Etuns (The World)

Etuns are a race of two headed people, native to the woodlands of the southern stretches of the Ziberi Uplands. Etuns average seven feet in height, and rare is the adult that is less than six feet in height. They are stoutly built, broad of shoulder and limb and are thus incredibly strong. Even Daine will not willingly engage in weaponless combat with an Etunic warrior. Their faces tend to be round and their features round also, but are not ugly by any means. Their hair tends to be thick, and they cut it short and make it stick off their heads in spikes. Etunic men often shave their heads in various patterns. Many have short, thick hair down their spines. Etuns come in male and female, as do all the speaking races, and each individual has therefore either two male heads or two female heads. It is not uncommon for two heads to have slightly different hair colour or eye colour, and their two faces are more often similar in appearance than identical. Extremely rare are the Etuns that exhibit one female and one male appearing head. Such an individual is believed to have great powers and capabilities beyond those of normal Etuns and are highly respected as shamans and farseers. Etuns generally live no more than 160 years, if left in peace. Those whose lives are spent wandering and homeless usually live no more than about 80 years.

Thought to have arisen in the dungeons of some mad wizard or dark lord, Etuns, or Yttuun in their own language, are very clever folk, for it was said in olden time by Watan of Ypsiy Dale: two heads are better than one. They are knowledgeable in stonecraft and metalcraft. They keep many kinds of livestock and produce fine woolen goods. Etuns are not natively magical people -- they may use magical artifacts but are quite incapable of manipulating magic.

Etuns are clannish in nature and dislike visitors or travellers in their lands, though do at times tollerate visitors who bring interesting goods to trade. They do gather in a couple market towns where outside traders take goods in caravan down to the great Silk Road. Etunic women wear a kind of cloth skirt that they fasten with a cloth belt above their waists; while men wear a kind of britches. The cloth of these aritcles is often intricately patterned and is always nicely woven -- the patterns serve to announce one's clan affiliation. When the weather is cool or inclemate, everyone wears a kind of large poncho and broadrimmed hats. Etuns are fond of ear rings and bangles of various sorts, as well as ankle bands and rings on fingers and toes for special occasions.

There are accounted to be more than forty clans of Etuns. The clans are governed by a council of elders who decide upon courses of action ranging from the formalisation of an alliance to the digging of a drainage ditch.

One famous Etun was Quruush the Conqueror, who in the 15th century of this era carved out a realm for himself to the north and west of Vana. From this base, he sent his warriors, mixed bands of Etuns, Zombies and some Daine into neighbouring lands to bring home tribute and spread a little fear. He was well known for his cunning and ability to sense danger well in advance of its coming, thus enabling him to react almost before his enemies acted upon him. His autocratic rule was highly unusual for an Etun, and chafed on his warriors and enemies alike. He died in 1456 of choking on a large hunk of meat and was succeeded by Tarang, his half-breed son (it is thought his mother was a Daine concubine, but the boy had no wings, as is usual for such a child). Tarang's rule lasted a very short season, and he was presently abandoned by a council of his father's chief warriors. Tarang, who was ostracised as a child born to a tabu relationship, was left to face his fate alone and was at last slain by an old family enemy.

Naming Customs -- Etuns have five names they are known by at different points in their lives. The first is their "baby name", given by their parents and is usually a simple nature or season name. This name is superceded upon reaching adulthood when an Etun announces to his clan and family his "adult name". The adult name is typically chosen based on famous ancestors or totem names. The last name an Etun receives is his "death name", and it is given by one's lover or best friend and serves as a kind of summation of one's life in the world. This name is spoken first at the funeral rites, and thereafter by all who knew the individual when refering to him. Apart from these public names, each of an Etun's personas has a name given by the other. These "own names" are private and used only when an Etun talks with himself. Own names are rarely divulged to anyone else, even close friends or spouses.

Etuns: a Race of Natural Conlangers -- The Yttunic language is noted for its high level of ideolect and private language construction. That is to say, while there are several dialects in use by the forty-some clans of Etuns, each family also has its own particular modes of speech and indeed each individual has their own private modes of talking. This is made more clear once it is understood that Etuns each have two heads and each head has its own brain, mind and intellectual capacities. Each of the individual’s two personas are not only in low-level somatic communication (there is a subtle mind-linkage that allows a single body to be smoothly controlled by two interdependent heads), but also in a state of almost constant conversation, often at a rather high level.

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The World