Remember Rhywle from my last post, Map Thursday? Well, in the great southern Marzuk Desert, you can find these guys - the Mwenye.
The Mwenye are a nomadic civilisation who wander the vast expense of the Marzuk Desert. Moving around in small groups of 25-50 individuals, known as kundis (sing. kundi), they make a living out of herding and trading.
They are animists, with each kundi having its own Mganga to intercede on their behalf with the spirits around.
Interestingly, the Mwenye have no single leader. The kundis, instead, convene every second full moon to discuss matters of importance, exchange news, and justify having a feast.
The Mwenye are diverse in body size. They can range from 5ft to 7ft in height. They are born with no horns. As they mature, horn buds appear which eventually grow into the majestic horns which adorn the adults. These horns are the only way to tell a Mwenye's gender without being indecent. The males have horns which grow forward, then up; While females have horns which curl backwards, then down.
Extended families live in large tents, called hema (plu. mahema), which is easily dismantled or assembled, fitting their desert habitat.
There are several animals which are exclusive to the Marzuk Desert, and therefore synonymous with Mwenye culture. The most well known is the Kubeba Nguruwe, a large herbivore now rarely found in the wild. It moves around in large herds and is fiercely protective of its herdmates and territory. The females are tuskless and give birth to a maximum of 12 young, known as mtoto, at a time. The kubeba nguruwe have a unique digestive system which thrives on cellulose. The remaining vegetable nutrients are passed out in the form of a clear gelatinous substance. This substance known as maziwa is greatly prized by the Mwenye as a food source. Also, these giant creatures are highly valued for their leather, meat, and bones.
Another iconic creature is the yaimende, a nocturnal scavenger commonly reared by the Mwenye for their eggs which are unique to the Mwenye diet. It begins its life as a minyoo grub which eventually pupates into a kiwavi after a year. Kiwavi spend six months hidden underground, or in baskets if they are domesticated, before emerging as yaimende. Both minyoo and kiwavi are also eaten as part of the Mwenye diet.
Herding cultures are not complete without their assisting animals. We have collies, the Mwenye have kipangas, which are useful not only for herding but also for the occasional war. Kipangas are fiercely loyal to their masters and are known to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their masters. There are many different breeds of kipanga, each with its own signature colour and plummage.
The character build for Mwenye classes can be found here.
[Edit: Illustrations for the Mwenye have been changed as of 26/8/2012, while those for the animals are expected to be changed soon.]
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