Benshira
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 |
| Most common in | Yahebah and deserts of Eyktol |
| Reputation | Vibrant and determined |
| Racial gods | Yahal |
| Racial bonus | +15 in a skill of choice |
Lively nomads with a tumultuous history and deep faith, the Benshiras 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 Benshira.
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 Biyram. Biyram was married to a beautiful woman named Zariah and they had two sons. When Biyram was thirty, he was spoken to by the god Yahal in a dream. Yahal told Biyram to leave Ura's land and make a new tribe of people dedicated to goodness. If he did so, Yahal would bless him abundantly.
Having faith, Biyram took his wife and sons to what is now Eyktol, passing through the land of the Eypharians. Zariah was so beautiful that she captured the attention of the Eypharian's highest noble. The noble invited Zariah and her family to his palace, intending to kill Biyram and his sons, so he could keep Zariah. Yahal appeared to the noble in a dream and commanded that Biyram and his family be released or he would plague the noble's children. At first, the noble resisted the dream, and continued to hold Biyram's family in his palace. Yahal then struck the noble's children with blindness. The frightened noble released Biyram and his family, gifting them with cattle. Only then did Yahal return the children's sight.
Biyram came to good pasture in a place that is now the location of Yahebah. There he worshiped Yahal by building him an altar and sacrificing one of the bulls the Eypharian noble had given him. Pleased by Biyram's faithfulness, Yahal blessed him. Biyram had ten sons total, who married women from Ura's lands. From them came all the Benshiras.
The Benshiras lived under a theocracy for many generations, moved by the words from the sons of Rapa, and what revelations Yahal gave their patriarchs. While distant kings held sway over the land, the roaming Benshiras felt little influence from them. After looking at the spoils of other races and their vast cities, the Benshiras longed for an earthly ruler. Yahal warned them that kings would be both fair and wicked, sometimes enslaving them, but the Benshiras still begged for a ruler. Yahal appointed their first ambassador, Haalim, by a divine sign: a pillar of water before the door of his tent. Haalim went to the distant ruler to assert the Benshiras wish to be a more integral part of the kingdom. This began a time of obeisance to rulers who would bring wealth and wars, prosperity and pain.
One of the distant King's first appointed governors of the Benshiras, Eliajon, instigated the construction of the first stone city, Yahebah. A temple to honor their god was in its center. Eliajon's governance was marked by prosperity and learning, and Yahal looked on him favorably. Generations passed and a new governor was appointed, one who did not care about Yahal and his ways: 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 Ahnatep. Many Benshiras were drawn to it away from the holy city.
For a time the Benshiras grew in numbers and their cities grew wealthy. The powerful Eypharians saw the rise of the Benshiras as a threat, but instead of conquering them in battle, the Eypharian noble chose a subtler tactic. The Eypharian nobles sent some of the most beautiful Eypharian youths into the Benshiras' lands. These exotic Eypharian drew the young Benshira men and women into the luxurious Eypharian cities and taught them how to worship their own lusts instead of Yahal. Once the Benshiras 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 Benshiras. After years of slavery the Benshiras turned back to Yahal. The answer was not what they expected.
This was when the Valterrian struck, destroying the Eypharian cities and giving the Benshiras a chance to flee. At that time a priest of Rapa named Emiah told the Benshiras that Yahal wanted them to hide in his temple in the city Yahebah. Some of the freed Benshiras refused, choosing the wealthier and seemingly safer city of Hazahdar. In the midst of the Valterrian, the earth shook and Hazahdar collapsed, killing most who sought shelter there and all of the governor's line. What remains of Hazahdar is now Hai. Much of Yahebah fell to ruin, but the temple and the wall remained standing. Those who were always shepherds and the families Yahebah'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
Benshiras 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 Benshiras don.
Psychology
The Benshira 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.
Despite their generous nature, Benshiras tend to be wary of more animalistic races and magi. They will often make wards with their hands or cross to the other side of the street if met with one. Their caution, however, is well-founded. One of their own, Sagallius, was one of the most destructive magi in Mizaharian history, and the animalistic races are undoubtedly dangerous.
Society
Social Structure
When Biyram 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 Biyram's children, Rapa was the most devout, and kind. Yahal chose Rapa and his sons to be his priests and carry out his religious rituals. To this day, only the sons of Rapa may be priests and it is the duty of the other Benshiras to help sustain them as they travel from encampment to encampment conducting rites and ministering to the people. The life of a son of Rapa is not one of excess, but one of travel and study. They are usually the most learned of the Benshira and tend to be jacks-of-all trades. Sons of Rapa do not rely wholly on charity, but work amongst those they teach. A good Rapa is both beloved and respected by the Benshira.
After the collapse of Hazhadar and the death of Menuseh's line, the Benshiras 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 giving him a handwritten section of the Penita Scroll he found comforting during his time as a Prophet. 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 Benshira, and serve as the voice of Yahal. Stubborn as the Benshiras 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 Benshiras 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 Yahebah, Benshira live in their own homes made of straw and mud bricks, in close proximity to their family.
Language
The Benshira speak Shiber 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 Benshira 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 Biyram. For Example, a daughter named Bekah whose father was a direct descendant of a male heir of Rapa, 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 Rapa."
