Tanah:Cultures:Hairochon

Average Height 6"8" Average Weight 270 lbs Skin Color: Black to Cafe Au Lait

Resources:

      Physical:

              Iron and coal in the mountains, and the knowledge of how to make very good steel.

      Situational

              Mountain passes form a natural funnel for invaders.

      Skills

              Discipline, Discipline,Discipline!

             Early exercises combine Capoiera and Yoga (Dance and Stretch and breathing discipline). Something like the Firedance from Steven Barnes.
             Fire Dance and Earth Dance and Air Dance and Spirit Dance.

Technology

         General

              Steel making, Stone working.

         Medical
                  
              Magic boosted herbalism

         Weapon

              Crossbow with Steel Wire bows.

Magic

         General

              Mental Disciplines.

         Medical

              Medical oriented body discipline.

         Weapon

Subsistence Patterns

      Sheep , Auroch, Goats rearing as well as basic grain farming. Many semi-wild
      farming methods. 

Values and Kinship

      Children wild but closely watched to prevent themselves from hurting
      themselves or others.

      Descent is figured through the female line. Women are the ultimate
      arbiters of marriage and children.

      Males (especially at puberty) have a VIOLENT and terrifying temper. 

Language

      Dialects
      Literacy
      Writing Forms
      Sounds
      Vocabulary and Grammar

Religion,Myths,and History

      Religion
              Cosmology
              Deities

                      Kami or spirits exist and are seen in the high lands. Firefoxes and

water spirits in the streams and lakes.

      Myths
      History

Tradition

      Wedding
      Bedding
      Birthing
      Battle
      Binding

      Other

Institutions

      The Bond

           Unemployed Hairochon?  
           I'm thinking Roman Legion-style culture.  Will of iron. bones of granite.  
           I'm thinking they would call themselves "unBound", and be pretty much bound
            by their laws and rules and culture.  Like the idea of them living a
           really long time (I think a lot, therefore I am?)  

           They would leave their home turf when they find someone they trust (or choose for some
           other reason) to be Bound to.  Those wanting to hire them would have to
           go there, or be ucky enough to survive finding one after the person he
           was Bound to has died.  I'm thining they get power somehow from this
           Binding.  Random Hairochon raised by humans: powerful, dangerous.
           UnBound Hairochon following the Rules: More powerful, channelled,
           usually doesn't hurt others.  Bound Hairochon: Force of nature.
           BrokeBound Hairochon, after his Bond has died: Flee!

           Some Bonds (many Bonds?  most Bonds?) are passed from generation to generation, or are to longer-lived things than mere outPeople. Families, perhaps.  ("Great.                Dad died AND I get a great big hulking bodyguard moping around the place.")  Ths would be ameliorated by many Hairochin not surviving the death of their Bond unless it's from   something rare, like extreme old age.

      Clergy

           Shamanism ? Shinto like spirit talkers ?

      Rites and Rituals

            What rituals recognize the bond ?

      Religious Norms

Art, Architecture, and Symbolism

      Symbolism

      Common Motifs

      Significant Numbers

      Art

      Architecture

           Homes are six sided clan houses with central fireplace and clay chimneys
           and firebrick. Stone is the primary building material.

Politics

Leadership

  Stated
  Actual

Class Structure

Judicial Structure

      Making the Laws

              Village or Clan elders : Like the Elders of the Turtle clans ? Their word reverbs through the clans...

      Enforcing the Laws

              Thats the easy part.

Legal Code

      Ownership of Goods
      Land
      Male and Female Roles
      Church and State
      Death by Suicide
      Death by Anothers Hand
      Death in Self Defense

Military

      Standing

      Command

      Routine
      Arms

          Arms are hand, staff, and spear and maybe hand and a half type sword?
          and buckler?

I think they would also master whatever weapons are used by their Bond, or are common in that area.

      Outfitting
      Theory

Children run wild, eh? I like it. One more hazard of going to request a Bond. (Probably like having baby dragons around...) They would become adults when they can accept the Oath (which would of course be binding) to follow the rules of their clanguild, and of the People. That way, they have a personal idea of what their unchanneled power can do to them, and to those around them. Plus, that makes Fate twisted enouigh locally to screw up good divinations, which is another defense. Also opens up the possibility of a "rogue" Hairochin, though I'd imagine the Rules for that would be fairly harsh. (I'd also imagine that to be incredibly rare, as well.) Penlties include death, exile and a Doom (The All-Mother pronouncing "Thou shall never find peace, never rest, never be a part of society, until thou returnest and taketh the Oath to the People." or something equally overdramatic and binding.)

Hairochin bodies come home for burial.

I see a division of gender roles, here. Women rule the home (including the homeland.) Men deal with the Outside. Women might be Bonded, but it is far less common. There might even be a secret or two that the culture is working on, kept from those who go Outside. (Or not. would make a great rumor.)

For weapons, I see their body as the primary. The one that can't be taken away. Then, simple things like the staff and the bo. Their build would support s greatsword or greataxe quite well, too. (Or greatbow for the archers. I'm sensing a theme, here.) Bringing out the steel weapons would probably indicate that this is Serious Business. (Or that you've been acknowleged as a threat. Congratulations!)

The standing army, of course, is Every Single One. (At least, every one who's take them Oath. Children, while deadly and determined, are not regular troops.) Any invading force should expect huge losses. A succesful invasion would require genocide, or the next thing to it.

Their pacifist-seeming consensus-building decision process means that, if they were to invade another, the entire army (which again, is everyone) would be involved. Fortunately for the rest of us, that doesn't happen often.

The culture treats written and spoken words differently, using fragments of statement on paper so as not to create something Binding. Bonds are created this way (usually in consultation with the Mother.) Though most of them are simple and traditional, there have been enough odd results from unfortuante wordings that care is always taken. (Field-Bonds, of course, being the exception. One of the reasons they are so rare.)

Hairochin are different Outside and at home. Outside, they are ready for battle. At home, they are more relaxed, though still painfully formal. (Painful to us. They find it comfortable.)

Influences: Dariel/Hegit from Joan Cox's "Star Web" Japanesish stuff (architecture, food, Bushido) Roman legions (discipline) Some Navaho (architecture, "the People")