Daku
Long ago, before the First Reckoning, back when birds filled the sky and before the world was scarred by cataclysms, the Daku people ruled a sprawling kingdom in central Kaabara.
The society was sharply divided - as almost all societies were in those days - between the Winged Ones and the "groundfolk", the humans born without wings. The Winged Ones formed the ruling class of society, while the groundfolk were lucky to even be allowed to live in the treetop cities in middle class roles, and more frequently lived as serfs on the ground below.
In the First Age, towering baobab trees could be found much farther west, and copses could be found all over what is today a more barren savanna. Each of these copses had been converted into Daku cities. They built their cities in the branches of these enormous trees, with wooden platforms held up by bronze supports and bridges holding even more buildings. No staircases led to the ground; access was by flight only, or by a single elevator for permitted groundfolk that could be monitored and controlled.
The Daku died out after the First Reckoning, when all the Winged Ones vanished from the world. Daku groundfolk, suddenly freed from their opressors after so many generations, went on to form their own cultures and societies throughout the Second Age, until any connection to the ancient Daku were lost entirely.
Today there is very little evidence of the civilization that ruled Kaabara 8,000 years ago. The baobab trees grow only along the coast, and though farmers on the savanna occasionally dig up ancient rusted gears, no one quite knows what to make of them.
The society was sharply divided - as almost all societies were in those days - between the Winged Ones and the "groundfolk", the humans born without wings. The Winged Ones formed the ruling class of society, while the groundfolk were lucky to even be allowed to live in the treetop cities in middle class roles, and more frequently lived as serfs on the ground below.
In the First Age, towering baobab trees could be found much farther west, and copses could be found all over what is today a more barren savanna. Each of these copses had been converted into Daku cities. They built their cities in the branches of these enormous trees, with wooden platforms held up by bronze supports and bridges holding even more buildings. No staircases led to the ground; access was by flight only, or by a single elevator for permitted groundfolk that could be monitored and controlled.
The Daku died out after the First Reckoning, when all the Winged Ones vanished from the world. Daku groundfolk, suddenly freed from their opressors after so many generations, went on to form their own cultures and societies throughout the Second Age, until any connection to the ancient Daku were lost entirely.
Today there is very little evidence of the civilization that ruled Kaabara 8,000 years ago. The baobab trees grow only along the coast, and though farmers on the savanna occasionally dig up ancient rusted gears, no one quite knows what to make of them.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Daku ideals of beauty prioritize height and slender frames. Along these lines, women with flatter chests were considering more beautiful, and men with large muscles seen as brutish. Slaves needed big muscles to do manual labour; privileged Winged Daku had no need for that.
They loved deep, dark skin that contrasted with pure white feathers. The most beautiful woman in Daku myth was said to have skin as black as night and wings as white as clouds, and each looked all the stronger from the contrast. They often adorned their wings with coloured powders, and the lighter the feathers, the more vibrant the resulting fashion.
Both men and women typically shaved their heads bald. Hair on the head was seen as unhygienic. Women then covered their heads in patterns of white ink, with each application lasting several weeks. Daku women were careful to never copy another person's head design exactly. Artists skilled at drawing unique patterns were in high demand and most people went to the same artist month after month to keep a consistent style - or even exact pattern - in their art. Men did not pattern their heads, and doing so was seen as very feminine and emasculating.
They loved deep, dark skin that contrasted with pure white feathers. The most beautiful woman in Daku myth was said to have skin as black as night and wings as white as clouds, and each looked all the stronger from the contrast. They often adorned their wings with coloured powders, and the lighter the feathers, the more vibrant the resulting fashion.
Both men and women typically shaved their heads bald. Hair on the head was seen as unhygienic. Women then covered their heads in patterns of white ink, with each application lasting several weeks. Daku women were careful to never copy another person's head design exactly. Artists skilled at drawing unique patterns were in high demand and most people went to the same artist month after month to keep a consistent style - or even exact pattern - in their art. Men did not pattern their heads, and doing so was seen as very feminine and emasculating.
Gender Ideals
Daku society was patriarchal and had little room for women in the political or scientific spheres. The general Daku belief was that men are more logical, better problem solvers, and faster thinkers, while women are best suited for offering wisdom, emotional guidance, or support. Women were expected to be kind, soft-spoken, beautiful, and nurturing to support their husbands.
Encompassed species
