It is Lysdas, 3rd of the Month of Amber, in the year 96
Stargazers
Found in the Southern mountainous regions of the Continental New World, the Turak (meaning Witnesses of the Stars in Turakan) are an exiled but peaceful people who have faced adversity. Once found in the plains of what is now the Elven Great Houses of Tzukyn and Ritan, the Turak were driven long ago from their homelands.
Settled in a mountainous valley in the southern half of Awenasa, Turak civilization is divided into various principalities and city-states ruled by religious patriarchs. Turak society is dominated by astrology and worship of the constellations, and upon coming of age, Turakans are expected to declare themselves to a star sign. Each star sign corresponds to archetypes and characteristics, which the declaring commit themselves to follow.
Known to outsiders as 'Stargazers', the Turak have a rich religious tradition; one which survived the diaspora from the lands of House Ritan and the years since.
"Stars guide you."
- A common Turak Blessing
Play As...
Stargazers
General Characteristic
Race
Turak
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Language
Common, Turakan
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Height
184cm - 215cm (6'0 to 7’1)
Half-Human: 175cm - 200cm
Half-Elf: 175cm - 200cm
Half-Dwarf: 166cm - 185cm
Half-Rhûn: 182cm - 205cm
Half-Amuran: 182cm - 200cm
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Hair Colours
Browns, Black, Dirty Ginger
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Eye Colours
Dark or Light Brown, Green, Hazel, Rarely Blue
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Skin Tone
Between Olive and Tawny, almost always decorated with paints and colours.
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Ethos
Egalitarian & Spiritual
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Naming Convention
Inuit, Yupik. - Names are often one worded; no clan nor family names.
Stargazers Rundown
Themes
Rituals and Religion, Pacifistic/Peaceful Lifestyle. Research and Exploration.​
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Aesthetics
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Vibrant tattoos and face-paints. Bright or fur-covered clothing, Early Medieval and Migration Period designs including architecture.
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Unique Aspects
Triumph over lesser nature through pacifism, mystical religion and culture.
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General Attitudes Towards
Attitude Scale:
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Allied
Friendly
Cordial
Neutral
Unfavourable
Antagonistic
War
Gallia:
Neutral
Dumanon:
Unfavourable
Great Houses:
Antagonistic
Custodes:
Friendly
Daurans:
Neutral
Asturias:
Unfavourable
Komanali:
Unfavourable
Banen’Rhûn:
Unfavourable
Dynasty:
Neutral
Sasanshahr:
Neutral
Ancient Dwarves:
Allied
Amu-Tep:
Allied
Azuchi:
Neutral
Stargazers and Aether Users:
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Those who are attuned to the Aether are viewed in a complex light in the Turak culture. Turak Attuned, when they are known, are often shuttled into tutelage in how to restrain their abilities through meditation and moderation, focusing upon the mending arts more so than telekinetics and the invasion of minds, whilst those that exhibit signs of Aether Madness are often exiled. The Aether users of other cultures are likewise viewed with great caution, given the chaos that they might wreak.​​
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Stargazers and Demons:
​Like most races, the Turak are unaware that Demons may walk amongst them. Unlike other races, however, those rare Demons born amongst the Turak may find themselves more capable than their brethren in fending off their urges, as some seek solace in their faith and culture to shield themselves from their baser desires. Whilst few Demons have grown to become a threat amongst the Turak, their society is woefully unequipped to deal with them. It is often the timely intervention of the Custodes that prevent these incidents from spiralling out of control.​​
When Playing...
When making a Stargazer, consider which venerated constellation they worship.
Do they worship the Climber, the Weaver, the Guide, or the Watcher? - Upon coming of age, a Stargazer will choose one of these to follow, defining how they wish to act.
Those of the Climber place the most importance on challenges and the facing of adversity. They accept that life is a process of constant failure, however, some take this a step too far. - Burn bright, and twice as quick; self-destruct if you must for these challenges. Will you accept the charge, or face each challenge as they come?
The Weaver represents creation, with those who follow them being painters, historians and creators. They are artisans and diplomats; and will you record and archive the knowledge of others, the history around yourself? - How curious are you? Will you share the beauty of the world and see colours where others cannot? - Is this for you, or only for them? - Snatch away others' art, if you feel that you must.
