Ban-Ha-Tan

## Historical Information

Ban-Ha-Tan was an ultraprimitive society based off of the age-old Anrigbollgian culture of the natural-harbour island Kalgu [later Columbia] in Manweno, a culture fostered by ex-hunter gatherers who retired from their lifestyle to dwell in caves, fostering a new culture of tool-fashioning, light agriculture and pastoralism, and a completely new tradition of spoken language.

### **Culture**

Their language came complete with a complex system of morphology that includes inflectional suffixes, as well as a characteristic clicking noise exclusive to the Ban-Ha-Tan language, possibilities that were completely unknown to those who came before. To other tribes at their level, the Ban-Ha-Tan are known as the swiftest runners of all Manweno. Some delicacies of the Ban-Ha-Tan are snakes, lizards, and other reptiles. They lived along the river Anrigbollg, the namesake of the Anrigbollgian culture. In their caves, which they call *Bomog* [large cave] or *Grott* [small cave], the Ban-Ha-Tan people live their lives, surrounding fires in the centre of wooden constructs in the caves, usually covered with furs with holes in the top of the constructs to let smoke escape. There in these constructs, called *Gihollgott* [living place], the people cook their food, warm themselves, make their paints, have their children, and sleep. Martially, the Ban-Ha-Tan are very simple. They often do not encounter other tribes in an aggressive way, but will become extremely aggressive if prompted. They use fashioned wooden clubs, stone hand-axes, stone-tipped spears, knives, and hammers in combat, fishing, and for creating crafts or building constructs. The Ban-Ha-Tan have a very popular tradition, one of painting the walls of caves with tales and/or accounts of real events experienced by the tribe or by individuals. These cave paintings, all linked to the Ban-Ha-Tan, are littered throughout Manweno.

### **Government**

The government, if it can be called that, is ruled by a single chief, or *Dekog* [king,leader] who has choice of the tribe's women to promote his genes throughout the tribe. The chief is often chosen out of the most fit and dominant male the tribe can offer. After the last chief dies, the choosing begins with tribesmen nominating the most capable people in the tribe. Then, it is decided in a battle, called the *Dekog Buhuvphyt'r* [battle for the leader]. The last man standing is made *Dekog*.

### **Mythology**

The mythology of the Ban-Ha-Tan is very complex, told through word of mouth mainly. The core teaching is that the Ban-Ha-Tan and their predecessors were created by tall, dark four legged beings armed with long tentacles, much like an octopus. They are told to have descended from the sky. These figures are often seen depicted in cave paintings. They are called the *Xe Tscanowagehang* [tentacled creators]. Some important but secondary mythical figures are the *Gugongalajagedueh* [those who brought seed]. The *Gugongalajagedueh* are depicted as relatively short creatures, consisting of one long column of organic flesh much like a plant, with seeds at the top. They are described as the ones who fertilized the earth and brought bountiful soil that produced much food for the land. The *Gugongaalleeatt* [those who wrought wisdom] are often depicted as humanoid creatures, tall and completely shadowlike much like the *Xe Tscanowagehang*. The *Gugongaalleeatt* possess one long leg and no arms unlike a man. They have one humanlike spherical head with no features like the rest of their body. They are told in myths passed through the centuries to have been ultra-wise creatures, unmatched by any in the ability to think and analyze. They are said to have given man the ability to think and perceive himself and his environment, as a gift towards mankind as mankind had given the first *Gugongaalleeatt* shelter after they descended from the abyss of the sky.

In another Ban-Ha-Tan myth, the *Kicoloxkookadouraa* [bringer of death and destruction] is a long serpentine entity, covered in shadow much like the *Xe Tscanowagehang* and the *Gugongaalleeatt*. It is different from every other entity in the Ban-Ha-Tan myths, because it is the only entity of its kind, only existing at one point of time. It also has a mortal characteristic, unshared throughout other mythical entities of its kind. It has a large snake-like mouth, from which its creations came from. As told in Ban-Ha-Tan myths, the *Kicoloxkookadouraa* hated the *Xe Tscanowagehang* for creating him as the sole member of his species, unable to reproduce or seek companionship among his own. In retaliation, the *Kicoloxkookadouraa* created large, man-eating creatures and storms to destroy the creations of the *Xe Tscanowagehang*, namely Humans. *Tscanoxi* [that who created all, and is lord to all], the largest *Xe Tscanowagehang* of his kind, depicted to be the creator of all of his kind as well as the universe, saw the actions of the *Kicoloxkookadouraa* and destroyed him. *Tscanoxi* was however unable to reverse the changes made by the *Kicoloxkookadouraa*, so the animals and storms created by it still persist to this day. Thunderstorms are recognized as demonic entities because of this, called *Drukalagdanam* [uncaring destroyer]

### **Creation Myth**

As told in the most essential Ban-Ha-Tan myth, in the beginning of existence the creator *Tscanoxi* [creator of the Xe Tscanowagehang] had just crossed over into our vast universe, known as the *Kagallacat Cheksiknam* [bountiful corpus]. This entity is told to have found a suitable location in space and started expanding outward. When all the stars [Dokecak or "light in darkness"] and other objects were created, *Tscanoxi* found his creation to be barren and empty of all substance. To fix this, he would create more of his kind, though smaller in size than him, to expand throughout the universe and create new worlds and life. He did this, and sent them out across the universe. He himself then set out to find a suitable area to create his magnum opus, a spherical world of oceans and continents, all made by his will. He then created Man, and Woman was created from Man, so that Man could have companionship and multiply. The *Gugongaalleeatt*, another interdimensional visitor, is told to have descended upon the Earth and taken refuge in a cave of the Ban-Ha-Tan. To return the favour, the *Gugongaalleeatt* bestowed wisdom and intelligence upon Mankind.