Pëlöryk (culture)
From World of Entorais Wiki
Cultural Overview
Origins
- The Pëlöryk are descendant from a slave soldier species deployed during the god wars. The scattered survivors became feral and slowly evolved to their present state.
Geography
- Pëlöryk of one kind or another are found throughout Annexea in wilderness regions. Each warren will claim a fairly large territory as their hunting range, and they will war with each other if they intrude upon claimed territory.
Language
- All Pëlöryk communicate using a variant of the Pëlöryk language. When Pëlöryk hatch, they are already fluent with a small vocabulary, due to their genetic racial memory.
Family
- Pëlöryk warrens are composed of related creatures.
Structure / Size
- A typical warren numbers between 50-100 members, lead by a single breeding pair. The warren's members will form packs of perhaps a dozen members who mirror the hierarchy of the warren as a whole.
Roles of Family Members
- Chief
- The most powerful male in the colony will be the defacto leader, claiming the right to breed with the colonies Brood Queen.
- Brood Queen
- Every colony has one queen, who is fertile and capable producing broods of eggs to replenish the warren's numbers.
- Hunters/Warriors
- The remainder of the colony serve are hunters feeding the colony and warriors defending the warren's territorial claim.
- Crafters
- When not hunting or warring with encroaching neighbours some members of the colony will turn to crafting tools, weapons, and other items required by the warren.
Importance
- The concept of relatedness is a minor one to the Pëlöryk, they value strength and power more. New hatchlings may retain some attachment towards their mother, but it fades in time due to the pressure to find ones place in the pack and warren hierarchies.
Influence
- Loyalty among related pëlöryk plays a small role in keeping the tribe cohesive, but brotherly ties only go so far when considering a chance at being the top male of the colony.
- Pëlöryk of the same brood will tend to form packs together.
Religion
- The Pëlöryk do not seem to practice any cohesive religion as a whole. Individual warrens my practice variations of totemic faith, or engage in superstition related behaviours depending on their particular history and experiences.
Primary Beliefs
- The following are meant to be examples only:
- Ancestor worship
- Given that every pëlöryk carries partial memories of their parents, and more distant relatives within them, some warrens may come to revere particular relatives who feature prominently in a bloodline's history. This may take the form of simply adopting those names regularly, or emulating particular qualities that made that individual an exemplar to his/her descendants.
- Earth mother
- Some pëlöryk tribes may begin to worship their queen as an avatar of a creator mother figure, fertility goddess. In rare cases the queen might supplant the chief as the colony's leader, choosing her mates, rather than being reduced to a brood sow used by the chief for sex.
- God-King
- Similar to the Earth mother, a particularly powerful chief might begin to see themselves as more than mortal, especially if they survive attempts on their life unscathed, or make it to a significantly advanced age compared to others of their colony. These kinds of religious cults generally only last as long as the leader is capable of keeping his lessers inline. Should they die, the concept usually dies with them, as the proof of mortality sets the record straight.
Religious Figures
- Shaman
- Like other sapient species, the Pëlöryk have the potential to become psionic, learn to use sorcery, or theurgy. In rare cases these individuals can become spiritual leaders in the colony. Respected or feared for their magic, they may carve a special role among their warren, usually tied to some religion or superstition held by the colonies members.
List of Religious Observances
- Depending on the degree or religiosity in a warren they will adopt holy days, or rituals reflecting their particular faith. the variety, and means of these practices would be unique to each warren, and too widely varied to try to enumerate here.
Structure
- The structure of their faith depends heavily on the kind of religion a warren develops. Some require roles of shamans, or priests to guide the others in the faith. while others may be more of a personal practice performed by individuals.
Ceremonial
- Very little ceremonial behaviour is observed amongst the Pëlöryk, outside of some religious examples when present. However a few still persist.
Birth
- Laying a brood of eggs is a private moment for the mother, and any ritual surrounding it varies with each individual.
Naming
- Pëlöryk receive their names from their mother prior to being laid as eggs, through the genetic memory of the species this is her final gift to each offspring.
