Into
the Sands...A Treatise on the Tehir People, by Radeek Andoran
**This
writing is my own opinion and derived from my own observations, it is not to be
accepted as fact nor as official documentation on the Tehir people. The information given is either a part of
what is already known of the Tehir (and published in the existing works
detailing the Tehir people on the GSWiki), or extrapolated from that
information. This is by no means the
only way to look at the people who live within the Sea of Fire, the Tehir**
I. The Basics
The
Tehir, or Tih-fearee, which means He-veiled, or Speaker of the veil in their
language, reside in the Sea of Fire, a very inhospitable desert region east of
Vornavis, south of Mestanir and Jantalar, West of Hendor, and north of
Seareach. Technically the Sea of Fire
is within the borders of the County of Seareach, but it has yet to be conquered
by Imperial forces; the elements are hard on both man and beast and the Tehir
are fiercely independent and fight for that independence and freedom.
The
Tehir are a war-like nomadic tribal society, with numerous sects and/or
clans. The Tehir are known for their
ferocity in combat and some of the clans tend to war incessantly with each
other. They are also known to ride the
Yierka, a denizen of the Sea of Fire, into combat, using them in a fashion
similar to cavalry and warhorses.
There
is really no way to say that Tehir "do this, or do that" since each
clan/tribe has its own practices and it's own rites; the Tehir are a varied
people, however, all are expert at one thing... surviving in what is probably
the MOST inhospitable area of Elanthia, the Sea of Fire.
The
Tehir have no written language, therefore, the history of the Tehir people is
verbal, passed down through the ages by way of song and tale. As such, the written history of the Tehir
has been done by the Empire and is recent; the Tehir were
"discovered" in the Sea of Fire in the year 4486 by the Hendorans.
The
origins of the Tehir and how they came to be in the Sea of Fire has long been a
mystery, and is very open to interpretation.
It is obvious that they are not indigenous to the Sea of Fire, but have
somehow managed, through determination, perseverance, and strength of will, to
thrive there. They are a hearty people
who value their history and their autonomy, and, as the Imperials have found
out, are willing to fight to keep it.
If the Tehir were to unite as one, against the Imperial forces, I
believe they could win against the Imperials and become free and independent;
but the Tehir are notoriously secular and tribal in nature and war as much
between their clans as they do against the Empire.
II. Where do the Tehir Come From?
(This
is MY opinion; it is in no way officially supported or substantiated, and may
be highly controversial)
There
are a number of Tehir "zamads", or, as we know them, sonnets, that
mention a great evil power which drove the Tehir from their home and into the
Sea of Fire, many, many years ago. Upon
studying these songs I am convinced that this "great evil" was none
other than the being we have recently fought, the one we call Althedeus, known
by the Tehir as "the Maw of the Void." This Zamad, to my knowledge, is the oldest human reference to the
being of Shadow, bringing to light the exciting possibility that the Tehir may
well be the oldest branch of humanity…perhaps among the first of the race of
man.
This
excerpt, from a traditional Tehir zamad, spells it out better than any other:
Three
on three, small moon so red
Left
the wood, once fertile bed
Years
they walked, 'cross mountain's crag
Til
she turned, to withered hag.
Noontide
burned, the withered flesh
As
they went, to north and west
Sun
did set, 'cross darkened face
Stop
they did, in land of waste.
Six
on nine, no moon to see
Tired
was, the family
Rest
and wait, in desert's heat
Free
and clear, from enemy.
Rotting
wood of color green
Blood
did run in the stream
Women
ranting in cacophony
Such
madness from the mastery
Wooded
respite destroyed in spite
Potsherds
splintered trunks with might
When
the ghost chose to fight
He
laid us to waste with a wight
Five
on five, the master said
No
more Tehir in my bed
Water
gushing with our dead
For
their lives they had fled
Into
the sea
Out
of the cold
Our
people fled
The
old green way
And
now our people
Of
golden desert
We
tend our goats
We
serve no one
The
Tehir tribes
Called
godless ones
And
our old people
Fled
to fields of green
They
watch our ways
From
far away
Those
evil spirits
Of
our dead seeds.
