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Language
Name
Qurshan
Epithets
Most people of other races use the fallbacks “elves,” or “desert elves,” though the Qurshan’s mortal enemies, the Khahl, refer to the Qurshan as “Zrkha,” which technically means the shed skin of the sand snake, but which means to the Khahl “those who are but empty, impotent husks of that which was once great.” The “once great” in this case means the Qaroo race/culture before the Azheer Sundering, and before the Khahl became what they are today. When pronounced, Zrkha sounds like someone spitting up phlegm while sneezing. It’s ugly, and is meant to be ugly.
Spoken Language
The Qurshan and the Khahl speak the same root language, though over time, they have developed into two distinct dialects. Since the original Qaroo race was not much aware of a world beyond their island, and members of the current Qurshan race are self-centric enough to believe that they are the center of the universe, their language is referred to by them as “Speaking.” Therefore, when talking, they say they are “speaking.” When the first travelers from other islands landed upon Qaroo, the Qurshan were amazed that there were people out there who could not “speak.” They described the language of the other races in such ways as: “they hack and wheeze, but not an intelligent word escapes their lips;” or, “he emitted the rasping bark of a dog, and his companions seem to understand. Therefore, I believe they be spawned of dogs.” It was many, many centuries before the Qurshan even bothered to recognize that other races might have intelligence, and this was because they did not recognize other races as “speaking.”
Nowadays, with Gabal being the port town, and people of other races being more common, the Qurshan give other races a begrudged acknowledgement that they may communicate in other languages. They still claim that other races speak languages of other beasts or animals (the Qurshan are ever self-centered). The Qurshan still refer to their own language as “Speaking,” while the languages of other races are referred to as “that rat-tongue of the spotted people,” or “the noise-like-a-camel-in-heat of those short, bearded people.”
Outside races generally refer to the Qurshan language as Qurshan. “The desert warrior utters a phrase in his native Qurshan.”
Written Language
Only in recent centuries has the art of writing been common with the Qurshan. For thousands of years, all history, stories, and blood-debts were passed in an oral tradition. This was mostly due to the fact that the Qurshan, being a nomadic and warlike people, had very little use for added baggage, or anything that did not immediately aid them in their individual blood feuds. However, as some of the people of Qaroo started settling in semi-permanent towns and villages, and as travelers from foreign parts began showing up on their shores, the art of writing and recording became necessary, rather than superfluous. Not every Qurshan can read and write, but most are given the opportunity to learn. Whether they do or not is up to the individual.
Because so much of Qaroo’s history was communicated through an oral tradition before finally being written down, much of it seems mythic in proportion, and outsiders are loathe to accept it as straight fact, especially knowing how such tales can become exaggerated over time. However, the Qurshan are obsessive about their histories, bloodlines, and blood-debts, and adhere to them as truths, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.
Qurshan writing is phonetic.
Foreign Languages
Most traditional Qurshan do not lower themselves to learn other languages, the most traditional being those who still wander the desert in nomadic tribes. Qurshan who live in the port city of Gabal often speak multiple languages (out of necessity only, because the trader Qurshan love their gold as much as their native Speak), and most educated Qurshan can speak a common tongue, though they view it as a guttural, inadequate way of communicating. Worse, the Qurshan have disdain for any outside race that attempts to speak the Speak, and unless that individual is highly respected, a Qurshan is likely to take offense at an outsider’s pathetic excuse of an attempt and consider it an insult to their ears, and possibly take out the tongue of the offender to satisfy the “debt” that the insult accrued.
Such a touchy people… tsk tsk.
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Appearance
Physical Appearance
The Qurshan are basically human in height, with females averaging between 5’4” to 5’9” and males from 5’6” to 6’4.” Their skin is dark, from centuries and centuries of living in their harsh environment. The dark pigments in the skin help protect them from the sun’s terrible fury. Skin tones range from light brown to black, depending on which line of descent an individual comes from. Their skin is thick and tougher than human skin. Their ears are small, but sharply pointed, and their faces have very prominent bone structure. Eyes and hair also vary from light brown to black, depending on the bloodline of the individual. Their eyes are narrow, long, and slanted, beneath prominent brows, with thick, protective lashes. Their general physical stature is muscular and lithe, with long limbs and wide, flat feet.
Qurshan often wear their tribal affiliations and descent in tattoos on their faces. These can be very simple, or very complex, depending on the family the Qurshan is part of. When a Qurshan distinguishes himself or herself herself in warfare, he is often given new tattoos across the wrist and lower arms also. Tattooing is carried out by the more traditional tribes, and not all modern or world-traveling Qurshan partake of the tradition. The tattooing is a rite of passage that happens when the Qurshan has first drawn blood in battle. In the deep interior of the island, if a nomadic Qurshan sees another Qurshan with no tattoo, they consider the unmarked elf to be a coward of the highest sort, and a dishonor to their family of descent, because it would imply that the individual has not killed any enemies. In the case of Qurshan with very black skin, a scarification is often done in place of a tattoo.
Environmental Adaptation
Most of their appearance is an environmental adaptation. The dark skin is rich in melatonin, helping protect the elves from the cruel sun of their environment. Their thick, long lashes protect the eyes from the sand and dust that constantly blow about in the desert, and an extra-tough skin layer protects their skin from the rasping effects of the blowing sands also. Their wide feet offer firmer footing on the shifting sands, like a camel’s foot
Qurshan do not sweat. Their bodies metabolize impurities solely through the internal organs, and not through the skin, as humans do. By not sweating, the Qurshan are able to retain much of their bodies’ moisture, making them able to go longer without drinking before dehydrating. Qurshan still must drink, and they do drink a lot, but they do not sweat out all their body fluid as many other races would.
