am'nýer—a'
T
THE DËYMOSÞAN
Average Lifespan: Naturally between 5 to 7 Tam'nýer—a''n years.
However, due to their lifestyle and their belief about their women, they generally decide to 'take control' of their deaths, either by dying during a raid or being killed ceremoniously.
Age of Maturity: Unknown
Aging Process: For the Dëymosþan, aging is a tricksy business. While they may rarely live to have a natural death, they also believe that aging, such as greying hair, thinner skin and frailty are attributed to their women's spirits and living in the proximity of them. In essence, the spirits are wearing their physical beings down to the point that they can take over. This is why ceremonial murder or suicide is typically how they die.
Names:
When it comes to naming their children, it is extremely intensive. While we may know with modern technology and medicine that drinking and smoking is something you shouldn't do while pregnant, the Dëymosþan do the exact opposite; they drink, smoke and get high on purpose. This is because the women channel their spirit, or demon that they house and wait for it to whisper a name. Now this might seem strange as they culturally ply their women with alcohol to calm/tame their demon, but this is exactly why the ritual is to get into such an intoxicated stupor in the first place, because it is believed that whatever word the spirit whispers is their version of crying mercy, meaning that the child is being named after a demon's plea and submission, protecting it from being inhabited or the spirit taking over and wearing the child down in life quickly.
While this ritual may sound like fun, the women actually fast for 3 whole Tam'nýer—a''n Hours - that's 3 days on Earth - and whilst pregnant! You can imagine that they get pretty mouthy, but this is part of them wearing the demon down before imbibing heavily. It is common practice for the woman undergoing the ritual to get sick, but she is also surrounded by loved ones and all the women of the tribe are there to wait on her and support her. The men, however, are kept away from the pregnant woman, and strictly in the service of aiding the other women by means of hunting for food, water and on constant rotating shifts to protect the camp from invaders or if the woman going through the ritual breaks free and cannot 'contain her demon', in which case, in order to protect the tribe, they may kill her.
Please know that Dëymosþan names can consist of anything, so long as it consists solely of what is in the alphabet of C'ërod and can vary from one word to three, and can be spaced out as three names or jammed all together.
Physical Attributes:
Dëymosþan have many particular and specific attributes that have evolved over the years thanks to their lifestyle out in the desert. Their main physical attribute which helps them, arguably the most, but would require one to be up close and personal to notice, is their eyes.
Unlike most of the races on Tam'nýer—a', (aside from the Zdjętzami), Dëymosþan have vertical pupils like cats and other predatory animals. Their pupils also dilate and contract as quickly as cats, even mimicking how they contract when a Dëymosþan is excited, tired and based upon the amount of light. That being said, Dëymosþan have great night vision, as it is easier for them to move during the nighttime to avoid the scorching sun. They also have an increased periphery, naturally can hone depth perception and keep track of anything they focus on, permitting them to keep track of fast moving objects.
Due to all this, it might help to also explain that the average vision for Humans on Earth is 100-200 ft, whereas Dëymosþan can see roughly 3 times that, averaging at 600-650ft, which again is perfect for their desert living as sand dunes, at the top-end average, tend to be 120 meters (395 ft approx) high. They also have incredibly long lashes to keep bugs and sand out of them. If it helps you visualize, think like a horse's lashes.
Made on HeroForge
Moving on from Dëymosþan’s eyes, they also are known to have horns, and tails. However, tails seem less and less among their people and are presumed to be phasing out, and Dëymosþan horns are not as diverse as Nkhya’jran horns; they never have an antler style and seem to have multiple sets of horns that are lower to their skull. Dëymosþan also vary between either having smooth skin, some fur patches, or a light fur all over their body with faint patterns showing through. Concerning their skin, however, one should know that whatever skin tone a Dëymosþan is born with will not be the same when they die.
