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Almorea wrote:How many Isles nations have some kind of nuclear capability?

Nuclear capability in Cheoju is completely civilian/energy related but thanks to the wonderful pro-manufacturing policies our sweatsho- I mean totally ethical factories could realistically pump out a short range warhead need be.

Almorea wrote:How many Isles nations have some kind of nuclear capability?

I got a nuclear powered sub, and a few powerplants built with aid from Ostehaar, but no weapons.

Athara magarat

Noronica wrote:I am currently collaborating on something big which will hopefully arrive soon, but while I was working on it, I thought I'd make something as an unrelated but cool little Isleball poster.

Islevengers: Age of SECURE - https://i.imgur.com/leF4HpT.png

Included: Agadar, Vancouvia, Ostehaar, Belle ilse en terre

Wait a minute! Aren't half of you members of the Guardians of Gael as well :P

I leave for 2 hours and suddenly Vancouvia goes Neo-Imperial.

Cheoju wrote:Nuclear capability in Cheoju is completely civilian/energy related but thanks to the wonderful pro-manufacturing policies our sweatsho- I mean totally ethical factories could realistically pump out a short range warhead need be.

Don't let this reflect on the Grand Principality, they chose their own route after 2002. Sometimes you just gotta turn a blind eye.

Cheoju

San Montagna wrote:I leave for 2 hours and suddenly Vancouvia goes Neo-Imperial.

Correction, you left for two hours and Vancouvia is still Neo-Imperial.

Razzgriz, San Montagna, Almorea, and Parthovia

Dormill and Stiura wrote:Correction, you left for two hours and Vancouvia is still Neo-Imperial.

Fair enough

Parthovia

Athara magarat

Athara Magarat totally not Imperial. We just help poor people in Kachee and Lortika. And we just there in Sawneeak Atoll for scientific purposes.

Look who documented Sawneeak Quail and Tandran Bulbul and Sawneeaker Tit :P

Razzgriz wrote:Don't let this reflect on the Grand Principality, they chose their own route after 2002. Sometimes you just gotta turn a blind eye.

The government definitely took an authoritarian swing after it gained independence from the referendum

Athara magarat

Almorea wrote:How many Isles nations have some kind of nuclear capability?

page=dispatch/id=992625

You have been warned.

Almorea

Athara magarat wrote:page=dispatch/id=992625

You have been warned.

I refuse to be spied on by an organization with a swastika in its seal! Where is Max Barry???

Athara magarat

Almorea wrote:I refuse to be spied on by an organization with a swastika in its seal! Where is Max Barry???

It's a cultural thingy. Ayem's had run ins with site staff multiple times.

Almorea

Ainslie wrote:It's a cultural thingy. Ayem's had run ins with site staff multiple times.

i know haha

Greater pretoria

Ainslie wrote:It's a cultural thingy. Ayem's had run ins with site staff multiple times.

When will people stop associating the swaztica with Nazi's? It was around thousands of years before then

Greater pretoria wrote:When will people stop associating the swaztica with Nazi's? It was around thousands of years before then

It only takes one person to screw something for everyone. That's life.

Razzgriz, Athara magarat, and Wellsia

Athara magarat

Greater pretoria wrote:When will people stop associating the swaztica with Nazi's? It was around thousands of years before then

They should probably teach this thing in schools maybe

Menna shuli wrote:It only takes one person to screw something for everyone. That's life.

Speaking of religion, Menna you said your religion doesn't have any gods. Do you have a factbook on it?

I am working on converting my Gran Mar Religion and never really though about how it could've originated until you made that statement and my imagination put itself to work.

Athara magarat

I was thinking of using that flag from EUIV actually but figured I might get arrested by the Indian government. The pre-Dharma EUIV Nepal flag actually belongs to a separatist group in Sikkim and Darjeeling Hills (I am pretty sure Paradox thought it was cool and used it instead of the House of Gorkha flag).

Almorea wrote:How many Isles nations have some kind of nuclear capability?

I have stolen oste info but I can't test or anything without any international backlash so I'm using it for green energy.

Razzgriz wrote:Speaking of religion, Menna you said your religion doesn't have any gods. Do you have a factbook on it?

I am working on converting my Gran Mar Religion and never really though about how it could've originated until you made that statement and my imagination put itself to work.


