Jaarels
Mlúkrok: Řaarelí /r̝aːrɛːli/
Jaarels1 are short, pale humanoids inhabiting the extensive natural and man-made cave systems under Vúrakesen Mountains in western Dragonía.
Jaarels have good hearing and can see far better in the dark than their Útel cousins, especially the ones to the east where the element of Light is weaker. They have excellent sense of direction, a vital trait when travelling through winding tunnels and cities. Their sense of touch is also highly developed.
Due to the lack of night-and-day cycle, the Jaarels are awake for twice as long as the Útels and sleep just as long. Visitors to the caves are often called lazy because of this, as to the Jaarels they're constantly taking naps.
Jaarel society began to develop in entirely different ways than their surface-dwelling cousins; engineers and shamans became the leaders to make sure new homes were structurally sound and to keep spirits of this new realm at bay. As the village of Vúrak grew, scouts were sent deeper into the caves and new settlements were founded far and wide under the mountains.
Centuries late, in 351 b.Dr, Jaarels came into contact with the Kroks beyond the mountains and soon began to trade with them. Krokish goods and art became highly sought after during the turbulent centuries after the monster ravaged across Dragonía and disrupted trade with the Útels, and now they have become wealthy as these same goods fetch a high price among the Útels and Ameders.
Each city-state is ruled by a jerúvtax or arch-engineer, who's responsible for keeping the spirits happy by making sure that all new buildings and objects are made according to the sacred mathematical formulas used by the early Jaarels. Most Jaarels see little more than a glimpse of him during important festivals.
Bracelets and earrings are the most common form of jewelry, usually made of stone or metals, while upper class Jaarels often wear broad, detachable collars adorned with precious stones and gold.
Long, thick hair and beard is favored, but only those of upper classes may sport these.
Towns and cities use a mixture of lightstones (glowing minerals found throughout the caverns) and paste made out of glowing töx mushrooms on the walls, columns and ceilings. The paste often forms intricate patterns on the walls, creating an effect not unlike neon lights. The walls of palaces and homes of nobles are also adorned with mosaics, carvings and gold sheets.
Homes tend to follow a standard layout, with wealthy homes indicated by a number of rooms rather than size. An exception to this are the very poor, who live in little more than alcoves out in the agricultural sectors.
Aside from water, slightly alcoholic brews made from water and slime mold are common, with the aristocracy enjoying drinks containing hallucinogenic mushrooms or imported wines.
Notable dishes include:
Akla, a gruel made of fine-ground bone meal, chopped mushrooms and water.
Höl, small loaves made of fat, small pieces of meat and chopped mushrooms.
Boiled barnacles, mostly eaten in the south where some caves connect to the sea.
Mashed giant salamander eggs.
Liver and root pulp.
Höl, akla, boiled barnacle, steamed ljúag salamander, clay pellets, könavet and únevet
Jaarels write using a hieroglyphic script, usually on thin metal plates or bones. Literacy is limited to the upper classes.
An example of a nobles' name would be Ebrex þí-Vúrak os-Kónat Dúvaas.
This method is restricted to upper- and a few middle class Jaarels, while lower class Jaarels use their own way of divination. Instead of heating the bone, its spattered with the blood of the one who seeks answers, placed in a bowl of water and the oracle then observes the way the blood and bone move in the water.
Jaarels1 are short, pale humanoids inhabiting the extensive natural and man-made cave systems under Vúrakesen Mountains in western Dragonía.
Appearance and abilities
Jaarels resemble the ancient Alalaríans to some extend, though shorter and stockier; even the tallest Jaarel can barely reach the average Útels' shoulder. Eyes tend to be pale yellow or green, occasionally grey. Extremely pale skin, hair is usually pale shades of brown, pink or blonde.Jaarels have good hearing and can see far better in the dark than their Útel cousins, especially the ones to the east where the element of Light is weaker. They have excellent sense of direction, a vital trait when travelling through winding tunnels and cities. Their sense of touch is also highly developed.
