The Vrkhazhians

The Vrkhazhians are a group of people that live in the land known as Yat-Vrkhazh.

Yat-Vṛḵaž Ethnographical Questionnaire

Questions of Place

Describe the geography of where your society calls home.

Vrkhazh is closed in by two mountains, one residing north-west, above Vrkhazh's west coast, and one residing north-east. The mountain in the north-east is Vrkhazh's tallest mountain and is named ṛ-Kašmer-Yat-Vṛḵaž or "The Wall of Yat-Vrkhazh", while the smaller one in the north-west is named ṛ-ʾAṭmu-Yat-Vṛḵaž or "The Horn of Yat-Vrkhazh", due to its horn-like appearance. There are two large depressions that can be 40-100m below the surrounding land and in many places they are bordered by steep ridges. The largest depression lies northernmost and is approximately 300-400km in diameter while the smaller one lies southwest of the larger one and is 100-200km in diameter.

There are 5 large lakes spread throughout Vrkhazh, and most of the population of Vrkhazh live near these lakes and along the rivers that lead to them, as well as the west coast. In Vrkhazh's arid regions, especially in Vrkhazh's largest desert called Maziyu-Yudkiśun or "The Sea of Ghosts", winds create prolific sand dunes that can be as high as 300m. The Sea of Ghosts also contains several large ergs.

Describe the climate your society deals with. How severe are their seasons?

The very south of Vrkhazh is a tropical region with soil suitable for farming, while the majority of the north of Vrkhazh consists of arid and semi-arid climates, with steppe and savannah climates forming a narrow belt between the tropical and arid/semi-arid regions. Due to the presence of Yat-Vrkhazh's mountains, most of Vrkhazh experiences very little rainfall annually, while only the south is unaffected by the mountains, receiving lots of annual rainfall.

What kinds of natural disasters has this society gotten used to?

In Vrkhazh, there are annual sandstorms that occur throughout the arid regions of Vrkhazh, especially in the cold, dry winter season of Pasmi, and occasionally the hot, dry summer of Pannuš. The settlements near the rivers sometimes face unexpected flooding of the rivers, especially in the depressions.

What are the most commonly-grown foods?

In the arid regions of Vrkhazh, only the most drought-resistant plants can survive, thus the most commonly grown crops are wheat and sorghum. In the semi-arid and savannah regions, the most common crop is millet. Those who live in the tropical regions of Vrkhazh cultivate various fruits as well, such as bananas, while those who live in arid and semi-arid regions cultivate olives and dates.

Those who live near lakes and rivers commonly consume cattails as a part of their diet. Wattleseeds from acacia trees and purslanes are also commonly eaten as well.

What are the most commonly-eaten meats?

Lamb, goat, and beef are the staple meats in Vrkhazh, though camel is also eaten to a lesser extent. Those living near rivers and lakes often incorporate fish, such as salmon, in their diet as well. The Vrkhazh do not eat chicken, for they believe birds to be sacred and thus should not be killed. However, they do eat their eggs.

The Vrkhazh also consume various insects like locusts, which are considered a delicacy as well as an important food source during times of famine.

What forms of alcohol are common? Rare?

The Vrkhazhians often drink wine made of olives infused with honey as well as beer made from sorghum.

Is there usually enough food and water for the population?

Most of the population of Vrkhazh situate themselves either near the coast, near rivers, or near the lakes. Thus, the Vrkhazhians have plenty of water for drinking, bathing, growing crops, and raising livestock. Additionally, those that live in the tropical regions get a lot of rainfall and collect it in large containers for storage and sending to places where water is more scarce.

What is this place's most abundant resource?

Vrkhazh is most abundant in iron, which are mined from its two mountains. Most Vrkhazhian settlements also locate near rivers and lakes and thus water is also abundant.

What is its most valuable resource?

Water is the most valuable resource in Vrkhazh. Other valuable resources are iron, coal, turquoise, onyx, gold and silver.

How do people travel from one place to another?

People near rivers sail boats along them to travel to other cities along that river while people living in the arid and semi-arid region travel the vast deserts by camel. People living in the tropical regions often travel by horse, though some make journeys by foot.

The Vrkhazhians also built a network of roads across many regions of the empire, so that it eases the travel of pack animals and soldiers. These roads are constructed with a layer of crushed rock with carved limestone laid over them.

Are the borders secure? In what way?

Vrkhazh

How many people live here?

The population of Vrkhazh is approximately 40-50 million.

Where in this place do they congregate?

The majority of Vrkhazhian settlements are along the many rivers, along the west coast, around the five lakes, and in the rain forests of the south. There are a few villages closer to the heart of the desert in order to mine for valuable materials. Water is supplied to these villages from underground sources or from oases that villages may be built around.

The highest population densities are found in seven cities known as the "Pillar Cities".

What part of this place do they avoid? Why?

Vrkhazhians generally avoid traveling through the Sea of Ghosts because the desert, in combination with a lack of having water sources, is extremely hot and packed with tall sand dunes that make traversing it nearly impossible. The locations of six of the Pillar Cities marks a rough border around the Sea of Ghosts.

Vrkhazhians also avoid traveling to the ruins of the City of Wise Men because they believe it is cursed with evil energy.

What are the most common domesticated animals here? And what are they domesticated for?

Cattle, sheep, aurochs, goats, camels, horses, and chickens are the most common domesticated animals. Cattle and goats are domesticated for their meat, milk, and blood. Sheep are domesticated for their wool and meat. Chickens are not eaten but are domesticated for their eggs, which are eaten. Camels and horses are domesticated mainly as animals used for traveling, though camels are also used to carry heavy loads. Occasionally, they are eaten. Aurochs and Oxen are used as working animals to carry heavy loads and farming implements.

What are the most common wild animals?

The most common wild animals are crows, ibis, and various snakes. Occasionally, there are lions and jackals.

Which animals are likely to be pets? Which ones won't be?

The most common pets are dogs, cats, and some domesticated birds like chickens. Some wild birds like crows and ibis are also likely to be pets. Most primates are never made pets because they are seen as too aggressive. Dangerous animals like lions and snakes are also never made into pets.

Questions of Time

How far back does this society's written history go?

The written history of this language goes as far back as 100-200 years before the founding of the empire.

What is the worst disaster they believe they've faced?

The worst disaster the Vrkhazhians faced was the Great Massacre that occurred when otherworld creatures started appearing a few decades before the founding of the empire. They could not be affected by physical weapons and almost eradicated the people of Yat-Vrkhazh.

What are they afraid of happening again?

They are afraid that the next time the otherworld creatures invade their world, it will not only lead to the eradication of the Vrkhazhians, but also the entire human race.

They consider themselves the bulwark against the otherworld creatures and thus they also fear the collapse of their society for this same reason, as the turmoil will leave them exposed and vulnerable.

Who in the past is the greatest hero? The worst villain?

The people of Yat-Vrkhazh have several heroes. The most notable hero is Arash-Hijun, who founded the Empire of Yat-Vrkhazh in an effort to create a unified force against the otherworld creatures.

Questions of Faith

What superstitions are common? What kinds of supernatural

events/beings do people fear?