World of Kralis

Chovah

(pronounced: chō-väh/KO-VAH)

Chovah Male

Considered by most historians and sages as the first species to walk upon the lands of Kralis, the Chovah are the descendants of the people called the Khazavez who awoke on the isle of Myngaard at the beginning of time. The Khazavez people were smaller, thicker than their modern day counterparts, but the sagittal crest has always been a mark of the Chovah species, though it was thicker in their ancestors.

Originally, the Chovah were underground dwellers, living and working within the confines of the stone and earth around them. For countless centuries they never were aware of the world above them. At some point in their history the ancient Khazavez ran across the power of chaos that the One imprisoned within the core of the world. The next centuries of war with chaos and its legions of monsters cursed (?) the Khazavez warping them into present day Chovah and the three great clans.

This conflict with the great chaos also caused the Khazavez people to also mutate into two other species: Ha’Vatu and Rhakas. Each becoming a hyper-focused version of the Khazavez: great engineers and brutal warriors.

Athdeha

Chovah of the athdeha clan are found to be very brawny, and thick muscled. They grow long manes of hair unable to grow beards or any facial hair, they tend to decorate their crests with piercings and tattoos. Athdeha are well known merchants and have established many great mercantiles through out the world, and Omniverse.

Mazadhuk

The mazadhuk clan are most like their ancestors of yore: the Khazavez. They are the most ancient of clans, considered the first ones. These clans have turned their backs on the civilized world and have returned to the basic ideals of the Khazavez. They are the wild Chovah of the mountains, hills, and dark tunnels through out the world. They are vicious, battle hungry and will fight anything and everything that challenges them. Mazadhuk are more clannish oriented with families clustering together creating singular villages than all other Chovah.

Mazadhuk Chovah are gruff, possessing shred, sharp minds. While all Chovah are devoted to each other, mazadhuk are fiercely devoted to their own culture. Having returned to the roots of their ancestors, these Chovah have a bit of self-righteousness as they view their way of life the true Chovah life. They prefer secrecy and are skilled in subterfuge. Because of their return to the old ways they have a much deeper connection to the arcane magics of the earth element. They tend to be a brutal people often facing horrors within the depth of the Tav Aeduhn, that have driven them to be efficient, brutal killers of evil and chaos

Mekronus

These Chovah have taken to living in powerful strongholds, castles and city-states. They are amongst the creators of some of the finest armor and weapons in the world, and many legendary items are crafted by them. Nearly all mekronus aspire to find or create order in whatever they do. Their architecture is predictable and ordered, with nothing being built to be left to chance. Because of this need for order they often have difficulty dealing with other species.

Psychology

The Chovah are members of the oldest and in some respects more advanced civilization on Ta Los or Kralis. Some of the greatest warriors, spellcasters and artists that the world has ever known have been Chovah. As a species they have devoted themselves to the eradication of all things evil and chaotic, this devotion has become woven into their very genes which as allowed them to have the uncanny ability to detect evil and chaos in others.

To many other species, the Chovah come across as arrogant and self-important, but this is nothing more than self-assured confidence that Chovah have about getting things accomplished.

As one of the major warrior species (Bhahuul and Trolls being the others) they have great sense of pride and honor. All Chovah show fortitude, courage, undaunted spirit and self-discipline.

Chovah have a strong sense of family and clan, as do many other cultures. But to a Chovah there are only three things that matter, in order: Clan, Honor, and Good. Chovah are raised and taught to possess bravery, nobility, magnanimity, a sense of fair play, respect for others, the strength to do what is right and a sense of personal honor.

Chovah, as a species, expect themselves to show great physical bravery and equanimity in the face of danger, because danger and the possible risk to their lives was less important when compared to the need to serve the Clan, maintain honor, and to do what is right. This rises from the believe that it is not Chovahian or Lo Ghamakh, to show concern or fear in the presence of danger, it is considered useless and provides for no clear thinking.

Because honor, and more accurately personal honor, is so heavily focused on that Chovah take a very dour note on any being, but particularly any Chovah, that disgraces himself. Typical disgraces include: cowardice, treachery, shameful acts (such as killing kinsmen or defenseless people) breaking one’s oath or betrayal of trust. A disgraced Chovah is referred to as an Achak, and is often banished.

