The Oshus

A nomadic sea-faring group that travel in pods and are very in tune to their environment. They move from island to island relying on animals called AJ to get around short distances to help repair their ship-supported villages. They are a very spiritual people, who believe in the God Het, but do not worship her as Het is known to curse ayone who tries to do so. Although they have small nomadic communties, they frequently meet one another and exchange individuals, this provides some issues with trust and as such beads and pearls are worn and woven into hair to serve as signifiers of skill, experience, and past deeds. Tattoos are also used, but arm and hand tattoos are exclusively used to signify crimes that the individual has committed. This can limit travel between groups and cause distrust, that being said infants are often tattooed with a symbol on their chests detailing where they were born,over the course of their lives individuals may choose to tattoo names of important people or significant events that occurred. Naturally, this means that individuals who are the most travelled are also the most honoured and sought after. That being said, any arm tattoos signify crimes the individual was found guilty of their placement indicating the severity of the crime (shoulder not serious, but finger tattoos should be avoided at all costs.

Naming Traditions

Unisex names

All names are unisex to the Oshus

Family names

They name themselves based around where their villages roam, stars that are relevent to their birth and local names for resources/animals they gravitate to as small children, a child that is born in the late dying season into a community that exists in the north-east who gravitates towards the Aj would likely be named AJe Fa of the Noreast. or AJe Fa for short.

Other names

There are individuals who need to leave their names behind due to their significance in a community these individuals must be Elders in the community first however (Meaning they have chosen the pod as their 'permanent' home and have resided in the community for more than 5 years) and have become Masters of a discipline, noted by added suffixes at the end of their first names eg. 'Elder Aje Fa-nav of the Noreast', (usually shortened to 'Elder Aje-nav' or even to 'Elder Nav' when they are the only one in the community) Once they have both of these, They can choose to become the leader of the community in that regard. If they so choose, they 'give up' their name instead taking on the community name and the suffix of their primary skill. eg Noreast Nav, These individuals sit on the council of the community and are the decision makers for the whole community. The suffixes are Nav (Navigation), Be(Harvesting), Cid(Knowledge Keeper), Ven(Conflict Resolver), Lo(Structural Maintainence), Ged(Storyteller), among others

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The Oshus primarily speak the common tongue but have words that are unique to themselves, primarily to communicate temperatures, weather conditions, harvest conditions, distances etc. they shorten most interactions and although they laugh and sing almost constantly, directions and communications tend to be short but descriptive.

Culture and cultural heritage

The Oshus Culture revolves around the temporary islands that form around the eastern sea and the fast currents that travel through the southern sea, although seemingly two separate cultures they see themselves as one, frequently trading goods, services, and even community members whenever they meet. The Oshus are a surprisingly learned group who dedicate the largest and most stable boat as their library which also serves as the living quarters for the Knowledge Keeper and their attendants. Both groups are harvesters and traders, though the Eastern group focuses on Harvesting, and the Southern group focuses on trading. Each group has slightly different customs associated with each, though the intention is for both to be a 'trade' of sorts, Harvesting being a trade with the goddess Het.
In the Eastern Sea, strong currents and volcanic activity creates temporary islands based around ocean silt that collects around deep sea kelp. Usually the heat from these vents will burn away the kelp before too much sediment accumilates to block the vent, though occasionally a Skeech Tree seedling will wrap around the kelp before this happens and grow. These trees have thick fire resistant bark and grow very fast, allowing other floating plants and animals a place to latch, and grow, as well as collect even more ocean silt which grows into an island over the course of a year until the roots of the Skeetch tree find rock hot enough to ignite the inner wood which causes the tree to gradually burn away, at first, this quickly spreads and the tree dies, signalling to the Oshus that the island is about to disintegrate, they complete their final harvest, place any dead or gifts in thanks on the sand, and then wait for the tree to burst into flame and the entire island to wash away. The following week or two is spent preparing and preserving the remaining harvested materials before relying on the navigators to find and travel to the next island. In the Southern Sea, the strong currents take on another role, these individuals travel from port to port, making deals with Shorefolk on their boats, these individuals tend to be seen as a lower class within some Oshik Circles, due to their proximity to permanent land. That being said, becoming a Master Trader (suffix Ered) is one of the few ways that an Oshik convicted of a crime can hold standing in Oshik society. Those who do not sell in the Southern sea, often take on roles helping Shorefolk fishing boats or shipping vessels with their own boats trailing along behind the larger vessel. Twice every year, Oshus without arm tattoos (Indicating that they have not comitted any crimes) or who are under the protection of a Master (Usually only a Master Trader), will travel north to the The City of Elpor . This is a key point in the year for the whole Oshus ethnicity as this is where goods and knowledge will be traded between Oshik communities as the southerners travel north, Trading in Elpor, and then back south after the trades. These secondary trades with Southern Oshiks is likely the closest that many Eastern Oshiks will get to permanent land and secondary tales about what shore-life is like often colours their perception of Shorefolk.

