Phaedorás: The Book of Kyobazu

[Raelifin]

[spoiler On Names and Languages]The names and foreign words in this thread are all written in a specific language unique to Phaedorás. For most purposes, I will limit the languages used in this thread to Morimikan and the language of "Nistha Pha" spoken by the niyam of Kyobazu. Other languages may drop in but these instances will always be noted. Finally, some of the names and words included in tales of old belong to the ancient tongue, such as Kin or Loihu. For convince, presented below is a pronunciation guide.

[ic Morimikan][/ic]

[ic Language of the Niyam][/ic]

[ic Ancient Tongue][/ic][/spoiler][ic Kyobazu]Ah, Kyobazu, land of gentle surf and howling storm. Further south than any other point on Phaedorás, the volcanic islands are known for their untamed jungle, tropical climate and exotic creatures. The name "Kyobazu" is actually the shortened form of the islands' true name; Kyal-Yobazu Nobanu. But before I talk about the land, I must first talk about the sea, for it is the true home of the the people of Kyobazu.

On sea-green waves, carried by cloud-breaking winds, the omaku ships soar like gulls over the shadowed depths. The sailor-folk, called totwimi, rule Kyobazu in their own way and have numerous settlements across the island chain. In the totwimi language the sea is called Kamawuni, which means roughly "Ocean Mother." Although many totwimi live on the islands, none consider them home, for that will always be in the arms of Kamawuni.

Known worldwide for their shipcraft, totwimi vessels are massive and far ahead of their time. Able to sail for weeks without docking, totwimi ships are more like nomadic villages than transportation. Each ship, in the eyes of the totwimi, is the home for a single usana a word that is synonymous with both family and crew. Totwimi are born on ship as part of an usana and many totwimi continue to live on the ship with the same usana until death.

[/ic][ic Totwimi]The omaku of the totwimi bloodline are a small people, usually standing around three and one-half feet in height (females a bit shorter) and weighing around 45 pounds. Very short, thick fur covers their bodies, ranging from black to tan, and like humans, their scalp is adorned by longer hair of the same color as their fur. Totwimi longhair grows quickly for both genders and tends to be straight or wavy. While totwimi men do not have long facial hair, they typically have much longer sideburns than women.

Totwimi facial structure is similar to that of other omaku, resembling that of a human with pointed ears and extended canine teeth. Totwimi eye color is usually a bright blue, green or yellow, but anything is possible due to their race's tendency to mutate between generations. Other common mutations can include fangs, webbed digits or claws (most omaku have hard, sharp fingernails). At the base of the totwimi spine is a thin tail that extends roughly one and one-half feet to hang a couple of inches above the ground.

When it comes to skill, the totwimi are near-unsurpassed in their sense of balance, climbing ability and mastery of swimming. Some claim that there is something in the totwimi blood that enhances their acrobatic ability, but it is more likely the result of their upbringing. All totwimi children, according to ancient cultural traditions, must be born on the waves and spend their first two years off life never putting foot on solid ground. After learning to swim and walk (often in that order), totwimi are allowed on land for short periods, but they must always sleep and eat on the ship. During childhood they play at being sailors, scurrying up and down the rigging and swimming for long periods when anchor is weighed. Thus, by the age of 9, when totwimi come of age, both genders will have an intimate knowledge of the seas and of shipcraft. Becoming pregnant while living in port is a difficult time for a woman, because she must find and join a ship before her child is born.

Despite wishes to the contrary, even totwimi ships cannot remain at sea for long. Storms in the south are legendary for their ferocity and fresh water is always in short supply. At the first sign of storm a ship will steer toward land, hoping to take shelter in a cove or port. Totwimi ports are often the result of ships hiding repeatedly at prime locations, as totwimi will often stay docked for days rather than risk destroying all they hold dear. Because of the difference between a strong tailwind and a typhoon, the totwimi spend much time and energy trying to please Khovas, the king of wind spirits and master of storms. Khovas, while feared, is deeply respected and usually portrayed as benevolent when not angered. It is said that in an age long past Khovas gave the totwimi sails so that they might explore the world in his name. An anima, or spirit lord, Khovas is one of five great spirits that are recognized by the totwimi worldwide. Kamawuni, oddly enough, is not said to be an anima, but is instead revered as something akin to a goddess, for it is with her that life began.[/ic][ic Kamawuni's Children]The totwimi say that in the time before time, when a fierce race of giants called the yarisa ruled the world, Kamawuni did weep, for the yarisa ruled with fire and stone and did not love her. The spirits of the world heard Kamawuni's songs of pain and came to her together. Each of them, wishing Kamawuni nothing but happiness, gave up a part of their essence to her and said to use their gift to create children who would know and love her. And so, from her body came Loihu, the first of the omaku and his wife Linui. Kamawuni was overjoyed and she brought her children to the spirits so that they might see the wonder of their gift made flesh. The spirits were pleased and they blessed Loihu and Linui with the power of procreation so that they might one day rival the wicked yarisa. For years, the ocean protected and loved her children and they were happy. Loihu and Linui had seven children, which would become the seven major bloodlines of the omaku.

