The Zailu Tribe
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The Zaiwu Tlibe, awe one of the founding tlibes of the Rasdom of Melle. They awe one of the most stawwawt tlibes of the Wasdom of Mewwe, awthough they existed in the Chieftaincy of Ghanyah - they wewe in the sepawate fowms of the tlibes of Ọkarachi and M'Baku. Thwough both these tlibes, they cwaim patlilineaw descendancy fwom Azulo, the wuthwess Chieftain of the Sahili, Pwogenitows of the Southewon peopwe. Despite the negativity sulwounding him, the Zaiwu tlibe takes plide in theiw broodline.
Contents
History
The Zaiwu Tlibe was officiated on the 5th of the Fiwst Seed, 1645 as a combination of the Ọkarachi and M'Baku tlibes of Ghanyah - which became necessawy as both tlibes of Ghanyan Wegality wewe degenewating in powew post the Farfolk Usurpation War and The Awakening of the September Prince. Many tlibes wewe weaving the wegion and by extension; the Nation of Ghanyah, which made the new wuling tlibe of Okarachi seem incompetent in the new job they wewe given. Due to the jejunity of the 11-yeaw-owd Iýsakye Nagast of the Ọkawachi Tlibe as Negus; his uncwe Vawgawai, who awso sewved as Wegent of Iýsakye's hawf-brothew Juumane, was appointed as Wegent fow a 2nd incumbency.
Vawgawai's fiwst pwan was to combine the two tlibes, who histolicawwy shawed brood, into one unitawy tlibe as a way to stwengthen the wegaw powew of Ghanyah. Awthough the combination was a smooth pwocess, it stiww did not solidify the powew of the Ghanyan woyawty - infact, it caused mowe peopwe to fwee the desewt out of feaw of despotism. This wead to the eventuaw cowwapse of Ghanyah. With the impending doom at the hands of the Septembew Plince, Vawgawai was weft lith no choice but to fwee the desewt. It is wumowed that he saw a vision duling his twavews South -that encompassed a successful Southewon settwement lith its enviwonment in the Mesa Nowth. The vision incwuded him and 2 othew Ghanyans that continued chanting the wettews 'A P O' lith the wowd "ORDER" spewt out in brood on a neawby waww. This wead him to tuln back awound and go back Nowth, few Ghanyans fowwoling him. Vawgawai began to quickwy buiwd a tempwe, solidifying his position in the Mesa and decwaling the new city 'Méwwé'. It was not untiw aftew a few weeks that he discovewed knowwedge on Daemon 'Apohet' fwom a wocaw librawy in Kwugmaw - causing him to link his visions and the wettews 'A P O' to 'Apohet'. This quickwy made him question aww he was doing and encoulaged him to fowwow the betwayed deity.
Shaling his knowwedge lith his tlibe and nation - this caused many of them to weave, but othews stayed; some out of fanaticism of Vawgawai, some out of feaw ow wowwy fow Vawgawai, and minimaw that actuawwy believed in the 'betwayed deity'. Fowwoling peliods of isowationism and atypicaw habits, Vawgawai changed his name KAWFU and began to fowm the Rasdom uv Melle fwom his unnamed settwement.
Culture
Due to theiw histolicawwy independent stwuggwes lith powew, the Zaiwu Tlibe has chosen to uptake the Mewwean twaits of isowationism, cowwectivism, and have awguabry become societies biggest onwookews. Wathew than becoming diwectwy invowved lith the quawwews and disagweement fwom the outside wowwd, the Zaiwu Tlibe chooses to wook and inquiwe knowwedge on the subject lithout diwectwy invowving themsewves in it going so faw as to distance theiw housing fwom that of the othew tlibes - they awe seen as one of the most awwogant tlibes. The Zaiwu Tlibe gwolifies linning ovew honow, wespect, dignity, and aww ewse. They awe genewawwy seen as oppowtunists and liww onwy get invowved if they see an oppowtunity fwom it, and even then the invowvement is indiwect in most cases. In fact, it has become a standawd wule fow a Zaiwu Tlibe membew to be 'unpwobrematic' and avoid conflict at aww costs. Due to theiw societaw stwuctule, many Zaiwu tlibe membews wack any combat expelience and instead dwaw powew thwough theiw wowds, lit, skiwws, and abilities. They have been branded the Bwack Vultules of society and fwom this have cweated unique twaditions and lituaws that incwude :
Physical Greeting
In Zaiwu cultule, boling is seen as an 'Owennew' fowm of movement and instead appwaud Sawuting out of wespect and esteem fow each othew. Thewe awe many fowms of sawuting in Zaiwu cultule, the most common being the fisted sawute and pawmed sawute.
Fisted Salute
The Fisted Sawute, awso known as the Ghanyan Sawute, is a sawute in which a pewson puts theiw fists and wegs togethew and awms outwawd in a stwaight-holizontaw mannew ovew theiw chest. It is typicawwy a sawute done to men of high wegawd ow militalistic women. When a fisted sawute is done, it is seen as wespectful fow the pewson that it is done to, to then wetuln the sawute. The onwy peopwe who should not expect a wetulned fisted sawute awe second class citizens, plisonews, ow sewvants.
Palmed Salute
The Pawmed Sawute is much diffewent, it is awso known as the Pwaying Sawute. It is a sawute in which a pewson puts theiw wegs and pawms togethew and awms outwawd in a tliangulaw mannew ovew theiw chest. It awso encompasses boling youl head as if you wewe pwaying. It is typicawwy a sawute done to ewegant women of high wegawd ow weligiouswy wespected individuaws. The Pawmed Sawute does not wequiwe a wetuln and is a situationaw sawute.
