Uthōno

## Uthōno Culture

The Uthōno people are a distinct ethnic and cultural group of humans living across the lands of Nomos, with most sharing a traditional nomadic mode of life. In spite of the prejudice they receive from other cultures they migrate into, Uthōno have maintained their heritage and culture.

##### Origins

According to legend, the Uthōno migrated from the fractured kingdoms of their homeland of Amriya, in the far East of the main continent, when their holy city of Taragos was destroyed after the events of the severance. Since this time, the languages and cultural identities of the Uthōno have diverged depending on where they migrated and which bloodlines lead their tribes but Uthōno still share enough cultural traditions to fall under the same cultural group.

##### Uthōno People

Uthōno are a traditionally nomadic people, with a concentrated population in the Northern half of the continent and a diaspora population in the rest of the main continent to the South. Populations have brown or olive skin, with predominantly black hair and brown eyes. These physical features often distinguish them from the populations of humans in the Northern lands.

##### Clothing

The traditional dress of the Uthōno people is closely tied to their history, culture and identity. Uthōno dress often varies among different tribes, but there are similarities that define Uthōno dress as a whole. Most Uthōno people value displaying their wealth in their dress through gold jewelry, unless they are devout followers of the Kerra Brigasa, where such displays would be considered shameful. Uthōno women tend to wear golden necklaces, bracelets, and headscarves, all of which are often embellished with golden coins. Traditionally women wear colorful skirts whose colors signify age, marriage or are used only for times of mourning or purity ceremonies. Women will also wear aprons to keep food from the dirt of their dress in order to maintain their purity through cleanliness. Uthōno men will traditionally wear golden rings and necklaces.

##### Marriage

Marriage in Uthōno society emphasizes the importance of family and is often used to create ties between different groups. Uthōno marriages are arranged and it is tradition for the parents of the groom to pay the family of the daughter. Parents identify optimal partners for their children and matchmakers are also used to arrange potential matches. Bride kidnapping is also a common but not universal, Uthōno practice meant to avoid paying the daughter’s family or as a way for the daughter to marry someone that she wants but her parents do not. Uthōno conform to local laws and customs in the lands in which they marry, but these religious ceremonies are formalities for them. When two people have agreed to live together and share their lives together this is enough to constitute a marriage in Uthōno society, and no formal ritual is required.

##### Values

There is not a unified Uthōno culture or tradition, since variations exist from the influence of the vying powers of the land, and there are cultural subgroups. Ultimately, however, there is enough shared cultural and ethnic identity to identify these groups under the name of the Uthōno. An ethnic Uthōno may be considered an exile if they were not raised under the influence of Uthōno culture. Sometimes, these exiles can be considered Uthōno if they are adopted as children and raised to adopt the culture. Adoption of orphaned children is a common practice among Uthōno tribes lead by descendants of the bloodline of Brigasa due to their virtues of sheltering outcasts. Over time, these specific tribes have become more ethnically diverse because of this practice. One of the highest forms of punishment is to be banished from Uthōno society and they will be shunned by other Uthōno tribes they may come into contact with as the word of their misdeeds are spread.

Uthōno dance, music, language, art and cuisine are all influenced by the cultural customs of the lands they have migrated into. This often leads to hybridization or adoption of these certain forms of cultural expression. There are certain rules to Uthōno cuisine, as consumption of horse meat, cat meat and dog meat is forbidden. Uthōno tea, berries, vegetables, mushrooms, game and fowl are all favored by the Uthōno. Uthōno festivals are a communal cultural practice tied strongly to their religion of Devlesa and often involve dance, music, or food.