The Guide's witnesses, or followers are among the most devout. Divine the constellations, and pluck truth from art, and the night-skies; ensure that others step forward always before you do. Charity, and almswork is the duty of this archetype and spread upon others the interpreted truth. - Will they respect you, and the knowledge you share? - Even if they don't, will you guide them into the night?
Those of the Watcher see objectivity and the observation of the World as a person's most important calling. Mediators, wishing no harm upon others. - Death's their sacred charge, and what is the truth of creation, or the matter of the stars? That is for you to judge. And with the Old World arriving upon the new, and sullying it with blood and fire, will you manage to restrain yourself, and remain firm on your impartiality, or will you act upon the truth as you know it, rendering judgements upon others?
"Them Stargazers would be right good in a fight, if they weren't so adverse to being in one."
- A Dwarf noting the prowess and pacifism of the Turakan.
The History of The Stargazers
The Turak teach that before they foreswore violence and sought a home in their mountains, their race existed in martial servitude to the Elves of Awenasa. Prized for their strength and size, the Turak were used as weapons of war by the House Elves of the Southern Continent, who launched them upon their enemies in raids, campaigns and wars that supposedly spanned centuries of history. The earliest Turakan paintings depict the birth of their religion in this time. In evenings, when their masters' eyes and priests were elsewhere, the Turak would look to the stars as a source of guidance and wisdom, interpreting the various constellations and the bright shimmering of the Aurora Borealis as the foundations of their religious understanding.
The Turak began their shift to what they are now when one of the most venerated constellations, the Watcher, shed a tear so bright that it was visible for decades. The Turakan seers saw this as a sign to commence upon a series of uprisings, where the Turakan sought to win their freedom by force. Though House Ritan had been weakened by their war with the Sixth House, and the Turakan honed and trained by their usage in that conflict, many of these uprisings were soundly beaten by Ritan and their allies from Kitzra and Tzukyn. In this moment of crisis and defeat, the star that had begun this conflict began to fade, and the Turak looked to the constellations once more for guidance. What happened next is contested by both Elven scholars and Turakan artists. Those in Ritan state that, seeking to be rid of a troublesome and violent subsect of their society, the Elves allowed the Turak to leave, and travel to the mountains they now occupy on the condition that they would never raise arms against the Great Houses again. The Turak, in contrast, believe that they were led by the stars to their home, which contains some of the highest peaks of Awenasa in order to be closer to the constellations that they revere so highly.
What is clear is that when the Turak arrived in the mountains, their society underwent an almost complete reformation, guided by their interpretation of the stars. A cultural and religious emphasis was placed upon seeing and experiencing the world around them in order to achieve spiritual ascension. The violence of their warlike past was despised and instead associated with their serfdom to the southern Elves, and as such the vast majority of the Turakan are pacifists. In their hermit kingdoms, ruled by religious councils and guided by the stars, the Turakan lived for centuries, undisturbed by the comings and goings of the rest of the new world.
The arrival of humanity, however, has resulted in another significant change in Turak society. Interpretations of ancient paintings and drawings by witnesses of the Guide have given impetus for the Turakan to travel outside of the mountain valleys they call home, to discover whether the knowledge of the other races can aid in their quest to ascend, finally, to the heavens.
"If you are so sure that he will die, take him to the peaks.
You will find a good place to bury him, or a healing hermit to save him."
- Prince Sura, to a Turak caring for their sickly father.
Stargazers:
Civilization & Politics
​​Turak society is primarily structured around their religion. Upon reaching adulthood, Turakan declare themselves to be a Witness of a certain star sign. Some choose based upon what they would like to become, a teacher, an artisan, a farmer or a judge, though often they choose the star sign of one of their parents. It is not impossible for one to decide to Witness a different star sign at some point in their life, but it is not common and is viewed as a significant event.
Most often, Turak Princes are Witnesses of the Guide, as it is their task to provide wisdom to their people and lead them through their lives. Though holding a secular and seemingly hereditary title, Turak society is theocratic, and thus when a Prince dies or is deposed, another of the Guide’s witnesses is selected by council to replace them.
