Kjai

Catlike, bipedal humanoids with a long tail, often but not exclusively walking on two legs.

Kjai grow quickly and reach their equivalent to adolescence at the age of 3 years. They are fully grown at the age of 8 years (sometimes sooner) and are excpected to live to an age between 40-50 years.

Hailing from tropical climate zones, Kjai are used to rainforests, thick undergrowth and wet climates. Most may live in cities or larger communities nowadays but every member of the species could very well survive in the untamed wilderness of their home forests.    Kjai are well known to adapt to the ecological circumstances, ranging from temperate forests to plains and even deserts. They also endure cold climates, although they might not find it to their liking for extended periods of time.    Kjai are good swimmers with many individuals choosing a life at sea as sailors and fishermen.

Various sorts of meats are the preferred food of the species, with vegetables and fruits beeing regarded as compromise or stopgap in dire situations. Food intake is necessary once or twice a week. Kjai may survive for as long as a month without food.   Hunting remains a very important part of food gathering in rural areas, although the constant growth of Kjai cities has led to the need of breeding livestock to meet the rising demand. Coastal regions also rely heavily on fish and other maritime food sources. Farming is almost irrelevant and only commenced to feed livestock (and only in cases where grazing does not supply enough).

The Kjai are strictly divided in two classes, the Djarvi and Olavi. This distinction developed as early as greater groups of Kjai lived together and social structures besides familial ones were needed. The class system kept its importance after the creation of Farid'zai and remains an important factor to this day.   The upper class, the Djarvi, control all higher positions in national and regional governments as well as the military and most spots in trade and economy as well. City centers are almost exclusively inhabited by Djarvi who live in big, luxurious homes and enjoy separate access to public infrastructure. Their homes are often the only ones protected by city walls, which functions as another isolator from the Olavi. Olavi on the other hand represent the working class (and obviously the majority) of the Kjai. They are obligated to keep the structures and logistics up and running while they are guaranteed that the Djarvi, who lead them in all aspects of life, will put their positions forward for the greater good of their people. The strict hierarchical structure of Kjai life has so far lead to no uprisings due to social inequality, although many Kjai, especially those who came in contact with other customs, tend to become unruly and demand more equal rights in later years.

Great senses all around, especially smell and hearing. The eyes, though allowing for great viewing capabilities, are not used to bright sunlight.

Male parent names are the most important link for young individuals, who are referred to as "Nurad ya-...", "Little child of...(Fathers personal name)". As several children are standard in a Kjai household, children are numbered to distinguish them further. An individual name may only be chosen when reaching adulthood and under certain circumstances, during the The Naming Ceremony.   The full name of a grown-up Kjai (who is allowed to carry his own name) comprises of four individual parts:  

• Profession or Occupation (picked during their adolescence)
• Personal Name
• Fathers personal name
• Ancestral name (usually the name of the first known male ancestor)

  A full name may therefore be something like that:   "Ahir Eyadat ya-Khalsom Kjairasef" = "The Warrior (Ahir) Eyadat (Personal Name) of (ya-) Khalsom (Fathers personal name) after (-(a)sef, used as Suffix) Kjair (Ancestral Name)   Female names are constructed in a similar manner but use the mothers name instead of the fathers. They take over the ancestral name of the male when they become a couple.   The full name is rarely used. Most of the time Kjai talk to each other either using their profession (if unknown to each other), the ancestral name (if formal) or the personal name(s).   It is worth noting that only the dominant male and female of any family have the right to carry their full name as stated above. Non-dominant males and females in a family (who unsuccessfully completed their transition period) technically gain a full name through the The Naming Ceremony but are commonly referred to as "khaallidvesi" (or shortened "khaadves") in public, literally meaning "people in the house" (in contrast to the word "datyes" meaning family in a more traditional sense).   A common form of punishment for khaadves is to temporarily strip them from their personal name and refer to them with the numeral they had as a child again, symbolically taking away their adulthood.   Khaadves may gain a full name by either accomplishing something truly important for their family or beeing allowed to look for a partner again (and find one), which can only be granted by the dominant couple of a family.   Honorable Names   This practice is known exclusively in the realm of Farid'zai and is only granted to a very few. If a Kjai excells in the service for the realm, they might be rewarded the right to be called "Yigodaaj" or "The Honerable One". This title is carried in front of any other name and is always named together with the hometown of the honored Kjai. For example: "Yigodaaj ya-Numair", "the honerable one from Numair" + all the other naming elements. Honorable names come with the added benefit of lifting the whole family up to the status of Djarvi, although only the person who was granted the honor is allowed to carry it as part of their name. The rest of the family and all descendants are however allowed to carry the honored ones name as new ancestral name, effectively creating an new family tradition to remember the deeds of the "Yigodaaj".

The realm of Farid'zai consist predominantly of Kjai and is regarded as the home of the species. As one of the major players in Ëaquelun, Farid'zai uses its geopolitical power to further enhance the Kjais development as a species and the power base of the realm.

The dominant couple of a family share their responsibilities in almost every aspect, with all other Kjai living in the same houshold (for example brothers and sisters or cousins) supporting them as commanded. The family are expected to teach their children the basics of Kjai society until the kids are old enough to join one of many state schools.

Partner find themselves at religious and social gatherings specifically organized for this purpose during the time of The Transition.

Kjai are expected to find a partner and remain with him/her for the rest of their lives. The dominant couple may decide if other members of the greater family (the "khaallidvesi") may look for a partner again or if they have other duties to fullfill, effectively controlling the amount of offspring of a family.

