There are four main peoples of Athanire: the Tegirenai,
the Vihal, the Crilatsecal, and the Gurdagun.
The Tegirenai and the Vihal:
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picture)
The Tegirenai, or Tigers, are the people of
Tegireserana (Tiger-country). The average Tegire male is about 5' 10"
tall. Females are shorter, about 5'5" on average. They are easily
distinguished from the other peoples, as they are the only ones with
tails, thus the name Tigers. However, only about 75% of the Tegirenai
are tigers. There are a few jaguars (shugirenai), cheetahs,
and the ancient kingdom of the Lions, which was completely defeated
by the tigers in ages past. These differences, however, are only
superficial and all the peoples of Athanire remain the same species.
They have not only developed deadly weapons but also the martial art
of Tiger Fighting. It is a very hard martial art to master, endowing
the student with incredible power and flexibility. In early days, it
could only be studied by nobles, but it has now become a public
sport. Their weapons, especially their swords, are made of wood
tempered and sharpened through secret processes to be sharp and
strong. A Tigerian sword-master can slice through solid marble with
his sword as easily as a knife slices butter without the slightest
blemish to the blade. The swords are so well preserved and
strengthened that they only get stronger with age. This type of strengthened wood is only used for Tiger Swords by tradition and by law. Surgical instruments and other tools that require extreme
precision are made of metal. Farm implements and kitchenware are also made of metal in most cases, though some poorer areas may use wooden eating tools. The Tegirenai are easily the most technologically
advanced people on the planet.
The Vihal are perhaps closest to the Tegirenai. Though
without tails, many Vihal show faint stripes on their arms. This testifies to a time when intermarriage with Tegirenai was common, though it is not so now. Their language, Vihal, is a close relative of san
Nahadana Tegirenai. They are both belived to be descendents of the
now-dead language of Avihalli. The Vihal live in the forests and
specialize in archery and woodworking. Their most developed art,
however, is song. In the language of Vihal, the word "to speak" is
the same word as "to sing." The Vihal find no difference and consider
all life an intricate and continuing song, breathed to life by a
Creator and sustained in Him.
The Crilatsecal and the Gurdagun:
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picture)
The Crilatsecal, or "followers," live mainly on the
plains. They believe that their ancestors came to their land by
following a star with seven points across the sky while fleeing from
their enemies. Thus, they wear a seven-pointed star on their clothes.
They are master archers (almost as good as the Vihal) and artists.
Their main forms of sustinance are farming and hunting. Their mortal
enemies are the Gurdagun.
The Gurdagun, or "stones," can best be compared to the
ancient Spartans. They are warriors through and through. Strength is
prized most among them, and weak children, as well as feeble elders,
are removed. They believe every problem can be solved with brute
force. Their language is hard and rough, like the Gurdagun
themselves. They are not tall, except for a rare few, and many of
their leaders are shorter. But their bodies are trained to be as
tough as stones. It is from the Gurdagun that the ancesters of the
Crilatse fled. They never attack the Tegirenai, however, because of a
long history of defeat.
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