Yucopia Project (Massive, Collaborative, and Recruiting New)

[Lyhoko Leaci]

The surrounding land is Rain Forrest. Redwoods dominate the landscape. The soil is mineral rich with rare pockets of arsenic and lead. Other metals can also be found in the area. Soil acidity is an issue as it harms agriculture. A plethora of herbs flowering plants and trees grow in the area. It is best described as a mash of California, the Sierra’s and the Amazon.

I already have redwoods, and I don't think redwoods are meant for tropical regions, unless you mean some other sort of unrelated large tree that has reddish wood.

[Ashroot]

Sorry if I have ruined this. I was so taken with the blank page.

[Cockroach]

Tll-Ikish culture test. I made it in ~4 hours, so I know it's not perfect

FAMILY

1.) You have a mother, a father, a grandmother, a grandfather several brothers and sisters (both by blood and by adoption), and several cousins
2.) You revere your father and obey him, but feel no particular bond to him. Your mother, on the other hand, is one of the dearest people in your life, a fact you’re not in the least bit afraid to show publicly. If you’re male, she’ll take care of you until you reach recruitment age, then you’re off on your own. You’re still expected to visit her at least once a year though, where she’ll go out of her way to spoil you and treat you like you were 10 years old again. If you’re female, you’ll spend most of your adult life seeing her, helping her, and having her help you.
3.) Order of birth is unimportant. Tll families are purely meritocratic.
4.) You can have many wives. Indeed, not only is it the case that the more wives a man has, the more prestigious he is, but the more husbands a woman has had, the more prestigious she is (since there is no divorce, women are only freed from marriage when they become widows, meaning a woman who has had many husbands has slept with many great warriors.)
5.) You cannot, however, have many husbands
6.) You have at least 2, more likely 4-5, plus possibly 1 or 2 bastards if you’re smooth enough
7.) You start learning your trade from a very young age. When you were little, you played games, especially war games. You’d frequently get into fights or insult matches (a game where two people take turns insulting each other in 4 line songs, with the first one to attack the other physically being the loser). If you’re a girl, you played with the boys, but were never really one of them
8.) Marriages are arranged (romantic love is for teenagers!). Usually once a boy comes of age (~15), he does ankhe’khu (womanhunting). He approaches the father of the girls he wants to marry and bargains with him to win his daughters hand. This almost always involves payment to the father, but can also involve other terms.
9.) If a woman isn’t married by the time she’s 20, odds are she’s going to be a prostitute
10.) You’re not nearly as squeamish about sex as westerners. You probably lost your virginity around the age of 13, if not earlier.
11.) Your diet consists mostly of bread and lamb, along with goat cheese, chicken, eggs, and fruits (apricots, pears, and figs), which you season with peppers and garlic. Bread is unleavened. You drink water (it’s the only thing there is to drink. What’s alcohol?). If you’re a noble, you might eat insects, niqus, fish, or gamefowl. Your wife or slaves cook your food.



RELATIONSHIPS

1.) Tll society is hierarchical. First, there are those two steps below or two steps above you, the general-soldier relationship. If they are two steps above you, they are your bortshn khiru, your governing father. You are to respect his decisions and obey him, but you need not feel any personal attachment to him, and you freely mock him and criticize him as you see fit behind is back. He’s not a real person, he’s just The Thing That Gives Orders. Likewise the people two steps below you depend on you for their welfare, which you are obligated to look out for, but you don’t really care about them except in an abstract sense. As long as they trust you enough to follow your commands, they have free reign to say and do whatever they please. You don’t care.
2.) Then there are those one step above and one step below, The colonel-soldier relationship. This is a much more personal relationship. You look up to your Hotash (big brother) as a mentor and a guide and deep friend. In your eyes, he can do no wrong. You can count on him to stick up for you any time you need to. Seeing him fail at something is quite disturbing. Those below you are your eager pupils who you love. You must be constantly on guard and alert, lest you make a major mistake and ruin your Teknm’s (little brothers’) trust in you.
3.) Third is those of equal level, or soldier-soldier. These are your Tashm, your brothers. Usually they are people who were in the same battalion as you in the army, but they could also be people who learned a trade under the same master, or members of the same guild, or even the members of a town council. Regardless, you are not just friends, you are bound by a societal structure. Even if you don’t like a brother that much or haven’t seen him for many years, you are still obligated to do whatever it takes to aid him in his time of need. You love your brothers, and will support and cherish them no matter what