You
will note the reference to "the fertile wood", and "the wooded
respite"; the ancient forest of Wyrdeep is south and east of the Sea of
Fire and it is in that direction from whence the Tehir came, as well as having
a mountainous region between the two, and of course the reference to stopping in
"the land of waste", an obvious reference to the Sea of Fire.
I
am of the opinion, from reading these tales and comparing the information to
the maps of the known region that the Tehir originally came from the Elder
Forest known as Wyrdeep. What they did
there, or any relationships or power they had in that forest is unknown and
only supposition; but the evidence clearly states from what direction they
travelled to reach the Sea of Fire, and that evidence points directly to
Wyrdeep.
It
should also be noted that a very large forested area exists even further to the
southeast of the Sea of Fire. Just to
the west of the Elvin city of Ta'Nalfein is a very large tract of forest. The possibility exists that the Tehir
originated there, but I am of the opinion that Wyrdeep is the more likely place
of origin of the Tehir; had the Tehir originated that close to the elves, I
believe there would be some elfish lore to corroborate this, and I have yet to
find any, though a lack of written records does not preclude the possibility of
this.
The
reference to "godless ones", which most of the Tehir believe
themselves to be, could just as easily refer to a battle, long ago, with the
being known to us as Althedeus, since as we have recently seen and experienced,
the Lords and Ladies of Lornon and Liabo seemed incapable of lending any sort
of assistance to the fight, hence, in essence, making us all
"godless" for a time.
If,
as I am assuming, the Tehir originated long ago, in Wyrdeep, then the entire
question of the Tehir practices of "Seeing" and the use of blood
magic makes much more practical sense, since it has been insinuated that blood
magic is an ancient practice, perhaps even more ancient than humanity
itself. Quite a number of Tehir are
practitioners of blood magic and the gift of sight is strong in many. I am of the opinion that this may be due to
the innate magical nature of Wyrdeep and might have become an integral part of
the Tehir bloodlines due to their origination there.
The
Tehir, due to their relatively recent discovery, are largely an unknown people
to the outside world. Their own
history, and indeed, even their language, is kept secret from outsiders and
very few of the Tehir themselves are well versed in their entire cultures
story. Certain Tehir elders, known by
many different names and titles within the various tribes, are responsible for
keeping the ancient lore alive, each generation teaching the next, in an
unbroken line back to their beginnings.
However, odds being what they are, I am sure that there have been
unexpected losses among the loremasters and some of the history has been lost
due to this.
Historically
speaking, I believe the Tehir are far older than the Empire itself, otherwise,
they would have been "discovered" far sooner. I am of the opinion that the Tehir may well
be the oldest of the "modern" Humans, and that they have resided
within the scorching heat of the desert wasteland, unknown to any until very
recently, for millenia.
III. The Trials of Manhood
Some
clans of the Tehir (but most definitely not all) practice The
Trials of Manhood, a testing procedure used to determine the strength and
character of the young males of a clan or tribe. These trials vary in number and difficulty as well as the age
when the young male begins these trials.
Some of these trials are extremely demanding and young men undergoing
some of the more "barbaric" trials have been severely injured, or
even killed.
**I
have listed here some of the trials of one particular band of Mir'sheq
Tehir. Please keep in mind that not all
Tehir use the trials of manhood, and of those that do, the type, number, and
duration of the trials varies greatly from clan to clan. This is by no means a comprehensive listing
of the trials, not do I wish to convey the idea that this is a commonplace
practice among the Tehir, since we know so little about them as a whole.**
Trial
One---Trial of Lore (Biedi Tih-fearee)
Tehir history and lore are kept
verbally, there are no written records known to exist. Each Tehir is taught the histories of their
people from a very early age, passed down verbally from generation to
generation. During this trial, it is
required to recite these histories to the Master of Lore. This is usually an elder Tehiri male,
selected for this position for his knowledge of the lore of his clan. He is a member of the Elder Council of
Males. It is his responsibility to
teach the clan history and to judge during this trial how well the young male
has remembered and told the histories.
