OK, world! Since the Bonfire Beach Gang (Kummitus, Koori, Kayla-san, XNightpeltX, lewisld and others) seemed to love Rufin, my second character of this species and the first to appear on FH, ever, I decided to write up a quick page about them.
SECTION ONE: Some notes for Beach Gang readers
1. Why second? We thought Rufish was the first Tharukkai in terms of ones you created. It's a new species, isn't it?
No, actually, Tharukkai are fairly old. I first wrote about them back in good old 2009.
The first Tharukkai I personally developed was Rufin's mother (note, chronologically and in lore she has no standing, she's just the first one I developed before anyone else) , and they were originally written into a oneshot for a NaNoWriMo sci-fi contest thing.
I developed a whole plot out of him and his legitimate half-brother, I'm guilty of post-writing plot inflation, but still!
Also, outside of the fic's context, there are assumed to be whole reefs of these guys.
2. Still. Explain the first.
Well, I'm attached to Xelhiru! (that's CHELL-LEE-ROO, for those of you who have difficulty with pronouncing stuff) I'm sorry! She's just so serene in her fanart, sitting there like the dignified royal guard she is! And all the drama in the fic because of her cheating on her mate with an enigmatic stranger is just lovely.
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SECTION 2: About Tharukkai themselves.
Tharukkai are leonine in form, but are thinner and more flexible than lions, as well as being unable to grow a large mane due to their gills being located on their necks. Their fur is partially composed of a substance that turns it into "scales" when wet, but will generally stay put if one keeps it dry. Tharukkai can be almost any color, and their markings vary depending on their "clan".
Their social structure is very complex due to the fact that it varies among different coalitions, with groups congregating around one powerful individual and, over time, organizing their own hierarchy. However, the members of Rufin's home reef and those around it keep to a basic matriarchal structure, which is as follows:
Aylu - matriarch, strongest or most intelligent female, usually the mother of either the Akeri or at least one of the Ansarin.
Akeri - something like apprentice, heir and lady's maid in one, usually the daughter of the Aylu.
Azeni - the "Queen Mother" - usually the mother of the matriarch and the eldest female.
Ansharin - personal warriors of the matriarch, generals of the clan's army. These can be any gender, there are only seven at any time.
Shurei - the military in general. Also either gender.
Tha'shru - recruits,
Aveh - High priests of the Sea Goddess. Often male, which is strange for a matriarchal society.
Suveh - priests in general, your average nun or monk.
Tha'veh - acolytes, "newbies" in the priesthood.
Eleiran - shamans, medics. Only a small percentage of Tharu are capable of becoming them, and they can be snobbish as a result.
Eju - their apprentices.
Ekatei - midwives.
Kairi - children in general
Shukri - illegitimate children.
Sikuri - clanless males, females.
Sikuri-kairi or Sikuri-shukri - legitimate or illegitimate clanless males or females.
SECTION 3
Tharu culture
LANGUAGE AND GRAMMAR
Their language is very complex because it is only slightly verbal - the rest is communicated with gestures and by lighting of the luminescent scales on the markings. If anyone requests a full vocabulary, I'll spend a few days working on it, but for now I'll give you some basics.
1) Honorifics
The respectful, very formal way to refer to someone is by their mother's/father's name (depending on gender - if it's a boy, by the mother's. And vice versa.), then by their hierarchal position, then by their "legitimacy" (as in, born within wedlock or not), and THEN by their name.
Therefore.
You can call someone just "Rufin" (using him as an example, yay!), but if you were asking them to, say, sign a legal document (Tharukkai lack a writing system, but just saying), then you'd be stuck with... Xelhiru ansharin-shukri Rufin. Which translates, literally and QUITE offensively, as "Xelhiru's bastard, the general Rufin". I'm sorry, but I wrote the language before I developed the character. Come here, poor baby, you're stuck with an offensive title. *pat*
On the other hand, Rufish's children by Wakiza are lucky to be "Wakiza sikuri-kairi Samaki tei Kichizo, tei Wakiza sikuri-kairi Kitra". Yeah. Thank the stars you aren't illegitimate, bubs.
IF he ever had cuppies by Binah, they'd be "Binah sikuri-shukri (names here)".
Alternatively, because the Tharu have formalities, they must also have nicknames and pet names...
Again, you could be a drunken perv and go, "Rufin, get your tail over here and let's go stare at people's pelvic fins", or you could be some sort of...enamored derp. Or a mother. Like if Wakiza were a Tharu, she'd refer to him as "Ruu" or by a nickname (something like Ruushi, which translates as Redfish). Xelhiru could also just call him "Kairi".
OK, got it?
NAMES
Usually descriptive and conforming to the clan. Rufin's clan, for example, have generally Latin-based (coincidentally! Only use for a name what you can construct out of the language!) with meanings that fit the character, while Xanthe/Shaanti's (Spotty's character, her old name in Tharu means "yellow coral" (xan *but distorted to shaan*=yellow, ti=coral) are all Celtic/Greek inspired. One can change one's name, like she did, (she's now Akaellari, *distorted to Ekai Aeru'kairi and meaning "debt of the red sea's children" for obvious reasons) if one is bought into the clan, usually in gratitude or out of debt.
Now, on to culture.
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SECTION FOUR: Tharu Culture
Religion-
They worship the Sea Goddess, a personification of the world's oceans. They believe the stars are exalted dead.
Rituals-
Baptism- The cubs are carried to a dry grotto and placed in a pool reflecting the stars. (Generally, females carry for three months or so)
Coming-of-age- varies between clans, usually involves hunting or a complicated ritualized preformance of some kind.
Marriage- A typically noisy and fun affair involving partying, clams, and sea-salt flavored ice.
Mating- since Tharu females can't die of drowning, being semiaquatic, it's considered a sign of submission. Seriously. Don't drown around a Tharu male. I'm not kidding you. You won't enjoy what comes afterward much, 'cause you'll still be drowning, only with slightly less freedom to move the lower half of yourself. The actual act isn't much but your usual stuff plus some fin-flaring and scale-lighting.
Funerary- again, it varies. Lots of wailing, spinning around the dead person and bringing stuff to the tomb.
Religious- Vary. Depends on the holiday. Just invent some, since THOSE vary among clans too.
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SECTION FIVE
Copyright notice
This species is copyright to the user Akatariel, and permission must be asked either in this board or in-game to make one.
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SECTION SIX
People authorized already
The whole beach gang
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And, that's it!
