Setekri

Setekri - Dustmen

The Setekri are an ancient Ashkri tribe with dark skin and black hair who live on the southern-most area of Jindiara, called the Setekri Peninsula, after its inhabitants. They are sometimes called the First Men, the Old Ones, or the Ancients, due to their claim that they are the oldest tribe in all of Riiga. To the south of their peninsula are the Claw, Watcher, and Last Islands, leading roughly in a line toward Solcul.

Legends

Because of this line of islands leading to the permanently frozen land of Solcul, some believe the first men came from the southern white wasteland. The Setekri have legends of a land bridge that used to run along all the islands and onto Solcul itself, but a thousand years of flooding a long time ago saw an end to the land bridge. They have tales of tusked giants from a nearby land and see them as mighty god-like beings to be feared. The dust of Setekri is fine and pale, and is often stirred in large storms. The people here like to cover themselves in the dust, possibly in an attempt to appear pale like the tusked giants -- despite the giants (probably Cullashin) being white because of snow and not dust.

Religion and Politics

The Setekri believe that all things come from and go to dust, thus believing in dust as the source of life. As stated, they cover themselves in dust, wearing it as a symbol of pride and tradition, a reminder of their own mortality and humility. They also wear it to be close to their dust-covered land, and strongly believe that dust is the only life-bearing material; grass comes from layers of dust and livestock eat the grass. Setekri will only eat guanaco, and not cmarla.

Each tribe is ruled by a taerose chief, which apparently translates to "dust father". Each taerose is chosen by one tribe made up wholly of taerose. This tribe, usually called the dustclan, travels around the peninsula, going from tribe to tribe to ensure they're following the old ways. If things need changing, they will often choose a new taerose from among the tribesmen, or one of the taerose from the dustclan will stay and lead them instead.

Culture

Setekri people live in small nomadic tribes and either live in the dusty hills with herds of guanaco, in the pale grasslands with white cmarla, or along the gravel shores with seals. All three animals act as livestock for their respective tribes and are seen as central to their distinct ways of life. They live in hide shelters, which they disassemble and move with the seasons. Despite the area often being cold and windy, the Setekri will wear as little as possible, so as to show their dust-covered bodies.