Juur Ha Kahn's Guide to Yazirian Society

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Legend of the First Clan

In the beginning there were two hunting packs and there were not yet any clans. The world was a paradise for these hunters and game was plenty. One pack was favored with golden brown fur and the other tended toward reddish brown fur. The creators smiled upon them and provided for their every need. Then the hunters became greedy and wasteful. They began to hunt excessively and to kill for pleasure alone. When they ate they only favored the sweetest meats and left the rest to rot. They became such vicious hunters that all the game in their home forests were killed. And thus they were forced to leave their home forests by the creators, who cursed them to compete with great wild beasts for game in the forests beyond their homes. The creators decreed that they could not return to their home forests until they mastered the savage within and rose above the great wild beasts of the forests.

The hunters wandered many years in the wild forests and game was difficult to gain. The wild beasts were more powerful and more skilled and the hunters learned hunger. Some of the most savage of the hunters even became prey to the great wild beasts. The longer they wandered the wild forests they became less savage. To stave their hunger, the creators eventually gave the hunters the lask beast to follow and hunt.

 

Then one night as the packs were hunting lask the two speakers of these hunting packs happened to be tracking the same lask. Each threw his zamra at the same time and the lask was struck by both and died in the cleft of a great tree's branches. The two speakers lept to their kill, eager to claim the meat and feed their hunting packs. There on a branch of the great tree the speakers met. A great fight commenced between them over the kill. Speaker fought speaker tooth and nail. The battle lasted the entire night until both collapsed with fatigue. In the morning light both saw that during their fight the lask had been devoured by a pack of forvurs. The two speakers collected their zamras and parted with great contempt and hatred toward each other.

 

That same night the youngest gliders of each of the hunting packs had also been out hunting mekal. Neither found any spore to track and by chance ended up climbing twin trees to sit watch. During the watch they each became aware of the other and each, thinking the other was a blooded pack mate, began to challenge the other in games of skill. When they started throwing their zamras they discovered they were not pack mates. The two young gliders became quick friends and challenged each other all night long. Shortly before dawn they caught the scent of a pair of bogah returning from their nightly foraging. The two quickly schemed an snaring hunt and captured both bogah. At sunrise they parted, each vowing to tell their families about the other. They traded zamras and headed for home each with a bogah.

 

When the young gliders each returned home they found that the speakers had returned first. The speakers were cursing the creators and angry. They each declared the other hunting pack an enemy, demons created by the creators to torment them. Each speaker declared that hunting the forest around the great tree was forbidden. The two young gliders held their speech and hid their zamras.

 

For the next three months, one pack hunted near the river, the other hunted near the cliffs, and lask were scarce. The lask feared the river because of the great wild beasts. And, the lask seldom foraged along the cliffs for there are few fruits they eat growing along the cliffs. The hunting packs suffered for food during these months due to the lack of lasks. The two young gliders continued to secretly visit each other during these months and their friendship became true. They became very skilled at snaring bogah together. Their hunts became even more prosperous and the meat they each brought to their hunting packs began to be celebrated. The two young gliders became embolden by the accolades of their hunting packs and decided to hunt lask together. To keep their secret friendship hidden they agreed to hunt two lask so that each could bring one home. After many nights of hunting together they happened upon a pair of lask. They schemed their kills and tracked the beasts deep into the forest. Then together as they had learned to hunt bogah they threw their zamras and killed both lask. The blood of the two young hunters was filled filled with jubilation and primal joy. They ceremonially embedded their zamras into the skulls of the lasks and rushed for home.

 

Each young glider was greeted a hero when they brought their lask home. The beasts were placed upon the central poll and the wizened howled for all to gather and celebrate their blooding.. Ceremonially each young glider pulled their zamra from the lask's skull and cut the speaker's choicest cut of meat. Then presented the meat upon the zamra for the speaker to consume. The speaker's each recognized the markings on the zamras as those of the other demon pack and so the two young gliders had their secret revealed.

 

The speaker's each declared war upon the other hunting pack. The young gliders each argued valiantly that the other pack were not demons. The young gliders courageously stood for each other and told the stories of how they had learned to hunt together. They pressed that the many bogah they had snared were snared together, that they had always divided the hunt equally, even consuming the odd one together as litter mates do. By their persuasion they succeeded to get the speakers to agree meet again at the great tree and show each others lask and zamra to the two hunting packs. Then to demonstrate that they could hunt together as a team, as a team.

