Zsapoca

"The Oases that dot the landscape aren't as secluded and lifeless as you think. The coral growths that live at the bottom of them subsist off very little sunlight, which in turn feed the schools of rapid moving fish that reflect light off their scales. That's how we know how to hunt for them, using Matzi's blessed light."
"While the time I spent with them only while refilling my canteen (and watering my austrex) I did learn a bit about the Zsapoca peoples (which they derive their name from their founder, Pacha Zsapo (Whose name means 'The Water Spirit' in Common) who lead them through the desert to a new home across Xiba's Wastes, to an oasis that was fed by a river that came from the Thraamok mountains. This settlement later became known as 'Osis Khand' and was the home of the Zsapoca clergymen, as well as a meeting ground for diplomatic reasons." -Darwin Bigley

Illustrious Past

While the current state of the Ayam peoples is little more than mobile foraging and fighting, some of the tribes once had more permanent and awe-inspiring lifestyles. Deep in Xiba's Wastes there once existed a fantastic settlement network spanning from the now desolate Osis Khand, all the way to the Thraamok mountain range. These interconnected little villages acted as a tightly governed nation-state that subsisted off of the diligent work of the many communities that used the tributaries flowing from the mountains down to the Enephraten. 
With the use of messengers known as Chaakis on trained Austrexes, communication between the villages was quick and efficient, and made the mobilization of supplies, armies, or delivery of information fast. The large scale reliance on the rivers for resources was a staple of their society as it is for the nomad descendants of today, however the ancient Zsapoca were able to create fish farms, harvest the brush that grew along the riverside in large quantities, as well as dry/store goods for particularly troubling times.
This reign of good fortune is credited to the founder of the Osis Khand city, the almost-mythical founder of the Zsapoca, Pacha Zsapo. When leading his people through the wastes, away from the city of Akel, which had been razed to the ground, him and his group wandered for weeks. The sun beat down on them as they braved the unforgiving desert, with Pacha Zsapo tapping his walking stick to the ground and acting as if listening for a response.
After the sixth week, Pacha saw two streams that met, but barely pooled enough water to quench his brood's thirst. Striking at the fork where the two streams met, he said a prayer to Tzaca Tuul, that the river might provide food and water. His prayer was answered, as the waters of the two streams swelled ever stronger, and rushed to create the lifeline for the city soon to be founded. This myth is the story of how Osis Khand came to be.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

• Picha
• Tzeeka
• Thratamal

Masculine names

• Pacha
• Tulo'Tem
• Huascar

Family names

• Zsapa
• Sapap
• Tullac