Tuquet

Enigmatic Inventors

The Tuquet are as strange as clockwork machines, and their society is just as intricate. Hailing from the high plateaus of the Jigirasasa Mountains, much of the civilized world consider the Tuquet to be a young people new to the history of the world. However, any careful explorer who has spent even a little time with them will tell you otherwise - the Tuquet are old in experience, if not in presence. While most seem content to remain secluded from the wider world, their presence remains a curiosity for some outsiders to enticing to ignore.
As darkness has faded from the maps of the world - the mystery of the Tuquet served as a beacon for explorers, scholars, and merchants. In a short time, the marvels of Tuquet artificing became world renowned, both for their aesthetic as well as their quality. Such items are commonly referred to as a and are often traded in exchange for goods of all kinds from enterprising merchants willing to make the trek.
While the Tuquet have been happy to trade wares, attempts to learn the secrets of the Tuquet’s skill have met with little success - and those who have learned anything of note seem content not to share. What is known is that the Tuquet communities remain opaque to outsiders, save for key trade cities known as . It is clear that the Tuquet have a unique way of life, and with the help of the mountains, do not intend to let outsiders discover anything more than is necessary.

The Khyim

The story of the Tuquet cannot be understood without first understanding their unique communities. A Tuquet Khyim is an organized network of communities that mutually reinforce each other to form a sort of living machine spread over a region. Born from desperation due to the hostile nature of the Feywild, the Tuquet Khyim serves to provide an effective, if delicate means to gather & refine resources in order to maintain a large population in an otherwise hostile environment.
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Known as Itba-tu-Ijib, which roughly translated may mean “Hub and Spoke”, the Khyim consists of one or more Ijib (Spoke) communities that collect and process raw resources and a Itba (Hub) community that serves to educate the population and process resources into refined goods and commodities. Unlike a normal province with cities and towns, a Khyim risks some stability and redundancy within each Ijib in order to maximize efficiency related to certain jobs or tasks.
This means that a given Ijib located around a farm or mineral deposit usually has at least three out of five Tuquet dedicated exclusively to that task. As one can imagine, this makes such communities heavily dependent on their Itba - but the Tuquet have managed to maintain a unique culture that allows for this communal balance to persist.
As the aggregate of this network, the whole of the khyim of what the average Tuqueti relates to as "home". A Tuqueti is either khyim-itba, meaning they spend most of their time in the hub of the khyim, or they are khyim-ijib, indicating that they spend most of their time in a spoke of the khyim. This is often ephemeral, as spend much of their lives moving around between both hub and spoke. Though Tuqueti adopt the name of the detshon of doganpa as part of their name, this will not necessarily indicate where the individual comes from.
The Bramze Detshon, or other "information" detshons, often serve as a coordinating bureaucracy of the khyims. Though less common in Iho Khyim, by tradition and function the Bramze Detshon works to have their members stationed wherever Tuqueti gather. They are attached to most known Ijibs, and nearly omnipresent in the Itba, and even have a presence outside outside in public facing spaces called Rigpa Klongs.

Itba

The itba serves as the economic and cultural heart of any khyim, and by extension, any Tuquet community. At their core, a kyhim is divided up into three parts: communal dwellings, workspaces, and monasteries. It is rare to find physical space within a khyim that is occupied by a single individual or tharig (family) - instead most of these regions are overseen by either a Doganpas (University or Monastery), Detshon (Work Groups or Guilds) or else the Khyim’s Dziskyon (Assembly).
The itba of a khyim is the gathering place of its community. The Bramze Detshon coordinates the efforts of workers by need within the itba, as well as out to its related ijibs. Unlike ijibs where conflict and mediation between inhabitants often comes down to a council of local detshons, an itba is too big of the Dziskyon to directly rule, and detshons often have overlapping representation. Assisted by the detshons like the Bramzes, the khyim's dziskyon will generally divide the itba into districts, appointing small councils of detshon leaders or resected residents to decide issues as they arise.

Ijib

With an average population of a few hundred, and rarely over a few thousand, an ijib is a common experience within the Conclaves. Established and named by Detshons, the enterprise of each ijib is typically focused around only a few specific tasks such as sheep herding or iron mining. Ijibs with a fairly narrow focus tend to be mostly utilitarian in nature, with children being a less common site. However as an ijib ages, they can grow to be vibrant, more permanent communities. The likelihood of becoming such a community often depends on how close the ijib is to the itba, or the suitability for long-term living arrangements in the space.
The population of ijibs tends to fluctuate through the year, with many Tuquet rotating through the communities based on work and need. Those Tuquet that do stay long term are often veteran workers, skilled task managers that guide newer apprentices and newer members in the intricacies of the ijib's focus.

