The Ancient Sbakaz ['sbakaz] people descendants of the modern Sbakaz people. Their name means "The People", or "The ones who become". They originate on the South West Island. The Ancient Sbakaz has three distinct peoples.
The People
The Sbakaz are tan skinned, amber eyed, and have tall wiry builds with fast-twitch muscle. They have a flat nose, long limbs, and straight thin hair that goes down to the bottom of the neck, giving shade but not much hair besides that. They aren't overly strong, but are very fast and have flexible hips(from running from predators, and stalking prey, respectively). Men tend to have an evenly built body, and grow hair on their chin, but not anywhere else usually. Women are slightly shorter than men, and tend to have smaller breasts.
The Northern Sbakaz
The Northern Sbakaz are the coastal inhabitants of the Northern Regions. They get their main source of food from the sea, but some from agriculture as well.They tend to be not as large and strong as the Easterners, but have the longest lives, and tend to be the smartest, with having greater cerebral developments.
The Eastern Sbakaz
The Eastern Sbakaz live just south of the northern regions, and have a primarily hunter society. They are the closest the the Proto-Sbakaz, and tend to be taller and stronger(By a small, but noticeable amount), and have a higher chance of foul odors due to a meat diet.
The Western Sbakaz
They live south-west of the Northern Sbakaz, along the border of the savanna and rain forest. They use the relatively fertile soil to increase their agricultureal production, and make it their main food source. Their appearance hasn't changed much, but they tend to be healthier and lax.
Clothes
Northern
The Northern men and women wear clothes depending on their profession and season. Men and woman both wear a pair of thin hide shorts that go to right above the knee, and don't wear shirts in the dry season. In the rainy season, though, men and women wear hide ponchos, but fisherman tend to always wear them when at sea.
Western and Eastern
Men and women both wear a thin hide (that isn't as tight as leather) that goes from the waist to above the knee. It is still somewhat loose to allow for running though. Aside from that, they don't wear any other daily clothes. Hunters usually wears bones strapped to them with cord, and anyone who has killed a very strong beast, may wear the skull as a helmet.
Weapons and Tools
(Clockwise) Sbakaz Spear, Throwing Knife, and Falcata
The weapons they use are a combination between Iron and the stem of Ganuv flowers, which act as a very sturdy cane. The first major weapon is a spear, usually with a disk of bone to stop a charging animal from running itself up to the user's hands. Almost all men and many women in the west have these, and most men in the east. It isn't typically needed in the North, but each house still has one.. The next weapon is a simple harpoon, a short throwing spear with a hooked edge so it stays in the animal. The other two weapons are examples of ingenuity. One, is a throwing knife with a sharp, Iron ax blade at the front end of a long, sharp knife, and the back has another blade of an iron knife sticking up at an angle at the back. This deadly combination of blades is used as a throwing knife which flies fairly straight for short distances, but has a great chance of sticking at least one implement into the animal. They also use a trap set in the fields, which consists of a stake on a pivoting branch. It is set next to rocks(all stacked on one side), and is tied down with sinew, so it points away from the rock. It is then tied with a weaker, but still strong, sinew on the other side. It is placed in grass, and when a heard is close, the tendon away from the rocks is cut, and the other sinew pulls it up, with the rocks stopping it at an upwards angle. The result is a surprise set of stacks that the animals crash into.
Tribal Structure
The tribe is made up of many families, with grandparents and immediate family in a home. The tribe is run by two men, the first is the Ziez, or the judge. He is the oldest and wisest of the village and settles disputes within the settlement. The other ruler is the Iwaz, or king. This position is not hereditary and is a man willing to give his life. The king leads hunts, and is expected to give his life fending off an animal to give the others time to escape when needed. On top of that, they lay the corner stone for any new house, and do jobs around the village, from construction to helping someone cook. The Iwaz's main principle is self-sacrifice and the kings are expected to hold their lives and interests as things to be sacrificed for everyone else. The hunters of the group tend to range from ages 14-22, with an informal group mentoring system for younger ones. In the west, they are still both used to full capacity, in the east, they use both equally, but the people are less dependent on them. In the north, though, the Ziez is the de facto head of the village, and has 2-3 other elders to help him make decisions in particularly large villages.
Eastern Specific
All able-bodied women hunt during that period(though they may end earlier). Hunters, which are the majority, marry partners that are skilled in hunting, with the belief that an able hunter will care for a child if the other one dies. With hunters, the relationship is less like love, and more like a very powerful friendship. Women stop hunting when either they have children, or their breasts begin to sag(Because stalking becomes more of an awkward motion). Craftsman and farmers have a a mentality focused more on appearance, strength, and skill, believing that shoe traits will pass on to children and honor them. People at both groups marry around 16 or 17, but craftsmen and farmers may be a year or two later.
