Post by Patuk on Feb 5, 2016 22:05:34 GMT -5
This is, word for word, the request I sent in to staff after two days of writing them up:
I sent this bit in the following day because I wanted to add stuff:
This was very long overdue, but I have finally created documentation worthy of a celf tribe that I would like to play in. Since playing shortlived elves and talking on the gdb does little four the game, this is a tribal role call for four elves.
This application will consist of the tribe's documentation, with my application proper, along with those of other people, reserved for later. I will most likely play an assassin, and accept no more than a single elementalist, if that. It's very much up to the people who apply and actually ask to play once I do make the role call, so if everyone asks for an assassin already I may resort to playing something else. It's okay if you're holding off approval for until I actually add a character app as well, but right now what I'd like to know first is whether or not you think the documentation is in order.
I'd also like to note that yes, I realise I won't be able to recruit into the tribe. Consider this a longterm thing. Judging from gdb posts, there seems to be some staffside interest at least to see celven tribes made at some point, so I figure the least I can do is jump in and not be a detriment. I'm fine with having to spend a year or so not recruiting because rules if that's necessary, or tweaking some documentation so it may fit staff vision better, but I do intend for these elves to last.
Almoxei Zharshakht
In now archaic-sounding Allundean, Almoxei Zharshakht means kindred souls. The bond that all tribal elves feel with their close of kin is one the Almoxei feel on a level that transcends blood and family. The Almoxei believe that all elves have immortal souls that forever are reborn in the bodies of future generations, and that their own people in particular all carry within them a sliver of their ancestral hero, Artakhshurta. Thus the Almoxei may also call themselves Ashimveel - one-as-many, referring to the splintered nature of their mythical forebear.
Physical characteristics
Almoxei hair tends to fall within the middle ranges of the colour spectrum, with bright blonde or red and deep black being rarer than auburn, brown, russet or dark blond hair. Almoxei eyes tend to be heavily slanted and vary in colour, though violet, red and black eyes tend to be absent from the spectrum. Almoxei ears are very sharp even by elven standards, abd usually very long as well. The Almoxei tend to make their money with crafts and silent tasks more than with grebbing or mercenary-like work, and so they tend to be somewhat fattish, smooth-skinned and pale by elven standards. All Almoxei bear the inking of a circle bearing many cracks somewhere on their body, the tattoo usually no more than a few inches large.
Descendants from recent tribal additions vary more wildly, of course.
Early history
As a people carrying with them the souls of elves from primordial days, the Almoxei believe themselves to be set apart from other elves by their carrying of the broken savior's soul along with their own souls. As Almoxei legend recounts, it was the Dragon and its vile thralls that scorched the world and deadened the earth, driving all elves apart and into the corners of the Known for refuge. It was in this perilous time that an elf named Artakhshurta arose and challenged the dragonsthrall that threatened the corner past the Known that his people inhabited. There are many tales and anecdotes from his life and the struggle against the dragonsthrall that lead to his demise, with some even contradicting each other, but all end in.a similar manner: after a battle requiring all of the elven hero's strength and skill, the dragonsthrall Myrvas was finally slain, his dreadful magicks threatening the elves no more. Despite that, it was with the dying evildoers's last vestiges of power that he cursed Artakhshurta's name, causing the elf to be dragged off into death along with the dragonsthrall and his soul to be fractured much like the defiler's was, elves across the Known becoming imbued with its various shards. To this day onward, the Almoxei believe that they are all set apart by their heroic martyr's presence alongside their own.
Spirituality
The Almoxei believe that all elves possess souls that may be reborn after they pass. Some might believe other creatures like humans, dwarves and animals to do the same, but that is of little importance, and even those who believe them to possess souls agree that they are in no way similar to those of elves. Half-elves are a special case: the Almoxeiview half-elves as either possessing a human or an elven soul, or even two at a time. The first makes them utterly alien in mind to the tribe, the second is viewed as torture for the soul in question, to live in such a body, and the third sort of breed is pitied for being so conflicted. The creation of such individuals is strongly frowned upon by all Almoxei, and infanticide is encouraged in the rare cases where half-elves of Almoxei blood may be born.
The Almoxei generally believe that souls go through a cycle of birth, death and rebirth, with every death seeing them rejoin with the other souls of Artakhshurtan stock, and every birth placing them on the Known anew. Souls are believed to retain personality traits and inherent skills upon rebirth, if not physical characteristics. For this reason, a token of each new generation of elves is kept upon their death. The token may be anything the elf treasured or used much in life: tools, jewelry, old weaponry or a prized bauble. Infants born of the tribe are often taken apart and placed in front of a collection of such goods to see if they identify strongly with any of the objects. If the child chooses any such object, it is taken as a sign that the young elf's soul must indeed belong to the token's prior owner, and such a choice is therefor reason for celebration if the elf in question was a credit to the tribe, or perhaps disappointment if the ancestor perhaps disappointment if the elf was something of a layabout in life. Infants who choose no object or seem to dislike every choice are seen as troubling omens, and cause for further and very literal soul-searching.
The Almoxei practice of keeping tokens has a purpose other than identifying new births within the tribe. Ancestral worship and communication are very much practiced with the Almoxei - it is believed that one's dead forebears may be communed with for good luck and advice, and that they can impart their influence on the elf even beyond their death. It is considered appropriate to sacrifice things at least every few weeks to show respect and stay in the ancestors' good graces; typical sacrifices include food, alcohol, and objects the elf's ancestors may have valued. An elf who knows many of his ancestors were burglars, for example, may sacrifice stolen objects or lockpicks to their kin.
