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Kotan of the Antianeirai – “Those who fight like men" From the deep pine forests, shadows slowly appear in the ending day. Moving between the trees fluidly, with grace, shadows move ever closer to the edge of the forest. Appearing to move in sync, the shadows emerge into the dying daylight in pairs. Tall women of mixed race appear wearing rustic animal furs. Their hair is tied in braids around their faces which are covered in blue paint, in various symbols and lines. Most striking is how the women are holding bows so comfortably as to be an extension of their arms, and beside their right arms is a visible scar showing where a breast has been removed. The women gather into one group, speaking softly to one another. A figure emerges, a dark haired women with ice blue eyes. She turns to the group and begins to speak. “Sistra’s, I as Iereai of the Fyli have had a vision. The Great Mother came upon me in our Pnvema. She showed me a land filled with men, with Moro, who destroy everything in their path. They kill the trees we hold dear, cutting them screaming to their deaths. They slaughter the life-giving animals of this place in great numbers. They defile the Mother’s sacred face with obscene structure taken from the Earth." She pauses looking at the faces of all the women she holds dear. "It is time, it is time for the Antianeirai to join our sisters of the Subudai in our rightful cause. We have to leave our forests and take our duty as Protectors of our Mother into Asulon.” The women of the group let out a loud shrieking war cry in unison and acknowledgement of her statement.Having come to agreement the Antianeirai move back into small groups and head out into the night to join up with the brothers and sisters of the Subudai, moving swiftly and silently. Tribal Women of the northern forests, the Antianeirai are a group made of up solely of women who work together as one family. Known for their ferocious skills in battle the Antianeirai have extreme dislike for men and view them as the reason for the destruction of the Mother Earth, which they hold holy. Structure, Ceremonies and Traits The Antianeirai follow a Matriarchal Structure within their tribe. They are led by an Iereai, the Priestess Mother of the tribe who is chosen in a ritual known as a “Pnvema”, or the Walk of the Spirits. This is a regular ritual that the Antianeirai women perform, that involves a gathering of the tribe. The Mother creates a mixture of special herbs and grinds it into a paste that is then given to each women of the tribe. The women sit in a circle within a darkened tent with hot rocks in the middle. They interlink their arms and imbibe the paste, and pour water on the rocks. This causes the tent to fill with steam, and the Mother begins to chant with all the sisters joining in. This ceremony is believed to raise the spirit from the body in a spirit walk, which allows the sisters to bond, and seek guidance from their ancestors and also offer prayers for the tribe. This ceremony also is used when the time is needed for a new woman to take the position of Iereai of the tribe. This ceremony is a key element in creating an environment of family between all the “Sistra” or sisters of the tribe. The tribe views itself as a collective whole working hand in hand to keep each other alive and protected. The Antianeirai wear clothes of fitted leather, and various animal furs that have traditionally kept them warm and protected them from the elements. Following the teachings of an Mother Earth Religion, they believe the earth is very sacred and they offer prayers to the creatures they kill for nourishment, and also the trees they harvest. Having a close connection to the land, they react very violently to those who destroy or harm the natural world. They view this threat as being very male in nature, as from what the Antianeirai have seen in the past is that often it is the men who lead these power hungry expeditions into the world, adding fuel to their distaste for men. The Antianeirai have varied appearances based on the lineage they come from. Due to the fact that there are no men within the tribe, the Antianeirai either once a year meet with other tribes of the Subudai to mate, and then leave, or they raid settlements for male slaves. Male children are cast out of the tribe and returned to the parents, or are offered back to the Earth. All Antianeirai have their right breast removed in their formative years. This is a specific ceremony which the tribe believes leads to stronger strength in the right arm and shoulder allowing them a greater ability to use bow and axe in any conflicts. In wartime, the women paint their faces to a fearsome appearance to try and scare their enemies in conflict. Every warrior in the tribe is raised with a bow in hand, leading them to be extremely accurate archers. They also train with axe to protect themselves and raid settlements for important resources. Besides having combat skills, they usually have skills in cooking, farming or woodcutting, having little to no knowledge on mining or blacksmithing. Due to this they often raid settlements for iron tools which are highly valued for their durability. On Men It was said that the first Antianeirai came from one of the first settlements in Asulon. The men of the village were vicious of the pillaging of the forests in their attempt at resource gathering. At the middle of a dark forest, there lay a massive tree. From this tree it is said that a vision came to the first Ieriaia of the Antianeirai, showing the way men treated the earth and also showing the women as being the Mother Earths chosen protectors. From this vision the first Antianeirai killed the men of the village and moved into the deep forests where they created the Antianeirai, who lived in harmony with nature and as a sisterhood, watching for the corruption of men who wanted to dominate the sacred world. From this past, the Antianeirai have a very sexist attitude towards men. They view men as being weaker and less intelligent then women, and believe that the Antianeirai women are stronger and superior. They give grudging respect to the other tribes of the Subudai, as these other tribes also revere the natural world and give equality between women and men. Due to the connection the Subudai have with nature, the Antianerai believe that they have conquered their desires to control their environment. The idea of having men as equals is a very hard concept for the Antianeirai to grasp. Most Antianeirai refer to men as “Moro”, this being what they call babies within their culture. This forever places men into an inferior light, and the Antianeirai view most male outsiders as acting as children and ignorant of the ways of the Earth. Buildings The Antianeirai live in wooden and wool huts that are easily set up and moved around. In particular they always have a large central hut where they are able to perform the Pnvema, as it is an essential ritual and bonding experience. The Antianerai build their huts in a circle facing into the hut of the Pvnema, symbolizing that they all are connected as one and as family. Due to the fact that they came from forests originally, when they set up more permanent dwellings they prefer to be in the safety of the trees.