It should be noted that it is possible that the master of lore of a
particular clan of Tehir will also be a woman, normally a seer, mage, or empath
of great power and high status.
Trial
Two---Trial of Water (Biedi Qorit)
Water is the lifeblood of the Tehir;
being predominantly desert people water is everything to them. Conservation of water is paramount. During this trial, the young male is given
one gourd of water, which must last him for 4 days. During this time, the young male is required to sit within a
circle on the outskirts of camp, there to remain for four days. He has no contact with anyone, except his
mother (or another female should the males mother not be available due to death
or some other reason), who may bring him food.
This food is of a dry and preserved nature. Dried meat, fruit, grains, and bread are the common foods. No fresh fruits or any other food that may
contain liquids are allowed.
Trial
Three---Trial of Fasting (Biedi Iodiz)
During this trial, a Tehir male
undergoes forced starvation for a period of at least 12 days. The male may be given small sips of water
after 2 days of total abstinence from anything passing his lips. This trial ends only when the male begins
hallucinating. There have been cases of
males passing out, never regaining consciousness, and dying without ever having
hallucinated. This is considered an
evil omen and in these cases, the male's corpse is burned without any form of
service and his name is forever stricken from the verbal histories of the clan;
it is as if he had never been born.
Immediately upon hallucinating the male undergoes the Trial of the
Godless.
Trial
Four---Trial of the Godless (Duri Teuriz)
This is one of the more important and
sacred rituals of the Tehir Trials of Manhood.
It is during this trial, while the male is still hallucinating from the
Trial of Fasting that he receives his spirit totem. This is one of the only ceremonies in which the women are the
sole participants. No males are
present, save the one undergoing the trials.
It is during this trial that the Seer of the clan, always a woman of
great mystical powers, performs a ritualistic scrying and interprets the
hallucinations of the male to determine the spirit totem of the male. This trial, upon completion, will also grant
the male two marks, or talismans; one for the completion of the ritual, and
another, denoting the spirit totem that is now part of the male. Although extremely rare, there have been
cases where males receive no spirit.
These young men are considered extremely powerful, are immediately
removed from the trials, and undergo rigorous training to become shaman or
healers. Of the clans that do the
Trials of Manhood, this is the only case in which males have a high status that
is not based upon completion of the various trials. It should also be noted that rarely males would change spirits
later in life. Though uncommon at best,
it is neither looked down upon nor challenged, as men are assumed to know their
own hearts better than anyone.
Trial
Five---Trial of Life (Biedi Rievi)
Trial Five, the Trial of Rievi (Life)
is more of an instructive trial rather than a practical one. During this trial, which is normally given
by the young mans father, or another close relative or family friend if the
young man's father is deceased or otherwise not around, the young male is
taught the ways of marriage and responsibility to family, clan, and Tehir. This covers everything the young male needs
to be a good husband and provider to his future family. It is also during this trial that young men
are introduced to women. The Tehir
believe that for a man to be truly happy it is of paramount importance that his
mate be happy with him, in all things.
Trial
Six---Trial of Weapons (Biedi Takouba)
It is at this time in a young Tehir's
life that he must choose his chosen weapon(s).
Most young men already have a preference at this stage in their lives so
this Trial is actually more about advanced training in the chosen weapon, or
weapons. Being that Tehir are quite
warlike this training will obviously be intense and take a considerable amount
of time. This trial will actually
continue throughout the other trials so long as the young man continues to
improve or is not maimed or killed during training (which is not
uncommon).
Trial
Seven---Trial of Flora (Biedi Ahmdir)
It is in this stage that knowledge of
plants in the Sea of Fire is taught.
