Kharajyr Lore And Role-Play Guide

[Geo 1415]

Kharajyr Lore/Role-play Guide

 

Please note that the guide is partially outdated.  Please ignore the application part of the guide.

Who are the Kharajyr?



The Kharajyr are a race of tribal and preditorial pride hunters who are the creation of their mighty creator.  The Daemon Metztli originally created the first Kharajyr through a horrific mutation of an Ocelot and a Humanoid being.  Many times she tried until finally she created the most perfect being she'd laid her eyes upon.  The first Kharajyr, a godly white.  Kharajyr resemble highly to jungle cats of the real world, slim and agile bodies lined with colorful pelts to keep them warm.  Kharajyr reside in exotic jungle climates and are notorious carnivores, as meat is easily accessible with their serrated fangs.  

Kharajyr are typically very loyal to their goddess and their emperor that leads them and are taught that Religion comes before all else.  These people are religious extremists and would unquestioningly die for their creator, whatever the cost.  Kharajyr are often stereotyped as antisocial but really it is just the Kharajyr's view of Metztli's creations being absolute perfection and everything else being below them falling into play.  They try not to interact with the other races of the world however as times has progressed it has been evident that they have had to, to obtain aid in their racial struggles.

The Kharajyr are very close knit people and provide a sort of tribal sense in culture, heavily influenced on both Aztec and Egyptian cultures.  They are the Kharajyr.  

In this application guide we will be explaining everything you need to know about the Kharajyr, applying as one and even playing as one.  From the simple little things like dietary habits, weddings and society all the way to the primary factors of the Kharajyr like religion, hunting and accents.  If you have any questions even after reading this there is a Kharajyr question and answer topic that you may ask a question in.  Member of the Kharajyr application team as well as other players of our communities will do their best to answer your questions as accurately as they can!

So, without further ado.  




Contents:


Role-playing as a Kharajyr
What is a Kharajyr?
Cultural and social views.
Faith and religious views.
Dietary habits and mannerisms.
Architecture
Kharajyr accents and language.
Marriage and birth in the Kharajyr.
Role-playing as a child.
Moral and religious laws
Ape Kharajyr..
Kharajyr Lifespan.
Clothing
Weaponry
The Trials

Rituals

Conclusion


Choosing a name

Choosing a name for your soon to become Kharajyr can become a rather taxing task. You want to first read over the Kharajyr Title Lore which can be found here: (Insert new posted topic here) As a new kharajyr, the current titles that will be available to you are: Si, So, S’ for the bog-standard ‘new’ kharajyr. All other titles that are shown on the wiki are obtainable only in game.
Now that we’ve got the title out of the way, the name of your Kharajyr is the next step. As the Kharajyr take influence from Aztec and Egyptian cultures, you may want to base your new character’s name on one there. However, Kharajyr names are often very differential, varying from; Dato to Skar, Miian to Morthawl and Zeriko to Gtar. More than anything, try to keep your name sounding ‘exotic’ in nature.


Ah... a name.  Names are probably the hardest part of your application right?  The part that you put most of your thinking into?  I know I do!  I know that if I make a character with a name I am not happy with, I have done only myself an injustice and that is never good!    Well the first thing you should probably decide is the gender of your Kharajyr, as this can heavily impact on the outcome of your name, but it may not.  Many Kharajyr names are uni-sex but many are defined to either male or female.  When I think of a Kharajyr name I think of something exotic, something free.  Kharajyr names are supposed to fit in with Kharajyr culture, which is heavily influenced from Aztec and Egyptian cultures.  This means that a lot of Kharajyr names should sound like they are derived from the continent of Africa.  

Kharajyr names averagely come in there types..  One syllable, Two syllable or Three Syllable.
One syllable Kharajyr names  should sound very impacting, and attention grabbing if they are male and very soft and soothing if they are female.  Male names with one syllable may start with very hard hitting consonants like K, Sk, T, D, J or P however others have been known to be used.  Examples of male one syllable names:  Skar, Jawrd, Parg, Kusd, Djan and Tierk.  Female one syllable names may start with vowels A, E, I, O, U, and soft sounding consonants like S, F, R and V to give them a soft, safe feeling.
Please note that Kharajyr names often have more than one of the same vowel side by side such as uu, oo, ee, ii and aa, it sounds normal to them.   Example of One Syllable female names: Uol,  Suun, Veerth, Zuil, Fjur and Syyr.

Two Syllable names are slightly different, and are best made finding a suffix and a prefix and then mashing them both together to make a name.  Names like this are more flexible, but you should aim to make them sound raspy and maybe even difficult to pronounce on your tongue.   Two syllable names like Jhyyvrjai seem hard to pronounce, when really they are not.    Male names with two syllables should focus on having a raspy prefix and a hard hitting suffix.  Prefixes like Vra-, Jur, Treen-, Kluess-, Wis-, Xash- and Zan- all work perfectly. Matched with suffixes like Dol-, Kahn-, Tun-, Pah-, Dukth-, Zul-, Vaurd-, Dakk- and Karn.  Female two syllable prefixes should preferably be soft and gentle, whilst having the suffix come of as a little bit raspy, almost a reverse of the way the male names are.  Female prefixes such as Sahr-, Hees-, Yuul-, Mala-, Jai-, Zol, - Fjee and Aiah- will work just fine.  They should be maxed with suffixes that sound raspy, however a lot of female Kharajyr that have two syllable names often have the same vowel in their prefix, be in their suffix.  Suffixes you could use could be something like Tra-, Kur-, Pria-, Raaer-, Tjuur-, Crah-, Mol- and Qjoth-.  

Three syllable names work quite like two syllable names do.  Prefixes stay as prefixes should,  at the beginning, and suffixes stay at the end.  Whatever you wish to put inbetween the two is completely up to you.  You could even change one of either the prefix or suffix to become two syllables alone, which is always interesting.  However not all names are like this and some Kharajyr have been known to have four, five or even six syllables in their name.  

Lastly though, you are going to need your actual title prefix that goes before your name.  Prefixes in the Kharajyr culture relate to your social class, and your place in society.  This goes from the most ordinary of citizens all the way up to the Emperor themself.  You can read up about the Kharajyr social classes -here- ((Needs link to topic)) but please not that you cannot apply as all of the prefixes as some of them are obtained through RP.  It is strongly recommended that you apply for your character as the generic titles, and progress your character from there.  A title will sit in front of your name itself, so for the Tlatlanni Morthawl’s name would look like this: Tla’Morthawl.

Hopefully this can help you create a name for your Kharajyr, and stop you wasting hours upon hours trying to find one.  Though I ask that you do not use the names given in the examples here, as some of them are from actual Kharajyr characters and we wouldn’t want two people having the same name, now would we?







Choosing a Sub-race

 

Now that you have your name you are going to need to decide which subrace you want to play.  Subraces are essentially important to whoi your character is, as each subrace is slightly different.  

Firstly there is the Kha’Tigrasi.  The Kha’Tigrasi are covered from head to toe in a bright orange pelt, more often than not streamed with dark stripes .  Tigrasi are recognisably the largest of the Kharajyr, usually being bulky and excelling in natural physical strength, but aren’t really as quick as the rest of their kin.  

Second is the Kha’Cheetrah.  The Kha’Cheetrah usually have a yellow-golden pelt , covered by small little spots.  Their average build is normally very small and flexible.  They are surprisingly quick on their feet and can run at speeds unknown to any other race known to the Kharajyr.  However they are rather brittle and lack in physical strength.

Next is the Kha’Pantera.  The Kha’Pantera have slick, black matted fur and will have no trouble blending into the night.  Natural stalkers and hunters, the Pantera’s slim and agile build allows it to pass through areas quietly , it is relatively quick and usually rather flexible ,.  