Ancestral souls are generally believed to be somewhat 'homeish' in their behavior. Though the broken savior's soul was diffused across the Known, and there may be dozens of elves that carry him with them and not know it, the Almoxei believe at least believe that a particular soul and its ancestors are somewhat tied to their passed-down objects. Accordingly, the various mementos of an elf's forefathers - the objects' Allundean term is Orzing- are stored together in what might be called a shrine. It is to this shrine that an elf sacrifices, prays, confesses or performs rituals. Though the Orzings of any given shrine are obviously completely different from another, every shrine the Almoxei keep shares the similarity with another that the centrepiece is always a broken object - a figurine's limb, a shard of rock, or a splinter of bone. This is to represent the part of Artakhshurta that each Almoxei carries.
Upon death, an Almoxei's soul is believed to leave his body behind and move on to join the other souls marked by Artakhshurta to await its being returned to life once more. For this reason, the Almoxei are taught from an early age onwards that death is not to be feared, for one's soul shall always be looked after, and that none may harm it with mere spears and swords. Indeed, there are stories aplenty of (over)zealous Almoxei in feuds and tug of wars within Allanak plunging themselves into fights with abandon, wishing fully to serve their people and longing for the companionship of their brethren after death. 'As long as there are elves, there will be Almoxei,' a saying of the tribe's goes.
Though the tribe lacks a set custom on enbalming, burial or cremation, there is a form of suicide the Almoxei reserve for very dire circumstances or aged, infirm, or otherwise crippled tribesmen. In this form of ritualised suicide, an elf may listen to the plights of all Almoxei before being brought to death by way of stabbing by all, thus taking the concerns of the living along with them to the other souls and Artakhshurta's shattered self, so that they may hear their struggles and seek to better them accordingly. A quick death is taken to be a good sign, whereas an elf enduring many wounds tends to betaken as a sign that the other souls reject his passing, and is a source of shame for the dying elf. In times where the survival of an elf would endanger the group as a whole, many able-bodied Almoxei have been known to volunteer for this ritual willingly, hoping to see their death have some purpose at least.
There are two exceptions to the general Almoxei attitude towards death: sorcery and distance. All Almoxei know the story of Artakhshurta being cursed and his soul shattered, and so the tribe is generally extremely cautious when rumors of defiling abound, for the tearing asunder of a soul is one of the most terrible things that may happen in their worldview. Similarly, an Almoxei dying away from home may leave nothing behind for their next selves to find and enshrine, a grave fear for many, as it is believed that souls will often return to the location of their previous owner's Orzing's location after death: an Almoxei dying in Luir's, for example, may cause his soul to be reborn there some years later, and therefor to be lost and severed from the others in Allanak. For this reason, tribesmen who leave the city will often leave a single one of their most prized possessions behind upon departure, especially so if the journey is set to be dangerous. Similarly, an elf dying inside Allanak but in captivity or slain by others, will often be met with his living brethren going through great lengths to retrieve or ransom something the dead elf owned, in order to keep the elf's soul at rest and ensure a good birth years down the line. However, since the elf's body will be inside Allanak at least in such a case, the proximity is believed to be enough that the soul will at least not leave fthe city amd be born elsewhere. As a corollary, Almoxei women will often give birth by the shrines of elves whose souls are not currently alive, with the hope that their child will therefor receive that shrine's patron soul.
Communication with one's fallen ancestors is believed to be possible. The reasons to do so are manifold: to glean secrets, gain lost knowledge, learn their history, show respect, confess wrongdoings, ask for guidance, or even to share a particularly funny joke. The practice of doing this is very old, but in recent years the more frivolous communication with one's ancestors has waned due to the ban on spice in Allanak: alcohol knocks people out quickly, and inhibits rather than enhances one's mental state, which means that the Almoxei will only use it for their rituals in the most dire of circumstances. Spice, on the other hand, is believed to be far superior to alcohol for its myriad properties and mind-altering effects. A good knowledge of the effects of spice is generally held to be an important skill for the tribe to have, for spice is not a one size fits all thing. Smuggling spice is something held as very important, for it is expensive inside Allanak, and exposes the tribe to criminal ties with outsiders. If for some reason smuggle is impossible or highly impractical, a person's shrine can be moved to Red Storm for communion there, though this is generally a cause for discomfort, for the tribe prefers being confined closely and with its members close to each other.
Though Artakhshurta's soul may well have been scattered into a ten thousand pieces, the Almoxei believe the amount to be finite. There may well be a hundred elves in the desert who unbeknownst to them share in Artakhshurta's soul, two hundred in Red storm, a thousand in Tuluk, but many among the the Almoxei believe that despite the fractured nature of his soul, it is possible for Artakhshurta to be mended should all bearers of his legacy be brought together. The details of this day is something not all agree on; some argue that a woman would need to give birth amidst all the other elves, whereas other view collective suicide in front of an infant as the solution, or a collective spice ritual so that the fragment of their savior in every elf may guide them to the proper course of action. Regardless of the details, the Almoxei agree that to find a kindred soul as of yet unknown to the tribe is a cause of great importance: every added soul is strength added to the tribe and a fragment further to the becoming whole of Artakhshurta. Of course, an elf carrying with them a soul yet unknown to the tribe can draw on no Orzing for them to recognise as belonging to their soul. Instead, the elf will be brought before knowledgeable tribesmen and brought into a trance with great quantities of spice and the broken objects from many of the tribe's shrines. After the elf awakens, the tribesmen around them will ask about their visions, and judge whether they belong to the broken savior or not. If the visions are judged to be truly those of Artakhshurta's mythical exploits, the elf is greeted as one of the Almoxei, and judged as a full member of the tribe.
