Jüttkin
The information displayed in this article pertains to the continuity of Moonsong. As such, the wording may seem more flowery than normal. This is intentional.
Jüttkin are the native inhabitants of Lea. Their hyaenid appearance is reminiscent of their ancestors. In a way, they are very distantly related to the Faolkin, although they share no cultural elements due to their distance from one another. A peculiar fact of the jüttkin is that they cannot see red.
History
Elevation and evolution
The jüttkin are the second oldest kin known to have risen, around 1100 of the II Cycle, much later than the danar. The hashka are the first descendants of those primordial jüttkin that traveled inland along the coast, with those remaining in towerward Lea becoming the jütts. For a long time, the hashka were a hunter-gatherer people, making specific use of persistence hunting, and their high-pressure bite.
First settlements
The first hashka settlement is thought to have been constructed along a river in the inland desert of Lea, and is nowadays known as the Ruins of Filfuro (Fil fvró, "water-tail"). It was a large and rich settlement in the early history of the continent, but was at some point taken over by a dying Æon, which drove the few people that weren't killed or turned to noch to evacuate. This exodus is what caused early Don speakers to spread across the moonward side of the land, eventually reaching into the lands populated by early jütts and assimilating with them, forming the large dialect continuum seen today.
Sailing age
With the long-distance sailing becoming profitable and easier than ever in the IV Cycle, the RSS has set her eyes on the Aam Sea, launching a large-scale conquest campaign on its coasts, driving the native syolkin away from their lands. They hold very close ties to the kanar for access to steamboats, and to the faoil for raw materials such as wood and metals, as well as food.
Jütt
 | |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Kin | Jüttkin |
| Inner talent | High |
| Natal lands | Towerward Lea |
Jütts are the namesake of their kin, and they are a proud lot. Their proximity to the Tower has charged them with pure talent. They are tall and long due to this, but unlike the almur, they have inherited the bulk of their kin.
Appearance
Jütt manes are curly, and their coats are plain, often cream-coloured with few, almost no spots. Their bodies are long and lanky due to their talent, but even still they are quite toned, sometimes borderline bulky.
Hashka
 | |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Kin | Jüttkin |
| Inner talent | Mid to low |
| Natal lands | Towerward and moonward Lea |
The hashka (sg. and pl., alternative plural hashkas) are a jüttkin ilk living in the moonward side of Lea. Being jüttkin, they are descended from the hyenas, and as such retain their appearance; specifically, they appear as spotted hyenas. They are known for being one of the three mass-seafaring peoples of Álm, specifically, for the purposes of imperialistic expansion.
Distinguishing features
Hashka are immediately recognisable by their resemblance to spotted hyenas. Their fur colours tend towards the reddish tans, with dark brown spots of various sizes spread throughout the body. They also possess a mane, variable in length, usually red or dark brown. Their eyes may be amber, reddish brown, or rarely green.
Sexual distinction
While on the internal level they differ greatly, externally both male and female hashka are hard to tell apart. While males tend to be broader, both sexes can be quite similarly bulky at times. Heights only differ slightly between both as well, males only being slightly smaller (~1,80m) than females (~1,85m) on average. These similarities extend to much more significant parts of their anatomy, making it especially difficult to tell the sex of a hashka, even when fully nude. Females of this species tend to have their breasts flat (unless they’re pregnant, or their offspring is in their breast-feeding period). They also possess a pseudo-penis, complete with a false scrotum, which contributes to their apparent lack of sexual dimorphism.
Social structure
The hashka have organised themselves in a large coalition of city-states that dominates the moonward half of Lea, called the Great Queendom of the Rising Shouting Sun, or RSS for short. This coalition works under a Great Queen, a hereditary title passed down from an aunt to her eldest niece (child of a biological sister, not a sister-in-law). Regions of 50 to 100 cities, called hundredths, have a regional queen of the hundredth, and each city within them has an appointed representative called the listener.
Hashka families are very hierarchically organised, with the eldest matriarch at the very top, her children under her, and her grandchildren under them. Adult males are given a tangential role in the family, forming an entourage that cannot claim ownership or guidance over the females. Females tend to stay in one household, while males of age leave to enter other families and sire children of their own.
Religion
Hashka religion states that there are three elements that compose the self: the soul (hbá), the bone (hŏné), and the flesh (čiin). The soul is the incorporeal, emotional center of the self, where memory resides. Depression, panic, stress, etc. are all believed to be ailments that are generated from imbalances in the soul. It is believed to be housed in the heart, and because consuming another life's soul is considered taboo, hearts of game are discarded from Hashka diet. The bone is the part of the self that is believed to house one’s life and stamina. Consuming the bones of enemies and game is a common practice in Hashka circles, as it is believed to prolong one's life and nourish the soul by consequence. The flesh is the physical, sensory part of the self, whose outermost layer consists of skin and muscle. Hashka religion doesn't put much of an emphasis on consuming the flesh of other beings, instead foscusing on maintaining one's flesh in an optimal state. Practices that are believed to improve one's flesh are ritual bathing, the use of aromatic ointments and, in some cases, scarification.
Languages
The hashka, like the jütts, speak dialects of a Hro-Don language of the Don branch, named Regal Dòn proper. It is known for its sequential verb constructions and its fiendishly large inventory of tones, as well as a lack of diverse colour words, but a large selection of words for smells.
Ilian
Unlike their cousins, the Ilians are lithe and hasty. Their society is quite reclusive as well, but within their small communities they are very warm with eachother.
Appearance
Their coats are striped, and unlike other Jüttkin, their physique tends to be quite slender. They are shorter than Hashkas though taller than Cuênayri.
Cuênay
Being even smaller than the Ilians, the Cuênayri (sg. Cuênay) are almost childlike in their stature, and they are a shy lot. They live in small pockets all throughout Eventide Lea, having lost their homeland to the Hurri long ago.
Appearance
Cuênayri are very reminiscent of Aardwolves, with small features and big, bristly manes.
Hurr
Hurri (sg. Hurr) are the nightward Jüttkin. They unfortunately have a very bad reputation, often considered brash and violent, and it isn’t unjustified. They have been very imperialist, conducting several wars of conquest towards Towerward Lea.
Appearance
Not unlike other night-influenced ilks like the vidur and the brunns, their fur is pale and they sport horns of various shapes on their heads, often thick and short. They are also quite large and bulky.