Castes and Classes in Za'ah

The Radiating Empire of the Devayani, or the Rûkh, has a complex and elaborate caste structure, which is built on the mystical-metaphysical religious interpretation of the world.
==The Mú and their hierarchies==
The Za'aheen Múza'ni have taught that the physical reality of the world is an illusion, that the physical reality is both a prison and - more importantly - an escape from the real reality, the Mú-reality.
Originally, before time and space existed, all that existed was the Creator - the Primordial Great Serpent named Azh'kabah.
Azh'kabah, the Serpent which circumvented all universes, biting her own tail, gave birth to the two hundred and fifty six archons, the original Mú, thus dividing itself.
The archons were hungering after blood and pain, so they fell over their mother, ripping her flesh apart and raping her, thus giving birth to primordial chaos monsters, which then proceeded into an inter-dimensional war with their creators, being raped and killed, and raping and killing. From this original chaos event was born additional tormented spirits, who haunted through the empty wastes, and they in their turn repeated the events, those stronger preying on those weaker, and those weaker creating even weaker subservient spirits. There are 256^256^256... hierarchies of Mú, arranged in so-called "galaxies". The Mú are ultimately driven by a desire to cause suffering and to molest, rape and rip apart.
Our reality is, according to the Múza'ni, a dream created by one of the lowlier levels of Mú, who use it as a method of imprisoning souls and allow them to grow during their lifetimes, to just harvest them as they die, nourishing themselves on the soul by eating them alive.
While ordinary Za'aheen peasants and subjects of the Za'aheen Empire are knowing little about the Mú apart from that they cause illnesses and love to give children nightmares, the scribes and learned elders of the Empire, including the Devayani themselves, are molded in a worldview where the world itself is consisting of hierarchies, and the hierarchies are completely predatory.
==Ezam Gar'dah and Yar'dah==
The physical world, Ezam Gar'dah (the Great Garden) is not, however, seen as static entity. Its name implies that it is a project, as a garden is an artificial environment created out from what originally was wilderness. This symbolises the "great work" of the Devayani, having literally raised Za'ah from steaming jungles and swamplands, sick with malaria mosquitos and poisonous animals. With irrigation, agriculture, canals and flowing water, Za'ah was turned into a flowery paradise.
Thus, Yar'dah (order) was established as Za'ah rose from the chaos. Yar'dah shall not be seen as a static never-changing state of being, and is not amongst the ruling elite seen as an ideal state, rather as a way of reaching the ideal state. Thus, Yar'dah is composed of four poles - north, east, west and south, and each corresponding pole is seen as necessary as the four corners of the Three Great Pyramids (the Moon Pyramid, the Sun Pyramid and the Galaxy Pyramid).
===Spiritual Axis (north-south)===
The spiritual axis moves from the hierarchic religion of the Mú to Ezam Ghayl (the Great Game of Life).
The religious structure places all subjects of the Devayani in a spiritual hierarchy, which places them in an eternal spiritual level, which is their starting point and which seeks to oppress and limit them. The Múza'ni are the blood priests and enforcers of this order, channeling the Mú, but also healing local inhabitants. Their words are laws in local villages.
Within Ezam Ghayl however, it is possible to advance socially and hierarchically, defying the laws of the Devayani and the laws of humans, by utilising the dark magic of the Mú and seek to harvest spiritual energies to arise. Ezam Ghayl is played amongst the merchant and artisan castes, and allows for vertical social relationships within the same caste, where the losers are turned into sex slaves for the winners in the game. Also, the game contains elements of blood magic and law-breaking, bonding together people in a brotherhood of silence. This order tend to be predominant amongst the urban middle classes.
===Material Axis (east-west)===
This is seen as the axis which stretches from the polarities of community and state. The state (Rûkh) is consisting of federal hierarchies of bureaucracies. These entities make local laws, collect taxes, mint Menya and plans urban and rural construction.
Community (Dezinya) is the term for the non-state sphere, which is larger than the state. It contains all economic activities and the family unit, which is the most basic unit of the Za'aheen Empire. Za'aheen marriages are group marriages, between up to six females and six males, where every partner - regardless of sex - is married with every other partner. The older generation as a collective holds power over the younger generations, and there is no individual property, just family property. The typical for a Za'aheen family is to be governed by a collective of matriarchs (grandmothers).
