Ezana
Wanderers of Eiria
These roads are ours, we made them, we keep them. Without my people and what we do, you would have nothing. We are not inept at combat, we would win with fire and blood.
The Ezana are completely nomadic, they have no permanent structures, they do however follow routes. The Capitol Run is the largest of them in terms of length and number of people working it. They tend to sell wares from other races, and generally have no ill will towards any race. They keep Wajiffs, a type of wingless griffon, as their mount and main workhorse, but also use camels, horses, oxen, and the like.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Common Female Names
- Leila
- Saadia
- Zaheda
- Khadra
- Nabila
Common Male Names
- Mourad
- Tarik
- Ali
- Baz
- Rasil
Common Last Names
- Genmyar
- Thesalor
- Wysageiros
- Sargwyn
- Dorfir
Beauty Ideals
Women
It is all about the hair, large voluminous hair, tattoos that lead the eye across the body, and a full figure. They should be strong yet soft and really represent that in almost everything they do.Men
Strong and fit or slightly thick around the middle, there is no in-between. Long hair is highly prized as well as a good clean beard.Courtship Ideals
There are two kinds of courtships for the Ezana. Either arranged or not. Arranged courtships/marriages are generally down with those in high places or next in line for leadership. They are generally arranged the moment the child is born into the world. It is very rare that an heir doesn't have a suitor by their first birthday already planed and waiting for them to come of age.
Non-arranged are quick and impulsive. It isn't uncommon for Ezana to become engaged within a few weeks of meeting their suitor. The Ezana say when you know, you know.
Relationship Ideals
Down to their core, they are highly social people as such it doesn't take much for them to keep you around. Whether it is friendship or courtship, they treat you as if you are part of their family within moments of meeting you. Though like family, they do not enjoy being lied to or mislead, being used is also on their list of nos. All in all, it is hard not to befriend an Ezana.
Common Etiquette Rules
Physical Greetings
- Forearm hand shakes and hugs are the most common greetings, with variations on embracing after a shake and patting of shoulders. They have never met a stranger and often reflect this in their greetings.
Verbal Greetings
- For strangers it is common to call them my friend, my brother, my sister, little one, or anything really that doesn't say, stranger. A lot of it depends on age and gender as to what they will call you.
- For other Ezana it is common to refer to them by heir trade, their rank with in the tribes, or even as brother and sister even if they are not related.
Emotional Demeanor
- It is nearly taboo to see an Ezana sad, angry, or really any negative emotion. A smile is the first greeting and a laugh is an even better greeting. Being seen as welcoming and loving is the standard in the Ezana tribes.
Other
- Just as they hug, they kiss. Cheeks, foreheads, shoulders, and anything other than the neck and lips. While less common with strangers, it is often done with each other and most of the time isn't romantic. Though kissing strangers on the cheeks isn't uncommon and nether are back of the hand-kissing.
Common Dress Code
Male Fashion
- Loads of thin layers
- Very bright colors
- A vest for every day of the year
- Leather belts, bracers, boots
- Embroidery of animals, girls, or other various interest of the person
Female Fashion
- Elaborate colorful outfits
- Many thin layers
- Exposed skin
- Large billowy skirts
- Leather/cloth cinchers
Armor
- Leather or leather wrapped steel plates are the most common.
- Light and mobile is the standard for most Ezana.
- Beast Boys/Baes'Ezana will often have heavier armor as well as more beast themed items.
- Leather is painted with bright leather paints.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
- Baes'Ezana: Called Beast Boys by most people, the Wassina translation is People of the Beasts. They are a subgroup of the Ezana and as such follow what their name means. They are beastmasters if there is something about a creature of Eiria it is likely recorded, compiled, and hoarded by the Beast Boys. From mapped locations of nesting grounds to how to handle or tame, everything there is to know is likely known by them. They are often wild-looking compared to other Ezana and generally do not speak common, allowing this air of bestial habits.
- Ezana'Alaff: Those who have chosen to join the ranks of the Ezana as one of them. Someone from another race that has been welcomed in and basically turned into an Ezana in all but race. They become part of the people. Ezana'Alaff meaning People of the Chosen.
- Alkeff: Those who have broken laws and become cast out of the Ezana Society. Denoted by black chin ink, Ezana will not trade, speak to, or interact with. They are without souls to them and as such do not exist to them. Most Ezana that end up as Alkeff, Soulless, wither away as their lives are generally very integrated into being Ezana.
- Once you reach around 14 years old you are taken to allow a young Wajiff choose you as their companion. Those adopted into the Ezana are generally taken the moment the tribe takes them in.
Common Taboos
- Selling Wajiffs is strictly forbidden.
- Family is everything if it isn't then there is something wrong with you.