CLASS

1.) There’s a very good chance you’re a peasant. If so, life is hard. Droughts and pests make starvation a real possibility. On a less basic note, people are far away, and so you only probably only know the people from your town. If you’re wealthier, you’ll probably travel and leave your farm to your slaves for a few months just out of curiosity and boredom. You probably own only a very small portion of the land you farm on, with the rest being owned by the town council (the communal government. This is the entity that is taxed)
2.) If you’re a merchant, you’re likely a traveler. You’ll probably carry the same merchandise for about 4-10 years until you hear about some new hot investment. You’re fairly well educated (you can read and do arithmetic), and have friends in many places (you need to if you’re going to survive in this business). You are the only class who probably hasn’t been in the military (a successful merchant can’t keep his eye of the market for one second!).
3.) If you’re an artisan, you work in a workshop. You likely work under the master who taught you your trade. If not, you work under his successor, who is either the most skilled or most popular of the workers. You live slightly better than a peasant.
4.) If you’re a noble, life is easy. You have been educated in the great phethphytkhum (sagas), as well as arithmetic, astronomy, magic, music, agriculture, philosophy (which consists almost entirely of metaphysics), aesthetics, and of course, the martial arts. Anything else you learn is just a hobby. You’ll be assigned a position by the king and will fulfill your duties until you die, with little hope of mobility. However, the government wages are very good, and you can have luxuries and free time most others can’t even get near.
5.) Women do women’s work i.e. cooking, sewing, weaving, an all the “auxiliary” tasks. Your job is to take care of the minor tasks so that your husband doesn’t have to. If you’re a noble you learn to read and do arithmetic too, but other than that you just learn how to please your husband sexually.
6.) Changing class is difficult, but if you show exceptional (and I mean exceptional) talent, it can be done
7.) Slavery is natural. Even simple peasants own slaves.

RELIGION/CULTURE
1.) The gods are just as capable of making mistakes as humans are. You pray to them when you are in need, but feel no hesitation in cursing them when they fail you or mocking them when their attempts to stop you fail.
2.) There are also Yunhhu-Ikish, the angels. These are basically humans plus something else. They live in an ethereal world that is on a different plane than ours. They are powerful yet aloof creatures, almost always appearing to people alone. Their questions are penetrating. Many great stories and philosophical debates are written down as conversations with angels.
3.) When you die, you go north to Deathcave, where Hhlhus will judge if you are worthy. If not, he eats you. If so, you may petition him to roam the Earth as a spirit for 60 more years until you must come back. If you are satisfied and all your questions are answered, then you pass on into the underworld.
4.) The world of spirits is just like ours, with towns and food and everything.
5.) Religion is completely divorced from philosophy. The gods have no more idea about the nature of the universe than the Tll do
6.) The world is a weird place where things don’t always add up
7.) A beautiful person is short, has long hair, pale skin, no body hair, sharp teeth, and high cheekbones. Men should have a low forehead, and women should have round buttocks. Mascara, eyeliner, and putting ones hair in dreadlocks are all hallmarks of fashionable women.
8.) Clothing consists for most people of a wool robe and a tanned leather vest, with a belt and a thin cotton undertunic. Women wear just the robe and undertunic. Nobles wear colored cotton robes, with the women lowering the neckline to expose cleavage. They also wear a wool scarf with their family pattern on it. Children wear a canvas sack. Leather sandals are the most common footwear.
9.) Traveling by river is safer than by land
10.) You are quite aware of how fragile life is
11.) You greet friends with a hug.
12.) If someone isn’t smiling regularly during conversation, something is wrong
13.) You’re not afraid to hug or put your hands on someone you just met five minutes ago
14.) If you have something to say, say it!
15.) You dislike flowery language. Words should be short, simple, and well chosen.
16.) When you’re bored, you play games like Hthkkrh, javelin, running, fighting, or insulting. You might also go on a walk with a friend or have sex with a prostitute
17.) Houses are mad of wood, with canvas awnings in the front. They have 3-4 rooms and, if you’re lucky, a cellar to relax in.
18.) Kids are meant to get into trouble. If you’re kid hasn’t broken a bone by the age of 12, he’s been coddled.
19.) You don’t bathe, you just take a wet rag and rub it all over your body. You usually do this in the cellar.
20.) If you’re a farmer, you want to reap as much as you can in late spring/early summer. Summer can be a killer, both of plants and of people.
21.) Summer is also the dusty season, which is particularly aggravating. You’ll track up dust with every step and you’ll spend almost all you’re free time trying to wipe dirt off of you with a wet rag


