Midway: The Zeffari (Fantasy World, Tribal Culture, seeking two or three RPers)

[TreyWalker]

First Things First - All the information below here was written for my Solo request thread. So if there are misleading sentence refering to one person RPing this, then that's because it was initially written for a Solo thread. Also the first part gives character roles and such that are potential things to play, but really I am happy to roleplay anything to do with this thread, from scouts, archers, women who want to be more in their society, to the Goddess's and the groups like Silent Sisters and Women of Lust. Also if you have an idea to expand on, or add I am all ears. You could even play an outsider who gets brought in to the forest. I'm not looking for a big group game though, I find I get lost and left behind in situations like that. So I'm looking for two females or two females and another male, so a maximum of four people including myself and two of them being female characters. I know there's a lot to read below, but it will help you understand the kind of direction and stories I'm looking for to do with these people.

Basically I'm thinking of a group that kind of aren't satisfied with their lot in Zeffari culture, and decide to break away into their own little faction. However they do keep a lot of the culture they've been brought up with.

Thank you for reading.

Trey Walker


I’ve already created a world by myself for this, but this RP will be focused on one group of people in this world, with some appearances by the people in the same area of this world. I will delve into this more when I find someone to play this with me. But here are some non-negotiables.

•   The world is nearly entirely populated by humans. These humans will be different from one another but there aren’t elves, dwarfs or other races other than humans and animals. The animals on the other hand, will have differences. Some drastic and some subtle.
•   Magic isn’t common. Whilst there will be individuals with incredible GIFTS which may be referred to as magic, humans can’t for instance create fire from their hands.
•   It’s an ancient type of fantasy setting. No guns! However swords and bows and arrows are common place.

Okay, with that out of the way, lets get focused on the plot and part of the world this part of the story is set in. Also read lower than this post because I explore more about the Zeffari like religion and the forest the live in.

ZEFFARIA

-Available

Zeffaria is a land filled with tall trees and clearings hidden amongst those tall trees. It is essentially and forest but it is populated by a people called the Zeffari. Outsiders who go to deep into this forest often find themselves getting lost and never finding their way out. However the Zeffari know their forest like the back of their hands. Whilst outsiders can look left and right and not see the difference between the forest, the Zeffariwill know exactly where they are as if they are bringing up a mental map in their head of the entire area.

The forest is also home to many animals, some of which are exotic and only found in the forest. Because of it being right on the equator of the world, the weather is hot but the trees provide plenty of shade for all types of creatures.

The Zeffari usually can be found in the clearings that can be found if you venture deep enough into the forest. Somewhere in the middle of this forest is the main camp, but there are camps dotted around the entire forest. The Zeffari are considered the most backward people in the known areas of the world, as they cannot forge steel or build from materials other than wood and animals. However they are very skilled in building from wood, animal hide and even bones.

Either because of their surroundings and the heat, the Zeffari are very tribal in their nature. They wear animal hide, but in comparison to the other people of the world, they wear very little. They also have tribal customs foreign to the rest of the world, and their celebrations are often rowdy and overtly sexual in nature. In fact the Zeffari are the most openly sexual race on the land. At these celebrations men often pick a female and they have sex in time to the beat of the drums played around a campfire. And the sexual positions are often the types were the man is seen as dominant. Whether it’s a by-product of their sexual nature or not, the women of the Zeffari are considered the most sultry and curvaceous women in the land, and the men the most dominant and strong.

Despite the fact that they are considered backward by many of the other humans in the area, they are feared warriors, especially in their own forest. Their archers are second to none, and their warriors fearless. Their whole belief system is based on the strong survive and the practise fighting from young ages. In fact their leader is decided by a tournament where they fight each other, till one man wins the tournament and becomes the leader. Their diets and lives have also made them the healthiest race of humans. You never see an out of shape Zeffari, from the kids up to the elders. Take that into account and their unrivalled knowledge of their land, make them dangerous to cross.

Plot Ideas to explore

•   Women are treated as slightly inferior. Their job is to cook, have sex and look after the children. However my long term goal for the Zeffari people is to have women revered as equals in all aspects of Zeffari life. At the moment they don’t make the clothes the Zeffari wear, hunt or become warriors and leaders. However through certain events I want the women to become equals to the men, but not necessarily lose the general feeling of the Zeffari people. They will still be tribal at the end compared to the rest of the world.
•   Riverhaven somehow managing to get further than they ever have before. Either be venturing into the forest or managing to sail around a lot of the forest and attack Ironpeak. I see the latter happening, with the survivors fleeing into the Zeffari forest. The Zeffari will then try help them get their land back. Maybe a war on two fronts kind of deal.