Culture
The elves who would call themselves Almoxei Zharshakht lived in Vrun Driath after their mythical conception, and so were absorbed into Allanak after that city was founded, too. The Almoxei do well enough inside the highlord's city, having adapted to the templarate's presence decently well.
The Almoxei tend to live secluded from the outside world where it comes to their less open activities, instead preferring to keep most criminal activities and strife to themselves rather than be open about the tribe's goings on in public. In their dealings with outsiders, be they elves or other races, the Almoxei tend to be extremely polite, deferential and stoic, if only to put on a false front and to keep out trouble. Accordingly, Almoxei never imbibe alcohol in front of outsiders, and know to keep their anger bottled up, though they may smile and be merry to ensure appearances are kept up. Such attitudes are pragmatic, not something belonging to their minds innately: in gang wars or their dealings with people like slaves, inconsequential foreigners and beggars, the Almoxei may show as much hate or derision as other people. It is mostly when dealing with Allanak proper that they choose to appear stoic and withdrawn.
The attitude the Almoxei hold toward others isn't so much due to fear or survival instinct as it is disinterest. Politics and high social status do not interest the Almoxei much, preferring instead the approval of their tribemates. The spokespeople in the Almoxei often pool together money meant for bribes, with most going to the Arm and the templarate, and smaller amounts being passed to others who may cause trouble. The sums are paid to keep out trouble and make sure the tribe goes by unbothered in their main pursuits, theft, spice acquisition, survival, ancestor worship, and the finding of other Kindred. The tribe views the money paid as something of a part of life, paid to keep the world at bay and the Almoxei focused on what matters in life.
The Almoxei disinterest for the human-dominated field of politics and so on means the Almoxei have very little interest in power struggles or wanting to see Allanak change. Where they deal with the mighty and powerful in Allanak, they do so for reasons of providing use and acquiring leverage. The Almoxei are very acutely aware of the potential harm nobles and templars may cause, and so do their best to appear useful to those who matter most; this is not due to genuine admiration, but more down to a will to live unhindered. On the other hand, the Almoxei will generally do their best to learn the secrets and weak spots of individual important figures where possible, for the same reason that they prefer being of use: those in power may be more reluctant to strike against such weak-seeming foes if they manage to at least annoy their foe in their downfall. Those who hold no sway whatsoever are outside Almoxei interest of seeming useful and plotting possible future harm entirely, and are generally dealt with only for the tribe to make money or seek services.
A large part of Almoxei life consists of storytelling. Many elves will know at least a few stories about their ancestors, as well as some about those of their closest kin. Growing up, a young elf will be taught the deeds and works of their earlier lives, and taught lessons accordingly. Similarly. there are many tales of Artakhshurta himself, used to keep children in line and teach them life lessons. Tales vary in length from epic poems spanning two hours, to aphorisms used to illustrate a point, used to come across as wise and set in one's course righteously. Boastful Almoxei may brag aboud particularly glorious ancestor's, though this connection is twofold: to descend from skilled thieves and great leaders may well put great pressure on an elf's shoulder to live up to their greatness.
Though the homes and shrines of the Almoxei are in Allanak's Commoner's quarter, and despite their efforts to stay out of trouble, occasionally some elves may be run out of town and forced to take refuge in the labyrinth or inside Red Storm, with extreme cases seeing elves forced to flee even further. Such events cause the tribe great discomfort, given their fondness for staying close-knit and together. Elves who are made to flee tend to be looked after well and turn into the tribe's spice smugglers rather often, given the fact that they are already on the run anyway. An elf in the labyrinth may be forced to trim down his shrine and carry only his most valued Orzing with him, given the likelihood that they will be stolen once he arrives.
The Almoxei spend most of their time amongst themselves, and so the majority of their income, other than the leftover spice they may sell, comes from theft and working crafts. A useful facet if the Almoxei tendency to pass down knowledge is that they have amassed a great deal of knowledge on their chosen expertises, and so many tribesmen will be very skilled in at least one or two areas of creating useful goods. Despite their carefully passed-down skills, the Almoxei make good deals out of money with selling cheap knockoffs, and even take some pride in conning people like so.
Humans are mostly a threat or a moneymaking opportunity to the Almoxei, and bargained away or profited off of accordingly. Dwarves and half-giants enjoy privileges no greater than elves, and so the Almoxei will callously swindle and bully those people out of their money when they see fit to do so. Half-elves have it even worse, as many Almoxei feel that to slay one such person is more akin to an act of mercy on their elven souls. Other elves are a special case. Often the Almoxei may take an interest if elves elsewhere resemble people they knew or heard of, seeking inside them the signs of Kindred Souls. Almoxei who are particularly zealous about flushing out souls whose Orzing were lost may even wander about the city to find the right people, desperately looking for a sign of their slain kin. Elves who are either proven or strongly assumed not to be Kindred may still be befrended by particularly kind tribesmen, though many dismiss relationships going beyond business as a waste of time.