However, the rulership of the Guide’s is not total, as it is understood that they cannot pass judgement, for that is the domain of the Witnesses of the Watcher, who through observation and a commitment to objectivity, are seen as a fair and neutral party in solving civil and criminal disputes, at the level of a principality, or within a village.
Those that Witness the Weaver make up the productive elements of society, the artists, the smiths, those that spin looms and make them. They are the fabric of the Principalities, and whilst a Witness of the Watcher may have the final say in a dispute, it is the Witnesses of the Weaver that will work to ensure it never reaches that stage.
The Principalities of the valley are far from a classless society. The Witnesses of the Guide and Watcher make up the ruling class, whilst the Witnesses of the Weaver often serve as the mercantile elite and artisans. It is those who struggle, in the fields, on the mountainside, and under the stars, that Witness the Climber. Witnesses of the Climber are the most common of all the star signs and make up the vast body of both those who live in the valley and those who travel beyond.
Turak society beyond the mountains is far less organised and far more informal. There is no requisite for the leader of any congregation to be a witness of the Guide, but instead they must be capable of divining the stars through ritual. Through these acts, most of the time these leaders choose to become witness of the Guide for their role they play to their followers, though some choose to remain with the Climber, Watcher or Weaver depending on their circumstance. Turak do not have a colonial mindset and have no desire to conquer lands beyond their borders, with the purpose of these foreign congregations being to provide the homeland with new ideas and technologies, such as telescopes and astrolabes.
The Principalities
"Triumph is but a moment, for there is always another hill to climb. Perseverance is what matters."
- A Witness of the Climber.
Stargazers:
Faith
Venerated Constellations
A Turak is expected to choose one of the four venerated constellations to embody through their life. The stars serve as a guide of how one should conduct themselves in the world, and how a Turak fits in within their society and culture. Followers of a particular constellation are referred to as ‘witnesses’, as one of the most basic religious practices is to find and watch their venerated constellation on a clear night. Most, if not all Turak are able to locate their chosen constellation, and as such it forms the cornerstone of most ritual scrying attempts.
The Climber
The Climber represents perseverance, struggle and willpower. Witnesses of the Climber accept that life itself is a process of constant failure but choosing to carry on despite adversity. Thus, Witnesses of the Climber teach that often one is able to take two steps forward after taking one step back. Some twist this teaching, and carry out acts of self-sabotage so that they may follow his example and Climb from the mistakes that they create for themselves. Often, the Witnesses of the Climber can become isolated by their self-destructive tendencies, or end up in competition with others for their desire to Climb and face challenges others may desire to leave well enough alone.
Some paintings depict the Climber as an ancient Turak ascending into the heavens, his steps being directed by the Guide, with some interpreting this as a sign from him that all Turaks may one day Climb to the heavens, Guided by the constellations to become stars themselves.
The Weaver
The Weaver represents creation, coherence and indulgence. Witnesses of the Weaver are often gifted painters and embroiderers, and are expected to record their experiences and knowledge on canvas or quilt. The Weaver is also the constellation of craftsmen and artisans and those that create the fabric of society, and as such witnesses of the Weaver often also function as diplomats between Turakan society, weaving them together with mutual bonds of trade and diplomacy, governance and structure. It is the case however that some witnesses take their example too far, and desire to not only create, but collect, seeking out and hoarding the creations of others for the sake of record-keeping, showing, archiving or greed.
Most, if not all stories of the origin of the Weaver involve the Sun and the Moon. When the Sun first began to run away from the Moon, setting the world into imbalance, it was the Weaver that gave the world colour when the sun was absent, restoring some, but not all, balance to the world. As such, the constellation is the most colourful in the sky, possessing reds, blues and greens. Some believe that colours themselves were given to the world by the Weaver, and those that cannot see them have been scorned by her.
The Guide
The Guide represents wisdom, teaching and divination. Those that venerate this constellation are expected to be patient and guiding, and as such often become teachers, instructors, or members of the religious elite. The duty of witnesses of the Guide is exceptional, as it is expected that they will be the ones who will discover the means in which to Guide the Turak, living and dead, into the stars. Those that witness the Guide are however often very rigid and firm in their understandings, and are rarely encouraged to critique their views or beliefs. They are, however, expected to Guide others along the path before they themselves walk it, and thus charity and alms are highly encouraged, even if they themselves have little to give.