The properties of edible, medicinal, dangerous or poisonous, and even
hallucinogenic plants are learned. The
Tehir male is expected to become an expert in all of these. There have been incidents where males are
poisoned deliberately and required to seek and make use of the antidote in
order to pass this Trial; failure means death.
Trial
Eight---Trial of Fauna (Biedi Zirtziez)
This stage covers all fauna in the Sea
of Fire. It is accompanied by much
practical application. The Tehir male
learns what to eat, how to kill it, and even how best to prepare it. This Trial also covers the all-important
knowledge of how best to dispatch dangerous or aggressive animals; the
dispatching of a very dangerous beast, alone, denotes normal passage of this
trial. As such, there are numerous
injuries or fatalities associated with this task.
Trial
Nine---Trial of Sand (Biedi Zome)
The Trial of Sands is ninth
trial. The male is required to spend
three weeks alone in the desert, putting the skills learned in the previous
Trials to the test. The Tehir male may
take any gear he believes he will require, but no food or water.
Trial
Ten---Trial of Silence (Biedi Ti'iz)
Upon completion of the Trial of Sands
the Tehir male returns to his clan, but may speak to no one, nor be spoken to,
nor even acknowledged. It is as if he
doesn't exist. It is said this derives
from the ancient custom of making sure the returned one is not an evil spirit
in human form. Ten days is the normal
length of this Trial.
Trial
Eleven---Trial of Trading (Biedi In-gtomtei)
This is another trial that is more
instruction rather than practical application.
All Tehir males must be considered worthy traders, since, in some clans
of Tehir, their lifestyle revolves around the ability to trade. Young Tehir men learn the values associated
with certain raw materials and finished goods.
They are also instructed in the art of bargaining from a position of
power.
Trial
Twelve---Trial of Deception (Biedi Fiier Luazh)
Also derived from ancient Tehiri
custom, this trial is extremely devious in nature. It is during this trial that the male is sequestered from the
rest of the camp and visited by only males of the clan. Each male visitor will give the young male a
series of statements. At the end of the
day, the young male is required to tell which of these statements are true, and
which are false. This is to give the
male an understanding of the nuances of truth or lie, an important trait among
the Tehir, especially when dealing with outsiders. This trial will last until the headman of the clan believes the
young male has a good grasp on human nature, intuition, body language and has
the ability to tell truth from falsehood.
Trial
Thirteen---Trial of Moon (Biedi Lekem)
This trial is all about sleep
deprivation. The young male will be
kept awake for as long as possible, by any means necessary. The normal length of time is six days. Most young men who fail this test do so
voluntarily, as it is extremely difficult to remain awake more than four
days. There have been cases where young
men have been able to go more than six days, but these are rare indeed, and the
young men who accomplish this feat are highly valued as potential scouts.
Trial
Fourteen---Trial of Stealth (Biedi Morduska)
Since Tehir are great believers in
raiding it is necessary that they be stealthy people. This trial sees the young man undergo rigorous training in the
arts of camouflage and concealment (hence being named for the Morduska), as
well as the setting up and following thru on ambushes and attacks. Silent movement and stillness are taught as
well as silent and efficient killing.
It is also at this phase of the trials that the young Tehir learns the
art of tracking, and the art of deception to avoid being tracked (including the
laying of false trails to confuse the tracker).
Trial
Fifteen---Trial of Truth (Biedi Utofi Huieb)
The young Tehir male who reaches this
point in his training is already considered a valuable asset to his clan. It is during this trial that the young male
goes into the desert, with all he believes himself to need, and has a period of
self-reflection. The Tehir believe that
honesty to ones-self is paramount and this trial is a test of this. The Tehir male returns of his volition and
is immediately escorted to the tribal elders area within the camp. It is then required that the male explain
their triumphs and their shortcomings in the previous trials. Honesty is the test here, and the elders are
the gauges. Any male found to be
embellishing or stretching the truth, or who is not sufficiently honest in
their faults, is immediately finished with their trials and will proceed no
further.