 

The two hunting packs gathered that night at the great tree. The speakers each sat with their zamras ready on opposing branches, their hunting packs in the branches about them, ready to fight. The two young gliders went gliding through the forest hunting bogah, lopah, peegat, dropah, sorga, and plaat. One blooded from hunting pack followed them to confirm the snares and kills were made as a team. All the meat was brought back and laid before their speakers. Finally near dawn the two young gliders caught the scent of a lask. They took their well practiced positions in opposing trees and threw their zamras. They brought the lask to the speakers at the great tree and divided it in half. Placing the lask before each speaker, the speakers were overcome with hunger for the meat and impressed by the friendship of the young gliders. That morning the two hunting packs feasted together a great feast of lask, plaat, sorga, dropah, peegat, lopah, and bogah. The speakers became friends. The hunting packs became one.

 

That evening the first clan was formed and the creators were pleased. The creators blessed the clan and they became many clans and filled all the forests.

A True Yazirian

Khordiki brushed his mane by feel; his eyes were locked on the eyes of the yazirian in the reflection, staring deep into his sha-ka. Rhythmically, he went through the grooming, brushing, anointing with scented oils, dressing and finally affixing the spiked arm bands that were the symbol of his clan. All the while he meditated on his clan’s proud history, naming the heroes and events of that history using the sing song chant taught to him as a pup to ensure he forgot nothing. His was a proud clan of warriors from Hargut.

He finished his guttural sing-song and finally looked at himself. The outfit was extravagant and garish with its pointed stiff shoulder extending out like wings and the broad fanciful pleats of the belted robe. He had never played the role of Shingtaru nor Ninatu from the Noe Toe Vu. It was a great honor and he felt presumptuous just putting on the costume. Hykully had insisted that it was only fitting that he and Rejjack play Shingtaru and Ninatu since their clans had once been at feud.

It was hard to argue with him. There were only two hands full of yazirians in Klaeok system and none of them had the history that his and Rejjack’s clans had. This was the second time Hykully had organized a “clan meeting” of the yazirian population in the system. Normally clan meetings were for individual clans and a celebration of that clan’s history. Yet Hykully’s had devised a meeting for all the yazirians present despite clan affiliation. It was a chance for them to just celebrate being yazirian. Khordiki had doubted that it would succeeded but being so far from home the celebration had struck a powerful cord with all present last year.

This year was going to be bigger. Hykully had hit on the idea acting out the drama of the Noe Toe Vu. Not all clans did it these days but it was ancient and very traditional. Since the story was about the largely mythical figures of Shingtaru and Ninatu, the first clan leaders to peacefully coexist, it was somehow fitting that Khordiki, being from Khordova, and Rejjack, being from Shurkia, lead the drama. Decades ago Khordova and Shurkia had ended the violence between them even becoming close clan allies. He suspected that Hykully had not stopped simply at the drama but had some how smuggled in some of the “sweet meat” animals from home as that was also central to the drama. It would be silly to get the attendees worked up with the Noe Toe Vu and not have the killing of the sweet meats. Khordiki’s mouth watered at the thought.

He collected the oversized mask of Shingtaru and the blunt wooden prop sword before whispering a verse of praise for dead heroes and departed for Hykully’s.

Hykully had been a spacer when he came to the Rim but once here he had sunk his saved credits into a business venture with a local humma, becoming moderately successful. That was two decades ago. He routinely sent money back to the poor of his clan on Yast. A very traditional yazirian and yet he lived on the planet Point Go, which couldn’t be any further way from the centers of yazirian tradition.

Hykully’s home had the distinct look of an undersized clan hall. Khordiki suspected that the features that struck him as odd were probably peculiarities to Hykully’s Amona clan. No doubt he’d felt cut off from home and built it to soothe his inner sha-ka.

The air was permeated with the musty scent of incense and live animals. Three tables ringed the animal pit in a U shape. Before the tables were a knot of other yazirians but there was tension among them. Rejjeck was there too, resplendent in the red and black costume of Ninatu but he was clearly the most upset of all.

Khordiki wondered what could have stirred up the sha-ka of his friend; this was supposed to be a festivity. Being cut off from their clans meant they were cut off from all the normal yazirian festivities since they all centered on the clan. Last year had shown them all how important it was to come together irrespective of clan and celebrate being yazirian. What could derail the happy anticipation of another such celebration was beyond Khordiki.

“Brothers, brothers, what stirs the inner sha-ka bringing the rage close to your faces? Are we not here to celebrate? To soothe the sha-ka with the killing of the sweet meats, singing of old songs, and drinking the blood red wine?” asked Khordiki before exclaiming a non sequitor, “By the One! Those are wyvoles!”

