Teńku/History

## Early History

Since the supposed split of the njokarandu, the Teńǵo have resided along Jieńońxu (the Southern Shore). They became prolific hunters whose tactics set them at the top of the food chain, and they occasionally foraged regional plants in order to supplement their diet. Furthermore, their hunting prowess threatened the niche occupied by their distant relatives, the inverted centaurs. However, as nomadic people began to overtake the Teńǵo's main source of meat, they shifted their diet in favour of the grains, herbs, and vegetables throughout the southern Jirevibe Forest. Later, as technological innovations created foundations for an extensive, efficient trade network, traders reintroduced meat as a significant source in Ndeńǵo's diets in the form of fish.

## The Three Villages

After the nomadic people passed through northern Jieńońxu, the Teńǵo settled in the region surrounding the Uajizi River. Three main communities sprouted up, one east of Uajizi and the other two west of the river. At first, many adults struggled to acclimate to a completely sedentary lifestyle. Although they never had travelled far outside the boundaries of Jirevibe, the Teńǵo would often abandon their temporary homes so that they could find more favourable wild game. They perceived staying put in one location as a disadvantage for obtaining their already diminished source of meat. The older generations' anxiety continued as a plague throughout the three villages until a trio of wise riýmbe (chieftesses) took hold of the vacant positions of power. Emphasising their religious beliefs of Utýnkýtu (balance in the world), they declared that the reduced meat availability was a message from the gods. As omniscient beings, they saw that the Teńǵo had been killing too many animals, so they promoted gathering as a way to restore Utýnkýtu.

Under the guidance of the riýmbe, the Teńǵo recognized the importance of their new lifestyle, and complaints about it died out. For years to come, they lived in peace, with little disturbance inside or out of the tiny nation. During this period, called Riýsinza Riýmzi, the Teńǵo discovered how to cultivate a grain native to their home region, mseyeǵe. Agriculture gave way to the first boom in the Teńǵo's population, which caused many people to worry about the balance in their population. They remembered the stories passed down of the gods' great punishment after their ancestors hunted too many animals, so they sought a way to reduce the population before they took action again.

## Talundamsi

Extremists began to believe that the only way to please the gods would be to sacrifice their children. As no one else could deliver a better solution, many Ndeńǵo started construction of large tandýsili (sacrificial pits). There was an island centred in between the three main villages, which soon came to be known as Talundamsi (Sacrifice Island). Despite the nature of their actions during this time, it was still considered to be part of Riýsinza Riýmzi because those actions were thought to keep peace.

Intriguingly, the rising popularity of voyages to Talundamsi led to the creation of a centralised trade network. Not only did different villages gain greater access to regional goods, but it facilitated communication between all the riýmbe. At first, the riýmbe sent ndendora (messengers) to discuss official matters. However, one jirýmbe, Riýmbe Tova, called for the other riýmbe to meet in her village, Nvonde. It had suffered from a poor yield during the first harvest of the season, which led many of the residents to believe they were displeasing the gods. Thus, many families travelled to Talundamsi and sacrificed most of their children. During the next harvest, Nvonde received an overabundance of food, which Riýmbe tova interpreted as a message from Utelembi telling them that their sacrifice was unnecessary.

After Riýmbe Tova shared Nvonde's recent misfortunes with all the riýmbe who came, they held an assembly that later became known as Jirýcýlo. For days on end, they discussed how to prevent more villages from suffering a similar mishap. Finally, they came to a decision: they would promote a council of religious individuals to regulate sacrifice according to the gods' will. The riýmbe housed this council, talýlota, in a temple on Talundamsi. Sacrifices were only permissible if approved and overseen by the council members; otherwise, Ndeńǵo were subject to punishment.

## Centaurish Interactions

Around the same time, centaurs came to occupy the land from which the nomadic tribes had originally cast out the Teńǵo. Their curiosity led to various interactions with the Teńǵo, which were mostly friendly. They became the Teńǵo's first foreign trading partners, and some especially amicable centaurs even allowed Ndeńǵo to ride on top of them.

At the same time, the once diminished inverted centaur population was flourishing in Jirevibe. The departure of the nomadic tribes freed up their niche, although the inverted centaurs never recovered the full extent of their territory. Despite their close proximity to the Teńǵo, few to no inverted centaur attacks were reported during the late Riýsinza Riýmzi period.

## Ndenkýtu ku Jielyanzy

However, Riýsinza Riýmzi was swiftly ended with Ndenkýtu ku Jielyanzy (the Centaur War). The outcome of the war was heavily in favour of its provoker Njoketa, who raised an army of centaurs greater than the entire population of Teńǵo. This led many Ndeńǵo to flee to the West or the neighbouring nation of the people who were once nomads. (In Njinzo, they were referred to as ndedenjiǵa, but their endonym is Durátšæm.) However, the council of talýlota held a sacrifice of 12 last-born sons before first battles to bolster their defences. After many long hard fights, the Teńǵo came out victorious. The major ritual at talýlota and its apparent success changed the connotation of sacrifice to something that should only be used in the case of lethal dangers.

Despite the sombre nature of Ndenkýtu ku Jielyansy, the war fully united the villages of Ndeńǵo into the nation of Teńku. The riýmbe stayed in power in their respective regions, although they elected Riýmbe Tova (another woman named Tova who coincidentally became a jirembe in Nvonde generations after the original Riýmbe Tova) as Ncimvambe, the leader of Teńku. In her honour, Nvonde became the capital of the new nation.

## Jieginsazo Jiýmzi

Although the Teńǵo were more united than ever, a paranoia of the malintention of foreigners lingered in their minds. This paranoia marked the start of the Jieginsazo Jiýmzi, the period of isolation. Ndeńǵo severely limited international trade networks and discouraged every travelling foreigner from going too close to villages. Even the friendly centaurs who aided them in defeating Njoteka’s army were distrusted by most.