Due to the lack of night-and-day cycle, the Jaarels are awake for twice as long as the Útels and sleep just as long. Visitors to the caves are often called lazy because of this, as to the Jaarels they're constantly taking naps.
History
The ancestors of the Jaarels were three Alalarían tribes -lead by the chiefs Anhele, Nólar and Þer- who, having already discovered the wast amount of minerals, prey and mushrooms within the caves under Vúrakesen Mountains, decided to move down there for good. Other Alalaríans followed as these new communities proved successful over the years, and the cave dwellers received the name Jaarels, or dusk people due to them mostly coming out to trade during twilight.Jaarel society began to develop in entirely different ways than their surface-dwelling cousins; engineers and shamans became the leaders to make sure new homes were structurally sound and to keep spirits of this new realm at bay. As the village of Vúrak grew, scouts were sent deeper into the caves and new settlements were founded far and wide under the mountains.
Centuries late, in 351 b.Dr, Jaarels came into contact with the Kroks beyond the mountains and soon began to trade with them. Krokish goods and art became highly sought after during the turbulent centuries after the monster ravaged across Dragonía and disrupted trade with the Útels, and now they have become wealthy as these same goods fetch a high price among the Útels and Ameders.
Society
Jaarel society consists of four classes, signified by tattoos on the arms, different haircuts and clothing. Miners and farmers form the lower classes, artisans the middle class, while engineers and clerics form each of their upper class.Government
Jaarel civilization is divided into city-states, the most significant of which are An, Júkvolan, Natú and Vúrak. The dynasties of powerful city-states control several smaller settlements, giving them protection in exchange for regular tributes, but ownership of the these town is constantly shifting as city-states fight over them constantly.Each city-state is ruled by a jerúvtax or arch-engineer, who's responsible for keeping the spirits happy by making sure that all new buildings and objects are made according to the sacred mathematical formulas used by the early Jaarels. Most Jaarels see little more than a glimpse of him during important festivals.
Culture
Apparel
The basic Jaarel outfit consists of a long, loose tunic and simple shoes. Most clothes are made from skins, usually those of Giant Salamanders, though the wealthy wear colourful clothing made from Tree Silk imported from the west.Bracelets and earrings are the most common form of jewelry, usually made of stone or metals, while upper class Jaarels often wear broad, detachable collars adorned with precious stones and gold.
Long, thick hair and beard is favored, but only those of upper classes may sport these.
Art
Architecture
Living underground poses certain problems to the Jaarels as well as advantages when it comes to architecture. They don't need to worry about the weather and the temperature stays mostly the same year round, but providing steady airflow can be a challenge. The latter is usually solved by carving shafts to the surface, though the poor workers who catch a glimpse of the open sky tend to go insane. Dividing settlements into clearly defined residential, agricultural and industrial sectors also helps with the air quality.Towns and cities use a mixture of lightstones (glowing minerals found throughout the caverns) and paste made out of glowing töx mushrooms on the walls, columns and ceilings. The paste often forms intricate patterns on the walls, creating an effect not unlike neon lights. The walls of palaces and homes of nobles are also adorned with mosaics, carvings and gold sheets.
Homes tend to follow a standard layout, with wealthy homes indicated by a number of rooms rather than size. An exception to this are the very poor, who live in little more than alcoves out in the agricultural sectors.
Cuisine
Jaarel cuisine consists mostly of meat and organs, fish, roots, mushrooms and various insects, spiders and crustaceans. The latter are generally more common, due to needing less space and fodder than, say, giant salamanders. Small clay balls are often eaten as well to provide minerals. Cereals, fruits and vegetables are luxuries only available for the upper classes, since they spoil quickly due to the mold present in cities.Aside from water, slightly alcoholic brews made from water and slime mold are common, with the aristocracy enjoying drinks containing hallucinogenic mushrooms or imported wines.
Notable dishes include:
by Lappalingur
Language
Within every Jaarel language are two distinct dialects; jaareklí spoken by the upper classes, with complex structure and vocabulary, and jaarúva spoken by the lower classes, which tend to be simpler and more practical.Jaarels write using a hieroglyphic script, usually on thin metal plates or bones. Literacy is limited to the upper classes.