##### Livelihoods of the Uthōno

Many Uthōno work as craftsmen and are blacksmiths, cobblers, tinsmiths, horse dealers, and toolmakers. They earn a living doing agricultural work and move to the edges of towns for the winter months. Spring begins with seed sowing and planting fruit trees, early summer with weeding, and summer to late autumn with the harvesting of crops. Winter months are often spent doing casual labor in towns or selling goods or services. Other jobs include gardening and groundwork, fortune telling, selling, and collecting scrap. They travel on foot or with light, horse-drawn carts, and build tents where they settle temporarily. Uthōno women typically do their laundry in a river, bathing further downstream. Uthōno travel around for work, usually following set routes and set stopping places that have been established for hundreds of years. Uthōno provide labor services in return for lodgings and food. There are also stopping grounds in the winter where extended families have traditionally stayed for generations.

##### Uthōno Magic to Outsiders

There are rumors and stereotypes about the Uthōno from other cultures that they all have cryptic powers. But for the most part, Uthōno magic is largely ignored or considered to be tricks as Uthōno tribes have taken great care in hiding the true extent of the magical abilities of Uthōno bloodlines. The most numerous bloodline descendants practice forms of magic that are intangible, beneficial to survival or easily dismissed or hidden. Due to their mostly nomadic lifestyle and differences in language and culture, Uthōno and their more settled neighbors have a long history of distrust. There is a common image of Uthōno as thieves or vagabonds which has lead to their frequent persecution. Some Uthōno bloodlines have organized bands of paladins, assassins, spies, pirates and thieves which operate covertly towards their own aims. But some of these groups have been employed by the many powers of the land to the benefit of rulers aware of their greater power.

##### Uthōno in the Northern Lands

Uthōno tribes are mostly concentrated in much of the northern lands of the great continent, where Uthōno often live in poor squatter communities, with only some fully integrating into the societies of the lands in power. However, in some cases, certain tribes have prospered under more lucrative trades. Although most Uthōno embrace a nomadic lifestyle, most migration is forced as most lands do not fully accept Uthōno settlements. Most Uthōno continue to live on the margins of society, in isolated settlements. The diaspora up north first began before the severance when Juva foretold of the events of destruction and lead the inhabitants of her city in 584 EE. The Northern Diaspora went northeast but mostly northwest, following trade routes established by Uthōno merchants centuries before. Uthōno tribes were forced to adapt to the colder conditions of this region, going as far north as the lands of the midnight sun, a place in myth where it is said that the sun does not set or rise for long durations of the year.

##### Uthōno in the Western Lands

In the west those who spread into this region have recently begun another diaspora northwards in the past century as Skiratti hordes have conquered the area. Again, omens of this event were spread by descendants of Khoihamo but were not dismissed as the divinations of Juva were long ago for the people had learned to live nomadic lives. This resulted in the movement of hundreds of thousands of Uthōno several decades before Skiratti conquest ravaged the lands. Those few tribes who stayed fell victim to the bloody wars that would follow as the divinations of times past proved to be true. The western lands were originally host to several human nations that the Uthōno tribes could interact with. However, the hostilities of the Skiratti proved too much for Uthōno tribes to coexist and some of the later diaspora occurred during the conquests with tribes sailing towards southern islands in the warm sea.

##### Uthōno in the Southern Lands

Although there is less concentration of Uthōno in the southern lands of the main continent, there are tribes who have migrated there. The tribes and settlements of the Uthōno in the far South have not gone as far as the migrations in the lands of the North, with migrations halting due to mountainous desert. Most of the Uthōno tribes in the South live in Lirei or operate as nomads in the far western deserts. It is important to note however, that they are not limited to the mainland in this region, for some tribes have managed to migrate towards some of the islands in the warm sea in this area. Some of the famous pirates of the warm seas are even of Uthōno descent, finding a place for themselves in a world which harbors much ill intent towards their people.

## Histories of Uthōno

#### *Excerpts from the book,“Uthōno Histories” written by the famous scholar Hanzi*

###### Introduction

There are many stories told of the primeval times of our people, hushed upon the lips of  mothers and chanted by priests. We were not always a wayward folk, for once there was a time when the earth trembled beneath us. There was a time when our heroes saved the world from the destruction of Beshen, a time when we looked up to the stars. Our written history is divided into three principle eras: the Bloodline Era (BE), the Evocation Era (EE), and the Diaspora Era (DE).

