Slavasco

The interior steppe region where most of the Slavasco reside

The Slavasco are semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers that make up the main population of the north central portion of the central northern continent. Unlike the Caron, they are more warlike and frequently engage in inter-tribal battles, or battles against outsider tribes.

Climate and Geography

The Slavasco's homeland is mountainous steppe, though they have since spread both to the west which has more of a maritime climate, and to the south, which has a Mediterranean climate. The steppe region is known for intense temperature swings, with average highs of around 30°C, and lows around 0°C during the summer, and highs of around 0°C and lows of -20°C during the winter. Average rainfall is about 40mm per Earth year.

Native Life

The steppe is largely sparse in terms of life, with the primary plants being slä ghös (grass) and occasional zlä xusö (bushes). The main animal population of the region includes both slä slöc (yaks) and slä tük (horses). Both have been domesticated by the Slavasco, as have zlä zlöc (goats) in the southern areas of their territory.

Resources

The Slavasco have various metal deposits thought their territory, including both tin and copper, as well as iron, but they have yet to learn how to make use of these supplies.

History

Slavasco population density 2000 years ago

The Slavasco have for the most part stayed in their homeland, though around 2000 years ago, some groups have spread to the west, into the forests, though more recently those that went west are largely scattered due to expansions by the Caron into much of the forest regions. The Slavasco presence in the western forests is currently minimal.

Slavasco population density now

Roughly 1000 years ago, the Slavasco have also spread to the south, and have taken much of the northeastern Mediterranean regions, displacing or enslaving the native tribes in the region, such as the remaining Tll-Ikish in the region.

Appearance

The Slavasco have a generally Asian appearance, and have coarse, dark, straight hair, which is nearly always black. Males generally have a single large braided ponytail, usually extending midway down the back, while females normally wear their hair quite short. Their eyes have very noticeable epicanthic folds, and are normally very dark blown, almost black. Their noses are small, and they also have prominent cheekbones, with noticeable fat around the cheek area. Skin color is normally pale, though often is moderately tan in the southern groups. Average height is around 166cm for men and 162cm for women. Like the Caron, they have difficulty in growing facial hair.

Diet

The Slavasco eat a mixture of plant matter that they are able to gather, as well as meat and milk from the yaks or goats that they farm. In addition to this, meat is occasionally gathered from hunts whenever possible, and cannibalism is practiced during battles, where enemies killed in battle are cooked and then eaten in order to prevent their travel into the afterlife. In the regions along the coast, or on major rivers, fish and other aquatic life is also a major part of their diet.

Culture and Religion

The Slavasco, like the Caron, believe that the world is full of spirits, both of nature and of the dead ancestors. In order to allow the dead to continue their existence as part of the spirits, the dead are buried underground, to allow them to become one with the earth. Enemies killed in battle are often cooked and the eaten in order to prevent them from continuing their existence, while the members of their own tribe that died in battle being buried in the same manner as those that died of other causes. This practice is mainly followed only by the winning tribe, due to the losing tribe often fleeing the area, after which they are unable to collect the bodies of either their own, or the enemy.

Initiation

At the age of 13, all boys are initiated into manhood. The initiation consists of the trials of knowledge, the trials of body, and the trials of character. The trials of knowledge include showing that they know how to use weapons, can ride a horse with said weapons, (as opposed to simply being able to ride a horse, which everyone is trained to do), are able to herd animals, and can effectively hunt. Even if a boy is known to be able to do these actions, they must still go though the actual trials.

The trials of body include tests of strength, where the boys undergoing the trial must carry a certain amount of rocks, and must be able to hold them for a certain amount of time. Also, they must be able to run for long distances. Finally there are the trials of character, where those going though the initiation are stung by scorpions, and having parts of their bodies burnt. During this, they must act in a way that is deemed acceptable by those administering the trials.

These initial trials are mandatory, and normally most boys are able to successfully complete them. Those that fail one or more of the trials, can try again at the age of 14, and at the age of 16, after which it is not possible to undergo the trials again. The trials at age 14 or 16 are not mandatory, though those who have failed their first trials are normally pressured to train and then go though them until their succeed, or run out of retrials. If a boy fails their first trial, but is able to successfully complete the second or third trial, they receive the same status as one who has succeeded in passing their first trial.

Only after successfully completing the trials is a boy recognized as a man, as opposed to a zla caul, or girl-boy or woman-man person. All boys are dressed like girls, and wear their hair like girls, until they are able to pass the trials.

Organization

Each Slavasco tribe usually has around 50 to 200 people, and live in temporary villages, preferably set up in a defensible location around where they currently live. Whenever the current location is no longer suitable to raise animals on, they pack up and move to a new location. There is the sla xakagh, the tribal chief, who makes all of the decisions in relation to the placement of the village, or when to move the village, and who is always male.

Slöm Polas Language

See Proto Slöm Polas