Asazi

Some continued the old ways, bearing the ancient nomadic traditions down through the centuries. And we believed our ancestors chose differently, to forge a new path. But the more we study, and the more ancient ruins we find, the more we discover that we followed more in their traditions than we thought.

— Basadeiian historian, notations to students

Before our paths traveled different directions, we were all the Asazi, and you find echoes in our names, in our languages, in the ways we offer each other respect.

— Dheizeiian oral tradition

On the surface, the Dheizei and the Basadu look to be very different people groups. One lives in tents, traveling the surface along ancient paths to stay safe from the Garruw and from the storms. The other lives beneath the surface, in valleys and chasms and caves, building vast cities to contain their numbers.
And yet they both still share a common naming scheme, by using the word "ele" to denote a clan or family. They both use the Taglota Brew as a coming-of-age element for young warriors to prove themselves. They both respect each other's cultures, despite a number of conflicts and wars. There are a number of other similarities, tying them together all the way back to when they were all Asazi.
See the History of the Agaridian Plains timeline for more information about the history around the region that shaped these people.

An Empire of the Plains

The Asazi came from elsewhere, migrating to Wulei Ranifa from other regions, the barren plains unlikely to support a culture unless they desperately needed the space. Likely arriving two thousand years ago, they settled into nomadic patterns, traveling from oasis to oasis to avoid overtaxing the available resources.
They grew into an empire of travelers, separating into different groups who circled through the area, all under the authority of a ruler called the Vatha. Their society remained largely within the bounds of Wulei Ranifa, eventually giving the area its name, but occasionally clans pushed out and conquered neighboring areas.

Great Shelters

They were able to survive and even thrive by constructing the Zingama, great shelters made of stone, hewed from the ground beneath their feet. These structures were massive, with the largest able to shelter multiple clans at once.
They were constructed as large shallow domes, supported by columns at key points. This protected them from the storms and, more importantly, from the garruw. The people continued their cycles of traveling from shelter to shelter.

Downfall

The Upheaval struck without warning. The area was not, and is not, prone to earthquakes, so when one hit, none of the people were prepared. Thousands died when the Zingama collapsed, not constructed to withstand that kind of force. The Vatha at the time, and all her court, died together, leaving the central leadership structure gone as well.
Different groups had different solutions to the disaster they were now presented with. Some clung to their ways, determined to use the oases that existed to continue their nomadic way of life, this time in tents, instead of more dangerous permanent structures. Others saw opportunity in the great cracks in the ground that had opened up in the quake, choosing to move below the surface, to take advantage of the resources available there and also the relative safety from the dangers above.
And so the Asazi splintered into two cultures, and gradually two languages and sets of traditions and even technologies. But their most ancient rites remain linked.

Naming Traditions

Family names

They would use the traditional "ele" and then the clan name. As the Asazi grew more powerful, the practice grew of adopting additional titles after that, also using "ele" to indicate it as part of the person's identity.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Very little of the Asazi language remains. Most historians believe that Dheizeiian is slightly closer to the original form, but Basadeiian clearly shares elements, especially in its written language. The changes made by those languages individually can make it difficult to tell what the ancient version of the language actually sounded like.
Most of what remains of the Asazi language comes from the pictographic formal written language found on monuments and buildings.

Diverged ethnicities

• Basadu
• Dheizei

Related Locations

• Wulei Ranifa