The lost civilization of our people is known for its ancient shrines and ruins. But it was also once a land remembered for its writing system, art, architecture, mathematics, calendar, astronomical system and magical innovations. Our lost civilization comprises land in the Amriya rainforest along the Paninevi river, and includes the Darane highlands to its west. We, their humble descendants, are now scattered across the world, organized into numerous tribes. Our ancestors also developed sophisticated art forms using wood, jade, ceramics, sculpted stone monuments, stucco, and finely painted murals. This history and the knowledge of our ancestors has been kept in ancient books, of which only three remain in reliable condition, the rest lost in the chaos of the severance. There are also other texts carved upon stelae and painted on ceramics which hold insight into our history.

###### Our Lands

Our civilization began within the Amriya rainforest, an expansive rainforest and cultural area where our people trace their origins. The Amriya rainforest gave rise to a series of cultural developments that included complex societies, agriculture, cities, monumental architecture, writing, and calendrical systems. A set of traits shared by human cultures here included astronomical knowledge, blood sacrifice, and magical innovation gained from interactions with the nine Kerra.

By the beginning of the Archaic Age, the early human inhabitants of Amriya had started forming sedentary agricultural societies. Historical records suggest that access to ironworking in this region began sometime around 700 BE. Our ancestors lacked draft animals and possessed few domesticated animals. Transportation and labor was largely done through magical means or magical constructs.

The held land of our ancestors covered roughly a third of the Amriya rainforest along with most of the Darane highlands and were engaged in relations with several neighboring cultures at the time. During the early Evocation Era cities in the west such as Taragos were key in trade networks that extended far northwards and to the western lands. Our lost civilization’s lands were bound by the various mountain ranges to the south, west, north and east. Most of the major city states which dominated the territory lay along or near the Panineva river.

###### History

As stated before, the history of our people covers three thousand five hundred and eleven years and is divided into the Bloodline Era, Evocation Era and Diaspora Era. The dates of these eras can vary by centuries depending on the scholar and due to the great migrations consensus has yet to be reached on which order of eras to follow. The most widely used order is as follows:

###### Timeline

> Archaic Age 6,000 years
>
>
> Bloodline Era (BE) 2,250 years
>
>
> Evocation Era (EE) 700 years
>
>
>
> Diaspora Era (DE) 561 years
>
>

###### Beginning

Before the Archaic Age, the world was altered by the nine Kerra, who gave energy, sound, knowledge, order, disorder, illusion, death, change and more unto the land. Humanity was chosen and altered to rule over the beasts of the land. It is not known who or what created our world for it remains an ineffable mystery, we are but lost souls guided by the nine, those who made us what we are.

###### Archaic Age

Many scholars concur that the Archaic Age is a period of roughly six thousand years which saw the first developments in our ancestors' agriculture and the earliest villages. This time has no written records, known only by the legends of the origins of our people.

###### Bloodline Era (0 BE to 2250 BE)

Our ancestors developed their first civilization in the Bloodline Era. Many scholars still debate when this era of civilization began. It was a time remembered for the first formation of sedentary communities and the creation of the nine bloodlines. The Bloodline Era, which lasted for 2,250 years, saw the establishment of the first complex societies in the Amriya rainforest and the cultivation of the first staple crops in the region. The first cities of these lands emerged around the year 1250 BE and by 1500 BE they held monumental architecture, including large shrines.These cities were lead by the first families of the nine bloodlines. Hieroglyphics were also used in the region by 1700 BE. In the late Bloodline Era, a number of large cities grew along the Paninevi river and the holy city of Taragos rose to prominence in the Darane highlands.

###### Evocation Era (0 EE to 700 EE)

This time is named after the many magical innovations which occurred during the centuries. The Evocation Era saw our civilization develop into many city states linked by complex trade networks. However, by 700 EE there was a widespread political collapse after the events of the severance, which resulted in warfare, the abandonment of cities, and the great diaspora of our people.