Dishonor, or rather the insult against ones honor (Kavac Mavoch), for Chovah is far worse than death could ever be. To the Chovahian mindset this could be communicated through a variety of means. The most powerful is through actions and words of others. Chovah believe that certain insults are so powerful that the Nagrakh (the book of Law) stated that a Chovah was free to slay anyone that spoke certain forms of insults. Most of these insults have their basis in the implication that a Chovah acted in a very non-Chovah manner or that a male acted in a very female manner. To Chovah cowardice and effeminacy are two sides of the same coin. To suggest that a Chovah was no Chovah or is Shak’ats (cowardly) is a mortal insult worthy of death.

Widely known for their stinging words, Chovahian taunts and insults are legendary and are often used with great flair during fights to anger opponents into making lethal mistakes. Chovah take great care on how they word an insult so that they bring their opponent great anger without causing dishonor. To hurl a dishonorable insult was also considered a mortal sin against Kuurigen himself.

Society and Culture

Chovahian culture and Chovah personality are so greatly intertwined it is difficult not to overlap one with the other when discussing the society of the Chovah. Chovahian society is challenging to define as it changes from region to region through out the world.

A great deal of Chovah live in large clans, keeps and cities through out the world. Their homes are built into the earth with half of it below the ground and the rest of it built of stone, granite and ironwoods.

These homes tend to be very large with several rooms including a small entrance hall, a large main room, a kitchen, several bedrooms, and storage rooms. These places are kept clean. The main rooms each have a fireplace to keep them warm during the harsh winters.

Many Chovah prefer to own and run large scale farms. They very complex places with specific schedules of when things can be planted and harvested. They also raise stout cattle, fat pigs, and sheep. Those Chovah, particularly the Mazadhuk, that chose an existence in cavernous mines below the earth are content with growing dark mushrooms and the like, the fresh meat of the farms are a welcomed sight.

Chovah love their food, but they love their mead even more. Many clans, in addition to their daily craft, are very proficient brewers and often compete in brewing contests through out the year. This competition of brewers is done in the same sense and tradition that Chovah have towards honor and battle. Winning brewers bring great honor to their clans.

Chovah clothing come from two different needs: above ground and below ground. Chovah that attend to farms tend to wear clothes made of wool, generally a vest tunic and pants along with a shirt for most of the summer and spring, during the colder months they wear heavier shirts, wool cloaks and heavy woolen caps.

Chovah that pursue life in the depths of the earth tend to wear lighter clothing made from various linens that they trade for from other realms. They tend to wear linen pants and shirts nearly year round as the temperature in most underground Chovah realms barely rises above 75 degrees and never lower than 69 degrees. Most of these realms are constantly warmer as there are any number of smithies and armorer forges, along with smelting that contribute to the warmth of the realm, either directly through heated pipes of air or indirectly via the stone around the forges and smelters.

Family and Structure

Every Chovah family is a member of one of the great clans. Individual families across every clan and caste, share a great deal of similarities. Chovah home life typically consists of parents and their children living with extended family of grandparents and great-grandparents.

Elders within the Chovah communities are highly respected and are referred to by all those within the community as either akoenoc (grandfather) or akojamath (grandmother), regardless of their actual family affiliation.

Families and clans often come together and form close bonds when their children marry. This obviously increases the extended family as much as the clan. It is not unheard of one clan of Chovah to absorb another clan because of marriages between high nobles.

Occasionally, grudges will emerge between families within a clan, which can be passed down from one generation to another. These grudges are not necessarily violent, though sometimes brawls can erupt from time to time. Like all grudges, these tend to be nothing more than some perceived offense that one family made of another.

At the center of Chovahian nations, the clans and the family are the Chovah children. They are considered a blessing. With in the Chovah philosophy both males and females are considered equals. While the children are considered the primary responsibility of their birth parents, every Chovah within family and the clan are expected to play some part in their upbringing and education.

Traditionally, both males and females are trained in the various professions of each clan, their warfare and the daily duties of family life. While not considered a matriarchy, female Chovah are highly regarded, with linage being traced through her side of the family. In this regard, expectant mothers in their late pregnancy months are expected to retire to their homes so that they can make ready for the new child. Any duties that she had to leave behind during this time are performed by other clan members so that she can ensure that the new clan member is born healthy.

Community

Chovah are very concerned with clan life. These tend to be very large family groups that often include several generations of the clan. All members of the clan can lay claim back to a common ancestor. The clans themselves each specialize in a particular craft or skill that brings honor to their clan. Generally, all members of the same clan tend to carryout the same trade from generation to generation. This sense of keeping things within the family develops a great sense of loyalty. The only “trade” areas that draw Chovah from various clans are the priesthoods and the schools of magic.