Age
- Pëlöryk do not celebrate the passing of years like other sapient species. their lives are usually too short, and violent for age to matter.
Adulthood
- Their is no ceremony surrounding adulthood amongst the colony, as one is expected to participate in the hunting and maintenance of the warren as soon as one is capable. For the Pëlöryk, childhood ends when they hatch.
Death
- The Pëlöryk eat their dead. Meat is meat, they have no interest in ceremony or farewells. This is partly because they are strict carnivores, and partly because they inherit genetic memories from their parents and are never truly separated from their direct ancestors. Usually there is no ceremony surrounding the death of a colony member among the Pëlöryk, however some religious practices may arise around the phenomena on a case by case basis.
Inheritance
- Pëlöryk have very little sense of personal property beyond what is in ones immediate possession. No hereditary positions within the colony exist. The only inheritance they get is the shared memories of their parents from the time of conception.
Diet
- Pëlöryk as a species are exclusive carnivores.
Food
- Meat, meat and more meat. Some Pëlöryk might cook meat first, but usually it is consumed as fresh as possible and raw. In rare cases some colonies practice preserving meat through smoking or freezing, but such inventiveness often is lost, due to the lack of retention for those skills if the practitioner doesn't breed to pass down the memories of such.
Cannibalism
- Pëlöryk will certainly kill and eat other sapient species given the opportunity. While they generally won't kill their own warren members for food, unless famine is present, they will consume their own dead when available.
Drink
Non-Alcoholic
- Water, blood, or milk drank raw and fresh.
Alcohol
- Pëlöryk can be affected by alcohol, but do not practice any sort of vinting, distilling or brewing.
Fashion
- Pëlöryk clothing is generally of a practical, functional nature.
Textiles
- Pëlöryk primarily use leather and hides for their clothing needs. Some colonies might have rudimentary weaving of animal or plant fibres where the climate and local resources allow. Wood or bark may also serve as a material for crafting durable items when available.
Dyes
- Simple plant based dyes or paints may be used, to decorate clothing.
Embellishments
- Feathers, bones, bits of antler or pretty stones may all find a use as decorative elements in well established and stable colonies.
Outfits
- Pëlöryk do not differentiate into social roles to the same degree other sapient species. Generally they wear a few belts and pouches to hold useful items, and may add layers or simple protection from the elements or armour as required for their local climate,
Jewellery
- Occasional adornments using much of the same materials as decorative elements on clothing. These hold no particular social function, although some colonies have a symbolic item of chiefdom worn by the current chief, as a trophy and sign of his dominance. Usually a necklace, but some colonies have head gear serve this role.
Makeup
- Simple body paints or coloured clays may be worn by some colonies, usually to denote pack membership, or serving a ceremonial role in religion or superstition practised by the colony.
Leisure Activities
- Pëlöryk are creatures of habit, and outside of seeking food, or protecting their territory, they engage in many activities for pure personal enjoyment.
Sports
- Some colonies have contests of physical prowess to establish dominance, or simply to refine one's martial skills. Typical examples include wrestling, sparring with weapons, climbing, foot races, feats of endurance such as holding one's breath, or lifting/holding heavy objects.
Games
- Some colonies have established games, which refine ones mind instead of the body; Pattern matching, counting, or games of chance are typical. Pebbles, small bones, or other objects may be used as tokens, or other playing pieces in such games.
Gambling
- With little concern for material wealth, the concept of wagering is less developed. Certainly making claims or predictions as to the outcomes of other sports or games is practised, but there is no money to be had, beyond simple bartering.
Social Gatherings
- Pëlöryk live in communal warrens, so any down time is generally spent surrounded by other members of the colony in close proximity. They do not throw parties, or have organized group activities for purely social reasons.
Arts
- The Pëlöryk are first and foremost a warrior species. They were designed as such, and served as such for millennia. Once left to their own devices, some primitive art began to appear.