In the Evocation Era, kings acted as mediators between our realm and the realm of the Kerra. Kings were descended from bloodlines and were gifted with magical power they used to exert dominion over their subjects. Kingship was patrilineal, with the heirs being the eldest sons and were expected to be successful war leaders. By the late Evocation Era, the aristocracy had grown, which tremendously weakened the power of the king.

This Era marked the peak of large-scale construction and urbanism, the recording of monumental inscriptions, and demonstrated significant intellectual and artistic development. Our civilization possessed a political landscape characterized by its multiple city-states that were engaged in a complex network of alliances. The largest cities were recorded to have had populations numbering 50,000 to 120,000.

During the early Evocation Era, cities throughout the region were under the sway of the great metropolis of Taragos. In 128 EE, Taragos decisively conquered Chovahanó and other nearby cities, deposed their rulers, and installed a new Beshen bloodline dynasty. This war was led by King Yag Cambrí. The king of Chovahanó, a member of the bloodline of Sastimasa, Duvelskoe, was killed in combat during the violent takeover. A year later, Yag Cambrí installed a new king of the bloodline of Beshen. This new dynasty led to a period of political dominance where Taragos became the most powerful city in the region. Due to the nature of blood magic possessed by their bloodline, this dynasty would expand the rituals of blood sacrifice over their conquered cities and their dominance lead to the events of the severance where Beshen attempted to destroy the world.

Chovahanó’s great rival was Miduveleskoe, a powerful city lead by descendants of the bloodline of Khoihamo. Chovahanó and Miduveleskoe both held extensive systems of allies and vassals. Smaller cities apart of these networks gained prestige and benefited from peaceful relations with other fellow vassals. Chovahanó and Miduveleskoe strategically moved their alliances and networks against each other. At several points during the Evocation Era one of these powers would gain a victory, resulting in periods that flourished or declined.

Miduveleskoe has remained an important ruin site and one of the most important cities in the Evocation Era where agents of Putrav and Vestinena were employed in the creation of the powerful magical constructs known as golems. The city is also important for the other innovations discovered by the city’s famous diviners. In 369 EE, Muchtar, son of King Levinor the second, was sent to found a new city by the southern lakes to extend the reach of the power of Chovahanó beyond Miduveleskoe’s reach. In 388 EE, King Rinkenó the second, of Miduveleskoe captured Muchtar. The king then reinstated Muchtar upon the throne of the new city as his vassal and Muchtar became a loyal ally.

In the southeast, Wendror was the most important city, the dynasty was founded in 176 EE by a descendant of the Putrav bloodline by King Angár. The new king had strong ties to Taragos and the city of Bovaló. Wendror reached the height of it’s cultural development and power during the rule of King Grasní, who ruled from 445 EE to 488 EE. His reign ended when he was captured by his vassal, a descendant of Amaro, King Engro of the city Kauley. Grasní was decapitated in a public ritual. Some scholars suggest that this coup was backed by Miduveleskoe in order to weaken the ally of Chovahanó. Opré and Vassavó lead by descendants of the bloodlines of Ushalin and Brigasa were the most powerful cities in the northern regions and in the far east, Iuziou, lead by descendants of Vestinena was already a sprawling city by 50 EE.

###### The Severance

During the 6th century EE, the central region of our ancestors suffered major collapse, marked by the abandonment of cities, the ending of entire dynasties and a major diaspora. There is no single cause for this collapse, for at the time there was warfare, overpopulation, drought and of course the destruction of multiple cities at the hands of Beshen in his crusade against the world. It is not known exactly how Beshen was able to release his destruction upon the land, but sources point to the involvement of the Taragos dynasty. Blood sacrifice had increased exponentially during this century, with blood sorcerors needing it to fuel their power.

