Unkalaki
The Horneaters, or Unkalaki as they refer to themselves, are a race of people on the world of Roshar. They live on the tops of mountains called Horneater Peaks. They currently have no Shardplate or Shardblades. They are one of several races on Roshar with listener blood in their ancestry. As a result, they have a higher tendency to be asexual than other races without listener ancestors. Furthermore, they seem to be able to faintly hear the Rhythms, although it remains unclear whether they are able to distinguish them or attribute them to certain feelings. Some Horneaters are born with the ability to see normally invisible spren. Features that are often associated with Horneaters are pale skin, tall stature, and red hair.
The Unkalaki are organised in clan-like social structures. The leaders of these clans are called Nuatoma. The relatives of a Nuatoma serve him and act as his household. Nuatomas regularly leave the Horneater homeland in attempts to win Shards in duels with Shardbearers. The first Nuatoma who could win a Shardblade would become the king of the Unkalaki. It is unclear if Nuatomas are fourth sons or if their position excludes them from the normal profession system.
Duels in Unkalaki culture are conducted differently than most other Rosharan cultures. The two adversaries would drink mudbeer and sing until one of them gives up. The point is that by the end of the duel, no one will recall why they were fighting.
Unkalaki names are usually entire sentences in the form of poems, this makes them hard to remember for people who are used to Alethi names. Insults with similar rhyme and structure as the poem name of the insulted party are valued especially high in conflicts among Horneaters.
Many Unkalaki wear a beard style called humaka'aban, the pride of every Unkalaki. It is long sideburns that curve down to the chin. The chin itself and the area around the lips are cleanly shaven. Unkalaki do not believe lowlanders to be worthy of wearing the humaka'aban.
The Story of the Horneater Peaks:
The Unkalaki were at the brink of extinction due to their belligerent nature at that time. They had a leader called tana'kai, who talked to the three most powerful gods on Roshar and asked them for shelter. They were the gods of the trees, the waters and the mountains respectively.
Both the god of the trees and the god of the waters refuse to give them shelter since they could not guarantee the safety of the Unkalaki. The god of the mountains does not outright decline the request but tells the tana'kai that his slopes are places only for spirits and they could not sustain life. The tana'kai solves the dilemma by asking the god of the waters to place lakes on the peaks of the mountains, the mountain god to heat them with his thermal energy from the deeps of the earth and the god of the forests to bring edible plants to the now habitable areas on the mountain peaks. The gods were pleased with this solution and the Horneaters moved to the peaks.
Culture
A Horneater's occupation is determined by birth order. First and second sons obtain food, third sons are craftsmen, and fourth sons are warriors. If siblings die, the younger ones advance in this order of professions, meaning a son that started training as a warrior would be forced to abandon his career in order to become a craftsman if his older brother died. It is unknown what more fertile families do with the later children, and it is not entirely clear how daughters fit into this system. This regulation reflects the social status of each type of profession in the Horneater culture. Basic functions like gathering food are valued the most while professions related to warfare are seen as least important.The Unkalaki are organised in clan-like social structures. The leaders of these clans are called Nuatoma. The relatives of a Nuatoma serve him and act as his household. Nuatomas regularly leave the Horneater homeland in attempts to win Shards in duels with Shardbearers. The first Nuatoma who could win a Shardblade would become the king of the Unkalaki. It is unclear if Nuatomas are fourth sons or if their position excludes them from the normal profession system.
Duels in Unkalaki culture are conducted differently than most other Rosharan cultures. The two adversaries would drink mudbeer and sing until one of them gives up. The point is that by the end of the duel, no one will recall why they were fighting.
Unkalaki names are usually entire sentences in the form of poems, this makes them hard to remember for people who are used to Alethi names. Insults with similar rhyme and structure as the poem name of the insulted party are valued especially high in conflicts among Horneaters.
Many Unkalaki wear a beard style called humaka'aban, the pride of every Unkalaki. It is long sideburns that curve down to the chin. The chin itself and the area around the lips are cleanly shaven. Unkalaki do not believe lowlanders to be worthy of wearing the humaka'aban.
Mythology
The Horneaters have three powerful gods they sought aid from: the Gods of the waters, the Gods of the mountains and the Gods of the trees. Naturally heated lakes on the Horneater Peaks are called Oceans. There is an Ocean on each of the Peaks. Underneath the normal water is the so-called Water of life. It is said to be connected to the Gods and Horneaters who swim in the Oceans can sometimes see the Place of the Gods. Swimming in the Oceans is said to be lethal to outsiders, though according to some scholars, this is only because the Unkalaki execute any outsiders who swim in their Oceans.The Story of the Horneater Peaks:
The Unkalaki were at the brink of extinction due to their belligerent nature at that time. They had a leader called tana'kai, who talked to the three most powerful gods on Roshar and asked them for shelter. They were the gods of the trees, the waters and the mountains respectively.
Both the god of the trees and the god of the waters refuse to give them shelter since they could not guarantee the safety of the Unkalaki. The god of the mountains does not outright decline the request but tells the tana'kai that his slopes are places only for spirits and they could not sustain life. The tana'kai solves the dilemma by asking the god of the waters to place lakes on the peaks of the mountains, the mountain god to heat them with his thermal energy from the deeps of the earth and the god of the forests to bring edible plants to the now habitable areas on the mountain peaks. The gods were pleased with this solution and the Horneaters moved to the peaks.
Type
Geopolitical, Tribe
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