Lastly are the Kha’Leparda.  The Kha’Leparda usually sit with a tawny colored pelt, filled with small black rings all over it.  They are quite balanced Kharajyr actually, not really excelling naturally in anything but nor having a large amount of detrimental values on themselves.  This leaves them rather malleable, and rather open for change.

So you should think hard about what you want your character to be like before picking a subrace,  Please note that these aren’t set-in-stone definitions of what each subrace MUST be like.  Feel free to play around with your character to have it how you want it, but remember that these are guidelines to show what each subrace is naturally like.  So choose wisely!
 

 

Choosing a role in society

Now you have you have your reason that you are applying.  You have a sub-race!  You have a name... and hopefully a prefix.  Now it is time to decide who -your - character is.  This is something you need to think hard about before you put it into action.  Do you want to be a hunter who goes out and brings back spoils from the mainland for the Kharajyr.  Do you want to be a miner, hard at work in the mines, gathering gems for the Empire?  Perhaps you wish to be a fighter, rake in pride from the arena and fend off the Empire’s enemies that are sure to invade the island.  Or perhaps you wish to be a simple farmer, kicking back on his porch and living his life to the calmest.  Whatever you want to do, it  is up to you!  

Next though, you’re going to have to write a Biography.  This Biography will be the story of your character and should consist of everything that has happened to him that is relative to what he wants to be, or his character in general.  Everything that is happening currently, and everything that will happen.  If you manage to do this then you are going to have a very well fleshed out character.  In order to write an accurate biography of your character it is stressly recommended that you go back and read the lore and history of the Kharajyr, as well as the rest of this guide as it will help you understand their culture more.  





Role-playing as a Kharajyr

What is a Kharajyr?

A Kharajyr.  This is a word you may, or may not have heard through your ventures of Lord of the Craft.  But today this guide will inform you of exactly what a Kharajyr is, regardless of what you may have heard previous to this.

A Kharajyr.  A Kharajyr is a creature that is heavily influenced from creatures that we have on Planet Earth that are otherwise known as Jungle Cats.  The four subraces of Kharajyr are almost directly taken from the four common big cats found in real life: The Tiger, The Panther, The Cheetah, The Leopard.  Each sub race is different to an extent and its natural traits are designed to relate as closely to their real life habits as possible.  But what is the difference between our Kharajyr and real life big cats?  Well that is simple.  Kharajyr are part big cat and part human, they have humanoid qualities that allow them to be a playable race in lord of the craft.

Speech is something that Kharajyr have that jungle cats do not.  They are able to speak to the other races in lord of the craft through their knowledge of common, however, due to the barbed tongues that they have, are unable to speak a very fluent accent like humans, or elves.  Kharajyr also have some of the physical features that humanoids possess, like the fact that they can flexibly walk on both their two hind legs or all four legs whether they choose.  Though its rather obvious that a Kharajyr is exceptionally quicker when running on all fours, and a lot more stable too.  However when a Kharajyr is on all fours they find armed combat rather difficult but have the advantage of being able to do some things that someone on two legs could not.

Considering the fact that Kharajyr are big jungle cats they still remain having very feline features, too.  They have naturally powerful jaws that are designed to tear through the muscle of their prey, lined with sharp fangs to pierce flesh.  They have thick coats of fur that shroud their bodies from head to toe, something which makes them easily distinguishable.  Kharajyr, though, also have tails.  This ensures their natural balance but often causes to attract the attention of rather dumbfound humans.  Lastly their eyes.  Kharajyr retain a natural ability to have abnormal eyesight, their reflexes are more adapted to the jungle, and only really the jungle.  They can see in the dark better than the average person, however this does not mean they can see completely in the pitch black.  
 

 

Cultural and social views.

Culture within the Kharajyr is very wild, and close to nature.  Whilst one could believe that this would mean it is very free, they are wrong.  Kharajyr culture, like many other things in their lives, is very strict and must be followed almost like an instinctive code.  Kharajyr culture has a life guiding impact on the morals of their race, and causes them to act how they do.  Kharajyr cultures is in no way bloodthirsty, but it is very predatory.  It revolves a lot around hunting and killing prey, rather than murder and having a thirst for blood.

In Kharajyr culture it is severely important that any and all Kharajyr possess the ability to hunt.  It is instinctively in their nature  that they would wish to hunt and gather their own food, and so Kharajyr are taught before they are even cubs the ins and outs of catching and killing prey.  Kharajyr are often very cunning in their hunts, and will use the jungle environment to their best advantage.  They create pitfalls and line the ground with nets attached to nearby trees in order to catch prey unaware.  Though the more common practice of catching prey is stalking, prowling and then ambushing it.  The element of surprise is something that so closely abides the thrill of the hunt, and is vital in the majority of cases that involve catching live game.  When it comes to prey, however, a Kharajyr will become very territorial and trying to take the prey of another Kharajyr is considered a severe insult, and actually a punishable crime.  This is due to the fact that a Kharajyr possesses a lot of pride from catching prey, believing Metztli herself is smiling down upon them and to take that away, is to take away who that Kharajyr is.  Even Kharajyr in the most unsuspecting of vocations will often head out to hunt for prey, or is at least able to.  Kharajyr priests, mothers, farmers and even musicians have been known to go out and catch their own prey, mainly to feed their families.

However Kharajyr culture is not entirely based on hunting, it is infact got a lot to do with tribal activities that involve an entire pride.  Music.  This is something that the Kharajyr value very, very highly.  Kharajyr hold song and poem close to their hearts and would defend the right to be able to express musical art if it were threatened.  Kharajyr are only heard playing simple instruments that are easily crafted within the jungle.  Large rattling drums are a favourite, easy to make with the large variety of skins and wood found within their jungles.  Though things like flutes, wind chimes, water pipes and poetry are also commonly practiced within Kharajyr culture as it is something that almost all Kharajyr enjoy.  Art is a big part of Kharajyr culture too,   A Kharajyr may take an interest in water paintings, due to the large amount of natural pigments from the jungle’s exotic flora.  Kharajyr, due to the excess amount of lumber they accumulate often will sculpt things out of wood, but mostly tools used to carve other things.  Look at Kharajyr architecture for example, it is filled with art.  The Kharajyr have been known to build colossal statues in the name of a specific person of importance, to show their pride.

The Kharajyr as a race are an incredibly proud people. They have no love of failure and never take being humiliated lightly. To verbally demean one of the Kharajyr would be to leave them feeling angry and hurt. This has even more impact when the insult is given by one of the apes from distant lands. A Kharajyr would not take kindly to remarks about their cat like form, for to them it is seen as a sacred blessing from their diety; Metztli. to us it is seen as a sacred blessing from Metztli herself. Tail pulling is also seen as an incredibly rude gesture when performed by a non-Kharajyr. However between the Kharajyr it can be seen as a sign of affection between mates or potential mates.

Kharajyr society.  A topic that is truly tricky and confusing.  Well, only if you are not a Kharajyr.  In the grand scheme of things, Kharajyr believe that their social status overall, is the highest.  They believe that they are the kin to the almighty and only creator, Metztli, and that her children are entirely divine.  This causes them to view the other races as lesser and believe that they should all recognise just how high and mighty the Kharajyr are.  Though whilst they hold their beliefs so strongly, they do not directly express it to the other races merely due to the fact that most Kharajyr will avoid contact with them.  A Kharajyr is more likely than not to act extremely hostile to the other races, unless they offer devout and undying loyalty to serve the Kharajyr.   A Kharajyr who acts friendly to another race is either not sticking to their character, or is only being nice to them because they have knowledge that they will gain something from it.  The Kharajyr have become wary of the other races due to how they have been treated in the past.  They do not plan to let Metztli’s people be walked all over.  Kharajyr do not believe they are racist for treating another race differently just due to what race they are, but instead feel the other races are racist for not holding the Kharajyr as highly as they wish.  Some Kharajyr may shy away from the other races and stick to the comforts of their own culture, but there are others whom would seek to use the lesser races to their advantage.  This could come in any form, from simply having food in their stomach, to even enslaving them.  For in their eyes, Metztli only placed those races in the world, to serve.  