Much of the history during this period was lost during the chaos but we know that a great hero arose, named Vano who was given the artifact Nashky, a weapon forged by Putrav with the power to kill Kerra. Vano would slay the spirits of destruction, along with Beshen’s followers and defeat Beshen in combat. Afterwards, Vano beheaded Beshen and achieved apotheosis, taking Beshen’s place. During this, part of Beshen would live on in Vano as he was incarnated as the new Kerra of destruction. Fragments of Beshen’s being are said to have been scattered throughout the world, hiding as undisturbed sources of great power or corrupted monstrosities roving the lands. The Kerra sealed their realm from our world after the severance.

Social organization at the time was based on the authority of the ruler rather than control of trade and food distribution. This was structured poorly in response to the crisis, because rulers' actions were limited by tradition when it came to construction, ritual and warfare. By the time of the severance, the system of rulership had already collapsed, in some areas individual rule was replaced by councils of several bloodlines and rapid depopulation of several cities had already begun before Beshen’s destruction. Within a few generations, large swathes of the Amriya rainforest were abandoned.

Before the events of the severance unfolded in 584 EE, a heroic princess named Juva, from one of the lesser cities, received an omen from Khoihamo of the destruction that would come. As she spread word of this omen, many other descendants of Khoihamo dismissed her claims as such an important omen was considered a rare occurrence and Juva was still young in her apprenticeship as a divinator. However, she convinced her family and lead the inhabitants of her city on the first great migration towards the northwest and it is thanks to her that descendants of the Khoihamo bloodline are now the most numerous in those lands.

###### Diaspora Era (0 DE to 561 DE)

The current era, the Diaspora Era has been a tumultuous time of migrations to the northern and southern lands of the world, with most of the major migrations ending after the first three centuries. In this time four of the bloodlines (Ushalin, Brigasa, Khoihamo, and Malavel) have grown to eclipse the other five (Putrav, Amaro, Sastimasa, Vestinena and Beshen) in terms of political power and sheer numbers due to their adaptability. The cultural traditions have diverged and become accustomed to a nomadic lifestyle which has come to characterize our people.

## The Seven Great Ascendancies

Ascendency traditions trace back to the ancient city states of Uthōno civilization, and exert their leadership over many powerful tribes. In the current era, the entirety of Uthōno tribes north of the Mukana mountains are ruled by the Seven Great Ascendancies. These include, Ascendancy Ustima, Ascendancy Orrushi, Ascendancy Yanami, Ascendancy Astepatha, Ascendancy Chaile, Ascendancy Talsimu, and Ascendancy Kanayetu, which are presided over by the Uthono King. Each Ascendancy rules over several tribes in the northern mainland of Nomos; Ustima in the hilly northwestern coast, Orrushi in the expansive northern forests, Yanami in the central heartlands and east, Astepatha in the west, Chaile in the southwestern coastlands, Talsimu in the southern heartlands and Kanayetu in the dense woodlands of the southeast.

##### Organization

Great Ascendancy membership is largely a matter of birth and marriage, with descendants tracing their lineage to the nine bloodlines. Outsiders can become servants of nobility to a Great Ascendancy but must swear oaths of loyalty. After serving an Ascendancy and advancing the ranks an outsider can become adopted into the Ascendancy. This allows them to join the higher ranks based on their merit. This requires the leader of the Ascendancy to advocate for the outsider based on the potential adoptee’s character and achievements. In times of chaos, Ascendancy leaders may elect a king who can make decisions on the behalf of all the Ascendancies. However, election of a king requires unanimous consent which can be difficult for such a loosely united organization. Ascendancies are bound to maintain the secrecy of Uthōno magic from the established political powers of the lands in the north.

