Haruzan [Har-u-zan]

Known as the Kingdom of Women.

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Haruzan, who refer to themselves as the Haru, are agricultural peoples in the southwestern province of Haruzie in the Imperial Royalian Empire.

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A Festival of Origins

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The Haruzan celebrate a 'Blue Sky Flower Festival' based upon the Legend of their people’s origins. 

A girl of rich amber had led her people south to plentiful lands, fleeing from their enemies. Yet those who chased them would not give up so easily and the warlord swore to kill this Mystic-woman himself. The Haru were cornered at last in the southern mountains with a gorge at their back and the same path north toward the enemy that they had taken.

The fallen archangel Eirdandri appeared across that same gorge and laughed at their plight,

"Hope and faith are not enough, look to yourself. What will you offer to the Darkness to survive in Nanqa’s lands?"

The people were panicked at the sight of the Cursed Fallen but the Mystic-woman Yawen spoke loud and clear, "If you can create for my people a bridge to cross this canyon I will give you whatever I have to give."

"It will take more than a bridge to save your people. Will you meet that sacrifice?"

"With anything."

"Then give me the last of spring’s blossoms that your women carry and the length of your braids and I will give you what you seek."

Yawen quietly wept as a knife was used to sheer her long-locked braids of black while the women and children gathered the few blooms they still possessed from their homeland. Together the locs and the Blue Sky Vines were given to the Fallen Archangel and thrown high over the gorge.

The locs grew, stretching far as braided ropes to create the bridge they needed to cross the expanse. The Blue Sky Vines webbed with weaved braids of rope beneath her people’s feet. The Haru would traverse the chasm and run, not long later entering a cavern where Eirdandri waited for them once again.

"They will hunt and they will follow without end. But you are what they search for. You or your people, decide which this Doomed One will save."

Yawen would make the decision to have Eirdandri 'The Accused One' turn her to stone within these caves. There she would stand strong for the enemy to find so that her people could flee deeper and away. The enemy would attempt to take out their rage on her but no tool or fist could damage the ore. At her feet grew Roses of black and flowers of sacred sky blue.

 

Now called the Handmaiden of Nanqa, Yawen’s statue is where it has always stood. Each year the people will gather together in the sight of her, singing, dancing, and telling stories of the last year. They fill the cavern with Blue Morning Glory (flowers) in thanks to her sacrifice. 

 

Community

Each village reveres its own sacred lake and takes its name from the nearest mountain peak. Usually, a village is made up of a minimum of 4 clans.

 

The Haru are a traditional Matriarchy in which women are the head of the household, the property is passed down through the female line and the women make the religious decisions that influence political power. The village leaders are usually the female elders who have been involved with the religious life of the village prior. Once they become village leaders, religious responsibility is passed onto their daughters. Many of those women become powerful Necromancers.

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The heads of businesses can be either a woman or a man as men can make business decisions in the absence of an adult woman.

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Men, however, are more commonly in charge of the livestock on the farms and learn these skills from their mother’s brother. The Haru men fish and take care of slaughtering and preserving the meat from the livestock.

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The Haru are matrilineal and are accustomed to having nocturnal visits which frees both sexes to have multiple partners. This way they can initiate and break off relationships easier. A woman can become pregnant by the same man multiple times or by different partners. When children are born they are the responsibility of the mother’s house which is an extended multigenerational household of the mother and her blood relatives.

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In the last couple of decades, some Haru have been living together in a ‘married life’ with their partner or partners. This is an influence of outside Royalian culture on the Haru people and is still fairly uncommon.

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Dress

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The Haruzan are known for their simple clothes, loose black pants, and a black tunic for men and women both. The women have two head covers, a simpler plain black one for working in the fields and keeping protected from the sun. The second black headcover has a range of colorful flowers stitched on its hems. This fancier headcover is worn to festivals and other important events. On those same days chains of metal, and jewelry are also worn by the women.  

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In honor of Yewan, Haru men and women both wear their hair in locs, using braids, coils, and twists to create the locked, narrow ropelike strands of hair that created the fabled rope bridge. Those Haruzan who must live abroad in Royale for extended periods of time have their locs (dreads) cut short. Those who must live abroad for their entire lives are shaved bald sacrificing the ropes that tie them to their homeland. 

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Farming/Agricultural 

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The people of Haruzan are largely self-sufficient in diet, raising enough for their daily needs. They are primarily agrarian, and farm tasks are divided by sex. Any work that involves livestock (sheep, goats, buffalo, and poultry) is done by the men. The women grow crops such as barley, grain, and potatoes. Meat is preserved through salting or smoking.

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Due to the importance of farming, many of the yearly festivals are concerned foremost with farming, healing, and religious events.

Imperial Royalian Influence and Relations

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The Haru have become known for their spear fighting skills in the Empire once Royale set up training academies in the province. Like all Royalian provinces, men and women must undertake a minimum of two years of military training. Whereas in other provinces two years is the requirement for women and four years for men, the women, and men of Haruzan both train for three years each.

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Daughters inherit their mother’s weapons and sons inherit their maternal uncles. 

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Support for the Royalian Imperial family stems from the ancestral link of the Royale royal family and Lord Nanqa, Divine of Darkness, Undead, and Honour. If the throne was lost to a family without blood connection to the Dark God it is very likely the Haruzan would fight for their returned independence. 

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Like the Barazon, the core Royalian peoples, the Haru have a deep respect for Necromancers and those who have made the decision to die and come back as undead to serve as Black Guards. The Haru serve in the Imperial military while alive and as Undead. For this reason, the Haru are often used as dignitaries when the Royalian government meets with the Vampires and Shadow Ellearn of the Menel Swamp. 

Royale considers the Haruzan loyal members of the Empire and has no need to have an increased military presence there. The Haru are able to, if they can afford the test and study material costs, to take the Merit Exams that must be passed to Ministers (peerage.) 

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