Istya way of life.

OMG CLUSTERFUCK

Roles

Chief: Not specifically born into the ruling position, more of a vote between all the elders of the tribe who choose the wisest of them to rule. Can be removed from position by death or if the elders choose to remove (need to work this)

Elders: leaders within the tribe, age doesn't matter if the tribe comes to agreement that someone has earned the right of being an elder, usually honored and recognized by the Chief. 

Pavati: Head priest or priestess of the tribe, elected by the other Talisa into the position, held until death. Pavati is in charge of all ceremonies, specifically water blessings for any outgoing members of the chiefs family. Usually oldest and wisest in the tribe, those with concerns for family, go to Pavati who reads the water to tell what shall happen. Read the clouds and the storms to tell the forests future and in turn the people. 

Talisa: Are minor leaders of the faith, all assist the Pavati in anyway possible, learning the ways to understand the (give the goddess a fancy name) and how the forests work with her. Once a Talisa, usually a Talisa for life if not elected as Pavati. Though they are trained as children with the others in the ways of combat and such, they only stay for a short time before they leave and start training under the other Talisa's as well as the occasional Pavati visit. 


Warriors: Every member of the tribe is expected and trained in ways of combat, usually for certain number of years, before they become an independent member of the people and can then choose to be nomadic with a certain Elder and return to the tribe later, to be in residence. (parts of character app Nomadic/Resident). While members are all warriors, the tribe is a communal working society, everyone puts in work for food, gathering and hunting, to keep the tribe working.

Feniss: Retired souls, those who have gone past their age to fight, they do what they can for the tribe, but are mostly council men for anyone who cares to listen, Elders and Chief alike. 


Religion

Water is life, the center of all. The tribe comes from water and to water returns for all their needs. The staple foods of the tribe, water-gourds, water-chestnuts, rice-reed and the animals that water there, are provided by the god of the pools and rivers and the tribe must treat them with honor and glory the gift given when a hunt is successful. The holy men, the Talisa, headed by the tribe's Pavati, care for the waters, and the Pavati reads the pool, the rains and the clouds to tell the tribe's eldest what the future may bring. As water flows forever, the Pavati is seen as just an extension of the river's flow, and every Pavati is seen as a continuous life that is interrupted by the death of its corporeal body. When any holy men of the tribe's dies, they are placed in a shallow ditch of water and a vigil is held while the ground turns to mud and gradually swallows them. This is an honor reserved for the holy - normal tribe members are laid at the foot of trees, in the crooks of the roots, to be returned to the clays that made them. In this way, the holy are returned to the waters, where their intransient spirits will return in another child, and the unhallowed are returned to the earth, where their bodies make the forest strong.

When a Pavati dies, the entire order returns to the pool, and a vigil is held. The chanting is continuous and travels around the rings of holy people, on and on, continuous. There are hundreds of holy people, and while the warriors stand guard the Talisa of the tribe take turns to stand a vigil in the waters of the pool and lead the chanting for a day, going round the circle. It can take up to a year, but eventually it will begin to rain, and the Pavati is discovered by who stands in the center when that rain comes. An ordeal of water is held, whereby the Pavati must remain in the holy flowing waters of a jungle river until the third rain. No food nor aid is brought for them, and they must hold their peace and their stillness completely. When the rain begins on the third day of its arrival, the trial is done, and the Pavati comes ashore to tell the story of its past lives. 


Tribe life

From the age of five, children within the tribe start their education, the teachers being Elders, Feniss and Talisa, at the first part of their education, they learn mostly stories, how their people were brought to the world, from the water and the forest, and how when they die they will return to the forest. As well as the moral standings of the tribe, learning to work with the forest and each others. The Second part of their education, starts when the child is 13, they start learning ways to hunt, fight, and get to almost any part of the forest. They get trained with

Women: Solid color band over chest, Usually family color, wrapped. Long or short skirts, tights underneath for fighting. Transparent loose shawl.
Men: shirtless, solid colored sash for formal, color of family.  loose tan, black or brown pants. White for formal
Both: barefoot, long hair usually braided. 

Obsidian weapons



Locations

The Main village is within the forest, some trees were cleared, but mostly the village is built around and with the trees, the buildings being so worked into the wood that they seem to be apart of the trees. The main part of the village has a trading sort of area, foods and things, no currency. The Holy Spring (needs a cooler name) is loosely guarded on the outskirts of the village, where all water blessings are acted, and they believe their deity appears on occasion to the Pavati. (yay magic).