##### History

The Great Ascendancies were formed after the severance but still practice the traditions of the Uthono dynasties who ruled over city states in ancient times. In 312 DE, after three centuries of diaspora, the hero Kalaab, united the struggling bloodlines of the north as their first king through diplomatic means. This lead to the formation of the Seven Great Ascendancies to jointly rule the numerous Uthono tribes north of the Mukana mountains. The Seven Great Ascendancies prospered for the next century until the War of the Priests, an Ascendancy war between the five orthodox Ascendancies blank and the two unorthodox Ascendancies blank. Ascendancy blank was exterminated following a vicious series of assassinations which allowed the more orthodox Ascendancy blank to form in their place. Ascendancy blank, who are relatives to king blank, remained the most powerful Ascendancy until the end of the fourth century DE. Throughout this time, the Seven Great Ascendancies were responsible for rulership among the tribes, while the tribes as a whole were ruled indirectly by the Priests of Amaro.

Around 456 DE, divinators in the lands on the western peninsula of Nomos received omens of the Skiratti conquests which would put into motion another diaspora. The numbers of the diaspora grew into the thousands as the conquests finally became realized later in the fourth century. Blank, blank, blank and blank welcomed these southern refugees, while Ascendancy blank, blank and blank refused to do so. The king who had been elected to respond to the chaos, a member of Ascendancy blank was assassinated for his continued refusal to accept the incoming refugees and replaced by a member of Ascendancy blank. Ascendancy blank took this opportunity to take over a few of the tribes under the rulership of the blank. Their support of the refugees made blank the leading Great Ascendancy and reformations were made by King blank to more traditional Uthono ways. He also managed to persuade blank and blank to abolish practices of blood magic and necromancy which formally disbanded the guild of assassins known as the Blades of Beshen, who practiced blood magic in Beshen’s name.

In the early fifth century DE, increasing feuds and troubles caused by the growing influx of southern Uthono refugees began to result in the increase in persecution against the Uthono people. Ascendancy blank, due to their insistence on welcoming refugees, began to receive blame for the suffering of the Uthono people. Some groups also claimed the blank did not do enough to save more Uthono refugees. As a result of this increased scrutiny the Ascendancy blank would lose much of their power and was stripped of their status as a Great Ascendancy in the year 507 DE. The Ascendancy blank would come to take their place and rule over the blank region. Ascendancy blank, after suffering from an Ascendancy war would come to lose their influence over a few tribes and lost many of their familial line but eventually recovered from these losses and gained control over the tribes again by the time of the current year.

Ascendancy blank had been in decline since the end of the fourth century DE, as they were affected by the desecration of the Shrine blank, which had acted as the seat of power for the Priests of Amaro, along with the plots of the King blank, which all contributed to the weakened state of the Great Ascendancy. While this Ascendancy is still in power, the Priests of Amaro have largely infiltrated and gained strong influence over it. Ascendancy blank is currently suffering a succession crisis as the leader’s three heirs have no magical ability despite being descendants of a bloodline drawing into question the authority of the Ascendancy. The rest of the Great Ascendancies have survived these times of chaos with most of their power intact. Ascendancy blank has become the dominant power in the North as a result of their bloodline’s magical abilities and their leadership during the refugee crisis and Uthono persecutions and currently King blank of Ascendancy blank holds the throne.

##### Ascendancy Wars

By the customs of Uthono society, a Great Ascendancy may challenge the honor of another Great Ascendancy by targeting an Ascendancy noble. The noble is then either exiled or marked for death by the other Ascendancy. In the times before the diaspora, dynasties ruling over various city states participated in warfare, however this has been forbidden by the religious organization known as the Priests of Amaro and made impractical by the nature of the nomadic lifestyle of the Uthono tribes in the current era. Ascendancy wars can only be participated in by a noble or a hired assassin. Ascendancies commonly carry out assassinations and it was so frequent that an assassin guild known as the Blades of Beshen had formed until it was disbanded for their use of blood magic in the late fourth century. This custom allows Ascendancies to deal with each other on a small scale without threatening the peace and rule of law in the lands they migrate in. Codes of behavior under Ascendancy Wars are complex and subtle. For the Seven Great Ascendancies prefer to rule from the shadows, maintaining the secrecy of the nature of their magical capabilities and the true extent of their power.

(To be continued...)