Instead of the typical heat regulatory system used by other races (perspiration), the Qurshan utilize an innate ability to control their internal body temperature. An average human has a body temperature of 98 degrees F, but Qurshan have no “normal” body temperature. By day, their internal temperatures can reach as high as 109 degrees without any adverse affects, in effect, “storing” the heat until evening. At night, a Qurshan’s body cools off, as heat radiates from their body into the chillier desert air, and their internal temperatures commonly dip as low as 91 degrees. In this way, they are “storing coolness” for the coming day.
The Qurshan have a mystical explanation for what happens inside their bodies, believing that Kadar “touches” them by day, giving them the gift of his heat. They believe that at night, when Kadar’s power is weakest, Ghaaz travels the earth under cloak of darkness, draining Kadar’s gift from mortals and replacing it with his own chill essence. The Qurshan credit their ability to withstand such extreme temperatures as a spiritual explanation for why they are the superior race, and why their gods are the only gods.
Children, and especially babies, are not able to regulate their heat as effectively, and often have to be kept covered, or in the shade, during the sun’s worst heat. A baby left uncovered in the noontime sun would most likely die.
Lifespan
Qurshan live for approximately 100 years.
Home Environment
Qaroo is a harsh land. It is hot and arid, and there is not much shelter from the sun. There are often hot winds that carry sand and dust, to flay the skin of the ill prepared. Around the island, there are some cliffs, mesas, caves, and other natural land formations, but in general, the interior of the land is dry and tree-less. Desert vegetation grows in abundance in some areas, and oases are not uncommon. Qaroo is a land that must be carefully planned for, and only a rash and short-lived person would dare the interior without adequate preparation.
Qaroo does have a rainy season, but it basically gets all its rain within a single week, at which point, much of the land floods beneath a torrential downpour. The shifting sands and parched earth are often drastically altered during this rainy period, at least until the rains the following year. The fauna and flora of the island is adapted to this cycle, and for a few weeks after the rains come, the desert blooms with life. Within a month of the rains stopping, the desert landscape appears almost as dry as when it started, with all the plants withered, and the water seeping deep into the ground and the water table far below.
Attitude Towards Nature
Nature is just another lifelong battle for the Qurshan. They do not see the sun or winds as enemies, but they do deify their surroundings. The sun, wind and water gods and goddesses are portrayed as merciless, rewarding strength and stamina, and disdaining weakness. The Qurshan consider a successful life in the desert as a series of appeasements to their gods. Should an elf get lost and wander in the desert and die, it might be said that the water goddess found the elf wanting, and abandoned him without leading him to water, so that he might live to fight again another day. Oases are often dedicated to the goddess, and are treated with reverence. Fresh water is considered “blood of the gods,” and the Qurshan believe that by drinking of the “blood of the gods”, they are strengthened and kept alive. Salt water is considered a sacrilege, and the salt water that filled in the Azheer Sundering after the Great War is seen as a terrible defilement.
Qurshan have a great respect for their environment, and do not take it frivolously, or take survival for granted. Should they die of environmental causes, it only shows how strong the gods require them to be, and how sometimes, individuals fail the gods.
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Home Life
Dwellings
There are basically two types of Qurshan: those still adhering to the traditional nomadic model; and those who have congregated to live in towns or cities. Nomadic Qurshan carry their homes with them, tents made of a light, weatherproof material, similar to silk. The common tent is a simple affair, but as the importance and status of the Qurshan increases, so does the complexity of the tent. In general, tents are floored with elaborate rugs woven in cities, and furnished with cushions and low, folding tables, or in poorer tents, a simple wooden tray resting on the ground serves as a table.
Cities and towns have gained in popularity since the opening of Qaroo’s borders to trade. Building materials aboveground tend to adobe and plaster. Some towns are built directly into the cliffs, where they rely on fishing and trade for their livelihoods, as the cliffs ring the island on the outer, sea edge. A few towns, further in the desert, but on firm, dry earth, have homes built belowground. Each city or town is built in a manner that best suits its environment and resources. Most towns or cities have some defensive structures, in honor of their warlike traditions. On rare occasions, the Khahl have been known to cross the Azheer sundering and make it past the wandering tribes, but this is rare.
Family Homes
Nomadic Qurshan place less emphasis on their homes, and more emphasis on war. Because of this, Qurshan sleep anywhere, doubled up in tents, or just by the fire. Individual tents are generally “owned” by the strongest male, or female if there is no male, to invite others into the tent or around the fire. While a poor family may have only one tent, a wealthy or highly placed family may have several that would be put up around a family fire. Warriors often sleep crowded into the warrior tent, or sleep on the ground outside, or stand watch. Some folks sleep outside, usually single males, who have no need of property, or who have not yet stolen a wife to keep a tent for them. Some men keep tents even if single, depending on whether they have the money to buy one, or the skills to make one, or family nearby who will invite them to sleep in their tent or around their fire. Leaders and the very powerful usually show their authority and prestige by sharing their larger, more private spaces, with just their immediate family.
In the cities, space is permanent and more readily available. Some homes contain one family, and some include extended family. How a family lives usually depends on whether or not they are modernized and wealthy, or whether they still adhere to a more traditional, nomadic lifestyle. The more traditional Qurshan have larger families, and include extended families in their home structure.
Family Organization
The Qurshan family consists of husband, wife, and children. It is not unheard of for a Qurshan male to have more than one wife. However, Qurshan law allows for wives to challenge each other in blood battles. The reward might be the honor of First Wife, or simply the death of one’s rival. A smart Qurshan man does not marry more than one woman at a time, lest his household fall into blood passion and chaos. It adds honor to a man when his wife is strong, but it looks bad for a man if his household is torn apart by strife and death.
