Xanthyr Nation

The Xanthyr

The Xanthyr were an indigenous nation of human amazon tribes who inhabited the Forests of Tro, mainly around the Lake Troia region. Known chiefly for being ferocious warrior women, and for their close relationship with the Chocobo (the birds' very name is a Xanthyr word), their culture was far less barbaric than the Xsians who aimed to conquer them believed. With their close allies, the Elves of Kavan, they managed to stave off the Xsians for hundreds of years.

People

The original Xanthyr were of an unknown racial stock that has since vanished, but were marked by dark, red-tinged skin and dark hair and eyes. However, generations of breeding with their Elven and Beorn neighbors (the former through alliance and friendship, the latter through periodic raids for males) turned them into a much more diverse-looking people. On average, Xanthyr tended to be tall, with beautiful, slightly aquiline features. Their skin color ranged from fair to tan, and hair colors ran the gamut from pale blonde to deepest black, and even green popping up on rare occasions (a legacy of Wood Elven blood).

The origins of the Xanthyr are unknown, but in the prehistoric era, the Xanthyr were nomadic chocobo herders that dwelled on an island to the southwest of modern Agart. This rolling grassland was called Xanthesrahen according to Xanthyr oral legend, and was a verdant, tropical paradise. In this early period of the Nation, men were part of the tribes. However, Xanthyr women were faster and more agile, not to mention lighter, and thus became masters of hunting with chocobos, and it was this coupled with the generally much higher birth rates of women in the tribes that led to the development of the matriarchy. Female hunters brought home more game, and thus were granted greater esteem; their skills with the saber and bow were turned very easily to war, when goblin tribes threatened to seize their lands.

At some point, a terrible, unknown natural disaster occurred that left Xanthesrahen barren and infertile. With the death of most their herds and the island turned to ashes, the Xanthyr had no choice but to leave--but not before casting out their males from the Nation, blaming them for the disaster. They migrated to Tro, guided by the visions of their shamanesses, and settled there in the forests, breeding the chocobos they'd brought with them with those they found in their new home, to create entire new subspecies, including the black chocobos they are famous for. Cultivating techniques taught to them by the Elves enabled the Xanthyr to move away from the hunter/gatherer society they'd always been, to a more agrarian culture, though hunting and gathering always remained important to them. It was also then that they began the practice of gestational sex selection through mystical means, effectively eliminating males from the tribe.

Social Organization

Xanthyr society was matriarchal even before they practiced sex selection, when men were still part of the tribes. Female birth rates were always higher, and women outnumbered men in the average tribe by a ratio of 3, sometimes even 4 to 1. Women were the warriors, shamans, elders and hunters, while men tended the herds, were farmers and gatherers, as well as caretakers of the family. After the males were bred out, family care was left to older women and food cultivation was left to the younger women.

The complete absence of men in the tribes led to extremely high instances of lesbianism among Xanthyr tribes. For all intents and purposes, bisexuality was the default orientation of Xanthyr, perhaps due to the Elven blood most of them carried; Xanthyr took women for spouses, and coupled with males only for procreation (and, on rare occasions, recreational) purposes. Heterosexual marriage was virtually unheard of for a Xanthyr. If such a union were desired, the Xanthyr would leave behind her tribe to live with her husband's people, as the male would never be considered a member of the tribe. Naturally, this was quite rare, and generally a source of shame for the family.

When two Xanthyr married, the lower ranked woman generally moved into the higher ranked family. Every Spring, those warriors and shamanesses who had performed the greatest deeds for the tribe were permitted to mate, for the benefit of the tribe. Elven males were desired above all others due to their great beauty, abilities and wisdom, and over the centuries accommodations were reached between certain Xanthyr tribes and Wood Elven clans. Most of the time, however, mating season generally meant raids of Beorn territory for healthy, strong males. This kind of selective breeding ensured that only the strongest children would enter the tribe. Children were always considered to be the progeny of the women and full members of the tribe; in the Xanthyr language, there is no term for "father"; there is simply "blood-mother" and "beloved of blood-mother". Children were typically raised communally by the village.

Each Xanthyr tribe was ruled by a Xana (meaning, "chief"), who was always the strongest warrior of the tribe, as determined by ritual combat. The Xana’s consort was known as the Xan. Each Xana was a member of the Xanthyr Council of Tribes, which oversaw disputes and was the ruling body for the Xanthyr Nation. It met nine times a year, but could also be called in a time of great peril to the Nation. The Queen of the Nation (the strongest Xana, as determined in ritual combat) presided over the Council and always had the final authority in all matters.