Rigpa Klong

Rigpa Klongs, or “Visitor’s Space” is a designation given to certain ijibs within Tuquet. These ijibs are reserved for visitation and commerce with outsiders, and as such are not governed under the normal rules of the khyim. While outsiders often refer to all Tuquet towns as Ijib, most Tuqueti know that life in a Rigpa Klong is quite different than any ijib or the itba. Private dwellings are more common, children exceptionally uncommon, with even law and order being something handled in a much less forgiving manner. Rigpa Klongs are overseen most commonly by the Gribmatse Doganpas, a monastery dedicated to foreigners and foreign relations. Unsurprisingly, the Gribmatse Doganpas exists in part through partnership with the Bramze Detshon.

Description of Location

Tuqueti are taciturn when it comes to talking to outsiders about where they specifically hail from. If pressed for a location, a Tuqueti may say simply to an outsider they are they from Dzinma Khyim, and leave it at that. However they are much more descriptive with other Tuqueti, where they may indicate not only their khyim, but also they are living within it. A phrase such as, "I am from Dzinma Khyim-sa-itba," tells the listening that they are staying in Dzinma Khyim's itba. When staying primarily in the ijib, a Tuqueti speaker may also indicate the specific ijib they are in. A phrase like "Most recently I've been working out in Dzinma Khyim-sa-ijib Rtsoshelka," would clearly tell any informed listener the that the speaker is from the Dzinma Khyim, but has been living in the Rtsobraka Ijib, and is likely doing mining, blacksmithing or artificing, since that ijib was founded by detshons focusing on those trades.
Rigpa klongs are rarely referred to so formally, especially with outsiders. Attarapana, a rigpa klong attached to Dzinma Khyim and often believed to be the capital of the Conclaves by outsiders, may be referenced in Tuqueti-to-Tuqueti conversations as "Dzinma Khyim-sa-rigpa klong Attarapana", but such locations are often so notorious that they are just referred to by their name, so "Attarapana".

Detshons & Doganpas

With the exception of the sick or the infirm, the expectation among the Tuquet Conclaves is that if you have your health, you have work. A common saying among the Tuquet is, “Everyday work is a step towards a healthy Khyim!”
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Detshons

Detshons are essentially guilds, unions, or cooperatives of Tuqueti working together along lines of their trade or craft. They are the essential building block of every khyim. Culturally, detshons are the central place where most Tuqueti build bonds with one another, and learn the normative cultural practices of the Tuquet. Tuquet are expected to eventually settle down into a single detshon over time, but there is no shame in moving around - either trying new skills, or moving to a new detshon within the same trade or craft. Ultimately Detshons define how Tuqueti work and maintain a functioning society. So enmeshed are detshons within Tuquet society that they feature prominently in the name of a Tuqueti.
Unless otherwise raised in a ijib which has a relatively singular focus, most Tuquet begin their first experience of detshons through one that explicitly focuses on education, teaching them the basics as required in the Dam Yiggan. Education detshons are also essential in guiding young Tuquet towards their first encounters with a trade or craft that they could continue their learning from. Like Bramzes, Education detshons are fairly ubiquitous, spread out across both itba and ijib. It is said that “Tuquet are born into the detshon, and we die in the detshon - tharig is our family, and our life.” Most detshons support populations of venerated elders who worked for them most of their lives. Tuquet who are “wandering” - without work, without purpose - are considered to be in the Kunba Detshon. While the Tuquet have no long-term jails, those performing prolonged restitution or service are considered part of the Parsor Detshon.
It is important to note that Detshons are not specific to Khyims, and they are often engaged across borders. The easiest example of this is the Bramze Detshon, but others, such as the Bragdo Detshon (mining), and the Ortzal Detshon (artificing), are also very large and operate across Khyims.