WAR

1.) If you’re not a merchant, and you’re male and of sound mind and body, you have almost certainly served in the military.
2.) You join the service at about 16-20, depending on how well you’ve mastered your trade. You stay in for 10 years. As a veteran, you are guaranteed a wife and a pension (which you start receiving upon becoming a grandfather)
3.) You love war. Every Tll boy looks forward to the day when they kill their first enemy.
4.) Everyone in your battalion is your brother, for whom you would do anything and for whom no danger is too great. You can trust them with anything, and you would risk your life for your brothers without a second thought.
5.) The enemy, however, is not deserving of such honorable, treatment, and you have no qualms about mistreating prisoners of war, staging ambushes at peace negotiations, deceiving your enemy, etc.
6.) If you are a private, you fight with a spear. If you are a corporal, you might fight with an atlatl, hurling javelins at your enemies, but you probably fight with a spear too. You also get a wooden shield. If you are a sergeant, you lose your shield, but get a Hghat, something of a mix between a sarissa and a scythe. If you are an officer, you get a bronze shield and a bronze sword or mace. You probably don’t wear much armor no matter your rank. The desert is too hot.
7.) You also know unarmed combat, which involves just as much scratching and biting as it does punching and kicking

GOVERNMENT/ECONOMY

1.) You are ruled by a hereditary king, who rules because he does
2.) Only nobles and their slaves may enter the court without explicit permission from the king.
3.) Taxes are about 50%, but even with the army enforcing the rules the state only gets back about 35%
4.) All intellectual activity comes from the court. If you’re a scientist or a philosopher, you must get the sponsorship of a noble at the court or your plans will never reach fruition.
5.) Currency is “gold” coinage, which is usually only ~5% gold.
6.) Haggling is restricted to between merchants at the marketplace. Once it goes to retail, what you see is what you get.
7.) Along with the necessities of life, you can expect to find all sorts of merchants selling little trinkets like cats tooth medicine or fallen stars in a jar. You leave them for rich folks
8.) You’re not afraid to pay a little more if it means helping out someone you know.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

1.) You’ve heard a lot of stories about the south, and think you it would be really cool to go there one day.
2.) Everyone acknowledges the might of the Tll!
3.) You appreciate the Shal-Ikish (Chalmeans) for their geniality, and they make great conversation partners, but you wish they’d say what they mean! More importantly, you think they have weak wills on account of their belief in harmony. To a Tll-Ikish, talking a problem out is just an indirect way of giving up. If you’re a woman, Shal men hold a sort of attraction as “forbidden fruit”
4.) The Fak-Ikish (Sbakaz) are another warrior culture, but their warriors are stuck up on honor and chivalry and ethics. Who gives a shit?
5.) You like to make fun of the desert Tll for being stupid barbarians, but the truth is you’re a little scared of them.
6.) The Drs-Ikish are only one or two steps above animals. You kill them on site. No exceptions

Anything I missed? Anything you wanna know? Let me know!