Storytelling
- The pëlöryk will tell each other stories. They generally consist of tales of their personal experiences when hunting or warring with other tribes. The practice of storytelling is a secondary means of passing along knowledge and skills to indirect relatives.
Writing
- The pëlöryk language has no written representation. As such beyond a simple glyph or two used on occasion for decoration, or other markers, their is no formal writing among the tribes.
Fiction
- While Pëlöryk are capable of telling lies, and will embellish stories for various reasons, the production of completely fictitious narratives is not yet practised.
Theatre
- Many of the stories told by one pëlöryk to another include pantomime acting out the actions that compose much of the narrative. While not organized as theatre, these simple body-plays are a certainly retold for entertainment purposes.
Acting
- Some Pëlöryk storytelling involves complex narratives, or scenes involving many individuals. Additional members may perform in the role of supporting the story-play even if they weren't part of the original activity.
Plays
- Particularly entertaining tales may be retold often enough to become part of the traditional history of the tribe. These primitive story-plays form the basis of a historical record for the colony, outside of the inherited memories, which only carry the dominant blood lines story.
Dance
- Dancing as an expression of personal emotion is still unrefined and personal among the Pëlöryk.
Music
- Pëlöryk can and do produce music.
Singing
- Pëlöryk voices are not particularly melodious, but a form of throat singing is sometimes practised.
Percussion
- Drumming on hollow wood, bones, or stretched skins is the most frequent form of music production. wind chimes, or hollow gourd, seed pod shakers also find use in some colonies. Drumming will usually accompany singing, or even add a dramatic element to the story-plays.
Wind
- Some hollow wood or reed flutes exist, but are rare occurrences. Wind flute/chimes may also be hung about the territory as a audible marker.
Painting
- Simple cave wall painting is about the upper limit of Pëlöryk exploration of this art form.
Sculpture
- Simple clay pottery is produced in some colonies, figurines representing individuals, or animals they know are also produced.
Carving
- Carved patterns in wood, bone and antler are used to decorate some tools and personal items. Larger wooden totems, or tribal territory markings are sometimes also produced in well established colonies.
Time
- The Pëlöryk have an odd relationship with time, due in part to their collective racial memory passed down from parent to child. Their perception of history is filtered partly by their parental experiences, and certainly like oral storytelling of history will shift and change with each step removed from the original events. These memories however manifest as though they were present for them; a pëlöryk does not recall their father doing something, they recall doing it as though they were their father at that moment in time. In addition the inherited memory is not a complete collection, but the most prominent memories the parent has, so reliance on oral storytelling to complete the picture is required.
Timekeeping
- Pëlöryk do not generally mark the passage of time, but are aware of the cycles; day and night, the moon phases, and seasons. some tribes have included ceremonial behaviours with such patterns, but most simply note that time has passed and a new day or season is upon them.
Daily Routine
- Pëlöryk are more active during the twilight of dawn and dusk. Hunting activities are usually performed during these periods. Strong daylight affects their eyesight negatively, so they prefer to stay inside the warren during the day, often sleeping or napping unless important task keeps them busy. At night they stay in and around the warren, but are more active with social activities.
Timeline
- God Wars
- During the prehistory of Entorais, when the gods and demons fought for control of the world, Pëlöryk were slaves and formed the bulk of the front line soldiers for the demon armies. At the conclusion of the wars, the surviving Pëlöryk were scattered and left to struggle on without leadership, or masters. They evidently survived, grew in number and evolved into the semi-feral tribal beings they are today.
- Pëlöryk Wars (190--297 YG)
- A 107 year period in which the Pëlöryk tribes in the region now known as Kythus grew to enormous numbers, following nearly three decades of mild weather. The amassed tribes started warring with the treahni clans of the region. Uniting against the Pëlöryk, the clans managed to survive until the Grey Death fell upon both treahni and pëlöryk alike, splitting the union, and scattering the Pëlöryk in 213 YG. The Pëlöryk recovered quickly, and again brought war upon the treahni by 275 YG, which reunited and defeated the them.