Doganpas

Doganpas are similar to Detshons in many ways, except that they are dedicated to the study, research, and development of a skill, trade or craft. According to the structure outlined in the Dam Yiggan, there are two kinds of doganpas: those sponsored by a single or group of detshons, and those created by the Assembly. The doganpas are an interesting space - they, like detshons, have representation at the Assembly, and Tuqueti adopt a doganpas name as their Tharig (first name). However their collective influence is often quite small, since the actual members of a doganpas are often quite low compared to even mid-sized detshons.
Unlike detshons, the power of doganpas often come from the influence of particular, well known, and highly respected individuals who are considered at the height of the trade, craft, or particular skill. Even in spaces where a delegation from a powerful detshon may have a position, outright disagreement from a tsholbapa (highly regarded, skilled master) is likely to sway other delegates, and silence opposition. For this reason, tsholbapas practice yantas gsung (speak what you know). In Assembly, what this translates into is best encapsulated in a saying among tsholbapas, “Speak only when you know for certain, and then only if you must.” There is an expected humility among tsholbapas publicly, and it is considered shameful for them to use their great respect to influence decisions without good reason.
Outside of the doganpa, tsholbapas and other experts are often sought to find solutions to problems, maintain complicated work, and push the edge of Tuqueti knowledge. Doganpas appear in many varied locations, but are always considered an ijib, and thus part of a specific khyim. However, the expertise and knowledge of the doganpas is considered open to all khyims, and they support every part of Tuqueti society when called upon. Because of their unique position in society, doganpas are more likely than a detshon to expel members, but great pains are generally taken to make sure those individuals have elsewhere to go.
Most importantly to the functioning of Tuquet society, doganpas have historically resisted heavy handed influence of the Bramzes Detshon. However bramzes are seen as an important resource when recruiting new members for certain doganpas, and as such they cannot be entirely eschewed.
Every khyim in the Conclaves supports some doganpas. Dgaba has the fewest doganpas, most notably Thanweft Dadpa Doganpa. Skabsyal has only a few more itself, with the agricultural and trading Zhing Las Doganpas being the most well known. Dzinma supports several and despite being the oldest Khyim in Terra Rynn does not have the most doganpas, but does still play host to quite a few. Iho stands out as having the highest number of doganpas under it, including the highly regarded Damcho Doganpa dedicated to artificing. Iho is known as having a weaker Bramze Detshon, which has allowed new ideas and imagination to more broadly thrive.

Culture

There is very little privacy in a khyim. Tuquet architecture build large, open spaces, with very few walls. Most living situations are dormitory style housing with many people sleeping in a room together, and their social spaces are also communal by nature. There are very few blind alleys in a khyim, and finding a moment to yourself is most often done by heading to a distant, rarely used path or alcove in the walls.
This is significantly different in a rigpa klong, where more traditional dwellings are built and lived in.

Territories

The Tuquet Conclaves claim a wide swath of the Jigarasasa Mountains, Jigarasasa Plateau, and related highlands. While the itbas and most of the ijibs of the Tuqueti tend to be hidden away in taller mountains of the Jigarasasa region, the rigpa klongs tend to sprawl along valleys or in places of good soil. The rocky terrain of most of Jigarasasa makes farming difficult, but the plateau and and valleys of the highlands allow the Tuqueti to find habitable purchase in the open world.

Military

There is not really a military to speak of when thinking of the Tuquet. It is true that most Tuquet spend some amount of time in their lives at a military-focused doganpa in their youth learning basic fighting skills. Some remain for longer, joining a military doganpa hoping to one day become a master. Others join the defense detshons that stage in rigpa klongs (outsider spaces) to help maintain the order, or join an adventuring detshon honing individual combat skills trading blows with monsters, raiders, or pirates. But this latter group would barely qualify as military, except that their martial prowess often becomes notable.
Most military needs in the Conclaves are defensive in nature. Military doganpas focus on skills around strategy, and specific combat styles. Such doganpas are prepared to activate at a moments notice, and routinely patrol spaces searching for early warnings of an invasion or unexpected threat.
Each military doganpas selects a Dohmspa (general) which has absolute oversight over actual military operations when they are necessary. Dohmspas establish Skohrpas (commanders) who are essentially put in command of specific units. Those who train and dedicate their lives to a military doganpas are known to have three masters: the master tsholbapa, who will nurture and teach them; the skohrpa, who will harness and implement their skills; and the dohmspa will ensure that every member of the doganpa knows the plan.
Though military doganpas have active members who would lay their lives down for their khyim when and if necessary, this military force is simply not large enough to afford the Tuquet expansionist tendencies, if they ever had such inclinations. The dominant Tuqueti strategies include the Shield, the Turtle, and the Passage. As a first line of defense, the Shield are a series of scouts, traps, and plans that are meant to blunt any attack, slowing or stopping aggressors. Should the shield fail, the Tuquet turtle - closing off most passages to the khyim, evacuating ijibs where exposed and collapsing exposed pathways as well. Anybody imperiling themselves by pressing into the rock will find further traps, entrenchments, archers, and ambushers prepared to take down as many attackers as possible. Tuqueti in fighting shape are called upon to defend the khyim, and doganpas begin passing out weapons and preparing citizen levies for defense. Meanwhile as new entrances are made by invaders, soldiers risk being entombed as Tuquet sappers in the high mountains are dimension doored in, closing off the fresh opening with explosives. If all else fails, every Tuqueti khyim has a final plan called the Passage, by which the itba is abandoned. There are a number of these well hidden passages, but where they lead to is known by very few.
Most of the dohmspas meet regularly, and among themselves elect an arjepa (commander in chief) who liaises with the sitting dziskyon. In the event of wars or conflicts in which the Tuquet are involved, the argepa advises the dziskyon, and ultimate commands the coordinates forces of a khyim. Though it has only ever been necessary twice in their history, the arjepas have traditionally also worked out amongst themselves who would command the combined forces of all the khyims. Since such cooperation has historically been rarely utilized, the arjepas do not speak of this and say only “When it is necessary, we will know what to do.”