Kjai language spread together with the expansion of the realm of Farid‘zai. These great distances have led to the formation of distinct dialects, some strong enough to be hardly understood by other Kjai. Members of the Siraaj sometimes incorporate parts of other languages, depending on where they live. These languages differ strongly from the traditional Kjai language and form their own subcategories.

Kjai grow long hair (on the head) and are expected to never cut it. This symbolizes the evergrowing connection to their gods and nature. Braiding the hair is only allowed for females who have given birth while tying a bun is reserved for Kjai in military services or while going on a hunt. A hair cut is considered a severe punishment in Kjai society and only permitted in very rare circumstances, often religious or cultural reasons.
Clothing is mostly kept simple and functional for the Olavi, reflecting their line of work or profession. It often consists of a shirt and trousers or tunica. The Djarvi on the other hand are known to wear more colourful and extravagant clothes, clearly distinguishing them from the Olavi.   Jewellery is restricted to dominant couples of a family for the Olavi, while members of the Djarvi may wear it freely.

Kjai culture is strongly connected to their jungle home. Hunting is seen as the only right way to nurture the society. With the growth of the population, Kjai quickly realized the need to keep in balance with nature or face the rapid decline of their hunting grounds and in turn, their way of life. In time, Kjai therefore developed a sense for this balance and try to preserve nature as best as they can. Settlements may be stopped from expanding rather than growing too large to be support by the means of local nature. Major seats of government or important cultural and religious cities are the only exclusions for this rule. Most settlements are kept to a small or medium size, which leads to an ever increasing amount of land for Kjai to settle. After all, the destiny of the species is to rule the world and bring order to it. Ironically, this has caused several wars and the expulsion of those conquered locals who refused to submit to their new overlords.

Kjai life is centered around the fight for survival, strongly influenced by their hostile jungle home and best seen in the importance of hunting in Kjai society. Religious traditions of The Faridite Faith also play a major part in Kjai-customs.   One of the most important factors of Kjai culture, both for survival and rituals, is the hunt. Two basic forms exist: The common hunt (kjaraĵ) and the ritualistic or great hunt (kjaraĵal ya-nari). The common hunt is practiced by all Kjai and commenced with a short prayer to their gods. The target is the gathering of food for everyday life, with specific days set to specific families in order to guarantee subsistence for everyone. Larger settlements share hunting days between several families. The ritualistic hunt on the other hand is a privilege of the upper class and specifically targets predators. Large rituals are held at the beginning, with many members of the community taking part in them. The end of a ritualistic hunt is celebrated with festivities, the honouring of the hunters as well as the hunted predators and praises for the gods. The whole custom symbolizes the struggle of Kjai against nature and gives opportunity for the upper class to prove prowess and skill in battle, legitimizing their right to lead. It also serves to keep the number of rival predators in check and the homes of fellow Kjai secure.   Every Kjai reaching adulthood attends The Naming Ceremony which makes him/her a fully recognized member in any Kjai society. Afterwards, Kjai are going through a period called The Transition, which lasts from the time after the naming ceremony to the age of 10. After that, Kjai are expected to settle down and honor the craft they have taken on, working for the better of their community.   Kjai burial customs are unique but bewildering to most other cultures. First of all: a "proper" Kjai burial may only be given to those who died having served their higher (and predistined) purpose. If a Kjai dies this way, he/she is at first cleaned, put into the most festive of their clothes and treated with a special ointment to stop the rapid decay in the tropical heat. Afterwards, the dead is put at public display, where every member of the village or town is allowed to give a final farewell within three days. The dead is layed out either at the family home or, for more prominent members of the society, in public houses or plazas. A farewell only consists of a small prayer for the dead and a small offering to the gods, mostly in form of burning some incense. After the public display, the dead receives its final farewell from the family in a separate ceremony. After that, he/she is stripped of any clothes and earthly possessions (except those which are explicitly said by the family to remain with him/her) and put on a richly decorated wagon. The possessions are handed back to the family who treasures it in a separate part of their home, called the "house of the ancestors" ("dves ya-tireyaa"). At dusk, the priests and their servants move the dead outside the city and bring him/her to the final resting place, the "offering stone". The dead is laid on this stone, which is often just a massive flat rock in a clearing of a forest, and given the last ritual prayers by the priests. Afterwards, the body is left by the living and is consumed by the wild animals. This symbolizes the closeness of the Kjai to nature and gives the dead one last purpose: to nurture those, who will be hunted by the Kjai afterwards. With that, the dead fulfills the circle of life and his last purpose given to him by the gods. Many cultures frown upon this offering to the wild, critizing it as barbaric and a desecration of a once living, sapient creature. Problems with a Kjai burial often occur in non-faridite territories, where religious authorities are often critical of the Kjai way of living. If a Kjai dies not having fullfilled their purpose, they are treated with no respect by their society and denied any privilege of a proper Kjai burial. Their body is either left to rot where it is or buried in a quickly dug grave if sanitation of the community is at risk. This is considered a great shame for the family who are keen to wipe out the knowledge of this ancestor in their "dves ya-tireyaa".

The first members of the Kjai developed in the jungle of Tanari. The forests are still their home, Tanari is the most densely populated region of the Grand Kingdom of Farid'zai and considered the capital province of the realm.   During their development as a species, many Kjai became victim to the dangers of the jungle and had to fight for survival for most of their existence. They eventually overcame those hurdles and began to master their home territory rather quickly. This may be one of the main reasons why the species considers themselves as chosen people and are often extremely eager and ambitious.