The generally relaxed attitude towards death tends to color the Almoxei dealings with others a great deal. Almoxei generally are very ready to sacrifice themselves for the peace of the tribe, though this tends tohappen only in the face of exceedingly large threats humanity can muster; where smaller threats are concerned, the Almoxei will prefer to swindle, cheat and fight. Killing sources of troubles is something the Almoxei do not shy away from, though purposefully keeping particularly reviled foes alive so that their journey into death and a new chance of life may be delayed is something they have been known to enact on particularly reviled foes. Cowardice and fear of death are seen as child's fears and worthy of ridicule, such concepts being foreign in the minds of the Almoxei, and reason for much laughter should they be eldetected in their potential victims. Only death may set you free from such fears, such a person's parting words might be.
The Almoxei generally will not shy away from punishing their members if they commit grave wringdoings, believing that a flaw in an elf may yet hurt the tribe for a thousand years f left uncorrected. Canings, the taking of possessions, and even visual scarring may all be inflicted on elves who go wrong. Almoxei who get punished geberally believe that their ancestors will not object to their offspring bettering themselves, and therefor usually opt to accept the punishment, though resentment over being made out to be inferior may still breed. Death is usually not a punishment reserved for those who commit especially foul acts, as the Almoxei view death to a close one as relieving and an undeserved new chance for a bad person; instead, the Almoxei will strip the offender of an object to become Orzing after their death and exile them from their home, and the city if possible, casting them away and forcing hem to seek penance and endure hardship away from their ancestral shrine. Most Almoxei who lack such guidance from family and ritualised ancestor worship end up with very deep psychological scars, and may become highly unstable individuals, feeling truly lost and alone sin the world.
Magick
Due to the presence of sorcery playing the role of evil in their history, the Almoxei shunned any magickers amongst their ranks for a long time, declaring that no such person could possibly share in Artakhshurta's soul. The past few king's ages have seen a change even in the usually conservative Almoxei however, with a number of elementalists receiving the status of Kindred inside the tribe.
The first instance of an elementalist being declared Almoxei happened the day spice was banned inside of Allanak. With no support networks yet set up and no smugglers yet existing, the Almoxei were relieved from their spice-free existence by a Rukkian who faithfully delivered the tribesmen all the spice they needed at some fair prices, too. After a year had passed and no calamities befell the tribe, a ritual was undertaken and the elf was found to be kindred of soul, living with the tribe for thirty years thereafter until passing peacefully.
The second time the tribe adopted an elementalist as their Kindred was during the black moon's appearance, with the Almoxei home turf thrown into chaos. After a drovian named Orodekh was chased into their building by roving creatures, the elf pleaded not to be immediately stabbed to death and promised his aid if he could only catch his breath. The Almoxei, fearing similar fates to Artakhshurta, grudgingly agreed, and the Drovian kept his word, his powers showing great use in keeping the creatures at bay. The next week the man was taken in after a ritual, his connection to the broken savior clear to all who were present, and for two decades thereafter the Drovian stayed with the tribe before committing ritual suicide after the templarate demanded his head. Orodekh's Orzing presently remains kept away safely, a small ivory punch dagger.
Ever since the death of these two individuals, people of their element have enjoyed the possibility of becoming Almoxei, though they must always identify with the Orzing of these two souls. Other elementalists, or infants who do not identify with the Orzings of either these heroes, are either abandoned or slain. The Almoxei generally see little use in slaying all magickers wherever they go, for to them magick is tied to one's soul: slay one, and they will pop up elsewhere; one's energy is better spent elsewise. The two magickal souls whose existence with the tribe is accepted are not of ritual importance, and they enjoy no particular respect beyond the glorious deeds of their forebears. Theoretically, more souls of other elements could be accepted at some point in time, though the Almoxei usually only do so in times of great need.
This application will consist of the tribe's documentation, with my application proper, along with those of other people, reserved for later. I will most likely play an assassin, and accept no more than a single elementalist, if that. It's very much up to the people who apply and actually ask to play once I do make the role call, so if everyone asks for an assassin already I may resort to playing something else. It's okay if you're holding off approval for until I actually add a character app as well, but right now what I'd like to know first is whether or not you think the documentation is in order.
I'd also like to note that yes, I realise I won't be able to recruit into the tribe. Consider this a longterm thing. Judging from gdb posts, there seems to be some staffside interest at least to see celven tribes made at some point, so I figure the least I can do is jump in and not be a detriment. I'm fine with having to spend a year or so not recruiting because rules if that's necessary, or tweaking some documentation so it may fit staff vision better, but I do intend for these elves to last.
Almoxei Zharshakht
In now archaic-sounding Allundean, Almoxei Zharshakht means kindred souls. The bond that all tribal elves feel with their close of kin is one the Almoxei feel on a level that transcends blood and family. The Almoxei believe that all elves have immortal souls that forever are reborn in the bodies of future generations, and that their own people in particular all carry within them a sliver of their ancestral hero, Artakhshurta. Thus the Almoxei may also call themselves Ashimveel - one-as-many, referring to the splintered nature of their mythical forebear.
Physical characteristics
Almoxei hair tends to fall within the middle ranges of the colour spectrum, with bright blonde or red and deep black being rarer than auburn, brown, russet or dark blond hair. Almoxei eyes tend to be heavily slanted and vary in colour, though violet, red and black eyes tend to be absent from the spectrum. Almoxei ears are very sharp even by elven standards, abd usually very long as well. The Almoxei tend to make their money with crafts and silent tasks more than with grebbing or mercenary-like work, and so they tend to be somewhat fattish, smooth-skinned and pale by elven standards. All Almoxei bear the inking of a circle bearing many cracks somewhere on their body, the tattoo usually no more than a few inches large.
Descendants from recent tribal additions vary more wildly, of course.