Agriculture & Industry

The deep, fresh water lake of the northern plateau, Gshamto, is natural drainage basin and is surround by fairly fertile soils and gently sloping land allow for intense agriculture to take place. Sloping away from the plateau, the valleys of the Jigarasasa highlands allow for additional farming of a variety of crops, and settlements sprawling out from associated rigpa klongs. Rice, barley, wheat, and bacalapis vines are the principal products they tend to grow. Where the climate allows, tea and coffee is grown in the higher elevations.
In some of the rigpa klongs, but mostly within the hearts of the khyims, industry is hard at work. Tuquet's greatest industry tends to be traditional Tuqueti artificing, but they are prolific producers of education as well.

Education

All young Tuquet are guaranteed access to a basic education. Children in rigpa klongs are rare because, true to this expectation, children are gathered up by education oriented detshons very early. By their 12th year, these detshons must make a determination about the child’s likely future in the Khyim - will they granted admittance because they are the best of the best, or will they be sent out into the rigpa klongs to help keep those living spaces functioning? While this is not the final say in terms of living inside of a khyim, it is the first major hurdle most young Tuquet must overcome. Failing here greatly limits future living access to the khyim.

Cosmological Views

The Tu-Quet have had millennia to explore while they lived and survived in the Faewylds. While their understanding of the universe may be imperfect at times, they have spent time, effort, and lives trying to better understand the world in which they live. They do not object to working with such deities, but it is less common for such deities to be worshipped actively. It is, in fact, arguably more common for Tuqueti to develop such relationships as part of their research, or exploring some concept that access to otherworldly powers makes easier.
In general, cosmological understanding among the Tu-Quet relies less on explanations of "a god did something" but instead focuses on the raw power of intersecting planes. Their models of Rynn are informed by their experiences in the Faewylds, and their encounters with the Hermit. Tuqueti cosmologists argue that Rynn is the product of intersections of the Astral Sea and the Primordial Chaos. Where such intersections occur, they posit, a material plane is likely to form. Understanding how the ephemeral concepts of the Astral Sea give rise to shape and purpose when interacting with the Primordial Chaos has been the subject of entire lives of Tuqueti, and the Thanweft Dadpa Doganpa has stood for several millennia studying what could be observed about the universe.
Such research has had great impact on the development of Tuqueti artificing, derivation of mana, and involvement in fights between gods and demons. It is not the case that their power is deniable, as much as they are a force of nature itself.
Tuqueti also believe that the natural state of Rynn is as a single unified forest, much like the Faewyld. Their interactions with the First Kindred have left them believing that entities from the Astral Sea, Primordial Chaos, and even the Void have brought great cataclysmic changes to Rynn, splitting into three parts. These changes disrupted the presence of the wylds across Rynn, but did not change a core function of the inflow of power from outside of the material plane, through Rynn, and back into what the Hermit called "..the Great Seas."
Using these principals as a basis of theoretical thought, some artificers have started to speculate and prototype ways that the Great Seas can travelled. Though not yet confirmed, they expect that other worlds like Rynn exist where the planes intersect.

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

Attarapana

Demonym

Tuqueti

Ruling Organization

Kehphan

Leader Title

Ihan Tshogs

Government System

Democracy, Direct

Power Structure

Confederation

Economic System

Command/Planned economy

Subsidiary Organizations

• Kehphan
• Parivvar Chahavarish

Location

Jigarasasa Plateau

Controlled Territories

• Damcho Doganpa
• Dgaba Khyim
• Dzinma Khyim
• Iho Khyim
• Jigarasasa Plateau
• Skyabsyal Khyim

Related Species

• Gnau

Related Ethnicities

• Tuqueti