Zajouni

Introduction

𒐕𒐖𒈦𒇲𒆸𒁓𒑚𐏓𒈦𒐕𒆸𒐖

The Zajouni originated in the Great Desert of Sadafeia, from the tents and caverns of the old tribes. Zealous beyond even the most devoted of coastal priests, their divine war against the dark power of Malthambra is something of a curiosity to most outsiders. Still, with the rise of the Taezaanid Dynasty, their culture has been responsible for the construction of grand cities, the persecution of slavers in an area otherwise favorable to it, and a new geopolitical force to meet the challenge of the struggling Reveian Empire.

Their culture is one of egalitarianism, asceticism, and the pursuit of improving one’s community over personal greed. Their philosophers are the zealots who preach against financiers, bankers, and exploiters. Despite their relative progressivism, their society is regimented by a very strict faith. Their punishments and customs reflect the cruelty of the deserts, and are an anomaly to the Reveians.

Physical Appearance

𒇬𒀂𒌨𒔼𒐕𐏓𒋻𒁇 𒋻𒇬𒇬𒀼𒋻𒇲𒋻𒐖𐏓𒀼

The Zajouni people are lighter skinned than their Q’omshars or Jazirene counterparts, and are shorter on average. Their average height ranges from 5’1 to 5’9, with females hovering around the lower end. Zajouni descended people often feature black hair with little variance, and green or brown eyes to match. The values of their culture have often led many outsiders to consider them the skinniest of the world’s people-groups, and that description is accurate.

Culture

𐏓𒑚𒁇𒈦𒑚𒇲𒀼

Language

𒁇𒋻𒐖𒋝𒑚𒋻𒋝𒀼

The Zajouni language relies on an ancient form of cuneiform, said to have been handed down by the tribal priests of old. It is still used in religious writings, imperial edicts, and all official documents. Zajouni Seers consider the study of the old language to be a duty, even if the use of it has largely departed from original meaning. Many Zajouni citizens of notable wealth are taught proficiency in modern Primean, the common business language of the area. Seers and scribes still use clay tablets for communication.

Customs

𐏓𒑚𒔼𒈦𒆸𐎠𒔼

Zajouni are very expressive people, prone to emotional and revelatory outbursts that often scare outsiders. Seer-led worship is an interactive affair, with shouting and yelling common to their rituals. Each day is christened by a prayer to the sun, called Alnaari. Families keep strictly to this practice, even when Alnaari is obscured. Prayer is a communal affair, as are evening meals which are observed with members of the village. The emphasis on communal fellowship derives from their tribal heritage, and the harsh lifestyle of their forefathers. When the Zajouni began settling cities and towns, what was a formerly harsh existence was replaced with a culture of gratitude.

Gift-giving and inter-communal generosity is seen as a commandment, though Zajouni are hesitant to show generosity to outsiders, believing still in the prioritization of their own. This is not due to any intrinsic xenophobia, but the belief that Alnaari’s gifts are to be stewarded among the Zajouni. Punishments are also given authority to local seers, symbolizing the old tribal structures of the desert. Seers will conduct corporal punishment with the assistance of communal servants, and are particularly cruel to outsiders.

Society

Zajouni society is organized around the clergy, and the Great Seer who leads them. They practice a potent form of theocracy, where leaders are crowned with the ceremonial title of “Taezaanid”, and given a numeral to designate their position in the divine succession. Seers are confined to their temples when the time comes to select the next Taezaanid ruler, and are given the ceremonial wris spice to assist in their judgment. Zajouni society is regimented around faith. The warriors maintain a respected place in the hierarchy, and are usually the wealthy families in the absence of a true burgher class. On the matter of economy, the Zajouni maintain a skepticism toward the practices of banking. Usury is banned and considered a grave crime.

What little burgher class exists is subjugated to the interests of the clergy, who will often levy vice taxes upon instances of excessive ownership or greed. Gambling is allowed when bartering is undertaken, while gambling with realm currency is strictly barred. While the Zajouni practice many progressive economic policies, their society is still subject to a high degree of wealth inequality, and the Zajouni certainly do not hold to the idea that they align with progressive ideologues. Their government is not subject to the popular whim, and the Taezaanid retains absolute authority barring the advice he receives from the clergy.

Men and women are equal in treatment, but are expected to fill roles befitting divine command. Mothers are to raise children, and will often collaborate with others in their community to raise children in a cooperative system. Women are barred from serving on the Seer councils, but are permitted to become Seers. It is divinely mandated that only males are capable of assuming the mantle of Taezaanid, emulating Alnaari himself who was said to be male during the incarnation. Still, women will often join militia during wartime.

Zajouni villages are rural and agrarian, and despite the Zajouni turn toward building cities, their cities are few and far between. They will instead rely on other cities for port access, like Cenrah in the east or Alsabar in the west. Farming, the growth of wris, and the transport of spice make up the bulk of Zajouni exports.

Zajouni culture is one of revelry, regulated only by the faith custom of the village. Festivals are rowdy, and dances that emphasize the fluid motion of the body are popular. Fire dancers will incorporate this style of dance with demonstrations of magical power.

Dress

𒁓𒇲𒀼𒔼𒔼

Zajouni fashion is emblematic of the practical needs of a culture borne from the unforgiving Desert of Sadafeia. Still, in many towns and villages, Zajouni wear full body coverings with special head cloth to shield from exposure. Only in the highest echelon of power and in the wealthy class of Zajouni warriors has this tradition altered in anyway. While the practical and often dull fashion of the desert is still worn, the wealthy will opt for more ornate appearances. Gold jewelry and lavish colors are used, and men in particular will opt for jewelry pieces rather than a shirt or tunic. It is incredibly common to see courtiers bearing paint on their chest and torso, rather than clothing.