What is meant by this is that someone could be born fairly light skinned, but by the time they at adolescents, they will tan heavily. This is due to the Dëymosþan having an increased amount of psoralens which boost the amount of ultraviolet light a person's skin absorbs. An example of this will be given below under Eyes, Skin & Hair. No matter if a Dëymosþan is smooth skinned or not, they will have fur tufts coming out of their ears, this is to protect their ears from getting clogged up with sand.
In addition to natural defenses thanks to their desert environment, surrounding their eyes (so, on their cheekbones and lightly circling their eyebrows) they have scales. Some Dëymosþan may even have these scales on their eyelids and it is a natural defense from the sand in their natural habitat. Unlike the rest of their skin, these scales tend not to tan as intensely as the rest of their skin, sometimes if at all.
The last main physical feature that they have ties in with their eating habits and how their claws are useful, and that's their teeth. Below you can distinguish the differences between a Dëymosþan's teeth and our own;
Human Teeth
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8 Incisors.
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4 Canines.
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8 Premolars.
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12 Molars (including 4 wisdom teeth)
Dëymosþan Teeth:
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4 Incisors.
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6 Canines (2 top larger than normal, 1 bottom)
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10 Premolars
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12 Molars (no wisdom teeth)
The another physical feature the Dëymosþan clearly have are their claws. That’s right, claws. They tend to be about 1-2 inch in length and help with their scavenging and rending of flesh, since at their core, Dëymosþan are scavengers and use everything they come across, be it animals, or people.
EYES, HAIR & SKIN
*The skin examples above (faces) are to help fathom the extreme skin pigmentation that the Dëymosþan undergo from birth to late adolescence/early adulthood (think 16-21 earth years). Let's say that a Dëymosþan was born with the palest skin above, once they at 16+ they will become the second skin tone in the example until the day they die, and so on and so forth. Meaning someone born with a dark brown skin tone, will become ebony.
Religious Views:
Religion is a bit of a foreign concept. As the tribes vary and are scattered, the main thing believed in and ritualized are feats of strength & sex. Their belief in the demonic spirits that inhabit their women are as close as they get to a true belief system, aside from appeasing these spirits, and walking that delicate balance.
While their beliefs may not necessarily be religious, this is close as they come. Same thing for them when it comes to integrity; your word is your bond, your conviction. So if someone breaks these things enough to do enough harm to their tribe, they can and will also leave that person behind to die, as they are not worthy of getting a death from their peers. And when we say left behind, it is meant. If someone becomes toxic enough - man or woman - the tribe will come to an agreement, drug that person and move camp and territory, leaving them to wake up alone in the desert, or never, and be buried by sand in case of a sudden sandstorm.
Now, it might seem excessive to up and move one's entire tribe to leave one alone, but it is thought that these toxic people, who especially in the case of it being a man, have been dangerous enough to make multiple people upset , they poison the air of their camp, and could incite the women's demons. That being said, it is more so for the health and safety of the entire tribe, and when it comes to that, no price to pay is too high. In turn, some tribes have been known to use a toxic individual in a tribe but making them unconscious and burying them alive in the middle of their camp. They will do this, and move, so that whichever tribe chooses to move there next is cursed, and that toxicity will infect that tribe's women and their demons.
Sexual Practices:
Sex for the Dëymosþan has two major extremes; sometimes it is ritualistic and other times it is spontaneous with a dash of manipulative.
For ritual sex, it is a courting game, but this is only for Chieftains (Dëymosþan men who win demonstrations of strength) and the woman or women they choose, as they can choose up to 3. The Chieftain not only has to win the woman/women by proving he is the strongest, but also cater to them in a tent privately, sharing drink and food, feeding the spirit the woman/women house, as well as the vessels themselves, as if he is courting two people in one - which to them, he is. His strength in winning against the other males also shows endurance. Endurance should not be mistaken for patience, however. The man only needs to feed them a meal and let the woman drink. Truth be told, the woman & spirit can concede and give in, or the male will need to demonstrate his strength and overpower her. To be clear, however, this act is not rape! The women are consenting, but may find themselves more titillated by making the man fight for his prize as it were.
