Quick facts
Government - Tribalism
Religion - Illutatsu
Ethnicity - Kaita
Pinterest board - Kait
Kait is a nomadic society in northwest Isahai. They are mostly peaceful, only attacking when provoked.
Kaitish government is decentralized, focused on tribal relationships. Each tribe is made of three or four families, and these families share a council. The eldest member of the family is the representative, usually a grandparent. The government favors age and experience, and if there is a disagreement between two members and no one can find a solution, the default is toward the older member. These disagreements rarely happen however, as most resources are shared between the families. Within the family, the children are raised to help from an early age. It isn't uncommon to see 6 year olds helping cook or 8 year olds mending clothes.
Kaitish people are mostly nomadic, living in groups of tents in the spring, summer and autumn, spread out around the plains. In the winter, they gather around sedentary villages where the winter tents are stored in specialized houses. The storage house is one of the most important buildings in a village, as it contains supplies and housing for many families.
Kaitish children are raised together with no gender distinction until age 10, when they start expressing preferences for naming and pronoun distinction. When they make the choice, they are raised with the parent of that gender. Couples stay mostly separated, but in the event of cross-tribal partnership, the father moves in with the mother until the children reach coming-of-age.
The architecture of Kait is very easy to move, consisting of tents made from layers of wool, hide, and wood. These tents have a triangular shape, made from a lattice of wood with support posts in the corners. The tent is then covered with wool and hide layers. The sleeping area is typically to the right of the entrance, covered in grass mats. The left is where the workspace is, and the cooking space in the winter. Summer tents are light, with only one layer of wool. In the winter, the tents have three or four layers of wool and hide. The entrance is a gap in the lattice, surrounded by frame panels and sealed with wool on three sides. There is a wooden door in this frame, typically 2 feet by 5 feet. Most people duck to get in the doors, and this is seen as an extra security measure to slow intruders, as well as a way of maintaining respect.
Kaitish clothing is simple and loose, allowing for freedom of movement. In the summer, most people wears shin-length pants with open shirts that are tied using ribbons at the back. In the winter, there is an extra layer of a fur lined coat and woolen scarf. Boots have split-toed soles and are usually made of leather. Clothing is intricately beaded and embroidered with designs that show the family emblem and any other designs.
One of the most important body decorations to Kaitish people are their painted faces. Face paint is used to signify family and culture ties in Kaitish culture. Face paint contains many symbols depending on the role of the person in their family. The family symbol is painted on the center of the forehead. The leading member of the household, often the oldest, paints a solid line down their nose extending from the family crest. Oldest siblings paint a dot below both of their eyes. Mothers will paint a dot below their lip for each child. Skilled warriors paint a line across their face, while archers paint a line extending from their lower lip to their chin. Seers paint a smear covering their "seeing eye", the one they are believed to see spirits out of. This is usually the eye opposite their dominant hand.
Cuisine is centered around what can be hunted and gathered. Food that can be stewed over a low simmering fire is common, especially in the wintertime. Rabbit and gazelle are some of the most common hunted animals. Rabbits are hunted with the help of hunting falcons, who are prized among nomadic families.
Kaitish religion is a loosely practiced version of Illutatsu, and focuses more on ancestor worship and nature worship than versions of Illutatsu practiced elsewhere. Kaitish people see every living thing as sacred and deserving of respect.
The demonym for people from Kait is Kaitish, and the dominant ethnicity is Kaita. The population is mainly Kaita vishi, with a few exceptions in the larger settlements.