Kirran (Keer-ran)
Humans native to the tall peaks of Kirru, the kirran hold strong traditions and values. They have a fluid caste system; The Pikons, Zeyatons, Owin, and the Yuzon.
Pikons are the lowest class, held by those who work and toil in the steamship factories or in the insides of the Nayho airship. They are often seen as unclean.
Zeyatons are the common caste, those who live at the base of mountain cities, often working on farms or in low-level administration or merchant positions.
Owins are the warrior caste, working as samurai bodyguards and city guards for the Yuzon and the Eleyai.
The Yuzon are the nobility of the Kirran, often consisting of rich merchants, mages and priests, and high level administrators for the Svanti Empire.
A final class, Nohesenn, exist, solely for those who have been cast out entirely of society, and must live on the fringes. All Bekuma are considered Nohesenn by default.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Female names typically utilize the -ko suffix. Female names are often ascribed to things of beauty, such as Honyako (Flower), Dagenko (Silk), or Sotapanko (Blue Sky).
A common female name might begin as Teku Honyage, then change to Teku Honyako upon reaching adulthood, then Teku Honyuko upon gaining prestige, and finally Teku Honyden as an elder.
Masculine names
Male names typically utilize the -o suffix. Male names often are ascribed to granduer or importance, such as Dokeno (Excellent), Reno (Huge), or Kinpu (First).
A common male name might begin as Kayan Kinpga, then change to Kayan Kinpo upon reaching adulthood, then Kayan Kinyon upon gaining prestige, and finally Kayan Kinden as an elder
Unisex names
Nearly all children names incorporate the suffix -ga indicating their status as a youth, while the venerable use -den, to signifiy their status as an elder.
Both -Yon and -Yun are a common suffix for those who increase their status, with -Yuko and -Yono being female and male respectively.
Family names
A kirrans family name is the most important part of their name, taking precendent of the personal name. Most refer to others by their family name, adding personal touchs or masculine or feminin pronouns to distinguish if multiple members of the same family are present. Family names are often associated with ancient ancestors.
Some of the most popular family names are Kayan (Lake), Pinin (Wood), Teku (Sophisticated), Denba (Claw), Gunson (Metal). Each of these names are based on ancient Kirru clans, dating back to before the foundation of the Svanti Empire, and thus a very popluar name might be Denba Kinpu (First of the Claw) .
Other names
Kirrans will often change their names based on social statues. The first change comes when arriving at adulthood, while others may come with a change in class, job, becoming a parent, or becoming an elder. These changes are much more common in men, as they change status more than a women, who usually only changes twice or three times, once for adulthood, once for motherhood, and once for elderness. It is frowned upon to name a child after oneself or other relative if that relative is still alive.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Most kirran speak Kirran Common, simply referred to as Kirran, but many speak Auran as well.
Average technological level
Due to the overabundance of stone in Kirru, many kirrans are excellent stonecutters, as well as many being practice in the art of forging katanas and other bladed weapons.
Common Etiquette rules
Kirrans are taught to hold heavy respect for their elders and superiors, and always to respect the chain of command.
Common Dress code
Higher class Kirrans' who frequent mountaintop cities prefer to wear large, multi-layered robes known as kimonos, while lower class kirrians who dwell in valleys or in the lower bowls of imperial airships wear baggy and protective clothing designed to protect them from the elements.
The warrior caste of the Owin have fearsome, samurai helmets. These samurai are forbidden from removing these helmets in public, only permitted to show their face to their families and lords, as well as their comrades in arms during private times, such as when eating or bathing.
Most children only wear simple black and white clothes, especially females among the Zeyaton class, as more elaborate and colorful robes are a sign of adulthood.
Kirrans are very reserved when it comes to nudity, with the only times public nudity is acceptable is during specific coming of age rites and at public bathhouses.
Art & Architecture
Many kirrans craft sculptures or make pieces of jewelry out of metal and leftover clockwork. Due to the prevalence of stone in the realm, most buildings are made of carved stone, brick, and mud, with wood used as for support and artistic expression. Towering and vertical building designs are common, and due to mountains slopes, are often asymmetrical in nature.
