The Zil'maktumi

[Ibn Khaldun 7730]

“
As the sands sweep across desert floor, our people migrated from landed moor
We have kept in simple language our lore so as to guide those who are borne more
Upon these oases which quenching water pour, we have founded civilization afore
Rested on sands and walked atop brick we bore, converged upon banking, split now in four
In peace we trade and flourish, yet two are in war, rituals practiced and chants soar
Across the desolate Ujxkxry we trample sand into glass, our feet beaten like iron till sore
Our writings have become acknowledged, knowledge from pages tore
In our words will we guide, our directions will walk men in tour
Of our glorious lands, may you know us as wise-men
“
- Yil’Mandabh Andalus ‘The Oasis Speaks’

The
Zil’Maktum [or ‘Those of the Oasis’] are as a people stoic and proud of
the accolades of being of the harshest environments to have been hewn
by wind and coagulated from molten rock. For it is within the desert of
Ujxkxry [translated as ‘Ul’jakari’] that the Zil’Maktum reside, making
homes sprinkled within the oases which stand as mercies respected. The
Zil’Maktum are one of the most sophisticated societies within the
‘Pangaea’, having developed a panoply of cultural phenomenon, consorted
in the development of language both old and new, and have formulated a
diverse governance in their time upon banking on shores and reaching
their comforting land.

The Zil’Maktum can be described as those
with human features, a prominent detail that allows for easier
identification is the olive hue to their skin with scraggly jet black
hair. Those of the blood of Zil’Maktum are also typically taller and
their muscularity toned, yet sinewy frame and often have roughened feet
unless female. These people often speak with a soothing tone, they have
trouble with speaking words or phrases needing guttural emphasis.
Overall, the Zil’Maktum are given to having a calm demeanor, but by no
means are they restricted in having other more aggressive personalities.
The Zil’Maktum have an evolved resistance towards the heat and know
from childrearing towards their age of maturity how to gain water from
the harsh environment and frugality of such human needs. Their frugality
has been a dominant influence upon their culture and societal
structuring especially from the Elder Maktumi Age.

The Elder
Maktumi Age was the period of time from the landing on the Moor of
Tujlas [translated roughly into ‘rolling’] towards the end of the reign
of the Federator-Elect Yil’Jilasi. This period is looked with reverence
by the Zil’Maktumi of more modern times as a period of development of
the peoples that landed at the moor from the archipelago surrounding the
Verge Portal from Aegis. This journey they took to bypass the
increasingly aggressive actions of the offspring of the Four Brothers
for fertile land was known as ‘Pnty jw Aegxs’ [in New Maktumi, Pontoy
jaw Aegis] which translates at best into ‘The Sail from Aegis’. One may
be confused upon learning this as to ‘How did they sail from Aegis when
they seemed to have gained access through the Verge Portal?’. This is
answerable by studying what exactly Aegis was known to be in the days of
ancient, Aegis was the name to refer to the whole world they knew, so
thus they even classified the archipelago arrived to when crossing the
Verge Portal as ‘Aegis’.

One of the often prized studies of the
Zil’Maktumi upon their past is the development of their language. The
attributes of the language of the Elder Maktumi are easily recognizable
as having no vowels portrayed in the writing, albeit pronunciation made
use of vowels. As time passed, noticable were the implementation of
vowels into the written form of the language, often times the
Zil’Maktumi call it ‘Sabunani’ [sbnn in Elder Maktumi]; the name of the
language meaning ‘Cryptic-Words’. Another feature that was continued to
be adopted was the use of suffixes to ascribe gender and tribal
connections amongst other uses. An example would be the name Yil’Mandabh
which translates into He who is of [Yil] the spears [Mandabh],
ascribing that he is a male of a certain tribe.

