Junn Harr (juhn-har)
The Junn Harr are a Human people that live a semi-nomadic life herding horses, cattle, sheep and goats across the vast Junn Steppe. Moving from mountain or highland pastures in the fall and summer to high prairies and alluvial plains in the winter, they have traditional settlement areas they return to annually, but rarely (if ever) build permanent structure. When a Junn clan moves to its next pastural region, all they leave behind are the foundations of their round leather dwellings and their hearths.
The Junn Harr are renowned as hunters and trackers. They are some of the finest archers in the world, able to bring down large animals in full gate from the saddle, at full gallop. Their leatherwork is also admired world-wide, as they have a traditional (almost secret) means of making auroch, bison or bear hides into a light but durable product that makes some of the best cavalry armor anywhere. They are (typically) a very generous people, holding the duty of a host as sacred and honoring a guest to their fires as one of their own.
They are also fierce fighters, and as they share their homeland with many dangerous and aggressive creatures, they are very capable of defending themselves and their herds from Orcs, Trolls, Ogres and Giants just as they do from wyverns, bears, dragons or lions.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Feminine names typically end in a soft vowel, as in Olga, or Zuga.
Masculine names
Masculine names end in a consonant or a hard vowel, as in Kresnik, Belko or Radovoy.
Family names
Family affiliations are denoted by patronymic rather than familial names. Some extended familial associations can be found in tribe or clan names, but the practice is rare. Patronymic names ending in -nov mean "son of" and those ending in -nev mean "descended of".
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The language of the Junn Harr is known in the east as Junnharic and it is unrelated to Caldarian, Arian or Colian/Fangorian. Only words borrowed or adopted by the Junn Harr will sound familiar, and the meaning might be completely different.
Culture and cultural heritage
The Junn are a semi-nomadic herding society, and all wealth and prosperity is measured in horses, cattle, sheep and goats. There are few permanent communities in the steppe, and family groups/tribes will move from summer grazing regions to winter grazing regions with each passing season.
Shared customary codes and values
The Junn Harr people worship a vast pantheon of gods, with most associated with specific places or areas. There is no established method of worship, other than prayers and votive offerings made for the granting of favors or in thanksgiving. The chief deity is the Sky, known universally amongst the Junn Harr as Bolshoy Nebo. There is the motherly earth goddess, Mat Zemla; the god of thunder and storms, Grom; the four winds; the four seasons; any number of river gods; the goddess of dawn, Rassvyeta, and of sunset, Zakata. Interestingly, the Junn Harr do not worship the sun or moon as gods, but see them as objects and tools of the gods.
The closest the Junn have to priests are women with a special ability to commune with the gods, known as zrytsa. They are rare and are typically found to have some sort of physical defect or handicap thought to balance their spiritual and supernatural abilities over thier physical ones. Zrytsa can see the future, interpret signs and omens, diagnose illness and injury, and (obviously) commune with the many, many gods of the Junn world.
Average technological level
The Junn Harr are famous for their amazing leather products. Tanners and leather smiths have learned to produce a grade of leather that is light, durable and incredibly strong. Junn Harr armor is some of the most effective and sought after calvalry leather in the world. Auroch, bison, and bear hides are tanned and processed into a thick but light material that resists water, absorbs the shock of blows and hits in combat and is very difficult to cut. When crafted by Junn Harr masters, this same durable material becomes beautiful and unique pieces of armor that provide an incredible range of motion for the wearer while also providing a degree of protects and security that rivals steel with only a fraction of the weight.
Common Etiquette rules
Courtesy is considered the wealth of the Junn Harr. Discourtesy is likely to indicate real animosity and could even indicate the possibility of violence. If a Junn Harr is speaking discourteously, they are doing so intentionally and with intent.
Common Dress code
The Junn Harr favor bright, vibrant colors in their clothing and their leatherwork is among the finest in the world. Intricately tooled and ornately decorated leather armor is the hallmark of a wealthy and successful warrior.
Art & Architecture
Junn Harr homes are circular, straight-walled tents with tall peaked toofs supported by poles called araks. Construction materials vary, but leather is the preferred arak component and it is richly decorated and very colorful. The finer araks have "windows" made of treated bladder membranes that allow a surprising amount of light into an otherwise very dark dwelling. Each arak can be broken down to fit into a single wagon, with another wagon typically dedicated to furniture, belongings and equipment. Wagons are drawn by camels, ponies or oxen and horses are almost exclusively ridden.
Foods & Cuisine
Traditional food is cooked over a small open fire. Roast meats, stewed vegetables, savory soups and hot, sweet teas are the norm for a Junn Harr meal.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Hospitality is a sacred duty to the Junn Harr. A stranger or guest to a Junn's arak is treated as an honored member of the tribe, unless the host is ill-treated or insulted. Junn Harr do not suffer insult lightly, and a Junn's honor is as treasured as their family and herds.
Funerary and Memorial customs
The Junn Harr feast at the death of a loved one, then cremate (or otherwise excarnate) the body and bury the remains in bags of leather under cairns of stones at holy places located along their annual routes. Harsh winters will sometimes lead to dozens of funerals at these holy sites when the spring migrations commence.
Common Taboos
To be rude or discourteous is to offer the meanest of insults.
Related Organizations
Related Items
Languages spoken