I'll try and put this in a form presentable to the wiki later on

[Lyhoko Leaci]

Qharqun (Qhalqon) writing again

Sheet 1


Sheet 2


"make/exist," "far," "everything," and all of the numbers are unique, not based on the Tll writing. "Ear/hear" is face+sound; "foot" is si+leg; "shoe" is foot+shirt (not make); "armor" is spear+shirt; "skirt" is leg+dress; the numbers 6 though 9 are the numbers 1 though 4 combined with 5. Most of those roots are on the next sheet, though... Other unmarked words are direct from the Tll writing, with occasionally a change in meaning. "Burn" was dropped entirely, and I accidentally skipped "sing," so it ended up in an odd place, but the rest is in the order from the original sheet, with everything else appearing in the holes. The first sheet is the same as the previous posting, except I got rid of the second word for hand that slipped in somehow, and added "everything." "Si" is a prefix (though it's actually "shi" in this language, "si" is the Proto Caron equivalent) that modifies the meaning of a word, and has no other use. The symbol for it can be used in the same way when combining symbols.

And then I missed this earlier:

BTW great job on the Qhalqon writing system Leaci. Looking at it reminds me that I still have quite a few symbols that I need to supply (I didn't make a word for arm or hand? How foolish!). I like the clear linearity of your script though (I imagine, since the Qhalqon are a forest people, that there primary method of writing will be by chisel?)

So you are going to have more? And indeed, you are correct.

[treskro]

"cave"

[finlay]

looks like tenghanzi

[Cockroach]

Of course! I'll have at least one new page of characters up by midnight tonight, cross my heart, hope to die.

[Ashroot]

So are we going with hyper realistic?

[Cockroach]

Late on my promise by ten minutes ><


Also Leaci, keep in mind that any piece of Tll culture that reaches them is probably going to be filtered through the Slavasko, who the Tll-Ikish have had much more contact with.

What if they develop as an independently functioning state within the empire?

Like a client state? Sure.

[KwirElph]

Hey guys, just joined this site and this looks amazing, just wondering if it's too late to join in? I already have a lang I could use as a protolang and some sketches on a culture that could go with it. Since there is little space on the other continents i thought the south eastern would be ok, if I keep my people primative? Also it wouldn't matter as much with catching up with other cultures and interacting at this point in the project as they are isolated.

[Cockroach]

I say sure! As to where to put your people...

1.) There's a few deserts and tundras that no one has claimed
2.) You could go with something like the pacific islands, where your people inhabit chains of islands that are too small to represent on the map
3.) If all else fails, I'd be willing to donate my parcel of land west of the mountains.

Also, I accidentally made another character for nose . I like the first one better, so that's the one I'm keeping. The second one now means plow.

[Ashroot]

Would I be allowed to invent a few new animals? Please. I will have to run them past you all. I also want a miracle berry plant that grows in the trees. I will run pics by you.

[KwirElph]

Ok, as I'mm mainly looking for a warm/tropical climate if anhayt is not allowed then the small islands woud be cool, where is best? Will have to wait to return home from work before i can map out on your globe where, but I like the idea of an island chain around the ocean to the left of mevces and namjog and right of anhayt and ibabaw. Is that ok with everyone, as long as I'm in a warm climate. (just not fond of the cold plus I'm inspired by native carribean/polynesian peoples for this)

[treskro]

Would I be allowed to invent a few new animals? Please. I will have to run them past you all. I also want a miracle berry plant that grows in the trees. I will run pics by you.

Of course, just don't make them too far-fetched.

[KwirElph]

Rinaki - The speech

Here is an outline of Rinaki spoken by the Naruerinaki translated as we who speak.