OVERVIEW


'unuxâ (lit. "the Great Grave") is the faith of the Mênnan people, and is one of the oldest faiths native to the Western Isles, with roots stretching back to the second millenium BCE and surviving written records as far back as 962 BCE. Sometimes derogatorily referred to as a "death cult", 'unuxâ is a religion centered on ancestor worship and the maintenance and honouring of the dead. There are no deific figures in 'unuxâ, although It Atuvi (Life-Death) is viewed as a primordial constant, not so much a god or being to be worshipped as an eternal, uncaring, omnipotent force beyond humanity or morality. Instead, the spirits of ancestors, relatives and important historical figures are seen as the primary entities of power within the religion, and the maintenance and honouring of these spirits is the central purpose of ritual within the faith. Followers of the faith are called ki'unuxâ.

The core beliefs of 'unuxâ can be summarized as follows:

  • A person's hakêm (soul, spirit or essence) is beyond mortality and transcends death

  • The hakêm survives beyond death for as long as their vêkahat (names) and vêta (works) remembered by mortals

  • An honoured hakêm may bestow blessings upon those who earn its goodwill

  • The more who remember and honour a hakêm, the greater the hakêm's power after death

  • The greater one's deeds in life, the more one will be remembered after death

  • When a hakêm is forgotten, it fades to nothingness and enters oblivion

These beliefs have led to a highly organized set of cultural and theological practices. The primary rituals of the religion revolve around funerary rites and the tending of graves. To a greater or lesser degree, the religion has also been used to justify the caste system of Mênna Shuli; those of higher caste have bonds to stronger hakêm, whose more powerful vêkahat and vêta provide power and rights to their descendants.

Humans are not the only entities that have hakêm. Animals also have hakêm, but since they are incapable of speech, they cannot remember each other or pass on their stories. Therefore, most animals will never transcend death and their hakêm will enter the void. However, if humans name animals and share their stories, their hakêm can act much like a human's. Some kinds of animals, particularly dangerous predators, are seen as dangerous in this form, acting upon their natural urges in spiritual form, although they can also become powerful protective spirits.

PRACTICES



Temples
Temples of the faith have existed in all eras of its history, although certain changes have happened over time to their structure and general purpose. In the modern age, temples are generally found in the center of graveyards and burial sites. Temples are not primarily intended as places for worship by the general populace, who have a complex set of religious practices of their own. Instead, the state-run temples serve as mausoleums for particularly important figures, who they may be dedicated to, in which physical images which serve as their intermediaries are cared for and provided with offerings to honour them. Names of other important individuals may be engraved upon the walls, where they are less prone to decay over time, and the entire location is cared for by priests. For the most part, common people will only enter temples during funerals and other important religious rites. Temples contain wings dedicated to the preparation of bodies for burial, a process which includes cleaning, purification and anointing. Temple priests use a combination of traditional and modern means of preparing bodies to this end.

Not all communities have temples, and ruined temples from ages past can be found out on the savannah. However, all communities will have some form of dedicated burial place, which serves as their central site of worship, ritual and prayer.

Funerary Rites
The most important event in the life of a ki'unuxâ is their funeral, and followers will often spend their lives preparing for it. It is considered improper to leave your family shouldered with the burden of your funeral without leaving them the basics (graveplot and gravestone at least), at least when it can be avoided. Funerals are not seen as sad or solemn affairs, but extremely joyous ones, as they are a celebration of a person's life and their hakêm's transition from mortal flesh to spiritual power. Priests oversee a period of preparation of the body, usually two days, at which point a ceremony is held wherein the immediate family of the deceased will anoint the forehead and feet of the body with oils before it is interred. No coffin or casket is used in most circumstances, with the exception of extremely wealthy individuals (such as the princely caste) who will inter their bodies in stone boxes and under stone tablets so as to further limit the degradation of their graves. Extraordinary individuals may have their bodies interred inside the temple walls, which will essentially ensure that their nameplate never fades. Following interment, he family will lay the fresh gravestone at the foot of the grave, flowers will be laid across the fresh dirt, and the utkumiwas nuxâ or death-song, will be sung.

Following the funeral, it is customary for the individual's community to celebrate with song, dance and storytelling, especially the sharing of stories of the individual's life. The sharing of alcohol and marijuana is expected and encouraged at these times.

Scripture
There is no official body of scripture for the religion. However, there are generally accepted bodies of work that comprise certain elements of the faith. The stories of great heroes and historical figures are commonly expressed as morality tales and doctrine, and as a way of continuing to honour their memory. Aside from this, much of the religion's intricacies are more theological in nature and only really practiced or discussed by priests in more academic circles, and actual practice is more oral and traditional by its very nature. As a result of this, there is a great amount of diversity between communities in what songs are stories are deemed important to worship, and this is one of the greatest indicators of tribal affiliation in the modern day.

