#aesirs

Overview The Aesir (Aesuric as plural) people are the vessels of nature in the physical world and live in small tribes that nomadically move up and down the continent in tandem with the flow of seasons. Each tribe centres around a specific aspect of nature and choose to devote their piety toward that patron God. Despite living in away in groups from the rest of the other tribes, no segregation exists between them and they live in harmony with each other. To record there has never been any internal conflict between them. (It is important to note that their control over the elements is not localized to their environment – both tribes have a shared speciality in the control over nature despite living in either the North of the South. The only thing that changes between them is their patron Gods.) The Aesir take authority over the flow of magical energy in the land, and are among the last sentient creatures left who are able to sense, wield, change and control it to a degree. For example, they cannot move the sun across the sky or change the seasons, but they can regrow failed crops and create nature and life where previously there was none. Equally, they can also affect nature negatively, though they do not like to do so. Culture Northern: The Northern tribes of the Aesir live in cold mountainous regions and are categorized as having deathly pale skin (almost translucent in the heights of summer) and hair resting in shades of turquoise-green and blue; rare but still seen is white hair. Their eye colour fall into similar shades and are much larger in size than most other creatures – they are more adept to seeing in the dark, and as such they are a largely nocturnal species. They live in lofty outcrops and thick forests and do not often like to make contact with outsiders. Seeing a Northern Aesir outside of their territories is an unusual sight. The Northern tribes have a small pair of wings that sprout from their lower back and hips and are primarily used for gliding. They are commonly seen riding White Deer. Their patron God is the God of Winter, Jinorah. Southern: Contrasting the Northern tribes, the Southern live in large open plains and regularly interact and intermingle with other folk. They have darker coloured skin and pastel coloured hair of various shades: shades of pink and yellow are the most common and they sport a wider variety of colour than their Northern counterparts. They are fond of tattooing as a part of their patron culture and use symbols to tell stories which they then tattoo in various places. Their eyes are usually dark in colour and more adept for daytime sight – as such, they are more active during the day. They are active traders and are more open to the alien cultures of the common folk which, over time, has affected the traditional values of their own culture. Unlike the Northern tribe, they have let their own traditions slip in favour of a more congenial form of outside influence. The only stiffness of their tradition that remains is the worship of their patron God, Myrcella, and the procreation rituals that their lives centre around. They share the same bird-like features of the Northern tribes, but are larger in size and much more decorative and show a larger variety. Some incorporate bird and insect decals into their clothing and will often wear attachments that mean different things. In contrast to the North, they are much flamboyant in their presentations. While both tribes are known to produce excellent warriors on both sides, each has their specific quirks: the Southern tribe invest most of their time and worship into cultural, creative advancements and physical activities like trading, the Northern live more quietly and are worshippers of intellectual and theoretical pursuits and are more keen to observe the world and record it rather than directly interact with it.

Genders, Names: Both tribes have fluid views on genders and sexualities – on birth they are not assigned either a name or a gender. (It is considered bad luck to do so) The individual is referred to as ‘they’ until the child begins to specify what they wish to be referred to; though it is also not uncommon for the individual to prefer remaining neutral throughout their life. A name is either chosen or given depending on their role in the community. (See: Asance) No great importance is placed on this. Sexuality: Sexuality is not the same to them as it is to the rest of the common folk, as the Aesir do not reproduce via means of intercourse and conception.  Physical and sexual contact is possible, but not preferred as it is seen as less spiritual. (Genitalia is present, but has little focus or relevance) They often form ‘lifelong companionships’ rather than putting a focus on physical relationships and are viewed as polygamous by outside cultures. (In a way, they are, as technically no one is related to any one person.) This clash in culture with the common folk means the Aesir do not often mix in this way with anyone outside of their tribe, and have remained evolutionary intact for that reason. Procreation, Familial Units, Reincarnation Cycles: Their method of procreation is dependent on nature and their Gods, and no sex ‘carries’ a child. Roles such as ‘parent’ do not exist (they have no words in their language for family related words like Mother, Father, etc.) and children are brought up by everyone in the community rather than a specific set of parents. Adults leave their homes open and treat all young as ‘theirs’ which has been observed to give the developing child a deeper sense of community, family and freedom. Favourites are not uncommon, but do not dictate a change in behaviour past emotional support: all children are to be treated equally, and that is law. Biologically, Children are given physical form by their patron God from the primordial soup of the earth’s flowing energy, and will bear no genetic resemblance to their ‘parents’. They are recreated from the energy of Aesir that have previously passed back into the spiritual energies of the earth – reincarnation is a solidified role in their culture. They are given a physical form by the Gods. The temple carers ‘harvest’ children from the sacred waters of the temple every spring; a process that can last well into the Autumn. They are cared for for the first six years of their life by the temple carers, and on their sixth birthday they are escorted down into the various settlements and left for the community to rear. Their reincarnation is cyclical – if an Aesir has lived and died as a part of the Northern tribe, they are often reincarnated into a child of the Southern tribe, and vice versa. This keeps the energy equal and flowing between both cultures and Gods.