Okay, that’s most of what is really relevant to the story. More may become relevant and I will share that with the person I RP with. From the beginning I’m looking for someone to play these characters.

•   Wife of the Battleborn Leader
•   Daughter of the Battleborn Leader
•   Female Zeffari that wants to become an archer/warrior
•   Potentially – Female Zeffari that falls for an Ironpeak survivor.


So there you have it, hope to hear from some people.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Edited because of changes to geography

[TreyWalker]

Zeffari Society & Heirarchy
The Zeffari as people are separated into the San (Strong) and the Syn (weak). Those families with a strong male figure are revered and socially seen as elite. Those without are seen as the commoners. This is all figured out during the 16 festivals that the Zeffari have in a year. All the festivals have exhibition battles to watch, and often at these festivals fights that aren’t planned just break out.

The winner of the tournament that decides their Battleborn Leader is the top of their hierarchy. Then the Battleborn Leader chooses from some of the strongest Zeffari to be part of his council. The rest of the San then follow, simply known as strong families that the Syn shouldn’t cross.

The Syn also have a loose hierarchy. There are the ones that are considered skilled. The highest position for a Syn is to be a scout. They travel the whole forest, ensuring there are no trespassers, bringing back game and generally reporting the condition of the forest to the main camps. Then there is the skilled work force. Those that have some sort of special job in the camps, like witch doctors, bow-makers, animal keepers and harem members of a San. And after that fall the rest of the Syn.

The Zeffari pride themselves on the fact that no matter what position or family you are born to, even the lowest can become a San and even the leader of the Zeffari.

[TreyWalker]

Religion

The Zeffari believe in three Goddesses, The Mother, The Warrior and Lust. Despite the fact that women are seen as possessions in Zeffari culture, the idea of male Gods to the Zeffari seems absurd. Goddesses decide upon life, and life comes from women, so their can only be Goddesses.

The Mother

The Mother is the Goddess that gave birth to the world, to the Zeffari forest and gave birth to three children and numerous animals that live in the forest of Zeffari. The Zeffari also believes that the land around the forest was all planned by the Mother, but wasn’t meant to be lived in by humans. The fact that there is life outside Zeffaria is because Zeffari left the forest, and the Mother in her kindness tried to accommodate them and make the outside world liveable. But the Mother always intended for her children to live in Zeffaria Forest. This is why the forest is filled with fruits and vegetables along with animals to eat that have made the Zeffari so physically strong and healthy. The Zeffari believe they are the humans most like gods in existence.

Only one of the Mother’s three children was a Zeffari. The other two children were The Warrior and Lust. The Warrior was to be the guide for the Zeffari in battle, ranging from fighting to become strong and powerful to fighting invaders to their forest or animals that may try to kill them. And Lust was to be the guide in matters between man and woman, to make sure that the Zeffari grew in numbers and remained genetically strong. The first Zeffari man slept with the Warrior to produce boys and Lust to produce girls. And that’s how the Zeffari started.

The Mother however is the ultimate Goddess, the one the Zeffari worship the most as they believe it is the Mother who has the ultimate say and watches over them. Whilst the Zeffari aren’t actively religious (for example they don’t worship daily or weekly and don’t have churches), they do have a group of women who they call the Voice’s of the Mother. It is these women who bless the children in the Lake of The Forest, and speak for the Mother, preaching when it is deemed necessary and offer guidance to the Zeffari if they decide they need it. Some are also considered healers, and will look after the ill or wounded. However they also have complete authority to decide to end the life of a injured or ill Zeffari if they deem them now to weak. The Voice’s of the Mother are the only women off limits to the Zeffari to procreate with.









The Warrior

The Warrior is the first child of the mother, and is the Goddess in power whenever the Zeffari are fighting. During tournaments, it is the Warrior who is preached about, and the fighters all fight for the Warrior. It is she who determines who is the strongest and most able to lead the Zeffari during the Battleborn Leader tournaments. It is also the Warrior that gives the Zeffari strength fighting invaders and when hunting for game and scouting the forests. It is the Warrior who gave birth to all but the first Zeffari male, and it is from her that the Zeffari men have gained their strength and bravery.

Unlike the mother and her younger sister Lust, there are no representatives for the Warrior in Zeffari society. Instead the Zeffari believe that The Warrior speaks to them as individuals if she sees fit, be it in their dreams or through experiences in the wild with animals. They even believe that if necessary The Warrior will appear in front of you in her natural form if it is important enough. Apparently she did this at the very first Battleborn Tournament, telling the Zeffari how they should decide their leader.



