Calendar
The 'unuxâ calendar is a lunisolar calendar, meaning that months are based on lunar months, but years are based on solar years. The calendar year features twelve lunar months of twenty-nine or thirty days, with an intercalary lunar month added periodically to synchronize the twelve lunar cycles with the longer solar year. These extra months are added seven times every nineteen years, and are used to ensure that Mennan New Years always occurs in the summer. Months begin on the New Moon.

Month

Days

Symbol of the Month

Gregorian Month

Mêâ Niktês

30

Tree

June/July

Mêâ Ahês

29

Dog

July/August

Mêâ Shêhêstuvu

30

Thorn

August/September

Mêâ Kuha

29

Cat

September/October

Mêâ Shaêtsimu

30

Cow

October/November

Mêâ Uhum

29

Apple

November/December

Mêâ Kikam

30

Lotus

December/January

Mêâ Nâhaw

29

Ibex

January/February

Mêâ Man

30

Stone

February/March

Mêâ Tispê

29

Wolf

March/April

Mêâ Itukilami

30

Grasshopper

April/May

Mêâ Hêsuk

29

Shark

May/June

Mêâ Ii (Intercalary)

30

Sword

May/June

Intercalary Years: 2018, 2021, 2023

Holidays
Holidays in the faith generally celebrate the burial- or death-days of important figures, or particularly important natural events, such as the solstices. The most important holidays on the calendar are:

  • Mâk Na - Mênnan New Year (1 Niktês): Mâk Na is the first of the high holy days in the Mênnan year. It is also called the "Anchor of the Year", since it is the day around which the year is calculated. Mênnan New Year must always occur after the Summer Solstice, and this creates the benchmark for intercalary years. Traditional celebrations require fasting on the day before Mâk Na, with the extolling of songs of remembrance. At midnight on the day of Mâk Na, the fast is broken and a great feast is held from midnight until dawn. It is traditional that the members of the princely caste in a community provide the feast for the lower classes in an act of forced generosity. It is normal to serve honey in various forms on Mâk Na. [July 12 2018, July 2 2019, June 21 2020, July 9 2021, June 28 2022, July 17 2023, July 5 2024]

  • Vihâhu Mahêk - Summer Solstice: The Summer Solstice is a lesser holy day, due to its proximity to Mâk Na, with the two sometimes occurring on subsequent days. However, specific tribes still hold the holy day in high regard, and it is viewed as a traditional end of the year, even if there is a longer period between it and Mâk Na. As such, Vihâhu Mahêk is viewed as a day of familial gathering and contemplation on the past year. On years where it falls separated from Mâk Na, there are often visits from extended family and shared, traditional meals. [June 21 2018, June 21 2019, June 20 2020, June 21 2021, June 21 2022, June 21 2023, June 20 2024]

  • Vihâhu Shaut - Winter Solstice: The Winter Solstice is the highest of the holy days in 'unuxâ. It is seen as a day where the hakêm have a particularly strong presence, and where asking for their blessings and honouring their stories has a particularly powerful effect. Parades, festivals, feasts and massive turnouts at burial grounds to clean and maintain graves are all part of the traditional celebrations. The week following Vihâhu Shaut, Him Shaut, is a week of these celebrations, which includes the Feast of the Grandmothers. In the modern era, certain elements of foreign religious festivals have been adopted as part of the Vihâhu Shaut experience. In particular, the Chrstian tradition of gift exchange has become popularly adopted on the evening before Vihâhu Shaut. [Dec 21 2018, Dec 22 2019, Dec 21 2020, Dec 21 2021, Dec 21 2022, Dec 22 2023, Dec 21 2024]

  • Ê Tuwatuwa Vêshênukitsi - The Feast of the Grandfathers (18 Man): The Feast of the Grandfathers is a day to celebrate the names and memories of one's male ancestors. Traditionally, it involves family gatherings where the names of these ancestors are recited, and those who can share stories or memories of their lives. It is normal to eat large meals of fruit, berries and meat for the evening meal, before going to the graveyard to lay down offerings to the graves of one's male ancestors. [Mar 4 2018, Feb 21 2019, Mar 11 2020, Feb 28 2021, Feb 18 2022, Mar 9 2023, Mar 27 2024]

  • Ê Tuwatuwa Vêluhê - The Feast of the Grandmothers (21 Kikam): The Feast of the Grandmothers is the companion holiday to the Feast of the Grandfathers. It is a day to celebrate one's female ancestors. Over time, the holiday has transformed into a festival day, part of the Him Shaut celebrations. Normal celebrations involve large street festivals, dancing and song. [Dec 27 2018, Jan 15 2019, Jan 3 2020, Jan 2 2021, Dec 24 2022, Jan 12 2023, Jan 31 2024, Jan 19 2025]