For this reason, population has remained steady and controlled since their first conceptions in history, and birth numbers are almost directly proportionate to death numbers. Some years as many as 30 children could be born, and some, as few as two or three in a tribe. Because of this, death is not something to be feared in their culture. Upon death, the body is returned to the waters in the temple – rumoured to be infinitely deep – and are therefore ‘returned to the Gods’. This is the same for both tribes. (Though to note, if a body is for whatever reason unable to return to the water, it does not affect their reincarnation cycle. The disposing of the body is nothing more than a burying ritual.) It is important to note that this method of procreation is a closely guarded secret and the common folk presume they reproduce in the ‘normal’ way. Politics: The tribes rule themselves equally and no one person or group of people is appointed to oversee anything with the unique exclusion of the temple carers, who dictate peak times of worship in flow with the seasons. (Regardless, the temple carers are not elevated in any way past the role of pious mentorship). They share their wealth with the rest of the community and all exist in an equal state. Crime is almost unheard of, though on the occasion it is committed the individual is judged by their peers and punishment is decided upon by way of rules passed down from their ancient culture. Both tribes place great value on their honour as an individual, and is believed to be the main reason crime and wrong doing among them is a very rare affair. Due to their sexuality bordering on near asexual, rape is not something they have experience with. It should be noted that murder is seen as the worst offence and the offender is most often completely exiled from the community with punishment left as a karmic choice from the Gods. Theft is a simple matter of repaying either through work or through direct repayment of the stolen good. Dissertation or disloyalty to the community is seen as an offense against honor but only incurs serious consequence if one is in service (See: Asance) The Northern tribes do not use currency or token, and share between each other quite peacefully. However the Southern tribe have adapted to using currency as a result of their trading – though it is pooled and shared among the group. It is a common thing to give if someone else needs, and neither groups have a sense of superior material status because of this. Language: They speak Aesiric; a language that is very poetic and difficult for an outsider to learn. However, both tribes have made a point of learning the surrounding alien languages for different reasons: The North for recording purposes and the South for trading and interacting purposes. Religion and Holidays: Aesir are worshippers of nature, the land, and the energy that flows through living things. It centres mainly on the seasons, two of which are shared as mutual worships. The Northern tribe celebrate the Winter solstice as well as the passage of Spring, while the the Southern tribe celebrate the Summer solstice and the passage of Autumn. Offerings are made to their respective Gods. Winter Solstice Festival: Communities pool together a percentage of their produce for the season and ‘drown’ it in the temple waters as offerings to Jinorah, who was noted in legend to end his life cycle by returning to the Water of life. People spend the day in the lakes and pools and fast in honour of the selfless God. This is a festival that lasts from sunset through to the early morning. Spring Festival: This is worshipped in tribute and thanks to the Southern Aesir’s God, Myrcella – as one God cannot live without the other. Often an elected group of both children and adults will make the journey to the Southern lands and bring offerings of wood, produce and cattle. Summer Solstice Festival: Starting at sunrise, the community build a pyre in honour of their patron God, Myrcella, who was noted to end her life cycle by burning and returning to the Earth as ash. It is customary to smear your face and clothes with ash on this day. In contrast to the Winter festival where the community fast, the Southern tribe spend all day eating and drinking to mirror the boisterous lifestyle Myrcella once held. Gifts are given in huge quantities, though percentages are burned as an offering to Myrcella herself. Autumn Festival: Similar to the Spring Festival in that a group of elected Southern tribe members travel north to give gifts of silk, jewels and cattle. This gift giving is a mirrored exchange of what the Gods themselves once brought for one another in their first recorded incarnations. The Summer and Winter solstice celebrations are their most important holidays and birthdays are not celebrated as that is seen as placing too much importance over ‘life’. (Aesir’s average life span is 50.) They have no set ‘holy day’ of worship but rather set time aside in the day to offer prayer or to indulge in silent meditation.