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:
- Rapa, 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
Benshira 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 Ziborah. She was a wise woman who gave council from beneath a palm tree, now thought sacred. Under her guidance, the Benshira 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 Benshiras 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. Benshiras often say that a good wife or daughter is like a stream in the desert.
Marriage
Marriages are commonly arranged through the joint effort of both the mother and father of the bride. The father is obligated to evaluate the groom's ability to provide and the reputation of the groom's family. The mother is present in marriage negotiations to represent the tastes of the daughter, judging whether the groom's looks and personality are pleasing. When entering a marriage, the bride is given a single piece of jewelry or an object of great worth from her betrothed. That object will be her property alone, never to be shared. The bride's family, however, must produce a dowry of cattle, fine fabric and a weapon of some sort to give to the groom and his family.
Marrying a non-Beshira, a Rakva, is strongly discouraged, marrying outside the race is grounds to disown. This attitude prevails to protect the dwindling numbers of Benshiras and to keep from repeating the disaster that occurred when the young Benshiras were seduced by the Eypharians.
The marriage ceremony is an elaborate affair requiring several days and is of great significance to the family. A bride to be will reside in the groom's parent's Tent, or that of his nearest kin, while the groom enters the desert to pray to Yahal or his patron deity. This will last between two to seven days, during which the bride is pampered by the groom's family and learns more about them. Everyday the bride is dressed in wedding clothes, and the wedding party assembles in hope of the groom's return. The timing of the groom's return is a mystery. He may arrive at sunrise, the middle of the night or the afternoon. All the while, the wedding party is in close proximity to one another. A friend of the bride will keep watch for the groom during the day and alert the household upon his arrival, during the night a friend of the groom will keep watch and awaken the slumbering guests should the groom appear. No matter the hour, when the groom arrives, the wedding begins.
Prior to the ceremony, the bride is covered in an elaborate veil, made by the groom's female kin, and the groom is dressed in the finest the bride's family or friends have to offer.
A Benshira wedding ceremony begins with a brief exchange of promises overseen by a Rapa in which tokens of affection are exchanged. Typically, brides are given earrings and men are given rings. The Rapa will then bless the couple.
After the ceremony, the real celebration begins as the families feast and drink for the rest of the day. During this time, toasts are made, songs are sung and dancing is rampant. Commonly a talented pair of artists, be it dancers or singers, will each perform a piece dedicated to the bride or groom. Some performances extol the subject's virtue and beauty, while others share a significant story of the couple's love.
When all the food is gone and the jugs of wine are empty, the celebrations ends and the bride and groom retreat to the groom's tent.
Everyday Life
Merely surviving in the desert requires ample time and work. Daily life is given over to the joyous struggle of acquiring and cultivating what fulfills a Benshira's basic needs. However, Benshiras have a sharp divide to their labor and leisure. Unless it is dire they continue, Benshiras turn away from traditional labor no later than two bells after sunset. In the evening, Benshiras eat with their immediate families and gather with their neighbors, who are usually their extended family. Depending on the day, there are either religious ceremonies, a word from the patriarch or prophet, celebrations, song and dance or a mixture of all four. This gathering time is called the "Masha", or weaving.
When in Yahebah, Benshiras ply whatever trade is useful to sustaining the city and one another, be it leather work or carpentry. The most common trade is farming the stubborn land. It can be coaxed to bear grapes, and olive trees, much else requires especial attention.
Benshiras who wander the desert are consumed with their daily quest for water and edible desert grass for their cattle. Defending flocks and finding food is enough work to satisfy a days time, but there are also the matters of mending tents, making fabrics, charting paths and whatever other chores arise.
Art and Industry
Benshiras 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 desert cows, a speeding rock to the skull does wonders to deter them. If a Benshira 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. Fabric made from Goat hair is the primary material for tents. It has the valued properties of insulation from cold and relief from heat.
Pottery occupies either sex, and Benshiras and Chaktawe often learn various methods from one another, so their art is similar. Both genders also practice Benshira forms of healing, but only the women make medicinal teas and teas for pleasure. Desert herbs and spices are rare treats, and Benshira tea is coveted across the empire.
Near Yahebah, 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. Benshiras 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 Benshira agriculture.
The Benshiras 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. Benshira 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. Benshira 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
Yahal, the god of faith and purity, is the patron deity of the Benshiras. Yahal has taken special care to preserve and bless their race based on the faith Biyram had in him, and made the path straight for the rise of their culture.
Faithfulness to Yahal is demonstrated through three different ways: sacrifice, trust and prayer. Sacrifice can be literal or figurative. Literal sacrifices are burnt on a marble altar in his temple in Yahebah and can be of incense, purely white doves and cattle. The cooked food that remains is to be given to the needy. Figurative sacrifices can be the temporary relinquishing of some activity and replacing it with prayer or reading Penita Scrolls.
Trusting Yahal is a high form of praise. It is exhibited through the follower's peace of mind as he goes where Yahal leads. Sometimes Yahal's commands do not make earthly sense, so a follower must exercise trust in Yahal's goodness. Biyram leaving his wealthy father's land for an empty desert is a common example of trust in Yahal.
Prayer is not always petitioning Yahal with needs. Often it is singing praise or thanks for what Yahal has done in the follower's life. Prayer can be with or without words. It is the act of communing with Yahal and his principles. Many female Benshira claim dance is the form of prayer that speaks to their spirit most.