of the Chosater's ancient city, were able to be saved from Wa's destruction. Only the city, which the bear-folk call the Oldest Cathedral of Trees, and seven crystal-clear lakes and rivers which appeared where each hero made their final stand, were saved. This isle is now called the Isle of Seven Soul Lakes, and is the center of the Chosater population.
When the war ended and the noble houses and their samurai began their decline, so, too, did the popularity of the Eightfold Path among the common population, and the religion, too, fell into decline. There are still lay adherents in every major city of the empire and among scattered villages. Temples dot the face of the empire here and there, as well, mostly run by bear-folk, but not always. The bear-folk, however, have the same, fatalistic view as the ancient Tonpa Shenrab. Whatever will be will be.
In the distant past, when the world was still young and the lands, and their Pillars, were whole, the bear-folk inhabited a land known as Tazik. Situated far to the east and south within the lands that the humans call Wa, in what is now the Ghost Sea, Tazik was a theocratic kingdom whose great, priest families continuously vied for the seat of the Tonpa, the supreme religious leader who ruled over even the kings and noble families of Tazik. During this time, the Chosater were deeply engaged in practices which embraced the darker natures of the world's spirits and gods.
In this young age, there weren't as many gods as there are now. Many of the gods familiar in the modern empire either didn't yet exist or were merely spirits existing within the newly born Shinkai. Many of the spirits and gods worshiped by the young Chosater were spirits of war, bloodshed, conquest, strife, dominance, and death. Even many demons, or spirits who later became demons, filled out their debased pantheon. In these days, the bear-folk were called the Ater-sedar, the Demons' Claws. A name bestowed upon them through their various conquests, and a name they wore with pride.
Their priestly caste, in particular the Tonpa, were full of their own hubris and pride. Only looking to gain more power for themselves. Each of the priestly families vied with one another to gain an edge over their rivals in their power struggles, causing much internal strife among the bear-folk population. So corrupt, in fact, were the Ater-sedar that they even subjugated the elven clans they were bound to work beside. They would sell out their Heavenly Mandate to the highest bidder and allowed many of the Pools they watched over to be defiled by the dark spirits they worshiped. Heaven looked down upon their behavior and was wroth.
The turning point in the history of the Ater-sedar came when the first of their cousins, the bear-folk of the Moon, came to their nation. This moon bear, an ascetic follower of a strange path, claimed he was sent by Heaven to bring either peace or wrath to the Ater-sedar people. This incensed the Tonpa, who came down from his great tower to meet the stranger and condemn him for his heresy. First, he demanded that the guards bind the unassuming moon bear, but the guards could not touch him. Those who tried were struck blind and dumb and dropped to the ground in paroxysms. Then the Tonpa commanded the guards to strike the moon bear down, but their swords passed through him as if they were made of smoke.
When the ascetic turned his gaze to the Tonpa, the Tonpa recoiled as if struck by a great hand and fell to his back crying out once before falling silent. After this, it is said, that Tonpa never regained his mental faculties and behaved as if a child for the rest of his days. The ascetic then ascended the great staircase to the Tonpa Tower and none made a move to stop him. Standing before the tremendous doors, the ascetic made a pronouncement that the past age of the bear-folk was over. That it was the Will of Heaven that the bear-folk follow a new path. He and their cousins would show them the path and teach them to walk it.
Though he never took on the title himself, the ascetic came to be called by the people, "Tonpa Shenrab," which means "Supreme Holy One," as he set about righting the Ater-sedar society. Rather than trying to dig out the entrenched priest and noble families, the new Tonpa started at the base of society: the commoners. He began teaching them of the secret history of the world, the reason for the suffering within the world, the need to be released from the endless cycle of death and rebirth, and teaching them of the Eightfold Path. Around this time, many others of the moon bear-folk began filtering into Tazik and the great city in order to help spread the Tonpa Shenrab's teachings.
Tonpa Shenrab faced many difficulties over the years he preached the doctrine of the Eightfold Path. Many attempts on his life were made by the noble and priest families, each one failed, and each time the family responsible met with some grave misfortune which brought them low and destroyed them. Until the final assassin, which was sent by the king, himself.