Though society within the Karakatuan Empire itself is always strictly bound and respected.  The head of Kharajyr society is the Tlatlanni, this is the Empire of the Kharajyr who has been blessed by Metztli herself to lead the race.  The Tlatlanni is exalted within the Kharajyr community and some Kharajyr are even loyal enough put their lives in front of his.  However it is not this emperor that makes all of the races decisions.  The Kharajyr are run by a sort of government known as the Aelkos.  These four Kharajyr are in charge of putting the races best interests first in order to improve and maintain an ideal lifestyle for the race.  The Aelkos are also very well respected   Though the Kharajyr have strong belief that whilst even a Kharajyr with a high social status should be respected, every Kharajyr should be treated with respect.  No Kharajyr should be treated like scum, even when committing brutal crimes, as they are all children of Metztli and all share her brilliance.  Though this is not to say they are not punished at all, but only in a way that will make them learn, not belittle their pride.




Faith and religious views.

Faith and religion within the Kharajyr is unquestioningly the most important thing within the life of a Kharajyr.  Kharajyr are raised and brainwashed to believe that their creator, the Daemon Metztli, is the only thing that they can ever worship.  They are taught to understand that religion is more important than life itself, and that any Kharajyr should be willing to die if it meant helping Metztli in some way.  Kharajyr both live and die in hope that they will have pleased their goddess, and have made her proud.  The majority of all actions a Kharajyr will do, will be connected to their faith.  Kharajyr that revert away from their faith are known as the ‘Ape Kha’ and are deemed officially Insane by the Empire.  

The Faith of the Kharajyr people are heavily enforced by the priests that are otherwise known as the Ja’.  The Ja’ are Kharajyr that have went above and beyond the usual tasks that one would carry out to appease Metztli.  They have been recognised by their Tlatlanni or the Ju, whom leads the Kharajyr, as someone eager to enforce religion.  Kharajyr priests will also carry out sacrifices regularly to repent their sins to their goddess in hopes that she will forgive them.  These sacrifices are so that the priests may speak for the race as a whole, in hopes that she will not punish them.  They strongly believe that Metztli is able to interact with the mortal world, and whether this is true or not, they think that it was her doing when the island on their home blew up.  They also blame themselves for crisis that happen throughout the world as a whole and the priests believe that they are responsible in keeping mortals safe.  

The Kharajyr are so devoted to Metztli that they would do unspeakable things in her name.  This, is just normal however.  A Kharajyr hunts, for Metztli.  A Kharajyr kills, for Metztli.  A Kharajyr mates, for Metztli.  A Kharajyr survives, for Metztli.  A Kharajyr dies, for Metztli.  A Kharajyr that does not share this belief is either severely uneducated, or Insane.  Religion is the first thing formally taught to a Kharajyr kitten, from the time when their minds will absorb just about anything.  They are taught at this age so its something that they will never forget.  There is no excuse for not worshipping Metztli, and the Kharajyr believe that all of the races should share their beliefs.  Despite being lesser kin.  

The word of their goddess is law.  This is very interesting, as Kharajyr law is actually controlled by the Ja’ Priesthood more than it is the military.  Kharajyr laws are a lot more abnormal and strange to that of humanized cultures and this creates a nice twist in role-play.  Kharajyr usually become stubborn when it comes to talks of other religion, as they believe their goddess is the only goddess.  Speaking out against Metztli is considered a crime and would be heavily punished.  Kharajyr should also dislike being healed by druids, monks, shamans, clerics and any other deity that would be deemed fake in the eyes of a Kharajyr.  Some Kharajyr whom are very faithful will flat out refuse healing, claiming that they will survive if Metztli wants them to survive and that they will pass if Metztli has decided it is their time.

How should your character treat religion, as a Kharajyr?  Well the stone cold truth is that you should really be a religious Kharajyr, or not a Kharajyr at all.  So much of the Kharajyr culture and role-play revolves around religion and there are very, very little scenarios in which ignoring religion actually makes sense.  It is possible to become an ape Kha under certain circumstances, though it must be cleared up with the Kharajyr application team first.  Otherwise you could have your character revoke for lore breaking!  We actually heavily enforce this to stop a lot of lore breaking Kharajyr popping up and to overall just stress the fact that role-playing a religious Kharajyr is a heck of a lot more enjoyable.  However there have been Ape Kharajyr in the past that role-play what they do, outstandingly.  Every group has its bad apples, right?



Dietary habits and mannerisms.

When it comes to eating, the Kharajyr can be very, very picky.  By nature, the Kharajyr are born with the tools needed to carve deep into the flesh of their prey and devour meat. This is the path that most Kharajyr will follow.  Kharajyr have a natural love for raw meats and will simply just feed themselves off of the carcass of the prey they have caught.  They need not waste time with cooking their meats as their stomachs can handle what the wild presents to them.  Though Kharajyr cuisine is not all about bloodied flesh, no.  Kharajyr though, do have a very keen interest for sweet and sugary foods.  They are often seen growing so much sugar that it seems ridiculous.  A Kharajyr will sugar their bread, their meats, their fish and even their fruits as it satisfies their taste buds.   Kharajyr will usually only drive the jungle water or milk, and will never drink alcohol.  Alcohol is strictly forbidden in Kharajyr religion and offering a Kharajyr some ale is a grand insult.  Instead the Kharajyr make jungle brews and remedies, filled with herbs, spices, sugars and all sorts of plants from the jungle.
 

 

Architecture

Kharajyr architecture in itself is surprisingly unique, whether or not you had expected so.  Kharajyr architecture is capable of creating large structures out of stone and making it able to appear different from something that was made by humans.  Kharajyr architecture is able to dig long corridors into mountains and line the walls with stone without making it look dwarven.  How, you ask?  Influence.  Kharajyr architecture is heavily influenced on African cultures, as is most of their lore.  Specifically, Kharajyr architecture is taken from Aztec and Egyptian cultures.  Some of the most notable structures within these cultures are the large temples and tombs that they may have built in order to worship their gods and honor their dead.  Kharajyr architecture takes advantage of its jungle surrounding to provide an effective contrast, making the buildings new rather than old and stale.  Kharajyr use a lot of lapis lazuli in their building as it is also known as the sacred ‘Metztli’s Stone’ and so they bring pride to this material by decorating their walls with it.  Kharajyr architecture is better viewed in game, as it will show you just what sort of things that the Kharajyr build.  As for housing, the Kharajyr will build small dens on the jungle floor, basically hugging the trees in which their people live in. The Kharajyr have always been big on sailing and fishing, and so are proficient at constructing large ships, more for voyaging, than war, however.

 

Kharajyr accents and language.

Oh... the dreaded accent.  Does the Kharajyr accent discourage you from becoming a Kharajyr?  Does it maybe make you wish you had a second brain to help you try and understand how impossibly impossible it is to understand and even more complex to speak?  Does it make you tear your hair out and lose sleep over worry?  Nonsense I say! The Kharajyr accent is surprisingly much easier to read, write, understand and speak than one would first think or expect when seeing a Kharajyr.  They just need some simple and basic know-how in order to begin the change that is understanding a Kharajyr.

From experience I have been able to work out that Kharajyr accents come in roughly three variations. The ‘Aw’, the ‘Ee’ and the ‘Uu’.  Still confused?  Okay, let’s see.  The Kharajyr accent is already astray from common tongue, and whilst speaking the language, the Kharajyr have a different accent.  This is due to the fact that they have barbed tongues, but the accents still come in a variation.