In the pit were four snarling wyvoles. It should not have been a surprise, if any yazirian animal would be available for purchase in the Rim it would be the wyvole since the resurrected Bailorite religious rites called for their use as a sacrificial animal. The Family of One has staunchly condemned Bailorite practices as well as and trade in this animal forcing most breeders to move to non yazirian systems to ply their trade. Likely these came from a breeder supplying the crazy osakar who had adopted the ancient yazirian religion. Khordiki pushed aside the thought of roasted wyvole flank to re-focus on his brothers.

Most of the yazirians here had come to the Rim as mercenaries. Khordiki and Rejjack had come on the same contract and fallen in together like clan brothers and after five years and eight contracts Khordiki looked on Rejjack like a clan brother. He knew most of the others as well.

Rejjack hissed, “Hykully has invited this outcast’s son, how can we celebrate with that?”

He indicated a stunted newcomer. The body language was not proud but beaten, withdrawn and self effacing. His clothes, though clean looked subtly shabby as if he’d done his best to dress for the occasion but simply lacked the means. Understanding dawned on Khordiki; the new comer was a known entity, Dauk, the son of a disgraced outcast from their home world.

Dauk was typical of his Rojoran clan, an artist who had bounced around the Rim earning a living as a singer and entertainer. Unfortunately, for him, he came from a disgraced clan and was the son of an outcast. Khordiki, winced, he actually felt sorry for him as traditional yazirian society only forgave outcast through the shedding of blood. Dauk as the son of an outcast would always bear the taint till the offense that he had nothing to do with until it was expunged. Unfortunately, Rejjack was a very conservative yazirian.

Looking, around the assembled yazirians, Khordiki could see that at least half had a hardened disapproving look that spoke their agreement with Rejjack’s voiced objection. It was Hykully’s party and he would not retract his invitation lest it dishonor his reputation as a host. In all likelihood, Dauk would simply leave of his own accord a beaten and defeated spirit, rejected by the only vestiges of his race in this obscure system on the backside of no where.

Khordiki, felt sorry for Dauk. He felt sorry for Hykully too, knowing that the host was trying to forge a new spirit of community among the scattered yazirians out here irrespective of clan affiliation and this confrontation would derail that goal. He felt sorry for himself, knowing that his heart would not be in the celebration tonight after this. It was likely everyone would act as if nothing happened and try to make up for the dulled spirit of the affair with increased consumption of alcohol.

Khordiki hung his head. He had so looked forward to this and now it looked like the evening’s festivities would taste like rotten meat to him. He knew not what to do and confusion clouded his mind. Some of the other guests were raising their voices now.

Unbidden, came the voice of a clan elder from a life time ago into his mind, “When the path ahead is tangled and your sha-ka is confused meditate on the code of your clan. The honor code is like a bush knife to clear a path and cut through entangling vines that will divert you from a straight and honorable path.”

Silently, Khordiki began the sing song chant that many a clan elder had taught to many a clan pup when instructing them in the honor code. He began reciting the Way of the Warrior. When he reached the phrase, ‘the strongest forgive,’ he lifted his head and looked around. That same phrase was part of the drama that Khordiki and Rejjack were dressed to enact. Yet he somehow knew that forgiveness for Rejjack would not come easy as Dauk’s disgraced clan had had dealings with Rejjack’s.

It was time to act; to save the festivities, to save the spirit of this meager community of yazirians, to save Dauk himself. Khordiki launched into the drama. It was not the proper time but it was the only thing he could think of. He cut to the heart of the drama, the point when Shingtaru nor Ninatu confronted each other in combat. Rejjack was focused on Dauk but ever the warrior he instinctively he parried Khordiki’s thrust with the stage prop of a dull wooden sword.

Rejjack stepped back with a confused and angry look but Khordiki shouted his lines and struck again with the wooden sword. It took Rejjack several seconds to shift gears and begin to give a good account of his lines from the Noe Toe Vu but his swordsmanship was spot on. This was not a mock battle for a drama, Rejjack was angry and going to take it out on his friend for diverting him from his conflict with Hykully and Dauk.

Quickly the other guest realized that the battle was real and formed a loose semi circle around the combatants. Hykully wrapped an arm around Dauk’s shoulder and prevented him from leavening. The crack of wooden swords was sharp with strike parry and counter strike and the shouted lines of the drama rung air violently.

