Káaxans
The káaxans1 were a bronze age culture which once ruled the central Katark Mountains and the region south of them in Laxilþía. They were rivals of the Memnans in the western mountains and often waged wars with them to acquire more land and resources, and ruled a number of different tribes, each of which was required to give certain goods as tribute to the capital of Vilúan.
Káaxan's success was partially thanks to their advanced engineering skills, which allowed them to build well organized cities, roads and terraced fields in the valleys and mountains. Vilúan also housed the largest temple in the world at the time, where war-captives were brought to be sacrificed to the gods via decapitation (a practice continued by the North Hótics in the form of head-hunting). The main deities of the káaxans were the god of war -either depicted as an owl or an owl-headed man- and the goddess of love.
Their reign ended when a series of earthquakes altered their water supply, followed by famines and eventual revolts by the vassal tribes, after which the cities were abandoned. The káaxans themselves either perished or were absorbed into other cultures. Many of the ruins are relatively well preserved, as most of the people in the region avoided them, but since the Rexans conquered the region, a number of artifacts have been brought to their capital of Arkis as sacred objects.
Many rexans believe the ruins to be their sacred ancestral home, and often go on pilgrimages to Vilúan in hope of being granted long life and prosperity in return by the gods.
Káaxan's success was partially thanks to their advanced engineering skills, which allowed them to build well organized cities, roads and terraced fields in the valleys and mountains. Vilúan also housed the largest temple in the world at the time, where war-captives were brought to be sacrificed to the gods via decapitation (a practice continued by the North Hótics in the form of head-hunting). The main deities of the káaxans were the god of war -either depicted as an owl or an owl-headed man- and the goddess of love.
Their reign ended when a series of earthquakes altered their water supply, followed by famines and eventual revolts by the vassal tribes, after which the cities were abandoned. The káaxans themselves either perished or were absorbed into other cultures. Many of the ruins are relatively well preserved, as most of the people in the region avoided them, but since the Rexans conquered the region, a number of artifacts have been brought to their capital of Arkis as sacred objects.
Many rexans believe the ruins to be their sacred ancestral home, and often go on pilgrimages to Vilúan in hope of being granted long life and prosperity in return by the gods.
Ruins of Vilúan by Lappalingur
1Original icelandic: Káaxar, singular: Káaxi.
Comments