Another aspect of
Zil’Maktumi respect towards their past is the religious traditions and
cultural practices. [Need to talk to Hamin on his work so far]. The
water buffalo was ascribed to be one of the most respected animals in
the Elder Maktumi times, a livestock cherished and breed plentifully and
helped the Zil’Maktumi transfer from a semi-nomadic lifestyle towards a
more sedentary setting with the use of the water buffalo assisting in
irrigation through means of being an animal of burden for the task. The
Zil’Maktumi have developed eventually from a frugal society towards one
that has a particular fascination in the esoteric, the intellect, and
has a softness in the heart towards those who delve in magic; which they
view as the esoteric and to be studied.

The Two Ages of the Maktumi: Elder Maktumi or ‘Mktm Eldr’ and Maktumeai [Mak-tum-ee-ay] Age

The
Elder Maktumi Age began when the families of five had sailed outward
from the Verge Portal, more accurately the archipelago that contained
the Portal striking a causeway between Aegis in said landmass. With a
lack of cohesive governing, the Zil’Maktumi were known to be travellers,
gypsies perhaps during their time in Aegis. Like the other families who
bade thanks to the Wandering Wizard for his opening of the portal,
these people were in weaker straits and unable to find suitable land to
settle, making them one of those who fled. It is supposed that the
Zil’Maktumi were only united in times of duress and need, which
discussing with the Wandering Wizard their exodus proved to be one and a
diplomatic man by the name of Hazarig was chosen out of the peoples to
represent them. Hazarig was known to be one eloquent of speech, yet due
to his illiteracy; may have been an exaggerated claim. Nonetheless, he
successfully garnered passage for his people alongside the likes of the
Hanseti, Dervas, and Vorkuuzh.

The Zil’Maktumi agreed unanimously
to collaborate in the fashioning of a boat, one that was of modest
build and modelled from the Hanseti form. Hazarig had deemed the boat a
good vessel and had departed towards ‘Name Here’ approximately six
months since the crossing through the Verge Portal. Whether from later
written records or oral tradition, the sailing was one of little
importance or impact on the Zil’Maktumi, whereas the landing onto the
Moor of Tujlas was one of oft-mention. The landing onto the Moor is
described as an event that caused fissures in the Federation. The Moor
is described as a lone hill that stood with wide girth on the edge of
the Ul’Jakari Desert, the landing was issued by Hazarig which landed
them to a mostly inhospitable region that had angered the sailing
Zil’Maktum towards his choice and the consequence. It was at the base of
the moor closest to the sea that the Zil’Maktum labored to shift the
ship upside down so that they could garner shade for themselves. From
this, it can be inferred that the ship was flat in structure.

What
is to become known as the Absolving, the Zil’Maktum within their
settlement [which was known as Tkms or Tekamas] they had developed to a
degree at the base of the Moor would decide to split into two major
tribes and a third minor tribe. The greatest tribe in terms of
population was the Zil’Maktumaei Tursadaei or the Red Ones, the name
derived from the reddened faces that showed themselves to be the most
active in working in what farming could be achieved in the lands around
the Ul’jakari. The tribe of Zil’Maktumaei Triballaei or the Raised Ones
were a lesser tribe that was known for their artistic and intellectual
advancements which lead to them being able to conserve rainwaters and
utilize the sparse rivers and oases into making flourishing settlements
albeit very few.

The last tribe, the Zil’Maktumaei Urodaei or the
Antagonizing Ones, were a tribe that were the most warlike and a
warrior tradition that was not compatible with the other two tribe. In
summary, the Urodaei had formed as a soldier force if the slowly growing
Zil’Maktumi of Tekamas had need for defense from possible other
inhabitants. Under the rise of a dueling champion within the Urodaei
known as Jugarthu, it was inspired by years of inactivity of their
promised intent and with a near-religious zeal that they would cause
in-fighting to allow metalworking industries of iron and gold a more
profitable market to sell in between the warring tribes; enhanced by the
adopted belief rendered by Jugarthu that the guerrilla warfare would
toughen the blood of the Zil’Maktumi and enhance their military
tradition to surpass that of the later discovered Glistenhearth and
Vorkuuzh.