Lust

Lust is the embodiment of the sexual nature of the Zeffari. She makes sure the Zeffari procreate, so their numbers will be as strong as they are individually. It is she who is the only god involved when Zeffari have sexual intercourse. She herself is said to be highly sexually creature and she is the mother of all the first Zeffari women. It is from her that the Zeffari women get their ample bossoms, child bearing hips and dangerous curves. The more a woman embodies what the Zeffari deem attractive, the more she was blessed by the Goddess Lust.

The Goddess Lust doesn’t have representatives in Zeffari culture, but she does have a group of women who devote themselves to the Goddess of Lust and she is also said to be able to appear before the Zeffari in her own form. These women that devote themself to the Goddess of Lust segregate themselves from the main camp and specialize in things of a sexual nature. While other women have to bring up children, make clothes, cook and do other jobs, The Women of Lust only trade in sex. They teach each other how to please the Zeffari men and will teach any woman who wants to learn more about how to please Zeffari men. It is said that they have even taken in people from outside the Zeffari, as they are never with the main camps, and often leave the forest looking for pupils. It is said some of the best whores in the lands, were taught by a Women of Lust.

Because of their reputation and purpose, many men have also seeked to find the women of lust, Zeffari included. Those that find them, will find that some of the women are extremely skilled warriors, so these women cannot be taken advantage of. Those that have tried have ended up dead. It is a common confusion amongst Zeffari men as to how these women could be so skilled at fighting. Some suggest Lust ask The Warrior to give birth to some females, and it is they that protect the Women of Lust. Small portions of the Zeffari just believe any Zeffari, be it man or woman can be a great fighter, but that proportion of the population is very small.

Some do not go seeking them to take advantage though. The women that find them will be judged whether they are worthy to learn from them by their appearance. If they have the traits that the Zeffari find attractive, they will be accepted. The men that find them will be judged on their strength, skill in battle and also their appearance. No scrawny men get to meet the Women of Lust. Those men that are admitted can then enjoy all that the Women of Lust have learnt about the art of sex.

The children that result from any love making that the Women of Lust partake in, are often found around the outskirts of the Zeffari camps. They will then be brought up as a Lust Child, by a group of women whose sole purpose is to raise these children. There is no stigma attached to being a Lust child when one grows up however.

[TreyWalker]

Zeffaria Forest

Zeffaria Forest is the biggest forest in the known area, and covers 100,000 acres of land and is around 42 miles wide from it’s furthest two points. Because of this, not many people have walked from one side of the forest to the other, and there are still plent of unexplored areas in the vast forest. It is said that over half the world’s animals live or originated from the Zeffaria Forest, and many people from outside the forest have never seen a large number of the animals that live inside the forest. The forest is also home to a large proportion of fruits and beans that cannot be found outside of this or other forests in the world, and as it is the largest, it has the greatest number of these fruits and beans. A lot of the plants can also be used for medicinal purposes and to get mental and physical highs. Because of this, some outside forces have wanted to take some of the forest, to make sure the nobles of the outside world got delicacies that aren’t widely available. Others have wanted to take some of the forest to have a good supply of timber, as the forest is densely populated with trees. But most attempts have failed because of the Zeffari’s knowledge of their forest and their wide spread camps in various areas. The forest is also said to have areas were there is plenty of gold and silver, but that is just a rumour outside of the forest, as not many outsiders have been able to venture far enough into the Forest to check.

The Lake of the Forest

The Lake of the Forest is a holy site to the Zeffari. This is the place were the Mother gave birth to her three children, The Warrior, Lust and the first Zeffari man. And it is in these waters that the men and women of the Zeffari are blessed by a Voice of the Mother. The lake is for religious reasons, only used for one of three things out of respect for the Mother. One specific area is only used for blessing Zeffari people. The biggest area is used for general swimming and cleaning one’s self, as the Zeffari believe one is truly cleansed once bathed in the Lake of the Forest. And the last area near the two small waterfalls is a special place, where the Zeffari elite (san) can procreate. Other’s do try to procreate there as the children are meant to be closer to god if conceived in this part of the lake, but the penalty if a non elite san is caught is high. The lake at its deepest is only six foot deep, so there has never been any casualty’s in the lake.




















The River Laus

The River Laus enters the Zeffaria Forest from the east around the same area as the islands of the Summer Isles. It then works it was to near the centre of the forest before branching north and south. The River itself doesn’t have any religious meaning to the Zeffari, but they do use it for spear fishing and recently, the Zeffari have started to learn to make wooden boats and canoe’s and used the river for quicker transport. But this is in the very early stages.