In families with a female leader, the female can also technically marry more than one husband, but a female must be careful that she does not loose her authority to a household full of testosterone. A dominant female who cannot control her husband(s) is not respected in the community.
Attitude Towards Children
Children are great; they add glory to a family. Nomadic families, however, view weak or sickly children as an embarrassment, and a curse by the Sun god. If they not left out in the desert to die immediately, these children are often sent to live with relatives in the cities, where such handicaps are not seen with as much dishonor.
Attitude Towards the Elderly
It is not healthy to be old in a nomadic Qurshan tribe. Any elder who cannot carry his own load is left behind to die in the desert or at the hands of enemies, considered a dishonor to the family. It is considered an honorable thing for any Qurshan that has become a burden to his family to take his own life in a great ceremony before the community. In more modern times however, many elderly Qurshan move to the cities, where they can still find work or usefulness, and live much longer lives.
Kinship Ties
Kinship ties are all about honor and dishonor. If a family member adds honor to a family, that tie is strengthened. If an individual brings dishonor to their family, that tie is weakened, sometimes to the extent that the individual is banished, exiled and/or driven away.
Ironically, in the tradition of “Blood for Blood,” if any rival family, tribe, or the Khahl, takes the life of even the lowliest member of another family, that family retaliates just as fiercely. In this, it is a matter of pride and propriety. Even if a family member is a weakling, it should be a private matter for the family to resolve, not for an outsider to remedy.
Extended family
Extended family is all about power and honor and strength. Is your cousin’s daughter’s second husband a mighty warrior? Then you should claim some relation to that person, and include them in your family. Is your sister’s son a whiner with a strange skin disorder? You should probably try to find some way to justify how that person is not a member of your family.
Such practices are less extreme in the cities, and are usually more monetary. Is your cousin’s daughter’s second husband a wealthy wine merchant? Then you should claim some relation. Is your sister’s son a penniless drunkard? Then you should probably ignore him if you pass him in the street.
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Nourishment
Food
Several major foods grow in the harsh climate of Qaroo. One is a type of buckwheat grain called Kasha. There are also extensive groves of olives, figs and dates near oases and fresh water sources. Chickpeas, onions and eggplant grow in the arid soil, and livestock has been adapted to thrive in the challenging conditions. Livestock includes desert pigs, goats, a rather tough little bird called a sand hen, and whatever fish is caught out of the oceans and channels. Camel is a large source of meat for many nomadic Qurshan, and the meat of suckling camels is considered a delicacy. Qurshan catch and eat lots of reptiles, usually snakes and desert tortoises. Sesame seeds are often mashed into a tahini-like concoction, and fruits from the orchards are frequently preserved in a type of paste.
Salt fields are plentiful on Qaroo, and bees provide an abundance of honey. Qaroo is capable of supporting a very rugged coffee plant, and the coffee made from this bean is thick, bitter, and very potent. It is drunk in small little cups, and for special occasions, like before war or battle or a very important trade negotiation. Desert herbs are not as plentiful as in other climates, but do exist and are flavorful and potent medicinals.
Goats and camels provide milk and cheese and fill dairy needs.
Cactus is used by the nomadic tribes as a source of food and fluid, but is most commonly used to distill a very potent alcoholic drink known as Gavi. A lighter distillation is also made, more like a juice. It packs less punch, but is very refreshing in parched lands, and is called Gosi. Mineral and fresh water springs abound in the oases dotting the Keshat half of the island, and water flavored with honey, date or mint is a popular beverage.
Food Production
Nomadic tribes hunt, gather and trade for their food. A few regions of the island are hospitable enough to support farming of buckwheat, olives, figs, dates and a few limited vegetables, and are usually located close to larger cities or towns for protection from raids by the Khahl. Irrigation is a practice that has long been practiced by more settled Qurshan, and has allowed them to grow food in greater and greater quantities as the population of the island grew following the great Azheer War. It is common practice for tribes of nomadic Qurshan to travel the rounds from farm to farm, trading items such as camel, liquor, jewelry, and captured booty for food. Beekeeping is a popular income-producing activity, and it is not uncommon for beekeepers to keep their beehives on the rooftops of their homes, underneath an awning for shade. Herd animals are kept, and moved about from town to town, tribe to tribe, as animals are sold, bred, born and sold again. Most herd animals eat a scrubby, brittle plant called “hokh,” or are fed buckwheat grass.
Special Dishes
Nomadic and settled Qurshan alike eat many skewered foods. Shish-kabobs are easy to prepare, quick to cook, and require little in the way of cookware and utensils, making it an ideal meal deal for the traveling desert elf. Kasha noodles with olive oil, sesame seeds, and eggplant is another popular dish, as is any dish prepared with suckling camel. And of course, there is the all-time favorite, Gavi.
Unpalatable Dishes
Avoidance of particular foods or food groups is a personal thing for each Qurshan, rather than a racial one. As a cultural ideal, there is nothing that a Qurshan would back down from, including food, but stories circulate of some adventurous Qurshan balking at such foods as snails, raw sea urchin, and other exotic foods of slimy texture. Because Qurshan have been known to ingest such extremes as blood, vipers, insects, and raw meat, it is just hard to find something they will not eat.
Tool Use in Eating
All Qurshan carry knives at a very young age. They traditionally keep a smaller knife just for eating, as opposed to killing. They also use a variety of other eating utensils, depending on how wealthy or powerful they are. The poorer Qurshan use only basic cooking and eating equipment, but utensils vary from wide, flat spoons to a single sharply pointed stick used for spearing meats. Many traditional dishes are made to be eaten with the hands, or directly off the skewers the food was cooked on.