Xanthyr society placed high value on warriors from its inception; though all Xanthyr, including males when they were still in the tribe, were trained in fighting in order to defend their villages and camps, it was the warriors who kept the tribes safe, and before the Xanthyr practiced agriculture, it was the warriors who kept the tribe fed. Elaborate customs grew up around duelling, once the custom of fighting to the death was abolished. Each tribe had a class of incredible fighters, whose exploits were legendary and whose skills were unmatched. These Kriyanatina, or “mighty women of the blade” were the elite of elites, and were the closest thing the Xanthyr had to an aristocracy (the Xanas, and thus the Queen, were without exception drawn from the ranks of the Kriyanatina). Kriyanatina were selected through ritual combat.

The only other way to move up a rank was the Right of Caste. Each Xanthyr warrior (and shamaness) possessed what was known as the Right of Caste; if a dying Xanthyr gave her Right of Caste to a woman, it meant her rank, weapons, and all her possessions would pass to the chosen recipient. Often this also meant spouse and children as well, though that was never formally put into law (it was always a choice). It was not a thing given very lightly, and could only be given in the presence of a witness. If the Xanthyr died at the hand of another, whether in fair combat or by murder, Xanthyr law also demanded that whomever received the Right of Caste would become the giver's avenger. Strangely enough, according to Xanthyr law, the Right of Caste could be given to any female, Xanthyr or not, though only a small handful of non-Xanthyr were ever given the Right of Caste.

The shamanesses held a rather unique position among the Xanthyr. While they did bear arms and fight, they were not considered warriors, yet they were held in very high esteem in the tribe. They were healers and medicine women, with great knowledge of herbs and roots. They interceded with the spirits of the ancestors (Ei'Sen), as well as the local spirits, and were the only ones who could communicate with the Kri'Sen, or Great Spirits, that the Xanthyr worshipped and took as totems. The Chief Shamaness or Krisentabe (Xanthyr: “mighty spirit sister”) of a tribe was always the Xana’s most trusted advisor, and even the Kriyanatina deferred to her wisdom without question.

Below the shamanesses and warriors in social standing were the chocobo herders, followed by artisans, traders, and farmers and gatherers.

Religion and Magic

The Xanthyr religion was a complex, druidic faith that placed great emphasis on living harmoniously with the natural world. The chief deity of the Xanthyr was known simply as the Great Mother, said to be the Earth itself. The Great Mother was believed to give birth to sen, or the spirits, which infused everything: rocks, trees, people, even the weapons and armor the Xanthyr used. The majority of Xanthyr ritual was designed to honor and appease the sen, that the tribe might prosper.

• Meiyanakueh

The most important deity in the Xanthyr pantheon aside from the Great Mother was Meiyanakueh, or White Chocobo Woman. According to the Xanthyr legend, following the great disaster that struck Xanthesrahen, the Nation's herds fell ill and died, and the land withered to dust. Famine struck the nation, and the Xanas were at a loss. Nine great huntresses, one from each of the remaining tribes, were sent in vain to find traces of life that the Nation might be fed, and they spotted a tall, beautiful woman dressed all in white through the mist and falling ash. She was pale as the moon, and spoke the Xanthyr tongue. Greeting the Kriyanatina, she named herself Meiyanakueh, and told them that if they took her back to the village and prepared a feast of the food that was remaining, the Nation would be delivered. Three of the Kriyanatina cursed Meiyanakueh as an evil spirit come to destroy, raising arms against her but making no mark, and Meiyanakueh struck them down for their unprovoked violence. Again she told the Kriyanatina to bring her to the village so that a feast could be prepared. Three more still were skeptical and demanded proof. Meiyanakueh cursed them for their faithlessness, and decreed that never again would their blades strike true. Awed by her power, the remaining three agreed to her demand, and brought Meiyanakueh before the Queen of the Nation. A great feast was prepared with the little food that was left, and Meiyanakueh was pleased. She took the Krisentabe aside and taught them of the Kri'Sen, the art of Senchoco, and many rituals. She also granted them the knowledge of how to make and consume the Ekati, and during the first Ekati Rite, visions were granted of a new homeland for the Xanthyr across the sea in a great forest. Finally, Meiyanakueh gave the Queen the sacred weapon, the chakram. Meiyanakueh departed from the Xanthyr after teaching them her mysteries and blessing them with gifts, and promised to return again in the Xanthyr's greatest hour of need.