Northern Specific
In the north, there are other social groups, along with the western three, there are Fisherman, Engineers, and Miners. They all act socially like the farmers and craftsman, but there are very few women miners, so male miners marrying outside of their social group is not uncommon. Engineers of the Northern Ancient Sbakaz usually specialize in one of three things: Naval Engineering, Mining Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering(work on components powered by gears and other simple machines). They tend to hold a lot of prestige, and are looked up to as servants of the community. The hunter's role has evolved from the older one. The hunters do provide and prepare meet, but they also act as a militia under the command of the Iwaz in times of need. Craftsmen are not only builders, but they also work with metal, and creating objects such as furniture. Farmers work outside of the city, and can be somewhat affluential if they have large Ganuv crops.
Western Specific
In the east, the roles are still similar. The hunters hunt and defend the community, but the farmers provide most of the food, which is equally distributed throughout the community.
Home Life
Eastern Sbakaz
The typical home is two stories and surrounded by a wall, with everything being made of large clay and root bricks. The entrance, is cut diagonally into the corner, so it is big enough for humans, but not for animals(who the wall is meant to keep out). Inside the wall contains any assorted plants that the family grows, and the house. The first floor is just an empty room with a ladder, a feature from before there were walls to keep the animal from killing while everyone slept. The second, is where everyone is. One half has hide sacks filled with grass, that act as beds. The other side has a stove(More like an enclosed fire pit that leads the smoke out through the roof), and a pit where everyone sits to eat and socialize. This is virtually unchanged since the proto-era.
Western Sbakaz
The typical home is two stories with a long wall encompassing the house and enough space to farm enough food for a family. All of these housing units are connected by elevated walkways(pretty much thicker walls, but with passages from one side to the other) to a central unit with a gate. The communities are fairly isolated from one another. The houses themselves are different the in the west. The firs floor is divided in two by a wall, with the entrance/ladder room and a storage area for food on the other side, but the storage is only accessible from the second level. The second floor has a kitchen, pit, and usually a table to eat at. They also have a third floor, which contains beds.
Northern Sbakaz
The Northern Sbakaz have a more urban housing style. While farmers have the more traditional houses, and anyone working in a quarry may be at a barracks if it is far, the cities are made of tightly packed buildings which tend to be three stories, but are thinner than elsewhere. The bottom floor will not only have the entrance to the top, but also a greeting room with a few chair and tables. The upper two floors are like the Eastern houses, but there is a separate bedroom from the rest of the beds.
Language
See Ancient Sbakaz Language
Flora and Fauna
The plains of the savanna is filled with animals, with the ones in the region of the people being described. The first is the Γaddum a large herbivore with a long, bulky body covered in rough, grey skin. It has two short tusks coming up from it's lower jaw, and has two ax-like implements coming from the sides of their head at an angle. The Γaddum will climb up the side of the tree(with its back legs on the grouns), and swing the axe-shaped bone growths to hack off branches. The main grazing animal of the region is the otherworldly Vüm. It looks like one of our grazing animals, but it has one powerful leg behind the back two. Its gait is altered because of this. It springs off of the back, and then propels with the other four before landing the back leg again. The final is the Zavum, the dominant predator of the savanna. It has four legs that are almost like a spider's in how they are positioned away from the body. It has a long nose, with a good sense of smell, and it's snout can open up to reveal razor sharp teeth. It hunts by stalking, as it is usually shorter than the waist high grass where it lives. For flora, there are two main crops. The first is the Ganuv plant. It is the most important crop of the people. It has a very sturdy stem that is about one meter high, and has a fruit sitting precariously on top. The fruit has a tough skin, but is very nutritious when peeled, and its seeds are smoked with a relaxant effect. The other major crop is an unnamed, whitish tuber. Not only is it very juicy when broken open, but it has a texture like a carrot, and a very sweet taste. The North also has plenty of fish, while the east has a few minor leafy plants they eat that have migrated from the nearby rain forest.
Con-Religion
There are already several parts, but I am still fleshing out some proto-mythology.
Early Philosophies
Aesthetics
The people have several different things that categorize as beautiful. For basic shapes, a balance between the geometric shapes that separate from nature and the softer curves that come with good craftsmanship. This leaves most buildings having clearly geometric designs, but lacking sharp edges. Though in the north, sharper lines are considered somewhat avant-garde. For humans, women should have hair to the shoulder blades, small breasts, and a lean musculature. For men, they should be nearly hairless on their body, and be toned. In the aspect of rudimentary drawings, they draw and create carvings in a fashion like stick figures, but using purposefully curved lines.
Fear
The Sbakaz have a tendency to fear the following characteristics or archetypes: Baldness, pale skin, sounds in the night, things low to the ground, and things on four legs.
Morality
They believe that the highest morality is self sacrifice, and that how you operate daily should be serving those around you, in the knowledge that you too will be served. Killers are sentenced to death, because killers are considered traitors, as all men are on the same side against the other animals. Taking anything forcefully (Theft, to mugging, to rape) is also dealt with being cast out of the village to the animals because this is the opposite of self sacrifice. Though typically mugging doesn't occur, and women are on par with fighting ability with men, so it isn't likely an option.