Kandankero

History and Statistics

Environment

The Kandankero live in what is left of the lush forests of Annexea, in small pockets near the western and southwestern coast. They have been all but eliminated from the West, but some of them still remain in the more welcoming Qezzef. Their main location is in the western island chains that fall under the jurisdiction of Bassa. They prefer the dry tropical climate that these areas afford them, and find the semi-arid plains of Interzone to be completely inhospitable.

The population of the Kandankero (other than subjugated Black Meat farmers) is unknown; there have been several major attempts to count them, each turning up different results. Qezzefi anthropologists estimate about 1 million, the Annexean government insists it is closer to 500,000. The 'Kero themselves choose not to say. A few sociologists claim the anthropological studies are far exaggerated, arguing that "you've been counting the same ones over again".

The 'Kero were the human inhabitants of Annexea before the Great Annexean Migration. Their population before this event is even more controversial than their current population. They claim that their society was once more than 10 million people, while the Annexean historians estimate that there were only about 2 million of them.

History

Little is known. More precisely, this section hasn't been written yet.

Culture

The 'Kero culture is founded on the principle of being happy. The Kero believe in, to use the cliché, the power of laughter. They believe that happiness should be shared, and that there is no better way to do that than throught laughter. They are quick to make amends. Thus, they avoid war whenever possible, but they do recognize that if it is completely necessary, they will fight to defend themselves against those who will not listen to reason. This has been used by some minority groups to justify rebellion against Annexeans.

Religion

Their easygoing religion is polytheistic, with many colorful Gods associated with concrete things. The number Gods also means that The Kandankero King is not considered divine, but he and his council of elder shamans are thought to have a close connection with these Gods.

According to their creation myth, when the world was created by the first God, !k'h!nàá, he became distracted by the shiny colors and lost concentration. Chaos entered the world, and would not leave. Thus, !k'h!nàá and the other good gods gave man the ability to laugh, so that they may be able to cope with reality. Because of this story, the 'Kero see reality as somewhat of a cosmic joke, which means they will laugh somberly during funerals, laugh when someone is hurt, and at other times when most cultures would deem it inappropriate. But they deeply understand the difference between "light" and "serious" laughter.

Language

The 'Kero speak a language similar to the real-world language of Nama, which is a Khoisan language (characterized by "click" consonants). The 'Kero on mainland Annexea speak the dialect of Kho!ama, while the island 'Kero speak Namidama, which differs slightly in some common intonations and has a few variations on words (for the most part they are similar enough to be understood). Some 'Kero, especially those who deal witht the Annexeans, speak some 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.