For centuries a shorter stylized version of the Noe Toe Vu had been acted out by most yazirians. The whole story involved young rival clan members that had become friends and hunting mates and maintained that friendship in spite of the animosity of their clan elders for one another. Eventually, the young hunters are found out and by trial of honor and blood they won the approval of their clan elders who made peace. At some point someone had condensed the drama to focus on the clan elders lest clan youth be inspired to think they could teach the elders. It was silly in light of the fact that everyone knew the full story since it was a central religious myth to all yazirians.

Khordiki decided to modify the drama further. He changed his dialog to reflect the most widely used honor code, the Code of Innesti.

“A warrior who does not contemplate is an unworthy savage. Anger is best addressed by peace. When anger rules you, your rage is weak; when peace rules you your rage is pure. The strong fight bravely, but only the strongest forgive.”

Rejjack paused but then countered with part of the code, “The enemy of my clan is my enemy!”

Khordiki nodded to himself, as that quote was from the chapter called, Council of the Clan. He in turned countered with a line from the Perfection of Honor, “The disinherited deserve an honest hearing. Remember the unjustly disinherited…”

His voiced trailed off knowing instantly what Rejjact would counter with, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of shame.”

There it was; the first and the greatest tenet from the Perfection of Honor within the Code of Innesti. What could Khordiki say to that? He knew in his inner most sha-ka that no one present would accept Dauk after this. Shame would only be forgiven through the shedding of blood. Centuries ago, during the clan wars the disgraced were allowed to redeem themselves by honor combat which usually entailed charging the enemy while your clan looked on. Most died but they were judged to have died honorably and a good death in this fashion could rouse the rage within their clan so that the whole clan would enter the battle rage that always lurks in the yazirian sha-ka. Battle rage was a powerful tool that gave the clan that could rouse its members to it a tremendous edge in combat.

The disgrace of Dauk’s clan had never been answered with blood. If that’s what it would take then blood would be shed. Today would be Dauk’s day. He would redeem himself in the eyes of everyone present or slink away a disgraced and defeated animal unworthy to be called a yazirian. Khordiki hoped that the inner sha-ka of Dauk burned with the rage of their race. It was the only thing that could save him now. Perhaps even save them all.

Khordiki locked swords with Rejjack and face to face with him asked, “Are you a Yaz!”

Rejjack roared back, “I am Rejjack of Clan Shurkia! I AM A YAZIRIAN!”

The rage was evident in Rejjack. Khordiki could feel its resonance in the sha-kas of all present. He pushed Rejjack back and advanced on the nearest watcher. Within centimeters of that yazirian’s face, closer than politeness dictated, he roared, “Are you a Yaz!”

As each attendee roared back at him in the same manner as Rejjack he turned to another and roared the same question. At last he came to Dauk. His roar was met with a tentative nod so Khordiki grabbed him by his clothes and roared the question again. His breathe and flecks of saliva hot on Dauk’s face.

The small yazirian swelled with anger at the insult and roared back his answer, “I am Dauk! I AM A YAZIRIAN!”

“Does your sha-ka burn with the rage of a yazirian?”

“YES! I burn with the rage! I burn from a shame not my own but I am a YAZIRIAN!”

“For the yaz, honor is not satisfied without the shedding of blood. Before these assembled yaz, show us your rage! Show us your sha-ka! Show us your honor!”

Khordiki reached out to the nearby banquet table. On it were blades intended for the killing and butchering of the sweet meats. He grabbed two zamiras, the honor weapon of the yazirian, and presented these to Dauk. Dauk slid his long slender fingers into the holes at the center of the disk like blades. A roar boiled up from his chest and erupted like a volcano from his throat. He leapt up on the banquet table and ran its length to gain momentum before leaping into the air for more height. At the apex of his jump he snapped the patagium skin flaps between his arms and legs taut and banked to glide down into the animal pit toward the waiting wyvoles.

Everyone hurried to the pit’s edge and Khordiki felt Hykully whisper in his earn, “You just killed him you know?”

Khordiki nodded. Wyvoles were a pack hunting carnivore and four of them were sure to rip Dauk to shreds. He had become carried away with the spirit of the moment and not fully thought things out.

To Hykully he simply whispered back, “Maybe, but he’s a singer and perhaps he’s studied the art of the zamira like the warrior bards of old.”

Dauk could feel rage within. It coursed with power and triggered changes in his blood chemistry. His mind focused on the wyvoles shutting out everything else as he banked in a tight spiral. His right arm snapped the disk blade of a zamira to bounce beneath the chin of a wyvole and rebound into its neck. Arterial blood spurted. It was an impressive throw but it also allowed air to spill from beneath his skin flaps and he dropped fast. The wyvoles also possessed patagium and were intuitive gliders. They were already moving to where their animal brains told them he would land. However, Dauk turned the air spill from his throw into a controlled crash and landed hard on a wyvole, slashing it with the other zamira.

