Andrew Larsen
The Yassa
The Yassa is the Law of Waha. It defines the basic parameters of Praxian life. It determines how men deal with women, with animals, and with those outside their own tent. It is not a moral guide, but a guide to proper procedure and ritual. It explains how people are to survive, both technically (what plants and animals can be eaten, how an animal is to be butchered), magically (what living beings eat plants and what living beings eat animals, what living beings are people) and interpersonally (how strangers are treated, when and where violence is acceptable). It defines crime and punishment, funeral customs, and clothing styles, among other things.
The Yassa defines four categories of beings: the Wahano, the “People of Waha”; the Eirithana the “Children of Eiritha”; the Oho-Wahano, the “Not-People of Waha”; and the Vrakanga, the “things of Chaos”. The Yassa is binding on the Wahano and the Eirithana. The Oho-Wahano are those who do not abide by the Yassa and who are therefore not considered Praxians; this includes both foreigners (a category that includes River Folk, Oasis Folk, and Pavisites, as well as those coming into Prax from elsewhere) and the Gagarthi, those who have been banished for violating the Yassa. The Oho-Wahano can be treated in any way the Wahano choose, and cannot claim any sort of protection under the Yassa. The Vrakanga are not to be tolerated but must be directly opposed and destroyed.
Praxian society itself is divided into the Wahano and the Eirithana (essentially, people and animals), and they are bound by the Yassa. For the most part, people are two-legged and animals are four-legged. However, the Morokanth tribe invert this; the people are four-legged and the animals are two-legged. The Morokanth herd humanoid beasts known as gern (herdmen). The gern have the intelligence and instincts of beasts, while the Morokanth speak and interact as people. Despite the occasional insults of the other tribes, the Morokanth do not eat people, only gern; when other tribes capture gern, they are treated as herd beasts and may be eaten (although there is often some discomfort about doing so). The two-legged/four-legged division also breaks down among the Bolo Lizard and Ostrich riders, whose mounts are two-legged animals. The people of Waha are bound to treat the beasts of Eiritha according to proscribed forms that include how to herd them, where to graze them, and how to kill and eat them.
Those outside the Yassa are always, at all times, legitimate targets of violence. The only considerations applied in normal circumstances are whether it is prudent and useful to attack them or trade with them at a particular moment. Outsiders are seen as a resource to be exploited; their property can be taken to enrich the individual or the sept, they themselves can be killed or enslaved, and they can be bargained with for things that the Praxians cannot produce themselves. They can be lied to, cheated, and stolen from. About the only restrictions are that they cannot be killed on sacred ground (because Praxians are forbidden to engage in violence there) and they cannot be eaten (because they are not food, although the Morokanth have a way around that). Praxians have no concept of ‘giving their word’ to non-Praxians; such a concept only applies to interactions between Praxians. Indeed, Praxian culture celebrates clever trickery of non-Praxians, who are normally understood to be stupid, arrogant, and useless.
The Yassa also regulates how tribes can interact. In general, it permits both raiding and outright warfare between clans and tribes, but also stipulates times when such activities are forbidden and places where they forbidden. In general, violence is forbidden within sight of any altar and within the bounds of the Paps; the only exceptions to this are creatures of Chaos, who must be attacked by warriors wherever they are, and if a Wahano or Eirithana is attacked, in which case defensive violence is permitted (in such a situation, all legal and spiritual penalty comes on the attacker).
The Yassa specifies a variety of taboo actions, the violation of which result in either death or banishment. Taboo actions include the killing of a sept-member, homosexuality, sex with any person who qualifies as one’s mother, violence at an altar or within the Paps, a woman killing an Eirithana, intentional mis-butchery of an animal, the presence of a man at any woman-only ritual, riding or eating horses, and cannibalism; of these cannibalism is considered the worst offense possible (because it violates the fundamental principle that Wahano eat Eirithana, the entire basis of Praxian life), but the improper killing of an Eirithana is a close second. Other actions are considered legal but bad luck, such as a man touching a menstruating woman, killing a skullbat, giving an Oho-Wahano shelter during a storm, touching a dead hyena, attacking a Praxian mount, non-shamans entering a spirit-place, and eating eggs outdoors.
Customs
The ger traditionally faces east, for the practical reason that strong winds rarely blow from the east. Praxians associate the south with Eiritha, the north with Waha, the west with Storm Bull, and the east with Daka Fal. For this reason, women occupy the left (south) half of the ger and men the right (north) half. The west side of the tent is a place of special favor; a khan or priestess or honored guest will be given that location. Children and most visitors sit on the east side.
These arrangements are loosely replicated across the camp, where possible. The khan camps on the north side, while the priestess camps to the south (although among the Bison Riders, both camp on the west side, in the place of honor), while the bachelor’s tent is normally on the east side. Women’s activities (such as shearing herd beasts) typically take place on the south side of the camp, while men’s activities (such as butchering animals) take place on the north side. Shamans generally conduct their activities to the east of the camp, unless they are contacting cult spirits associated with Waha, Eiritha, or Storm Bull (in which case the appropriate direction is favored).
Strangers who wish to demonstrate their friendliness approach a camp from the south or the east, although this doesn’t guarantee that those who approach from those directions will receive a friendly reception. When strangers meet, except on sacred ground or other ritualized situations, it is expected that some form of competition will occur. If the strangers are hostile, the competition is combat; thus when members of different tribes meet, fights typically break out. The degree of hostility determines how vicious the fight gets. If there is no hostility, the competition looks more like a sporting match; this commonly takes the form of races, wrestling matches, boasting or shouting competitions, and riddle challenges. Women compete with dancing, boasting, or racing, or by showing off their necklaces (which indicate how wealthy they are). When groups meet, only one competition is required, although more may happen. Many long-running quarrels have broken out when a non-violent competition provoked angry feelings.
Praxians typically focus their loyalties on their blood relatives, whom they are expected to protect and support at all times. But they recognize three special arrangements that create fictive relationships. A stranger who is invited into a ger is traditionally offered bread and salt. For the duration of the stranger’s visit, he is considered to be a distant blood relative, a ‘salt-brother’. Neither guest nor host is permitted to do anything that physically or magically harms the other, which includes theft. The relationship expires when the guest departs the ger and travels out of sight.
Praxian warriors often build followings of lesser warriors. These men act as military supporters but more politically-minded men can use them to rise to clan-khan. These lesser warriors repudiate their membership in their sept, clan, or even tribe and declare themselves the noker (or ‘younger brother’) of the greater man. Such a practice allows Praxians to build coalitions that cross family lines, but it requires the noker to acknowledge a subservient position to the leader.
Two men who consider themselves equals might make themselves andas, or ‘sworn brothers’. They do this with a simple ritual in which they both take a handful of dirt (symbolizing Mother Eiritha), rub their hands with it, and then rub their hands together. Such a relationship is considered more binding and deeper than biological brotherhood.
Although Praxian life is hard, Praxians have many forms of amusement, most of which are quite simple sports. Men compete in racing, wrestling, archery and javelin-throwing; among Bison and Rhino Riders, head-butting is a favored sport. At the Butchering Festival, khans compete to see who can perform the best Peaceful Cut ceremony, with prizes given for fastest work and most elegant work. Rodeo sports are also common. Among women, the favored sports are competitive singing and dancing; on Helpwoman’s Day there are competitions of craftwork. Other diversions include riddle contests and genealogy-recitation challenges.