• Chunta-he-Ma

The sole male in the pantheon was a malevolent spirit known as Chunta-he-Ma, or Chunta the Maimed. According to Xanthyr myth, he was responsible for the fall of Xanthesrahen. The legend states that in life, Chunta was a jealous male who coveted the magic power denied to him because of his gender. He raped a great shamaness, stealing her powers. Drunk with power and ignorant of its mysteries, he called down a rain of stars that destroyed the land, slaying all the tribes but nine. For his great crimes, Chunta suffered the worst punishment ever meted out by the Council of Nations. His eyes, tongue and genitalia were cut out, and he was left to suffer in the sun for thirteen weeks (one for each tribe that perished), until on the last day each of his limbs was tied to a chocobo of a different color, and he was torn limb from limb. His remains were left to rot, and he was cursed to wander the land for eternity by his violation of the Krisentabe. The Queen decreed that never again should a male be a member of the Nation, lest they were a son of Chunta-he-Ma. The remaining men were cast out, and until Meiyanakueh gave them the knowledge of sex selection, the Xanthyr cast out their male children. Chunta-he-Ma was not worshipped, but despised. Curse Dances were often utilized to weaken his power, and the horn that every Xanthyr shamaness wore around her neck was carved with symbols of protection against Chunta-he-Ma.

• The Kri'Sen

The Kri'Sen, or Great Spirits, were especially powerful spirits that were servants of the Great Mother, and were the ones most commonly worshipped by the Xanthyr. There were numerous Kri'Sen, each representing a raw force of nature, and each Xanthyr tribe had its own totemic Kri'Sen. Senchoco, the primary magical discipline of the Xanthyr, involved the shamaness undergoing trance and invoking a Kri'Sen into her body (usually that of her tribe, though especially powerful Krisentabe could call upon many), undergoing a benign form of possession in which the Kri'Sen took over her body and acted through it, attacking and so on. In some cases, the shamaness could even take on aspects of the Kri'Sen's appearance; a shamaness of the Wakabe tribe could call forth Efreim, for example, and breathe fire, growing horns on her head and a tail.

The Kri'Sen were nine in number, one for each tribe:

• Efreim, the Fire Beast, Totem of the Wakabe
• Sheikala, the Ice Queen, Totem of the Satevi
• Ramatu, the Thunder Woman, Totem of the Kokocho
• Bajamu, the Dragon Queen, Totem of the Darakaiva
• Valafei, the Red Hawk, Totem of the Hadantala
• Aniyama, the Lady of Pain, Totem of the Ohanze
• Suranat, the Healing Woman, Totem of the Abeytu
• Nixshee, the Bird of Life, Totem of the Wanakiya
• Lehaniwu, the Water Serpent, Totem of the Tahoma

Senchoco was not only practiced for battle purposes, but also during tribal ceremonies, during which offerings were made to the Kri'Sen of their favorite things. In addition to Senchoco magic, some Xanthyr shamanesses also practiced Elven Low Magic, taught to them by their Elven allies.

Manners and Customs

The Xanthyr were a tremendously formal people who held honor and justice as the most important attributes one could possess. Refusing a gift, for instance, was seen as a terrible slight, as was slander. Being asked to "take salt and speak of affairs" was the Xanthyr equivalent of "breaking bread", dating back to the famine in Xanthesrahen when meat was scarce, and was heavily salted for preservation. To be asked to "take salt" was in essence to be offered something of great value. It was considered a gesture of tremendous respect, and an offering of great friendship.

Many Xanthyr customs spoke to the importance of the chocobo to the Nation. A child's first sustenance always consisted of chocobo milk. To kill a chocobo was one of the greatest crimes among the Xanthyr; it was only ever permitted if the animal was in great pain and needed release from suffering, or if it was a time of famine and no other food was available. Ekati, the elixir of life, was made by the shamanesses from white chocobo milk mixed with honey and certain herbs. It was ritually consumed during the Rite of Ekati, and was said to rejuvenate the mind and body. It had hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac effects, as well, and these rites always ended in orgies.

Despite their formality, the Xanthyr had a great love of dancing, and no Xanthyr ceremony or feast was complete without it. They performed ritual fighting dances, funerary dances, and many others, as offerings to the spirits and also for pleasure.

