Jahr'Ak (Race - Human)

The Jahr'Ak (JAH-hur-AK) are a race of humans, created by Pyrasta, the fire goddess, native to the Jahr' Desert, who govern themselves as a meritocracy. Their name means "conquerors of the Jahr' Desert." They are a very combative race and very focused on truth and honor. They sell their combat prowess as mercenaries to the other races and refuse to intermarry with other human races, as the other humans are deemed inferior and dishonorable.

Appearance
The Jahr'Ak were created by the fire goddess and are similar to her in appearance. They have skin ranging from olive at the lightest end to dark bronze at the darkest. The Jahr'Ak's eyes are gold or light brown.

When a young Jahr'Ak completes his or her first major conquest, usually a successful solo hunt or participation in a major battle, they receive their first tattoo on their lips and chin, symbolizing their dedication to the revered truth and as a commitment to allow no lies to escape their lips. For each subsequent honor, the design is expanded down the body. The most successful Jahr'Ak are entirely covered in tattoos.

As one's prowess is displayed through the spread of their tattoo designs and as the Jahr'Ak can pray to their goddess for a special resilience to battle damage, clothing and even armor are often minimal. On occasion, proofs of conquest are worked into one's clothing. One notable female chieftain, named Kha'Listi, once wore the hands of a man who had tried to molest her as a bra.

Arts
Poetry and story-telling exist within Jahr'Ak society but only in limited capacities. Retelling stories of the conquests of those living are permitted, as long as exaggeration is avoided, and stories of ancestor's conquests may only be read out by the shaman from their official history records so as not to dishonor one's self or one's ancestors through falsehood. Each tribe's shaman keeps written records of the tribe's conquests, such that history can be accurately remembered. Legends of the gods are considered entirely truthful and breathed by the gods, though making up new stories about the gods is not allowed.

The Jahr'Ak's most predominant creative forms are the art for their tattoos and battle chants designed to intimidate their enemies. Music without lyrics or that tells the stories of the gods is also common.

Religion and Spirituality
The patron deity of the Jahr'Ak is the fire goddess, Pyrasta, one of the four elemental sisters who created the four human races. As the goddess of truth, honor, and combat, her creations live to exemplify these traits and praise her deeds and conquests in their songs and stories.

As a Jahr'Ak accomplishes more honorable deeds, they become attuned to one of the fire goddess's secondary attributes: truth. As one completes conquests, they gain gradual awareness of whether or not someone is telling the truth. Chieftains are able to, without fail, suss out the truth, as they are always extremely honorable, allowing their society to be based on a truth-telling system.

Marriage
In Jahr'Ak society, marriage is relatively simple, though important. When a couple wants to marry, they must go before the chief and proclaim their love. As the chief has a special talent for recognizing truth, he or she can accurately gauge whether or not the professions are true or not. Should the chief be satisfied, he or she will announce the marriage and draw a special tattoo upon the couple's right shoulders, a space reserved for marriage tattoos. Once the tattoos are made permanent by the shaman, the pair are considered married, and the marriage is considered an honorable conquest for both parties.

As the marriages are sealed by a tattoo, Jahr'Ak marriages are considered permanent. The only way one can escape is by killing one's spouse but only if he or she treats their partner dishonorably. If the dishonored spouse can present proof of their partner's dishonor, such as adultery or abuse, they get a mark across their marriage tattoo, signifying its annulment. Should someone leave their marriage in this manner, however, they are never allowed to marry again, as a Jahr'Ak is expected to marry for life.

Naming
Jahr'Ak are given a first name at birth and receive a surname upon their first conquest. All names are two syllables, the first being "Ak' " meaning conqueror, followed by a syllable signifying the number of conquests one has, translating to "Conqueror of (x number of things)". The numerical syllables are as follows: As a Jahr'Ak earns more conquests their name changes to the syllable appropriate for their number of conquests, and a Jahr'Ak will keep the name until they reach the next tier. A Jahr'Ak with the Ak'Tor surname, for example, can have anywhere between 500 and 999 conquests. There are no surnames beyond "Fir", as few Jahr'Ak ever are able to make it that far. Ak'Fir Jahr'Ak are the most honorable of all Jahr'Ak and are considered the eldest of elders and are respected by all.
 * Bel - 1
 * Las - 10
 * Van - 50
 * Ket - 100
 * Tor - 500
 * Mal - 1000
 * Zar - 5000
 * Fir - 10000

Ak'Mal, Ak'Zar, and Ak'Fir Jahr'Ak are able to consistently ascertain the truth of another's statements. Lower levels have less of a grasp of the truth-seeing, but as they go up the line, they get more in tune with the truth.

Government
Regardless of gender, the most honorable and successful member of a Jahr'Ak tribe is the group's chieftain. The position can only be aquired by dueling and slaying the previous chief with due cause or by invitation in order to take the position. To be considered eligible for the chieftancy, one should have a surname of Ak'Mal, Ak'Zar, or Ak'Fir.

In addition to their leadership duties, the chieftain is charged with designing the tattoos for the other tribesmen and women. After a tribe member's claim is accepted either by proof or the chieftain's truth-sense, the chieftain paints a design onto the tribe member's body. and the tribe member then goes to the tribe's shaman who will make the design permanent.

If a leader is deemed inadequate for any reason, other tribemembers can challenge them for leadership. Everything from failing in a conquest to poorly designing tattoos can be used as justification for a challenge. If a Jahr'Ak chieftain lives to old age, they may choose their successor, but the successor must still kill them in combat before he or she is allowed to take leadership.

If a chief should be killed by anyone not belonging to the tribe, the next-most-honorable tribemember must be sent to kill the chief's conqueror. During this time, the tribe is leaderless and remains in mourning until the champion returns. If he or she fails or does not return within a specified time, the next-most-honorable tribe member is sent, and so on. Tribes may merge if, for whatever reason, the leader's death cannot be avenged.

Shaman
(Put Stuff Here)

Conquests
What constitutes a conquest is relatively open-ended. A particularly difficult battle to the death with a large animal or another human being would certainly count, though something simple like killing a small animal for food would not count. Large battles or assassinations are conquests, as are successful duels, even if they are merely fought to blood, rather than death.

There are several non-combat types of conquests; marriage counts as a specific type of conquest. Women can receive a total of two conquests from successfully completing childbirth, one for carrying to term and one for a healthy birth; this allows for mothers of stillborn or deformed infants or mothers who die in childbirth to still receive something for the effort involved in their attempt at producing a child. A woman can receive as many conquests from childbirth and rearing as she is able. Men can receive conquests only for successfully fathering a child. Once a child achieves their first conquest, both parents are also given conquests for rearing their child successfully.

Lying or adding any untruths to the description of one's conquest is punishable by death, as a Jahr'Ak's position in society is based entirely on truthful stories of conquest and honor, and lying is inherently dishonorable.

Untruth and Punishments
If no one in a group is sufficiently honorable enough to undeniably determine truth, as with a battle or hunting party or a group with a currently absent chief, the determination of truth is put in the hands of the Pyrasta through an ordeal by fire. These ordeals usuallly involve attempting to inflict a burn upon the accused. Usually, for the Jahr'Ak, this burn is attempted by typically by putting one's dominant hand on a red-hot iron or ember or in a pot of boiling water and reciting the statement that is being judged. If the accused is innocent, the goddess will keep them from being burned, but if they are guilty, they will receive the burn and be punished for the lie.