Kandankero

History and Statistics

Environment

Environment: Lush forests of Annexea and western island chains. Population: Estimates from .35 million to 1.75 million. Annexean figure: 860,000 Time of Existence: First major group to inhabit the current Annexean island, time unknown.

Population before Annexean migration: Estimated 2 - 10 million. Annexean figure: About 2 million.

History

Hunter Gatherers --> Farmers/Hunter Gatherers ---> Development of "tribes" ---> Complex political organization ---> Arrival of Annexeans ---> Idea Diffusion, Technology Note that there was limited farming, so a very complex society couldn't much develop.

Culture

Summary: -Polytheistic, aspect Gods. -King is not divine, but ruling elders (including shamans) have link to Gods. -Power of laughter! -Only go to war if society is greatly threatened (Defensive war only). -Don't be too selfish with pursuing happiness (or there will be shame, perhaps worse). -Sharing is good, giving up everything for anotther is bad.

Government

Leader: K||ágà (Kaga for short) Structure of Government: Oligarchy. Well established system.

Religion

Basics: -Creation: World created, but filled with chaos and badness by mistake. To correct it, people given humor. Reality, in a sense, is a cosmic joke. -Laughter isn't just about conventional jokes. Since the world is a joke, truly being a part of the world must be done through laughter.

Language

Real Language Base: Khoisan Language Group, it basically is Nama. Main Language Name: Nama. Dialects: Yes, per geographic region - North: Kho!ama South: Nama East: Namidama Other Languages: English.

Words, Idioms and Religious terms

≠hanú - Lit. 'straight'. Used often to describe a stiff personality or a stubborn person.

míí-a'se - 'to speak truly'. Note that 'true speech' which is done often through symbolic laughter. Often translated as 'to laugh'.

≠óm-am'a - Lit. 'to know truth'. Faith/Sense of Humor. Essentially, ability to see and accept the truth of the world and the Gods.

hòá-rà-ka - Lit. 'all'. This is the Great Pattern of life. Very important spiritual term.

!oa ≠hanú-se - Lit. 'to swim against the river'. (Idiom) Means 'to go against the hòá-rà-ka, though not necessarily with malicious intentions. Usually refers to a foolish person.

!áro-tama - Lit. 'anti-forest'. Refers to the desert, but carries spiritual weight over the normal word for 'desert'. About as close to Hell as exists in the religion.

≠hanú |úí ti kóí tìsí - Lit. 'straight one of a hundred'. (Idiom) Often shortened to "≠hanú |úí". Refers to a 'straight' thread of the hòá-rà-ka, which is one that doesn't twist and curve with the rest. The phrase is used to describe a kind of 'rogue storyline' who deliberately seeks to ruin ('straighten') the pattern. This idiom comes from a popular 'Kero myth where the evil who seeks to destroy a culture is recognized by the hero among a hundred men. In short, the hero watches them follow (bend to the will of) the hòá-rà-ka, and the evil one does not bend.