Chovahian clans are distinguished not only by their hereditary lineage but also by their legal heraldry and are recognized by the Melbekh (Sovereign, King). A Chovahian clan is a noble institution because the Chovahian clan chief (roch) is a title of honor for Chovah, and by virtue the chief confers his nobility to the clan as a whole. Should the chief ever lose his status within the Melbekh, then the clan is not officially recognized and loses any position under Chovahian Law (the Nagrakh). This also applies to any new clans that are formed or Chovahian clans from other parts of the world.

New clans are very rarely formed, and are even more rarely acknowledged by the Melbekh. However, despite this new clans can be formed by a Chovah or several Chovah that decide to take up a different trade from that of his original clan. In most cases, this new clan leaves the region that they live in to travel to a different region within the world, it is these new clans that continue the movement of Chovah through out history. In all cases those Chovah that decide to leave their old clan to form a new relinquishes all ties to the old, and makes a clan oath not to reveal any secrets of his old clan to either his new adoptive clan or the newly formed clan for at least a generation, so that only the grandchildren of the leaving Chovah will know the trade secrets of their lineage. While all ties are cut, there is still a strong tie to familial bonds that either clan may call upon for assistance if needed.

With Chovahian society centered heavily around the clan, each clan takes on one of the community’s duties: agriculture, trade factions, builders, crafters, gem cutting, diplomats to other cities or species, et cetera. An entire clan might be weaponsmiths by trade, with every single member an expert in repairing and making swords. While their functions do not overlap much, clans are very competitive with each other, each striving to amaze the rest of their city with an accomplishment in their field. Some go as far as to use covert measures to undermine their rival clans’ efforts, although never far enough to actually threaten the city’s defenses (though accidents do happen).

Art

Chovahian art and architecture are simply breath taking. Their natural talent is further enhanced by the many years they spend perfecting a specific craft. Uniquely many Chovah take up the hobby and skill of wood carving, often spending hours perfecting a carving in order to use it as a model or even a mold for metal workings.

As a species Chovah are exceptional engineers able to raise unbelievable constructions from mighty towers and citadels to magnificently built strongholds and castles. Clans that are devoted to these types of professions: builder and engineers; are often hired by other nations, cities and growing towns to further enhance their defenses, build aqueducts and erect great buildings.

Customs, Traditions and Beliefs

Chovah are well known for their strange and often odd traditions. Most traditions deal with the family: birth, naming; others deal with an individuals successes: first hard battle, first encounter with dragon, etc. Of all the various traditions, Chovah in every species observe scarification. Each clan has its own unique branding symbol that is used when a Chovah comes of age. Clans have varying locations where they apply this brand; locations often include forearms, the chest, the calf, the back or along the tricep. Once every fifty years these brands are reapplied in the same location so that over the years it builds up into a solid, hardened ridge.

A deeper, more spiritual tradition among the Chovah is the believe that Chovah children are not to be left fatherless. Older Chovahian men are required, if not out of law then from spiritual attachment, to become fathers, and grandfathers to other Chovah children that become fatherless. This is a role of taking on the duties of a father, though never replacing their natural father in title or in spirit and it is deeply codified in Chovahian society.

Beliefs

Chovah belief that when a child is born, that Migamm the Father of Luck and Fate, chooses the moment a Chovah will die. They believe that while nothing else in life is predetermined, no Chovah can live past the moment that Migamm has chosen for him. Nothing that a Chovah does will ever change that specific moment, whether it be in bed or out on bold adventure. Because of this believe that is ingrained in all Chovah to be bold and daring, non-Chovah would say careless and rushed. They believe that seeing out such adventure will increase their favor in Kuurigen’s eyes and increase their honor and enhance their clan. This is not to say that Chovah are a foolhardy people, an old Chovahian saying advises “Beware of delving too deep, or breaching to far into the darkness, there is more honor in accumulating it slowly and over time, than to overreach and fall flat.”

While fate was deemed to be out of their hands for the most part, they believe in the power of luck even more. Chovah believe that nothing can stop a Chovah blessed with luck and nothing can help the Chovah whose luck was cursed. To this end all Chovah have something of a deep-seated fear of not having things that they believe have been blessed by Migamm. Likewise, Chovah are quick to dispose of and remove themselves as far as they can from unlucky persons or unlucky things. One of the strongest Chovahian believes is that it is not only dishonorable to take the weapons of a fallen foe or dead ally, but it is very unlucky, simply based on the idea that those weapons didn’t brink much luck to their former owners.