Shared customary codes and values

The Oshus are a highly nomadic civilization who do not tend to place much value in possessions the exception to this are the beads and pearls they wear and weave into their hair, they do however place much emphasis on any strong relationships they create on their travels and will often tattoo names of these individuals on their bodies to help keep them connected and close. This is not universal among the Oshus though and individual traditions do differ slightly from community to community. They 'read' the oceans and travel among temporary islands formed in the east ocean to collect food and goods to sell the 'shorefolk'. Shorefolk are allowed to travel among the Oshus, but the shore (and all permanent landmasses) are considered to be cursed and unnatural, so they avoid it whenever possible.

Common Etiquette rules

One should never step on another person's boat without explicit consent.
One should never interupt a knowledge keeper, ever.
When coming into a community bring knowledge, paper and writing impliments.
Don't stare people in the eyes unless you are challenging them.
Food should always be left over to give back to the ocean, never eat everything.
Never worship Het, but treat her as if she is an invisible crewmate.
If you are gifted, it is as though you have a tool others don't act as if you are a deity, be expected to carry your weight

Common Dress code

Dress for conditions.
In cold conditions: Keep clothing warm and dry. Cloaks are cumbersome and weigh too much when wet, use large tanned animal skins for warmth whenever possible.
In warm conditions wear thin veils to cover from the sun, but don't be surprised by those not choosing to wear them.

Art & Architecture

The Oshus take great pride in their boats and their ability to bind them together, An Oshik will be gifted their boat at their fifteenth birthday and be expected to learn to take care of it and modify it as they age. An Oshik's boat is as unique as the Oshik themselves and can often tell the story of who they are better than any book. The saying is 'you will never meet the man until you meet the boat'.
The Oshus also take pride in their libraries of scrolls, each community will have a knowledge keeper who lives in the central, largest boat to guide and protect the books, anyone joining the community is expected to add to the existing knowledge of the community before they fully join, and spend time alongside the other community members maintaining and building the boat. The only ones who do not are the Knowledge Keeper and their attendants.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

An individual must be given special permission to board an Oshik's boat as it is a direct reflection of themselves, failure to do so is a grave insult to the Oshik and is only done by community leaders in extreme circumstances. Since personal boats are bound along the outside of the community, people who are untrusted are often kept out of these communities. The Harvest is the most important tradition to the eastern Oshus, and it is as close to a religious undertaking as the Oshus allow themselves to be. Every individual is important in the Harvest, and everyone has a role in it. Those who don't participate are ostrazised, banished, marked as lazy, or even left behind on the disintegrating island to die with the severity of the punishment depending on the community, how much the individual was in the way of the other contribuiting community members etc. The Trade is equally as important to the Southern Oshus, placing a high importance on information and high value trades, They are known to be very friendly and giving but also not to be trusted as they have a reputation for working every angle to make a sale. The money collected is distribuited among families in the community with the best traders gaining special status in the community. The Sea Goddess Het should never be worshipped in the presence of the Oshus under any circumstances, it is seen as an affront to the Goddess and it is believed that she will curse anyone who does so. Instead it is commonplace to simply refer to Het the same way that one would refer to another crewmate, she is sometimes referred to as the "First friend an infant knows and the last friend to see off the dead. The Oshus will say "By my first and last!" or some version thereof, instead of referring to Het or the Nine.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Birth: The Oshus raise their children communally, though children will travel with their birth parents until they recieve their own boat. As such, births are a community affair with mothers in the Community gathering around the birthing soon-to-be parent. A pool of warm, purified ocean water is prepared from water collected from the furthest reaches of the ocean and mixed for the parent(s). If the parents (usually the mother) of the birthing parent is alive and available, they will sit behind the woman in labour to act as a support and offer words of encouragement, If not, the eldest woman will take this role. If paternity is known, the father will deliver the child, heeding the reccomendations of the surrounding mothers. If not or they are not available, someone close to the mother will take this role. they are not to question the will of the birthing parent until after the birth has taken place. After the child is born in the prepared bath, the umbilical cord is cut, the child is offered to the mother by the father with a question. "Is this your child". the mother will then answer yes or no. The question will be asked two more times. The third answer, no matter what it is, is final. If this answer is yes, the mother is given the child and the father announces the first part of the child's name
Naming: The first part of a child's name is made up of the star formations visible in the sky, and the community that they were born in, if there are multiple births, younger, middle oldest, or even, first, second, third... etc. until they get their natural name. It is important to know that still-births are still named and if a living child is born after under that same sign, they will have the designation after the stillborn. eg. First Fa of the Noreast, Second Fa of the Noreast etc might change to Fa the Older, and Fa the Younger )
True Naming: When a child is first starting to walk, they are surrounded by objects and animals (dead or alive) and the thing that they first walk towards and touch becomes their first name, and in some communities dictates their future role in the community. Although the Oshus have a unified written language, and grammer, pronunciations differ slightly from community to community, so the name AJ Fa can be pronounced a(Zh) (FF)a, or A(he) (V)a or in one community A(y) (B)a, this is why the last name is important when the name is written, since it will tell you how the person says their name.