While Tonpa Shenrab had been living his ascetic lifestyle right out in the open on the landing before the great doors to the Tonpa Tower, the king had been holed away in his palace in fearful seclusion. Always worrying that the Tonpa Shenrab would be coming after him next. Despite his followers' worries over his safety in such an open place, Tonpa Shenrab was fatalistic. Simply stating that the universe would provide what he neeeded and whatever happened would happen. The king's assassination attempt was the desperate, cowardly act of a cowardly man, and it was the one attempt which succeeded in touching the Tonpa Shenrab.
The poisoned dagger merely struck the old bear a glancing blow, but it was enough to do the deed. Over his final hours, Tonpa Shenrab was able to instruct his followers on the proper ways of burying a being such as himself who had glimpsed the Ultimate Truth and come back to instruct others. His followers placed him in the Lotus position and placed him before the great doors to the tower, and, as he chanted sutras in a low, growling voice, began walling him away with bricks taken other buildings. As they constructed the Tonpa Shenrab's tomb, his flesh began to desiccate, becoming thin and dry as paper. His preserved corpse was the last sight of his followers as they placed the last brick.
Though an angry mob did descend upon the royal palace, despite the wishes of the Tonpa Shenrab, it appeared that the king had already breathed his last when he choked on a piece of bone from his last meal. Many speculate that he breathed his last at the same time as the Tonpa Shenrab.
The following ages passed mainly in peace. The elves had been set free from their bondage in the preceding years after the arrival of the Tonpa Shenrab, but they still held their misgivings and would only work at night when the bear-folk were asleep. Until one day, they were simply gone.
The Ater-sedar took on a new name for themselves, keeping a portion of the old as a reminder and penance for their past corruption. They became the Chosater, the Dharmic Demons, atoning for their past and began spreading themselves, and their teachings, out into the wider world. They found quite the receptive audience among the warrior class of the humans of the time whom the bear-folk were uniquely qualified to spealk to given their warlike past. Many of these warriors even took up the monastic lifestyle upon retirement to find their own atonement and peace.
When the God War came, the bear-folk found many of their own temples being targeted especially be Susano-O's forces. They also realized they couldn't always count on the other races for protection for their communities. Thus, some of them reluctantly began taking up weapons and training their own youths and willing orphans in the ways of combat in order to protect themselves and their loved ones. This way it was learned that, while those who brought harm to others could not attain Ultimate Truth in that life, they were granted other abilties and power to compensate and many times the followers of the Dark God learned to their chagrin that the temples of the Chosater were no longer easy targets.
The greatest blow, however, was struck against the bear-folk near the end of the war when the Lord of Storms took his great, shadowed naginata, Habakiri, and cleaved both the Eastern Pillar and the continent of Wa, sinking both into the swirling seas. It was only through the ultimate sacrifice of seven great warriors, known as Longxueren, that even a fraction of the ancient lands, the site of the Chosater's ancient city, were able to be saved from Wa's destruction. Only the city, which the bear-folk call the Oldest Cathedral of Trees, and seven crystal-clear lakes and rivers which appeared where each hero made their final stand, were saved. This isle is now called the Isle of Seven Soul Lakes, and is the center of the Chosater population.
When the war ended and the noble houses and their samurai began their decline, so, too, did the popularity of the Eightfold Path among the common population, and the religion, too, fell into decline. There are still lay adherents in every major city of the empire and among scattered villages. Temples dot the face of the empire here and there, as well, mostly run by bear-folk, but not always. The bear-folk, however, have the same, fatalistic view as the ancient Tonpa Shenrab. Whatever will be will be.
Common Myths and Legends
In the beginning of time, after the first races were made, Izanagi and Izanami, the Yin and Yang of the created universe, were still one complete being. Together they attempted to create other beings like themselves. Unfortunately for the divine couple, the subsequent pregnancy of Izanami forced them apart, fully halving their divine power. This weakened Izanami to a degree that, upon giving birth to the being that they had created, the original god of fire called Kagutsuchi, she was burned to death.