Trial
Sixteen---Trial of the Sun (Biedi Zom)
While a large number of Tehir find at
least a minimal religious affinity with the sun it also represents death to
those who live within the Sea of Fire.
This Trial sees the young man turned out of the clan, naked and
alone. For at least four weeks, the
young man will survive in the desert, utilizing all the previously learned
skills. This trial causes a lot of fatalities
and is generally considered one of the more difficult of the trials, and is a
prelude to the Trial of Stamina.
Trial
Seventeen---Trial of Observation (Biedi Rome-fizum)
For this trial, the young man will be
sent to observe a neighboring clan.
This is done with stealth and cunning.
The object is to gain as much information as possible on the clan being
observed without being seen or caught.
The young Tehir will then report with all information garnered. While the young man is on this trial, a
small group of seasoned Raiders will also be observing both the camp and the
young Tehir male. Notes will then be
compared upon return and the success or failure of this Trial is determined by
how close these two reports are.
Trial
Eighteen---Trial of Leadership (Biedi Zori Huieb)
It is during this Trial that the young
Tehir male will accompany the various clans' elders in their day-to-day
duties. These include the Headman,
Master of the Desert, Master of Horses, Master of Raiding, Master of Weapons,
Master Shaman, Master Healer, as well as the various other clan leaders. Tehir who complete this trial may eventually
become leaders in their own right.
Trial
Nineteen---Trial of Raiding (Biedi Teddir)
During this Trial, the young Tehir
must plan, organize, gather intelligence, and execute a raid against a
neighbouring clan. Normally this will
not be a warlike raid. Bridal raids are
common as are raids against livestock.
Also, if the young Tehir has shown exceptional aptitude a slave raid may
be assigned. Only young men who
complete this trial may become Masters of Raiding within their clan and failure
to achieve and complete this trial does not preclude Tehir from being raiders
or leading raids, only from being Masters of Raiding in their clan.
Trial
Twenty---Trial of Stamina (Biedi Vur)
During this trial, the young male
undergoes a test of endurance and fortitude.
This by far the longest and most difficult trial the young man will
undergo. It is a culmination of all
previously learned knowledge. It is
during this trial that the young man is once again turned out into the desert,
naked and alone. The difference between
this trial and the Trial of the Sun is this lasts much longer and the young
Tehir has a list of tasks that must be completed. These may include hunting a dangerous beast, blazing a trail,
making a suitable weapon and clothing, etc.
This trial has been known to last up nine months. During this time, the raiders from the young
Tehirs clan will be hunting him. If he
is caught, he fails this trial.
Trial
Twenty-One---Trial of Blood (Biedi Keke, sometimes referred to as the Trial of
Pain)
Not all of the various clans of the
Tehir who use the Trials of Manhood subscribe to this particularly barbaric
trial. This Trial is all about
accepting pain as a part of life, both physical and emotional pain, and being
able to continue to resist, even while being tortured. While each clan has different practices
regarding this ritual, all have one thing in common, mercy is for the weak, and
only the strong continue. I will not
dwell on some of the more gruesome practices inflicted upon the young men
undergoing this Trial since they vary from clan to clan and also from trial
candidate to candidate. This trial also
instructs the young man in the use of pain for gaining information from an
individual, i.e. the use of torture.
While not an accepted practice among the more "civilized"
peoples of Elanthia, the Tehir have been perfecting the art of torture for
generations, and some clans have achieved such a notoriety that enemies of
those clans have been known to kill themselves rather than be captured and
subjected to torture at their hands.
