Intro

The warriors of the Zabbai are organised into one caste, known as the Shas (fire). These are considered the 'professional' warriors of Zab. However, just because they are all considered apart of the warrior caste it does not mean they are all rich or powerful members of society. This is due to how the Shas are organised into ranks.

Saal > La > Ui > Vre > El > O.

The lowest rank, Saal, is the cadets of the Shas. They are the new recruits who haven't taken their first Trial of Fire. The La, are the main rank of the Zab military. They have undertaken one Trial of Fire and are thus warriors of the Zabbai. Past La, the ranks begin to transform to leadership levels, with Ui leading a La'rua, Vre leading a Kau'ui, El leading a Tio've, and O leading a Shan'al.

Wargear

The Shas are equipped differently for each of their ranks, however most are more so the same as others. The average equipment for a Shas'la, the common warrior of the Zabbai were any of these weapons (most La'rua would be organised by weapon choice):

Weapons

Eur'ii: A wooden club sharpened to perfection, adorned with the Chantry the Shas'la is from. At higher ranks, obsidian is placed on the edges creating an incredibly sharp 'sword'. The Eur'ii is the main option for weaponry in the Zabbai force.

Kais: A common front-line weapon of the Zabbai military. The Kais is a spear roughly the height of a man, with a broad wooden head about twice the length of the user's palm, edged with razor-sharp obsidian blades. The Kais is equally good at slashing and thrusting. The Kais is mainly used by warriors not from the Shas caste, but some Shas'la prefer the longer reach.

Lar'shi: The Lar'shi is a spear thrower consisting of a shaft with a cup at the end that supports and propels the butt of the dart. The dart is thrown by the upper arm and wrist. However, the darts used by the Lar'shi are around 5.9 feet long, tipped with obsidian, copper, or bone.

Or'es: The Zabbai war bow, constructed in a self bow fashion from the wood of the tepozan tree, about five feet long and stringed with animal-sinew. The war arrows had barbed obsidian, chert, flint, or bone points. Typically fletched with turkey or duck feathers.

Shi: A sling made from maguey fiber. The Shas would use oval shaped rocks or hand molded clay balls filled with obsidian flakes or pebbles as projectiles for this weapon.

Armor

U'it: Small shields made with different materials such as the wood or maize cane. They were also adorned with feathers and various patterns representing the Chantry the Shas'la was from.

Y'he: Quilted cotton armor which was soaked in salt water brine and then hung to dry in shade so that the salt would crystallize inside of it. One or two fingers thick, this material was resistant to most of the common weapons of Urmika.

Tilm'at: The tunic that most Shas'Ui and upwards wore over their cotton Y'he or V'ral. The Tilm'at was placed over the top of their armor, showing their rank, family name, and Chantry.

V'ral: The distinctively decorated suits of prestigious warriors and members of warrior societies. These suits served as a way to identify warriors according to their achievements in battle as well as rank, alliance, and social status like priesthood or nobility. Usually made to work as a single piece of clothing with an opening in the back, they covered the entire torso and most of the extremities of a warrior, and offered added protection to the wearer. Made with elements of animal hide, leather, and cotton.

Pami: The warhelmet of the Zabbai, carved out of hardwood. They were usually shaped to protect the side of the head and the cheeks. Almost all Pami would have hair or feathers coming down from the top, like a plume.

Cua'ral: The identifying emblems that Shas'Ui and upwards wore on their backs. It was a large icon, representing the Chantry they were from, that would be placed on the backs of their Tilm'at so that others knew where they were and how to identify them from a distance.

Ritual Aspect

Death

The Shas warriors were warriors from birth till death. Because of this, death was the only way (apart from becoming an El) to retire from the Zabbai military. When a warrior would die in battle they would be burnt upon a pyre, to return them back to the fire from where they came. However, once a Shas became a Shas'El, they would be buried in large mounds as they would become Warrior-Saints, men to look up to and to ask for their power.

Trial of Fire

The Trial of Fire is the most important part of any Shas' life. For to become a Shas'La each Shas'Saal would have to succeed. The Shas'Saal would be a sort of 'squire' for their Shas'La and would have to serve them in battle at anytime. Once the Shas'Saal had his first taste of battle and either showed heroism, dedication to the Zab'va, or saved his Shas'La, he would then have succeeded the Trial of Fire. Next however, to become a Shas'Ui not only do you have to show heroism, but you have to 'bond' yourself to your La'rua. This is done through each man slicing their hand open into a goblet, then the potential Shas'Ui drinking that blood. This has now made each of the Shas'La in his La'rua apart of him, thus, bonded.

The Shas'Ui who leads the La'rua is then expected to carry the 'bonding knife' that was used, although it is not used in actual combat it serves as a reminder for the sacred bond the group shares.