Coming of Age Rites

Casting Off: When an Oshik child turns 7 they begin learning from their parents on how to take care of their parent's boat, as they get older, they take on more roles until their 15th birthday where they are given a boat made from parts given to their parents by the community since their birth. This signifies that the child is ready to become a true Oshik. As of this point, the boat is entirely the child's responsibility and can be modified in any way that suits their needs. It is the child's responsibility to ask members of the community to teach them things that they do not know to repair or modify. Although it is the child's responsibility to care for, and repair damage, the whole community is expected to help one another. If the child is unable to care for the boat due to personal injury or developmental issue, their boat will be lashed to the boat of someone who elects to take care of them. The boat will be cared for by the community. Married individuals or even very close friends will sometimes permanently lash their boats together, though this is not common as it can affect the ability for the boats to move independantly during a storm. An Oshik who loses their boat for whatever reason will be expected to find parts in whatever way they can, storing them with close friends until they can reconstruct their boat. "An Oshik without a boat is stranded, an Oshik without friends is dead"

Funerary and Memorial customs

There are separate funerary customs for different groups, though they can all be catagorized into three major ones:
Ocean Burials: In this one the dead is mourned for three days, (In southern seas only two days) with thanks being given to the person for their impact by those that knew them. On the first day, the Knowledge Keeper analyzes the tattoos of the dead and their boat. they then compile any known stories about the individual from those that knew them. Afterwards, Family members and close friends(if available) are given access to the boat to take any important items this is done through Giving. if a coveted item is not given, it does not belong to the person, the only exception is if they are the only one given access, in that case, they are to give any items they deem valuable to the community who can elect to give them back by members of the community.NOTE: Anything not given is considered theft from the dead and is punished by excile. Everything not given is left on the boat. On the third and final day, a large celebration takes place in the honor of the desceased, and they are treated as if they are still alive, with stories and toasts being made to them throughout the night. As the sun comes up, they are carried onto their boat, and laid on their bed before the boat is released to the open ocean towards the sunrise if they were a good person, or away from the sun if they were not. The rest of the community then departs leaving the dead behind to go on their final journey. The community then allows themselves to greive with close family and friends taking vows of silence between them and others (family and friends are not silent to one another, but are to anyone not connected to the desceased) for 1 week. These individuals are not expected to work, bathe, or complete any other social obligations during this time, with community members providing anything they need in their stead.
Island Burials: If an Eastern Oshik dies during the Harvest, the Knowledge Keepers begin funerary rights and the Giving occurs as normal, but the individual is not mourned until after the Harvest has completed. The close family and friends who work through the mourning process in this way will recieve a larger portion of the harvest. At the end of the harvest, the deceased individual's boat is brought onto the island and they are laid to rest beside it, this is considered the most honorable way to be sent off since they will be surrounded by life once the island desintegrates returning them into the ocean. After the island has disappeared, the funerary proccess occurs as normal, but treating the dead as if they were just on a journey.
Flowing Burials: If an Oshik is lost and never recovered, they are treated as though they are just on a journey, if there are posessions or a boat, they undergo the Giving and everything else occurs, the boat is sent off with the intention that it finds its Oshik

Common Taboos

Never ever worship Het in the presence of an Oshik, this is seen as mocking her and incurring her wrath. Her children also have strict rules around worship, with Cu only being worshipped by children, and Colk only being worshipped privately and at night. These are not negotiable and not following these rules is a surefire way to get your arms tattooed, stories being made about you and your misfortune following this, as well as getting you ostrasized from any Oshus community. It is safest not to even mention Het or her children. The Oshus don't recognize any other Gods so their worship is inconcequential.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Pearls and beads are the most important signifyers of beauty and status among the Oshus. The colour, quality, and their set details wealth, experience and skill. They usually weave them into their hair. They prize cleanliness, strength and knowledge above all else. Darker skin, defined muscles, smelling nice and intelligent conversation are all indicitive of all these traits, and longer darker hair is highly sought due to how well paler coloured beads and pearls stand out and darker ones stay hidden

Gender Ideals

There are very few gender ideals that the Oshus hold compared to the other nations. Although they do maintain that women are the knowledge keepers, and that men are the caretakers of the ships. Neither of these are hard and fast rules though, if there are no women who want to take over the knowledge keeping role in the community, rarely is a fuss made, and vice versa.

Courtship Ideals

The Oshus are one of the cultures that prizes love before commitment and will spend years courting one another to determine the depth of one another's devotion. This is primarily because trust is so incredibly valuable on their floating communities and loyalty is so hard to come by their frequently changing communities.

Relationship Ideals

Love and trust are the most important aspect, it is not uncommon for individuals who have been together for 5+ years to split after difficulty. Couples will also tend to have complementary skillsets, which builds trust and reliance between them.

Major organizations

The Oshik Council is convened every 7 years at Valden Koor occasionally when the Theazian Council is also present. It is seen as the only 'pure' permanent land for reasons unknown to outsiders. All Oshus communities gather there for one month to meet, share stories, entertain and to make major decisions about the Oshus. Theazians are the only Shorefolk that the Oshus explicitly trust.

Related Locations

• The Eastern Sea
• The Southern Sea