And here is where I shall post about Eshtekan cultures, one at a time. As posts are completed, their links will be organized into an index for neatness' sake. So stay tuned, and poke me if I take too long!

Ameantor
Masurtania

Sounds good! Looking forward to seeing them. I shall poke you if you take too long. ...as long as I remember to...

I guessed you would.

I'm that predictable? I'm poking you right now, even if this isn't considered too long from your perspective. *pokes*

Okay okay, I'm working on it! *Mutters* Good thing he doesn't use Varon's super-charged atomic pok--

The first country we will focus on is Ameantor, the prime aggressor in my books - the arch enemy of our hero's country, if you will. So without further ado, I give you:

Ameantorites

Origin

The Ameantorites originated in Isia, on the western coast, it is believed. They migrated over the ocean during a severe drought. Those of their tribe that stayed in Isia died out or intermixed with other races, thereby becoming forgotten altogether. The immigrants established themselves in Asroko, which was uninhabited by humans at that time. Or so it is believed. From these immigrants, two races emerged, the one becoming the Ameantorites, and the other becoming known as Tavancheti (translated as 'Wanderers').

The Ameantorites, however, lay no claim to this relationship. They are not at all proud of it, as the Tavancheti are considered 'unrefined' or 'barbaric'. Eventually the Tavancheti were driven north, and the Ameantorites settled over all of Asroko, until other races arrived and crowded them out, at which point they gathered and established their cities where you will find them to this day.

Appearance

Ameantorites are medium height, generally less than six feet tall. Their hair ranges from dark brown to black, and is kept fairly short. Their skin is medium brown - not as dark as the Tavancheti - and smooth. Their eyes are dark brown; often so dark they look black.

Clothing

Ameantorite dress is simple for the most part (royalty excluded of course), due to limiting dress code.

Men are required to wear a sort of tunic with tight leggings underneath. The rich have brightly decorated tunics, and the poor have much rougher ones, but the pattern is essentially the same. The rich, merchants, and soldiers wear soft slippers indoors, but change to tight-fitting boots when hunting, training, etc, while the poor wear shoes of wood, as rough as the individual can stand to have them. It is not uncommon for wealthy men to wear cloaks, but it is forbidden of the poor to do so except for warmth in the winter, because a cloak is a sign of status.

Again, rich and poor women alike wear the same basic pattern of dress, but the poor's dresses are shorter, and easier to work in, as well as rougher. Women wear tights too, as it is considered a mark of indecency to show one's legs; only dancers can get away with it, because they are generally considered indecent. Women's shoes are much the same as men's, save that rich women never wear boots unless they are serving as military in an emergency.

Children, rich and poor alike, wear basic replicas of their parents' clothing, with the addition of leading strings sewn to the back of their tunic/dress. One graduates from the use of leading strings at the age of eight.

Food

The Ameantorite diet consists of a lot of meat, as a result of poor gardening ground. What vegetables are managed to be grown are generally smaller than they ought to be, and of poorer quality. As a result, few rich folks take the trouble to grow their own, because they can afford to spend money on imported food. The poor, however, get very little vegetables, unless their overlord sees fit to provide them with some - and that is rare. They subsist mainly on meat, both of fowls and herd animals (once they are definite, I'll edit in their names and descriptions) and whatever fruit grows nearby on trees. (As mentioned in Occupations, 3rd paragraph, fruit trees do surprisingly well in Ameantorite soil.)

Religion

Basic Deities
The Ameantorites believe in four gods: Ahan, the the highest god and superior to his siblings, Basakh, the goddess of peace and life, Adhesk, the god of war, and Kaminotesa, the goddess of wealth. There are also numerous sub-gods that serve them, but these are not named, and are not worshiped; only acknowledged.

Beliefs
Ameantorites believe life is a preparation for a giant war which will occur in the afterlife, between Ahan and his brethren and Hetos (a twisted, evil god who has sought supremacy for three eternities) and his dark followers. As a result, Ameantorites believe that military training in this life is essential to the success of this expected war. This is the foundation for their upbringing and lifestyle.