Once the Chieftain picks his woman/women, this ultimately leaves the rest of the tribe to their own devices and devices they truly are! Drugging, manipulation, seduction, etc. are part and parcel to their everyday lives when it comes to sex. The main tradition is seduction from the women themselves, to the point of even drugging some of the men to get who they want, and this is viewed as the spirits winning the battle over their vessels and behaving poorly. Now, this does give women a huge leeway into blaming poor/taboo behaviour on their demons, but is also a part of their culture. Men also can do this, especially when they do not win the battles of strength, but still want to mate and it is all looked upon as fair game, whereas on Earth it is a grievous offense.
Needless to say, the Dëymosþan people are like a warrior race. They are aroused and attracted to strength, but also hedonism. There is no place for shy or bashful behaviour. You speak your mind, your word is your bond, and you stick to your convictions, as this is just as arousing as having a muscular build and viewed also as necessary for taming the women's spirits.
Pregnancy:
Pregnancy is a double edged sword in Dëymosþan culture. While a new child is regarded as a blessing, it is also running the risk of having another woman, and ultimately, another malicious spirit become part of their tribe. At the same time though, pregnancy is so precarious, and could ultimately kill the mother, and balance out the number of spirits in said tribe. Or, it could bring another boy, which they are always desperate for, to help keep the demons in line, and keep the tribe alive by being another hunter.
The average full term of gestation for Dëymosþan is 2.5 Tam'nýer—a''n weeks, which is 250 Earth days (1 month shorter than our gestation period.)
Reproduction: The Dëymosþan crossbreed with Humans, Nkhya'jra, Z'sa'Ză-'Bäa & Khah'.
*Please note that if you do wish to write a crossbred character that in Tam'nýer—a' the child will always take after the mother more
Diet:
Food in the desert can be a constant struggle. Luckily for the Dëymosþan, scavenging and murder are normal pastimes, making passerby's also a food source, not just the fauna that live there. That being said, Dëymosþan have very hardy stomachs and digestive systems, and can tolerate most meat raw. By no means is this solely like us on Earth who can tolerate some fish raw in things like sushi, but the ability to eat small portions of red meat raw (approx. 1.5 cups). They can also tolerate shells, not that anyone would want to eat them. This also means that blood is a huge part of their diet and therefore also makes them extremely resistant to bloodborne diseases.
Alcohol:
To the Dëymosþan, alcohol and any type of alcohol, is a precious resource.
This is because to them it is needed, as all alcohol is reserved for their women
to keep their demons or malevolent spirits that they host at bay. This makes
alcohol an every day part of a female Dëymosþan's diet.
Östra:
Östra is a flower that is just as coveted as alcohol, as it is another means to
tame the spirits inhabiting the female Dëymosþan. Östra petals and leaves
are made into a tea, which acts as a drug, flooding the woman's system with
euphoria & a greater sense of well-being, among other things.
Homes:
Dëymosþan homes are large, wide tents. Changing in size depending on the group size within the tribe, or family size, they also have a communal tent which is the largest, and ultimately belongs to the Chieftain and his family when it is time for the tribe to sleep. The bigger the tent the better too as it provides the women more space to roam when restless, letting the spirits calm by getting some movement in, so the bigger your tent, the more prestige amongst your tribe as well.
Harmony Hammond/Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY; Jason Mandella
A thing to keep in mind about Dëymosþan homes though is that they are a people that is in multiple tribes scattered throughout Trótskarr, and it is very much a survival of the fittest. That being said, they tend to have raids amongst themselves to vie for better territory in order to raid travelers or have access to water and agriculture.
On that note, most tribe settlements tend to put up markers to literally mark their territory and they are sculptures made out of rags that mirror the shape of people. To give you an idea of what this would potentially look like is given to the side of this.