Phonology

p t k
/p t k/

f/v sh s/z h
/f v S s z h/

pf ts ch
/pf ts tS/

m n ng
/m n N/

r l
/r l/

w y
/w j/

A â e i î o u /A @ e I I Q u/
ay, ey, oy /aI eI oI/

Hope this make's sense

Phonotactics
Syllable structure (C)(C) V(V) (Nasal) – vowel can be a diphthong .
w y r l can not end a syllable

Consonant Clusters that can occur;

/pw py pr pl pf/
/tw ty tr tl/
/kw ky kr kl/
/hn hv hr hl/
/fp ft fk/
/vp vt vk/
/shp sht shk/
/shw shy/
/sp st sk/
/sw sy/
/sm sn/
/tsp tsk/
/nt, nk, mp, mw/
/mp nt nk/
/mf nsh ns/z/
/nch mpf nts/
/nr/

Two stops can occur across syllable boundries as can Nasal +C and /w/F+S, SFA+L

Allophony at the monent sounds as;
/h/ before /t/ becomes /x/
/ch/ + /t/ becomes /St/
/n/ + /I, e/ = /nj/+ /I,e/

Lention

P t/ts k m ch pf
F s h v sh f

/m/ only mutates when not part of a cluster

Verbs

Firstly I've tried making this an Ergative absolute language, this being the first time i have done this.

Verbs can come in the following patterns;

2 syllables

U<infix1>n<infix2>I uni
Ma<infix1>-ch<infix2>a macha

1 syllable
T<infix1><infix2>un(duplication of vowel) tun
Tsu<infix1><infix2>(duplication of vowel) tsu

Infix 1 shows aspect, whether or not the verb is complete or incomplete
Infix 2 shows if the action was performed for the speakers benefit or not, and whether the speaker is happy or not

suffixes can come after the final duplication of root vowel, they show agentive, possiblitive opative and negative and a few other cases.

Bisyllabic verbs
Macha – teach

Infix 1
macha teaches
mayààcha – taught (perfective) - insertion of y and doubling of root vowel
mawààcha – teaching (imperfectivr) - insertion w and doubling of root vowel

Infix 2
Mashkona – caused to teach - insert kon with second vowel coming after, kon may cause consonant to change as Africates cannot precede a stop, so it lenits to sh

mayààshna – taught and performed for benefit (benefitative)
mayààshtậna – taught and performed for harm not for benefit (anti)

mayààchya – taught and happy about it (lauditive)
mayààchra – taught and bored, anxious or annoyed about it (pejorative)

All second infixes follow in the order that they are presented

Monosyllabic verbs
the same thing happens with monosyllablic verbs
tun – visit

Infix1
Tun visits
Tuyuun visited (pfv)
Tuwuun (impfv)

Infix2
Tukonu causative

Tuyuunnu bene
tuyuuntậnu male

tuyuunyu laud
tuyuunru trist

Suffixes
macharàn – agentive -teacher
machakwe – opative - want to teach
machawiu – possibilitive - can teach

There are a few prefixes;
pumacha – negative - not teach

Intransitive verbs can be given a subject with the use of the prefix tiu for objects and rue for people

Foy rìna
I Speak

foy-sha rìnaki-wèm tiu-rìna
I-erg rìnaki-acc speak

foy-sha swo-wem rue-ri-wii-na
I-erg him-acc speak-imprf
some verbal morphology

-ki; nominalizer; makes verbs into nouns.
Rina – Speak > Rinaki – language/Rinaki
Bibi – Drink > Bibiki – a Drink

-tsono; verbalize an adjective;
Tsengi - hunger > tsengitsono - to be hungry
Pivang – cruel > pivangtsono – to be cruel

-huna; to use a noun;
punga – fist > pungahuna – to punch
myeta – flesh > myetahuna – to have sex

-laki; derive abstract nouns from verbs,
tuki – die > tukilaki - death.
Ketu – love > ketulaki – love

-kwi; to go somewhere to do...; to go somewhere to die > tukikwi; he went to die > swo tuyùùkikwi.
-hano; to come somewhere to do...; to come to eat > eshahàno; he came here to eat > smosha eyèèshahàno.
Ok this is all for now. Will have a look at Ceresz's people are i think that would have migrated from that direction onto the island west.

