Xukuthite Overview

The Imperial Gynecocracy of Renor Xukuth has always been wary of outsiders, until recently when the ancient blood feud between it and the originator of it's major house was absolved. With modern ideals becoming a staple of the world today, there is a certain sense of wariness permeating the whole of the nation.

The Xukuthite's believe that they are superior and are out to prove that fact to the rest of the world. For many Xukuthite communities, the goal of expansion is not just on the agenda - it is an absolute. Just think of the greed for land that the early settlers had in America, and the drive that the fledgling nation felt to spread from "sea to shining sea." It wasn't that long ago that manifest destiny was the doctrine of the United States, and we did everything we could to complete our task.

We bargained and killed and cheated our way across the plains. It did not take three hundred years for our mission to be completed. Just imagine what the Xukuthite's have been up to during their long lifetimes. The yearning for land is a common one, and no doubt the Xukuthite's share it, so long as the land is worth something to them.

Etymology

The standard way to refer to someone of the Imperial Gynecocracy is that of an Xukuthite.

Government

The Imperial Empire is managed under that of an oligarchy, This form of governing structure in which power rests with a small number of people, ideally suits the imperial court and the houses that serve are in positions of authority to maintain law and order over their assigned territories so that the rest of the Empire may apply its focus to infrastructure.

The state organization of the Empire is a very simple system that has two main dimensions, the Imperial Court and the Imperial Houses. The civil system is based on local administrative units based on the region's characteristics.

Social Order

The Xukuthites claim to have had personal attention from an insane goddess who claims the race as her own and blesses them in a number of ways. The tale however is that she has not done so through generosity and the spirit of sharing. Her "gifts" are an extension of herself - cruel, potentially lethal, and utterly unsparing, but with the potential to be immensely satisfying. And her favor is never equally distributed or given in the sense of fairness.

Xukuthite society is an extension of the goddess and the social order follows the pattern of her character. Tyng Sudran is the fickle mother at the heart of everything, the center of a vast civilization of Xukuthites that feed her bloody thirst with belief and sacrifices. She makes no secret that her favorite children are female and that the males will never quite measure up, but she plays all of her children against each other. And despite her hard ways, many Xukuthites yearn for her approval.

The cruelty and injustice of Xukuthite society are utterly familiar because they are constants, from the womb onward. Xukuthite mothers punish and manipulate from the start, and Xukuthite women rule each household. Typically, nobles are divided up into houses which jockey for position in the city, and each noble house is headed by a cleric of great skill. A wise matron mother will have several cleric daughters to ensure that her line and influence continues, but she will watch them carefully. Inheritance is passed through daughters, with children ranked in importance by gender, and then by age. A matron will guard against her eldest daughters and pit all of her children against each other to ensure her own survival.

The Xukuthite train soldiers of frightening efficiency. The longer a soldier lives and the greater his kills are, the more respect he is given. Both genders are trained as soldiers, but a male must be great indeed to be afforded any respect. Male soldiers are often sent out in packs for weeks at a time to patrol the Dominion's territories, while the women can at least petition for better posts.

Below the nobility are the Xukuthites of means. The merchant class is strong, but it pays homage to Tyng Sudran as much as any other class. Merchants will often pay great sums to have a cleric call on Tyng Sudran's favor. The rich of Xukuthite cities rule over the lower classes and, of course, the slaves.

While slaves are plentiful in any respectable Xukuthite city, the noble, the rich and the government control the bulk of them. The resources to feed, house and control slaves are not small sacrifices. The prices for slaves depend on their age and abilities. While large organizations can afford to work slaves to death, smaller businesses have to make their slaves last.

A guild of slave-masters exists in nearly every city to train (read as: mentally break) slaves for their owners. Xukuthites involved in commerce do not usually have the time to waste on training, so they will hand their slaves over in lots for conditioning. Slave-masters have been known to charge less for particularly stubborn slaves, as training them is their pleasure. Anyone skilled at torture may be a slave-master, and slave-masters are respected by the merchant class most of all. Slavemasters are not generally sexual taskmasters, they have too many slaves to deal with, and time is money.

The lower classes of Xukuthites are herded into the general toil of a city or the military. They produce the items sold and the services the upper classes enjoy. Advancement is possible for lower-caste Xukuthites; indeed, it is commended if a dredge of society overcomes her betters. Some poor Xukuthites enter into military service in order to better their station. Motherhood is revered at all levels of Xukuthite society, and even poor women with many children are praised.

