Mwangi

Mosa Jiri Maju, a Mwangi shaman of Thirty Trees.

For other meanings of "Mwangi", please see Mwangi (disambiguation).

The name Mwangi (pronounced MWAN-gi) often refers to the group of related, but ultimately distinct, ethnicities of humans who inhabit Garund's western coasts, the jungles and plains of interiors, and the southern reaches of the continent. In the Inner Sea region they most commonly live in the Mwangi Expanse, Rahadoum, Vidrian, the Shackles, the Sodden Lands, and Thuvia.

Appearance

The appearance of the Mwangi people varies according to their subgroup. Five peoples are the most widespread: the four major ethnic groups of the Zenj, Bonuwat, Mauxi, and Bekyar, and the young culture of the Vidric people. In addition to those five, the Mwangi Expanse is home to any number of smaller ethnic groups, such as the Uomoto tribe. Members of all subgroups commonly share physical traits, such as dark skin varying in tone from dusky through grey to coal black, and black hair worn in a variety of styles. As the Mwangi peoples comprise several distinct cultures, there is no single Mwangi style of clothing.

History

Bonali Kwazeel, a Mwangi wizard from the Magaambya.

All the various tribes of the Mwangi are descendants of what must have once been a vast empire located in central Garund. Huge ruins of ancient fortresses and temples still dot the forested interior of the Mwangi Expanse, and the hills of the Shattered Range. Little is known of this ancient kingdom, and the modern Mwangi avoid these ancient ruins, as they feel some strange pull from them. The Bekyar people in particular are known for their fear of these ancient sites. The oldest of these ruins is the city of Mzali, where a mummified king of this ancient civilization, Walkena, has returned to life and wants to reclaim the lost empire's former glory. Other scholars speculate that the Mwangi descended from related Garundi wanderers, but such claims have yet to be substantiated.

The Mwangi peoples have only recently begun traveling or emigrating from their home continent, and were largely unknown in the rest of the Inner Sea region until then.

Culture

Mirian Raas, a half-Mwangi, half-Chelaxian scavenger from Sargava.

There is no single, united Mwangi culture. Each of the main ethnic groups has its own set of beliefs and traditions. Most prefer inter-linked tribal structures, though the Mauxi people of Thuvia do not. Opinions are divided as to whether the Caldaru and Lirgeni are related to any of the other groups, are separate sub-groups in their own right, or not actually part of the Mwangi peoples at all. Non-Garundi people often have trouble telling the main ethnic groups apart, as the Mwangi have only recently begun venturing beyond their homelands. Each of the ethnic groups has its own religious traditions; Mwangi who have been raised outside of Garund generally follow the local gods of their adopted homeland.

Bekyar

Least known of the four major subgroups, the Bekyar live in southern Garund, from Desolation Cape to Sargava, and are prominent slavers and traders. Bekyar are extremely tall, many reaching seven feet in height. Their skin varies in color from dark brown to black, and they wear their wiry hair long, often in elaborate styles. They are known to be demon worshipers, primarily following Angazhan, Dagon, and Zura. Bekyar tribes include the Bandu of the Bandu Hills, the Yemba, and the Rostoun of the Little Vanji River. Bekyar names often include numerous sibilants followed by a hard consonant. Examples include Sinkitah and Soki for women and Seckor and Yekskya for men.

Bonuwat

People of the Bonuwat have distinctively colored eyes among Mwangi groups.

The Bonuwat are seafarers, and as such are often the group most encountered by the outside world. The Mwangi found in ports such as Bloodcove or the Shackles tend to be Bonuwat. They are excellent fishermen and sailors. They worship Gozreh and Desna as a pair of deities known as Shimye-Magalla. Bonuwat are of average height, with wide mouths and swarthy or dusky skin, and are thought to have intermarried with an unknown trading culture in the distant past. Their hair is often straight, and they favor colorful, exotic clothing such as vests and baggy pantaloons. Bonuwat names include many that they have adopted from other cultures through trade. Their extensive trade routes along the western coast of Garund were developed long before peoples from other parts of the Inner Sea region began arriving. Bonuwat tribes include the Ijo and the Ombo. Bonuwat names are often taken from other cultures with whom they frequently trade, and include Marisan or Shimshem for women and Banipani and Teruawa for men.