Early history
As a people carrying with them the souls of elves from primordial days, the Almoxei believe themselves to be set apart from other elves by their carrying of the broken savior's soul along with their own souls. As Almoxei legend recounts, it was the Dragon and its vile thralls that scorched the world and deadened the earth, driving all elves apart and into the corners of the Known for refuge. It was in this perilous time that an elf named Artakhshurta arose and challenged the dragonsthrall that threatened the corner past the Known that his people inhabited. There are many tales and anecdotes from his life and the struggle against the dragonsthrall that lead to his demise, with some even contradicting each other, but all end in.a similar manner: after a battle requiring all of the elven hero's strength and skill, the dragonsthrall Myrvas was finally slain, his dreadful magicks threatening the elves no more. Despite that, it was with the dying evildoers's last vestiges of power that he cursed Artakhshurta's name, causing the elf to be dragged off into death along with the dragonsthrall and his soul to be fractured much like the defiler's was, elves across the Known becoming imbued with its various shards. To this day onward, the Almoxei believe that they are all set apart by their heroic martyr's presence alongside their own.
Spirituality
The Almoxei believe that all elves possess souls that may be reborn after they pass. Some might believe other creatures like humans, dwarves and animals to do the same, but that is of little importance, and even those who believe them to possess souls agree that they are in no way similar to those of elves. Half-elves are a special case: the Almoxeiview half-elves as either possessing a human or an elven soul, or even two at a time. The first makes them utterly alien in mind to the tribe, the second is viewed as torture for the soul in question, to live in such a body, and the third sort of breed is pitied for being so conflicted. The creation of such individuals is strongly frowned upon by all Almoxei, and infanticide is encouraged in the rare cases where half-elves of Almoxei blood may be born.
The Almoxei generally believe that souls go through a cycle of birth, death and rebirth, with every death seeing them rejoin with the other souls of Artakhshurtan stock, and every birth placing them on the Known anew. Souls are believed to retain personality traits and inherent skills upon rebirth, if not physical characteristics. For this reason, a token of each new generation of elves is kept upon their death. The token may be anything the elf treasured or used much in life: tools, jewelry, old weaponry or a prized bauble. Infants born of the tribe are often taken apart and placed in front of a collection of such goods to see if they identify strongly with any of the objects. If the child chooses any such object, it is taken as a sign that the young elf's soul must indeed belong to the token's prior owner, and such a choice is therefor reason for celebration if the elf in question was a credit to the tribe, or perhaps disappointment if the ancestor perhaps disappointment if the elf was something of a layabout in life. Infants who choose no object or seem to dislike every choice are seen as troubling omens, and cause for further and very literal soul-searching.
The Almoxei practice of keeping tokens has a purpose other than identifying new births within the tribe. Ancestral worship and communication are very much practiced with the Almoxei - it is believed that one's dead forebears may be communed with for good luck and advice, and that they can impart their influence on the elf even beyond their death. It is considered appropriate to sacrifice things at least every few weeks to show respect and stay in the ancestors' good graces; typical sacrifices include food, alcohol, and objects the elf's ancestors may have valued. An elf who knows many of his ancestors were burglars, for example, may sacrifice stolen objects or lockpicks to their kin.
Ancestral souls are generally believed to be somewhat 'homeish' in their behavior. Though the broken savior's soul was diffused across the Known, and there may be dozens of elves that carry him with them and not know it, the Almoxei believe at least believe that a particular soul and its ancestors are somewhat tied to their passed-down objects. Accordingly, the various mementos of an elf's forefathers - the objects' Allundean term is Orzing- are stored together in what might be called a shrine. It is to this shrine that an elf sacrifices, prays, confesses or performs rituals. Though the Orzings of any given shrine are obviously completely different from another, every shrine the Almoxei keep shares the similarity with another that the centrepiece is always a broken object - a figurine's limb, a shard of rock, or a splinter of bone. This is to represent the part of Artakhshurta that each Almoxei carries.
Upon death, an Almoxei's soul is believed to leave his body behind and move on to join the other souls marked by Artakhshurta to await its being returned to life once more. For this reason, the Almoxei are taught from an early age onwards that death is not to be feared, for one's soul shall always be looked after, and that none may harm it with mere spears and swords. Indeed, there are stories aplenty of (over)zealous Almoxei in feuds and tug of wars within Allanak plunging themselves into fights with abandon, wishing fully to serve their people and longing for the companionship of their brethren after death. 'As long as there are elves, there will be Almoxei,' a saying of the tribe's goes.
Though the tribe lacks a set custom on enbalming, burial or cremation, there is a form of suicide the Almoxei reserve for very dire circumstances or aged, infirm, or otherwise crippled tribesmen. In this form of ritualised suicide, an elf may listen to the plights of all Almoxei before being brought to death by way of stabbing by all, thus taking the concerns of the living along with them to the other souls and Artakhshurta's shattered self, so that they may hear their struggles and seek to better them accordingly. A quick death is taken to be a good sign, whereas an elf enduring many wounds tends to betaken as a sign that the other souls reject his passing, and is a source of shame for the dying elf. In times where the survival of an elf would endanger the group as a whole, many able-bodied Almoxei have been known to volunteer for this ritual willingly, hoping to see their death have some purpose at least.