Courtesans of both genders are often seen in the possession of upper-level Xukuthites. Courtesans are far more than slaves or prostitutes. They are trained in a multitude of subjects, from music to history to fatal poisons. They serve as entertainment, release, servants and more. They are bought, sold and given as gifts. Sometimes, the most rare slaves are trained as courtesans. Some beings are stolen as children to be raised in such a way. Other courtesans are comprised of particularly attractive Xukuthites. Female Xukuthites are sometimes made to serve as courtesans as a punishment for falling out of Tyng Sudran's favor. To possess so finely honed a jewel is seen as a sign of utmost wealth and power.

Childhood

It is seen as a good sign for a baby to feed on its mother until blood is drawn. Those babes that drink blood along with milk are thought to show the most promise. Children who learn to speak and act first are given most of the attention of their parents. A household takes responsibility for the young, however, and Xukuthite mothers are not saddled with her children; the skills of a Xukuthite female are too valuable to go to waste. Some Xukuthite mothers have been known to tend duties for hours and face the squalling hunger of their unfed infants with anger.

Xukuthite children are not coddled. They are raised together and sent to schools with high standards of conduct. Xukuthite children are trained to compete with one another and to show no mercy. Some children do not survive the intense childhood games. Females are not given any advantages by instructors. They are taught that they must know how to beat the males on their own. During adolescence, females are given private instruction by elder Xukuthite women in how to control men. Their first conquests are generally for practice. Both male and female participate in the " Hunt ", a time of test and lessons that either sex can be quite deadly.

Social Customs

The laws of the Xukuthites are unspoken but known. They are impressed upon Xukuthites as they grow up and are enforced by group consensus. Those who are caught breaking the rules deserve to be punished and/or to die. The Xukuthites are murderously subtle in their dealings with each other. Brash actions are condemned as being in bad taste or bad form. The laws themselves are not important. The challenge, however, is. The goal is to get what you want without discovery.

There are various high holy days of Tyng Sudran that must be observed by all within the city (and outside of the city, if devout females are present). Production of goods and services does not cease on such days. The ceremonies are held after the workday has ended, and Xukuthites in charge of protecting the city/territories are not allowed to observe the holiday until they are given leave to do so. The Xukuthites cannot afford to leave themselves unprotected, even for an instant.

Taboos

Most races believe that the Xukuthites have no taboos, that anything goes, no matter how horrific. This is not strictly true, however; every society has a taboo of some sort, no matter how small or strange. The Xukuthites are no exception. Below are some of their greater bans on social behavior:

Love: Whereas other races have taboos about things like cannibalism, the Xukuthites have strong social taboos about love, and about acting for the sake of love.

Equality: Xukuthites may not treat other races as equals at any time, unless they are doing so as a means of deception. An Xukuthite must never think that other races are equal to their own. In some encampments, however, this taboo is altered: all Xukuthites are superior, and non-Xukuthites, including half-bloods, are to be disdained.

Other Gods: Tyng Sudran is a jealous deity, and in her cities the mere mention of other gods can be grounds for punishment or death. The worship of other gods is absolutely forbidden.

Sexual Position: A great amount of fear is attached to any sexual position that has one Xukuthite turn their back fully to another.

Gender Relations

The Xukuthites have much to fear and distrust in each other, which is, of course, by their own design. The dynamics of power in most Xukuthite cities are seriously skewed in one direction or the other: many Xukuthite cities are female-dominated, and other gatherings are male-dominated. In either case, it's the domination that counts. The Xukuthite are ruthless to those beneath them in station and they derive pleasure from acting out their superiority. They are also looking for ways to take advantage of others that are as powerful or more powerful than themselves. This does not go away during "courtship" (if such a word can even be used), nor does it generally abate in favor of sexual desire. The Xukuthite must fulfill their sexual urges and create the next generation regardless of how much the genders hate and suspect each other. Thus, being successful in sex is no small feat.

Sex for the Xukuthite is intertwined with power and control. From their earliest lessons, Xukuthite are taught that sex is for the pleasure of the self, even when it comes at the expense of another (or especially when it comes at the expense of another). The Xukuthite are not timid with their children and are willing to divulge the secrets of sexuality as soon as young children gain coherent speech. They share not only the basics of anatomy and copulation but they also describe desire, pleasure, and triumphant conquests. Xukuthite children are not shielded from seeing adults in the nude, nor are they kept from seeing adults copulating so long as the adults in question want to be viewed by others.

