Mayhasinve

The **Mayhasinve** culture is a group of *Homo tarrakonis* hunter-gatherers living along the banks of the homonymous river and the coast of the Northern Ocean on Zhiyon. They are skilled carpenters and produce various kinds of pottery.

## Etymology

The culture is named after the Mayhasinve river, which translates to *pure mother* in the Authemme language.

## Language

The Mayhasinve speak Authemme, a descendant of the Proto-Taragan language.

## History

### Prehistory

The Mayhasinve are believed to have migrated from the South in prehistory. Their epicanthic fold, which is distinct from the Kuet's, suggests they came from a desert region in Central Zhiyon. Their language family that links them to tribes of Eastern and Southern Zhiyon likely originated somewhere along the Arder coast, from where the Mayhasinve have travelled northwards until they reached the Mayhasinve river.

The oldest signs of Mayhasinve civilization, which consist mostly of pottery, can be found around the Auk Bay and the Mayhasinve River Delta.

### Awakening Era

Early during the Awakening Era, the Mayhasinve have developed the reindeer sled, making them able to expand further south and west. Because they barely had any agricultural skill, subsistence relied on hunting game and gathering seasonal fruit. The sleds, which were pulled by up to six reindeer (*gandra*), were able to traverse snow, muddy terrain and frozen soil. Using their sleds, the Mayhasinve were also able to transport greater amounts of items and building material like timber and rocks. An expansion to the southeast followed, driven by the need for timber and a hunger for nutritious griffon eggs. Coastal tribes developed canoes and small sailing boats to travel rivers and the sea. They did not explore the high seas, but frequently went whaling in the Northern Ocean.

The city of *Guknutew* (later Gunnutem) was founded in this era. After trading goods and knowledge with the early Kuet people, the Mayhasinve developed bronze tools and began working on rocks to build walls and stronger foundations. Stonemasons also erected monoliths, notably an astronomic calendar in the Long Field, which marks their transition into the Classical Era.

### Classical Era

The Classical Era is characterized by violent conflict with the Kuet People of the Lun Ké valley. There are accounts for raids and displacements on both sides, but in the late 18th century ATA the attacks by Kuet warriors on Mayhasinve settlements overweighed. The Kuet under Nuán Thín's leadership seized full settlements and left them intact to learn from the Mayhasinve's methods of efficiently resourcing the harsh northern lands. Nevertheless, they enslaved or killed most inhabitants. Nuán Thín was the first to cross the Cuót Cák River, the largest tributary of the Lun Ké/Mayhasinve, and a natural boundary of the two tribes. The conflict led both tribes to improve their warfare skills and weaponry, with the bow and arrow being introduced to the Mayhasinve, which rapidly spread to the nomadic tribes as a more efficient mean of hunting game.

In the 19th century ATA, the Kuet started another offensive campaign under the leadership of chieftain Chuás Yòt Yùn ("Chuás the Conqueror") and expanded their realm further down the Mayhasinve River. Their martial warfare incorporates acts of cruelty and terror against Mayhasinve inhabitants to break their morale, such as letting hundreds of dead and defaced victims drift down the River on their own fishing boats. Chuás Yòt Yùn's dogma was a more destructive one than those of previous Kuet leaders, aiming for quick advances towards the Mayhasinve river delta. They name the area they have annexed Ma Yè Sí ("Mayha land"). The Mayhasinve tribes with their disorganized settlement structure were barely able to defend their villages against the attacks, especially because their defensive structures were designed to protect against dangerous wildlife and small groups of raiders rather than organized military attacks and sieges. Many tribes fled northeast into larger settlements or the protective forest. Seasonal floodings slowed down the Kuet advances into the delta area, but they also cut off the connection to the nomadic Western Mayhasinve, who had not yet been targeted by the Kuet due to the less arable land. From these events onwards, the Western and Eastern Mayhasinve were considered different political entities with a shared cultural heritage.

## Culture

The Mayhasinve have adapted their lifestyle to the harsh conditions of the cold North. Many tribes live a nomadic life, especially west of the Mayhasinve River. To the east, permanent settlements are more common due to the abundance of timber. During the summer months, the Mayhasinve travel the rivers using sophisticated canoes and sailing boats, and during the winter they cross land and rivers on sledges pulled by reindeer.

Reindeer herding and fishing provide most of the Mayhasinve's food, since simple agriculture is only possible during a short period of the year. Common vegetable staples are tubers and nuts.

The Mayhasinve tribes have both hostile and amicable relationships with the Kuet, a people of the highlands further south. Furthermore, oral tradition has it that there used to be contact with "horned people of the mountains" in the past. In is unclear whether this legend refers to the Kuet.

## Trivia

The Mayhasinve were created by Dryanor#4893 in 2023.