Firstly, the ‘Aw’ sounding accent.  This is a Kharajyr that provides a much deeper and powerful tone, sometimes intimidating, or strong.  The accent focuses mainly around incorporating Aw sounds into your sentences wherever possible.  For example you could change all ‘A’ sounds to ‘Aw’.  Can becomes cawm, man becomes mawn, plan becomes plawn and so on.  The ‘Ee’ accent focuses on incorporating Ee into your sentences.  Basically you need to change most ‘i’ sounds into ‘Ee’ sounds.  So find would become feend, little becomes leetle, is becomes ees and so on.  The ‘Uu’ sounding accent focuses on placing the uu sound within your sentences and phrases.  This will reflect to show some wisdom in your Kharajyr’s voice, as the words will be softer and smoother. Uu sounds are usually in place of O’s wherever possible.  Moon becomes muun, low becomes luuw, growl becomes gruuwl and so on.  These three things all make for a lovely accent, but the best accents are when you use all three of them combined.

Kharajyr ALWAYS speak in third person, no matter the circumstance.  That means, you’ll never be typing a sentence beginning with I or one that has I in it.  Replace and I’s with your character’s name.  They also speak in third person when speaking directly to another Kharajyr.  Instead of addressing that Kharajyr as ‘you’, you would address them by their name.  Kharajyr can also be seen adding the odd ‘ah to the end of random words simply for variation and to spice things up, as well as a lot of other miscellaneous things.  You will learn more in game, role-playing with other Kharajyr than you will reading this guide.  Its a learn from experience sort of thing.  The best thing about it is that these are only guidelines.  The Kharajyr accent is as flexible as you want it to be, and you cannot be wrong when typing it!
 

 

Kharajyr love and romance.

Eventually your Kharajyr will be wanting to find a mate.  This is a very important and special process in the life of a Kharajyr as it means that this potential mate must be perfect, in order to have a strong and healthy offspring.  When the male is choosing a potential mate it will be looking for key qualities that would allow it to have healthy offspring, but surprisingly this doesn’t matter.  It is not the male that gets the majority of the choice in this matter, nor is it even the female.  It is usually the father of the female in question that will choose his daughter’s potential mate.
This is mainly the procedure followed within higher Kharajyr culture, that is this method of courting and marriage is often only pursued by nobles within the society. However, this does not mean that lower Kharajyr are exempt from following this method of marriage and it does not mean that higher Kharajyr must follow these rules. All Kharajyr are permitted, and indeed encouraged to love, even those who hold roles within the religious order of Metztli.
As you know, the Kharajyr are intelligent creatures so they aren’t born to the three natural laws "grow, reproduce, die.", in fact they are far more than those "tasks". When a male Kharajyr falls in love he is required court the female with gifts and hunting trophies to show his prowess and suitability as a mate. He must show his strength to her and after she has shared a smile with him, speak to her. After years of courting and conversation the pair must become intimate friends. When both are adults, the male Kharajyr must give a ring to her father, in as a guarantee that his status is suitable to marry his daughter. If the father likes the handiwork of the Kharajyr then said Kharajyr will marry the female. The wedding follow a similar program to that of modern weddings and will be performed upon the great Temple. To consummate the marriage the pair will bathe in the sacred pool of Metztli within the Temple. It is often customary for the male to capture a sacrifice for the wedding. The sacrifice is often taken as an indicator of how meaningful the marriage is, with a chicken being the least impressive and a sentient being held in the highest respect. There's also another fact in a Kharajyr's relationship.  
The life mate or "Metz'al" in the Kharajyr language is the most wonderful proof of a couples’ love. It is common between Kharajyr that they should identify their Metz’al upon first laying eyes on one another.

Role-playing as a child.

Kharajyr children, or ‘kittens’ are in many ways, similar to that of the average house-cat. Most kittens will develop a vast curiosity for the outside world, and this usually gets them into vast amounts of mischief... Seeing a kitten wandering the jungle alone, chasing madly after glowing insects or climbing trees, is never a rare sight amongst Kharajyr. They will have a certain sense of innocence about them, entirely unaware of how cruel the world really is outside their jungle paradise. Their lives usually consist of nothing more than complaining, eating, sleeping and hunting for attention.

As a fresh, new born kitten, you would not be able to see for a few days, and travelling anywhere would be impossible. Without your mother by your side at all times, you would fail to survive very long at all. You would not be able to process information, and your only goal would be to stick very close to your mother’s side, feeding and sleeping. A newborn kitten would not stand a chance if somebody were to attack it, it would die as if they were crushing a daisy underfoot.

As an older, slightly more developed kitten around the age of 1-4, the curiosity would start to kick in as you become strong enough to wander independently, but this does not mean you can yet survive without your mother close by. A kitten of this age, would understand danger and how to avoid it of course, but such a frail body would not yet stand a chance against actually defending itself, unless against an equally weak opponent. And just like every ability, a Kharajyr must train their level of stealth by themselves, and younger Kha’ are typically more clumsy and noisy underfoot than your older Kha’ may be. At this age, a kitten may be able to utter simple sounds and perhaps the odd word, but no more than that.

Around the ages of 5-10, a Kha’ kitten will begin to grow more independent, they will start to stray away from their mother a lot more, yet would still rely on her for their food supply and the general love and affection every kitten craves so much. A Kha’ of this age would be eating a wide variety of foods rather than just their mother’s milk - meat is certainly on the table for them now. And as they grow older, their muscles begin to strengthen and their external senses such as sight and hearing, will also begin to grow more potent.

From the ages of 11-15, a Kharajyr kitten is still known as a kitten, yet is more like a Kha’ teenager if anything else. They would of stopped taking their mother’s milk by this point and would most likely be encouraged to hunt for their own food by themselves rather than having it supplied to them. By this stage, they would easily be able to hold their own say and maturely display it. However, a Kha’ may only choose his profession and finally turn adult after reaching the age of 15, where he or she is to be respected equally amongst Kharajyr.
 

 

Moral and religious laws.

The Kharajyr very much believe in punishing those that have wronged them, but also believe that unless they are not Kharajyr, their pride should be kept at bay.  Though to avoid punishment in the first place, Kharajyr teach their young all of the important Kharajyr laws so that they will not make mistakes.  This is a list of laws in which Kharajyr will try to enforce on you, laws that you will also find written in game.

Never:
Insult the goddess Metztli: The goddess Metztli is almighty and divine, she deserves only worship and praise and never doubt nor insult.

Kill another Kharajyr:  Metztli’s children are completely sacred and they should never be killed at the hands of another.  The only time it is acceptable to kill a Kharajyr is if a priest is sacrificing it, which usually only happens if that Kharajyr has killed another Kharajyr.

Harm an Ocelot:  Ocelots are sacred creatures within the Kharajyr culture, they are to be preserved and protected.  The lesser races should not get close to them, and no harm should ever come to them.  If you kill an Ocelot, you will be killed.

Consume Alcohol:  Alcohol is viewed as unholy and corrupt in the eyes of a Kharajyr.  The worship of Metztli forbids it and it is not to be consumed nor even brought near the homeland of the Kharajyr.  This is a severely heavy crime and will be punished as such.

Interrupt a Sacrifice:  The work of Metztli, condoned by the priests, is never to be interrupted.  This divine practice is holy and sacred in the eyes of the Kharajyr and should be respected.  Silence should be held during a sacrifice and any interruptions will bring punishment.


Do not:
Trespass where you are not allowed: The personal home of a Kharajyr is private to themself and only themself, one should not dare trespass upon another.  This goes for out of bounds structures and nature reserves such as the palace and gy’waka breeding grounds.  Your foolish actions will only lead to your swift demise.

Isolate yourself from Kharajyr society:  Your fellow Kharajyr wish to respect you and live alongside you under the glory of Metztli.  Trying to avoid this will raise suspicion and may even cause you to be hunted down.