Holy Days
Anataya (New Year) ~ The first day in the year is set aside for solemn fasting, supposedly to purify the believer for the next year, and also a general sign of piety. The next day is given over to wild rejoicing in the new year - to feasting, dancing, singing, making music, and getting drunk. I suppose they assume that the fast from the day before makes up for any evils that come after it.

Anasarash (New Moon [month]) ~ On the first day of the month, all work is set aside, and everyone, rich and poor, dresses in their best clothes and takes a sacrifice to the nearest Tsutko (See Other Details, 2nd paragraph) or to the temple itself, depending on where they live. If a poor man cannot afford a sacrifice for his family, it is the duty of his overlord (See Occupations) to provide one for him, lest he be condemned for impiety and banished or executed.

Births, deaths, and weddings are also occasions for religious ceremony, but they occur on a much smaller scale, and are indeed similar to Anataya in all respects.

Other Details
There are four high priests, one for each god, but the one serving Ahan is the most powerful, because he is Ahan's representative. Under these four are many hundreds of lesser priests who assist with the sacrifices, etc.

There is one temple, located in the capitol city, but there are smaller replicas in each city, called Tsutko, or 'Little Temples'. Believers in Ahan and his brethren often make pilgrimages to the temple, but any sacrifices are performed at the Tsutko unless one lives near enough to the temple.

Occupations

There is little prospect of variety in occupations in Ameantor.

The rich have vast estates and and numerous herds tended by the poor. They earn their living off of taxing their tenants and serving in government offices. However, they often have plenty of spare time each day, which they fill with hunting or honing their fighting skills. Despite the fact that overlords tax their tenants heavily, it is their duty to provide for them and see that they lack nothing, be it food, clothing, or beasts for sacrifice.

There are two types of poor. The first type live in tiny huts provided by their overlord, and live life as herders, tending the animals and seeing that none become sick, or are stolen. The second type slave in the iron mines, of which Ameantor has many.

And of course, there are merchants. Because Ameantor's ground is of little use other than mining and grazing animals on, they are forced to import much of what they eat (although the fruit trees are surprisingly prolific for the ground in which they grow). This role is filled by the merchants, who often make handsome profits by charging the overlords exorbitant prices - because the rich can afford good food. Not only do they make fortunes off of food, though, they also add to their purses by capturing and selling slaves - Wood People (name still tentative) to be exact.

All Ameantorites, male and female, are trained for war because of their religious beliefs (See Religion above), but the best and strongest are set aside for the nation's military and drilled continually. They serve as guards for the officials, merchant caravans, city garrisons, etc. A select few are chosen for royal guards. Becoming a soldier is practically the only hope a poor man has of rising in life. (Women often escape peasantry by selling themselves as public dancers, but this occupation is less than decent due to dress and dance postures, and all self-respecting women avoid it.)

These are by no means the only occupations to be had, but they are the majority.


Questions? Comments? Fire away!

I don't really have any questions or comments, except: Very nice. This is so well-thought-out and indepth. Great work!

Thanks for reading, Grace!

Why do they wear them at all? Is there something around that makes it more pleasant to wear shoes that are probably bad for your feet than to go barefoot?

Am I missing something, or did you lose part of a sentence here?



*is really interested* This is fascinating, do you know why they believe this?

Overall this is a pretty in-depth portrayal of their culture, and it sounds interesting, good job!

P.S. I like how the poor are cared for at least partly and sort of.

Thanks for commenting, Wolf!


Yes indeed, the ground is very rocky, and altogether uncomfortable for walking on constantly. (*Cough* Not to mention the nasties that live in it, but I haven't written about them yet. )


I put in a sentence fragment?? O.O *Goes to fix* All better. XD


No one knows for certain where this belief came about, but they suspect it came as an excuse for their warlike behavior.


Well thanks, Wolf! I appreciate having you read my subforum. Once I've fully recovered from writing such a megapost I'll start working on the next one.

I took awhile to return to this, didn't I? Uh...*scans thread again*
You're welcome! Have you written another one that I missed, or have you not recovered yet?