There are two exceptions to the general Almoxei attitude towards death: sorcery and distance. All Almoxei know the story of Artakhshurta being cursed and his soul shattered, and so the tribe is generally extremely cautious when rumors of defiling abound, for the tearing asunder of a soul is one of the most terrible things that may happen in their worldview. Similarly, an Almoxei dying away from home may leave nothing behind for their next selves to find and enshrine, a grave fear for many, as it is believed that souls will often return to the location of their previous owner's Orzing's location after death: an Almoxei dying in Luir's, for example, may cause his soul to be reborn there some years later, and therefor to be lost and severed from the others in Allanak. For this reason, tribesmen who leave the city will often leave a single one of their most prized possessions behind upon departure, especially so if the journey is set to be dangerous. Similarly, an elf dying inside Allanak but in captivity or slain by others, will often be met with his living brethren going through great lengths to retrieve or ransom something the dead elf owned, in order to keep the elf's soul at rest and ensure a good birth years down the line. However, since the elf's body will be inside Allanak at least in such a case, the proximity is believed to be enough that the soul will at least not leave fthe city amd be born elsewhere. As a corollary, Almoxei women will often give birth by the shrines of elves whose souls are not currently alive, with the hope that their child will therefor receive that shrine's patron soul.
Communication with one's fallen ancestors is believed to be possible. The reasons to do so are manifold: to glean secrets, gain lost knowledge, learn their history, show respect, confess wrongdoings, ask for guidance, or even to share a particularly funny joke. The practice of doing this is very old, but in recent years the more frivolous communication with one's ancestors has waned due to the ban on spice in Allanak: alcohol knocks people out quickly, and inhibits rather than enhances one's mental state, which means that the Almoxei will only use it for their rituals in the most dire of circumstances. Spice, on the other hand, is believed to be far superior to alcohol for its myriad properties and mind-altering effects. A good knowledge of the effects of spice is generally held to be an important skill for the tribe to have, for spice is not a one size fits all thing. Smuggling spice is something held as very important, for it is expensive inside Allanak, and exposes the tribe to criminal ties with outsiders. If for some reason smuggle is impossible or highly impractical, a person's shrine can be moved to Red Storm for communion there, though this is generally a cause for discomfort, for the tribe prefers being confined closely and with its members close to each other.
Though Artakhshurta's soul may well have been scattered into a ten thousand pieces, the Almoxei believe the amount to be finite. There may well be a hundred elves in the desert who unbeknownst to them share in Artakhshurta's soul, two hundred in Red storm, a thousand in Tuluk, but many among the the Almoxei believe that despite the fractured nature of his soul, it is possible for Artakhshurta to be mended should all bearers of his legacy be brought together. The details of this day is something not all agree on; some argue that a woman would need to give birth amidst all the other elves, whereas other view collective suicide in front of an infant as the solution, or a collective spice ritual so that the fragment of their savior in every elf may guide them to the proper course of action. Regardless of the details, the Almoxei agree that to find a kindred soul as of yet unknown to the tribe is a cause of great importance: every added soul is strength added to the tribe and a fragment further to the becoming whole of Artakhshurta. Of course, an elf carrying with them a soul yet unknown to the tribe can draw on no Orzing for them to recognise as belonging to their soul. Instead, the elf will be brought before knowledgeable tribesmen and brought into a trance with great quantities of spice and the broken objects from many of the tribe's shrines. After the elf awakens, the tribesmen around them will ask about their visions, and judge whether they belong to the broken savior or not. If the visions are judged to be truly those of Artakhshurta's mythical exploits, the elf is greeted as one of the Almoxei, and judged as a full member of the tribe.
Culture
The elves who would call themselves Almoxei Zharshakht lived in Vrun Driath after their mythical conception, and so were absorbed into Allanak after that city was founded, too. The Almoxei do well enough inside the highlord's city, having adapted to the templarate's presence decently well.
The Almoxei tend to live secluded from the outside world where it comes to their less open activities, instead preferring to keep most criminal activities and strife to themselves rather than be open about the tribe's goings on in public. In their dealings with outsiders, be they elves or other races, the Almoxei tend to be extremely polite, deferential and stoic, if only to put on a false front and to keep out trouble. Accordingly, Almoxei never imbibe alcohol in front of outsiders, and know to keep their anger bottled up, though they may smile and be merry to ensure appearances are kept up. Such attitudes are pragmatic, not something belonging to their minds innately: in gang wars or their dealings with people like slaves, inconsequential foreigners and beggars, the Almoxei may show as much hate or derision as other people. It is mostly when dealing with Allanak proper that they choose to appear stoic and withdrawn.
The attitude the Almoxei hold toward others isn't so much due to fear or survival instinct as it is disinterest. Politics and high social status do not interest the Almoxei much, preferring instead the approval of their tribemates. The spokespeople in the Almoxei often pool together money meant for bribes, with most going to the Arm and the templarate, and smaller amounts being passed to others who may cause trouble. The sums are paid to keep out trouble and make sure the tribe goes by unbothered in their main pursuits, theft, spice acquisition, survival, ancestor worship, and the finding of other Kindred. The tribe views the money paid as something of a part of life, paid to keep the world at bay and the Almoxei focused on what matters in life.
The Almoxei disinterest for the human-dominated field of politics and so on means the Almoxei have very little interest in power struggles or wanting to see Allanak change. Where they deal with the mighty and powerful in Allanak, they do so for reasons of providing use and acquiring leverage. The Almoxei are very acutely aware of the potential harm nobles and templars may cause, and so do their best to appear useful to those who matter most; this is not due to genuine admiration, but more down to a will to live unhindered. On the other hand, the Almoxei will generally do their best to learn the secrets and weak spots of individual important figures where possible, for the same reason that they prefer being of use: those in power may be more reluctant to strike against such weak-seeming foes if they manage to at least annoy their foe in their downfall. Those who hold no sway whatsoever are outside Almoxei interest of seeming useful and plotting possible future harm entirely, and are generally dealt with only for the tribe to make money or seek services.