Harm a Gy’Waka:  Gy’Waka birds are to be protected under the Empire.  They are not prey, but great predators and are to be respected as one.  Harming one will cause uproar within the eyes of the Kharajyr.

Accept the gifts of another deity: Metztli wills it for you to worship her and only her, accepting the gifts from another higher power will definitely show your disloyalty.  This includes even healing from another deity powered messenger such as the monks, clerics, druids and shamans as they are all fake.  Metztli is the true creator.

Take what does not belong to you:  A Kharajyr’s possessions should remain their own, no matter the circumstances.  If they feel like sharing what they have, then they will.  It is not up to you how much they will share and theft is frowned upon.  The Empire will not rest until you have returned what has been stolen.
 

 

Not acceptable:
Vandalism:  The property of Metztli and her sacred jungles should remain unscarred to any and all levels.  If Metztli wishes to change the land, then she will.  It is not up to you to decide how the land will look, and so vandalism is not acceptable.

Desecration of the dead:  The Kharajyr ancestors are limitlessly exalted within the eyes of the present time Kharajyr.  The dead bodies of the Kharajyr that have passed are to be respected to no end and desecration of their bodies would be seen as a direct attack on all that has ever been within Kharajyr history.

Putting the Empire at risk:  Doing anything unlawful that would put the Kharajyr people as a whole at risk is not acceptable in any way and could have you sent back into the hands of Metztli in order for you to be spiritually cleansed.  This means that those that publically wreak havoc upon other nations or races may be sacrificed, unless ordered by the Emperor.

Leaving the Karakatuan Empire:  As a child of Metztli your life is bound to her worship and service.  You are born to flourish in Metztli’s world and prove to the other races that the kin of the moon are divine both inside and out.  Leaving the Kharajyr and seeking to be religiously independent is unacceptable.  Your religion is not optional, and to believe in another deity is to spit in the face of your very creator.

Creating conflict with the Empire’s allies:  Whilst still believing that it is the mightiest of forces, the Empire realises that it cannot rule the world alone.  It uses the surrounding groups of people to its advantage and would call them its allies.  Any attempt to politically destroy the ties of the Empire’s allies or create it new enemies is not acceptable.
 

 

Do:
Treat the jungle with respect:  The jungle is the home of the children of Metztli, and is graced with her divine beauty.  It is your responsibility to treat it with respect and see that does indeed not come to harm iin any way possible.

Respect the privacy of another:  If a Kharajyr wishes to be left alone, then it has all right to be left alone.  If you continue to pursue a Kharajyr even after it has wished for you to leave it be, serious action will be taken.

Put Metztli before yourself:  The almighty goddess is the one that spiritually birthed you and created you.  You belong to her and will forever be her cared for child.  Even after death, you will ascend to be with Metztli upon the moon and should always put her before yourself, even if this means dying in her name.

Envy the dead:  The Kharajyr should be almost jealous of the Kharajyr that have died before them, for now they have ascended into the sky to be with their creator, the moon.  Dying is a blessing from Metztli, an everlasting peace that cannot be interrupted though Kharajyr are encouraged to do as well as they can in their current lives first.

Spare the unable:  As a hunter a Kharajyr is prideful in the game that he hunts and the prey that he catches.  If a Kharajyr were to stumble across something that would never have been able to ever defend itself, then it should be spared.  A good example of this would be children, as they are undeveloped and unable to survive by themselves.
 

 

Always:
Remain silent inside the temple:  The temple is a monumental place of worship, and is said to be the closest one can get to communing with their holy matriarch, Metztli.  A Kharajyr should dare not speak when inside the house of their creator, and the priests shall enforce such.  The only time speech may be heard at the temple is during a sacrifice, in which only the priest in action will be heard.

Act in the name of your people:  A Kharajyr should always be seen acting in the name of their Empire, their Tlatlanni or the goddess Metztli.  All actions that each and every single Kharajyr executes should be part of a bigger picture which somehow reflects on Metztli and the Kharajyr.

Praise Metztli:  A Kharajyr should always praise and worship Metztli and see that any good that ever happens to them has been blessings bestowed upon them by the goddess herself.  Metztli is always with us and the Kharajyr should always remember to thank her for her love and care.

Treat your kin with pride:  A Kharajyr’s pride is arguably one of the most important things to themselves and a Kharajyr should never be seen taking away the pride of another Kharajyr.  Whether this be by stealing the prey of another or just verbally belittling another, the Kharajyr should show undying respect and loyalty to all of Metztli’s children.

Trust your Tlatlanni:  Your Tlatlanni is blessed and trusted by Metztli herself to lead the Kharajyr into a brighter future.  You should always address your Tla’ properly and bow in his presence for he is the one that knows what the future holds and can change it.



Ape Kharajyr.

Probably one of the most important section for a guide.  Well, only really if you intend to play one.  An Ape Kharajyr is a Kharajyr that does not obey our lore.  Well, that’s a lie.  They obey our lore but do not follow our religion entirely, and live outside the Empire.  There should not be many Ape Kharajyr, and actually preferably none.  I’d hope to never have more than three or four in the entire race at one time.  

A Kharajyr will become an Ape Kharajyr when he has a severe distrust in the Kharajyr people.  This usually happens after massive crisis and life changing events.  Why something so large scale?  Thats simple.  Kharajyr have religion drilled into their head from day one, effectively brainwashed.  Its hard to break that chain.   Becoming an Ape Kharajyr is something that can only happen IN-GAME and so anyone that applies as an Ape Kharajyr, WILL be denied.  Why is this you ask?  To stop the number of lore-breaking Kharajyr skyrocketing again.  We want Ape Kharajyr played only by the best pf role-players.  In fact, you need to have more knowledge about the Kharajyr to play an Ape Kharajyr well, than you do a normal one.

Ape Kharajyr have been either exiled or have left, after which they will live in the wilds on their own integrate into other societies.  An Ape Kharajyr is not permitted and physically cannot speak like a human, as Kharajyr have barbed tongues which almost forces a thick accent.  An Ape Kharajyr will not wear human clothing.  They will dehydrate and become far too hot and could end up collapsing.  An Ape Kharajyr should still think of the other races as scum, for it knows truly that it is still part of the dominant race and any kindness shown to other races is only due to the fact the Kharajyr has something to gain from it.  An Ape Kharajyr should never fall in love or show intimacy towards another race, this is a direct insult to its own creation, and desecration of its purity.  A Kharajyr cannot mate with another race, a Kharajyr can only have children with another Kharajyr.

How does one become an Ape Kharajyr?  Well they will need to speak with the Kharajyr application team OOCly and send them a large biography of how the Kharajyr’s life changed for the worst and how they now have zero belief in Metztli’s presence anymore, or no faith left on their empire.  If the Kharajyr Application team do accept this, you will be able to become an Ape Kharajyr, if not then you must either continue being a normal Kharajyr or continue progressing to become an outcast.  If you are seen as an Ape Kharajyr without speaking to the Kharajyr application team, you may be revoked.  

How do you play a good Kharajyr?  Well you play like you’d play a normal one, but you portray a hate for the empire and a distrust in your religion.  If you can portray a very savage, tribal character properly amidst a community of humans and elves.  You have not only promoted the good that our race can bring, but you have given role-play back to the community.  An ape Kharajyr will create so much contrast in an alien environment due to the fact that they are Kharajyr and not ape.  The fact that you are an ape Kharajyr is depressing, distressing.  Nobody should ever WANT to become a Kharajyr, and if you have become one it is due to bad things having happened.  You should not act happy but instead ten times as more feral around the disgusting and irritable apes.  Remember, you are not a fluffy cute kitty.  You are a hulking roaring jungle beast.  You are a Kharajyr!  You represent our race more than any of the other Kharajyr.  So do good!





