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The Holdfast of Kuali Itskuintli
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Please introduce your Holdfast down below
The Holdfast of Kuali Itskuintli is a small tribalistic land of Chichiton, with a very few folks from outside of litters but their are a smattering of other species and races numbering all together less than 2,000 who have been welcomed into the Litters of Kuali Itskuintli. Communal and food motivated they seek contentment and moderation in most things, aside from food.
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Please give a description as to how your Holdfast is governed
The Chichiton leadership structure is like much of Chichiton society communal focused, usually so long as every Chichiton is focused on the litter, life is frees from the more formal gathering and allowed to continue out uninterrupted, but if a major decision needs to be made a meeting of is called at the Tulou by the Litter Elder, who as a moderator for the Litter allowing anyone living in the Tulou to speak if they so wish, and allowing them to give him counsel. Most Elders take making these decisions seriously and truly do listen to any who would wish to speak, ultimately it is up to the Elder to give guidance and course to the family through their decision making in these matters. When a large issue is brought forth, a Council of Elders may be called in the city of Kuali Itskuintli. The Council when called first has the business of designating a “War Chief '' whose job is to act like a moderator for the Council and it is only upon an unanimous decision that the city will act as one. The War Chief is a serious job as they are also given War power by the Council in the face of War, and is a decision no member takes lightly when electing. War Chief is also a dangerous job, as when he council agrees the War Chief is always given a time frame to complete his purpose in and if the time frame is not met, they’re to be banished from their Litter and from Kuali Itskuintli. This is the Chichiton way of assuring that a War Chief never rules or is given power for too long.
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Do you have any custom races you want to introduce? If so, describe them briefly down below
Chichiton are Pug-faced creatures that average 3 foot tall. They feature the soft fur in the colors of brindled,fawn and black, with relatively flat faces, black coloration around the nose, eyes, and mouth with the fur in those areas whitening with age. They have velvety ears that flop over themselves. They have paws, with a thumb that does allow for fine manipulation and walk on two feet, that are also paws. Their claws while in existence are largely vestigial and useless in any real or meaningful way. They’re physiology wasn’t designed to speak the common tongues that is used throughout Caer Sidi but they make due with their speech of it often being broken. Their native language is one of barks, yips, grunts, huffs, sighs, coughs, whines, and sneezes. They do have slightly above hearing, but are more known for their sense of smell. They also tend to lack an affinity for most magics. Typically known for being very food motivated.
What most people know of the Chichiton and their culture is through time spent at the central “city” of Kuali Itkuintli hidden within the mountains, although calling it a city is more of a misnomer. It is more a collection of Tulou, a traditional rounded or squared building with communal housing built into the walls for a Litter, with stone steps, and stone and mortar roads running in between them. The City which houses many various Litters, Tribal and Familial like units within the larger Chichiton society, in the Tulou, is usually never at capacity as many of the families return only during the winter, after the grazing season is over.
Visitors are eyed initially with a little suspicion, but once trusted by a Litter they’re often ushered into that Litter’s Tulou and are to to be treated like family in all matters, marking them as a gregarious culture once they warm up to outsiders.
Being a largely communal society this also means that the entire litters usually spend meals together rather than just individual families, often on the group floor of the Tulou. Meals are extremely important in Chichiton society, and the Elder of a Litter, who are the chefs, are also treated as Sages and healers. Chichiton Elders use their knowledge and the traditions of the people to create foods that are aimed at being medicinal for the mind, body, soul, as well as nourishment. One example of a Chichiton dish is Omiayotl, a bone broth mixed with local spices and herbs which is served at every meal in the Tulou and is meant not just to satiate thirst but to help alleviate the breathing issues common in many of the Chichiton. To refuse or show dislike for a Chichiton’s Meal is considered a deep shame unto the Litter that made it.
The Meals, along with their treatment of guests all stem from them being a communal focused society, this extend to their take on “taboos” in which they believe that the community is as responsible for correcting the taboos of an individual as the individual, this comes from their concept of the Slippery World, which is a large part of their religious outlook.
