Esuks [E-suks]
"Water is Blood & Blood is Water."

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Water both sea and fresh are the most important theme in the Esunian mythical belief system. Places of water are sacred sites, and there is the belief that water spirits live at the bottom of waterfalls and within larger rivers.

Al'shae Oaris is primarily worshipped by the Esuks as Al'shae Oaris is the supreme god of the rain. He was widely worshipped as a beneficent giver of life and sustenance, as well as feared for his ability to create earthquakes beneath the seas which cause tsunamis, as well as creating hurricanes and withholding rain and the bounties of the sea.

The statue of Al'shae Oaris was built in stone and rolled into the sea where all sacrifices take place in his honour. Esuks were once a slavers' kingdom and would sacrifice slaves for good rains or a plentiful sea harvest. This practice has been outlawed since King Valentiln conquered Esuna in 1055 and put an end to owning slaves.

All life depends upon and surrounds the sea, rain, and water. Snakes are sacred as Al’shae Oaris takes the form of sea serpents. Once adolescents are of age to marry they will partake in a python dance where they dance fluidly like a snake to the beat of drums while forming a chain by holding the forearm of the person in front. Once a wife has been chosen a set of courtship and grooming rituals take place over several days.

The Esuks are known for their female warriors, especially those that once protected the King, and called themselves the King’s wives. Most of these were young unmarried women who were recruited as young as 8 years old. Known for their aggressive character traits, this regiment offered women the opportunity to "rise to positions of command and influence" in an environment structured for individual empowerment.

The Esunian military is still a force to reckon with and military coups have taken place historically. The Esuk troops are a fearsome sight, barefoot and bristling with clubs and knives. A few, known as Reapers, are armed with gleaming three-foot-long straight razors, each wielded two-handed and capable of slicing a man clean in two. Women fully trained as warriors were thought to “become” men, usually at the moment they disemboweled their first enemy. Once a woman does so, she is seen as equal to her male counterparts and spiritually ‘male.’

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Sacrifices still occur to Al'shae but now are criminals who are sentenced to the death penalty and are ritually drowned in the ocean. Many of the other Esuk ceremonies and rituals have been outlawed or have had to go into hiding due to the Camarian Empire.