Xanthyr dress typically left little to the imagination, all the more to show off their impressive tattoos, body markings and piercings. Typical Xanthyr clothing was little more than leather bustiers/brassieres (reinforced for support) and short kilts, with moccasin boots, though they also wore short deerskin tunics. Shamanesses wore short deerskin tunics, elaborately embroidered with colorful patterns, and an polished horn amulet carved with symbols that was believed to be the source of her ability to communicate with the Kri'Sen. The Xana generally wore red deerskins and leather interwoven with gold, with a great painted wood and leather mask/headdress of chocobo feathers and grasses. Furs were worn in wintertime, and in the higher elevations. Xanthyr wore their hair long; a common style was a high ponytail gathered at the crown of their heads. Depending on rank, warriors wore bands of leather or beaten metal to tie their hair, and headbands were also common. Elaborate jewelry was worn by all classes, including earrings, necklaces, bracelets, arm bands, etc. made of feathers, shells, clay, leather, skins, etc. The Xanthyr were very fond of bright colors, and used a variety in their clothing and jewelry.

Xanthyr Warfare

Being a war-like people, the Xanthyr were among the fiercest warriors Crystal has ever known. Xanthyr females could generally ride chocobos before they could walk, and were trained in the use of weapons from early childhood. Each Xanthyr was expertly trained at mounted, ranged, as well as hand-to-hand combat. All manner of weapons were employed by the Xanthyr. Shamanesses generally used bows and quarterstaves, while warriors used a wider variety of weapons, including swords, light axes, daggers, staves and clubs. The Xanthyr sword was a double-edged saber, which they were especially known for, as well as their exotic varieties of knives (including the sai, which the Xsian invaders learned to replicate). Xanthyr were expert archers, and also employed javelins and spears. However, aside from the traditional saber, the weapon the Xanthyr were most associated with was the chakram--a flat, metal disc with its center cut out, typically 13-15 inches in diameter. The outside edge was razor sharp, and it was used either as a short-range slashing weapon similar to a light axe, or it could also be thrown like a boomerang by a particularly skilled warrior. The flat edges were usually exquisitely decorated in a variety of designs, often incorporating the warrior’s personal totem, family and/or tribal symbols. The chakram was only used by the Kriyanatina, and came to symbolize the caste.

Armor consisted of studded leather brassieres, loincloths and short mantles, and boots often concealed hidden knives. The Xanthyr helmet was actually a reinforced leather and wood helmet-mask decorated with grasses and feathers, which they wore in combat to strike fear in the hearts of their enemies. The masks were made to resemble the totemic Kri'Sen of the tribe.

Tactically, the Xanthyr were brilliant, utilizing their natural speed, agility, and the forest terrain to their advantage. Many of their techniques were learned from their Elven allies. They used an ingenious system of vine ropes to quickly hoist themselves in and out of the trees, firing on enemies with their bows from a far and then leaping onto the floor to engage in melee combat. Xanthyr could move through the forest without making a sound, and used the element of surprise to great success. They were known for their high pitched, even bloodcurdling battle cries, and coupled with their impressive masks, they had a tremendously demoralizing effect on their foes. The Xanthyr were feared and respected by their enemies for their great cunning and skill, and enjoyed a fearsome reputation as far away as Hai-Xsia, where the Emperor himself cursed the savage barbarian women who were making fools of his vaunted samurai.

Legacy

The rise of trade, lowering birth rates, and the fall of Xsia among other factors spelled the end for traditional Xanthyr culture. Their principal foe was gone, and the need for warriors slowly diminished. The taboo against males in the Nation was eventually lifted entirely as Xanthyr numbers dwindled, and the Beorn advanced, making intermarriage with them a necessity due to low birth rates. Heterosexual marriage became more accepted, and the worship of Tahran spread. The descendants of this mixed people became the Toroians. Despite the drastic changes in their way of life, they remained a matriarchal and matrilineal society even to the modern era. While these fierce, ancient warrior women have passed into the pages of history, many such traces of their remarkable culture can still be found (including the martial art known as Kriya) and the Toroian women of today take great pride in their legendary foremothers. In societies where women do not enjoy the same rights and freedoms as the Toroians, the chakram is often used as a symbol of revolution, and the name "Xanthyr" shouted as a cry of defiance.