Clothing:
When it comes to clothing, it can be a bit strange. For the most part, they tend to go topless when they are in their encampments, either wearing layered skirts to keep them down in case of a breeze, trousers or both. But when they go scavenging, Dëymosþan layer up, going so far as to wear leather or - more popularly - carapace armor. Some may choose to ride shirtless, but if sand is getting kicked up by the wind, you’re bound to be sorry. As with most things, however, clothing is primarily scavenged and can be shredded with others to make more patterns and colours.
Shoes:
On the topic of clothing and aesthetic, Dëymosþan shoes probably come
way out of left field because they are woven. Made up from wool, and
scraps of fabric, Dëymosþan shoes are put together using what is known
as the Nailbinding technique. It is similar to knitting and crochet, but
extremely durable and touch, protecting the Dëymosþan from things
such as thorns, or the attack of a scorpion, both things paramount to
desert living.
British Museum
Jewelry:
Jewelry tends to be a bit of the same as their clothing; scavenged. But like their clothing, taking pieces apart to recreate things they would personally prefer is the norm. In fact, jewelry is a rather coveted thing. Like magpies collecting trinkets, the Dëymosþan like trading, and sporting things that are shiny. Their saddles for the Káñonbahár are a great example, as are the women’s headdresses. While metal does, of course, get very hot in the desert sun, jewelry is also a symbol of status as one who can wear a lot of it tends to be indicative - for the ladies specifically - of being able to stay in the shade of the tents. For the men, the more jewelry means strength and prowess, as like during Roman campaigns, the more spoils you take the better you are. That being said, men wear more jewelry than women by far.
Piercings:
The idea of putting holes into one’s body depends on the standards of a particular tribe. The reason for this is that there are two main understandings of piercing, but both contradict each other. The more common is that the more piercings, the more tolerant of pain and how defiant of fear the individual is. This is a huge thing for them, and a sign of prowess.
The less common interpretation however is that rather than being defiant of fear or tolerant of pain, the person is weak because it is a personal subjection to pain, as if the pain defines them more than anything else. Though it should be said that these two things highly pertain to male Dëymosþan.
When it comes to Dëymosþan women, piercings are risky because like showing their faces and potentially giving their demons an out, piercings are taken the same way. However, to not deny women and keep them happy, women generally partake in what is known as dermal piercings as opposed to proper piercings. Dermal piercings are where the anchor of the piercing is still within the skin, and does not pierce all the way through like a normal piercing. This is so that the spirit does not have a potential ‘hole’ to escape or leak out from the female host.
Courting:
Concerning courting, for the Dëymosþan it has some links to their sexual habits, as aforementioned. However, courting can also happen without drugging, manipulation & sex. It might be rarer among their tribes, but ultimately anything that shows prowess and power as a flex to a potential partner is considered courting to them. If a man can master a craft and make offerings to a woman (and her demon/spirit, of course) this is also welcome, but strength must be part of the equation at some point, because if he cannot retrain her, then he is viewed as useless. Admittedly, this does not speak of homosexual relationships.
Now, when it comes to being lesbian, lesbian couples tend to be feared, as it is not solely women coupling, but their demons as well. In this case, if there is a lesbian couple among the tribe, they supersede a Chieftain, whether he has won a challenge of life & death does not matter. But because of the women's spirits, they will be guarded by a group of the strongest men in their tribe. They tend to make all the decisions, but the men restrain them if they become unruly or filled with bloodlust either with brute force or mental faculties. In effect, these men also become consul.
In the instance that there are gay relationships within a tribe, there is no prejudice or power that comes of it. No gay couple can become Chieftains together, unlike a lesbian one. However, those who are gay can be viewed a bit enviously, as they have much less fighting to do, because they do not need to enter combat to win the right to mate. It is strangely much more relaxed that way. They only need to engage in a fight of life or death if one desires to be Chieftain, or risk their lives helping out with scavenging & hunting, but this is mandatory for the tribe to survive.
