Cultures of Stone Age Kur

Copyright Peter Mork © 2018

Cultures of Stone Age Kur

Avaï

The Avaï have existed in the chilly southeastern islands for millenia. According to legend, they were visited by Olive Branch who counseled them to practice patience and peace. She set the Cherubim and Anzhel as a buffer against outside forces, and waited for the inevitable victory of peace over hostile intent. The Avaï are her second experiment towards this end (the first was obliterated in the Cataclysm).

Lifestyle

Along the coasts the Avaï collect shellfish; in the rocky plains the Avaï herd crison. They lead a simple life, content to spend their idle time alone in meditation or together in small groups singing. Despite the difficult climate, resources for these small nomadic bands are plentiful.

The Avaï build small stone dwellings out of flat shale rocks. These dwellings are large enough for three to five individuals to live comfortably. A given band of Avaï will relocate every five or six years, when resources in the area begin to run low. In some cases, the new location will already have stone dwellings, abandoned by other Avaï decades ago. Otherwise, the new arrivals will construct a hexagonal hive of huts, which they surround with earthen embankment to protect from the wind.

Clothing

A traditional Avaï cloak consists of two layers of leather, loosely stitched together. The space between this layers can be filled with crison fur to provide added insulation in the long winter months. Heavy fur hoods, gloves, and boots protect their extremities, and a one piece leather tunic with attached leggings is worn under the cloak.

They collect decorative shells that they assemble into necklaces. Larger shells are used to create brooches.

Marriage

The Avaï live as married couples, although no ceremony marks the formation of this bond. Two individuals simply start living together, with the expectation that once cohabitation begins, this arrangement is for life. Gender plays little role in marriage; same sex couples are expected to care for any children who have been orphaned.

Religion

Central to Avaï religious life are the statues that they create out of clay. Every dwelling includes a representation of that abode's guardian. These statues are abstract seated figures with crossed legs and arms. The local family decorates this statue with jewelry and a hood (although these adornments are generally lost to the archaeological record.) The statue accumulates the spirits of the deceased, which are the source of the Avaï's divine spell-casting abilities.

Fears

The Avaï fear violence. They are content to gather supplies, but they do not kill. Indeed, leather is only available when a crison dies of natural causes and is therefore in relatively short supply. Conflicts are generally resolved through exile (or splitting the band if both sides have adherents).

Skills

Stone Age Avaï have access to the following skills.

Starting Skills

[1] To determine a character’s background options, add up the racial cost and the culture cost. Convert that total into talent points or background options using Talent Law.