Kharajyr Lifespan.

Kharajyr Lifespan is a subject that many become confused about.  And so today you’ll learn of just at what age a Kharajyr dies at, how their age progression grows as well as their beliefs on afterlife and how Kharajyr births are like.

Upon conception a female Kharajyr will be pregnant for between sixteen and eighteen month.  Upon finally giving birth the female will usually have quite a large litter of, on average, between five and ten kittens.  Sadly, not all of these kittens have a 100% rate of survival, and many die in the womb before they are even born.  If more of the mother’s litter dies at birth than the amount that survives, there is a large chance the mother, too, will die at birth. Throughout the instant and early stages of life, a kitten will be in possession of its mother for a while, as its mother nurses it and makes sure that it is provided with nutrition.  The mother, in this time, will have an overprotective bond with its child and is likely to attack any that come near or touch its kitten.  This bond will be the start of the development the mother and child have throughout the remainder of their lives, the child will come to respect the mother a large portion more than the other Kharajyr.

At around the age of ten the kitten is now known as a cub, to signify that it is no longer a baby, and can act by itself now.  However cubs are still very young within the eyes of the elder Kharajyr and should still be looked after and watched closely.  And whilst this period of a Kharajyr’s life is probably the shortest, it is one of the most important.  In this time they will be preparing for their trials, in which their father will be teaching them how to run, climb, hunt and kill in preparation for their trials.  This forms a strong predatory bond with the father, where the cub usually will look up to the father as an alpha male, and a true hunter
When they reach the age of fifteen, the cub will need to finally do their trials, to prove themselves to Metztli.  

After the Kharajyr passes its trials it will become a fully fledged adult, but this is only the beginning of their journey in the eyes of Metztli.  The Kharajyr will have to adopt a vocation that will serve the Empire and begin their life in service of Metztli, freshly tuned with their knowledge of culture and faith.  When Kharajyr reach about the age of thirty, they begin to mature and become fertile.  It is around about this time that Kharajyr will become interested in having a mate, and reproducing.  Before this age, this notion would not even strike their mind.  The competition to appear as the most dominant male is quite a challenge when there are a lot of male Kharajyr, for the female’s father will have to approve of their mate before they may come together as a family.  

By around about the age of one hundred and thirty a Kharajyr is granted the title of Yhl, this distinguishes them as an Elder of the Kharajyr.  A Kharajyr elder is to be severely respected as they have been alive for a long time and know most of the ins and outs of Kharajyr life.  At this age Kharajyr females will become infertile, and no longer have the ability to reproduce.  The Elders are often wise due to experience and will reflect the stories of their lives upon the younger Kharajyr, in hopes that they can learn from them.  

However when a Kharajyr reaches around the age of one hundred and sixty it begins to become a little less agile, and it begins to slow down.  This is the average age of mortality for the Kharajyr, but Kharajyr can and have lived up to the age of two hundred years old.  When a Kharajyr dies, it will be sent to the altar of Metztli, where a ceremony will be held.  The priests believe that Metztli can extract the soul from the dead body and send it back to her to live in everlasting peace.  The body will then be giving a very respectful burial, and the Kharajyr will all reflect on the dead Kharajyr’s life.  The Kharajyr believe that after death, they will rise into the stars with to live alongside their almighty creator.  The moon.  





Clothing

The Kharajyr are already blessed from birth with a thick coat of warm fur by Metztli and so do not find clothing particularly important.  A Kharajyr will be seen wearing very tribal clothing.  A Kharajyr does not wear clothing to keep warm, but only for decorative purposes.  Kharajyr clothing is nothing like humanoid clothing, in the way that it is a lot more primal and exotic.  

Kharajyr that do not care about their appearance may simply just walk around wearing nothing but a loincloth and if female, a simple chestpiece.  This is of course to hide the Kharajyr’s private parts and nothing more.  However more often than not a Kharajyr will value how it looks and will wish to have decorative clothing, simply because it does not wish to look like everyone else.  Kharajyr clothing are made from silks and cloths spun from natural materials found in their jungles or are stitched together with pelts from the animals that are hunted as prey.  Kharajyr clothing often won't cover up their entire bodie, as they will become very hot and agitated.  Clothing is mostly always seen to be bright colours, that make attempts to reflect the heat of the sun that beats down upon them.  However Kharajyr priests are often seen wearing full body robes, that they require in their service to Metztli.  Kharajyr clothing is also usually decorated in jewelry, as this is something the Kharajyr are fond of.  

When it comes to armour, the Kharajyr stick to light materials so they may remain agile.  Armour is made of mostly leather pelts and from the skins of animals but Kharajyr are also known to craft their armour from a molten mixture of gold bronze.  This light and malleable metal allows for swift movement whilst still providing a fair amount of protection for the Kharajyr. Kharajyr armour, if metal, is often embroidered with a large number of chain links in them, so that they do not boil in the sun, but do not have to leave huge open gaps in their protection.





Weaponry

Kharajyr have a very varied array of weaponry to their disposal. First and foremost comes unarmed combat. Kharajyr are graced with claws and a huge set of teeth to cut through flesh with relative ease. Kharajyr can use these weapons in pretty much any competitive scenario, to maim, scar, cut, wound, carve and otherwise damage the flesh of another. These natural perks however, are not designed for cutting through metals, stones and other harder materials. Infact, it would not be unlikely for a Kharajyr to take some time clawing through wood, but may find gnawing its way through food a much less taxing task.
    There are several different forms of actual kha-made weaponry that are at the disposal of the kharajyr, that differentiate from fighting style to fighting style. For example; some kha’ may want to use Javelins in their battles, whereas another may use a longsword for their duals.  Smaller weapons, such as daggers are fond favourites amongst some members of the Kharajyr, their quick and deadly piercing mannerisms making them efficient killers. However, the daggers are more likely to be used in ceremonial sacrifices to the deity metztli.  In simplicity, Kharajyr have probably the widest range of  weaponry available to one race on Lord of the Craft.  Though these are only the weapons that Kharajyr would usually use, and your character does not have to use them.  Your character can use what he or she chooses, and may not even fight at all.  However here is a little bit more information on the main weaponry used by the Kharajyr.
 

 

 

The Composite Warbow:

The Composite Warbow:  Composite Warbows are something that have been in Kharajyr culture since when their civilisation was just beginning.  It is a very primitive and simple weapon, though it wages big results.   A composite warbow is a large, and powerful device, and is usually homemade by some Kharajyr, whom take advantage of the thick jungle wood and vines to create a powerful bowstring capable of going straight through a set of armour.  The Compostive Warbow is designed not to wound an enemy or make it bleed, but to pin it down and to disable it.  It is designed specifically for hunting, to hinder prey so that the predator may move in for the kill.  How do these weapons do this exactly?  Simple.  Their large bow strings are constructed from thick vine, used to fire their ammunition.  The Composite Warbow fires large primal javelins or hunting spears, designed to pierce and penetrate that which it hits.  More often and not the receiving victim will be struck to the ground, as the force behind these shots are great.  The bow fires slowly and requires time to get another set of ammunition ready, and requires a lot in terms of resources to keep supplied with ammunition.  However ammunition is easily recollected from corpses and can be resharpened for reuse.  These bows stand almost as tall as the Kharajyr itself, being thick, haunch and very dense, with the spears being usually four feet in length.  