In his fury and grief at his wife’s death, Izanagi decapitated and then devoured his first son. He then traveled to the Land of Gloom, a world that was created from those imperfect parts of the world, the world’s dark shadow. Izanagi met his beloved within this shadowed realm, vowing to take her back to Heaven with him. Izanami promised that she would journey with him, but so long as they were within Yomi, he could not lookupon her. Unfortunately, his desire to look upon the beauty of his beloved wife’s countenance was too great to resist, and he created a light by which to see her.
Upon seeing that his once-gorgeous wife was already a rotting corpse, rife with maggots, he fled in abject horror. Izanami was furious that he had disregarded her wishes and sent demons, created from her own body, to hound him. So angry was she, that she metamorphosed herself into a demon to lead the chase.
Izanagi escaped his monstrous pursuers, and blocked the entrance to the Land of Gloom with a gigantic boulder. Izanami reached the boulder in a fury, declaring herself a separate being, and promising Izanagi that she would kill one hundred of his living subjects every day. By this time, Izanagi too, was incensed, and he swore that he would never again look upon her rotting countenance and that he would merely create two hundred subjects for every one hundred that she took.
Thus did death come into creation, and Izanami, the Empress of Yin, became the silver-masked Empress of Death and the ruler of Yomi.
In his fury and grief at his wife’s death, Izanagi decapitated and then devoured his first son. He then traveled to the Land of Gloom, a world that was created from those imperfect parts of the world, the world’s dark shadow. Izanagi met his beloved within this shadowed realm, vowing to take her back to Heaven with him. Izanami promised that she would journey with him, but so long as they were within Yomi, he could not lookupon her. Unfortunately, his desire to look upon the beauty of his beloved wife’s countenance was too great to resist, and he created a light by which to see her.
Upon seeing that his once-gorgeous wife was already a rotting corpse, rife with maggots, he fled in abject horror. Izanami was furious that he had disregarded her wishes and sent demons, created from her own body, to hound him. So angry was she, that she metamorphosed herself into a demon to lead the chase.
Izanagi escaped his monstrous pursuers, and blocked the entrance to the Land of Gloom with a gigantic boulder. Izanami reached the boulder in a fury, declaring herself a separate being, and promising Izanagi that she would kill one hundred of his living subjects every day. By this time, Izanagi too, was incensed, and he swore that he would never again look upon her rotting countenance and that he would merely create two hundred subjects for every one hundred that she took.
Thus did death come into creation, and Izanami, the Empress of Yin, became the silver-masked Empress of Death and the ruler of Yomi.
Origin/Ancestry
Malaysian Sun Bear, Asian
Lifespan
80+ years
Average Height
4.5 - 5 ft
Average Weight
60 - 200 lbs
Average Physique
Chosater tend to be smaller than humans and but more heavily built. Perhaps, due in large part, to their ursine nature. They are much more heavily muscled and their skeletal structure is more dense. They are covered in a black fur of varying degrees of thickness and fineness. They have a short tail and heavily-clawed hands and feet.
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
Chosater Traits
Starting Attributes - +2 Power, +1 Judgment.
Alignment - Chosater are Balanced.
Claws -
Thick Hide - a hide of thick hair and loose skin gives the Tom-rus-ba the equivalent of Rank 2 armor.
Natural Weapons -
Eightfold Path - due to training, choose to put a +2 in any of the following Arts: Scholar Art - History, Scholar Art - Religion, Vigilance, Meditate, Mediation, or Rites.
Bear Handed - gain +2 in Athletics with Adept - Climb.
Starting Face: +3
Starting Qi: +3
Alignment - Chosater are Balanced.
Claws -
Thick Hide - a hide of thick hair and loose skin gives the Tom-rus-ba the equivalent of Rank 2 armor.
Natural Weapons -
Eightfold Path - due to training, choose to put a +2 in any of the following Arts: Scholar Art - History, Scholar Art - Religion, Vigilance, Meditate, Mediation, or Rites.
Bear Handed - gain +2 in Athletics with Adept - Climb.
Starting Face: +3
Starting Qi: +3
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