Xukuthite children by virtue of their size and inexperience are usually not seen as fitting sexual conquests - they are too weak and too insignificant to count. On the other hand, some adult Xukuthite force themselves on children because they are weak. It is a simple and terrible fact that an adult Xukuthite is likely to survive an encounter with a child, whereas they might not survive an encounter with another adult of their race. The rape of Xukuthite children is often avenged as an insult to the house the child belongs to, but that has more to do with house politics than any outrage on the child's behalf. Whether or not it is avenged, the incident is often blamed on the child if only because they were too slow and weak to defend themselves.

A vast majority of the time, Xukuthite adults must face one another in the sexual arena and struggle to see who can get the most from an encounter. In many ways Xukuthite sex can be spoken of in the context of combat: stalking might occur, as well as ambush tactics. Force is a regular part of Xukuthite sexual encounters (especially in cities dominated by one gender or the other), so violence becomes the prelude to more violence. Torture is also a common ingredient, since many Xukuthite are skilled in it. Some sexual encounters are to the death in the manner of combat, with females slaying their mates or males avenging themselves on females, but most encounters end with one partner limping away.

The use of force is not always punished after the fact. If the victim can marshal the power necessary for revenge, they can try to carry it out; if not, then the victim is likely to remain silent about the incident. The perpetrator will probably reveal the occurrence as proof of their own prowess and to make the victim appear helpless (which might encourage others to take advantage of the perceived weakness).

Despite the extreme violence of Xukuthite culture and sexual dynamics, Haru-Daket are like their kin the Haru-Dakat in sexually reproducing. First, they have a drive toward copulation. This drive is usually centered around the pleasure of the self, but it can be based on the highly developed drive for conquest. Secondly, the Xukuthite do desire the continuance of their species.

There is an alternative to traditional female and male Xukuthite relations, however, that must be considered.

Xukuthite females in honoured cities view themselves as being superior to all others, including Xukuthite males. Thus, Xukuthite females become the greatest conquests worth seeking. Xukuthite females may desire each other for a myriad of reasons: for power, for possession, for prestige, and for sheer physical lust. They might also wish to avoid the company of lowly males until they are ready to conceive children. There is no cultural taboo amongst the Xukuthite regarding such relations, so females often indulge whenever they can manage it. After all, the greatest expression of strength in such a society is when one Xukuthite priestess holds power over another.

While some sexual relationships are made public in Xukuthite society, the majority are kept private because of fears regarding security. Xukuthite will strike back at each other using lovers if they can, and few want to be thought vulnerable due to their penchant for pleasure.

Love and Marriage
Very rarely, an Xukuthite will form an unbreakable bond with another. Some signify this bonding through the giving of gifts designed to demonstrate one's love or through Marriage. Others merely forge the bond quietly, without any outward signs. Whatever the process through which this bond is formed, the Xukuthite's involved and their chosen can sense the strong emotions of each other. They feel the joys and sorrows of the other, their triumphs and angers as well. Should distance separate the two in this bond and one pass away, the other can feel the death through the breaking of the bond. This is an even stronger version of the communion ability Xukuthite's share, for this is a lifelong bond and not lightly broken.

While this " Love " is not what one generally thinks of when it comes to mind, it is nevertheless applied to the Xukuthite relationships that do form. The Xukuthite word for "love" has an ancient link to their word for "doom." Love is made into a twisted thing in Xukuthite hearts, since they are taught that it is soft and dangerous. Most Xukuthite who love also hate the object of their affection just as much. Love has driven more than one into madness, and scathing stories are recounted to remind every Xukuthite that love is a torture no hand may control with certainty. Even in its twisted form, love is perhaps one of the closest-kept secrets of the Xukuthite.

There are exceptions of course, those who have met Duchess Seifa and Duke Hiendor for example can attest to their abnormal behavior in the regards of most Xukuthite's. It's also true of the Houses that either of those mentioned above hail from. While old, they have both been protagonists against the norm of Xukuthite society.

Birth Order
Sometimes an Xukuthite's place in the family will be reflected in their name. This is mostly done by using the Xukuthite's words for numbers in children's names. "Uss" means "one," and "ust" means "first" in the Haru-Daket language. Thus, the first child might be named Faeryn'Ust. "Draa" translates to "two," and "drada" means "second." The second child to the mother might be named Aeryn'Drada. "Llar" amounts to "three," and "llarnbuss" means "third." The third child might thus be named Rynllar. Sometimes children are simply named Ust, Drada, or Llar. Particularly prolific and cynical matron mothers might only call their children by their birth order designation, asking for "Ust" to do this, or "Drada" to do that - even if the children were given other proper names.

