Benshira Human
From Mizahar Lore
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| Height | 5-6.5 ft |
|---|---|
| Weight | 90- 200 lbs. |
| Lifespan | 80-90 years |
| Major features | shades of brown hair, tan skin, piercing light eyes |
| Abilities | Survivalists and captivating artists |
| Population | 800 |
| Most common in | Yahalem and deserts of Eyktol |
| Reputation | Vibrant and determined |
| Racial gods | Yahal |
Lively nomads with a tumultuous history and deep faith, the Hebreans are the precious stone of the desert races. More vibrant than the solemn Chaktawe and earthier than the proud Eypharians, a desert traveller is lucky to find the tents of a Hebrean.
Contents |
History
When the desert was not as unkind and the people were many, there was a great landowner named Ura who held vast territory and flocks. Ura was a fair man, but worshipped whatever god served his purposes at the time. He had many sons but the least of them was named Abiyram. Abiyram was married to a beautiful woman named Zariah and they had two sons. When Abiyram was thirty, he was spoken to by the god Yahal in a dream. Yahal told Abiyram to leave Ura's land and make a new nation of people. If he did so, Yahal would bless him abundantly. Having faith, Abiyram took his wife and sons to southern Eyktol, passing through the land of the Eypharians. Zariah was so beautiful that she captured the attention of the ruler of the Eypharian. The ruler invited Zariah and her family to his palace, intending to kill Abiyram and his sons, so he could marry Zariah. Yahal appeared to the ruler in a dream and commanded that Abiyram and his family be released or he would plague the ruler's children. At first, the ruler resisted the dream, and continued to hold Abiyram's family in his palace. Yahal then struck the ruler's children with blindness. The frightened ruler released Abiyram and his family, gifting them with cattle. Only then did Yahal return the children's sight.
Abiyram came to good pasture in a place that is now the location of Yahalem. There he worshiped Yahal by building him an altar and sacrificing one of the bulls the Eypharian ruler had given him. Pleased by Abiyram's faithfulness, Yahalem blessed him. Abiyram had ten sons total, who married women from Ura's lands. From them came all the Hebrean people.
The Hebreans lived under a theocracy for many generations, moved by the words from the sons of Labbi, and what revelations Yahal gave their patriarchs. After looking at the spoils of other races and their vast cities, the Hebreans longed for an earthly king. Yahal warned them that kings would be both fair and wicked, sometimes enslaving them, but the Hebreans still begged for a king. Yahal appointed their first king, Haalim, by a divine sign: a pillar of water before the door of his tent. This began a line of rulers who would bring wealth and wars, prosperity and pain.
King Eliajon built the first stone city, Yahalem, a temple to honor their god. His reign was marked by prosperity and learning, and Yahal looked on him favorably. Generations passed and a king came to rule who did not care about Yahal and his ways: King Menuseh. Menuseh let Yahal's temple fall into disrepair and began to hew out of the earth a new city: Hazahdar. This city was truly glorious when completed by Menuseh's son. It was both above and beneath the earth, lit by glowing stones and painstakingly engineered tunnels that used mirrors to reflect surface light into the ground. River water and springs were diverted into canals and aqueducts leading below ground and fruit trees were said to grow on the canal shores. Hazahdar's buildings were carved from the red stone of Eyktol and rivaled the wonders of Ahnotep. Many Hebrean were drawn to it away from the holy city.
For a time the Hebrean grew in numbers and their cities grew wealthy. The powerful Eypharians saw the rise of the Hebreans as a threat, but instead of conquering them in war, the Eypharian ruler chose a subtler tactic. The ruler of the Eypharians sent some of the most beautiful Eypharian youths into the Hebrean lands. These exotic Eypharian drew the young Hebrean men and women into the luxurious Eypharian cities and taught them how to worship their sun goddess instead of Yahal. Once the Hebreans were under the spell of their captors and far from their families, the Eypharian promptly enslaved them, forcing them to marry and breed with one another. Great monuments of Eypharians were built on the backs of the Hebreans. After years of slavery the Hebreans turned back to Yahal. The answer was not what they expected. This was when the Valiterrian struck, destroying the Eypharian cities and giving the Hebreans a chance to flee. At that time a priest of Labi named Emiah told the Hebreans that Yahal wanted them to hide in his temple in the city Yahalem. Some of the freed Hebrean refused, choosing the wealthier and seemingly safer city of Hazahdar. In the midst of the Valiterrian, the earth shook and Hazahdar collapsed, killing most who sought shelter there and all of the king's line. Much of Yahalem fell to ruin, including a part of its wall, but the temple remained standing. Those who were always shepherds and the families Yahalem's ruins could not hold returned to the life of nomads. The face of the land had changed, but Yahal had been faithful and he would continue to uphold them.
Biology
Physical Appearance
Hebreans are a subset of humans. They have skin tanned from the desert sun and hair in all shades of brown, from reddish to dark. What makes them striking is the lightness of their eyes: crystal shades of frosty blue and green. Women wear their hair long and sometimes braided. Older men wear beards while younger men keep facial hair very trim. When it comes to adornment, women pierce their ears and often their noses, and sometimes wear decorative veils hung with flattened discs of precious metal. For attire, men and women alike wear an ankle length tunic with short sleeves tied at the waist with a cord. Over this, men wear long light coats in brilliant colors and striping, and women arrange colorful shawls over their shoulders and head. Men also wear a simple head covering to protect them from the sun, usually in a solid color and held in place by a circlet. Leather sandals are the only footwear Hebreans don.
