The Fallien People

[The Valkyrie]

The Fallien people are a beautiful contradiction. On one hand they are terribly xenophobic, and yet they can be kind and welcoming to any that they’ve decided (for reasons only they can answer) are worthy. Dark skinned and dark haired, and usually dark eyed there are those who have pale blue or silver eyes – it is said that these have been blessed by Suravani. Most Fallien are small people, under five feet five inches, and fine boned, but strong and weathered in the desert sun.

Fiercely religious, the people of Fallien worship Suravani with an undying faith that has kept them going through the destruction of their entire civilization, various uprisings, and multiple assassination attempts on their leader. Temples can be found scattered throughout the continent, although typically they are simple tents or huts that house a few priestesses and a simple altar or statue of Suravani. In Irrakam these temples are ornate whitewashed cathedrals where pilgrims often travel on dream-quests that they have been supposedly sent on by their goddess.

Jya is the leader of a matriarchal society, and she is believed to be an incarnation of the Fallien goddess. Most tribes (sometimes called clans) in Fallien are led by a woman. The clans do not recognize their family lines through the fathers, but instead ancestry is traced through the mother. Father figures are usually the mother’s brothers or uncles, rather than the man who was responsible for the pregnancy. A man may marry a woman from another tribe, but he must either join her tribe or return to his tribe except for what are essentially conjugal visits. Women are not bound to a marriage, and may have relations with anyone they wish – they are fully responsible for any children they produce.

Typically, each clan has one or more shamans, a combination healer-mage-seer that provides medical attention, magical defense, and mystical clairvoyance. Again, this position is usually held by a woman, frequently a close relative of the clan-chief but only if that person has the necessary abilities. It is unknown just how powerful these shamans truly are. They are responsible for the summons which attack those foreigners who brave Suravani’s Oasis without their approval, and have often provided important information prior to devastating natural disasters.

[The Valkyrie]

Depending on where one goes in Fallien, there are contrasting clothing trends and traditions in the different areas. Everyone is subject to the wrath of the sun and its neverending heat.

In Irrakam, the women can be typically found in either beautifully embellished silk saris and chitons beaded with the finest Kalli glass, or lovely embroidered tunicas made of that same rich silk. Such silk can be found in every hue of the rainbow, and the richer the citizen, often the brighter the color she wears. The lower classes can often be found in the same garments, but rather than silk, which is not necessarily affordable or reasonable, they wear fine linen. The men typically wear linen or silk robes, with the same embellishments, although more masculine color and decoration.

As one ventures away from the more civilized parts of Fallien, it seems that the need for modesty falls away, and therefore so does the desire to wear more than the merest sheer layer of linen over the more sensitive areas to prevent sunburn or irritation from windblown sand. Men often wear only a loin cloth, and women a short sleevless tunica.

Footwear is absolutely necessary in the searing heat of the desert - the flesh could quite literally be melted off of ones feet if they were bare when they met the sun-scorched sands of the desert, or the scalding stones of the city. Most wear simple thong sandals, although many wear more elaborate laced sandals with beads and silk ribbon winding up their ankles.

In the midst of the most scorching days, or the worst sandstorms, those citizens which are forced to be out in the elements can typically be found with linen shawls or scarves draped over their heads, faces, and shoulders. Some of these can be quite elaborately decorated as well. The priestesses are required to wear these shawls at all times.