D'zjariae: Those with Nothing

The D'zjariae were the first recorded inhabitants of Yatkaugo. Nobody knows exactly how they arrived there, or what desperation drove them to settle in the Dead West. D'zjariae folklore itself says that they were made from the clay of Yatkaugo itself, and that they had always been there. Their centuries-long rivalry and struggles with the migrant T'kakou eventually led to their submission and incorporation into the Ugo-yt Empire.

While the T'kakou have a singular heritage and a large faction derived from said heritage, the D'zjariae are comprised of several dozen tribes scattered across Yatkaugo. As a result, D'zjariae have more of a diverse culture group than a singular homogenous culture.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The D'zjariae are the originators of Zjazzle, widely regarded as the worst language tree in Wouraiya. When the T'kakou brought their own language system from Irewa, the natives adopted and incorporated elements of the new language into their own, even as the T'kakou themselves began adopting a more Werai-based dialect.

Shared customary codes and values

Food, water, and shelter in D'zjariae culture are never considered a private good, and the transfer of water and food from one to another bears no significance. Rather, food and water are communally stored and distributed at certain times of the day. In contrast to the independent tents of the T'kakou, D'zjariae dwellings are collapsible yet can store dozens of tribespeople under one roof. These habits are made possible and sustainable because of the absence of severe diseases in Yatkaugo. Everything outside of these three items are perfectly valid private goods, despite the etymology of the culture name.

Common Taboos

Because humans were first birthed from the soil in D'zjariae tradition, it is considered socially uncouth to do anything that would harm the ground in the eyes of the people. Stomping the ground, digging into the soil, and spitting on the ground are several examples. On the one hand, it put T'kakou miners and merchants at odds with the D'zjariae locals. On the other hand, it left more precious material for the T'kakou to mine and to trade.

Related Locations

• Yatkaugo: Dead West