Foods & Cuisine
Goat cheese and milk, from the many Tayuza that wander the mountains is the most common of dairy products made by the Kirran, and many wild and domesticated sheep roam the mountains, leading to mutton being a primary protien. Root vegetables, such as carrots, radishes and squash, are also easily grown in the many mountains, and thus are an easily accessible vegetable. Rice is a common filler, as it is easily grown in several mountain valleys the become flooded during the rainy season. With these ingredients, the most relevant food for the Kirru is Hongigun also known as Kirran Stir-Fry.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
While with child, most kirran mothers avoid eating certain foods, such as meals common to other realms, and mostly subside on fruit when possible. They believe that eating certain foods might increase the chances of weakness or defects in the baby.
For Pikons, birth is one of the few times that the family gets to rest, as once announced as pregnant, the mother is given the entire year off of work shifts, as well as 40 days after birth, so that the baby will not be harmed due to the harsh working conditions. However, often means others will need to work harder to cover the slack, and thus a Pikon women who gets pregnant more than once every 5 years will be shunned by the community. Due to often living in communal areas, most Pikon societies have a special area cordoned off for pregnant woman, where they can stay unbothered and aid each other through the process. Those who attempt to fake being pregnant to get out of work are also punished extremely harshly.
For the other casts, once birthed, the baby is washed by the father and given their name. For the wealthy Yuzon, such water often consists of holy rainwater or is blessed by a preist. After their first month, a party known as a Suyanro (Last Moon) is thrown, celebrating that the baby has survived its first cycle.
Coming of Age Rites
A coming of age rite for a Kirran depends on its place in the caste system.
Pikons, who work and live on an Nayho airships, have their coming of age moment when on their airships takes their first major journey while they are aboard and have major maintenance duties. This is acknowledged by them receiving their Nosange, a special set of work gloves designed to protect their hands from the shifting and whirring gears. Many young Pikons, in their overeagerness to prove themselves, lose a finger or two in their first major shift.
For a Zeyaton, coming of ages rites are based on gender. While a youth, a male Zeyaton keeps his hair long, and then at his birthday ceremony, his father will cut, trim, and tie his long hair into a topknot, signifying the end of a wild youth and the transition to adulthood. For female Zeyatons, their rites instead came in their clothing. As a child, females would only wear simple white and black clothes, only allowed to wear more fancy and colorful clothing on birthdays and holidays. On their first adult birthday, they are gifted one or more elaborate and colorful kimonos (often passed down through the family) and are permitted to wear them at will, signifying the they have become a women. Often for a female Zeyaton, their first Kimono also doubles as a wedding dress, as many girls are married at their during this coming of age birthday.
Upon graduating from a training school, the Owin, the warrior caste, will receive their own katana and their own personalized samurai helmet. Wealthier ones or ones with family connections might receive their family's heirloom blade, or even a set of armor as well.
For the Yuzon, coming of age rites are a large ceremony that is similar to that of the Zeyatons, but with more show, with the families friends and other close contacts gathering to witness the ceremony. For a male Yuzon, they are given a short public bath first by his mother, symoblizing the last act of care as a child, while the father gives a speech to the attendants about the boys achievements in childhood, career paths as an adult, and thier hopes for the new adult. Once the child emerges from the bath, the father cuts and styles his hair and dress him, before proclaiming him as an adult. The now adult then descends to speak with the guests as a new man, making his first connections.
