Jaati
The region of Jaati occupies the northeastern corner of the continent of Libynos. It extends as far north as many parts of the Northlands (located far to the west), but the warm currents pulled up the eastern continental coast from the equatorial ocean, along with the mysterious effects of the Tropic of Arden, heat the climate far beyond what might normally be expected from its latitude.
Jaati is not one single country, though it has been in the past. Instead, its many domains are ruled by rajahs and ranees, lords and princes, human and otherwise. It stretches from the warm coasts of the eastern ocean to the steep mountains of the west, from deep forest to rolling fields of wheat. People crowd its coastal cities, and villages line the rivers, while much of the interior is sparsely populated. Because of its isolation from much of Libynos, not to mention the rest of the world, the land is called “Far Jaati” by almost everyone except the people of the caliphate and the Istaflumina region.
Many cultures have spread back and forth over the region through the millennia, and influences have mixed and changed each other. Some locations are still very focused in a single culture and others continue to be influenced by a specific heritage, but overall the areas of Jaati are more similar than they are different.
The people of Jaati usually appear exotic to people from other countries. Silk is produced and woven in so much of the country that it is the usual fabric for clothing, especially among women. What would be a luxury almost anyplace else is a colorful commonplace in Jaati. Jewelry of gold and silver is a symbol of status but also a way to carry one’s wealth, so most people wear some all the time and even more on special occasions. Coins are often attached to chains or sashes or fastened to skirts or vests, and it is not surprising to see garments sewn with coins of empires of the past as well as many of the present kingdoms.
Some residents of the region truly are exotic, as they are not even human. For example, the ebony-skinned vishkanyas with their solid-white eyes are rarely seen in the cities; if they have villages of their own, the common person is unaware. Prevailing wisdom says that their skin is poisonous, though others refute this and say the vishkanyas merely craft poisons for assassins — or perhaps they are the assassins themselves. Many Jaata consider crossing paths with a vishkanya to be a sign of bad luck or possibly even impending death, and they change their route to avoid the encounter or completely look the other way to be able to say they never saw a vishkanya in their path.
Also native to Jaati are the ratfolk. Thought by many to have been created by the goddess S’Surimiss (Queen of Rats), others attribute the race’s origins to uncanny experiments by some ancient master of magic. Although in some areas humans treat them as if they were no better than rats themselves, ratfolk are apt to be clever and quick, with a nose for acquisition that makes many of them good merchants. Ratfolk tend to live in large families in some of the warrens of alleys and buildings that make up the lower-class neighborhoods of Jaati’s bigger cities, even living underground in places where that is a possibility.
In contrast to the ratfolk, the rakshasas of Jaati often live in luxury in large cities, being among people without anyone realizing it. Their ability to change shape and also to magically influence the humans around them allows them to come and go as they please while also having servants to see their needs.
One important cultural aspect of Jaati is its caste system. Although not obvious to outsiders with only short experience, the caste system exerts a strong influence on the living situations and career choices of the Jaata. In the Jaati region, people are born to a certain station in life (whether that be as a descendant of generations of warriors, part of a family of weavers, or a member of the nobility), and they are expected to spend their lives doing what their ancestors did before them. It is not impossible for people to rise in caste during their lifetimes, but it is not easy either.
Part of the reason for that difficulty is that the caste system is an important part of the religion in Jaati. According to their beliefs, it is the destiny of each soul eventually to ascend to godhood, but they must earn that ascension by actions in life: good deeds, works of charity, and self-sacrifice. To make this possible, each soul is born and reborn, hopefully each time moving farther up the coil. Eventually, the sufficiently ascended soul is welcomed into the Gardens of Heaven as one of the guardian deities. These thousands of spirits watch over springs, mountains, and rivers, villages, and city street corners. Such a minor deity may, over the long course of time, aspire to become one of the nobles in the Court of Heaven, or ultimately even one of the 12 who sit on the Thirteen Thrones.
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