Alkicete (Alch-i-ketee)

The lords of the outer plains, called the Wild Men by western outsiders.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Adsilarea
Kohdatruia
Bohriwulaha

Masculine names

Hanska Linone
Wapasha Asderikun
Chaska Rapasha

Family names

The Alkicete for the most part do not have surnames as a person adopts several names with their own meaning throughout their lives.

Other names

Netahulane- "Father Sky" the common creator deity among the Alkicete tribes
Nauasakoige- "Wide Waters" names of the western seas

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Among the Alkicete exists around three main groups,
The Kimante- the "people of the horse" who are renowned for their horseback warfare and aggressiveness in dealing with outsiders. They are the strongest nation physically of the Alkicete people.
The Sakowin- The "People of the Endless Sky" known for their vast herds and large population, the Sakowin are a people with a rich history which they tell around their fires at night underneath the stars.
The Oroquen- The "People of the Rising Sun" the least known of the Alkicete peoples as they live to the far east and make trade with the other Alkicete nations scarecly as they keep to themselves among the impenetrable forests and large rivers of the far east where it's thought they hunt massive game like moose, bears, mammoth and caribou that roam freely there.

Culture and cultural heritage

The Alkicete say among themselves that they were carved of wood and given the wind of life from their creator Netahulane. They roam their lands tending it and cultivating it as best as they can and preserve their way of life as in its simplicity they find understanding and a greater sense of themselves. Their storytellers imbue perhaps thousands of years of knowledge and culture upon the new generations who carry the words and deeds of their ancestors on their tongues and when they grow old and tired they tell younger faces these stories themselves.

Shared customary codes and values

The Alkicete are generally a matriarchal group of people who hold great reverence for the wisdom and intelligence of their female elders who generally lead tribes in a group of three or five. The women, called many names, are the history and story tellers of the tribe and detail their long past and guide the tribe in their present actions. Another group, composed mostly of men, lead a council of warriors who train boys and girls to hunt, fish and protect the tribe from outward threats.

Common Etiquette rules

Among the Alkicete are revered ideas of personal ownership and general respect given to the land and its people. Many Alkicete tribes have very loose ideas of ownership as communally they share much of what they have with everyone rarely hoarding or keeping goods gained from a day. This along with their reverence for the long and endless grasslands and forests they live in have made the Alkicete very reserved and stoic people with little to say and much to think about as their creator god Netahulane is married to the land itself and gave rise to the Alkicete who he commanded to become stewards of his wife and respect her above themselves.

Common Dress code

Depending on the region, the Alkicete can vary widely in dress, appearance and demeaner. Further west, the cold and dry land past the Teroare Mountains makes large and bulky clothing a must as the winters are long, dark and cold for much of the year. Past this and further east, the long plains are warmer and allow more diversity of clothing to persist as summers and winters each necessitate proper clothing. In the even further east, the cold returns as the forests and rugged hills are the home of the Oroquen who roam there in the frigid and wet cold.

Art & Architecture

While known as nomads, the Alkicete are only semi nomadic as they have mutiple homes for differing parts of the year with summer grounds being home to their largest structures made of carved wood, animal skins and soil. During the colder months, the Alkicete tend to dwell in their large tents, sitting around the campfire and make the most of each others company.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

When a newborn is perhaps only a few hours old, with the mother's consent, the baby is carried by the father from the wampum and presented to their people who eagerly wait to greet the child. As the father carries his child to the matriarchs for the baby to receive its first name, a name given by the people and one they will carry with them for many years until they reach their late teens.

Coming of Age Rites

During the late teens, a young Alkicete will go on their first expedition to a sacred grove or mountain top along with some other companions. This journey is very self reflective and is intended to display their developing wisdom and understanding of themselves. The goal of the journey is for the teen's peers to bestow them with a new name, a name that better embodies who they are and who they will be later.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Alkicete funerals revolve again around the bestowing of a final name, a name the dead will be remembered as. The dead is wrapped in cloth and displayed for the people to see as they are placed on a high scaffold where they will remain for a whole year before being buried along with their ancestors if the tribe is aware of where they are.

Common Taboos

The Alkicete abhor cremation as it is seen as the destruction of the soul, therefore if a body is burned and cremated, for all intents and purposes it is regarded as their soul being destroyed.

Common Myths and Legends

Matho Inhura- "Conquering Thunder" was a great war leader of the Shinahura Kimante who began the practice of becoming a War Chief by engaging the enemy leader via duel, taking their headdress after victory, and taking them captive.

Tashunke Ohan- "Son of the Trees" son of the wilderness goddess Ohaiga, he is said to have taught the Alkicete how to hunt, fish, and herd.

Wahkan Khaphan- "The Great Wind" alleged leader of the Wahka Suhrora or "Greatest Tribe". Remembered best for his attack on the western nations beyond the Teroare Mountains. Wahkan Khaphan was said to have forced the Yarmeg, the Karchegs, the Rouragan, and the Zhors from the Wildlands into the expansive steppe.

Historical figures

Arikara Alkicetrai- "Long Mother of the Alkicete" matriarch, legendary storyteller, and wise woman of the Tuiyora Sakowin. She was admired and greatly respected in her time by all Alkicete for her intelligence, her wisdom and was sought out from all across the Wildlands by tribal leaders and common folk for her guidance. She died at the supposed age of 123 and is remembered among the Alkicete as the greatest example of a leader and matriarch.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Life in the mysterious Wildlands seems from the outside to be unforgiving but life persists there like everywhere else and like everywhere else beauty shines in every group of people. The Alkicete are no different as they specialize in making dyes used for cosmetic reasons like makeup and hair dyes which both men and women use to appear more attractive.

Gender Ideals

Most Alkicete tribes were led by a group of elder matriarchs and as such had quite egalitarian views on gender and the sexes. While society is still stratified, one would not find an Alkicete woman being confinded to the home as they farmed, gathered herbs and berries, and often accompanied men on hunts and herding duties. Alkicete men were similarly enfranchised as they had a multitude of jobs in society from herding, fishing, and pelt gathering to ceremonial duties like astrology and omen interpreting.

Courtship Ideals

Courtship revolves around special ceremonies during days of the year, pairings are offered and certain festivals and dances are used as a way to ease tensions socially and allow couples to know one another better. For one such Alkicete tribe called the Korpelli, the festival called the Moonlight Dance calls for nonstop music and partying throughout the day and for prospecting couples to either cement their relationship or allow each other to go their separate ways.

Relationship Ideals

Like their societies, the Alkicete have a very equitable relationship dynamic as men and women share most of the same labors throughout the year simply out of necessity. Hunting, fishing, farming and herding are all shared among the members of the tribe and tasks are given out regardless of gender.

Diverged ethnicities

• Oroquen
• Sakowin

Related Myths

• Dresirea "The Day of Wrath"

Related Locations

• The Wildlands