Trial
Twenty-Two---Trial of sight (Biedi Golbuir Fiier, loosely translated into common, Riding the Veil)
This Trial, the last, may or may not
be performed; it is reserved for individuals who have completed the previous
twenty-one trials. It is only performed
on those young men who have been deemed exceedingly gifted, or even troubled,
in some form. Generations of Tehir men
have undergone the twenty-one trials and it could be decades, or perhaps even a
century or more before a young Tehir is deemed worthy, or perhaps in need, of
this trial. During this trial, the
young man is subjected to the use of hallucinogenic drugs, derived from native
plants, and/or animals, to induce a trance-like state. The individual will then normally have a
vision and will describe said vision to the elders and the most powerful female
Seer of the clan. This vision may be of
the past, present, or future and will determine the status of the young male in
the clan hierarchy. It should be noted
that any young man who completes this Trial is undeniably gifted in the eyes of
the Tehir, and perhaps even one to be feared.
There are known cases of the young men being banished, or even killed
after this Trial, though both are quite rare.
A clan which has a young man within its ranks who completes this Trial
is given great honour and status, even among other clans, and the parents of
the young men are honoured as well, for it is they who raised the young man
properly and gave him the strength to complete this task.
After
completion of the Trials of Manhood, no matter how far the individual
progressed, they are forever considered Men of the Tehir, with all
responsibilities and benefits associated with this status. They are free to marry and to have a family;
they are allowed to raid and to have possessions. It should be noted however that most material wealth within the
Tehiri family is brought and owned by the wife. The husband, while his status is important and noted, normally
assumes the status of his wife. There
are exceptions to this, especially when dealing with a male or female of
extremely high or excessively low status.
IV. Blood Magic and the Tehir
The
Tehir are known practitioners of the art of Blood Magic, and have been for
millennia, some of the more skilled mages being quite powerful. Different sects of Tehir may call their
Blood Mages by different names, but most would consider them to be on par with
Shaman, and each blood mage is normally also skilled in the art of divination,
or Seeing.
While
blood magic itself is neither good nor evil, the power of the calling can be
quite strong and using the art for what would normally be considered evil can
be hard to avoid; it has always been easier to destroy than to create.
Some
of the more powerful Tehir Seers use the power of blood as a means of focus,
increasing their power substantially, enabling some to do astounding
things. However, they can, and do, use
the power of blood, either their own or someone else's, to perform feats of
power that can be similar in effect to elemental and/or spiritual magic, but
which uses only the power of blood and the will of the mage.
Power
such as this can be nearly limitless, seemingly dependent solely on the skill
and the willpower of the mage. It
should be noted however, that the mage can very easily over-step the upper
limit of their willpower threshold, normally resulting in the death of the
mage; blood magic, though very powerful, is equally unforgiving when it comes
to failure.
It
is my belief that the Tehir learned of Blood Magic when they were denizens of
the Wyrdeep Forest, very, very long ago.
Blood Magic seems to me to be an appropriate form of magic for that
particular forest, due to its innate magical nature and relative mysteriousness
in relation to the areas we know of.
I
believe that Blood Magic was at one time a VERY common practice among the
ancient ones who inhabited the lands before the current age. In fact, I believe it is far older than any
other form of magic that we know of, and we are only beginning to hear of its
existence due to our battle with the being known as Althedeus, who, as I stated
earlier, I believe to be responsible for the Tehir being in the Sea of Fire to
begin with.
V. The Gift of Sight
Many
Tehir are known to be powerful Seers, the gift of sight is very strong in
some. This is an innate ability in some
Tehir, the use of Blood Magic is required for others to exercise this power.
The
Gift of Sight is not an exact science; it is more a matter of interpreting the
sometimes-vague images. Some Tehir do
not believe in the gift at all, and call these visions the ramblings of a
lunatic, making the Seer subject to banishment in some cases.
Other
clans of Tehir greatly respect their Seers, granting them extremely high
status. Their visions are sought after
and very important decisions may rest upon the definition given of the vision.
Some
Tehir believe the gift of sight resides within the bloodlines of the Seers ancestors. Literally, generations of the same lineage
of Tehir have been powerful Seers. It
should be noted that, especially recently, most of the known powerful Seers of
the Tehir are also skilled practitioners of the art of Blood Magic.
To be added to as I get time - The Author