It is important to note that in female-dominated Xukuthite cultures, it is common for mothers divide their children into male and female. Even if a mother has a son first, a daughter next, a son and then another daughter, she will not name her son as her only firstborn child. Instead, she will divide the sons from her daughters and name them accordingly. So the first son would be named with "ust," the next son would be named with "drada" - but the first daugher would be named with "ust" and the next daughter would be named with "drada" as well. In this way, a Xukuthite mother has the first son, second son, and so on. She also has the first daughter, second daughter, etc.

This practice is not uncommon in the most high and powerful Xukuthite noble families, since they tend to tie privileges to birth order. Xukuthite do not usually continue this form of naming beyond the third child, since children have a lesser value the further down the family order they are. The firstborn bears the terrible weight of most family expectations, and the second-born is always urged to be better than the first in order to amount to anything. The third-born child is in a precarious position indeed, having two older siblings to contend with. Any children beyond the third are simply extra, until they prove otherwise.

Xukuthite children can "change" their birth order if an older sibling dies - they are considered to move up the line to fill in the vacant spot. When this happens, their names might be changed to reflect the new order of the family. If, for example, Faeryn'Ust the firstborn dies, Aeryn'Drada moves up to take her place. The problem is that Aeryn'Drada is no longer considered the second-born; she takes her sister's place in every way, so she is given the name Ust'Aeryn and treated as though she is the firstborn. Since Rynllar is no longer thought of as the third-born daughter, she is given the name Ryndrada. The previously disregarded fourth daughter, Triel, becomes Trillarel - the new thirdborn.

An only child might be referred to as the "maglust" child, since that word means "apart, alone" in the Haru-Daket tongue.

Houses
Hiendor: The Duke Hiendor and Duchess Hiendor
As a prominent House, Hiendor began as a source of naval prowess. It has since blossomed into a variety of efforts within the Xukuthite military, political structure, and the basest of infrastructure, carving a new path amongst the old ways. Because of the way they intend to change the Xukuthite society, most other houses have feuds with them.

Renor Xukuth: Matriarch Valis Xukuth
The first of the empire, it paved the way for all others. The House Renor Xukuth, has it's talons in everything. From industrial, commercial, military, to medical research. While it may not hold the throne anymore, it will be well represented by those to follow the Matriarch. Plays all of the other houses against their rivals as a way to weaken their projection of power against the wishes of Renor Xukuth's own plans.

Masai Kyorl: Led by Duchess Rina Masai
An old house, almost as old as that of Hiendor, Masai Kyorl is a significant contributor of well trained ground forces and also has a large presence in industrial capacities. Generally inactive against the so-called feud of House Ve'Hek, but does from time to time commit forces against Helios Sargtlin and House Hiendor.

Helios Sargtlin: Led by Duchess Ahri'Val Sargtlin
One of the first houses in the reborn empire. Once a house of the Haru lands, it along with Xukuth, was exiled. Helios Sargtlin is a very large contributor to the empire as an industrial and commercial goods based source. It also has an excellent track record with raider fleets, and covert operations. Off and on again feud with House Ve'Hek.

Ve'Hek: Led by Duke Tarsis Ve'Hek
The first Matriarch hailed from this prominent house, and since then numerous palace officials, high standing generals, and famous raider fleet captains have come from this established house. It's recent climb to the limelight is it's massive presence via commercial services and industries related to such. They have a long standing feud with that of Heilos Sargtlin and Masai Kyorl.

Minor Houses and their leaders:

Dolis Elghinn: Led by Duke Feris Elghinn
A slaver house in service to the Empire. Dolis Elghinn manage the incoming product and as well the disposal of such as per the Empire's needs.They coordinate with the trainers, and other services in the commercial and industrial areas of need. Is often the target of splinter house Renor Elghinn.

Renor Elghinn: Led by Duchess Vina Renor Elghinn
Massive supporter of research and development concerning genetic engineering and other high value sciences. Has a deep rooted based in medical, high end and general technologies, as well as military research and development. Has a deep hatred of Dolis Elghinn and is responsible for several recent raids and outright skirmish-wars. Is an ally of House Hiendor.

