Jehis

Jehis is a nation of nomads to the north of Kessix with a strong alliance to Civiel. The name Jehis means Westward people, since their oral history describes their travel away from the eastern coast.

GEOGRAPHY

The Jehisi lands occupy the northern plains and the taiga bordering the east side of the Dragonback Mountains. It is a relatively flat and rocky area with some sparse patches of trees and has some large lakes carved out by glaciers. Wood is scarce in much of Jehis. Grass and dried dung are used as main sources of fuel in inland Jehis, while on the coasts seal blubber and whale oil are used as fuel. 

The official borders of the Jehisi territory are determined by the Frozen Ocean to the north and west and the Dragonback Mountains to the east and south.

GOVERNMENT

Many of the Jehisi people are nomadic, and as a result have very little structured government. The bands are matriarchal, and the ruler is called a Heki, roughly translated to queen. There are three main bands, named for their main animal: the Deer-folk, the Goat-folk, and the Bird-folk.

CULTURE

The Jehisi people are divided into three groups: Deer-folk, Goat-folk, and Bird-folk. The Deer-folk are said to be the oldest of the groups, following the caribou around the northern and western plains. They are often considered the most clever and most grounded of the groups. The Bird-folk are the second group, and in common tradition are believed to have been founded by an Ervaju shaman after she had a dream of a pure white falcon guiding her to a sacred grove in the southern forests. They are considered the wisest and most spiritual of the groups. The Goat-folk are the breakers of tradition, having been founded by Deer-folk herders who were introduced to goats by the Civielite people. They are seen as newer, although they have over a century of history.

The Bird-folk band in Jehis is considered a safe haven for exiled or runaway magefolk, leading to some minor powers being present, mainly descendants of Amodoi mages. These people are seen as manifestations of the universal energy present in Ervaju and are respected as skilled shamans who can interpret and affect the weather.

Relationships + Self

In Jehis, the nuclear family unit is the most important bond, and the divine forces are generally depicted as a family, with mother Fire, father Water, and the rest of the world being children. Extended families often live together out of necessity in the harsh climate, and so the family unit is seen as a chain, with parents being a link between grandparents and children. After family relationships come close friendships and romantic relationships. 

Courtship in Jehisi tribes is generally initiated by the masculine partner, who brings gifts of food and small works of art, such as hair ribbons with hand-made designs. Women respond with gifts of knotted bracelets of leather or with food of their own. This period of courtship usually lasts about a month before marriage.

Children in Jehisi culture are treated like miniature adults, expected from a young age to help around the house. Most children know many steps of the cooking process, from dressing the animal to tending the fire, by the age of twelve.

Visual Culture

The architecture of Jehis varies by tribe, but typically the design is a conical structure called a Kiel. These are made out of layers of animal hide and fur. These structures have a curtain door, fastened to the wooden structure by rope or rings of bone. Often times, they are painted with designs mimicking the sun. Beds in the house are set up so that the members of an extended family sleep by generation, arranged clockwise. The beds of the younger children are on the east side of the house, and the beds of the oldest are on the west. The fire in the center is though to represent the sun.

Jehisi clothing is simple, made out of wool and animal skin. Jehisi people wear loose pants tucked into hide boots and thick wool tunics. In the winter, people wear thick coats of fur. For the Deer-folk, clothing is made of reindeer hide and antler decorations. In the Goat-folk tribes, clothing is made of goat wool with bone decorations. With the Bird-folk, clothing is made of miscellaneous animal hides and fur (a mix of squirrel and rabbit), and bone/feather decorations. The tribes wear double-pointed hats that mimic the look of wolf ears, leading some to call them the wolf-people. 

The Jehisi keep their hair back with hide ribbons that are tied behind the head, while the hair in front is woven into the band. Most of the year, it is hidden with the knitted hats, but in the summer the intricate designs on them are shown. Many are etched with symbols of good fortune or mythological figures, and some have beads threaded on.

Trade in Jehis is an important part of life between bands. It is unheard of for two bands to meet without sharing some small gift between them, usually food or supplies that one group has in excess. Bands on the Jehisi-Civielite border are quite prolific traders, sharing handcrafted winter clothing and winter foods for goods as far away as Whitewatch. Some Bird-folk, although contact is rare, trade with Kessixian selkies for fish and tools.

Arts in Jehis is mainly present in painting and carving. The hides of drums are intricately painted to represent events that happened at and after the time of creation, making each drum a historical record. Carved antler and bone are found all over Jehis, used as anything from spoons and sewing needles to ceremonial decorations.

Daily Life

The people of Jehis have meager food for most of the year, and are known for their ability to repurpose almost every waste part of a meal. Bone broths, fish, game, and foraged foods are some of the most common portions of a meal. The Deer-folk and Goat-folk have a steady supply of milk from the animals they herd, though the Bird-folk tend to have a diet higher in fish, since many live near the northern coasts.

Time is tracked by the position of the sun and the solstices. The day is grouped into four time periods based on where the sun is in the sky. Dawn to noon is Rising-sun, noon to dusk is falling-sun, dusk to midnight is sleeping-sun, and midnight to dawn is star-time. Star-time is believed by the Jehisi to be the most sacred time of day, and many rituals are meant to take place during star-time.

DEMOGRAPHICS

People living in Jehis are known as Jehisi. There is little distinction between bands in terms of demonyms. All of the population is elven.

The main religion is a shamanistic religion known as Ervaju, which teaches that all life is sacred and should be treated as such.

The pronunciation of Jehis in the native tongue is YE-his-ey, but in the common tongue it is pronounced JE-his.

Names

Feminine: Juhosk, Ava, Vihen, Liviet
Masculine: Leska, Tijver, Evnik