The Mother’s Peak

The Mother’s peak is a landmark of significance to the Zeffari, as it is believed that one that can reach it’s peak, is most likely to come into contact with the Goddesses of Zeffari culture. Whilst the Warrior and Lust will come down to the land if it’s important or it is their desire, anyone that can reach the peak can speak to them and even the Mother. It is believe that the Mother’s Peak used to be a clearing, and that one day some Zeffari scouts were being chased by some sort of hybrid creature. The reached the clearing to find that they had been chased into a trap, and were now surrounded by this creature and it’s pack, all in the trees around the clearing. One of them prayed to the Warrior to protect them, but one also prayed to the Mother. The Mother and Warrior used their power together, to raise the land that the scouts were standing on, till they were out of reach of the creatures. The look of the Peak is explained by the creatures trying to claw there way to the top. Just above the peak, you can see for stars at night, and it is believed that these four stars are the four scouts that prayed to the Goddesses.

However, Mother’s Peak is nearly impossible to climb. There are ledges starting from various points, but it becomes almost a sort of maze of ledges. Many died trying it initially and now very few do try. As far as is known, only one man, the 30th Battleborn Leader has ever actually reached the top. For achieving this, he was nicknamed the Mother’s Son!

[TreyWalker]

The Military

As a warrior based culture, most Zeffari men become warriors of some sort in what is loosely seen as the Zeffari military. The Zeffari don’t call it a military, men are just expected to fight. But there are different types of fighters amongst the almost 11000 strong fighting force. And when all the camps in the Zeffari forest join together, they are a formidable fighting force.

Scouts

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Zeffari scouts are Archers that excel in Zeffaria Forest. Outside of the forest they are no better or worse than normal archers. But in the Forest is where they are formidable. The Zeffari Scouts are used to sendings bows through a cluttered path of trees and hitting targets as small as rabbits. They can also climb the trees quickly, to foreign eyes almost as quickly as animals can climb. Add to that their hunting skills and how well they know the forest, and you won’t want to cross them if you venture into Zeffaria.

However what makes them truly special in the forest is their skill at blending into it. They can remain almost invisible amongst the trees, and you won’t realize they are surrounding or following you till they decide to show themselves, or they have fired an arrow into you’re heart.

The Scouts are vitally important, but socially they are looked upon as below horse riders and your usual warriors. That being said, a great scout can become a hero and be elevated to San amongst his camp. The Scouts generally don’t have a leader apart from the Battleborn Leader, and generally outside of war do as they wish with little guidance or scrutiny.

Warriors

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Zeffari Warriors split into two different types. The normal warriors are exceptional with swords, and they all, even the greatest fighters carry twin swords. The lower down the chain of command, the less likely the swords are to match. However they are all strong and well trained with their weapons.

If you prove yourself, your weapons improve and you will eventually became a Warrior who rides. Zeffari horses are quick and agile, but the warriors rarely go into battle on the horses. The horses are more for travelling purposes, so if you’re a warrior who rides, then you are an elite fighter, who has proven himself in battle or in tournaments. These warriors my also have daggers as well, which they will learn to fight with and throw with incredible accuracy.

The Warriors are all answerable to their camp leader, who is decided by the Battleborn Leader of the Zeffari as a people. These warriors are usually the best of the best, but sometimes they can be picked for political reasons.

The Silent Sisters

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Little is know about the Silent Sisters, some say they don’t even exist. But they are always spoke of with whispers. They are supposedly a group of women who have decided they wanted more than to be a Voice of the Mother or a Woman of Lust. They want to fight, and if they can’t do it amongst society under the sun, then they will do it in the shadows of the trees. They are said to be deadly and wish for a day when women would be the equal of men in their culture. However they are still Zeffari and proud.

[TreyWalker]

Zeffari BattleBorn Warlords History and Heirarchy

It is said that for a long time the Zeffari were just a bunch of small camps, with around 100 people in each camp. They would hunt and live off the forest and do little else. All though they would practise fighting, it was mainly to be effective against some of the creatures in the forest. However when people calling themselves the men from the Riverlands started to venture into their forest, cutting down trees, taking Zeffari women as slaves and sacking their supplies. It was these actions that brought sixteen camps together near the middle of the forest. It was here that the sixteen camp leaders tried to decide what the best course of action was against these Riverland folk. However the Zeffari camp leaders just kept arguing and couldn’t come to a conclusion.

Then, whilst they argued a woman stepped forward. Nobody knew who the woman was, but she stepped forward none the less. A camp leader went to stop her, but the woman just knocked him aside. She told the people there that they needed one leader. And to find that leader the needed to hold a tournament! Anyone that wanted to enter could, and 64 people did. The woman claimed that the winner would be strong, brave and lead them to a dominant victory over the Riverland folk.