I think I recovered, I just haven't had time yet. Now that Driver's Ed is basically done, though, I should have more brainpower. However, VBS is next week and I get to herd a roomful of 4-year-olds around all morning, so we'll see.

Okay, I understand.

Masurhiente

Origin
No one is certain where the Masurhiente came from, or when, because of their small size, and their unobtrusive habits. The best guesses indicate that they never arrived on Asroko, but rather began life there when Eshteka was created, living peacefully with the Wood People [name still temporary] and quietly removing themselves from the vicinity when new, strange people began taking control of the land. As time passed, they accumulated in a tiny corner of Asroko, which they claimed for their own and named Masurtania. There they stayed, peacefully ignoring the rest of the world for several centuries, as they focused their energies on science and the arts.

Appearance
As has been stated elsewhere, the Masurhiente are generally six inches tall. (Although there have been a few instances of some reaching a whopping eight inches. These are, however, vastly in the minority.) In appearance, they are much like humans, except for their wings, which they keep folded neatly over their backs. Their eye and hair color range vastly. There is no stereotype.

Clothing
Masurhiente are not in the least bit picky about their clothing. If a style strikes their fancy, they wear it. In fact, you can walk down their streets and never see the same style of outfit twice, unless you pass the same individual twice.

Food
Masurtanian soil is much more fertile than Ameantor’s. Folks suppose it is because of Masurtanian ‘sorcery’ (referring to their mysterious scientific developments), and in a way they are right. Masurtanians understand the science of healthy soil, and their farming practices are much more congenial to the soil. Thus, they eat both fruit and vegetables in plenty, and also smaller game. (The larger game is often too hard for six-inch people to bring down without large forces. XD)

Religion

Basic Deities
The Masurhiente, in all their scientific searchings and observances, came to the conclusion that there is but one, all-powerful God, who created the earth and tends it lovingly. Awed at the God they had discovered, they wondered if there was any name they could call Him by that would do justice to Him. At last, they decided to call him Iah Weh, or Beyond Comprehension. (Roughly translated.)

Beliefs
Masurhiente believe Iah Weh created Eshteka with a master plan in mind. They believe He makes everything happen, and they are awed by the fact. Thus, they dedicate their energy to Him, in studying His creation, His attributes, and praising Him through all that they are. They are focused on Iah Weh, not on the happenings outside their tiny country, because they realize just how huge He is. They believe that one day Iah Weh will carry all His people off of Eshteka to a new world He has made for them, where everything will be perfect and they can revel in His glory for eternity.

Holy Days
Mylah Iah Weh (Exact meaning unknown) – Myla Iah Weh is held every seven days. On this day, all normal work (besides necessary ones, such as tending animals) is set aside, and the people gather together in small groups to share with each other what glorious things about Iah Weh have been revealed to them throughout the week. Thus, the people as a whole are constantly learning about Him.

Other Details
Mylah Iah Weh meeting houses are located all throughout Masurtanian cities. Seeing one is as common as seeing the Masurtanians themselves. They are small buildings with a single room, built to accommodate ten to twelve Masurtanians. Whereas most buildings are made to accommodate humans as well as Masurtanians, the meeting houses are not. If human visitors care to hold Mylah Iah Weh meetings, there are larger, although fewer, meeting houses, but due to the lack of regular visitors, these are also used for other purposes.

Occupations
The Masurhiente work at all sorts of jobs, but because of their peaceful nature, they focus mainly on the arts, and science (which, considering the day and age, is closer to alchemy than anything else). Their artists and musicians are held in high regard, and festivals are often held at which all can enjoy them. The king himself would never be seen in public without at least a handful of musicians accompanying him, and his palaces are richly decorated with the most famous artists’ works.

Science, (alchemy) is also an extremely popular occupation, and as a result, the Masurhiente technology is quite advanced in comparison to the rest of the world. Their secrets they guard jealously, however, as they fear that if anyone were to know them, they would have the power to drive the Masurhiente off the face of the earth – or at least into hiding. As it is, they are greatly respected because of the ‘magic’ that protects them, aka the inventions they have developed.