 

 

 

 

 

The Scimitar

Scimitars are also a fond weapon amongst particular Kharajyr. The Scimitar is a very poor stabbing weapon, and yet an effective cutting, slashing one. They take advantage of a sharp, non serrated and curved blade. The Scimitar is usually incapable of  being used to destroy, or take down doors and chests and is particularly poor against armour. The scimitar is a weapon to be used against open flesh, and only opening flesh, as it is often a poor penetrator.  Scimitars are used in close quarters combat, and only close quarters combat.  Scimitars are almost like a decoy, only really good for parrying and fending off the weapon of the opponent due to the fact of how light they are.  However Karakatuan Scimitars are crafted to have a few serrated teeth on the end, made from golden bronze.  This gives them a little bit of extra added weight, so that if the Kharajyr does land a successful strike on their opponent, it will tear through their flesh with ease.  Though the Kharajyr in most cases will only defend himself with this weapon, rather than kill with it.  Buying itself time before retreating back into the jungle with its Guerilla tactics.
 

 

 

The Trident

Tridents are, however quite the more potent weapon. A tool that can be used to throw, stab or bluntly bash an opponent with significant penetrating power is one to be feared at minimum. Made up of a ‘staff like shape’, (usually a cylinder of jungle wood) and topped with three separate barbs, the trident has long been a symbol of the kharajyr, as it has in ancient greek mythology in real life. The trident’s barbs, however render it usually incapable of penetrating particularly far through a medium, as the centre barb is usually longer, the other two barbs then to feel the effects of the colliding forces and halt in velocity, sometimes not even penetrating skin. The front barbs, however are usually the only way one can be stabbed by a trident, the wielder can take advantage of the blunt sides of the weapon, and use them to bash another across the head, potentially knocking them unconscious. The trident’s cylinder shaft is the shape usually adopted by a javelin, and with enough thrust, can be used in a similar effect, and be used as a ranged weapon also.  

Originally, the daggers would be coated in a neurotoxin known only to the most intelligent kharajyr, the neurotoxin would halt the heart rate and effectively stop the heart. However, with the sacking of Va’Khajra, this knowledge was lost as a majority of the Kharajyr fell under the Orcish axe. It has, however, come into possession of one of the Kharajyr alive today, a book describing the neurotoxin, it’s ingredients, it’s effects and it’s uses. A book written by Ri’Bukaknog of Va’Khajra.

 

The trials.

When your Kharajyr reaches the age of fifteen, he or she will have to go through what is known as the Trials of Metztli in order to pass as a fully fledged adult.  These trials consist of tasks that a Kharajyr should be able to complete by this age.  If a Kharajyr does not complete their trials they will be shunned and have their pride taken from them.  This is something that no Kharajyr would ever want, and so Kharajyr will always try exceptionally hard when it comes to preparing for their trials.  There are currently four trials and a fifth secret trial that the Kharajyr will not learn about in character until after their previous four are completed.  Each trial is given by one of the four Aelkos, each task is based around what that Aelkos is the Aelkos of.  


The trial of crafting.

The trial of crafting is the first of the four trials within the trials of Metztli.  This trial will be given to you by the Kun’.  The Kun’ is the Aelkos of economy and has a deep knowledge of everything economical within the Karakatuan Empire.  The Kun’ will send you into the jungle with nothing but your own belongings, and have you create something of significance.  This could be anything from a tool, to clothing, to sugared fish.  Whatever you will craft, it will be of something significant.  You will not be told what it is you must craft, but will be expected to produce something impressive.  If you fail, you will be asked to start again, crafting, and crafting until you have finally made something of value.  This trial is to ensure the Kharajyr has learned the values of natural resource and that turning those resources into other things, they may gain something.


The trial of the jungle.

The trial of the jungle is the second of the four trials within the trials of Metztli.  This trial will be given to you by the Uhan’.  The Uhan’ is the Aelkos of culture and has a deep understanding of the flora and fauna of the jungle.  The Uhan’ will send you into the jungle to study the plants, herbs and flowers and animals  there.  He will ask you to do something with your findings, perhaps create a healing remedy.  Fix the wound of another, or even try to tame one of the animals.  If the Uhan’ feels as if you have failed your ttrial, he will send you out to learn about something different.  Whatever it is that he asks you to do, it will benefit your knowledge of the jungle and will test that you have sufficient knowledge of the Kharajyr culture and know just what your surroundings are good for.


The trial of survival.

The trial of survival is the third of the four trials within the trials of Metztli.  This trial will be given to you by the Dri’.  The Dri’ is the Aelkos of War and is the leader of the moonblades.  The Dri’ has a distinct knowledge of combat, survival and hunting.  The Dri’ will banish you from the land, exiling you from the Kharajyr society for one elven day.  Within this time period, you will have no contact with the Kharajyr whatsoever and will be alone within the mainland with the other races.  You are to use your instincts in order to survive and have been tasked with finding, hunting and killing an impressive beast.  The Dri’ wants you to bring back this prey, dead, so that you may present it to him and show your prowess as a young hunter or huntress.  If you fail to bring back something within those two months you will fail your trial and will have to begin again.  If you are killed within these two months, Metztli will be awaiting you in the stars.  Once you return, you are to reflect upon your survival and the thrill of the hunt and tell the Dri’ what you have learned about hunting and combat.  


The trial of faith.

The trial of faith is the fourth of the four trials within the trials of Metztli.  This trial will be given to you by the Ju’.  The Ju’ is the Aelkos of Religion and is the head of the Ja’ priesthood.  The Ju’ is seen as a wise figure in Kharajyr society and has an unending knowledge of Kharajyr religion and faith.  The Ju’ will take you down to the sacred moonpool under the temple.  He will then give you his sacrificial dagger and task you with plunging the dagger into your chest right there on the spot.  The Ju’ will then work on healing your wounds after the self inflicted injury,.  If you fail to harm yourself, you will fail your trial.  You will then be given a time to calm down before trying the trial again.  After passing your trial the Ju; will ask you to reflect on what you have done, witnessed and learned.  Successfully putting Metztli before your own life shows that you have learned to have faith in her divinity.

The trial of Metztli.
After completing the Trial of Crafting, the Trial of the Jungle, the Trial of Survival and the Trial of Faith the Aelkos will come together in council to address you and congratulate you.  Though they will tell you that you are not finished quite yet and there is one final trial.  They will then guide you to a place that you were forbidden to know about before, where you will begin your final trial.  This isn’t a trial you could have ever prepared for.  If you pass the trial, the Tlatlanni will congratulate you himself, Metztli will smile down with pride upon you, and you will be a fully fledged Kharajyr.  If you fail your task.  You will be robbed of all life, reclaimed by Metztli to rest in shame in the grasp of the goddess.
 

 

Rituals

There are many rituals carried out within the tribalistic culture of the Kharajyr.  Each having their own meaning, purpose, and period in which it will be performed.  Before each ritual, the ones performing it will bathe in the sacred pool of Metztli, to energize themselves and prepare for the coming ritual.

Ritual of the Moon

The ritual of the Moon is the standard common sacrificial ritual. The victim is lain across an altar and a special sacrificial blade would be plunged into the victims chest, the heart would then be surgically removed by the priest and held up for the collection of Kharajyr to see. The sacrificial blade is previously bathed in the sacred pools and blessed by the priests, then coated in a neurotoxin known as Tetrodotoxin, which effectually stops the nervous system responding, paralysing the target. It is not unknown for a victim to have an overdose of this toxin and die from lung and heart malfunction before they can be sacrificed. The toxin itself is extracted from certain fish, octopi, toads and newts.


Priest: O’ Mother of the Blessed, Light of the World and O’ Sainted of all, hear our prayer and accept our gifts.
On this night, O’ Moon Mother, we give to you a life, a one whom is unworthy of your praise and gift.
O’ Mother! Hear our prayer!
*The priest will then plunge the blade into the victims chest, and will remove the heart. He will then reach into the chest and grab out the heart, and hold it up to the moon for all to see.*
As the heart grows silent, let the soul of the body rise into the sky and the energy of the body used to empower our Great Mother!
O’ Mother! Accept our gift, and bestow onto us your blessing!
All: O’ Mother! Hear our prayer!

