WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK 0037 0037

Chapter 3: RACES & REALMS cautious and especially protective of their women and children They hold unmitigated hatred for slavers; while some outsiders are surprised that Attites don’t have a racial hatred of pachyaura, Attites differentiate and know their enemies have always been the muchloathed Watu Ranks & Types Of the human tribes, Attites have the largest number of ranks and castes, making it difficult for outsiders to judge an Attite’s exact social or political standing • Landao, Dotrong, and Trung: Names for civil authorities derive directly from the Attite terms for advancing age, including Landao (“grown”), Dotrong (“grayed”), and Trung (“venerable”) They cherish the knowledge and experience of their elders more than other human tribes, but often still succumb to the timeless struggle between wisdom and youthful petulance • Rau: Of high prestige among the Attites are their Rau, or “bearded ones,” proud evangelical philosophers who grow especially thick beards high on the face and down to their always-exposed shoulders and chest Rau are thought to be especially virile men, sought by women of quality and power • Tongia: Contrasting their high social regard are the rags worn by the Tongia, a Shadazim-guided religious minority that shuns worldly relationships altogether • Moigoi: Unique among the Attites are the Moigoi (“marriage brokers”), who have more say in pair bonding than the individuals or their parents; moigoi are not above accepting favors to influence their decisions • Maigiang: These are socially elevated prostitutes of both genders who ply their trade with impunity among the higher castes who can afford their companionship • Detdosh: Detdosh are professional hair weavers who dominate a fashion industry that they create, change, and then enforce anew There are also strata among the Attite military that affect those in the armies, but may or may not subsume any civilian social status outside those ranks • Conoan: The Conoan are a merit-based scholarly elite whose counsel is faithfully heeded by even the most reckless military commander To disobey a conoan is to invite the scorpion into one’s bed • Giotinh: Giotinh are most renowned among the Attites and their position carries social and military honor alike Randomly selected as newborns and trained through childhood as warriors, these 225 honor guards swear to protect any important figure or warlord Sometimes called the “fifteen 15s”, they are perfectly selfless and carry out their instructions without regard for life or limb Giotinh are reputedly as tough as xursha scales! • Turotch: In the armies, Tong oversee three-ranked spear formations called turotch • Chutich: Chutich lead groto-armed skirmishers known as whitusk Traditionally, Attite participants in any Rite of Vindicta are highly regarded Chutich • Ilinh: Ilinh are wandering healers who move fearlessly among the wounded during and after battles, saving as many as possible They administer the water spice hesheyel among the soldiers in times of need Attite Psychology Despite the considerable fighting skills of many Attites, war forever remains secondary to diplomacy and reason—a mindset forged by centuries of oppression by Watu slavers they could hardly vanquish by strength of arms A fight avoided marks one as a true leader as surely as victory by spear and sword To the Attites, all humans are equals, though none outside the tribe may marry into it except in the most remarkable circumstances Regardless, all non-humans are animals One must really be convinced of a pachyaur’s or krikis’ intelligence and worth, and even then skepticism will linger just beneath the surface Other aspects of the Attite mindset follow directly from their fatalist traditions For the individual, life is a brief gift that will pass and end in pain For the tribe, Khitus will one day be picked clean, and only those who adapt will survive There is no guarantee that the Attites themselves will adapt sufficiently to avoid extinction The writings of the philosopher Amon Arik preach this fatalist message and encourage mental discipline to face it honorably Youngsters must memorize most of these centuries-old passages before coming of age Customs & Culture Attite communities hold a transgressor’s feet to the fire, sometimes literally, for ignoring their rules and rites Taboos are strictly enforced with punishment, shaming, and exile, even for transgressing the slightest rules Attites never eat exactly at the moments of sunrise or sunset They pause for a full breath after learning some35