The inverted centaurs were no help in diminishing Teńku’s isolationism. Western villages of ndeńǵo who had fled during Ndenkýtu ku Jielyanzy were experiencing increased attacks from the replenished population of inverted centaurs. These attacks led many residents of eastern Teńku to believe Njoteka was attacking them again. The Ncimvambe added the western villages into the nation, and Riýmbe Utýńja fortified her city Toxuńga Njokaguzý to protect westerners from further attacks. However, the riýmbe were hesitant to begin a second war. After all, the previous one had already threatened Utýnkýtu, it would be foolish to risk the imbalance another war could bring. Riýmbe Utýńja ordered a few warriors to bring back one of the attackers’ bodies for examination. Once they brought the body to her, she realised that the rumours of Njoteka were false, and spread the news to the other riýmbe.

Almost ironically, Jieginsazo Jiýmzi began a period of westward expansion. After uniting the western villages with Teńku proper, traders established a collection of coastal trade routes, called Ulankýtu, from the mouth of the Uanjenso river to that of Uajizi. Ulankýtu encouraged fishing, which introduced a variety of fish into the diets of Ndeńǵo throughout the nation. Additionally, fishermen built up small villages along the southward coast Jirýnve.

## Ńdetandýsiýjezi Tedýnjiǵa

Many generations had passed since the isolation of Teńku when the paranoia of outsiders started to wear off. No one would ever forget the atrocities of Ndenkýtu ku Jielyanzy, although few hostilities continued to burn in the hearts of the nation’s people. (While there was increasing antagonistic sentiment towards the inverted centaurs, the Teńǵo saw them less as an external adversary and more as a general nuisance in need of eradication.) Ndeńǵo reopened tandýjizi for foreign trade, and warily—yet whole-heartedly—welcomed centaurs back into Teńku. At this point, Teńǵo traders stayed hesitant to travel farther than their familiar villages, so they stuck to the intranational trade routes.

However, this would all change once a small group of Ndeńǵo arrived in Nvonde from the East. They wore garments foreign to the nation and sought a visitation with the local jirýmbe. Riýmbe Nzuńga obliged their request since she, similarly to other denizens of the town, believed that all people from the East were ndedenjiǵa (bearpeople). They spoke of riches from Tejizi Tedýnjiǵa (Tènduranŷn), and a distant nation Tuanji (Taadži), which had technology so advanced it was beyond one’s wildest imagination. They also provided a bottle of uanda (alcohol), the finest form of the new invention they could offer to prove their claims of Tuanji. Riýmbe Nzuńga immediately liked the taste of the uanda, so much so that she sent off a battalion of traders to establish ńdetandýsiýjezi tedýnjiǵa (trade settlements for the bearpeople) in order to improve relations with Tejizi Tedýnjiǵa and to get all of the magnificent goods they had to offer.

## Jirýnkege ku Riýrýńxuo

After an amount of time lost to the ages, the Teńǵo and Tedýnjiǵa had become highly amicable. Ndenve (people living near the border of Teńku and Tènduranŷn) exchanged many traditions, and riýmbe sometimes discussed legal reforms or ambitious projects with neighbouring joræm (see Tènduranŷn Government). Through the will of the trade market, Ulankýtu had naturally extended itself from the mouth of Uajizi to the banks of Lacariný (Tènduranŷn’s capital).

One day, some Ndenve came to Nvonde with a peculiar piece of knowledge. Tejizi Tedýnjiǵa had sent an envoy, know to them only as the First Marshal, on a diplomatic mission to meet with an eastern nation. While the Teńǵo knew of great nations in that direction, they also troubled themselves with the fear of a grand, terrifying army of inverted centaurs in their path. The few brave souls who dared to part in that direction told of grassy fields larger than the sea—an environment where Ndeńǵo would have no advantages over battling one of those carnivorous foes.

Yet, still, the First Marshal caught the attention of the Ncimvambe, who, after hearing the news, sought out the most courageous Teńǵo to follow him on his supposedly perilous journey. The person she found was Ndendora Ndejoǵu, one of the few who had already ventured into the eastern plains and a speaker of Râşduranŷn. After finding no inverted centaurs beyond the forest limits, Ndejoǵu dismissed the public’s fear as a false rumour that gained weight during the Jieginsazo Jiýmzi. As the new representative for this diplomatic mission, he earned the title ndendora. By riding on top his faithful companion Toyeńjezi the centaur, Ndendora Ndejoǵu caught up to the First Marshal. He explained the purpose of his speedy arrival and asked to join the First Marshal on his journey. After receiving permission, the trio set off to reach the meeting place.

At the assembly, the First Marshal sat across from the eastern nation’s representative. (This nation would later be referenced as Nacafi.) Ndendora Ndejoǵu stood to the side since he remained as a guest to the deals between the other representatives. They only allowed him to join the discussion once they began to deliberate the borders of the three present nations and a fourth who sent no one to the meeting. Ndendora Ndejoǵu made sure to get the largest amount of territory he could and sketched a quick map describing the regions newly added to Teńku. They also created a buffer zone between all the nations to form a trading hub and discourage war. Once all was done, Teńku had become more than double its previous size. Ndendora Ndejoǵu spread the news of his exploits at Tepuanzińti ga Riýnve (the name of the convention) and expelled any last doubt about the safety of the plains in the minds of the Ndeńǵo. As his final act for the mission, he got permission from the Ncimvambe to send a team of cartographers to map out their new territory.

## Jieńońxu Riýrýnsy fia Xe

Emergence from isolation into international affairs