The winner was Tale, a 28 year old scout that nobody fancied to win. But win he did. The woman stepped forward and held up Tale’s hand and she said “As The Warrior, Goddess to the Zeffari, I name this man the first BattleBorn winner, Warlord Tale! Follow him into battle, die by his side. If you do this, the Zeffari will destroy their enemies and rise to greatness. Be the men The Mother meant you to be, protect Zeffaria and take the heads of your enemies’ home to you women. To Zeffaria!” And with that, history was made.

The Zeffari went on to win an epic battle in their own forest. Out number four to one, Tale had the Zeffari use the forest, the height of the trees and the various clearings to force the Riverland fighters into smaller battles were the numbers were made more equal. Tale himself was said to have killed five hundred Riverland soldiers with his own hands. And this is the story most told to kids who live outside the forest to stop them going in, and to the kids inside to show them the strength of the Zeffari race.

But it was also from this time that the hierarchy was put into place. It started with the Battleborn Warlord. Tale decided that the camps still needed their leaders. He decreed that the camp leaders would be decided by the Battleborn Warlord. These camp leaders would rule their camps as if they were a Warlord as long as the Battleborn Warlord was not around.

The Battleborn and the warlords of the camps would have council’s. Tale had five men in his, and this has been the number ever since for the Battleborn winner. The Camp Warlords would have three. These council members would only answer to the Camp Leaders, and Tale’s council would only answer to him.

Under them were the important people in each camp and the important people who stayed with Tale. They along with those above them are called San. These important people were either great warriors or old warriors who opinion was still respected. However all these people could move around, moving up the hierarchy and down it.

Below these people were the Syn, the general population. They are split into skilled and unskilled. But even they could move up the ladder if they achieved something great in battle as long as they were a man.

[TreyWalker]

59th Battle Born Warlod Lokko

Born the product of a festival celebrating the Lust Goddess, by parents who had no intention of staying together, Lokko was born into the world as a lowly Syn. His mother raised his as best she could, but she wasn’t skilled and had no man around to provide for them.

This only seemed to empower the young Lokko, who as soon as he was old enough, went out hunting for food for him and his mother. He started off like all Zeffari, uncertain in the forest, not knowing how to hunt, but he learnt quickly and soon started coming back with animals the same size as him from his hunts. He and his mother started to eat well, and Lokko started to get noticed.

When he was 14, he was officially made a Scout, and it was during this time he learnt a lot about the Forest of Zeffaria. But he loved the stories of Warlord Tale and other such Warlords, and wanted to become a Warrior. He soon proved his skill with dual blades and moved to the ranks of Warriors.

It was during this time that his mother pasted away. This saddened Lokko, but his friend Fenrel and his family took Lokko in and the two of them became closest of friends.

They were both part of the force taken to the western borders of the forest to fight some Riverland folk, looking to push them away from the edges of their forest, as the Riverlanders were taking their resources and cutting down Zeffari trees. The first battle was a success, but Fenrel was caught and taken captive. Lokko was ready for revenge, and eager to help in the next battle and potential rescue Fenrel. But they were all lead into a trap set by the Riverland folk, and a lot of good Zeffari died that day.

Lokko was one of the survivors, but more importantly he is one of the few that don’t believe that Fenrel gave the Riverlanders the information to set such a trap. The Zeffari retreated, and some say because of the loss, the Battle Born leader died from shame.

This resulted in the 59th Battle Born Tournament. Lokko wasn’t initially going to enter, but a vision the night before from the Warrior changed his mind. He was to late to sign up, but at the last minute someone who had withdrew and Lokko took that mans place. He won his first battle quickly, killing a Camp Warlord’s son in the process. He would kill one more man that day, another Camp Warlord’s son and beat another four using his cunning, speed and strength to defeat his opponents. By that night, after defeating Camp Warlord Aurole, Lokko became the Battle Born Warlord of Zeffaria.

Warlord Lokko will probably go down in Zeffari history for one thing more than any other. Warlord Lokko, in his pursuit for revenge on the Riverlanders, did something no other Warlord had done before. He looked for an alliance outside of Zeffaria, and heard tales of a beautiful woman who was a Princess in the Summer Isles. Due to a pact that had Warlord Lokko promise the Summer Isle that he would attack the Riverlanders on the forest front so the Summer Isles could have more success at sea, Warlord Lokko was given the hand of Princess Vanessa Seamont. But this cause rifts between his people. And how his union with an outsider pans out, nobody knows.