Family Dinners
Because of the warrior and nomadic nature of traditional Qurshan, they tend to eat many meals on the go. When they make camp, people tend to eat around their own household fire. Unmarried females usually eat with their father’s family, or mother’s, if their father is dead. Unmarried males, the warriors, eat around a fire together, or at several fires scattered around the perimeter of the camp. During longer stays in one place, nomadic Qurshan take the opportunity to cook up large quantities of food, smoking meats, preserving fruits, etc., to be eaten in the longer wanderings between stops.
In the cities, Qurshan eat in their homes, in restaurants, which are growing more in popularity each century, or eat food from street vendors, since the mild evening temperatures bring much of the populace outdoors after the extremely hot daytime temperatures.
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Personal Adornment
Clothing
Non-warrior men traditionally wear a thobe, which is a long white robe designed to reflect the desert sun, and still allow for air to circulate. More modern styles dye the actual thobe, and border it with beautiful and intricate stitching. Most often, however, thobes are worn with a thin outer jacket, vest or cloak made of camel hair. These outer garments are generally brown, beige or black, but can be dyed in brighter colors if the person is wealthy enough. Men also wear light-colored tunics which reach to the knees and are slit up to the hip on either side. Underneath these tunics are worn loose cotton pants. Both thobes and tunics are often secured with heavy damask belts. These belts can have tassels or bells or metallic stitching depending on the wealth of the wearer.
Women generally wear long dresses of colorful cotton, with thin outer cloaks called “abayas.” Many Qurshan women wear “shaylas” with their dresses and abayas, which are long, gauzy scarves that can wrap around the neck or hair, to protect from blowing dust or sand or sun’s rays. Some women also wear loose cotton pants. The women’s version of these pants has much wider legs than the men’s, and the over tunics come down to mid-calf instead of the knee. It is more common for women to wear dyed clothing than men. Women generally wear a lot of jewelry, and have been known to wear their entire wealth on their arms, wrists, ankles, neck, and ears.
Headgear is an important feature of Qurshan life, as the sun is such a devastating force in the desert. Turbans are worn, especially long-tailed turbans which also protect the back of the neck. Warriors of high honor are given the black turban as a sign of their strength and courage, and the longer the tail, the more enemies they have killed. Qurshan also wear ghutrahs, which are large square scarves worn over the head, and bound in place by a braided cord doubled over and set atop the ghutrah. Pillbox hats and skullcaps are also fairly common in the cities, but not out in the deserts.
Warrior Qurshan wear turbans or ghutrahs on their heads, and boiled leather breastplates when going into battle. Qurshan prefer to get their protection from padded greaves and other leather armor, which allow for better ventilation of the skin than chain and plate mail in the desert heat. Qurshan warriors also wear loose cotton pants, bound up close to the calves and tucked into low boots to avoid any tripping or snagging.
Symbolic Clothing
The clothing of the Qurshan is not symbolic.
Clothing Reflecting Status
Black turbans can only be worn by warriors of great honor and courage. The tails of black turbans are long in proportion to the rank of the warrior, i.e.: the longest turban tail worn by a Qurshan is the one worn by the Shan Overlord.
In the cities, as a general rule, the more color you wear, the wealthier you are, since dyed fabric and fancy clothes are more expensive than common white cotton garments.
Social Status
In nomad communities, status is a direct reflection of battle prowess and the number of kills achieved. As nomadic Qurshan are in constant battle with the Khahl, there are many ways for a warrior to prove himself and gain respect and honor. Each kill results in a small scar or tattoo on the warrior’s arm, so the more scarred or tattooed his arms, the stronger he is, the better warrior, and the higher in rank and respect he is. The warriors’s companions perform the scarring or tattooing after witnessing the kill or viewing a trophy taken as proof. Warriors are not the only ones who kill. Magic users can be vicious battle partners as well, and healers gain respect by keeping warriors and mages alive after battles.
In cities, status is in who a Qurshan knows, how much money he has, and, if the town or city is within range of the Khahl attacks, in how great a warrior he is. In general, cities have a different way of determining status, and how close one is to the governors is usually a good indicator of status.
Social Stratification
The Qurshan have social stratification, but only the difference between slaves and freemen is formally acknowledged. Slaves are generally captives from battles. Sometimes, if offense is given from one individual to another, rather than kill the offender, and start a “blood for blood” cycle, the offender is wounded and captured, and sent to the cities or mines and made a slave. Usually, slavery has a definite beginning and end, and is not considered a lifetime state. However, once an individual becomes a slave, it is hard to shake the stigma, and these individuals are not always successful in regaining their formal lives when their term is up. In a way, slavery is akin to our modern day jails.
Some slavery is indentured. If a wealthy loan shark loans money to a poor family, and the family is unable to repay him in a timely fashion, the shark may take one of the family members as payment. The duration of the service is dependent on how great the debt is.
Other than the difference between freemen and slaves, the social stratifications in nomadic tribes are pretty blurry. If you are not part of the warlord’s entourage, you are on the level with everyone else. In the cities, stratification is a little more obvious, with government officials and wealthy merchants and traders near the top, and common laborers at the bottom.
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Men and Women
Primary Caregiver
The primary caregivers in Qurshan families are mothers, or servants and slaves assigned to the task.
Gender Relations
Men respect strength and power, which is most commonly held by men. However, it is possible for women to gain respect through their strength, power and fierceness.
