Abanye Luturru

Demonym: Abanye

Color: #874bcc

TL;DR: Non-monogamous people with a gift culture and ceremonially significant boats that represent each community.

Maritime Primary:

• Throw Nets
• Advanced Carpentry
• Basic Hand Looms
• Trident, shrimp/crab traps, fishing spear
• Clam beds (applies to any shellfish)
• Plank Boat
• Reed Boat
• Timber Neolithic Longhouse
• Short bow, used for hunting
• Stone or Obsidian mace, used for combat
• Javelin, for hunting
• Basic Celestial Navigation
• Domed ovens
• Raised ovens
• Salt curing
• Mallet

Farming Secondary

• Early agrarian practices
• hoe
• wheat, jute, mung bean domestication
  
• grain flail
• plant fiber clothing
• raised ovens
• Advanced Herbalism

Personality

• Advanced Boat Design (long plank boats)
• Hull Caulking

Map

North Sinid Phenotype: pale yellow skin, straight hair, medium tall to tall, mesocephilac, high square-shaped face, weak cheek-bones, thin lips

There is a small but content village situated near the beaches of a forested cove, somewhere in the Abanye lands. On the firmer land above the banks, sturdily build wooden longhouses and huts surround the longhouse of Watum Shen-Zultan, the leader of the village. A hundred meters down from the village center, a collection of fishing rafts and wooden boats have been pulled onto the sand, woven reed baskets for fish and mussels resting within some of the vessels. Across the calm waters of the sheltered cove, a sandy island with some salt-loving grasses sits easily within eyesight. During a day of active fishing, fishers would paddle the rafts and boats across to the island to dig for shellfish, while others remained at the village to tend plots of wheat and jute. However, this was not an ordinary day for Dhoyalam, the village of the Osprey.

On woven mats across the beach, a feast had been laid out. Salted fish, recently baked breads, and a whole boar that had been speared with great difficulty by Rru, one of the youth for whom the entire event was staged. For this was the Naming Day of Viyol's year, when Rru and his generation were to come of age and receive their full name. On the previous day the youth had embarked upon a hunt, and this day there had been trials of combat and agility staged to test the merit of the rising generation. For Rru the stakes were high, as both he and Banir, sons of the village's most important mother, were favored for succession to the Watum.

For Rru, becoming Watum was more than a profound honor or the right to lead the village. For the Watum means more to the Abanye than leadership of a village. The Abanye are, at their core, a people of the sea and waves. It is said that when the Abanye first set foot on the land after their very creation, they knew they desired to be at sea. The Abanye live by the sea and of the sea, with fishing being more important to their culture than nearly anything else. And when the time comes to visit their Abanye brothers, villages travel by sea in ships bearing trade goods and themselves.

And no boat is more important to an Abanye than his village's Rizukan. A village may have many vessels, but there is only one true boat of the village, and that is the Rizukan. Built to higher standards than any mere fishing boat or raft, a Rizukan is made to impress and built to last. Tha Rizukan is not just the pride of every village but also its symbol, and it is the village that is named for the boat. The Rizukan was very much the boat of a village, and the Watum was her captain.

The Rizukan of Dhoyalam, the beautiful rowboat Dhoya, was in the eyes of Rru the most majestic of the Rizukan he had seen. He had seen half a dozen Rizukan in his life, for men of other villages visited for trade, for festivals, and to fish in richer waters. The Rizukan of these villages were always impressive: plank boats with caulked hulls and stylized prows, sometimes with as many as a dozen men at the oars. But Dhoya was a cut above. At some point in the village's past, a true artist had carved the prow into the form of an Osprey in flight, the Aban (fey spirit) which watched over the village. The hull was sleek and smooth, kept clean and well maintained despite its frequent use. Rru desired little more than to be captain of that ship, to seek his destiny and the legacy of his people on the open seas, to travel to far off villages for trade and festivals, and to represent the people of his village.

As dreams and desires occupied Rru's thoughts, the time to ceremonially bestow names to the new generation approached. Rru and his fellows stood before Watum Shen-Zultan, nervously awaiting the culmination of the day's festivities.

"Rru Ken Dhoya! Banir Ken Dhoya! Step forward to me!" called out the Watum in a clear voice, with the practiced steadiness and volume of a man accustomed to giving orders at sea. Hearing what he said, the two favored sons of the village approached, knowing that one of them was now to receive a most coveted title.

"Banir Ken Dhoya," began the Watum, "you have proven yourself wise and capable. You know the Star Map bestowed to us by the Twins better than any of your generation. Where you more confident, the first name would surely be yours." Turning to Rru, the Watum continued. "Rru Ken Dhoya, you have proven yourself confident and decisive. You are clear of mind on land and at sea, and will not shy from even the most daunting task. This fine boar could attest, had your resolve not done him in."

The Watum lifted a necklace, from which hung a small carving of an Osprey. "Rru Ken Dhoya, I present you this gift: the name Viya-Rru is yours, to be forever symbolized by this necklace. Wear it as proudly as you will lead our clan." The Watum placed the necklace over Viya-Rru's neck, then turned to Banir.

"Banir Ken Dhoya, I present yo uthis gift: the name Sho-Banir is yours, to be forever symbolized by this necklace. Wear it as proudly as you will serve your Watum." The Watum placed the necklace over Sho-Banir's neck, then once again turned back to Viya-Rru.

"Viya-Rru Vor Dhoya, I present you this gift on behalf of the family: Sho-Banir Yan Dhoya, to be your navigator at sea and partner in life. Treat him with the same respect with which you treat the village."

The Watum called forward the next set of youth to recieve their names, but Rru was still reeling. He was a man, and also Watum! In the span of a few minutes, leadership of the village and captaincy of Dhoya had passed to him. He could hardly wait for that evening's ceremonial sailing of the boat with himself as Watum, and Banir his navigator.