The Guide’s chief celestial body remains at a fixed position in the night sky aligning with the compass bearing of north. The Turak use this star and the constellation that surrounds it for navigation and their callender, and often this star, referred to also as the Guiding Star, is used as the cornerstone of any attempts to divine a night sky.
Witnesses of the Guide are also important for Turakan society as it is they who are the ones who interpret the paintings of those that observe the Weaver. As such, understandings of the Turak’s history often fluctuates as time goes by, even if the source material largely remains the same.
The Watcher
The Watcher represents judgement, pacifism and objectivity. It was the Watcher that saw the ancient Turak’s turmoil and for them shed a brilliant tear into the night sky. Witnesses of the Watcher are encouraged to observe the world around them and try to acquire an objective viewpoint on most if not all matters. This religious emphasis on objectivity has led many witnesses of the Watcher to become the mediators and judges of the Turakan, as they are viewed as the most fair of their society.
It was a divination of the Watcher that commanded the Turak to abandon their warlike ways and to undergo their transformation into a pacifistic society. Subsequently those that desire to venerate the Watcher must not bring harm to something that the Turak understands to possess a soul, most often, sentient beings.
Minor Astronomy
Those astronomical bodies other than the stars, such as, but not limited to, the sun and moon, the Auroras and the night sky, are not as directly worshipped as the venerated constellations are, but are still understood to be powerful in their own right.
The Sun & The Moon
The Turak believe that the Sun and Moon were the first things in creation and together made the world complete. However, at the end of the first day, the moon scorned the sun and blocked her light from reaching the world, upsetting the balance and causing chaos below. Now, the world is no longer perfect, and the moon continues to chase the sun around and around the world. Sometimes, the Moon catches the Sun again, and succeeds in blocking her light from reaching the Turak, but in the end, the Sun always triumphs.
While this tale is known by all, it is partially contradicted in that the night is heavily revered, and the winter solstice is the holiest day of the calendar.
Auroras
The Auroras which paint the night sky in southern Awenasa are understood by the Turak to be the souls of the dead attempting to reach the heavens above the world. Here, they commune with one another on specific evenings to discuss how they might ascend upward. It is the mission, then, of Turak, to gain experience in the world in order to be able to contribute to these discussions, so that they as a race might find the path to the stars.
The Heavens
The Heavens to the Turak is the darkness of the night sky. Instead of fearing it, they view it as the space they themselves will come to occupy when they ascend to become stars. It represents, to them, the promised land, and subsequently they prefer mountains and high places to be closer to their destiny.
"The Weaver has blessed us with our Dwarven friends. What companions could be so selfless, and so easily payed?"
- Prince Akluitok, on the Turakan's friendship with the Dwarves.
Stargazers:
Norms & Culture
To the Turak, what can be seen is more important than anything else. With this, they’re a people who place significance in paintings, tapestries, ornate clothing and tattoos. It is here that their history is recorded, not through oral traditions or literature but in great illustrations, abstract or otherwise and often serving a purpose, chronicling their experiences.
It is outlandish, to not be able to see. Those who cannot gaze upon creation’s beauty are therefore shunned within Turak culture; the visually impaired seen as disconnected from the stars, and treated with suspicion. Those who have lived, and have lost their eyesight through age aren’t as shunned by the Turak, their lived experience always taking precedence.
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Those that are gifted with sight beyond the waking world, attunement to the Aether, also receive complex treatment in Turak culture. As from their birth they are a potential danger to all around them, those few attuned Turakan are often educated in restraining their abilities, staving off madness through mediation and moderation. It is most common for a Turakan attuned to become a healer, as they possess a wealth of cultural knowledge of the mending arts. Some scholars trace the origin of this knowledge to long before they fled to their valley home, suggesting its origin on the battlefields of the Turakan’s past.
Pacifistic, the Turak have largely disavowed violence. Only with the arrival of Humanity has the Turak aptitude for warfare and fighting been again realised by those few who’ve left their mountain homes, though anything beyond self-defence is highly frowned upon.
Akavis is popular with the few trained Turakan, as they have recently begun hiring the Custodes to train those that travel abroad in self-defence. It is however becoming more common for those Turakan who return from beyond their valley to train others in Akavis as a form of martial art.