==Castes==
The entire structure of the Za'aheen state is seen as a pyramid, where the four poles consist the corners of the pyramid. The castes are located alongst the vertical slope of the pyramid, with the Devayani being the radiant light above the tip of the pyramid.
===The Devayani===
The eleven houses of the Devayani are the Gods of the Za'aheen, and of the subject nations of the Za'aheen Empire. They have only appeared in the public together once, after the Za'ah City Riots, when the local authorities prayed for divine intervention. Supposedly, they are the rulers of the Za'aheen empire, but it is unknown whether the Empire is an oligarchy or an absolutist state with one ruler. When the Devayani appeared for their people, they wore extensive robes and masks covered with gold, delineating angelic monsters and their totem animals.
Some of the towns of the Empire are rumoured to be devoted to one single Devayani deity.
===The Elite===
The Za'aheen elite is a shadowy constellation consisting of high-ranking religious leaders, generals, super-wealthy merchants and even slaves, the ni'zi, who are the emissaries of the Devayani. These super-wealthy socialités are known for extravagant parties, for living in palaces strown around the islands of Lake Za'ah, and of their dinner parties, which often are as depraved as opulent.
====The Ni'zi====
The Ni'zi are property of the Devayani, and are characterised by their mutilated feet. Six of the ten toes are removed, leaving just the innermost and outermost toe remaining. They are shaving all their hair and wearing saris in different colours. They are messengers of the Devayani, and occasionally given command over military forces, diplomatic expeditions, construction projects and entire provinces. They are very well-learned and know much of the Devayani.
===The Múza'ni===
The Múza'ni are the priests of the Za'aheen Empire, and are organised in a hierarchy, with the Devayani on the top, which give orders to religious centres controlling many parishes. The parishes send local village an neighbourhood priests. The Múza'ni are also generally village doctors and responsible for helping women give birth. One condition for being a múza is to be literate, and there are many scientists, engineers, administrators and bureaucrats amongst their ranks. There are both male and female Múza'ni. All children of Múza'ni are considered Múza'ni as well, even if not all are choosing to become a part of th structure, meaning that many Múza'ni are living lives as wealthy ordinary citizens in many of the great cities of Za'ah.
===The Ar'yah===
The Ar'yah is the warrior caste of the Za'aheen Empire, and were originally a sub-caste of Múza'ni who were organised as a defence force of the early city of Za'ah. They are constantly exercising and those children who are weak or handicapped are killed. From age 6 to 16, they are drilled from dawn to dusk, and one twentieth of children undergoing these exercises are dying during the phase of the training. They are armed with composite leather vests with copper plates stuck in, to combine protection with mobility.
===The Urban Citizenry===
These are merchants, artisans and even urban labourers, from rich to poor. They are characterised by owning passports (clay tablets with their home address and their family name enscribed on it). Every four years, their clay tablet is renewed. This tablet gives them the right to trade and to live in a particular city. If a family are deprived from their tablet, they will be ejected from the city. They must seek approval from the city authorities to travel outside of their city.
===Commoner filth===
These are together with the slaves the vast majority of the Empire. They are farmers, fishermen, hunters, gatherers, living across the dominions of Za'ah, in all from wealthy small-towns to primitive primordial settlements. All they have in common is that they worship and sacrifice to the Devayani and have Múza'ni as advisors to their tribal chiefs. They are generally not allowed to leave their fields, and communities that resist are destroyed.
Older villages and towns are generally viewed as if they have higher status than newer settlements.
===Slaves===
Slaves are captured in regions bordering the Rûkh, during military expeditions, but there are also slaves who are bred to have certain qualities, all from mining requirements to "joy slaves" (bred for sexual services, to look petite, childish and innocent). Slaves are owned both by the state, and by private citizens. The state slaves are generally living in villages, and some slave villages are virtually indistinguishable from commoner villages. Many urban citizens have slaves which are like family members, but amongst the elite, perverted usage of the slaves are common. There exist slaves that are bred to be killed and eaten, and their meat is consumed during dinners. The level of breeding has reached some successes (there is one bloodline of slaves which have women that constantly are having their breasts filled with mother's milk, which mixed with wine and honey is considered a good beverage in Za'ah).
Some slaves, however, have it very comfortable, and are used virtually as pets.
==See Also==
Za'ah
Category:Za'ah
Category:Empires
Category:Za'ahene people
Category:Culture
Category:Politics
Category:Moaseraianan people