A large part of Almoxei life consists of storytelling. Many elves will know at least a few stories about their ancestors, as well as some about those of their closest kin. Growing up, a young elf will be taught the deeds and works of their earlier lives, and taught lessons accordingly. Similarly. there are many tales of Artakhshurta himself, used to keep children in line and teach them life lessons. Tales vary in length from epic poems spanning two hours, to aphorisms used to illustrate a point, used to come across as wise and set in one's course righteously. Boastful Almoxei may brag aboud particularly glorious ancestor's, though this connection is twofold: to descend from skilled thieves and great leaders may well put great pressure on an elf's shoulder to live up to their greatness.
Though the homes and shrines of the Almoxei are in Allanak's Commoner's quarter, and despite their efforts to stay out of trouble, occasionally some elves may be run out of town and forced to take refuge in the labyrinth or inside Red Storm, with extreme cases seeing elves forced to flee even further. Such events cause the tribe great discomfort, given their fondness for staying close-knit and together. Elves who are made to flee tend to be looked after well and turn into the tribe's spice smugglers rather often, given the fact that they are already on the run anyway. An elf in the labyrinth may be forced to trim down his shrine and carry only his most valued Orzing with him, given the likelihood that they will be stolen once he arrives.
The Almoxei spend most of their time amongst themselves, and so the majority of their income, other than the leftover spice they may sell, comes from theft and working crafts. A useful facet if the Almoxei tendency to pass down knowledge is that they have amassed a great deal of knowledge on their chosen expertises, and so many tribesmen will be very skilled in at least one or two areas of creating useful goods. Despite their carefully passed-down skills, the Almoxei make good deals out of money with selling cheap knockoffs, and even take some pride in conning people like so.
Humans are mostly a threat or a moneymaking opportunity to the Almoxei, and bargained away or profited off of accordingly. Dwarves and half-giants enjoy privileges no greater than elves, and so the Almoxei will callously swindle and bully those people out of their money when they see fit to do so. Half-elves have it even worse, as many Almoxei feel that to slay one such person is more akin to an act of mercy on their elven souls. Other elves are a special case. Often the Almoxei may take an interest if elves elsewhere resemble people they knew or heard of, seeking inside them the signs of Kindred Souls. Almoxei who are particularly zealous about flushing out souls whose Orzing were lost may even wander about the city to find the right people, desperately looking for a sign of their slain kin. Elves who are either proven or strongly assumed not to be Kindred may still be befrended by particularly kind tribesmen, though many dismiss relationships going beyond business as a waste of time.
The generally relaxed attitude towards death tends to color the Almoxei dealings with others a great deal. Almoxei generally are very ready to sacrifice themselves for the peace of the tribe, though this tends tohappen only in the face of exceedingly large threats humanity can muster; where smaller threats are concerned, the Almoxei will prefer to swindle, cheat and fight. Killing sources of troubles is something the Almoxei do not shy away from, though purposefully keeping particularly reviled foes alive so that their journey into death and a new chance of life may be delayed is something they have been known to enact on particularly reviled foes. Cowardice and fear of death are seen as child's fears and worthy of ridicule, such concepts being foreign in the minds of the Almoxei, and reason for much laughter should they be eldetected in their potential victims. Only death may set you free from such fears, such a person's parting words might be.
The Almoxei generally will not shy away from punishing their members if they commit grave wringdoings, believing that a flaw in an elf may yet hurt the tribe for a thousand years f left uncorrected. Canings, the taking of possessions, and even visual scarring may all be inflicted on elves who go wrong. Almoxei who get punished geberally believe that their ancestors will not object to their offspring bettering themselves, and therefor usually opt to accept the punishment, though resentment over being made out to be inferior may still breed. Death is usually not a punishment reserved for those who commit especially foul acts, as the Almoxei view death to a close one as relieving and an undeserved new chance for a bad person; instead, the Almoxei will strip the offender of an object to become Orzing after their death and exile them from their home, and the city if possible, casting them away and forcing hem to seek penance and endure hardship away from their ancestral shrine. Most Almoxei who lack such guidance from family and ritualised ancestor worship end up with very deep psychological scars, and may become highly unstable individuals, feeling truly lost and alone sin the world.
Magick
Due to the presence of sorcery playing the role of evil in their history, the Almoxei shunned any magickers amongst their ranks for a long time, declaring that no such person could possibly share in Artakhshurta's soul. The past few king's ages have seen a change even in the usually conservative Almoxei however, with a number of elementalists receiving the status of Kindred inside the tribe.
The first instance of an elementalist being declared Almoxei happened the day spice was banned inside of Allanak. With no support networks yet set up and no smugglers yet existing, the Almoxei were relieved from their spice-free existence by a Rukkian who faithfully delivered the tribesmen all the spice they needed at some fair prices, too. After a year had passed and no calamities befell the tribe, a ritual was undertaken and the elf was found to be kindred of soul, living with the tribe for thirty years thereafter until passing peacefully.
The second time the tribe adopted an elementalist as their Kindred was during the black moon's appearance, with the Almoxei home turf thrown into chaos. After a drovian named Orodekh was chased into their building by roving creatures, the elf pleaded not to be immediately stabbed to death and promised his aid if he could only catch his breath. The Almoxei, fearing similar fates to Artakhshurta, grudgingly agreed, and the Drovian kept his word, his powers showing great use in keeping the creatures at bay. The next week the man was taken in after a ritual, his connection to the broken savior clear to all who were present, and for two decades thereafter the Drovian stayed with the tribe before committing ritual suicide after the templarate demanded his head. Orodekh's Orzing presently remains kept away safely, a small ivory punch dagger.