Ve'Piras: Led by Duchess Adira Ve'Piras
A small house and bloodline, the Ve'Piras are rising industrial base concerning petro-chemicals, and power station construction and implementation. Ve'Piras have long been apart of the Imperial Navy, and has contributed well trained officers and sailors to the sub-fighter corps as well as the capitol ships that serve on the line against Rhydin and others. A house that also manages one of the new dockyards manufacturing bases that is currently bolstering the navy with more vessels. House Ve'Pira plans to associate itself with House Hiendor as a source for the larger house's additional naval craft as well as outside technologies. Ve'Piras has in the past had rivalries with Renor Elghinn and Ve'Hek.

Masai Elemmiire: Led by Duchess Thera Elemmiire
An exiled native of the former lands of origin, Thera's grandmother adopted wayward kin and those that were not, bleeding them into the line via an old world ritual to make them born again in the Elemmiire line. The Masai Elemmiire contribute to Renor Xukuth with the clergy. Ninety-five percent of all clergy staff and protectors are sourced from the Masai Elemmiire bloodline and house. They have as of yet, not chosen a side.

Educational System
The famed academy Oilm Vilp'elv, sits on a high plateau at the western end of the undercity of Draeval d' Dol'ruth. The Academy consist of three structures, Anira Lastireec eo Anireyviran (The School of Thought) Anira Lastireec eo Oileanir (The School of Faith) and Anira Lastireec eo Laecweamla (The School of Soldiers). Presided over by the Matron Mistress of the Academy, all Xukuthite both common and noble are required to attend the academy. Students' length of education is dependent on their sex and occupation. Student soldiers will spend three years, students of thought will spend five, and female priestesses will spend eight years learning their profession. The majority of time is spent within their specific school; however each student will spend a portion of their last year at each of the other schools, gaining a basic understanding of the strengths and weakness of the other classes.

Anira Lastireec eo Laecweamla (The School of Soldiers) is a pyramidal structure located on the east side of Draeval d' Dol'ruth. Here xukuthites male and female learn the art of war, and individual and group fighting tactics. Beginning students spend their first sixty days unarmed under the instruction of The Master of Lore. Here they are indoctrinated against foreign soldiery tactics and foreigners in general. This racist propaganda provides a 'safety valve'- extra aggression can be turned on the foreigners, rather than (completely) on the Xukuthite hierarchy. Their junior years are very harsh, but conditions improve as they grow older. Students in their 9th and final year serve as guards for Oilm Vilp'elv, as well as participating in practice patrols within short distances outside of the city.

Each year, in order to establish a hierarchy within the class, the Grand Melee is held. During this event the students are set loose in a maze chamber outside the city cavern, wielding simple wooden poles as imitation weapons. The last student standing wins. In the tenth and final year, student soldiers will spend their first six months in Anira Lastireec eo Anireyviran studying the world beyond the Imperial Gynecocracy, and the final six months within Anira Lastireec eo Oileanir learning the precepts of Tyng Sudran.

Lastireec eo Anireyviran (The School of Thought) is housed in a many spired stalagmite tower on the west of Oilm Vilp'elv. Students will spend five years in study of the diplomatic arts, learning to feign politeness and masking their emotions, as well as the rumored agent training for the various security services. Acceptance as a student at Anireyviran is highly coveted by youngsters as deployment from the homelands is a rarity, and if properly mastered, could elevate one's status, especially for lowborn Xukuthites.

Masters of Anireyviran are arguably the most powerful group of politically inclined individuals within Imperial Gynecocracy, with many heads of households and or high standing members of such in large proliferation. Not only are they responsible for the training of future representatives of the Imperial Gynecocracy but also for regulating the information that exists beyond the Imperial Gynecocracy's reach about it. The school teaches it's students to be cynical, realistic, and above all, trust in no one or no thing, thus crafting their students paranoia/suspicious behavior even further.

Anira Lastireec eo Oileanir (The School of Faith) is one of, if not the most important, holy sites within the church of Tyng Sudran. Standing at the center of Draeval d' Dol'ruth, the school outer wall resembles a giant obsidian serpent that at the entry gates becomes the opening mouth, the throat leading to a large central hall. Female clerics will spend eight years in study under the Mistresses of Oileanir, learning the deeper codes, beliefs, and dogma of Tyng Sudran's faith. Some of the most powerful holy artifacts of the Xukuthites are stored within the halls. It is here that students will undergo the graduation ceremony, often involving ritualistic sacrifice and sexual orgies between the new clerics, and students of Thought or Soldiers, reinforcing the mostly subservient role of Xukuthite males. The Matron Mistress of the Academy resides here and serves both as head instructor as well as the leader of the academy. Currently the Academy is presided over by Matron Mistress Quenthel Baenre, who succeeded her sister Matron Triel after the death of their mother.

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