Fahneska

Chosen of Argan

These Danatelian dogs have held us captive for centuries. They have soiled our most sacred land, they have perverted our tongues with their foul language and brought chaos into our way of living! No more will we break our backs for them. No more will we nurse their kids. Their rule ends now!

— Da'Gan

The Fahneska are an ethnic group who inhabit an archipelago of islands in the Anhruul Sea. They were conquered by the Danatelians in 54 CE, and reduced to second class citizens under the rule of the new Danatelian elite. After almost three centuries of occupation, the Fahneska revolted and claimed their independance during the 281 CE revolution of Da'Gan.

Culture

The Fahneska identify themselves by their societies, and by their matrilineal lineage. All Fahneska are said to descend from the 10 first men and women created by Argan, creator of the world- as such the Fahneska recognise five clans. In day to day life, Fahneska care more for one's society than for one's clan, and a great number of professions are inherited and kept within certain families.

by Unknown

Seafaring

Fahneska occupy a vast amount of islands more or less close to the coast of Arda Almyed. Sailing from island to island has been a part of their culture for as long as memory can tell, and the crafting of boats is said to have been taught to them by Argan hirself.

Boats are used to gather food, trade goods between islands, and hold important rituals. Unions and weddings are almost exclusively held on boats, and it is considered good luck to give birth to a child while sailing. Fahneska care greatly for their boats, and it is believed that the sixth clan uses boats to sail to the world beyond.

Language

The Fahneska have a long history of oral transmition, and their history was only put into writing following the Danatelian invasion. Since then, their language has evolved into having their alphabet, which is a simplified version of the Danakaïn one. Most Fahneska speak two languages - their native Badjan, and an older dialect of Danakaïn as a result of their colonisation and forced assimilation. Daily use of Danakaïn is found exclusively on Kadara Island, specifically amongst those who deal with bureaucracy and the law.

Incidentally, the creation of a written language is directly linked with the Fahneska liberation. The Singers of Gold, a secretive society of Fahneska scholars, played a pivotal role as the hidden dagger of the revolution.

Religion

Fahneska worship a single god, known primarly as Argan. They believe themselves to be Argan's chosen people, as the descendants of the first humans ze made. There is no organised religion that tells Fahneska how to worship, but each community is usually guided by a Seer of the Leaves, who acts as a spiritual guide. Their home, the island of Kadara, is seen as the centre of the world.

Almost every aspect of their lives are guided some way or another by the principles and lessons taught by Argan. Every Fahneska child learns them from an early age, and clan chiefs are chosen based on how well they know their lore. The rules they follow are very rigid, and can rule everything from how one ought to clean their face to what food cannot be eaten on certain days.

Clans

One of the primary ways of identifying Fahneskas is by which clan they belong to. There are five clans one can be a part of, each descending from one of the original pairs created by Argan. Fahneska traditionally take the clan of the person who gave birth to them.

Most communities nowadays gather members from all clans, some large families might even gather members of all five clans. What clan one belongs to plays almost no role in the modern day beyond minor differences in religious rites.

Societies

Almost all Fahneska identify themselves by the society to which they belong. Historically societies were something one was born into, but in larger cities it is not rare to see Fahneska occupy a position not linked to their society.

Societies indiquate the sort of craft that runs through a family. Some example of societies include the Seer of the Leaves and the Singers of Gold. Most Fahneska will wed within their own societies, but when two people from different societies unite it is common for one to abandon theirs and join the one of their partner.

by Dewang Gupta

Consequences of Colonisation

Centralisation of Power

Before their colonisation by the Danatelians, the Fahneska had no words for border, nation, magistrate, administration. They followed the rule of clan chiefs elected by Seer of Leaves, and the rules of their societies. But as the Danatelians imposed their way of doing on those who resided on Kadara, their way of doing was forced to change.

Since the Kadara Revolution led by Da'Gan, the Fahneska have followed the ruling of a Prince, all direct decendants of Da'Gan. Kadara also cut all form of contact with the Danatelians until 422 CE for trade, but as of present day no Danatelian has set foot on the scared island.

Way of Living

Because the Danatelians did not conquere any island beyond Kadara, the colonisation resulted in a split in Fahneska culture. Those who escaped domination turned to the Seers and swear only by Argan- some go to the extreme of not considering their Kadara siblings as real Fahneska, judging they were soiled and have forgotten the true teachings of Argan.

The unconquered Fahneska call their conquered siblings W'admih, after the name the Danatelian conquerers gave to them. While the first tensions following the independance of Kadara are now centuries old, some of the slights and conflicts have yet to be forgotten by either side.