[Amuere]

(question does this still need the accusative case if in a erg/acc lang?)

This might help you out. My people's lang is Ergative-Accusative, I'll translate your sentences into Alajean.

Foy rìna
I Speak

foy-sha rìnaki-wèm tiu-rìna
I-erg rìnaki-acc speak

foy-sha swo-hnyi rue-ri-wii-na
I-erg him-dat speak-imprf

sa savami
I speak
( this is in Absolutive case, no object)

ur rinakihî sahu savamihu
ur rinaki-hî sa-hu savami-hu
def rinaki-acc I-erg speak-erg
( Rinaki is the object, the speaker is the agent)

fuî dimaî sahu savamihu
fuî dima-î sa-hu savami-hu
to him-acc I-erg speak-erg

-kwi; to go somewhere to do...; to go somewhere to die > tukikwi; he went to die > swo tuyùùkikwi.
-hano; to come somewhere to do...; to come to eat > eshahàno; he came here to eat > smosha eyèèshahàno. (again confused with erg/acc)

dimahu fuî teî jatî cegunaunehu
dima-hu fuî te-î jatî cegunaune-hu
he-erg to here-acc to eat came-erg

[communistplot]

I was thinking of expanding the Garo sphere of influence north along the western coast of Ibabaw and up the Belaki river. Does anyone object or have any competing claims?

[treskro]

Rinaki - The speech
w y
/w y/

/y/ is a vowel, are you looking for /j/?

Allophony at the monent sounds as;
/h/ next to /t/ becomes /x/

Is "next to" before or after /t/?


@moko
c.-10 - Teneists heavily persecuted in the Kingdom of Zei, believers move west out of Zei lands.
Tene establishes a significant following by age 20? Or maybe shorter lifespans make things different.

[communistplot]

The c means circa, right? So, I'd guess he'd be in his early 20s, yah, I mean, Jesus was apparently 30 when he gained followers.

[treskro]

Yeah, I guess.


So, want to have a war or something?

[communistplot]

Yeah, I guess.


So, want to have a war or something?

Hm, you want you're land back? xD I think Pebbu (Pabo in Garo) will change hands quite a few times. But, as for now I'm writing up the Fotanaqi history, though, we could war over control of the northern Belaki.

[KwirElph]

Thanks for your help, have edited my post with corrections. Have been working on the Naruerinaki culture last night here is what I have;

The Naruerinaki inhabit the islands situated in the ocean to the east of Namjog, built upon volcanic activity the island chain extends from the south and bends west into the deep ocean. Being near to the equator the climate ranges from Mediterranean to subtropical. Many Island have volcanos and covered in lush forests with thousands of species of birds. Mammals are usually no bigger than big dogs, the largest of these having evolved from mustelids are carnivorous, hunting other mammals or large birds that live on the ground. The Naruerinaki have domesticated some of these and use them for hunting and occasionally keep them as pets. Hunting these creatures is taboo as is eating any carnivore.

Their diet consists of shellfish found on the beaches and coral reefs, fish as the Naruerinaki are adept sailors often taking to the oceans to explore new islands and hunt. On land they forage for various fruits, and make use of gardening and plant roots such as yam, sweet potatoe and manioc, the later must be before eating processed. Depending on the intended use there are a few ways the Naruerinaki use. Birds and mammals such as dwarf deers, a large rat and otters are hunted for meat. Insects are caught and honey is enjoyed by those lucky enough to find it.

The Naruerinaki have straight hair almost always black with dark coloured eyes. Their skin being medium to dark tanned, and their build slim and lithe; a product of their active lifestyle of hunting, fishing and sailing. Males practice fasting and is seen as a preferred masculine quality. Women are allowed a little clemency with weight as a slight girth is seen as healthy and show they are able to bear strong children, women’s work in the gardens, forage when not weaving or attending to children.