Mauxi

The Mauxi are native to Rahadoum and Thuvia and speak Osiriani as well as Mwangi. The ruling caste of Thuvia includes some Mauxi. They tend to be more withdrawn and taciturn; most deny any connection to the other Mwangi groups, but some of the younger Mauxi hearken back to their tribal ancestry and copy the dress of other Mwangi groups. Mauxi are tall, with straight hair and ashen skin. Mauxi names are often taken from other cultures with whom they frequently trade, and include Butandra or Kalizama for women and Baolo and Pateba for men.

Distinct from today's Mauxi cultures are the Elephant People, a tribe of mixed descent from Mauxi and Osirian ancestors who live a migratory lifestyle caring for the Expanse's elephants, which they see as wise animals and a guiding force, sent by a long-forgotten deity to look after and lead them. The Elephant People consider themselves to lack the complications and strife that come with modern living and governments. After generations of protecting elephants from those who would hunt and exploit them, the tribe sees all other groups, even other Mwangis, as outsiders and potential dangers—with one exception: The Ekujae elves have earned the Elephant People's trust by helping and supporting the tribe many times, and the Elephant People consider the Ekujae to have far more wisdom than most modern humans.

Old-Mage Jatembe, legendary hero of the Zenj tribe of Mwangi.

Vidric

The Vidric people named themselves for Vidrian, the new nation that was formerly known as the colony of Sargava until the Vidric Revolution. Many of them are former slaves and servants of Sargavan colonizers. After many generations of subjugation, most Vidric people don't know their ethnic heritage, and many likely have very mixed origins. Many Vidrics look to other Mwangi cultures for their fashion, philosophies, and faiths, but others choose to craft a unique Vidric identity. These citizens sometimes still wear Sargavan fashion, modified in defiant ways—tunics with the sleeves torn off, short-cut Sargavan gowns, expensive Sargavan trousers but no shirt, and other stylistic choices. There are some who wear chains or chainless shackles as bracelets; however, this display is a point of contention within Vidric culture, as some find the imagery degrading, while others find it empowering to wear the symbols of their servitude as a simple fashion item that no longer holds any power over them.

Vidrics have a particular hatred of the Bekyar people, as Bekyars participated in the Sargavan slave trade and contributed to Vidric suffering. In turn, Bekyars don't trust nor want to work with slaves who have overthrown their masters. Other groups within the Mwangi Expanse admire the Vidric people's determination and mettle that won them their freedom.

Zenj

The Zenj are believed to be the most common of the Mwangi ethnicities, living in hundreds of small tribes in the jungles and savannas of the Mwangi Expanse. Some of the tribes live in villages alongside the region's many rivers, while others are nomadic herders who graze their cattle or goats in the Expanse's grasslands and hills. Jungle tribes tend to be patriarchal, while savanna tribes lean toward matriarchy. The two types are on friendly terms but avoid intermarriage.

Zenj are below average height, with slender, muscular frames and wiry black hair. Their simple clothing is made from animal hides or plant fibers. Many Zenj follow an ancient tradition of shamanism. Zenj tribes include the Kalabuta, the Mulaa, the plains-dwelling Bas'o, and the jungle-dwelling Ara and Ngali.

Among the Zenj, a long throwing club called an iwisa is used as a symbol of authority as well as a weapon. Zenj humans also invented the rungu, a club designed to be thrown, and are the weapon's most common users. They have also been adopted by gripplis for hunting amongst high treetops.

Zenj names sometimes contain complex consonants, glottal stops and clicks that are hard to transliterate (the click sound here is represented by a "!"). Examples of Zenj names include Mpaadi and Xabala for women and !Kunat and Kpu'unde for men.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.