Marriage:
Taking their courting and sexual norms, it may come as no surprise that marriage is rare in Dëymosþan culture. Very few feel the desire to get married (to announce being exclusive), because not only is sex & courting prominently up to strength, but if the tribe understands that you want to be with someone monogamously, it is understood. Which makes a whole marriage ceremony as we come to understand it today more of a lavish, superfluous boast.
So, if you are genuinely in a relationship, regardless of gender, where you both love each other and choose each other's bed for 3 consecutive Tam'nýer—a''n days, the tribe will get the idea.
Death:
As mentioned above for Aging Process, for the Dëymosþan aging is a tricksy business. While they may rarely live to have a natural death, they also believe that aging, such as greying hair, thinner skin and frailty are attributed to their women's spirits and living in the proximity of them. In essence, the spirits are wearing their physical beings down to the point that they can take over.
This is why ceremonial murder or suicide is typically how they die. An individual gets to choose which they would prefer thankfully. The most common practice for a man is either in combat with their current Chieftain (or a friend) or stabbing themselves through the abdomen under the sternum and up.
Women, thanks to their demons, are for the most part drugged and set on fire. But they can also choose to die in combat, and if they have a lover, in good enough health, can die by their hand. One can also die by their lover’s hand (or Chieftain’s) by way of beheading.
One can also commit suicide by walking out into the desert with no supplies aside from a waterskin so that they can find a place in the desert and indulge in one last good drink, albeit this is not looked upon as a warrior’s death and is not an available choice for women as they culture is not to trust the demon’s they house and this is taken as ruse to try and escape.
THE ARTS
Traditional Music:
The main instruments of the Dëymosþan peoples are the Bombarde, the Binioù kozh & Ney
The sounds of the Dëymosþan can be heard from long distances, but rest assured that if you hear their instruments, while you might be in the proximity of danger, it is good news, as them playing their instruments tends to be a sign of them relaxing and partaking in camaraderie. The mainly high pitches of their music echoes through the sand dunes of the desert of Trótskarr like voices carry across bodies of water, and the sultry sound of their flutes seem to mimic the way the sands move with the wind.
Tangi Josset & Yannick Martin
Traditional Dance:
Dancing for the Dëymosþan peoples is really nothing organized but more feeling the music & the atmosphere and energy of the day/night along with their inebriation. It is about giving the spirits an outlet and letting them “take over” and enjoy themselves with their shepherds, the men. Dancing is not for a single gender or otherwise, but is also a way of manipulating the spirits into thinking that the male Dëymosþan are courting both sides; the vessel and the spirits themselves. It is a huge part of creating a balance, so depending upon the feeling of the evening the dancing may look more like convulsions, or intoxicated dancing where the women are falling all over themselves or fighting to keep balance, or actual genuine dancing.
CULTURAL TIDBITS
& DISCLAIMER
Concerning the Spirits:
Throughout this page about the Dëymosþan, the spirits that reside within women have been referred to as demons, malevolent spirits, etc. This by no means translates to their women being demons themselves, or that women are inherently demons, or malevolent. They are also not regarded as lesser than. In truth, the spirits inside women are a cultural interpretation of women's ambition. It has simply grown into so much more than that over the years being literally understood that they are indeed inhabited. But this is why keeping the spirits occupied and satiated keep the women 'under control'.
To make it clearer, women are plied with drink (at their own leisure, unless a mating ritual), drugging teas, crafts (such as weaving), and whatever the men can get during raids because hell hath no fury like a bored woman. Women in their culture are actually the most educated, because if there's books scavenged during a raid too, they get them, just like alcohol. Children are raised both by the men and women, and yes, sometimes kids are kept away from their mothers because of the 'demon being to powerful', or 'being to close to the surface' that it makes her irate and belligerent, possibly violent. But this is part of their culture. They are a warrior people, and Tam'nýer—a' is a fantasy world.
Not matter what, the Dëymosþan should not be taken as 'women are evil'.