Hoots and roars were going up from the assembled watchers. Yazirians are a bloody race that lived for combat and lightly cooked meat dripping with blood. The smell of blood in the air was near intoxicating and Dauk’s skill with the honor blade made them cheer.

The battle was not one sided and the wyvoles had their turn. Dauk had managed to kill two but he was weakening and the last two were working together. Everyone knew that Dauk would not survive though he had recovered his honor. Hykully made to jump in an assist but Khordiki restrained him.

“It’s not your place. Only the one that called for blood can intervene.”

Rejjack overheard the exchange and cast a sharp look at them. Many others heard as well and nodded encouragement to him. Anger was evident in his face. There was a war going on within his sha-ka. He wanted to forgive but tradition demanded that he hate the dishonored clan that had gone back on its word to his clan. He also knew that if Dauk died he’d loose face with those present but he just could not find the serenity in his heart to forgive.

Khordiki looked at his friend searchingly then said, “The strong fight bravely, but only the strongest forgive.”

With that Rejjack erupted in a roar and Khordiki wondered that he might attack him. Instead, Rejjack leapt into the pit with his wooden prop sword and attacked one of the wyvoles. In short order the last wyvoles gave up their sha-ka and two blood covered yazirians stood in the fighting pit.

Rejjack turned to Dauk, placing his hands on his shoulders and said, “Dauk, you are indeed a yazirian. I embrace you like a brother.”

As Rejjack wrapped him in an embrace the assembled yazirians hooted and cheered with wild abandon. That night was filled with much song, much barbeque, and too much blood wine.

In the decades after, the yearly festivities at Hykully’s were the talk of all yazirian’s living in that distant sector of space. To those that had been there that night there was an unspoken understanding that they had become an informal clan unto themselves. They were all brothers, not from the same clan but simply brother yazirians. Rejjack and Khordiki eventually returned to their clans on Hargut but Dauk and Hykully remained in the Rim.

Decades past and the day came when Dauk did returned to the yazirian colonies. As he stepped from the star liner onto the deck of the space station over the planet Yast, Rejjack was there to meet him. Dauk bore some of the ashes from Hykully’s funeral pier and was bringing them to his home clan.

Later, with a few other aged yazirians that had been at Hykully’s, they sang songs and drank blood wine and told old tales like true yazirians.

The Nature and Structure of a Yazirian Clan

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Higher Education in Yazirain Society

From the beginning, education in yazirian society was the responsibility of the clan. The elders taught the young. This education was very traditional which is unsurprising since the yazirian honor code states, "Tradition is yazirian meat." To this day the clan is still the primary educator of young in yazirian society.

Some changes began during the Age of Clan Wars and became more pronounced during the Imperial Age. As clans grew into the tens of thousands more formal structures began to be put in place for education with the establishment of some secondary schools by some clans. The result was a more uniform level of education across the board for these large clans. This in turn had broad impact on the success of that clan allowing it to rise higher in status, income, and its ability to wage war.

The impact of more formally organized schooling did not go unnoticed. It eventually led to the founding of the Imperial Age as one clan came to dominate and control largely through the investment in education. Sciences advanced and the Imperial Warhon organized institutions of higher learning for all yazirians to attend.

After the Star Exodus and the rise of the Family of One, many of the colonial governments of the yazirian colonies organized universities and trade schools to maintain an educated populace. The clans were still the educators of the young but few had set up their own schools so soon after the turmoil of the Exodus.

The natural tendency for the disinherited and the clan-less yazirian had always been to spiral down to the lowest rung of society. Lacking the societal structure that provided an education it was usually a fast decline.

The development of a sector wide society and yazirians living in mixed race colonies caused concern over the lack of traditional education for yazirians living outside of the yazirian colonies. Some yazirians were attending local schools but many were falling through the cracks. This led to the Family of One to sponsor the Family School anywhere there was a significant yazirian population outside of the colonies. The Family School is very pro Family of One but it also maintains high academic standards. The mission of these schools is to promote the Family of One religion, prevent clan-less and disinherited yazirians from slipping to the lowest strata of society and support clan yazirians and that are living abroad.

Religious Education In Yazirian Society

Religious education begins in the clan with the elders teaching the young pups. They impart the belief and traditions of the clan to the young. On Hentz the Family of One insists on "catechism" class for all yazirians at about the age of ten.