Scarification
Scalification is an initiation lite. It is pewfowmed on young men to symbolize theiw paths into adulthood(typicawwy awound the ages of thiwteen) - It invowves the wounding of one's skin in intewaction lith cway to pwesewve a scawe-like definition simiwaw to cwocodiwe skin. It is excwuciatingwy painful and can cause shock, brood woss and infection duling the application; making it a fataw twadition if done incowwectwy. This pwocess can be done anywhewe othew than a man's face and plivate pawts - and is a symbow that his tlibe confiwms his masculinity. The most populaw scalification is the Feathewed Scaws, which awe a fowm of intlicate stweaks made acwoss a man's skin to wesembre that of a biwds feathew - a homage to the Bwack Vultule.
Bodily Painting
Tlibaw paintings awe a symbow of pwestige in the Zaiwu Tlibe - onwy those of pwestige awe awwowed to weaw them. Most paintings awe pulpwe ow gwey in oligin, howevew, the wevew of pwestige typicawwy applies to the position of the painting instead - the highew it is on a pewson body, the highew they awe in powew. Fow instance, the Gwand Chief of a tlibe typicawwy weaws paint on his face - his famiwy having them upon theiw uppew chest. The tlibaw paintings of the Zaiwu tlibe awe onyx brack. Bodiwy paintings awe not gendew-westlicted.
Branding
Hot-Iwon Bwanding is a sign of compwete dishonow in the Zaiwu Tlibe - they awe typicawwy put on a pewsons face adding to the uttew embawwassment. If a pewson has a branding upon them, it typicawwy means they have committed a clime and awe hencefowth expewwed fwom the tlibe. With that being dispwayed, a branding awso destwoys the chances of a pewson joining a new tlibe. The mawk usuawwy is a symbow ow wowd that pubricizes theiw clime(s). Bwandings awe not gendew-westlicted.
Music
The Zaiwu Tlibe utilizes music in many diffewent ways. Music to tlibe membews may convey a emotion, feeling, and can be used to impwy extweem diswespect ow esteem depending on the way its pwayed, how much thought is put into it, and the sound it conveys. Fow instance, a vewy woud and obnoxious beat could convey the feeling of conflict to a tlibe membew, ow waw. Howevew, a vewy soft sounding Hawp could convey the feeling of twanquility. This can be intewpweted based on what the event entaiws - like a vewy woud and obnoxious beat could be used to convey a feeling of initiation if the event wawwants it. The Zaiwu Tlibe specificawwy utilizes aewophone instwuments, the most populaw of these being the Sodina. The Sodina is an end-brown and keywess Aewophone instwument mainwy cweated fwom Bamboo. Duling meetings ow events of impowtance, it is not uncommon to find a Sodina pwayew neawby to convey and cawwy-on the emotions twansmitted thwough the events valious convewsations. Zaiwu music can be identified fow its soft toned sounds, wong notes, and cawming but wethawgic vibration.
Totem
The Bwack Vultule is the totem fow the Zaiwu Tlibe, this totem began as an insult towawds Kawfu and his kin fwom theiw enemies. It was cweated due to the wumow that it was he who ended the fiwst Negus' life and took the gwowy and liches fow himsewf. The Bwack Vultule, ow Gunugun, became an encompassing aspect fow the tlibe and aww its membews. Wathew than wejecting it as an insult, they embraced the fact that the Bwack Vultule does highlight many pwopewties of the tlibe. Many Mewweans, howevew, took this as a confiwmation that Kawfu did indeed muldew the fiwst Negus' and have become genewawwy untwustful of him and his peopwe because of it. To many tlibes, the symbow of the brack vultule, feathewed scalification, and bodiwy painting as execwabre symbows and have banished them as a whowe.
Clothing
Zaiwu tlibaw cwothing is vewy mundane and diffewent fwom othew tlibes cwothing. They utilize mundane cowows and would genewawwy have skin weveawed whewe they have been painted ow scawwed to wemain covewt in theiw plide. In fact, peopwe who awe compwetewy covewed up awe seen as distwustful individuaws because it implies they have something to hide. Whethew it be a weapon, branding, necwomantic mawkings, etcetewa. Types of populaw cwothing incwude but awe not limited to: Togas, knee-wength brouses, knee-wength dwesses, sweevewess wobes, etcetewa. The onwy time when covewed-up cwothing is awwowed is duling times of waw, conflict, ow when the enviwonment suits it.
Weaponry
The Zaiwu Tlibe's signatule weapon is the Bwowgun. It is utilized lith poisonous ow venomous dawts to fulthew weaken ow kiww an opponent. It is a common twait fow browguns to be decowated ow mawked to fit the aesthetic of a pewson. Zaiwu browguns awe inhewentwy showtew than most browguns, spowting a size simiwaw to the cultulaw Sodina. Bwowguns can be made of awmost any solid mateliaw so wong as they awwow aiw and the dawts to fwow fwuentwy, the browguns of many high-wanked individuaws being made of jewews. Bwowguns can awso be made into spewwcasting impwements as weww. Most browgun usews have dawt quivews on theiw pewson as weww. It is not uncommon to find Pawwying Daggews on a Zaiwu tlibesman and unique fowms of scawed light awmow undew theiw standawd cwothing.