Roles of Men
Bearers of honor, wealth and prestige for families and homes
expand family holdings
train sons
satisfy blood debts against family
business owners
fishermen
city guard
warriors
most city government positions
herders and farmers
craftsmen
musicians and singers
priests to the sun god
Roles of Women
Childbearing, childrearing
midwives
healers
domestic activities or domestic management (depending on wealth)
train daughters
business owners (when there is no man)
craftswomen
warriors (when fierce and strong enough)
singers and dancers
priestesses for temples and cults
establish art, fashion and style trends
Marriage
In marriage, women and men are equal. Daughters and sons are both prized. Though wife stealing is the acceptable way to acquire a mate, any women may turn down such a marriage offer if the male is unsuitable to her. Qurshan may have more than one spouse at a time, but it is tricky, and any individual who can keep multiple partners from killing each other is held in awe.
Marriage Ceremonies
Qurshan practice wife stealing. To steal a wife, a male must be blooded in battle, and the girl must be at least twelve years of age. A girl can actually be stolen when she is twelve, but she cannot marry until her first moon blood, which occurs around the age of twelve or thirteen. A stolen girl then lives with the man’s family until she comes of marriagable age.
Wife stealing is considered the only honorable way to procure a mate. Eligible men from neighboring tribes race into the target tribe in full war raiment, so as to look handsome and macho. Married and experienced women hide and drag their young daughters with them. Most women drag even the twelve-year-old girls into hiding, not willing yet to let their daughters go into strange households. If the raid is from a friendly tribe, the men defend their wives and girlfriends, but avoid injuring the raiders, so as not to incur any blood debt. If the raid is from an enemy tribe, they defend their women, and homes, just as fiercely as they would in any invasion.
All eligible maidens, including those who have just become a woman, widows, and other single women, run around brandishing knives and ululating at least as loudly as the rampaging men. It is considered a good indicator that a woman will have strong offspring if the woman puts the man through quite a chase, and puts up a good fight. A man who is injured by his bride-to-be holds her in even higher esteem. For a woman, this helps ensure that she gets a capable, swift and strong man for a husband, if he can capture a screaming hellion like her.
The captured woman is returned to the tribe of the males, and lives in his household for three days. During this time, a woman is free to walk out of the man’s tent, hop on a camel, and return home if she decides the man is not up to her standards or expectations. Once a woman has committed to stay with the man, a marriage ceremony is planned.
In the Qurshan version of divorce, a woman can get out of a bad marriage by being “re-stolen” by another male, if she decides she loves another, for example. This inevitably results in a duel between the two men, and it is usually to the death. The wife had better be sure her new suitor can win, because if he dies, she dies with him.
Some marriages are pre-arranged for alliance purposes, but ritual stealing still takes place. Marriages in cities are generally arranged, and the stealing is highly ritualized. For instance, a young man might climb the wall to his bride-to-be’s window, toss her over his shoulder, while she properly screams and beats him with her fists, and carries her off to his own house. This is very problematic for out-of-shape or weakly Qurshan, as they are not able to “steal” their brides so convincingly. Any Qurshan who is not physically fit enough to steal a wife properly had better have a lot of political power, or the woman can just walk out of his house in the three days following the act, rather than marry an embarrassment.
A few women in Qurshan history have had more than one husband. These stories are hysterically funny to the Qurshan, and usually involve women so terrifyingly strong that they stole their own husbands. Such stories are told around the young warriors campfires, to remind them to be strong and vigilant with their training, so they do not get stolen themselves by… a woman.
When a girl reaches age twelve, the minimum age to be stolen, her clothes are bordered by a yellow or gold band. When a girl reaches her first moon blood, the border is changed to red. Once a woman is married, the bordering of clothing stops, or changes to other colors which are not indicative of anything. If a girl draws blood on an enemy before her moon blood, she receives a red border alongside her yellow border. In this way, when males come in to steal a bride, they know which women to target. It is common, however, for many males to know which girl they wish to steal ahead of time, and to vie with each other to acquire the most highly prized female.
Visible Signs of Marital Status
The Qurshan do not formally wear outward tokens of marital status, but it is not uncommon for the man to bequeath gifts of jewelry, clothing or weapons to his new wife.
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Education
Education
Nomadic children are taught basic cultural and religious knowledge by the women in their family group. They learn fighting, tracking, and trade skills from various men in the tribe. Many of the Qurshan histories are told about the fires at night, even to this day. Some children are sent to the cities for a “formal” education. Boys are not considered men until they have been blooded in battle, and girls are not considered women until they have begun their moon blood. Girls who are blooded in battle become women automatically, though they are not eligible for marriage until their moon blood starts.
In cities, rich families hire private tutors, or acquire specialized slaves whose only duty is teaching the young, to educate their youngsters in reading, writing, math, history, etc. Well-to-do young Qurshan also have various specialized tutors to teach them swordsmanship, trade or craft skills, or the arts.
Middle-class families either pitch in together to share a tutor among them, or buy a slave able to teach the basics. This education focuses on crafts or trade skills, as well as basic reading, writing, and math. These children then apprentice with a master of the guild or trade they wish to pursue.
Lower-class children do not receive a formal education as a rule, but exceptions can happen. For instance, if the mother is a servant in a wealthy household, and the tutor takes an fondness for the child.
Nomadic children get more of a religious education, in that during the once a year visit to the Holy City, the children get a religion intensive. Few city children receive the same depth of religious education, except for those growing up in the Holy City itself.
Knowledge education is reserved for the upper (and sometimes middle) classes. Racially cultured education is most common to the nomads.
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The Arts
Art
The nomadic people admire art, but do not have much use for it in their constantly moving lifestyle. The only person in nomadic tribes that ever owns art for art’s sake is the Shan, the leader of all Qurshan, as one of the symbols of his status.