Rites for a female Yuzon often follow the exact same procession as that of a Zeyaton, save that the female is usually expected to show off some sort of talent that they have cultivated to make them more desirable, ranging from singing, to weaving, to playing an instrument.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Due to the reverence most Kirrans hold for the sky, the ground is seen as unclean, and thus only the criminals, the unworthy, and the Nohesenn are buried, with the rest usually utilizing cremation to free the bodies spirit to fly through the sky to the afterlife. The cremated remains are stored in a special urn known as a Kubosuke (Rememberance Urn)
For the lowest class, the Pikon, many live their entire life inside of a Nahyo airship, and thus don't have space for storing family Kubosuke. Thus, the most common practice is to cremate the body in the ships great engines, collect the ash, and compress it into glass. They then shape this glass into beads, charms, or necklaces that they can continue to wear. These items, known as doniten (Spirit Glass) are often passed down through the generations.
The Zeyaton, simply store the ashes of the dead in large, communal Kubosuke, allowing the spirits of their dead to mingle together.
For the Owin, their final resting spot is based on their contributions to their lord or society as a whole. Most Owin have their ashes mixed into the forges that create their katanas and armor, so that they can continue to help future generations, but particularly notable Owin will have their own personal Kubosuke. These personal ones are often placed at a statue of their likeness in a spot of honor, usually in a guard house or at a particular spot inside their lord's estate.
For the Yuzon, they often get personal and stylized Kubosuke for each and every family member, often even shaped like the deceased. They often store these Kubosuke in specialized rooms, with the oldest nobles having shelves upon shelves, so that they can visit their entire family in times of need.
Common Taboos
Most kirrans hold a great respect for the Svanti Nation, and thus serve it and the Eleyai faithfully. Those who turn against or oppose the Nation are often disowned by their family members and forced into labor camps or must flee to the remote areas of the realm.
Destroying a Kubosuke is a great crime, and would usually result in the demanded death of one of the offenders family members.
For a Pikon or a Nohesenn to touch another caste would be a great crime, usually involving the execution of the offender.
As a show of dedication to their lord, an Owin must never willingly remove their helmet in public, and doing so would likely have them stripped of their rank and cast out.
Common Myths and Legends
A majority of the Kirran are members of the Church of the Boundless Sky, and thus worhsip Yai or Ra.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Pikons have little time for beuaty, and are often covered in soot and grime from working in the steam-ships, and thus are shunned by the other classes for the uncleanliness.
The higher classes value cleanliness greatly, and thus take great stride in making sure their skin and hair are clean. Long, unkepmt hair is a sign of childishness, and thus most Kirrans keep their hair tied up in buns or topknots.
Gender Ideals
For Pikons, both genders must work equally to survive in the harsh underbellies of the Nahyos.
For the other classes male kirrians are expected to take the active roll in providing for a household or family unit, while females are responsible for caring for and education of children. It is extremely difficult for a female to be an Owin, and usually only happens when they are born into it, a rare prospect as most Owin never father children, at least ones that they formally claim.
Courtship Ideals
Most ground-living kirrans have arranged marriages between household families, while the Pikons who work in the bowels of a skyship have much more loose and easy relationships, although pairings with others outside their floors are frowned upon.
For the Yuzhon class, it is not uncommon for a wealthy male to have a primary wife and multiple concubines, forming a harem. While theoretically legal for the Zeyatons, it is frowned upon and seen as arrogant.
The Owin are usually forbidden from having families, as they must dedicate their entirety to their lord, but some lords make exceptions.
Relationship Ideals
The classes are interchangeable, with the possibility of rising and falling into different classes, and thus this has led a culture of deep respect towards others above you, in the possibility of gaining prestige. Most Kirrans strive to be polite and formal at all times, to increase the chances of getting noticed and receiving a higher position. Children are always expected to be reserved and respectful to their elders, and especially their parents.
Major organizations
Nearly all Kirrans are citizens of the Svanti Empire.
Random Kirran Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-20 | Large Mountaintop City | Pride of the Diamond Empire |
| 21-40 | Small Mountaintop Village | Historian |
| 41-60 | Valley Village | Traditionalist |
| 61-75 | Mountain Wilds | Survivalist |
| 76-90 | Low-Land Forest | Self-Reliant |
| 91-96 | Mechanical Airship | Mechanical Expertise |
| 97-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland Table) |
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
Languages spoken
Related Locations
Comments