 |
| Sahara as Kundari Desert |
|
| Region: |
Kundari Desert |
| Kingdom: |
al-Milan |
| Rulers: |
Sheikh Sohannid al-Milan |
| Wealth: |
Gold export, Coal Export |
| Population: |
795,000 |
| Language: |
Kundari |
| Religion: |
Ethosien |
| Demonym: |
Kundarian |
| Primary Revenue: |
Exports |
| Cultural Niche: |
Desert dwellers, modest |
| Weakness: |
Arid lands |
| Fortification: |
Kundari Cliff Palace |
| Specialization: |
Foot Soldiers |
| Knights: |
Tribal Levies: 5000 |
| Soldiers: |
75000 |
|
|
Overview
Antonia Fortress as Cliff PalaceThe Kundari people are an eclectic mix of many of the desert dwelling people. Their language is distinctive, their skin usually olive, their eyes dark mostly. Occasionally one can be born with light colored eyes, but it is rare. They live with the rule of survival of the fittest and do not tolerate weakness or people who do not contribute. Perhaps that is the reason there are so many different tribes in the desert.
To the rest of the continent, Kundari is a relative unknown, having, until very recently sided with the Laniveer due to pressure and threats put on them by the Laniveer. They now seek to align themselves with Mobrin and her vassals despite the terror the Kundari have wreaked to the Sutherlands.
History
Revenue
Gold mining is carried out in the Voquev Resaix region while Nekmit is known more for their goat farms. Yeinydd exports many camels for the cross country travelers, with the idea they require less water than horses. Also, they export camel hides, for warmth and protection.
In the lush oasis of Hysleria, they sustain their own crops and fruits making the Kundari an independent people.
One of the growing exports is Coal, found in the Esuyp region and used in place of wood.
Beliefs
Until the age of 18, females are required to wear a veil over their face.
Until married, females must keep their hair bound in a braid for the husband to unwind on the wedding night and be the first man to see her with it down. He may then require her to continue wearing it up so he is the only man to ever see it down.
Legends
Legends of the fire breathing Qiameth bound throughout the Kundari people, passed from generation to generation. It is said someone dug a hole so deep, the Qiameth was there in the bowels of the earth, waiting with yellow eyes and flames for breath that scattered the dust of the desert far and wide, killing fertile lands and crops as a punishment for destroying its slumber.
Religion
The Religion of the Kundari is a study of contrasts, life and death, water and fire, heat and cold, male and female. Everything is tied up in the two deities, Qiameth and Maritae. The fire breathing Qiameth is himself a contradiction, a cold blooded serpent that breathes fire. His wife Maritae is an earth mother, taking many forms, only one of them human, which include the dove, the serpent, the cat, and the horse.
Temples in Kundari are always to both, Qiameth and Maritae, never one without the other. Every Temple houses a sacred spring of Maritae, and the sacred fire of Qiameth. Every temple also houses a sacred garden, where herbs and food for the temple is grown.
The temples all have a center room, the welcome room, where people come in and can be greeted. From that central room other rooms fan out like a wheel. There is a room with a cut out in the roof where the funeral rites are performed, a room where infant rituals are performed, a room where confessions can be heard, and a large room for the performance of marriages.
Maritae is the Earth mother, twin sister to Kallishar. When in human form she is often seen as pregnant. She is said to most often visit people in the form of either the pregnant mother or the dove. She is the ultimate mother. She is the water to Qiameth's fire. She is calmness and light. Couples will pray to her for fertility. It is said that drinking from the sacred spring will assist a woman in conceiving.
Qiameth is husband to Maritae, and sometimes used in stories to frighten children. He is said to be reptilian in appearance and possesses the ability to breathe fire. His domain is the dark, places many fear to go. Though lizards are cold blooded he is represented by heat. He also represents death since the funeral rituals revolve around fire. He is a contrast to his gentle wife Maritae.
Upon Death, the bodies of all Kundari, noble and commoner alike, are taken to the temple of Qiameth. The priests prepare the bodies with various oils to assist in the further rituals. 3 days after the death, the mourners gather. The body is placed on a stone altar that is covered in reeds. The chief mourner, usually the oldest male relative, takes the torch from the priests, which is lit from the sacred fire of Qiameth and he walks counter clockwise around the body, setting fire to the reeds. When the body is mostly burned the chief mourner is given a long bamboo stick which is used to crush the skull and thereby release the soul of the dead. Once this is done the mourners file out, tossing a small white flower, representative of rebirth and new life… as well as Maritae, on the still smoldering pyre as they exit. The priests wait for the fire to die out, the ashes are gathered, any remaining bone is crushed to powder. The powder and ash are gathered together and mixed into the soil of the temple garden.
Within the first 24 hours after a child's birth, the child must be blessed by a Priest or Priestess of Maritae. The holy person uses oil to mark the child's forehead. The oil mark can not be washed off before the child's naming ceremony, which is usually set 3-5 days after the birth of the child. The last ritual associated with birth is the child's first haircut. When it is time for the child's first haircut, the infant's head is shaved, whether male or female. The hairs are sprinkled over the sacred fire of Qiameth as a sacrifice to ward off death for as long as possible.
Ceremonies are very colorful, the bride and groom's family homes are highly decorated as well as the temple. The celebration can last for days, though the most important parts are conducted in the temple. Before going to the temple the groom's family arrives at the bride's house in a formal procession of dancing and music. The formal procession, now with the bride's family included proceeds to the temple for the actual ceremony. There the father of the bride, or her closest male relative, gives her away to the groom and his family. The father takes his daughter's hand and places it in her groom's hand, over the sacred fire of Qiameth, and the sacred waters of Maritae. (A ring of water surrounds the bowl with the sacred fire). The priest or priestess conducting the ceremony
wraps a cord around the couple's hand and the pair must then complete a circle, walking clockwise around the sacred fire and water. It is only after this that the couple can recite their vows to one another and the union can be sealed.
Clothing
Kundari people predominantly wear loose and flowing, but covering, garments that are suited to the desert climate. Traditionally, men usually wear an ankle length garment woven from wool or cotton. For rare chilly days, Kundari men wear a camel-hair cloak (Yimeilo) over the top. Women's clothes are decorated with tribal motifs, coins, sequins, metallic thread, and appliques. Royal women wear bangled bracelets both on their wrists and akles, jeweled tiaras and other head pieces.
- Oleald: Kundari men formal clothing, usually worn with a Chiliad by nobility.
- Ekcle: A traditional headdress typically worn by Kundari men. It is made of a square of cloth usually cotton, folded and wrapped in various styles around the head. It is commonly worn in areas with an arid climate, to provide protection from direct sun exposure, and also protection of the mouth and eyes from blown dust and sand.
- Morath: The standard Kundari word for garment. It is ankle length, usually with long sleeves similar to a robe.
- Chiliad: A traditional men's cloak usually only worn for prestige by nobility.
- Surogou: Similar to a Sari. A women's garment. It is a cloak which loosely covers the entire body except the head.
- Yimeilo: A camel hair cloak worn on cooler days and nights.
Kundari Nobles and RoyalsGallery