Psychology
The Hebrean race has been marked by suffering and redemption. Their own stubbornness has often been the cause of their misfortunes, but like chastised children they run to merciful Yahal to save them. Because of their experiences, most are devoted to family, their god, and embracing life. It is a miracle they still exist as a people and they are fully aware of it.
Society
Social Structure
When Abiyram left his family's land and ventured to Eyktol, he was led by Yahal, and when his family began to grow, they continued to be led by Yahal. Out of Abiyram's children, Labbi was the most devout, and kind. Yahal chose Labbi and his sons to be his priests and carry out his religious rituals. To this day, only the sons of Labbi may be priests and it is the duty of the other Hebreans to help sustain them as they travel from encampment to encampment conducting rites and ministering to the people. The life of a son of Labbi is not one of excess, but one of travel and study. They are usually the most learned of the Hebraen and tend to be jacks-of-all trades. Sons of Labbi do not rely wholly on charity, but work amongst those they teach. A good Labbi is both beloved and respected by the Hebrean.
After the collapse of Hazhadar and the death of the king's line, the Hebreans looked to Yahal for guidance. He appointed a Prophet that served until death. If the Prophet was true to Yahal, he would appoint his successor by anointing him in oil. If the Prophet turned away from Yahal, Yahal would strike the Prophet dead, then appoint another Prophet through divine signs. A Prophet can come from any line and be of either gender. These Prophets are the informal leaders of the Hebrean, and serve as the voice of Yahal. Stubborn as the Hebreans are, they do not always listen to their Prophets, and heads of families will defy them. Rebellion can prove disastrous if the Prophet was truly speaking the word of Yahal. The divine consequences are sometimes immediate or visited on the offender's children.
Most Hebreans wander the desert as shepherds, establishing vast tent cities for months at a time. They move in communities of families called "Tents". A wife is brought to her husband's "Tent", and will live with him in their own tent amidst those of his family's. If disagreements arise or lack of space becomes an issue, sons may break off from the Tents of their family's and begin their own. In Yahalem, Hebreans live in their own homes made of straw and mud bricks, in close proximity to their family.
Language
The Hebreans speak Heber a somewhat slurred sounding language with an innate rhythm. Outsiders note the common use of the "Sh", "Ah", "El" and "Y" sound. Consonants are often paired for unique almost glottal sounds. While the language seems rushed when spoken, it has an startling beauty and liveliness when sung. Their written language is fully developed with an alphabet system.
Names
In Hebrean culture, surnames are small biographies. They are derived from the name of the oldest living patriarch and the genealogy from the father's connection to a son of Abiyram. For Example, a daughter named Bekah whose father was a direct descendant of a male heir of Labbi, but she married into a family whose oldest patriarch is Alachi (who is a direct descendant of Havid), would say:
"Bekah, from the tents of Alachi, of the sons of Labi."
Bekah's unmarried daughter, Amar, would say: "Amar, from the tents of Alachi, of the sons of Havid."
Further examples of female first names: Mirian, Rakell, Zeruah, Estra, Sarahi, Bethsa, Nayomi, Ja'el
The Sons of Abiyram and their attributes:
- Labbi, the kind
- Benha, the honest
- Havid, the courageous
- Jeroab, the just
- Aysaw, the determined
- Hirem, the strong
- Eliada, the peaceful
- Basalom, the beautiful
- Jaben, the patient
- Malech, the clever
Family Life
Hebrean men are the providers and fighters, and make decisions as to where their family will move or remain. The oldest patriarch with the clearest mind will mind the daily affairs of a Tent.
The first Prophet, or rather Prophetess, was Zippora. She was a wise woman who gave council from beneath a palm tree, now thought sacred. Under her guidance, the Hebreans defeated the wicked leaders of their then oppressors, the Scyreaons, a nation that has since died out. Because of her, the patriarchal system of the Hebreans began to loosen and allow women greater autonomy. Older women are looked to for wisdom, and it is the woman who governs the matters of a household. Sons are taught to honor their mother, and daughters to learn from them. Hebreans often say that a good wife or daughter is like a stream in the desert.
Everyday Life
TBC
Art and Industry
Hebreans are predominantly shepherds. Either gender will guard the flock, and both are taught to wield slingshots for this duty. When predators come to snatch away goats and cows, a speeding rock to the skull does wonders to deter them. If a Hebrean woman is not a shepherd then she is occupied with the task of milking the goats or making wool and hair into fabric. This fabric is sturdy and shows color exceptionally well. Pottery occupies either sex, and Hebreans and Chaktawe often learn various methods from one another, so their art is similar. Both genders also practice Hebrean forms of healing, but only the women make medicinal teas and teas for pleasure. Desert herbs and spices are rare treats, and Hebrean tea is coveted across the empire. Near Yahalem, there remains some farmable land. It is not as lush as an oasis, but the soil of the nearby southern coast improves the quality of the land around the city. Hebreans here farm olive trees and vineyards, making wine and oil for all wiling to trade. The Eypharians, however, prefer beer and palm oil and look down on Hebrean agriculture.
The Hebreans are also lively singers, dancers and musicians. These arts are incorporated into their worship of Yahal and all their celebrations: weddings, engagements, births, coming of age, etc. Hebrean instruments are mostly stringed, lyres, harps, guitars, or percussion, drums and tambourines, with the rare wooden flute. Dancing is vibrant and often conducted in circles with frequent use of props such as scarves or small bells. Hebrean songs range between stories of victory and poems of praise. One rare form of song is a call and answer sung by the lover and the beloved, sometimes these archetypal parts are only adopted for a performance. More often, the songs are sung by true lovers on their wedding day.
Religion
TBC