Ritual of War

The ritual of war is a ritual in which a sacrifice is made to Metztli to ensure her support in the coming battle. The Aelkos of War (The Dri’) leads the ritual, using the priests and priestesses as support. Much alike to the sacrificial ritual, the blade is coated in Tetrodotoxin to ensure the death is as painless, clean and problem free as possible. Although Metztli does not have any recorded physical impact on the battles, the ritual is used as a morale booster for the entire Kharajyr people. Although some theories have developed claiming that Metztli indirectly influences the outcome of the battles by changing small things; such as making a cloud cover the moon to hide her warriors from being detected, or revealing the moon once again so a creeping enemy may become visible. Additionally inverse theories have also come to light, claiming if the ritual does not take place the opposite will happen; although both theories are just myth and have no substantial evidence to back the claims.



Dri’: Night Mother, keep us safe from our enemies. Grant us protection from those who wish upon us the evils of the sun! Purify our souls and minds with your all encompassing wisdom and might.
Priests: Grant us wisdom!
Dri’: Watcher of the Stars, grant us the power of the night! Muffle our movements and keep us under your cloak of aegis. Give us the strength to smite our enemies in a single blow!
Priests: Grant us strength!
Dri’: O’ Moon Mother, we beseech of you! Allow us the heart and courage to act upon your will, and to spread the influence of the blessed race upon all of the worlds!
Priests: Grant us courage!
Dri’: Goddess over all, we give unto you this life in return for these gifts we so seek!
*The Dri’ will then thrust the knife down into the victim, but instead of cutting out the heart, instead the Dri’ will cut deeper into the flesh and allow as much blood as possible to flow out of the body, as it is symbolic for the flood of the Kharajyr who will consume their enemies.*
All: Thank you O’ Great Mother!

A little explanation, you don’t really have to include this on the front page but perhaps it makes the prayers make a little more sense. I tried to make this sound very... cultish. Filled with riddles and unclear language
The “Grant us wisdom” prayer is mainly focusing on that of allowing insight into the enemies plans, but also a plea for protection from the enemies eyes, and the ability to see which plans to put into effect when to grant maximum advantage for the Kharajyr.
The “Grant us strength” prayer is not so much focusing on brute strength, but more strength used as a much looser definition, more the “power” of the Kharajyr and allowing them to strike swiftly and as powerfully as possible, usually with the use of stealth or other guerrilla tactics.
The “Grant us courage” prayer is as it looks, they are asking Metztli for courage for the oncoming battle.

Ritual of Plenty

The ritual of plenty like most others contains a sacrifice to ensure Metztli’s blessing. It is believed that by sacrificing another race (Commonly termed “Apes”) or another animal will bring the rains for the oncoming growing season. The reason for this ceremony directly translates to “the blood of the enemy will nourish the seeds of our crops”. This is not entirely constant due to the fact of the usage of animals of substitutes when an “enemy” cannot be found for the sacrifice, although an enemy is preferred over an animal for the sacrifice. Usually it is the Aelkos of Economy (The Kun’) who performs this ritual, although it is not uncommon for a priest to also perform this ritual. The Ritual of Plenty is one of the least formal and shortest of the ceremonies, and it is usually performed by priests in some of the more rural communities. Rarely there will be a giant ceremony in the capital which is mainly performed by the Kun’
Priest: From the ground spurts the child of the earth, it grants us nourishment and fills our stores with plenty. We thank the Mother for her gifts, and in return we offer this sacrifice!
All: The rains must come!
Priest: The Blood shall run down the steps and soak into the earth. It shall feed our crops, as the blood of our enemy returns to the cycle!
All: The rains must come!
Priest: Take the flesh of this beast as a gift of our subservience to your gloriousness, and in return bestow us with the rains to wash away the famine!
All: The rains must come!
Priest: With these words I surrender this life, in return for the rains to sustain a thousand more!
All: The rains must come!
Priest: The rains must come!
*As the leader of the ceremony finishes the word “come”, the knife is thrust into the heart of the ape/beast and the blood is left to drain down the steps.*
Priest: The rains are coming.

Ritual of Order

The ritual of order is lead by different people depending on the times and the will of the Tlatlanni. During the ritual a lot of gifts are slowly thrown into the holy moon pool to signify the priest giving up all his worldly possessions that he holds dear and instead embracing Metztli as all that they require. No blood is to be spilled as it is thought that an ape’s blood would “taint” the ceremony. In this ceremony the Tlatlanni does not have to be present, but is permitted to enter the ceremony. No others other than Aelkos or the Tlatlanni may enter the ceremony on punishment of being buried in the sand. The prospective priest will come into the ritual chamber with just their undergarments and their clothes and all worldly possessions in their hands.

Priest: Lady Mother of the Moon, we call upon you in this night!
*The priest who spoke will dip their paw into the water and sprinkle some on their forehead; after the priest does so the rest of the priests will follow suit.*
Second Priest: The moon has risen, the mother is rising, all hail the moon goddess.
Third priest (or first again if there are only two at the time): Lady Mother, Lady Mother, listen to the song of the soul, for one wishes to become your servant this night!
*The prospective priest will step forward, all items they will donate being held in their hands.*
Second Priest: For one whom wishes the servitude of the mother must embrace nothing but the divine!
First Priest: Throw away your garments, throw away your jewels, throw away your weapons, these are nothing.
Third Priest (or first continuing): The mothers embrace will be your garments, the moon shall be your jewels and the wisdom of the Night shall be your weapons!
All Priests together: Embrace the Night!
*The prospective priest will throw away all of the items into the moon pool.*
First Priest: You submerge a Kharajyr.
*The priests will then lower the prospective priest into the pool until they are completely submerged. After a small amount of time they will be brought up again.*
All Priests together: You re-emerge a chosen one. Welcome [brother/sister].

Ritual of the land.

The ritual of the land is a ritual to signify the safety, or healing of their jungle homeland.  This usually occurs after there has been some significant change to the geography of the land.  For example, if a volcano erupted, a jungle fire started.  Perhaps the Kharajyr were sabotaged and the river was destroyed.  Or the slaughtering of the animals of the land.  Any of these things would provoke a ritual to heal the land in hope of turning it back to normal.  This ritual is usually lead by the Aelkos of Culture. (The Uhan’)  It will involve a few of the priests as well as a significant plant or creature to sacrifice.  It isn’t a very long ceremony and it does not happen often but it is one of the most important ceremonies that the Kharajyr priests will hold.  
Uhan: O’ Mother, O great Mother.  We have not pleased you and you have punished us, you have harmed our land - our sacred land- and this has harmed us in turn.
Priests: We have been punished.
Uhan: We seek your forgiveness, for our land remains scarred, as does our minds. We bring you a gift, O’ mother, one sacred to our land in hopes that you may forgive us.
Priests: O’ great Mother, hear our plea.
*The Uhan’ will plunge his dagger into the chest of the creature, or will set fire to the plant they had acquired before continuing to speak again.*
Uhan: Even amongst the darkness upon our land, we glint with hope, O’ great mother.  In dire hope, we pray!
Priest: O’ great Mother, grand us serendipity!



Conclusion

Well this concludes the Kharajyr Application Guide.  I hope this was helpful to you at all.  If you still lack knowledge you can always PM a member of the Kharajyr application team or ask a question on the Kharajyr question and answer thread and we will try to answer it for you.  AS well as this guide, there are a few other topics around the Kharajyr Roleplay sub-forum that may help you out, such as the Social Class topic and the Prides Topic. I hoped you enjoyed reading, even if you do not plan to become a Kharajyr.  This guide is to serve for the knowledge of others, and let’s hope it did!

Credit goes to Benboboy, Yekim7 and Geoboy66 for writing this guide.
No ferrets were harmed in the making of the Kharajyr Application Guide.

 

[Heero 4092]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.