Ever since the death of these two individuals, people of their element have enjoyed the possibility of becoming Almoxei, though they must always identify with the Orzing of these two souls. Other elementalists, or infants who do not identify with the Orzings of either these heroes, are either abandoned or slain. The Almoxei generally see little use in slaying all magickers wherever they go, for to them magick is tied to one's soul: slay one, and they will pop up elsewhere; one's energy is better spent elsewise. The two magickal souls whose existence with the tribe is accepted are not of ritual importance, and they enjoy no particular respect beyond the glorious deeds of their forebears. Theoretically, more souls of other elements could be accepted at some point in time, though the Almoxei usually only do so in times of great need.
I sent this bit in the following day because I wanted to add stuff:
Due to the lack of an edit button and me constantly coming up with new things for the tribe, I will add some documentation bits in this note. If you want to interpret the rules strictly and disregard these extra bits, that's fair as well. I just figured I should add this now rather than later.
Addenda to culture:
Due to the Almoxei belief in reincarnation, parenthood and the raising of children can produce some odd effects. One's physical children are almost never the same as the souls they inhabit: the only case where a parent may pass their soul on into their child is in the event of a childbirth death or a father dying prior to their child's birth. Due to this, one's child may well be the soul of the elf's second great uncle, whose son still lives, and so would be much more intimately aware with the child's budding personality and inherent traits. Due to this, children are often passed over to tribesmen who were closer to the prior people to carry the children's souls, though exceptions may be made when these people are overly busy, unable to raise such children, or view the child's biological parents as gifted enough already.
...
In their dealings with those outside the tribe, the Almoxei often choose people to speak for them as a whole. This title of spokesperson is by no means an official or even lasting one: a group of four elves going out to drink tea at a bar may well pick a more sociable elf to speak for the group should outsiders accost them, and later shift to have a more knowledgeable elf speak should a wealthy person wish to buy crafts from the tribe. The custom holds no special or ritual importance in the Almoxei culture, but due to it promoting the tribe's orderly and harmonious image in the city, it is generally encouraged for Almoxei to do so. When speaking to humans who are certified to know no Allundean, or speaking of matters of little importance, the elves will often still speak amongst themselves in their own tongue.
...
Though the Almoxei may excel in any craft if their talents should lie in that particular area, the tribe's most signature work lies in the area of lacquerwork. Lacquer from both wood and chitin is used, and applied to surfaces like wood, bone, cloth or hide. Unfortunately for the Almoxei, the right trees to produce the sap required for their beautifully-layered lacquers grow far from the arid deserts of Vrun Driath, and the Almoxei are generally not known for their wanderlust. For this reason, scorpion and scrab chitin are often used in the creation of this art, though for more high-grade lacquerwork, rarer, more exotic ingredients may be preferred. Many Almoxei ancestral shrines have pieces of lacquerwork painted with imagery relevant to the elf added to them, though this is no requirement or even something encouraged by all; a shrine's power lies in its Orzing and the presence of the forebears along with them, and so many elves go as far as to keep their shrines in chests or even sacks for storage until use.
Addenda to culture:
Due to the Almoxei belief in reincarnation, parenthood and the raising of children can produce some odd effects. One's physical children are almost never the same as the souls they inhabit: the only case where a parent may pass their soul on into their child is in the event of a childbirth death or a father dying prior to their child's birth. Due to this, one's child may well be the soul of the elf's second great uncle, whose son still lives, and so would be much more intimately aware with the child's budding personality and inherent traits. Due to this, children are often passed over to tribesmen who were closer to the prior people to carry the children's souls, though exceptions may be made when these people are overly busy, unable to raise such children, or view the child's biological parents as gifted enough already.
...
In their dealings with those outside the tribe, the Almoxei often choose people to speak for them as a whole. This title of spokesperson is by no means an official or even lasting one: a group of four elves going out to drink tea at a bar may well pick a more sociable elf to speak for the group should outsiders accost them, and later shift to have a more knowledgeable elf speak should a wealthy person wish to buy crafts from the tribe. The custom holds no special or ritual importance in the Almoxei culture, but due to it promoting the tribe's orderly and harmonious image in the city, it is generally encouraged for Almoxei to do so. When speaking to humans who are certified to know no Allundean, or speaking of matters of little importance, the elves will often still speak amongst themselves in their own tongue.
...
Though the Almoxei may excel in any craft if their talents should lie in that particular area, the tribe's most signature work lies in the area of lacquerwork. Lacquer from both wood and chitin is used, and applied to surfaces like wood, bone, cloth or hide. Unfortunately for the Almoxei, the right trees to produce the sap required for their beautifully-layered lacquers grow far from the arid deserts of Vrun Driath, and the Almoxei are generally not known for their wanderlust. For this reason, scorpion and scrab chitin are often used in the creation of this art, though for more high-grade lacquerwork, rarer, more exotic ingredients may be preferred. Many Almoxei ancestral shrines have pieces of lacquerwork painted with imagery relevant to the elf added to them, though this is no requirement or even something encouraged by all; a shrine's power lies in its Orzing and the presence of the forebears along with them, and so many elves go as far as to keep their shrines in chests or even sacks for storage until use.