- Racism towards anyone is strange and very uncommon.
- Not treating everyone you meet as family or a buyer of your wares.
- Breaking a deal or arrangement of any kind.
History
The Ezana started as a few groups of traders and beast hunters, slowly finding ways to move about and explore Eiria in depth. Truth be told they are one of the few races to know more about the world of Eiria and its creatures. Slowly they became a splinter group from humans, while they are not very different from their cousins, their life choices have led them to be those who are always moving. During times of war in the world, they would alter routes and skirt around most fighting. They have always seemed to remain neutral.
It is unsure when they started using Wagiffs, Wingless Griffons, as their chosen mount but they have kept on with the tradition, along with the uses of hang drums, dumbacks, and other tribal instruments. They do not trade their prized mounts, it is even written in the unwritten laws an Ezana must never sell a Wagiff to a non-Ezana. Priding themselves on their ability to track and train any beast on the plane of Eiria. Inside the Ezana are a few different varieties, but the most predominant one is what they call Beast Boys. Men and women who routinely are catching and taming beast of Eiria, often they are more brutish and bulkier almost as if they had Orc mixed in with their stock long ago.
Watching every kingdom build and grow, fall and rise, ashed and raised back, though they never put themselves into a place where they had to choose. Buying and selling from one kingdom to the next. Though they were less than happy when the Empire levied heavy taxes on their selling in Empire controlled cities, the Ezana never complained. It was more or less the status quo.
When the revolt took place and the dark skinned elves rose from nowhere, the Ezana shrugged and moved on with their lives like they always had. Though this would change when the Drassi began scooping up cities and overnight turning cities into twisted black monoliths with glowing stones.
It was in this time the world saw the Ezana become a fighting force as their first route was being ripped apart and men, women, and children being culled at the hands of a monster. Banding together they pushed and held at bay the Drassi armies, Tarnstead becoming the last holding ground of the Tega Route. It didn’t take long for Humans to become involved with the Ezana plight, battles and negotiations seemed to go nowhere.
The Right Hand of the Drassi demon seemed to talk out a way, and thus the Free City of Tarnstead was born. The Ezana were allowed to trade there but no further, and the Drassi would send trade and go no further than outside the city with the threat of the human becoming involved.
Now the Ezana have gone back to their own normalcy and lives as the happy people they are.
Lifespan
80-100 Years
Average Height
5'-5'11
Average Physique
- Tega: Curvy builds in the women and often the men. Seen as the quintessential Ezana.
- Maket: Slender forms are really the only distinguishing factor.
- Djibinda: Tending to be heavier in their build but not as muscled as those from Ali Abu'dan, they also tend to reach the taller end of the spectrum for height.
- Ali Abu'dan: With the mixing of Fjorn they tend to be stockier and taller than others of the Ezana. Affording them to be in the range of 5'7"-6'4". While broader shoulders and a layer of fat are more common they still hold true to Tega Routes standard Ezana look.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
- Tega: Soft olive complexions.
- Maket: Olive complexion.
- Djibinda: On the darker side of the color spectrum for Ezana.
- Ali Abu'dan: Lighter and sometimes even pale in complexion.
- Tega: Brown hair in various deep hues and light hues. Mostly brown eyes, though a rare reddish-gold color happens.
- Maket: Various dark-colored hair, with dark-colored eyes.
- Djibinda: Dark hair. Hazel, Green, or Brown eyes are the most common.
- Ali Abu'dan: Light shades of brown to dirty blonde. Mostly dark eyes but the rare blue eyes do happen.
- All over Eiria
- Tariq Almuluk
- Tega Route
- Maket Route
- Djibinda Route
- Ali Abo'Dan Route
- Omnivores
- Meats
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Fish
- Breads
- Within Tega Route it isn't uncommon to see a half-Drassi or even Lesser Drassi who have fled the Dravassi Empire.
- Maket Route tends to have a higher number of Half-Elves within its mix.
- Ezana from the Djibinda route are some of the most talkative of the Ezana and often foster Half-Orcs within their ranks.
The reigning Shaykh during the Drassi conflict, while for most of the revolt he avoided involving his people in the conflict. It wasn't until the Drassi trying to push into Tarnstead that they involved them. He was the one to allow the Baes'Ezana to call forth dragons to burn the Drassi back. While it worked the man regretted it and stepped down for his own actions.
Very nicely done! I'm now dying to know what food and recipes these people would use in holidays, or even during weddings? Do they have something they only cook during a wedding? Or a funeral? Or birthdays? Or at certain times of the year? Nomadic cultures tend to have an oral tradition of remembering their history. Sometimes through stories, songs, or something else. How do they keep their traditions?