 

Magi of the High Temple

 

The High Temple is the centerpiece of every settlement that the Zil'Maktumi founded, as sparse as they are, the Temples are regularly visited and are the centres of education and practices of the occult and esoteric. The High Temple is largely guarded by priests who possess knowledge of perspective and envision perspective as the channel through which destiny is elaborated for each individual. Albeit the Zil'Maktumi do not engage in the wearing of heavy armors due to the environs of their people, the Temple Priests possess an esoteric practice and are gifted the title of 'Magi' when they have learned the manner of teleportation. Their utter dedication to the idealization of perspective has allowed them to develop a manner of tapping into the void and transferring them throughout an area that they can visually see.

 

((Sidenote: This is GM magic, this is not magic that can be possessed by normal players at the moment of this posting. I have discussed this with Meguzara and she is in the know. There are weaknesses such as: Cannot teleport through opaque obstacles, cannot teleport while in water, vunerable from the back, you can only teleport towards what your character actually sees; so no "Guy behind me tries to spear me, but I teleport behind him automatically". There are no other special offensive powers with this.))

The Language, Both Elder Maktumi and Sabunani [sxblnxny]

The language of the Zil’Maktumi was very unique as it was written with only
consonants, relying on the fact that only few knew how to read and
write, whilst oral communication was typically simplistic and dull;
unable to transfer from one to another large ideas or concepts. The
language was respected and even revered by the common-folk as a cryptic
feature of their culture and would often admire the decoration of
structures of importance with the writing of Elder Maktumi.

Below lies a dictionary as well as list of phrases and conversational pieces
both in Elder Maktumi and the later advanced Sabunani.

Word ~ Elder Maktumi ~ Sabunani

a/an ~ x ~ x [pronounced ‘a’ or ‘ak’ if surrounded by consonants, few exceptions]
and ~ sw ~ sxw [pronounced ‘sak-uw’]
able ~ tt ~ txt
allow ~ yk ~ yiky
as much as ~ Rl’ ~ Ril’
as ~ rl ~ ryl
are ~ xy ~ xy [pronounced ‘ak-i’]

bad ~ ml ~ mxl [pronounced ‘mak-ul’]
back ~ tv ~ txv [pro. ‘tak-uv’]

is ~ tx ~ tx [pro. ‘ta’]
there ~ tt ~ tlt [pro. ‘tuk-ut’]
their ~ tk ~ txk [pro. ‘tak’]
those ~ td ~ tld [pro. ‘tuk-ud’]
then ~ tqr ~ txqyr [pro. ‘tak-uq-ir’]
if ~ vn ~ vln [pro. ‘vuk-un’]

what ~ kk ~ kxk [pro. ‘kak-uk’]
where ~ Tn ~ Txn [pro. ‘Tak-un’]
when ~ kk ~ klk [pro. ‘kuk-uk’]
who ~ kl ~ kxl [pro. ‘kak-ul’]
how ~ Mn ~ Mxn [pro. ‘Mak-un’]
To ~ Hk ~ Hxk [pro. ‘Hak’]
of ~ xp ~ xp [pro. ‘ap’]


How are you? ~ Mn xy xnt ~ Mxn xy xntx [pronounced ‘Mak-un ak-i an-ta]
Where are you from? ~ Tn xy xnt gm ~ Txn xy xntx gxm [pro. ‘tak-un ak-i an-ta gam’]
Hello! ~ Glmk ~ Gxlymyk [pronounced ‘Gal-im-ik’]
To Each Their Own ~ Hk Hgm Tk Yn ~ Hxk Hyglm Txk Yxn [pro. ‘Hak Higum Tak Yan’]

 

A full dictionary is available upon request from Loremasters, preferring it kept hidden for the sake of keeping it mysterious.

PPS: Credit to Spamshok for the Zil'Maktum Signature!

[Ibn Khaldun 7730]

[[OOC: I would like to note, this WAS in the server 3.0, but was wiped by Arteh for 'personal reasons that I am not elaborating'. I am once again going to bring this back as Event material, this is NOT a nation or a 'populous peoples'. Thank You.]]

[Ibn Khaldun 7730]

 

A rustic drawing depicting a Zil'Maktumi.