  • Atuvi Shuâ Shuâ - The Death of Shuâ Shuâ (10 Hêsuk): Atuvi Shuâ Shuâ celebrates the deathday of Shuâ Shuâ, founder of the Shuâ tribe. As the Shuâ tribe is the largest tribe in Mênna Shuli, the Death of Shuâ Shuâ is a widely held holy day. Shuâ Shuâ was a noted and gifted warrior, conqueror and tactician, and so displays of martial prowess from the warrior and princely castes are normal as part of the celebrations. A 'êsh on this day is seen as holding particular prestige for the winner. [May 24 2018, June 12 2019, May 31 2020, May 20 2021, June 8 2022, May 28 2023, June 15 2024]

Hêluk Hêt: The Reading Law
One of the core beliefs and practices of the priesthood is Hêluk Hêt, the Reading Law, sometimes called the Law of Decipherablity. Every graveyard in Mênna Shuli is maintained by local priests who routinely check the tombstones of the honoured dead for legibility. When a section of the cemetery is deemed illegible, those graves are exhumed and the bones are added to a communal pit. Because their names are no longer known, the need to honour their memory has passed, and the space can be reused. This is part of the reason why the maintenance of graves is so important for families.

Spiritual Use of Cannabis
Cannabis is frequently used by followers of 'unuxâ. Consumption of cannabis for ritual purpose is believed to lower the barriers between the physical and the spirtual, allowing for closer communion with the hakêm of one's ancestors and loved ones. It is frequently smoked by priests in prayer sessions, or burned as a form of incense. In addition, its oils are sometimes used for blessings and it is occassionally used as a spice or herb in cooking traditional meals, especially on holidays. Burning a small censer of cannabis at a grave is seen as a way of cleansing the air as a form of maintenance of the grave.

Prayer
Prayer is commonly used to ask for the intercession of an important relative or loved one who has passed in areas of hardship. It is believed that showing respect to the hakêm and formally asking for their aid can result in great benefits to those who follow the faith. A hakêm may be able to change the weather, cure the sick, provide inspiration or defense, or many other things besides. The hakêm is said to have a subtle physical effect on the world, although angry or abused vêhakêm may be more prone to violence in the physical plane, with poltergeist-like tales not uncommon in folklore.

Tasêtasê: The Confession Ritual
Tasêtasê is the 'unuxâ practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. In tribal culture, it is beleved that error and guilt cause illness in an individual, and the Tasêtasê is used to cleanse this error and guilt and free the physical body from spiritual and emotional baggage. Tasêtasê corrects, restores and maintains good relationships among family members and with their vêhakêm by getting to the causes and sources of trouble. Usually the most senior member of the family conducts it. He or she gathers the family together. If the family is unable to work through a problem, they turn to a priest.

The process begins with prayer. A statement of the problem is made, and the transgression discussed. Family members are expected to work problems through and cooperate, not "hold fast to the fault". One or more periods of silence may be taken for reflection on the entanglement of emotions and injuries. Everyone's feelings are acknowledged. Then confession, repentance and forgiveness take place. Everyone releases each other, letting go. They cut off the past, and together they close the event with a ceremonial feast which often included eating specific fruits depending on region, symbolic of the release.

IMPORTANT FIGURES



Since 'unuxâ primarily involves the worship and honouring of ancestors and folk heroes, certain individuals are given extraordinary precedent. In daily prayer, people will normally honour their their close deceased family members, such as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-grandparents, et cetera, in a prayer that is normally passed on by rote by someone's parents. In addition, their tribal founder will also take precedence in these prayers. Also included are certain important figures from the history of the Mênna. The most common of these are:

FOLKLORE AND RELIGION



Over the centuries, the unique religious practices and folklore of various tribes and eras of history have become syncretic with 'unuxâ before being fused, disseminated and, eventually, accepted as religious dogma. Some of the most obvious examples of this include folktales involving god-like spirits, and many of the animal vêhakêm that serve as parallels to other religions demons or monsters. While these elements of 'unuxâ are usually ignored in priestly practice, they form a key component of the lay experience of 'unuxâ, with many of the common practicioner's traditions based on them.