Like most things Chovahian, religion is an ordered and important component of their life. Religion and spirituality is the Chovah link to their past and their ancestors. Most holy gatherings, when they do occur, are a mixture of religious rite, history lesson, lecture and the expounding on the Chovahian gods.

Marriage

Like most things Chovahian, marriage is an ordered and efficient prospect. To Chovah love is considered one of the greatest virtues within their lives along side family, clan and honor.

While marriage within the Chovah life is looked upon with favor, not all Chovah choose to marry for various reasons. Chovah are considered marriageable when they reach the age of majority, typically between the ages of 50 and 75 years. Chovah believe in marriage for life, and most tend to believe only in one marriage after the loss of a partner, though in some cases where the death a young partner and no children, they may re-marry.

Monogamy is expected by the family and the clan, as much as it is from partners. Romantic relationships outside of the marital tend to lead to social instability and disharmony within the structure of the clan and family.

Prior to any marriage most young Chovah tend to have many close relationships, both of the same sex and opposite sex, it is from these relationships that marriage unions tend to come from.

While love occurs, over display of affections are not common, rather young lovers will often sneak away to be alone or make some excuse to spend time with one another.

Holy/Dates of Importance

The Chovah calender have several notable dates of importance, beyond the holy days of their gods.

Mot-Kab: The Chovah new year begins on the Spring Dawning. This celebration lasts a full day and night as the various clans celebrate the fabled first day of creation of the hazavez people. It is done with enormous displays of fireworks and feasts. Chuztcha is a popular and powerful traditional Chovah mot-kab drink. Its main ingredients are red lager, brunish rum, oranges, lemons, cinnamon, cloves and earth dragon blood.

Vatcoh Jazor’ot: This solemn occurrence begins on Dragon’s Heat and ends the signing. In many respects this is a holy period of time, where the Chovah reflect on their past works. The failures, and the remembrance of the Chaos Wars (Hata Jazor) where the Chovah ancestors were tragically mutated into the current Chovah species, and the tearing of the species into the Ha’vatu and the Rhakas. During this period Chovahs do not take new jobs or contracts, many seek out creatures of chaos to slay, and still others fast, relying only on a powerful tonic called azeg yemak. It is a blend of herbs, goats blood and spices.

Khekesee Gho: Celebrated on the Feast of Ice, Chovah celebrate and remember their ancestors who have moved beyond the mortal world. Communities of Chovah light several lanterns per family that they send into the sky creating a night sky filled with thousands of lights, like stars that drift high into the air and over thousands of miles. During this time songs are sung and stories told in honor of those who perished.

Dress/Clothing

When traveling or at home during peace times, Chovah wear simple, functional clothing spun of cotton or wool. Their clothing is designed to be durable enough to work in and rugged enough to travel in with little unnecessary ornamentation. Chovah prefer tones of brown, purples, grays, and blacks in their clothing. They wear pants or shorts with billowy shirts. Most Chovah wear a leather baldric and thick double buckle belts that can be used as light leather armor and be able to carry minor weapons, batons or even a energy pistol. When it comes to battle, Chovah are known to dress themselves in the heaviest, hardest armor that they can. The chest plates of these are engraved with a clan symbol and are boldly decorated with silver, bronze or gold.

Hats and helms are rarely worn, to do so would be an insult to the species as a whole, for their sagittal crest is a mark of the gods and makes them distinct. These crests are often painted or tattooed. Both males and females paint their crests black for funerals, husbands and wifes will leave their crests painted black for one year as they mourn their loss.

Food

The Chovah palette is extraordinary, they have a love for rich, spicy hot foods. They have a fondness for stewed meats boiled in various vinegars and spices. A favorite is called burkac it generally involved horse or venison soaked in a dark rum and stout mixture for several days. It served with fresh vegetables.

Often the size of a Chovah’s head, the jurlakoch is the ham hock. It is usually roasted until the skin is crispy and the meat falls off the bone onto a hot platter where is gets a slight burn. It is marinated for many days in a large keg of roasted coffee and rum with many hot peppers.

Chovah are notorious for their powerful drinks that have been known to knock a Bhahuul of her hoofs drunk with a single sip. The most popular is called shurthog. This is a dark stout beer that has been aged for centuries so that the beer nearly becomes a syrup. It is then blended with a red, rich rum and then sweetened with honey.