City people are often avid collectors and admirers of art. Art is considered a status symbol, as it takes wealth to commission, buy and have the spacious type of home needed to display art. Very wealthy individuals often become patrons of famous artisans, which adds esteem to both the wealthy person and the artist.
Artisans
In general, artisans are just another kind of craftsman. This changes, however, when an artisan achieves a certain amount of notoriety or fame, or becomes affiliated with a powerful family or patron. It is possible for master artisans to rise much higher in social standing than regular artisans.
Music
The nomads value music as an accompaniment to their lives. Instruments are generally easy to carry, like flutes, strings, and small drums, and many people have some musical inclinations. There are no professional musicians in nomadic communities, because they are too war oriented, but many warriors and herders cultivate musical talents on the side. Nomads play music for all sorts of occasions, be it a mournful dirge when there is a death, or a happy flute melody for a birth, rousing drums for pre-battle preparations, etc. Other occasions that warrant music are marriages, holidays, after-battle morale boosts, during dinner, or for after-dinner relaxation.
The exception to having no professional musicians is concerning the Shan, the Warlord of warlords. The leader of all Qurshan has a musician or two traveling in his band with him, a luxury allowed only to the “Beloved of the Gods.”
In the cities and towns, musicians and instrument-makers abound. Music is considered an art unto itself, and instrument making is a well-respected craft. Master musicians and singers have the opportunity to rise high in the social rankings. Music plays an important role in city social life and in the temples and religious ceremonies.
Crafts
Qaroo is famous for its glassworks. Not only do the Qaroo mines provide all the ingredients necessary to make high quality glass, but they also supply many of the elements and minerals necessary to give that glass vibrant and unusual colors. Glassmaking is so widely practiced in Gabal that it is almost a common commodity. Windows in wealthy homes are often glassed in, and the Temples of the Holy City bear magnificent stained-glass windows dedicated to the gods.
Utilizing the beautiful glass created on the island, mosaics are another popular art form. Vases, glassware, glass sculptures, glass beads and jewelry, these are all important crafts of the island.
The other most important skill on Qaroo is the strengthening of metals and weapons with zinq. Metallurgists who specialize in zinq are highly sought after for the strengthening properties the blue-tinted metal adds to blades, armor, etc. Zinq is also the state currency, and its mining and minting is an important trade on the island.
Qaroo also has its share of weavers, jewelry makers, etc., but by far Qaroo is most famous for its glass and its zinq.
Commodities
The most important commodities to the Qurshan are glass, zinq, and their flavored waters.
Wealth
Nomads- Coins do not save your life in battle. You cannot drink coins when journeying across the desert. You cannot eat coins. Coins slow you down. Only fools collect coins.
City- Coins buy you a big house and many slaves. Coins are respected by other races. Coins can buy power. The wise man uses coins to his advantage.
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Social Issues
Physical Impediments
The Qurshan’s view of physical impediments depends on how the impediment was gained. If an individual has a war wound, and was injured in battle after a glorious warrior career, that individual can retire into another role with respect. A child born with a physical impediment in nomad communities is often left out in the desert to die right after birth: they believe that the baby is not a “real” person until its been in the world for at least one full day, so they would remove the baby immediately, and it would die before becoming a real person. If lucky, the baby is secreted out of the tribe to family members who live in the city, where such impediments may not be as much of a handicap.
In cities, the fate of the child depends on the family it is born into and the severity of the problem. Any impediment is considered shameful, but it is not always fatal. Lower-class individuals who suffer accidents through trade or work or in the mines are pretty much doomed to become beggars or prostitutes. Upper-class individuals who are injured may retreat from public appearances, but continue their work, if physically possible. Children may be hidden away, or given “to the gods” by giving the child into religious service.
Mental Disease
Mental disease is regarded in much the same way as physical impediments, all depending on the severity and the status of the family. If the individual is able to work and contribute to society, their chances of living are increased. There are rumors of isolated colonies along the most deserted stretches of the coast, where exiles, outcasts, physically deformed, ill and mentally ill people are said to congregate and eke out a harsh existence.
Slavery
Slavery is good for the Qurshan. How else would they get all that zinq and those gems mined out of the ground? Who would cook their meals and sweep their halls? Good grief!
Murder
Murder is much more common and accepted in nomadic communities. “Blood for blood” pretty much condones a continuous cycle of violent death. In the cities, murder is an expected ending to a life lived with either lots of money, lots of power, or lots of notoriety. Of course, people must be discreet when committing murder, or they too are killed in the “blood for blood.” But most of the folks who kill another are either so discreet that they cannot be discovered, or they simply hire someone, or order a servant to do the killing for them, and then allow that person to pay the “blood for blood.”
Obviously, the more powerful a person, or the more personal guards they have hired or indentured, the harder a person must think before just going out and killing them. Also, lower-class people tend to be ignored by the upper class, so though there may be family retribution, it rarely becomes a legal thing. Upper-class and powerful people whose deaths attract a lot of attention create city scandals, manhunts, tortures, questionings and public executions to satisfy the “blood for blood.”
Infanticide
Infanticide is acceptable for “less than perfect” babies.
War
War is a way of life.
Taboos
Qurshan taboos are:
Any sort of fraternizing with the Khahl
Polluting water sources
Punishment
The punishment for breaking taboos among the Qurshan is – death, what else?
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Politics
Political Organization
The Shan rules over all the Qurshan. His power is absolute. However, most Shans have historically spent most of their time and attention focused on wiping out the Khahl scum, that being a cultural imperative that never seems to fade. The Shan stays out in the desert for most of his life, warring and leading and organizing the traditional tribes of Qaroo. The Shan approves appointments to the City Governorships, who then sends representatives to the Shan, wherever he is, to report to their leader all that is happening, and to bring any monies, supplies or slaves requested.