Killing is seen to the Turak as one of the most severe crimes that can be committed. For those who kill, their souls are eternally condemned to remain trapped wandering the World. – Murderers, and those who have done so will not join their brethren in the afterlife, the Auroras whose lights compose the souls of the dead.
Most then eat meat only out of necessity, and those who can afford not to, often avoid it, preferring instead to utilise the product of their animals, milk and eggs, rather than the animal itself. This is most crucially seen by the Witnesses of the Watcher, those sworn to that sign, who, when presiding over judgements, are expected to abstain from meat wholesale as to prevent it from tainting their decisions.
Similarly, the Turak are keen on death and welcome it as a natural progression of life’s experience. Sky burials are of great importance in Turak culture, with those who die given such under the night sky, overseen by Witnesses of the Watcher. – With this then, some Turakans award significance to vultures and believe them to be animals familiar with divinity.
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Curiosities, and inventions which grant them closer experience to the stars are treasured deeply. With the arrival of Humanity, telescopes have become a prized commodity in Turak society, and to some is reason enough for exploration and pilgrimage.
Marriage, Social Status & Sexuality
Marriage is divine to the Turakan, with the ceremony strict and seen as a holy binding of souls, overseen by Witnesses of the Weaver. – For those who marry, shall find and be together forever and eternally come death. – Only those then who are truly committed and so absolute in their love marry, and to that extent divorce is seen as an alien concept wholly absent from Turak customs.
Save that, Turak society can be regarded as tolerant. Opportunities not stifled and open to all those able to witness creation, the gender of an individual not cared for. The elderly are well-regarded, seen as those with the most experiences out of all.
"It rose from the valley like thunder. If it had not been for those Sassan traders, the city would have burned."
- A Turakan describing a lucky encounter with a Demon.
Stargazer:
Reputation & Interactions
Stargazers are rare throughout Awenasa, and with their horned features and stature, are often quite alien to any culture beyond their neighbours in Ritan and the Dwarves.
With Humans
Part of the impetus for Stargazers to spread beyond their homeland was the arrival of Humanity, and now many Stargazers travel Awenasa in an attempt to locate these foreigners and purchase their wares and collect their experiences of the stars in their homeland.
Most humans have no idea what a Stargazer is, and probably won’t for another few decades, given their rarity beyond their valley home, which remains geographically isolated from human exploration so far.
With Dwarves
In the Dwarves, the Stargazers perhaps found a kindred spirit. Whilst the Dwarves lived in the Hearts of the Mountain, the Turak lived upon its slopes. Their relationship is deep and trusting, and though they leave most settlements well enough alone, trade between them and the Dwarves is common. - The Ancient Dwarves form part of The League with the Stargazers.
However, the Stargazers opinion upon the Custodes is complex. Whilst the Guides teach that the Stargazers themselves must be pacifistic, some consider the offloading of violence unto others as a possibility within their faith, whilst others consider it as bad as committing the act oneself. Either way, the Valley Principalities have recently opened several contracts with the Custodes to teach Stargazers how to defend themselves when travelling outside the Valley.
With Elves
The Elves remember what the Stargazers once were, and the Stargazers remain cautious of their former overlords. Whilst the bad blood has been settled with time, children in Ritan are still told of their great victory over the Stargazers, whilst all Stargazers know of the origin of their pacifism.
Beyond Ritan and the House Elves, the Komanali and their oral histories have long forgotten the Stargazers, and they exist only in their mythos as warped stories of horned beasts sent by Navak’s followers to punish them, though the ability to connect these stories to the Stargazers would take quite a jump of the imagination.
With Banen’Rhûn
The Banen’Rhun have never ranged far enough south to ever come into contact with a significant Stargazer population. It is, in contrast, likely that a Stargazer would have heard of the raiders of the north, and would also hold them in contempt. They are the aspect of the Elves they hate most; violent, cruel and without true spirituality.
With Amura
Though they are close as the crow flies, the relative geographic isolation of both the Amura and Stargazers prevents any serious conflict between the two. - Through the great trading of the Ancient Dwarves, they have interacted and friendly relations have flourished since. The Amura make up part of The League with the Stargazers.
Author: Afric & Not Tigre
Contributions by: Hokan & Oakbug
Page Created by: Hokan