Thet Culture

The Lands of the East have known many civilizations, they have waxed and waned over the centuries, but no civilization has fallen as far and so gravely faced its own extinction then that of the Thet, who stand on the very edge of the extinction, of not their people, but their culture and ways, and not at the hands of their enemies or former subjects, but themselves.

History

The Legendary Past

The Thet were born upon the western shore of the Far East, in the lands between that of the Nuzun and Chivgat upon the Great Steppe, it was here in those lands that the Thet would develop their affinity for the Saddle and become some of the greatest riders known to all of the continent, greater than even the Rhiaraq and Niremirians, for they once rode from Sea to Sea without challenge.

The Early Thet were nomadic clans that roamed the west of the Great Steppe, Clan being the Thet word to represent family units, they were often disunited and fought each other regularly, that was until the mythical and legendary 1st Khay Ryder was said to be born along with the very first horse on the western coast of the steppe, and when he grew he would mount the horse, and take for his name Velikiy, and gather to him 12 companions who served as his commanders, bodyguards, and closest advisors.

Of course, the supposed date that the 1st Khay Ryder was born was well after the introduction of Horses into the world and Thet Society, leading even further doubt to these claims among the Thet people about the origin of Horses, but no matter the claim, the actions of the legendary first Khay Ryder would be recorded fact both in contemporary historical record among their neighbors, and the Thet oral tradition.

The First Khay Ryder would wage war upon the other clans of the Thet, uniting them under his Crimson Red Banner into one great Clan, becoming the first Host of all the Thet. After uniting the Thet people, it is said the 1st Khay Ryder would wage war upon the other nomadic people of the Steppe, obliterating their culture and societal structures, uniting all peoples under the name Thet and under his Crimson Red Banner.

After Uniting the Steppe People, the 1st Khay Ryder would go upon a great campaign against the people of the Steppe, from the Nuzun, to the Chivgat, to the Barqa to the Lexans and more. This campaign would take his Hosts as far south as the northern borders of modern Onalean, to the great eastern sea and towards the land of the Besk in the west, with the Barqian mountains serving as their western borders of the new Thet Nation.

However, this great conquest would come to an end in a great battle, where the 1st Khay Ryder would die upon the field of battle against the legendary Nuzun First Knight, who personally slew the 1st Khay Ryder in combat, breaking his host and ending the age of Thet Expansion across the east, what followed was chaos as over the millennia the Thet would slowly retreat inward, their culture decaying.

The Millenia of Sorrow

The Millenia of Sorrow, the thousands of years would start slow, with the great Thet empire slowly fracturing and breaking apart, before collapsing all at once in rebellion and the Thet forced to retreat under the 6 remaining Hosts to their ancestral homeland, forced to survive in a small corner of their once vast empire as the people's they had raided and ruled for millennia became the dominant powers of the east.

Within this corner the Thet turned to primitive methods to try and survive, often raiding and extorting weaker neighbors and trade caravans to collect tribute in the form of gold and horses, the two most desired symbols of wealth and power among the They, along with beginning work seen as disgraceful and weak such as herding Sheep, Cows and Goats, to substitute the severely limited food production of the lands they lived upon and the lack of trade with those around them.

The Millenia of Sorrow would carry on even to the formation of the Thet Hosts, with the Thet people maintaining much of the depression and sorrow that permeated their society across the Millenia of Sorrow.

Modern Thet Culture

The Modern Thet Culture is one with a foot stuck in the past and another in the modern world, its people being torn between two worlds, as the hosts become more and more divided upon the destiny and future of what it will mean to be a Thet, and if such a culture can even survive in the modern world, or if it should.

A People of the Saddle

The Thet have always lived upon the saddle, those who do not ride, are not Thet, instead they are the Men'shiye, or lesser ones, those who do not ride, and must instead walk, unless they are Slomannyye nogi, Legless Ones, or Khod'ba Thet, Walking Thet. Those of the Slomannyye nogi were born without use, or lose use before they learned to ride, of their legs, and serve as the religious caste of the Thet, serving as religious advisors, spiritual leaders and in some cases, close confidants of Thet Zavoevatels, and in some cases serving as their chief brides.

Meanwhile the Khod'ba Thet, are those who no longer ride for they have grown too old or have become injured severely in battle to ride, they are honored in Thet Society, and often they are trusted advisors and respected members of their community. The Eldest of the Khod'ba Thet in any given Host is often bestowed the title of Zasluzhennyy Uoker, or Honored Walker, and serves as a chief advisor for a Thet Zavoevatel, advising them in whatever matter they may excel.

But those of the Men'shiye, there is but one fate, serving their betters. Cooking, cleaning, carrying weapons, serving as bait in battle, and any other task demanded of their Thet masters, except for handling weapons or horses, for only Thet can do such things. The Men'shiye are treated as less then dirt to many Thet, and within the lands of the Thet only the Men'shiye found among the northern hosts have any hope of living any kind of life in comfort and security, for even to this day the southern hosts will gladly trade Men'shiye for whatever another host may have to offer.

Thet Cuisine and Eating Habits

The Diet of the average Thet is very much divided along the lines of the Northern and Southern Hosts, but their remains a great similarity among the diet of the average Thet, primarily due to traditional reliance on certain foods and goods for their survival.

Among the Southern Hosts, they rely on the meet and drink they gather from the herds of animals that their Men'shiye take care of, Goats, Cows, Sheep and in recent centuries Pigs. Such animals provide to the Thet various meats, milk, wool and other animal-based goods of value. Such food stuff forms the core of the Diet for the Southern Hosts, accompanied on occasion by foreign foods taken in raids or limited trade conducted by more outward focus Thet.

Among the Northern Hosts, much of their diet is similar to that of the Southern Hosts, simply due to how engrained such goods are in the tradition of the They, but several new foods have found themselves among the Norhtern Hosts, simply due to their march into the future. With a growing Agricultural base, fishing industry, and increased trade, more foods are becoming commonly available upon the plates of the Thet. Such Foods are numerous, but the most common are the Potato, Corn, Chicken and Turkey, along with others from across the known world.

Naming Tradition

The Naming Tradition of the Thet shares much in common with the rest of the known world, a first given name, and second family name, however, there exists a series of special names within Thet society. These Special names, often considered simple nicknames in other societies, are instead taken seriously by the Thet, with these Special Names being incredibly private, and only shared to those who are the closest to any individual among the Thet.

These Special Names are often poetic in style and decided by a Thet when they turn 18 to describe themself how they best see fit, such examples for these Special Names are "He who rides into the Sun" or "She who sits upon a Gold Horse."

Gender Ideals

Among the Thet, the ideas of the saddle have permeated into that of the social hierarchy between men and women, and while female Thet do not share equal status with their male counterparts within the society of the Thet, they do enjoy protections similar to much of the modern world long before such reforms and ideas became commonplace among the rest of the continent.

Thet Women have the right to reject a marriage proposal, initiate divorce, own property, retain guardianship of their children if the husband is proven cruel or incapable of caring for their children, and women can partake in the military service, but must not have children under the age of 12. However, Thet Women Remain outside the existing political process of the United Hosts, and those Thet Women among the Men'shiye are treated even less than their male counterparts.