The Shan has a close council of individuals whom he relies on to help him rule his island nation. He rarely travels anywhere without them, and is always guarded by his Al’sukhr. Three of the Al’sukhr are assigned to the Shazeer, Shan’s heart, since she (of all his wives, or being his only wife) takes an active role in advising her husband.
Political Figures
Leader of all Qurshan- the Shan Overlord
Right hand of the Shan- Shan Ahmeer (Most trusted War Leader)
Left hand of the Shan- Shan Kameer (Most trusted Assassin/Executioner)
Voice of the Shan- Shan Qawee (Most trusted Advisor)
Heart of the Shan- Shan Shazeer (first wife)
Blood Warriors- Al’sukhr (group of 12 men hand selected by Shan to serve in his inner guard circle)
Tribe Leaders- (warlords) Qibrahs (also have hands, voice and heart…Qibrah Ahmeer, etc )
City Governors- (lords) Khalifs
Head of Taxation, Trade and Finances
Head of Military, Guards and City Defense
Head of City Works
Historian
Religion in Politics
The Overlord himself is considered a direct representative of the Sun God, and as such, is in some way influenced by the High Priest of the Sun God. Once a year, the Shan Overlord must make his pilgrimage to the Holy City, where he sits with religious leaders, pays tribute, meditates, and receives, or does not receive, blessings from the Sun God. It has been known to happen that the High Priest has withheld from the Shan any blessing of the Sun God, which made the Shan Overlord’s rule shaky, opening up the way for rival warlords to step in and challenge him. In this way, it is good for the Shan Overlord to keep the High Priest happy. However, the Shan Overlord can also discreetly “get rid of” the High Priest, say that the Sun God found the man wanting, and replace him with a man of his choosing.
Wealth in Politics
In cities, wealth can influence political power, where bribery is rampant. However, it is rarely ever the case that political power is achieved through wealth in the nomadic communities.
Kinship in Politics
Kinship does not always, but certainly can, influence politics.
Caste
Only the slave and freemen castes are blatant. Everything else is pretty subdued.
Attitude Towards Other Races
Qurshan in general are rather xenophobic. They are haughty and arrogant, and consider themselves the most perfect race on the planet. In this way, they disdain much contact with outsiders, though the more modern Qurshan in the port cities of Gabal, etc, have learned to deal with outsiders in order to acquire tremendous wealth from lucrative trading.
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Cities and Towns
Cities
The style of Qurshan cities vary, depending on where the city is. Nomads have tents and yurts, which they can move with them wherever they go.
Permanent cities are built in styles depending on their location. Gabal is made of adobe, plaster and stone. Some of the mining towns are built into the cliff faces around the edges of the island. Towns built up around oases are mud daub and plaster. There are a few towns, built where the land is firm and not so sandy, which are actually constructed underground. These towns are usually close to the Azheer Sundering, and provide superior protection from the raiding Khahl.
Public Works
The value of public works also depends on the town. The larger the city, the more it values public works. The smaller towns are a more hodgepodge conglomeration of works, some public, some private, and some stolen from private ownership and made public. The nomads have no public works.
Slavery is almost always the labor of choice. Each project is overseen by a handful of paid craftsmen and a city official.
Most public works are informally reserved for the elite, but a few manage to get built that benefit all the population. It depends on the construction. Public works involving water often benefit everyone. A public work that is for entertainment or recreation often benefits the elite.
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The Sixteen Tribes
The Jaahir Tribe
The Jaahir are a relatively new tribe, as such things go, having sprung up after the Azheer Sundering. Jaahirs are often considered forward thinkers, and are most friendly towards those of other races. The Jaahirs were the first to congregate in cities, and founded Gabal. At the time, the Jaahir were not a tribe per se, but rather the scattered qurshan of other tribes who felt safest in numbers, and safest with the sea (rather than the desert sands) at their back. After a while, the nomadic tribes referred to the Gabal elves as “Jaahir” which started out meaning “insult to honor” but which has been changed over time to mean “a new honor.” Tribal markings for the Jaahir are three diagonal lines tattooed across the temple.
The Numan Tribe
Literally translated, Numan means “blood.” The Numan tribe are very proud of their honor, and never lets a blood for blood go unsatisfied. These people are warriors, whose roots go back to the Azheer War. They proudly hold their claim to fame as being one of the border tribes that kept back the north during the great war. Today, they roam the lands along the Azheer Sundering. Tribal markings for the Numan are two crossed lines tattooed on the cheek.
The Masouq Tribe
The Masouq are a tribe that seems to produce many government types, judges and thinkers. The Masouq are no less fierce for their mental or civilized leanings. Many Masouqs live in cities, where their skills can be put to greatest use. Masouq are often sent on diplomatic missions, where their tolerance for living in tight quarters or in cities, plus their natural fierce martial skill, makes them excellent representatives of qurshan abroad. Tribal markings for the Masouq are a wavy line flanked by dots tattooed across the cheek.
The Odiq Tribe
The Odiq tribe migrated toward the towns and cities after the devastation of the Azheer wars. They tend to be a more sedentary tribe, and found their tiny desert villages often came under attack by the khahl and other raiders. More and more Odiq grouped together, and eventually, found that building permanent dwellings in easily-defensible locations was their best chance for survival. Some Odiqs have become great farmers, using their communities to help ensure the safety of their valuable crops. The tribal marking for the Odiq is a lizard tattooed on the cheekbone.
