Races

Zish (Zissah and Ziyn) - by T.A. Saunders ©2010 v1.5

Racial Articles The Life of the Zissah (Culture)

The Zissah family is an extended unit that will have parents, grand-parents and possibly great grand-parents living all in the same home. With the average Zissah living up to about one hundred years, it is likely that a Zissah will know at least their grand-parents. Zissah also do not interbreed with other races; this is a cultural norm, though there has been speculation as to a Dragonoid and a Zissah could produce a child. As such, no known hybrids of Zissah exist, save for those created by sorcerous means, such as the Ziyn that once roamed the Screaming Hallsof Shalzaar.

The family is a sacred thing and the sense of community the Zissah have is staggering to other humanoid races that disown their children, cheat on their mates or discard their sickly elders to whatever Fate befalls them. The Zissah simply will not do any of those things, save in remote circumstances where a child or mate has committed an act of such unspeakable evil that the only thing left to do is exile them from the family and the community. Such exiles are called Kjori or Forgotten.

To be considered an adult, each Zissah male or female must gain proficiency in Yaug-Taj. While mastery takes several decades to achieve, simple proficiency is not hard for an attenuate Zissah to achieve but it is necessary. Even crippled or mentally slower Zissah are required to learn Yaug-Taj. Training starts when the Zissah are five years old and the proficiency phase completes when they are roughly fifteen years of age. At that time, they are sent into the jungle alone, with their spear and nothing else. They are given a week to return with the carcass of a slain predator; if fledgling does not return after a week's time, it is assumed that were slain and they are mourned. If the fledgling returns without a slain beast of the jungle, they are punished by the elders of the village by placing the fledgling in seclusion and not allowing them food or water for three days. This is to remind the fledgling how important it is to be able to provide for one's self and one's family.

Passing the Test of Skill means the fledgling is now an adult in all matters; he or she can speak their mind on tribal matters and be heard, they are allowed to hunt or build but are no longer required to gather, tend or sew crops. It is considered fledgling's work to tend to such things. Adults are also allowed to travel without permission from the elders; this is the point in life most adventuring Zissah are found. Some travel a bit and decide they do not have the desire to leave beautiful, ancient Irys and remain to help with matters of the people. A few find that they get wanderlust and set out on their own to discover Imarel.

Those that decide to stay on Irys often choose a mate soon after making this decision and continue on in the traditions of the tribe. Zissah courtship involves a great deal of the male proving his strength, intelligence and endurance to the female by various means; fetching rare flowers in dangerous places in the jungle, or fashioning the female of his desires a necklace of teeth of a dangerous predator and uncut stones are common examples. Once a mate is chosen and they are bonded, the bond is an insoluble one in the eyes of the Zissah. There is no divorce, though separation can occur in the face of exile. The female is then expected to move in with the male's family and continue to traditions and teaching of the tribe to their offspring.