Chindi The major distinction between the Chindi and other hu-man tribes is their matriarchy: women hold power among the Chindi.. A diminutive tribe of slight build and pale coloration, C
Trang 1ing no part in further thinning their blood that might
taint their own (see Chapter 6)
• Attites believe their Trakeen Tongia priests have
reestablished contact with the Dragon King
Mai-Rong, and will reassemble soon beneath his banner
• They also believe that Attites are the original
hu-mans, splintered after offending the creator,
Sang-Tao, long before the moons and stars appeared
around their world The world’s mountains, they
feel, are the bones of Sang-Tao, who died of grief for
having lost the love of the people
Chindi
The major distinction between the Chindi and other
hu-man tribes is their matriarchy: women hold power among
the Chindi Many human men who meet any Chind
ex-press relief that their isolated location beyond Prajalu
ter-ritories keeps many from discovering this heretical form of
governance, for they do not wish it to spread
A diminutive tribe of slight build and pale coloration,
Chindi have fair to white skin with white and grey eyes
Men wear their black, white or grey hair cut close to the
scalp, women much longer Some Chindi women have
long pointed ears, seen as a portent of good fortune
Skin painting and tattoos are common among adults
Chindi fashion their traditional clothing from
net-like fabrics hung with other cloth, bright gems, metal
ornaments, beads, and even tiny ceramic tiles Men
wear long sleeves and trousers with short boots Both
men and women wear capes that also serve as bags with
many pockets
To the surprise of other tribes, relatively few Chindi
train with weaponry Those who do so learn the javelin
(cuthra) to serve as part of local militias Many carry the
traditional yuvek, which is a long, curved dagger that
is often an heirloom passed to favorite children Many
Chindi are master swafa riders, and a large part of their
village life revolves around capturing, training, riding,
and even racing the swift lizard mounts The Chindi
also use elephants as draft animals, the only group apart
from the Pachyaur to do so However much they wish to,
they do not have the skills or sheer strength needed to
capture and domesticate the much-larger colossadants
Chindi villages seem impermanent to outsiders Most
buildings are light wooden structures with paper and
leaf walls, their only strength derived from large rocks
or stone walls against which they are often built These
structures are interspersed with colorful tents,
incorpo-rating all available trees and brush to make open areas
shaded from the equatorial sun
History
The original Chindi tribes emerged from the deep southlands beside their human kin, driven in long mi-grations north and far to the east Today, in expanses rarely visited by others, they are concentrated far be-yond the Prajalu lands on the edge of virgin wilderness Most know the Chindi by the rare wanderers and trad-ers, primarily women, who find their way back west into the turbulent lands
The Chindi feel the closest lingering association with their patron Daragkark Mangkir Only the priests can interpret whether or not that love is still reciprocated, but the tribal faithful believe it to be true Eventually, they believe Mangkir shall emerge to return Khitus to order, presumably with his favored children elevated to
a central role
Chindi cultural history has more bad dealings with magic than most tribes Part of what drove them into such isolated territories was sorcery’s wrath plaguing them until their arrival in those lands As a result, all Chindi are highly wary of secular magic Secret names, never revealed outside one’s family, help people guard against magic; exposure of a secret name is betrayal of the worst sort and carries strict punishment both within the family and the local culture as well
Ranks & Types
Chindi society and governance derives its strength from extended families The more powerful families draw power through mercantile or military strength, which translates into political power
• Phrama designates a family of great wealth
• Rachini is a family of long history and genuine character
• Athan families are relative newcomers to politics
• Phyrha, the Merchant Wives, are the richest of the rich, matrons of vibrant trading organizations that manage vast wealth and people Some deal exclu-sively in ganshyer, the black steel alloy immune to the pervasive Iron Virus
• Luksaw, daughters of all noble families, train as warriors and hold high ranks in their local militias and armies Strong and skilled, they often prove a match for fighters of any gender anywhere
• Thawpi is a military commander or decision maker while Ca-Na and Gru-Na are functionaries in battle planning and logistical planning, respectively
• Lexa: Most Chindi follow the teachings of Lexa, a philosophy that preaches togetherness The Lexai
Chapter 3: RACES & REALMS