Tulou is a rammed earth, wood and stone based structure that acts as a communal housing for one of the Chichiton Litter. They’re circular in nature and are often between two to four (human) stories high, and able to house usually between 200 to 800 people. All the doors to the individual and family areas are located on the inside, with some windows facing out large enough for a Chichiton to be able to aim and throw javelins using an Atlatl. The usual structure for the bottom/ground floor to house a shared area for crafting, cooking storage, gatherings including education and religious ceremonies, all accessible in a large courtyard area. The upper floors are where the housing areas are located, with the exception of guest housing located on the bottom floor. Tulou are only ever near full occupancy in the winter, as the herder’s often travel to hills and lowlands with their herds to graze where they started in Domed Alachigh. It should be noted the only in the mountains and only leading to Kuali Itkuintli are their roads, which are made of stones with occasionally step carved into the mountain.
Domed Alachigh are rounded yurt-like structures designed specifically to resist the strong wind that can come in the hills and mountains in the area that the Chichiton use to graze their flocks and packs on.
The traditional clothing of the Chichiton are usually made from wool, and are dyed bright colors. Ponchos are used by just about every Chichiton and are usually quite colorful so that they are easily recognizable in the bad weather that occasionally strikes their mountainous regions. Chullo are also common amongst them all, often being equally colorful. Other common pieces of clothing are jombona, chumpi, and pollera which tend to be worn by feminine presenting Chichiton. Buttons and Jewelry are often made out of bones and painted to match the bright colors of the rest of their clothing. Although some of the younger Chichiton, especially those who wish to go beyond their lands can be found wearing items and clothing styles from other cultures, most notable this trend is favored among the emerging Traders and the Tzipilotl.
The previously mentioned emerging traders is a new concept to the Chichiton, being a small group of the younger Chichiton who have decided to travel Caer Sidi in an attempt to sell the fine wool, and bone jewelry of their tribe instead, believing in the Slippery Earth, the Elder and more traditional members believe this is acceptable so long as they return home in the winter keeping some moderation in preserving the traditions of their people. This is still though an extremely rare occurrence anywhere though to see a Chichiton trading far from home.
Other items to note that stand out about their culture include their use of Sky Burials for the deceased, leaving the bodies on mountain Craigs to be picked and cleaned by local scavengers, and returning to collect their picked clean bones after several months. They also are known for their unique throat singing, which does in duets in close proximity to one another. They’re noted for using inhalation and exhalation at the source of the music and this is done with no instrumentation. It is common among all genders in their society to practice this. Chichiton throat singer is never done as a solo event. This of course isn’t their only traditional music as they also are noted to have some string instruments, drums, and bone flutes which are often played at gatherings.
The spiritual beliefs of the Chichiton society break down into four major components. The first of which is a animistic belief that everything has a soul from the stones and earth they use to build their homes to the animals they raise and hunt. They believe that souls are all worthy of respect and so when they slaughter an animal they do their best to use all of the animal, using their pelts or skin, eating their meat, and even their bones are used for various things including making musical instruments, tools for preparing leather, or jewelry . They always thank the earth for stones, thank trees for the fruits they drop, even thanking their enemies after times of war for growing their skills as warriors.
The second part is the reverence of Ancestors, while Sky burials are the most common burial practice, the bones are always collected and often used as is any other bones to make tools, instruments or jewelry, having these items from the bones of an ancestor is considered something special, often are some of the most prized items that can be found with in a Litter. This is usually an Ancestor shrine with in the ground level of each Tulou
Three is the spirituality that is medicinal cooking. In Chichiton culture food is a central part of their lives not just for physical nourishment but also for nourishment for the soul and mind. Often Elders, who act as head chefs and cooks for the Litters, prepared specific additives for various family members based on physical needs, but also on spiritual needs. If a Litter member has a big event, the Elder will sneak them some Marrow which is considered to grant good luck, for those who may have become depressed he will mix lemongrass with their Omiayot. While magic doesn’t come naturally to the Chichiton, this is by far the closest and most guarded secret they have, with only Elders and the next in line knowing the recipes.