The only seminary on Hentz is the Family Seminary. Only members of Clan Anglann, the clan controlling the Family of One, can attend. It is viewed as a liberal university since its theology classes are actually; the Theology of Management, the Theology of Societal Control, and etc.

A school known as the Brotherhood Religious College began on Hentz. Its mission was to education non Clan Anglann yazirians that felt called to religious orders. This school has been at the fore front of yazirian theological thought for decades.

Many of its graduates actually see the graduates of the seminary as being quite liberal and secular and in recent years the Family of One has expelled the Brotherhood Religious College from Hentz. When this occurred two campuses were set up; one on Yast (Athor) which kept the name Brotherhood Religious College and the other on Hargut (Guna Garu) which took the name the Hargut Religious College. The Hargut Religious College adopted a more conciliatory tone and stance toward The Family of One while the Brotherhood Religious School on Yast became even more strident in its criticism.

Naturally the Family of One took issue with being criticized and brought pressure to bear on the Yast school. Eventually it set up the directors of the Hargut school to be its 'hatchet yaz' and the Yast school was forced to close. Its faculty and some students simply moved to Gran Quivera (Prengular) and started over. At Gran Quivera they embraced the revolutionary new theology known as the brotherhood of being-hood, claiming a universal brotherhood for sapient beings.

The Brotherhood Religious School is now on the fore front of theological thought in the whole Frontier, welcoming dralasite philosophers and osakar theologians to guest lecture and teach. Its not a true ecumenical movement but rather takes an open approach to other religious beliefs seeking to find the universal truths that underlie them and their beliefs. It has been able to welcome different views without losing sight of where it came from.

The Brotherhood Religious School publishes a quarterly theological journal called Frontier Theology, which, due to the openness toward other religions and philosophies has become THE theological journal of the Frontier. Any minister, priest or religious lay person has heard of it and is likely to have a copy or subscription. Its noted for its scholarly approach to comparative religion and theology and almost always includes an article by a guest faculty being. The journal is considered contraband for ships intending to land on Hentz.

Within the Brotherhood movement there are still those that strike a hard stand against the Family of One but the majority of the movement is of the more open stripe and considers the Family of One as being part of the past an not really worth wasting their energy on. They have fundamental agreement with the more reactionary branch but just don't see the need to pour energy into attacking the Family of One.

Yazirian Warrior Bard & Mercenary Minstrel

It is believed that bard/minstrel of yazirian society dates back to Stone Hunter Age. The first bards may have been a clan outcast who made their way in yazirian society by musical talent. During this age trespassing in a clan's territory could have dire consequences. However, a yazirian who announced his presence in a clan's territory by music and song would, often as not, be invited to entertain and receive a share in the meat at a clan gathering.  Yazirians with skill in song, poetry and music became an important institution performing important functions.

While each clan had keepers of the clan wisdom, it was the traveling bards that kept alive racial wisdom. As they traveled and gathered poetry, stories and song form the width and breadth of their society passing it on orally they preserved a vast anthology of material that would have been lost long before the development of writing and printing. They also served as emissaries and diplomats, being able to pass the boundaries of clan territories almost at will.

As yazirian society matured and evolved into its Metal Hunting Age and beyond these bards and minstrels became so valued that a clan would adopt one, giving him a permanent home and treating him like a beloved clan elder. Usually this was an older, well travelled bard with great status. It may also have been that the older bards needed to settle down feeling the effects of old age. A clan could gain great status by landing a famous bard in this way. During these developments bards became the councilors, advisers and sages of yazirian society.

During the Stone and Metal Hunting Ages clan wars would be more properly described as clan feuds. The ancient mythic ballads suggest that it was a bard that brought about the first clan war. With rising populations and improvements in science clan war may have been inevitable but the female bard Callistra is universally credited with igniting the first true clan war.

Callistra, an unjustly disinherited yazirian, became a highly sought after bard even in her youth. Using both her feminine wiles and a prodigious talent to sing she discovered she could move and influence warriors and hunters with ease. She even discovered methods and techniques to bring out the battle rage that lay dormant in even the most placid of yazirian. For some reason, be it revenge, jealousy or spite, she stirred animosity for the clan of her youth amongst several neighboring clans. Eventually, at a clan gathering she whipped the hunters and warriors into a raging furry and ignited the first clan war. Other bards became involved and clans began to formally form alliances as distrust and suspicion spread. During this time several clans ceased to exist, including Callistra's. She became an outcast of outcasts; reviled universally but she still possessed the ability to beguile and influence. She spent the rest of her life traveling and stirring up war. After her death she was viewed as a demi-goddess of war, spite and revenge. Today she is a metaphor for viciousness, spite, envy and revenge.

