Editing Diaphane (section)

==Helot Cultures==

===Gnarides, helot client state===

The Gnarides are the helot culture in the lands near Diaphane. They were the original inhabitants of the area, driven away by the “Witch Sister.” Although once warlike, they have been conquered and subjugated, and now their clans are scattered through several petty kingdoms. They are pastoralists who raise mountain goats and make cheese, although they are known for being good spear hunters, and occasionally hired as mercenary spearmen. 

Gnaride culture revolves around their worship of the earth deity, which they view as both male and female. They build lingams – large standing stones representing the phallus of the god. They also have sacred caves – representing the goddess – called yoni caves. They practice barbaric fertility magic with these, and claim that is why the men of Diaphane fear to build tall structures that cast shadows, and why they will not abide dark caves. Only men deal with lingams and their magic, and only women deal with yonis and their magic. Having the shadow of a lingam stone fall on you is lucky, but also arouses carnal lust and blood lust. Entering the dark yoni cave aids in conception and childbirth. If women fall under the lingam’s shadow, they may become pregnant or barren. If men enter the yoni cave, they may return as women or pregnant. For obvious reasons, both of these actions are taboo. Outsiders rarely benefit from either lingam stones or yoni caves. Their magic-men are called Horned Men because they wear crowns of horns, and while they are good at dealing with female spirits, they are very unlucky with male spirits.

Occupations: Helot, Herder, Weaver, Hunter, Spearman, Horned Man
Suggested Skills: Animal Handling, Farming, Sex Appeal, Spear, Occult (spirits)
Social Background: Cultural Familiarity (1 pt., Diaphane), Gnaric (native language), Glossa (accented language)
Suggested Quirks: Broad-Minded, Proud, Lusty*
Sample Contact Groups: Clan, Former Lovers
Suggested Spells (for men): Incite Bloodlust (IQ/Average), Incite Carnal Lust (IQ/Hard)
Suggested Spells (for women): Increase Fertility (IQ/Hard), Ease Childbirth (IQ/Average)
Common Names: Dwight, Loeis, Amalie 
Rumor: “Gnaride spearmen boast that when they capture opponents in Flower Wars, the women want to never go back home, and the men to never face another Flower War again. Telling such tales makes Diaphanides very angry.” 

-- by Kakita Kojiro

===Charsides, helot client state===

The Charsides are one of the oldest helot cultures of Diaphane. Their lands had always been extremely fertile, but they claimed this was because of their custom of burying living victims in the soil of their most fertile fields. When they were conquered and civilized this custom was forbidden – which has caused them to be avid supporters of every helot rebellion, so that they might once again feed their hungry fields. “Charse is beating its plows into weapons” is a watchword for revolution in Diaphane.

Following the Second Shattering and the bloody helot revolts that led up to it, Diaphane built Sun Towers throughout the lands of the Charsides – not so much to protect them, as to threaten any revolts with the burning rays of the sun. Since then the Charsides have complained of being plagued by hungry ghosts, but when the Archons sent magicians to investigate, they reported nothing. Finally an extremely clever archon had the Charsides take her to the locations of all the most peaceful haunts – and promptly deputized those ghosts as magistrates to oversee the unruly, hungry ghosts. Ever since the Charsides have gone to complain to the magistrate ghosts, and the Archons have not been bothered.

Occupations: Helot, Farmer, Ghostcaller, Tinker, Woodcutter
Suggested Skills: Farming, Polearm, Smith, Occult (ghosts), Forbidden Lore (field sacrifices)
Social Background: Cultural Familiarity (1 pt., Diaphane), Charsic (native language), Glossa (accented language)
Suggested Quirks: Belligerent*, Incompetence (magic), Proud
Suggested Spells: Feed Ghost (IQ/Average), Identify Ghost (IQ/Hard)
Rumor: “Now that they have been subdued and civilized, the Charsides have been eager to learn pellucid magic, so as to be able to see the invisible and hungry ghosts that plague them. Despite their studies, they all say that these new spells do not show them the invisible ghosts which they know to be there, and so they have complained bitterly. Cryptomancers sent to look into the matter have never seen these ghosts, either, leaving everyone confused and annoyed.” 

-- by Kakita Kojiro