The Four and the one often guides much of their culture is the concept of the Slippery World. The Slippery world is the the belief that balance is the only way to inhabit it as the world all Chichiton are born into is slippery, meaning that it is easy to fall away from the good is one goes too far one way or the other, this view points changes their view in which all things are usually done in moderation, food excluded, which allows for the culture to change even believing that tradition must be moderated as well. It also set their adversary not as themselves as individuals but as the world, in which they must help one another travel the middle path, the balanced path, and that if a Litter member where to slip than it is up to the Litter to return that person to the path.
The Chichiton are not warlike people, but they are also unafraid to defend themselves or the lands that care for them. While they shy away from the metal weapons found in so many other parts of Caer Sidi, aside from a small group of warriors known as Tzopilotl or “Carrion Warriors.” The Chichiton do not have a standing militia of any kind, and only conceded control a General during times of great strife in the form of a War Chief, who must be given a unanimous decree of war by the Elders of each Letter, and is also give a time table in which they must have carried out their duty by, if the War Chief fails to win or to properly protect the Chichiton in the time given by the council they are banished from their Litter and from Kuali Itskuintli.
There are two notable warrior groups within the Chichiton though and the 1st is the aforementioned Ibex Calvary. A group of the most well trained warriors who are given Mountain Ibex to ride into battle. Ofrte armed with a Spear, and a Wooden Shield along with an Atlatl and a quiver of arrow, they’re know being able to traverse extremely difficult terrain. Making this a Cavalry that can continue well on to location normal inaccessible to other mounted regiments.
The second are the Tzopilotl, Carrion Warriors, a small brigade of Chichiton who train with use and keep all their armor and items from defeated foes, often seen in pieces of armor adapted for their small nature from larger species, they’re can be found carrying daggers as words, attaching flail heads to ned handle to make maces. They’re fierce warriors often underestimated by larger opponents due to their size and somewhat humorous appearance in their patchwork armor, which they use to their advantage. Many of the Tzopilotl have aligned themselves with the emergent traders offering to accompany them as they ply their wares elsewhere in the Caer Sidi.
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The population of Kuali Itskuintli is:
⠀- Chichiton = 49,185
- Dwarves = 156
- Syvisans = 249
- Sidhe = 323
- Satrys = 245
- Misc others = 160
Total = 50,318 |
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The Natural and Processed goods of Kual Itskuintli are:
=[ Total points available: 8 ]
[ Total points used: 8 ]
Alpacas (Foodstuff and Wool) = 1 point
Stone = 1 point
Foraged Vegetation = 1 point
Hunting Goods = 1 point
Kuali Itskuintli Dyes = 2 points
Traditional Kuali Itskuintli Clothing = 2 points
Economically the Chichiton attempt to be self-sufficient, but often struggle with it and are forced to allow traders into Kuali Itskuintli or more recently allowing some Chichiton to become traveling traders. Traders must take quite a while gaining the trust of a Litter to gain permanent entrance into any of the Tolou though, with a small encampment of those attempting located just outside the city. These items they do often look for though include lumber, various types of food including grains, and cultivated vegetables as well as exotic meats. Ceramics are highly sought after Iron and Copper cookware are some of the most highly sought after items from traders though, that Elders and the few Trader Chichiton will almost always be willing to trade for.. They are a pastorally focused culture who often have wool, meat, milk, and bones jewelry all from the local herds of Alpaca, along with having hunted and foraged goods, stone, traditional clothing and dyes to trade with those who come to Kuali Itskuintli. The clothes are always of Alpaca wool and are usually dyed in bright luminous colors made from local plants and insects foraged from the lowlands near Kuali Itskuintli.
Occasionally they make specific agreements with traders or kingdoms to supply some of these needs that they have been unable to meet as a more stable source of getting resources they need. Insularly they do not use a system of income as each Litter is in charge of ensuring the needs of its individual members are met. Elder are usually seen as the one who are to barter with any trader, merchant or diplomat for the families, on rare occasion for exceptionally large deals a council maybe called and a War Chief elected to negotiate trade terms. |
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