Some of the key entities of this 'unuxâ folklore include:

  • Ikusatê: When the name and power of a hyena is remembered and feared after its death, it's hakêm may become an Ikusatê. Ikusatê are described as humanoid, with the heads of hyenas but the body of a man. They are said to be large, nocturnal creatures which will slink through camps on the savanna and steal away the sick and injured. They eat dead bodies that aren't buried deep enough, and defile the graves to dishonour their memory. To ward away Ikusatê, one must burn a mix of grass and bird bones in a campfire. The scent is said to confuse an Ikusatê, who will follow it on the wind until daybreak, when they are banished away from the physical world.

  • Kihutêp: The "Ones That Make the Earth Shake" are the hakêm of mighty bull elephants, especially those that fell in battle in the times when elephants were ridden as warbeasts. They are believed to be invisible and intangible, usually calm and docile but sometimes roused to anger if they are not honoured properly. When this happens, they stampede, causing earthquakes. To appease a kihutêp, a village must perform certain special, calming songs on a regular basis, which are said to lull the kihutêp to sleep.

  • Kuksu: A kuksu, sometimes translated as a shade or a ghast, is the hakêm of an honoured big cat, although usually lions are excluded from this classification. Kuksu are seen as extraordinarily dangerous creatures, capable of invisibility, the ability to pass through walls, and terrifying strength and cunning. A disrespected kuksu may enter someone's home and kill them in their sleep. However, kuksu are also seen as deeply loyal to those who respect them and are often invoked as guardian spirits.

Read factbook

Razzgriz, Athara magarat, and Wellsia

Athara magarat

Razzgriz wrote:Speaking of religion, Menna you said your religion doesn't have any gods. Do you have a factbook on it?

I am working on converting my Gran Mar Religion and never really though about how it could've originated until you made that statement and my imagination put itself to work.

Speaking of it, I did like to assign a Great Varga to your nation as well since we are now quite interwined with you still having cities inside me.

Any animal that your country associates itself with...

nation=athara_magarat/detail=factbook/id=982819

Menna shuli wrote:

OVERVIEW


'unuxâ (lit. "the Great Grave") is the faith of the Mênnan people, and is one of the oldest faiths native to the Western Isles, with roots stretching back to the second millenium BCE and surviving written records as far back as 962 BCE. Sometimes derogatorily referred to as a "death cult", 'unuxâ is a religion centered on ancestor worship and the maintenance and honouring of the dead. There are no deific figures in 'unuxâ, although It Atuvi (Life-Death) is viewed as a primordial constant, not so much a god or being to be worshipped as an eternal, uncaring, omnipotent force beyond humanity or morality. Instead, the spirits of ancestors, relatives and important historical figures are seen as the primary entities of power within the religion, and the maintenance and honouring of these spirits is the central purpose of ritual within the faith. Followers of the faith are called ki'unuxâ.

The core beliefs of 'unuxâ can be summarized as follows:

  • A person's hakêm (soul, spirit or essence) is beyond mortality and transcends death

  • The hakêm survives beyond death for as long as their vêkahat (names) and vêta (works) remembered by mortals

  • An honoured hakêm may bestow blessings upon those who earn its goodwill

  • The more who remember and honour a hakêm, the greater the hakêm's power after death

  • The greater one's deeds in life, the more one will be remembered after death

  • When a hakêm is forgotten, it fades to nothingness and enters oblivion

These beliefs have led to a highly organized set of cultural and theological practices. The primary rituals of the religion revolve around funerary rites and the tending of graves. To a greater or lesser degree, the religion has also been used to justify the caste system of Mênna Shuli; those of higher caste have bonds to stronger hakêm, whose more powerful vêkahat and vêta provide power and rights to their descendants.

Humans are not the only entities that have hakêm. Animals also have hakêm, but since they are incapable of speech, they cannot remember each other or pass on their stories. Therefore, most animals will never transcend death and their hakêm will enter the void. However, if humans name animals and share their stories, their hakêm can act much like a human's. Some kinds of animals, particularly dangerous predators, are seen as dangerous in this form, acting upon their natural urges in spiritual form, although they can also become powerful protective spirits.

PRACTICES



Temples
Temples of the faith have existed in all eras of its history, although certain changes have happened over time to their structure and general purpose. In the modern age, temples are generally found in the center of graveyards and burial sites. Temples are not primarily intended as places for worship by the general populace, who have a complex set of religious practices of their own. Instead, the state-run temples serve as mausoleums for particularly important figures, who they may be dedicated to, in which physical images which serve as their intermediaries are cared for and provided with offerings to honour them. Names of other important individuals may be engraved upon the walls, where they are less prone to decay over time, and the entire location is cared for by priests. For the most part, common people will only enter temples during funerals and other important religious rites. Temples contain wings dedicated to the preparation of bodies for burial, a process which includes cleaning, purification and anointing. Temple priests use a combination of traditional and modern means of preparing bodies to this end.