The Maakha Tribe
The Maakha are one of only two surviving tribes that were allied with the north during the Azheer War. As such, they suffer from residual discrimination and suspicion from some of the less forgiving tribes. The Maakha have found greatest acceptance in the cities, where the threat and danger of the khahl (with whom they were formerly allied) is not as great. However, their nomadic cousins, still traveling the lands, are often raided by neighboring qurshani tribes. The tribal marking of the Maakha is a spider tattooed on the chin.
The Faroos Tribe
The tribe of Faroos lives much in the way their namesake does. The Faroos serpent lives below the desert surface, and so too do the qurshan of this tribe. They dig homes in the firmer ground of the island, and are comfortable mining the rich metal resources of Qaroo. In any matters concerning zinq, the Faroos are the most expert. The tribal marking of the Faroos is a serpent tattooed along the jawline.
The Cinah Tribe
The nomadic Cinah are reputed to be the finest hunters and trackers of Qaroo. It is said they can read the winds, and taste a sandstorm in the air hours before there is any outward evidence. They are aggressive when threatened, but tend to not look for a fight, as much as pit themselves against various desert beasts as a way of training themselves. Most famous is the Cinah tradition of outracing and outsmarting the terrifying sand snakes, which they perform every year during the sand snake mating season, when the giant snakes are most easily enraged. The tribal markings for the Cinah are two parallel lines tattooed on either side of the nose.
The Nefuru Tribe
The nomadic Nefuru tribe are often under suspicion because of their roots, as they were connected with the khahl tribe before the Azheer Wars. The Nefuru were one of the northern tribes, but escaped the destruction, and went to the southern side of the island as the twisted creatures rose to dominance in the north. The Nefuru are skilled hunters, and devious thieves, and masterful magic users, very alert and a little bit paranoid, perhaps because of the suspicion with which many of the other tribes regard them. The tribal marking of the Nefuru is a wavy circle tattooed on the forehead.
The Tariq Tribe
The Tariq are great fighters, known for their leadership and charisma. They never back down from a fight, and are among some of Qaroo’s greatest strategists. The current Shan claims descent through the Tariq line (though technically, the Shan gives up tribal affiliation upon becoming Shan). The Tariq are comfortable both in cities and out on the hot desert sands. All a Tariq needs to be comfortable is a weapon in hand. The tribal markings of the Tariq are three dots tattooed in a triangle on the forehead.
The Teha Tribe
The Teha tribe are another of the post-Azheer War tribes. The Teha moved to the cities, which were gaining in popularity, and found within them the safety and security, and the permanence necessary to pursue lifestyles not based on survival in a harsh desert. Many of Qaroo’s greatest artists come from this tribe, and it is rumored by storytellers throughout the Isles (though hotly denied by the other qurshan tribes) that the most beautiful women are of the Teha tribe. The tribal marking of the Teha is a feather tattooed across the cheek.
The Safa Tribe
The Safa are a tribe that has historically produced some of the fiercest warriors in Qurshani folklore. The present Shan has several warriors of the Safa tribe serving in his honor guard, the Al’sukhr. Traditionally a nomadic tribe with a very limited range, they focus on areas most threatened by the Khahl. The tribal marking of the Safa is a knife tattooed vertically down the cheek.
The Musad Tribe
Literally translated, Musad means “freed camel.” In terms of this tribe, it is interpreted to mean “freedom.” They consider their wandering, nomadic ways superior to those of the city, despising cities as “dwellings of the weak.” They shepherd their small herds of camels along, roaming the land, and breed the best camel stock in Qaroo. If a person wants to make it across the deserts on a sturdy and strong beast, he needs to own a Musad camel. The tribal marking of the Musad is a camel tattooed on the cheek.
The Majidah Tribe
The role of the Majidah in Qurshan life is unique. The Majidah devote their lives to nurturing whatever residual magical energies are left in Qaroo after the great wars. All tribes attempt to secure a Majidah or two for their groups, so in that way, the Majidah are associated with all tribes. The forces of Qaroo seem to respond best to those of Majidah ancestry, thus they have retained their bloodline as separate and independent. The tribal marking for the Majidah is an eye tattooed on the forehead.
The Khuha Tribe
A tribe of a prickly people, the Khuha are wary of outsiders, but at heart sturdy and loyal. They do not wander as much as some tribes do, but are not city dwellers either, preferring smaller encampments near oases or tent communities near “groves” of their favorite cactus, from which they harvest and distill the potent Gavi liquor. The Khuha are the only tribe who know the secret to harvesting the juice of the cactus without killing the plant. The tribal marking for the Khuha is a cactus tatooed on the cheek.
The Riyad Tribe
People born of the Riyad tribe have a natural affinity with growing things. They prefer to live in places where there is water in which to grow and nurture their gardens. Because of their preference for water, they tend to live in more permanent settlements around oases, or in larger cities with their water sources. Despite the delicate appearance of their symbol, the Riyad are also stealthy fighters, and just as the desert blooms hide thorny spines underneath their petals, so too do the Riyad own great cunning and sharpness in their fighting skills. The tribal marking of the Riyad is a desert flower tattooed on the cheek.
The Shihab Tribe
The nomadic Shihab tribe consider themselves the purest of all of Qaroo’s tribes. They are dedicated to the desert, the sun, and all that represents a life of light, glory, heat, and power. They consider Kadar the father of their tribe, and are often arrogant in their view of other tribes, seeing them as inferior. The Shihabs tolerate the Safa most of all… and have been known to join in alliances with them during raids. For all their pride, the Shihab are fearless warriors, and are intensely loyal to their causes. The tribal marking of the Shihab is a flame tattooed on the forehead.
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