Religion and Spirituality

Chovah are a deeply spiritual people. They tend to venerate numerous gods. Chovah rarely take things at face value and this philosophy extends to their believes, often adopting the thinking that one of the gods is teaching them a lesson.

Nearly all Chovah communities have one or more chapels that are dedicated to both the world gods and the Chovah faith, particularly Kuurigan, Migamm and Aataze .

Organized worship is not mandatory, but it is encouraged. Its common for Chovah to visit multiple chapels during their holy day of worship to pay their respects according to the rituals.

Chovahian religion and spirituality have as much to do with exaltation of their gods as it is a reaffirmation of Chovahian strength and an unwillingness to yield to chaos or to be dominated by disorderliness. Chovahian spirituality reflects their need for duty, honor, fealty and orderliness.

Chovah live every moment in the execution of their purpose granting them a reprieve from the fear of death. Thus, they fight with the strength of their gods, and die secure in the knowledge that they will move on to Halls of the Ancients in Olahm Hauk-Bhuta.

The Gods

Chovah predominately venerate Elal along with, most of the Skot Torzs (Chovahian pantheon). Kuurigan is predominate in all communities. The holy texts (Ashva Chal’ot) describe how Kuurigan, first among the immortals to walk through the darkness, was given the task of forging the known worlds of the Omniverse, the sparks from this forging created the stars and suns, and his breath gave birth to life through out the Omniverse.

Migamm is stated to have been born from an unlucky strike of Kurrigan’s hammer, his “accidentally” birth gave him dominion over the threads of fate of all Chovah and the ability to bless them with luck.

While not necessarily evil as Azahak, Chovah recognize the power and need of Aataze the god of rage, battle and murder. He is the force that Chovah believe was the result of steam rising from the cooling of the worlds, the escaping chaos that Kurrigan imprisoned in the known worlds.

Death and Funerals

As a warrior-species like Bhahuul, Rhakas and Trolls, death holds no sway over the Chovah. They are well versed in the struggle of existence against evil and chaos and the inevitable loss that awaits all mortals.

Tradition dictates that all Chovah that have died, with or without honor, are to bee buried in the earth upon their death. Often times graveyards of Chovah are not so much like traditional graveyard, but are placed in stone coffins inside a large burial chambers called the ghalegveeka. These tend be clan specific, as well as family specific.

Chovah observe a ritual burial process known as secondary burial or Khovat. It is believed that 200 years after death and the first entombment that the secondary burial grants the soul of the Chovah to be able to transition to a much higher level of existence or even attempt escape from Ghulthak the place of Chovah purgatory.

Non-clan or family-less Chovah are given smaller plots near these community burial chambers in accordance to Chovah believe.

After Life

Death is not an unexpected thing for Chovah, they die in battle, they die of old age, and they die while doing their jobs. Chovah honor the dead, but not through mourning, but through celebration. Those who die with purpose and honor are said to join Kuurigen the Father in the afterlife in Olahm Hauk-Bhuta, a paradise where feasting and battling are eternally shared and won with Chovahian ancestors.

Chovah believe that proper funeral rites were essential for the deceased soul to move on to Olahm Hauk-Bhuta. A suitable funeral ensured that the dead were honored and that their spirits did not linger to haunt the living and would have honor within the halls of Olahm Hauk-Bhuta.

Those that did not die with honor or did have a proper burial are said to find themselves in the dark realms of Ghulthak, which is ruled over by great demon Fhelkath and his army of fiends. Chovah that may have question their fate in the afterlife, or did not die with honor, may have a dangerous quest held in their name by their surviving spouse in order to win honor for the late Chovah and gain entry into paradise.

Those Chovah that are doomed to travel to Ghulthak do so by way of Mhavez Ohina (Barge of the Dead) that travels the River Styx. Many legends and sagas tell of heroic sacrifices by friends and family to save the souls of loved ones from Ghulthak.

Language

Chovah speak Azhdehak. It is an ancient and very complex language to learn. A very strong, chesty sounding language that relies heavily on the use of consonants more than vowels. Most names are an accumulation of consonants with a few vowels. The structure of Azhdehak is the verb first, followed by the adjective or adverb then the subject or noun. Each of the various kin speak with their own dialect. Mekronus Chovah speak Azhdehak as well as Melkehak (Mekronus Chovah Dialect). Athdeha speak Azhdehak as well as Athdehak (Athdeha Chovah Dialect). Mazadhuk speak Azhdehak as well as Mazehak (Mazadhuk Dwarf Dialect).