Not all communities have temples, and ruined temples from ages past can be found out on the savannah. However, all communities will have some form of dedicated burial place, which serves as their central site of worship, ritual and prayer.

Funerary Rites
The most important event in the life of a ki'unuxâ is their funeral, and followers will often spend their lives preparing for it. It is considered improper to leave your family shouldered with the burden of your funeral without leaving them the basics (graveplot and gravestone at least), at least when it can be avoided. Funerals are not seen as sad or solemn affairs, but extremely joyous ones, as they are a celebration of a person's life and their hakêm's transition from mortal flesh to spiritual power. Priests oversee a period of preparation of the body, usually two days, at which point a ceremony is held wherein the immediate family of the deceased will anoint the forehead and feet of the body with oils before it is interred. No coffin or casket is used in most circumstances, with the exception of extremely wealthy individuals (such as the princely caste) who will inter their bodies in stone boxes and under stone tablets so as to further limit the degradation of their graves. Extraordinary individuals may have their bodies interred inside the temple walls, which will essentially ensure that their nameplate never fades. Following interment, he family will lay the fresh gravestone at the foot of the grave, flowers will be laid across the fresh dirt, and the utkumiwas nuxâ or death-song, will be sung.

Following the funeral, it is customary for the individual's community to celebrate with song, dance and storytelling, especially the sharing of stories of the individual's life. The sharing of alcohol and marijuana is expected and encouraged at these times.

Scripture
There is no official body of scripture for the religion. However, there are generally accepted bodies of work that comprise certain elements of the faith. The stories of great heroes and historical figures are commonly expressed as morality tales and doctrine, and as a way of continuing to honour their memory. Aside from this, much of the religion's intricacies are more theological in nature and only really practiced or discussed by priests in more academic circles, and actual practice is more oral and traditional by its very nature. As a result of this, there is a great amount of diversity between communities in what songs are stories are deemed important to worship, and this is one of the greatest indicators of tribal affiliation in the modern day.

Calendar
The 'unuxâ calendar is a lunisolar calendar, meaning that months are based on lunar months, but years are based on solar years. The calendar year features twelve lunar months of twenty-nine or thirty days, with an intercalary lunar month added periodically to synchronize the twelve lunar cycles with the longer solar year. These extra months are added seven times every nineteen years, and are used to ensure that Mennan New Years always occurs in the summer. Months begin on the New Moon.

Month

Days

Symbol of the Month

Gregorian Month

Mêâ Niktês

30

Tree

June/July

Mêâ Ahês

29

Dog

July/August

Mêâ Shêhêstuvu

30

Thorn

August/September

Mêâ Kuha

29

Cat

September/October

Mêâ Shaêtsimu

30

Cow

October/November

Mêâ Uhum

29

Apple

November/December

Mêâ Kikam

30

Lotus

December/January

Mêâ Nâhaw

29

Ibex

January/February

Mêâ Man

30

Stone

February/March

Mêâ Tispê

29

Wolf

March/April

Mêâ Itukilami

30

Grasshopper

April/May

Mêâ Hêsuk

29

Shark

May/June

Mêâ Ii (Intercalary)

30

Sword

May/June

Intercalary Years: 2018, 2021, 2023

Holidays
Holidays in the faith generally celebrate the burial- or death-days of important figures, or particularly important natural events, such as the solstices. The most important holidays on the calendar are:

  • Mâk Na - Mênnan New Year (1 Niktês): Mâk Na is the first of the high holy days in the Mênnan year. It is also called the "Anchor of the Year", since it is the day around which the year is calculated. Mênnan New Year must always occur after the Summer Solstice, and this creates the benchmark for intercalary years. Traditional celebrations require fasting on the day before Mâk Na, with the extolling of songs of remembrance. At midnight on the day of Mâk Na, the fast is broken and a great feast is held from midnight until dawn. It is traditional that the members of the princely caste in a community provide the feast for the lower classes in an act of forced generosity. It is normal to serve honey in various forms on Mâk Na. [July 12 2018, July 2 2019, June 21 2020, July 9 2021, June 28 2022, July 17 2023, July 5 2024]