War



Armor
In their quest for knowledge, the alchemists developed special metals, from which they crafted new, nearly impenetrable armor, as pictured above. The armor is composed of three basic materials.
1. Luar duichi – A light, indestructible fabric
2. Luar djhosko – Tough, surprisingly light, metal plating
3. Luar tringa – A flexible, impenetrable strips of metal (If it could be called such, for its flexibility is far greater than ordinary metal. However, as they are a result of careful development, that would be expected.)

The helmet is composed of the hardest metal, with translucent – albeit dark in color – plates over the eye-holes. The alchemists designed them to be large, allowing for a greater range of view than that of normal helmets. The insect look was unintentional at first, but as they considered the matter, they supposed that if they were to make it look purposeful, none could make fun of it, whereas if they were to let it look accidental, it would be made the jest of every country, and none would respect them. Thus, they designed the helmet after an insect’s head, with the jaws at the bottom of it. If you look closely at the drawing, you can see there are two protrusions at the sides of the helmet. Folks have speculated over their use for some long while, but no possible reason for them has been discovered, for that is one of the Masurhiente’s long-kept secrets.
The body of the armor is composed of all three of the materials aforementioned. Underneath it all, is the fabric-like substance, to which they attach everything else so that there are no ungainly straps everywhere. Over the shoulders and upper ribcage, they used the hard metal plating, and below, multiple strips of the softer metal, to allow for full movement of the body. The lower diamond-shaped plate is also of the soft metal, and the front and back plates are not connected, so as to allow for more flexibility.

As far as anyone can tell, the leg plates and the arm plates are not connected to the main plating, but that has not been determined, because there are no chinks between them. It would almost seem that the entire thing is one piece, all connected to the same indestructible cloth. None know for sure.

The boots are separate, however. Observers have determined that. They also have the cloth inside them, connecting each tiny piece together. The upper part of the boot is composed of the hard metal, as are the toes and heels, but the middle is made of strips of flexible metal. The spikes on the bottoms of the boots are attached to the heels and toes, which, if you look closely, are patterned after a bee’s stinger in that they will not be easily removed from anything they penetrate. These are for grip, mostly, because their small size would be useless in battle. Considering that the Masurhiente fly, it is not necessary that the boots be made for walking in.

Their hand plating is likewise unconnected from the rest; actually, from the elbow down appears to be a single piece – a glove, as it were. The pieces are far enough apart from each other, that this is the most feasible theory, in that it would be possible to slip a hand in. The back of the hand plating is actually a mixture of the flexible metal and the hard metal, producing a semi-flexible plate. The palm, however, has only the strips of flexible metal. The undersides of the fingers are covered with naught but the protective cloth, providing better grip than they would otherwise have.

No, that is not a cape they wear. That is a specialized wing shield. The alchemists puzzled long as to how they could protect the wings of a Masurhiente. Because of their position, also, they could jeopardize back protection too. At last, they came up with a workable design: a wing shield, much like that of a beetle, although you may notice that the pattern is that of a true bug. It is made entirely of the light, flexible metal, and is composed of four pieces. The lower point, you may have noticed, is actually the back part of the body plating. The upper triangle, connects to the shoulders of the armor – no one has been able to tell how – and overlaps the lower pieces for additional protection. The two diamonds are separate, connected also at the shoulders. The inside is coated with a rubbery material that causes the Masurhiente’s upper wing to adhere to it. Thus, it becomes part of the wing to all intents and purposes. The lower wing folds inside the upper one when not in flight, but also has a thin plate protecting it.

Thus the Masurhiente enter battle with naught but the inside of their true wings showing; everything else visible is armor, and quite impenetrable. Bear in mind that these people are naught but six inches tall, and I think that you will marvel at the intricacy at the tiny pieces.

Weapons
Considering the size of the Masurhiente, you will understand that it is folly for them to engage in hand-to-hand combat. They are almost entirely dependent on their long-range weapons. I say almost because they also arm themselves with Scirratii, the weapon featured in the drawing. This is made of a strange metal (also discovered by the alchemists) that draws electricity from the surrounding air to itself and exerts it through the saw-like teeth on anything it strikes – producing a weapon that can actually cut through most types of armor. This, however, is not a significant benefit to the Masurhiente, and they use it only when the have to, relying instead on their explosives.