During the centuries of clan war the yazirian bard evolved into the warrior bard or mercenary minstrel. Bards being travelers often had to rely on their own skill to eat and typically they were well skilled with a zamira or other weapons. Sometimes, in order to ingratiate themselves to a clan, they had to demonstrate their hunting skill. These bards came under pressure from clan leaders to stir the battle fury in the clan's hunters and warriors. What emerged from the clan wars was a bard that led in battle and could draw forth the battle fury of a clan's yazirians. Eventually, there evolved a class of mercenary minstrels known as "sell song", who would be hired for specific campaigns and battles but with little connection or loyalty to the hiring clan.

In some regions warrior bards morphed into priest and shaman with several religious sects emerging as well. Unsurprisingly, in these religious sects Callistra was portrayed as a semi-demonic temptress.

The Yazirian MinstrelTradition

Any Yazirian can take Minstrel Tradition Skill. It is treated as being part of the Biosocial PSA for purposes of determining EXP cost.

Minstrel Tradition Skill encompasses and encyclopedic knowledge of yazirian poetry, literature, and song; the ability to play musical instruments and sing; skill with the zamira, and comprehension of social dynamics.

Subskills:

Knowledge of Yazirian history. Since yazirian history is encapsulated in song, poetry and in latter times literature a yazirian minstrel has a chance to remember significant details and important pieces from any age up-to and including the parts yazirians have played in the Frontier. (1/2 LOG + 10%/level)


Musical instruments and singing: Yazirian minstrel are adept at playing musical instruments and singing and can use this subskill to enhance racial reaction or other skills. This skill can be used to prep other yazirians to enter battle rage by consciously singing songs of valor, honor and battle prior to combat and throughout the day and at the moment of combat giving a stirring shout echoing a line from a song previously sung. Other yazirians gain a +5%/level of bard bonus to their battle rage roll. A bard with psycho-social skill can use music and song as part of his attempt to hypnotize gaining +5%. Other social interactions that involve a skill or ability check can receive this bonus as long as it's appropriate to include music and song. A yazirian bard knows how to sing automatically as well as play a number of instruments determined by his level; level 1-2 is 1 instrument, level 3-4 is 2 instruments, and levels 5-6 is 3 instruments. After 6th level a bard by learn more instruments for 4 exp each.

Zamira (racial Weapon skill): Yazirian minstrels all carry the traditional weapon, the zamira. It's rooted in tradition and expected of them. (1/2 Dex + 10%/level)

Comprehension: Same as the vrusk racial ability but only works with yazirians. A yazirian bard observing a social interaction between two or more yazirians has a chance to understand what is going on between them. (1/2LOG + 10%/level)

Yazirian Musical Instruments

The Dumra (drum)
Dumra vary in size small to great 2 meter cylinders. The Great Dumra (2m diameter by 1m) is a staple for clan celebrations and saw military use toward the end of the Clan Wars. Traveling bards favored a bongo like dumra of 4 drums of decreasing size mounted in a curved shape that matched the contour of the waist called the singer's dumra. A singer's dumra usually comes with an attached bandolier to allow the bard to climb and glide with it securely attached to his back.

Another type of druma was the Ranga. It was 60 to 90 cm long and 20 cm wide and carried on a bandolier. It was played by beating the ends and the side with the hands.

Great Druma: 30 kg, 250 Cr.
Ranga Druma: 1 kg, 30 Cr.
Other Druma: 1 kg, 20-40 Cr.

The Bollu (flutes)
A popular minstrel bollu is the sek bollu, literally 3 flute. The sek bollu is 3 flutes of decreasing size bound together with an ingenious mouth piece that allows the musician to redirect the air flow between the 3 flutes or into any combination of the 3 at the same time. This instrument is near impossible for any other race to master as it takes the long fingers of a yazirian with its extra knuckles to wrap around the instrument and properly play it. In the hands of a skill yazirian the sek bollus produce beautiful and even haunting melodies or rousing battle and hunting songs.

Sek Bollu: n/a kg, 45 Cr.
Other Bollu: n/a kg, 25-35 Cr.

The Shem Dura (ukulele)
Literally, a stringed dumra, the Shem dura is a small stringed instrument that has been compared to the human ukulele was developed by yazirian bards to be carried strapped across the back. After contact with humanity some musicians began using the bow from violins to play the shem dura.