  • Vihâhu Mahêk - Summer Solstice: The Summer Solstice is a lesser holy day, due to its proximity to Mâk Na, with the two sometimes occurring on subsequent days. However, specific tribes still hold the holy day in high regard, and it is viewed as a traditional end of the year, even if there is a longer period between it and Mâk Na. As such, Vihâhu Mahêk is viewed as a day of familial gathering and contemplation on the past year. On years where it falls separated from Mâk Na, there are often visits from extended family and shared, traditional meals. [June 21 2018, June 21 2019, June 20 2020, June 21 2021, June 21 2022, June 21 2023, June 20 2024]

  • Vihâhu Shaut - Winter Solstice: The Winter Solstice is the highest of the holy days in 'unuxâ. It is seen as a day where the hakêm have a particularly strong presence, and where asking for their blessings and honouring their stories has a particularly powerful effect. Parades, festivals, feasts and massive turnouts at burial grounds to clean and maintain graves are all part of the traditional celebrations. The week following Vihâhu Shaut, Him Shaut, is a week of these celebrations, which includes the Feast of the Grandmothers. In the modern era, certain elements of foreign religious festivals have been adopted as part of the Vihâhu Shaut experience. In particular, the Chrstian tradition of gift exchange has become popularly adopted on the evening before Vihâhu Shaut. [Dec 21 2018, Dec 22 2019, Dec 21 2020, Dec 21 2021, Dec 21 2022, Dec 22 2023, Dec 21 2024]

  • Ê Tuwatuwa Vêshênukitsi - The Feast of the Grandfathers (18 Man): The Feast of the Grandfathers is a day to celebrate the names and memories of one's male ancestors. Traditionally, it involves family gatherings where the names of these ancestors are recited, and those who can share stories or memories of their lives. It is normal to eat large meals of fruit, berries and meat for the evening meal, before going to the graveyard to lay down offerings to the graves of one's male ancestors. [Mar 4 2018, Feb 21 2019, Mar 11 2020, Feb 28 2021, Feb 18 2022, Mar 9 2023, Mar 27 2024]

  • Ê Tuwatuwa Vêluhê - The Feast of the Grandmothers (21 Kikam): The Feast of the Grandmothers is the companion holiday to the Feast of the Grandfathers. It is a day to celebrate one's female ancestors. Over time, the holiday has transformed into a festival day, part of the Him Shaut celebrations. Normal celebrations involve large street festivals, dancing and song. [Dec 27 2018, Jan 15 2019, Jan 3 2020, Jan 2 2021, Dec 24 2022, Jan 12 2023, Jan 31 2024, Jan 19 2025]

  • Atuvi Shuâ Shuâ - The Death of Shuâ Shuâ (10 Hêsuk): Atuvi Shuâ Shuâ celebrates the deathday of Shuâ Shuâ, founder of the Shuâ tribe. As the Shuâ tribe is the largest tribe in Mênna Shuli, the Death of Shuâ Shuâ is a widely held holy day. Shuâ Shuâ was a noted and gifted warrior, conqueror and tactician, and so displays of martial prowess from the warrior and princely castes are normal as part of the celebrations. A 'êsh on this day is seen as holding particular prestige for the winner. [May 24 2018, June 12 2019, May 31 2020, May 20 2021, June 8 2022, May 28 2023, June 15 2024]

Hêluk Hêt: The Reading Law
One of the core beliefs and practices of the priesthood is Hêluk Hêt, the Reading Law, sometimes called the Law of Decipherablity. Every graveyard in Mênna Shuli is maintained by local priests who routinely check the tombstones of the honoured dead for legibility. When a section of the cemetery is deemed illegible, those graves are exhumed and the bones are added to a communal pit. Because their names are no longer known, the need to honour their memory has passed, and the space can be reused. This is part of the reason why the maintenance of graves is so important for families.

Spiritual Use of Cannabis
Cannabis is frequently used by followers of 'unuxâ. Consumption of cannabis for ritual purpose is believed to lower the barriers between the physical and the spirtual, allowing for closer communion with the hakêm of one's ancestors and loved ones. It is frequently smoked by priests in prayer sessions, or burned as a form of incense. In addition, its oils are sometimes used for blessings and it is occassionally used as a spice or herb in cooking traditional meals, especially on holidays. Burning a small censer of cannabis at a grave is seen as a way of cleansing the air as a form of maintenance of the grave.

Prayer
Prayer is commonly used to ask for the intercession of an important relative or loved one who has passed in areas of hardship. It is believed that showing respect to the hakêm and formally asking for their aid can result in great benefits to those who follow the faith. A hakêm may be able to change the weather, cure the sick, provide inspiration or defense, or many other things besides. The hakêm is said to have a subtle physical effect on the world, although angry or abused vêhakêm may be more prone to violence in the physical plane, with poltergeist-like tales not uncommon in folklore.