Yes, I did say explosives. The alchemists in their experimenting developed several types of explosives:
1. ‘Dry’ explosives, or explosives that do not burst into flame, etc. These are used primarily for the element of surprise. They produce a loud bang to confuse the enemy.
2. ‘Hot’ explosives, or explosives that do burst into flame. They are designed to cause unquenchable fire, similar to the ancient Greek Fire, which cannot be put out with water.
3. ‘Cloud’ explosives, or explosives that throw shrapnel everywhere when they go off. They are intended to mow down as many enemies as possible, and are much larger and heavier than the other kinds. Thus, they are solely flung by machines, not by hand.

Besides explosives, Masurhiente also use dragons as weapons. Yes, they are only the size of a large dog, but they are caught in the wild and trained for battle, and are substantial threats to any attacking horde. You could call them another type of explosive, almost, because they are trained to blow fire on the enemy. Their scales are fairly impenetrable, and they are experts in flying, too. The Masurhiente use them not only as their main infantry, but also as aerial mounts, because they can mount explosive-flinging machinery on their backs, as well as contraptions that appear to be a cross between a crossbow and a machine gun. (Which technology is unknown to other nations. You wonder that the Masurhiente are feared?)

Tactics
Masurhiente nearly always take the defensive when it comes to fighting. I say nearly, because once an invading army is within their borders, they will not wait to be attacked, but will make the first move. Their armies (composed of well-trained volunteers from other professions) are composed of several units:
1. Dragon infantry – The dragons dash into the fray first, using tooth, claws, tails, horns, fire, and any other available objects against the invaders. Often they will roll across the ground like a scaly ball, knocking everything flat.
2. Ground artillery – The catapults, etc. designed for ground use follow the dragons. These are also pulled by dragons, as anything else could be killed too easily. Masurtanians ride them, and operate them from there. Often there will be rank upon rank of Masurtanians lined up on every available non-moving part of the machine, armed with every projectile (explosive or otherwise) available.
3. Aerial artillery – These are the flying dragons laden with explosive-flinging machinery, and scores of Masurtanians. Sometimes you will even see gliders towed behind the dragons, carrying extra explosives – even another machine. These swoop over the enemy in seemingly random (but actually carefully orchestrated) patterns, and are really quite effective.


That’s pretty much all I’ve developed for their warfare for now.
Questions? Comments?

I love these people! They remind me of Reepicheep.

Reepicheep? I never thought of that..... XD

Sheer awesomeness.

Love the armor.

Awesomeness! I love the drawings, too. They sound like they could be gremlins if they wanted to.

*Chuckles* Thanks, Rem, I'm glad you enjoyed reading about them. Dost thou have any suggestions for further explosive development?

Gremlins? Huh, there is a bit of a resemblance. XD

Hmm...have they experimented with rockets yet? * is starting out slow XD*

Yes, you must make a division of them that has more similarities!

Rockets, hm...... I like! As long as they don't have guns quite yet, I'm good. But rockets.....that would work nicely! Especially since the Masurhiente invented fireworks.

*Laughs* Well, the race as a whole do tend to lean towards mischief.

Okay! I think their rockets should be like some of the earliest ones that were made on earth: impossible to aim very accurately (they could be somewhat aimable though)- a sort of chaotic terror weapon. They could have missile-launcher type things that have like fifty of the rockets in each, and they all go off more or less at the same time. They could also have longer-ranged, slightly more accurate rockets that have a stick attached to them (I believe that is how the first rockets were stabilized).

You need to write some shortstories with their antics then.

Ooh, I'm liking these ideas... Maybe they're extremely unstable and can't fly straight, or something.... XD

Some short stories...hmm....maybe!

Yeah! They could zig-zag or corkscrew when they fly!

*would read them*

* would too *

Haha, we'll see. I need to finish the one I'm working on first.

Okay.

There's just one problem...all my 'short stories' turn out long.

That's only half a problem for us...you can't write as many. Otherwise...

Yup.

*Laughs*