Philosophy

𒇬𒀂𒐕𒁇𒆸𒔼𒆸𒇬𒀂𒌨

The Zajouni place an immense emphasis on their philosophical schools, and are reputed for their sophistication even by their most ardent enemies. Yet, their philosophy could not be further from that of their peers. The Zajouni believe in the immortality of the soul, but only once it has been enlightened. Man is a corporeal prison within which the soul is entrapped, by the evil spirit of Malthambra. To believe in Alnaari and pursue his commandments is to slowly strip the corporeal bonds that ground and restrict the soul, allowing the soul to escape upon death. As such, asceticism is an important practice among the devout, and fasting is common among the Zajouni populace.

Commensurate with their belief about the soul, they believe that material pleasures are evil in most cases, though confine this belief mostly to material excess. To be rich is to be under the influence of evil, and one is commanded to give away their possessions to live virtuously once more. The richness of their philosophy is engendered by their focus on the purity of the soul and its connection to the body. Zajouni philosophers have long debated on the separation of soul and body. The prevailing view, “Fravasi Midtha” is the belief that the soul is alien to the body, that the material world has bound it in its clutch to be delivered to Malthambra. Some disagree, alleging instead a concept called, “Fravasi Utitha”. Fravasi Utitha is the view that the body is not completely bound in the evil spirit, and that Alnaari has allowed the material to shroud the soul so that the soul may lead the material to produce good works. Despite the usual zealotry toward differences in belief, the disagreement over Fravasi is not one to produce violent animosity. Instead, the dispute is bound by good-mannered debate among the Seers who take interest in it.

Religion

𒇲𒀼𒁇𒐕𒋝𒐕𒆸𒐖

Mainline Faith

The Zajouni are called among Alnaari’s faithful as the Muthanna Sahl, the more zealous of the two Sadafi faiths. They believe and place Alnaari as the central deity worthy of worship, and believe that good deeds and obedience are crucial in empowering him. At the dawn of creation, Alnaari was believed to have been a powerful mage, a guide to the Zajouni people. Upon his ascension, he passed down several commandments to the leaders of the tribes, of which there were sixteen. With his ascension to become the world’s light, the Zajouni believe in a divine mission that is required to maintain Alnaari’s power. If they were to fail, Malthambra, the malevolent opposite of Alnaari, would prevail and plunge the world into darkness. As such, the Zajouni justify their zealotry through the Muthanna Kitabat, a cuneiform tablet inscribed with the commandment to kill and forcefully convert heathen and heretic alike.

The Zajouni believe the material to be a prison for the spiritual. Execution by burning is seen not as disrespect, but as devotion to Alnaari. Similar treatment is offered to the dead, as the soul is then able to freely leave the mortal plane and be judged by Alnaari himself. A good soul, one who has lived an obedient and virtuous life, will see Alnaari waiting for him. An evil soul will see some manifestation of Malthambra. The good are then led to paradise, where they serve under Alnaari as guardians for the living, to pray for their protection and blessing. The evil are handed over to Malthambra, where they are tormented in the House of Deceit for eternity, bound to service.

Zajouni clergy are known as Seers, the highest among them called the Great Seer. They are trusted to interpret dreams, pass judgment in court, and are entrusted with the advisory and judicial roles afforded to nobles in Reveia. To become a Seer, a Zajouni aspirant is sent to the deserts to consult with the tribes. There, they are sent on a month-long pilgrimage between the various tribal settlements, studying the ancient scriptures and tuning their souls to Alnaari’s will. They are only offered bread and water to sustain their journey, and must pray upon each sunrise for their journey’s protection. When they have returned from their journey, the Seer is branded by a fire dancer with the Mark of Midtha, usually placed on the right side of their chest.

The Zajouni position on converts is simple. They believe all are capable of receiving the light of Alnaari, including those who they deem as servants of the dark. It is why their position against slavery is as strong as it is. They believe slavery constitutes a material prison that oppresses the soul and restrains it from enlightenment. To be enslaved as a follower of Alnaari is an abominable fate worse than death.

Cults and Heresies

𐏓𒑚𒁇𒈦𒔼 𒋻𒐖𒁓 𒀂𒀼𒇲𒀼𒔼𒐕𒀼𒔼

The Zajouni are not known for having to deal with society-shattering heresies, and their cults are confined to philosophical or practical differences. There is one exception, and they are known as the Muthanna Zaydira. A tribe in the deep desert, the Muthanna Zaydira believe that the civilization of the Zajouni and the establishment of grand cities and armies have distracted the Seers from following Alnaari’s will. They believe, zealously so, that the true commandment of Alnaari is to live as close to the desert as possible, believing the desert sands to be a gift by Alnaari himself. As such, they still retain their tribal customs and practices. They are the only heresy among the Zajouni that count themselves hostile to the mainline faith.

Warfare

𒉼𒋻𒇲𐎣𒋻𒇲𒀼

Zajouni warfare has not departed in doctrine from the days of old. They are raiders, rogues, and lightly-equipped ones at that. Armies of the Taezaanid Dynasty rely on marauders to carry out vicious and quick raids upon their foes. Generally, an attack of this character will not last more than an hour. Most Zajouni raids rely on fear, led by the stentorian noise of horns or whistles to scare opponents from the field.

In field battles, the Zajouni rely on cavalry to complement light infantry. Powerful mamluk armored horsemen combine speed with shock to make for a brutal foe. Elephants remain in auxiliary, but have been a reliable ally when faced with large formations of tough infantry. Zajouni strength lies in the potency of the fire dancers, a group of a hundred or so fire mages who will play the role of tactician but also a more involved role on the frontlines. In all of Zajouni history, there has only existed a single battle where the fire dancers were not present.