Tasêtasê: The Confession Ritual
Tasêtasê is the 'unuxâ practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. In tribal culture, it is beleved that error and guilt cause illness in an individual, and the Tasêtasê is used to cleanse this error and guilt and free the physical body from spiritual and emotional baggage. Tasêtasê corrects, restores and maintains good relationships among family members and with their vêhakêm by getting to the causes and sources of trouble. Usually the most senior member of the family conducts it. He or she gathers the family together. If the family is unable to work through a problem, they turn to a priest.

The process begins with prayer. A statement of the problem is made, and the transgression discussed. Family members are expected to work problems through and cooperate, not "hold fast to the fault". One or more periods of silence may be taken for reflection on the entanglement of emotions and injuries. Everyone's feelings are acknowledged. Then confession, repentance and forgiveness take place. Everyone releases each other, letting go. They cut off the past, and together they close the event with a ceremonial feast which often included eating specific fruits depending on region, symbolic of the release.

IMPORTANT FIGURES



Since 'unuxâ primarily involves the worship and honouring of ancestors and folk heroes, certain individuals are given extraordinary precedent. In daily prayer, people will normally honour their their close deceased family members, such as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-grandparents, et cetera, in a prayer that is normally passed on by rote by someone's parents. In addition, their tribal founder will also take precedence in these prayers. Also included are certain important figures from the history of the Mênna. The most common of these are:

FOLKLORE AND RELIGION



Over the centuries, the unique religious practices and folklore of various tribes and eras of history have become syncretic with 'unuxâ before being fused, disseminated and, eventually, accepted as religious dogma. Some of the most obvious examples of this include folktales involving god-like spirits, and many of the animal vêhakêm that serve as parallels to other religions demons or monsters. While these elements of 'unuxâ are usually ignored in priestly practice, they form a key component of the lay experience of 'unuxâ, with many of the common practicioner's traditions based on them.

Some of the key entities of this 'unuxâ folklore include:

  • Ikusatê: When the name and power of a hyena is remembered and feared after its death, it's hakêm may become an Ikusatê. Ikusatê are described as humanoid, with the heads of hyenas but the body of a man. They are said to be large, nocturnal creatures which will slink through camps on the savanna and steal away the sick and injured. They eat dead bodies that aren't buried deep enough, and defile the graves to dishonour their memory. To ward away Ikusatê, one must burn a mix of grass and bird bones in a campfire. The scent is said to confuse an Ikusatê, who will follow it on the wind until daybreak, when they are banished away from the physical world.

  • Kihutêp: The "Ones That Make the Earth Shake" are the hakêm of mighty bull elephants, especially those that fell in battle in the times when elephants were ridden as warbeasts. They are believed to be invisible and intangible, usually calm and docile but sometimes roused to anger if they are not honoured properly. When this happens, they stampede, causing earthquakes. To appease a kihutêp, a village must perform certain special, calming songs on a regular basis, which are said to lull the kihutêp to sleep.

  • Kuksu: A kuksu, sometimes translated as a shade or a ghast, is the hakêm of an honoured big cat, although usually lions are excluded from this classification. Kuksu are seen as extraordinarily dangerous creatures, capable of invisibility, the ability to pass through walls, and terrifying strength and cunning. A disrespected kuksu may enter someone's home and kill them in their sleep. However, kuksu are also seen as deeply loyal to those who respect them and are often invoked as guardian spirits.

Read factbook

Was just gonna edit my post and say I found it, but thank you. I really love the fact you call your forces the "Grand ....." and holy crap I made the right decision

Athara magarat wrote: still having cities inside me.

Now i'm confused and concerned

Razzgriz and Almorea

Cheoju wrote:Nuclear capability in Cheoju is completely civilian/energy related but thanks to the wonderful pro-manufacturing policies our sweatsho- I mean totally ethical factories could realistically pump out a short range warhead need be.

That's not how that works.

Athara magarat

Ainslie wrote:Now i'm confused and concerned

It's like how Ceuta is in Africa but a Spanish city.

Jrm Hangma is none too pleased but there are several issues preventing a Magarati invasion of Unovi.

He (Tachil) was one of the influential hangates within the Empire. They were initially non Khas-Kirati so their hang's blood brother (the Hang of Tamsaling) gifted them land and they built the city there in southeastern AM.

https://i.imgur.com/Ow7Ybqh.png

The red within AM (much smaller than depicted but well, you get the idea :P )

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