Mesquaki

> *"Through my constant investigation of the rumor of this hidden village I have finally found a possible lead. I was put in contact with a gentleman dressed in a dark cloak with rose colored glasses who set to meet me in a tea shop. We had a rather pleasant conversation until he asked offhand me if I knew anyone I wanted to disappear and if I had one hundred grahams of gold to pay for such a service. I politely said no and decided to not pursue this myth any further."* -Historian's account in "The Traveler's Guide to Soi"
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Pronounced (mek-cwAy), the Mesquaki are a small civilization living in the Mesquaki Forest of the Eastern Block of Soi. They are a small and relatively low-tech society that receives much of its architectural style from Kushan.

The society is run by a complimentary pair of temples that provide leadership, spiritual aid, health care, and protection, the Temple of Life which is built in the east where the sun rises and the Temple of Death which is built in the west where the sun sets. The Temple of Life produces skilled doctors and surgeons, and the Temple of Death produces skilled assassins and warriors.

* Mesquaki have their station in life chosen for them at birth and are expected to live within their station for the duration of their lives. Refusing to live in one's station can result in being banished from the tribe.
* They stay mostly hidden from the outside world, being just on the edge of Tallet incursions.
* Mesquaki smelt aluminum which they dig from their region and often trade for hardened steel from the Kushan.
* The Mesquaki due to being close to the **Felwind Desert** are host to a small population of a fel blooded strain of ab humans.

## Culture

### **Temples of Life and Death**

The Temples of Life and Death provide leadership, protection, and medicinal care to the commoners of the society. The Temple of Life trains initiates in the art of life saving in any form they can find to prolong, enrich, or otherwise pull life from the jaws of death. The Temple of Death trains initiates in the art of life-taking and provides protection from hostile outsiders and other threats that might approach.

There are students and masters in these temples. Each master takes on a specialty in their training and takes students to pass on their collected knowledge and skill. Should a student show great promise or dedication, they may be made a master if they are able to best their teacher in a competition of skill.

* Crimes or other crises are handled by the Enforcers.
* Any health issues are handled by the Menders and Curers.

### **Commoners**

Commoners of Mesquaki are born with any coloration aside from black or white. They make up every other job and place in society. The farmers, carpenters, hunters, smelters, and every other position are considered commoners. The center of their town located at the halfway point between the two temples is called the "balance" and is where they put their town center and central market. While they are considered lower status compared to temple initiates, they are rarely mistreated as the temples rely on the villagers for food, tools, and upkeep.

Mesquaki are a conservationist, believing in the balance of life and death, they attempt to either replace the life they take from nature or only take that which nature can afford to lose. Those that are "out of harmony" or wantonly destroy what is around them are considered spiritually sick. Mesquaki courtship is very formalized, practicing long-term monogamy and often partners know each other for years or decades before courting.The Mesquaki are allowed to form Partnerships with any person they desire within the village as long as they are in balance. If this balance is not equal then the relationship will not be allowed.

* Common people tend to live long, healthy lives due to the Temple of Life, and consider themselves very safe and protected due to their hidden status and the Temple of Death
* Mesquaki commoners are known for being quite adept at throwing hatchets and other sharp objects.

### **Chosen at Birth**

When a Mesquaki is born, they are inspected for marks that the Temples of Life and Death believe show the position of their birth. The primary trait they are looking for is the coloration of eyes and hair. Primarily black hair and violet eyes means that the child will be raised by the Temple of Death. Primarily white hair and golden eyes means the child will be raised by the Temple of Life. Any other coloration and the child will be a commoner.

* There are exceptions to this rule in the case of exceptionally talented individuals, however they are still regarded as an outsider in the temple by the masters.
* The vast majority of Mesquaki are born with the commoner fur coloration.

## Village structure

**Two Temples:**The Sun Temple or Temple of Life. The Temple of Life has two divisions and one shared division with The Temple of Death.

* The Menders: The Menders are Mesquaki's surgical doctors and are those who will work many hours to save ones life. In general Menders will have white fur.
* The Curers: The Curers are Mesquaki's nurse figures. They will take care of the general public and tend to children and minor wounds. Very skilled commeners will be Curers but is usually supervised by a white fur master.
* The shared division is The Clinicals: Clinicals are the researchers of the village and will find new medicines and toxins for each Temple to use. Both white and black fur Mesquaki people will be a Clinical who will have one or two commeners as assistants.

Then there is The Night Temple or Temple of Death. The Temple of Death has two major divisions along with the shared division.

* The Enforcers: The Enforcers' duties are to uphold peace within the village.If there is an outsider they are to be watched carefully. Most if the Enforcers are made up of commoners who live on both sides of the village.
* The Droppers: The Droppers are the main assassin group in the Temple of Death. Droppers will have the black fur and consist equally of male and female groups. Droppers carry out missions in groups of two or three depending on the mission.

**Central market:**This is where the exchange of goods and materials are bartered and sold, along with a variation of food stands and male and female bath houses.

**Sunrise and sunset sides of town:**Those who live on the west side or sunset section of town consist of the farmers and fishers. Those on the east side or sunrise side of town consist of the blacksmiths and miners.

## Religion

**Sun Temple**

This Temple's belief is that all life is given a purpose and is valued  and precious.

**Night temple**

This Temple's belief is that they are chosen to assist death by becoming a weapon and to carry out its will.

## World activities

**Night Temple in the wider world**

* The Night Temple will hire out its services via contacts in Kushan to perform assassinations for large sums of gold.
* They will only take certain contracts and targets that they do not consider "innocents". They will only accept targets that are "unbalanced with life and death".
* They kill primarily by stealth or bluffing their way close to a target.

**Trade with Outsiders**

* Trade with outsiders is rare, but occasionally happens if the village or temples need goods that can only be procured from beyond their borders. They wish to stay hidden so they will either travel to a foreign market or approach traveling caravans. They never arrive at the same market or route twice in a row in an attempt to make it harder to find them.
* They either trade in foreign currency, barter, or use their own minted aluminum coins shaped like teardrops. Often holes are punched in these coins so that commoners can more easily carry them on a string or necklace.

## Cultural aspects.

**Mesquaki**

* All people of Mesquaki are born with the vice of sloth. If it requires too much effort or work in general, the Mesquaki will find an easier way to do the project.

**Men**

* The men will take a task that is in their field of business and perfect it in time, depending on which side of the village they live on.
* Night Temple men take the easier and more stealth-based missions over hiding in plain sight.
* Sun Temple men are very studious and focus on perfecting the practice on preserving life.

**Women**

* The women of this village will take all the time they need to in order to complete a task or job they need done which results a perfected product.
* Night Temple women are specifically trained in hiding in plain sight, seduction, and torture in order to get information and to get close enough to eliminate their target.
* Sun Temple women are very soft spoken and good with patients and children.

**Partnership and Families**

* When the Mesquaki find a partner they will be able to complement each other's flaws and will have known each other since childhood.
* When married, the Mesquaki will not stray from their partner. If they do it is punishable by death.
* The Mesquaki will always have children in twos and if a child is born with the temple's fur coloration they will go to the assigned temple and learn from the masters.
* If a family has both children born into the temples the parents will divide and stay with one of the children. The mother will stay with her son and the father with the daughter.