Naming traditions
Male names tend to be longer than female ones. Farmers and miners only have a birth name; artisans have a second name referring to their home town; nobles also have patronymics and family name; clerics have also have name of their patron spirit; and rulers have title of jerúvtax.An example of a nobles' name would be Ebrex þí-Vúrak os-Kónat Dúvaas.
Religion
Jaarels worship a pantheon of benevolent spirits who represent light and civilization, believed to keep evil spirits of darkness and chaos at bay. Ancestor worship is not as prevalent as in Útel society, least among those belonging to the lower classes, as the bodies of their dead end up as feed and fertilizer in the agricultural caves. Instead, family heirlooms are venerated, as they are believed to contain the life essence of all their previous owners.Main deities
Eslú
King of the benevolent spirits, whose name is derived from the same root as the Útel culture hero Ela'k.Ev
Spirit of water.Gygram
Tutelary spirit and protector of children, in some tradition she's the sister of Eslú.Híkex
Patron spirit of craftsmen. Jewelers offer their best work to her during the Tyxanikú festival.Þabúrga
Spirit of light, his name means the radiant one.Divination
Divination is one of the main roles of the cleric caste in Jaarel society. The most common method is using oracle bones, acquired from giant salamanders specifically sacrificed for this purpose. The person wishing for answers carves their name into the bone, which is then heated with a metal rod until the bone cracks. The oracle carefully examines the cracks and interprets the will of the spirits through them.This method is restricted to upper- and a few middle class Jaarels, while lower class Jaarels use their own way of divination. Instead of heating the bone, its spattered with the blood of the one who seeks answers, placed in a bowl of water and the oracle then observes the way the blood and bone move in the water.
Funerary rites
When a lower class Jaarel dies, a ceremony is performed to ensure their soul reaches the afterlife, after which the body is sent into the agricultural caves to become feed or fertilizer, save for a single lock of hair. Jaarels of higher stature also end up in the agricultural caves in the end, save for certain bones which are collected, ground into dust and stored in urns at home. Only the bodies of kings are left intact, either wrapped in many layers of tree silk or encased in a suit made of hundreds of small stone tiles, and placed in a cemetery outside the city.Warfare
Wars are relatively common among the Jaarels, usually with larger city-states attacking smaller vassal states of their rivals or to suppress rebellions among their own. If a jerúvtax wishes to go to war, he must first receive a good omen from the spirits through an oracle. He then gathers his warriors, usually younger, more expendable siblings of important noblemen to a council of war at the palace, and to perform elaborate ritual cleansing so that they will not bring evil spirits back with them.
The warriors then march on towards the enemy settlement and, once there, use a trumpet to announce their presence. This is done to give commoners a chance to find shelter, and to give the enemy warriors time to prepare and wait in the courtyard. The ensuing battle is usually short and bloody; if the invaders win, the surviving leaders of the defenders are sacrificed to the gods and new ones are appointed before the army returns home.
Weapons include swords, maces, axes and short spears, all made completely out of metal and often elaborately decorated. A variety of armours are used, made of leather reinforced with bronze or completely out of metal, although wide metal and even stone collars are popular as well.
The warriors then march on towards the enemy settlement and, once there, use a trumpet to announce their presence. This is done to give commoners a chance to find shelter, and to give the enemy warriors time to prepare and wait in the courtyard. The ensuing battle is usually short and bloody; if the invaders win, the surviving leaders of the defenders are sacrificed to the gods and new ones are appointed before the army returns home.
Weapons include swords, maces, axes and short spears, all made completely out of metal and often elaborately decorated. A variety of armours are used, made of leather reinforced with bronze or completely out of metal, although wide metal and even stone collars are popular as well.
by Lappalingur
Jaarels are partly based on the ancient Maya and Shang-dynasty China
1Original icelandic: Jaarelar, singular: Jaareli
1Original icelandic: Jaarelar, singular: Jaareli
by Lappalingur
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