Shem Dura: n/a kg, 75 Cr.

Horns
A wide variety of animal horns were used as horns, largely for martial accompaniment.

Traditional Yazirian Horns: n/a to 1 kg, 25-35 Cr.

Traditional Yazirian Equipment

Bower Tent
A bower tent is a temporary tent like shelter that can be mounted on the side of a giant tree. Traditionally it's made from wood poles, vine ropes and hides but modern version exist that are light weight and water proof. The tent can be mounted above or beneath a large branch for extra stability. A yazirian with skills that allow him to craft items in survival situation can make one automatically depending on the availability of materials. Any yazirian with out such a skill can make a LOG check to see if he remembers enough to attempt to make one and then must make a LOG check to succeed at doing it. The primitive version can be water proofed animal fat or plant oils but its not permanent nor 100% successful in a torrential down.

Primitive Bower Tent: 5kg, 10 Cr.
Modern Bower Tent: 1kg, 30 Cr.

Kesheck Ol-Tor
The ancient name is kesheck o-tor which is literally kesheck tooth since this war club is made from the teeth of that giant carnivore. The modern usage is o-tor. Modern versions of this weapon usually have a metal head since the kesheck is an endangered species. Originally the weapon was made from a hardwood handle with kesheck teeth set into the club by drilling holes with a stone drill tip and a bow drill. The teeth were secured with a tough animal blood glue and thin leather wrap. The pattern for setting the teeth varied by region and clan but a common pattern was four set at 90degrees from each other at the end of the club. Some times one was mounted on the end of the club if the owner desired to be able to throw it. The handle had leather wraps and a loop for grip and hanging from an equipment harness. This facilitated climbing or secured the club during combat with a loop over the wrist. This weapon was a status symbol for only the greatest hunters and warriors since tradition held that a warrior must kill the dangerous kesheck by himself. Once a warrior died who owned a kesheck the weapon became a ceremonial item for his clan. In ancient times it was believed that the spirit of both the kesheck and the warrior that made the weapon were imbued in the weapon.

Kesheck Ol-Tor: 1kg, Considered priceless by the clan it belongs to but valued at 40,000 Cr by the CFM in modern times
Ol-TorL 1kg, 30 Cr.

Brak-mira

The brak-mira is an ancient weapon made using similar construction techniques as the kesheck ol-tor. A straight or curved length of wood has a lengthwise groove carved into it and micro blades of obsidian or flint were glued in place with a strong blood glue. Prone to dulling, the weapon was abandoned, once metal working was developed. A traditional brak-mira will dull on any attack roll of 95-00 or doubles and will lose 1d10 of damage. Modern names for the weapon are bakmira or bakmra depending on dialect, region, or clan. The ancient form, brak-mira, derived from the root word mira, meaning blade. Modern bakmira are often simply refered to by their Pan Gal name: sword. Some very rare and ancient examples of this weapon used flat sharp aquatic carnivore teeth and were less prone to the dulling problem.

Tradional Brak-mira: 1kg, 75 Cr.
Modern Bakmira: 2kg, 30 Cr.

Olt-Mira
The olt-mira derived from the root words for tooth and blade. In antiquity, when suitable teeth were available, ceremonial knives were made from from carved from these teeth with micro blades of obsidian or flint glued into a carved groove. Many were made from kesheck teeth if the beast was killed by group effort. Ceremonial knives are still made in this fashion in modern times but kesheck teeth only become available as these animals die from natural causes. The Family of One tightly controls the availability of these teeth, favoring clans according to its own agenda.

Traditional Kesheck Olt-Mira ceremonial blade: Considered priceless by its clan but valued by the CFM at 15,000 Cr.
Tradional Olt-Mira (non kesheck tooth): Considered priceless by its clan but valued by the CFM at 1,000 Cr.

Other Traditional Equipment
Ropes, waterskins, spears, fire starting bow, clay pots, inks dyes and paints from plant and mineral sources as well as hand crafted paint brushes.

 Weapon Damage Modifier Defense Mass Cost
 Traditional Kesheck Ol-Tor
 2d10 +5Inertia
 1 kg
20,000 Cr
 Modern Ol-Tor
 2d10 +5 Inertia  1 kg
 30 Cr
Traditional Brak-mira 3d10 +10 Inertia  1 kg
 75 Cr (new)
 Modern Bakmira
 3d10 +10 Inertia  2 kg
 30 Cr
 Olt-mira 1d10 +5 Inertia  n/a 20 Cr (new)