Most Naruerinaki want little for food as the ocean is plentiful and most villages consist of between 50 to 100 people, any more and young males are accustomed to leave their home village with their spouses and seek else where to live often to start new villages themselves.

Within Naruerinaki settlements there is little hierarchy for little is needed, rarely do they go to war with most resources easily found, they have yet to discover metallurgy all tools made from either flint, obsidian or bone and food is in easy reach. However a few positions are important to Naruerinaki, foremost is the shaman, the person who connects the people to the spirits around them. The shaman is chosen by their predecessor and can be either male or female, who shows the most ability with the spirit world. As with the shaman other jobs that call for leadership are based on merit, arts are regarded highly, but extend little beyond music which includes various percussion instruments and a few flutes. The most skilled in flute has the honour of playing the ngatwikonakitira at rituals, this is a position only a man can reach. Women can excel at weaving; baskets, skirts and other decorative items are highly prized and will be trade and given as gifts to neighbouring tribes.
Hunting parties are lead by the most able man, usually the most experienced who has brought the most kills back, this also includes when hunting for large fish. When the time comes for exploration males around the age of 20 usually leave in groups with their wives and children and close friends looking for new land on which to settle.

The Naruerinaki believe all is imbued with a spirit, every person, animal and natural phenomenon. Some are more important than other and could be compared with gods of other cultures, for the goddess of the ocean (Tiusonginahrongitsi) is know to all tribes, and so is the goddess of the earth (tiutonantatsi) as are the goddess of the sun and god of the moon. Every island will have their own spirit with unites all villages, and every village their own spirit or totem often the founder of the settlement in the guise of a spirit animal important to the people.
Ancestor worship is close to the heart of Naruerinaki worship, for all deceased members of the family are cremated and the charred bones and ash collected in urns stored with shrines built in each family house. These remains are used in ritual to help the family members in times of need, to consult them of their fate and what decisions should be made regarding the future.

Rituals start with the shaman purifying themselves, vomiting spoons are used to purge the insides, salt is thrown upon them and hands and feet washed to clean off the dirt. The bones of the ancestors are taken out, all families ancestors are normally consulted including the bones of the founding spirit. Next the shaman will ingest the roots of the yanaturon (seeing tree), a powerful hallucinogenic root that enables the shaman to see into the spirit world. This will make the shaman vomit bringing with it, patterns and colours unseen by normal eyes. While the shaman prepares himself for the journey the rest of the village offers sacrifices and gifts for the arrival of the ancestors, chanting prayers to heighten the influence of the yanaturon root. Eventually after many hours the shaman will go into a trance, singing and dancing, directed by the influence of the ancestors and his own animal spirit, most songs are ad hod, the lyrics coming from whatever experience the shaman is going through. This can last days and the shaman will take more yanaturon root if needed. After the trance is finished the shaman is presumed to have been advised by the ancestors on the future.

The Naruerinaki live in a warm tropical climate therefore there is little need of clothes. Mostly they wear loin cloths, both for men and for women, however women’s’ breasts can be covered with large woven necklaces of intricate design for decoration, more commonly they are left bare. Often they wear bands of leaves around their lower legs and around the upper arm for more formal occasions. Feathers can be woven into these for added effect. This is accompanied with frond of feathers attached to the loin cloth and headdress of woven fibres with feathers for colour. The Face is often pierced through the nose and ears, women’s breasts can be pierced with bone as can the penis. It is customary for the shaman to have a row of three or four labrets through the nape of their neck. As is it believed the spirits communicate through the base of the skull and into the head, these bones will keep a little of the power left behind.

[treskro]

Why does everyone have a shaman?

It looks good nonetheless, just needs a bit of formatting.

[Ashroot]

Religion is part of life. It would be unrealistic not to have a shaman, priest, witch.

[Lyhoko Leaci]

At least give them a name in their native language, so it at least seems like there's some sort of variety...