The Asance The Asance are Aesir that have shown noticeably sharper abilities in spiritual magic and fighting and are often tasked as the communities prime defense. (They are never used offensively by the Aesir, who have never once tried to expand their land of conquer other cultures.) Asance is the Aesiric word for ‘Blessed’ meaning the Gods have shown them more favour for karmic reasons. The Asance are not treated differently than the common Aesir in their community, but it is generally viewed that in order to be reincarnated as an Asance an individual’s soul must have had a tumultuous time in their past life. Asance have much greater spiritual energies than the rest of their community and often can delve into talents all across the range of skills which means they are able to flit between whatever is required of them. The North produces significantly more Asance than the South due to their patron God Jinorah and are often seen as better choices for Houses than the South, who have become fairly lax over the last decade. Asance are relatively rare – the average ratio is 15:90 per reincarnation cycle.

The South is known to most Humans as “Udea” but the Aesirs simply refer to it as the South or the Southern Settlement as their culture dictates names should not be given to land. It is primarily a dusty plains biome where farmland is available but needs careful seasonal management. It is framed by tall mountains but is otherwise very easily accessible from all directions, which makes it perfect as the open trading source it has become in the last 50 years. The famous market road lies directly in the middle of the settlement and is 5 miles long and 1 mile wide, giving ample room for both Aesiric and Human traders to settle and trade their wares. Almost anything can be found here and it is busy all year long. (The actual settlement is much larger, but the main concentration of the Trading Road is the above distances) The settlement lies on the edge of the continent which means it has an accessible sea route for ports and trading, though only the humans use these. People will travel from other countries just to trade here, so the local economy is booming and the land thrives with the bustle. Most Aesir live in Yurt like tents that are easily moveable – due to how large the settlement it is, it’s important that they remain fairly nomadic within their own boundaries. The only built structures are those made and used by humans, and they are made out of dry mud and sand. The Aesir mainly trade in, (bearing in mind they do not accept money but rather things they need) cotton, silk, materials, clothes, locally grown produce, trinkets, weapons, wood and spices. Due to their culture they are forbidden from trading livestock or any mined ores in their pure form. All Aesir are vegetarian as a default, as killing something with sentient life is totally forbidden. The livestock they keep are usually horses, deer, sheep and cows. They do not “own” pets, but will happily feed any stray animals they come across. This behaviour is seen in the North too. (Though as a note: it is not forbidden to eat meat, so long as you are not the one who killed it.)

A lake runs to the West of the road which is the primary source of water for the Settlement and the Aesir manage it with great care. It is used communally for drinking, washing and for festivals and sermons. (Inspiration for this is drawn from India’s sacred rivers) The river is flanked by white steps leading down into it, and the Temple overshadows it at the top of the river. The river waters and the Temple waters often mix, and some humans believe the River has healing properties because of it. Humans are forbidden from drinking or bathing in the River, and have their own large watering hole on the opposite end of the settlement. This does not cause grievance, as only humans who respect the Aesiric culture and ways of life are allowed to live and trade in the settlement. The temple is made of white marble and quartz and is the largest permanent standing structure the Aesir have built. It sits at the bottom of the settlement and is heavily guarded and not often frequented by any Aesir other than the Temple Carers. Humans are forbidden to even approach it, let alone enter – and consequence is permanent banning from the settlement altogether. Humans are allowed to watch the festivals but are not encouraged to join in, and for festivals requiring the River, they are banned altogether.

The Southern culture reflects the ideologies of their patron God, Myrcella. They are a very loud, colourful people who spend their nights drinking, eating, singing and dancing. (They are very fond of music and singing) Fire is an element well-loved in their culture and large bonfires are scatter numerously throughout the settlement for anyone to sit around and enjoy. No Aesir cooks privately in their own space – many bring food out for themselves and others and cook it around the public space of the nearest bonfire. Instruments, carpets and pillows are brought out and these everyday parties will go on until the sun rises. Children are common sight at these night-time gatherings and often fall asleep around the fire if they have no accommodation elsewhere. All Aesiric adults will pitch in to provide for the children and make sure they are warm and safe. Southern Aesiric cooking is very flavourful and relies heavily on vegetables, spice, bread and rice. No matter the hour, there is always some kind of stall open for food – it is rare that the settlement ever calms down enough for sleep, so humans have dubbed it the “Sleepless Market”. Because of their interaction with humans and other cultures, the Southern Aesir are very open minded and culturally aware though they rarely ever adopt human ideology and choose instead to merely look upon it with raging interest and sometimes fondness. However, many have never seen a human city up close and so are also quite naïve about the negatives of human culture and life. Due to being well provided for in a lush environment, not many Southern Aesir choose to leave the settlement, and many of their Asance instead adopt police-like duties around the Temple or the Markets rather than seeking a House to serve on the outside of their Settlements. The numbers have dropped so drastically in the last 40 years that many humans now think the Asance are exclusive only to the Northern Aesiric Settlements.

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The Northern Settlement (known to the humans as Jeobrea) sits at the very top of the continent and is largely inaccessible due to harsh mountainous regions and bitterly cold weather. The Northern settlement is almost always covered in snow, with the exception of two months out of the year at the very height of summer. It has been dubbed as having an ‘unnatural coldness’ by the human population and many hold superstitious beliefs that the Aesir control the weather of the North. While this is not true, it is true that the Northern Aesiric land is affected by the God’s energy and its ‘unnatural’ climate is due to that. As the Northern Aesir do not allow access to their settlement and are rarely seen by the human population below, the humans fear them and even minimal interaction is often hostile. Only the Northern Asance leave the Settlement to go below into the cities, and if not for the prosperity they bring to the land, the humans would not welcome them. (Though even that relationship is tenuous and strained and many Asance have been grievously wounded or have simply disappeared.) The Northern Settlement is closed off as many natural crystals grow through the land there and previous history has seen the humans pillage and destroy the land they hold as sacred in order to harvest the ores that grow in overabundance there. While not hostile toward humans in an aggressive way, they are perfectly happy to act defensively and have unwillingly had to border off their land in order to protect it from the humans. (Their culture normally forbids ownership of land, but the Temple Carers broke this rule for the preservation of their species, which had come to the brink of extinction in the past. If not for their need to record and keep watch over the land and their honor of promise, the Asance also would have stopped going down to serve houses years ago.) Unlike their Southern counterparts, the Northern Aesir are sticklers for tradition and live in solitude and quiet, taking up more solitary pursuits. Instead of trading like the Southern Aesir do between themselves, everything in the North is stockpiled and individuals will take what they need. Due to the open, sharing nature that Aesir have no one ever takes more than they need and this is a system that has worked for them for centuries.

Like the South, the houses are open and children take lodging where they can – but after dark not many Asance wander their own streets. The night is a sacred and holy time for them spent in personal reflection and individual pursuits pertaining to their role in the community. Because of the nature of their patron God, Jinorah, many of the Northern Aesir are gifted with the talents of an Asance, and they produce a significantly higher number than the South. However, only a very small fraction of that number leaves the settlement to go down into the human cities. Those that choose to stay take up regular tasks and live normally and due to their all-rounder in spiritual energy that tend to take up whatever pursuit they enjoy or the community needs. They share a similar lake to the South that their own Temple connects to, but it is encased inside a mountain where it can be kept safe. The Northern Aesir tend to build more permanent structures of wood and brick and placement can vary between underground, on the ground or even supported in the canopies of trees. Not much of their land is open and easily viewable and the majority of their most important structures have been carved into the hollow mountain in long, lit passageways. Only places of residence are left outside.

Because of the cold weather and the snow that sits on the earth for 10 months out of the year, they grow their crops inside and manage the soil and light levels with their spiritual energies. (The humans see this as unnatural and have a view that anything grown in the Northern settlement will taste infinitely better than anything naturally grown – though this is false.) They are often seen as an unfriendly lot in comparison to the open Southern Aesir, but they are simply wary and quiet in their default nature; which is not to say they are unfriendly. They are the kind of people who will not show respect until it is equally given which will often put them at odds with the humans, who fear their secluded nature and lifestyle and build secrecy around their culture. The most important thing to a Northern Aesir is their honour as a person and their place in the community, which is why they make much better Asance than their relaxed Southern counterparts in regard to the level of honour with which they serve their House.