Kin, the youngest son of Loihu, was his father's pride and joy. Cleverest of his siblings, Kin was the first to make music by hollowing out a reed and turning it into a flute. Kin, however was very envious of his siblings, especially Rone, who was the oldest boy. One evening when he was feeling especially angry, he formulated a plan to trick Rone and all his siblings and show them that he was smarter and better than they were. That night he ventured out into the jungle and collected a hizashudatae, a terrible spider-like animal which would make a loud hiss when upset. Sneaking back to the coast where his family slept, Kin released the hizashudatae right next to his sister Ala and hid behind a boulder. When the beast began to hiss, Ala awoke and gave off the loudest scream ever heard, waking her entire family. Reaching up quickly, Kin snatched the scream out of the air and trapped it inside the shell of a kabratu nut. Later, when things had returned to normal, Kin journeyed once more into the jungle and found a sikasae, an animal similar to a four-legged bird and he told that sikasae that if it helped him, he would give it a voice. Kin then took the sikasae deep, deep into the woods and into a cave and fed it the kabratu nut that contained Ala's scream. Giving the sikasae a piece of vine, Kin instructed it to call out when it felt a tug.

Running back to his family, Kin was overjoyed to see that his parents had left to go swim and had left Rone to take care of things. Kin then sweetly approached his sister Ala and said to her. "Dear sister, I know how much that hizashudatae must have scared you last night and so I made a present for you to help you feel safe again. It's out in the jungle, won't you come see?" He led his sister away from the camp and to a little grove where a necklace of shells that he had made lay suspended by a single vine. When Ala went to take the necklace she pulled on the vine that was held by the sikasae so far away and it, so very impatient to try its voice, let out a terrible scream identical to that of a terrified Ala. Rone, back on the beach heard the scream and ran out into the jungle to search for what he thought was his sister. Meanwhile, Kin acted as though he had no idea what was going on and suggested that Ala go out into the jungle and find the source of the scream, as Rone was sure to have gone looking for it too. Ala foolishly trusted in Kin's advice and when she set off, he ran back to camp and began to steal all of the food. Wouldn't Rone look foolish when he returned with nothing and all the food was gone. Kin would then simply find the food himself and become a hero!

Alas, as he was busy piling up all the meats and fruits of his family's labors, his sister Vlas, who was the wisest of his siblings, came out from the foliage and said "Oh brother, you think yourself so clever having tricked Rone. But I did see you walk off with Ala and I am no fool. You seek happiness by defeating others, but always will that make you more angry." Well Kin certainly did feel angry, for he had worked very hard to make this plan work and Vlas had ruined it. What was even more infuriating was being called a fool, for Kin was full of pride in his intellect. Wrathful, he rushed forward and shoved Vlas into the sea, where she was quickly pulled down by the weight of her clothing. Kin watched her sink and did not move to help her, but her grandmother, Kamawuni, did feel her drowning and sent Loihu on one of her waves back to the camp to help. When his father returned, he found Kin stealing the camp's food. Furious, Loihu disowned his son and cast him into the jungle as an exile. Poor Vlas, however, remained trapped at the bottom of the sea where she choked and began to drown. With all her strength, Kamawuni imbued Vlas with the essence of the fish so that she might live. And so, Vlas returned to the surface and found she no longer had legs to walk and could do nothing but return to her grandmother's arms. Foreverafter Vlas' entire bloodline has been bound to the seas, rarely interacting with the other omaku.[/ic][ic The Fate of Kin]But what of Kin? After his exile, Kin traveled the world and had many adventures. Hundreds of stories exist about Kin's journeys, and even in lands far away his deeds are spoken still. During his long walks he was said to get lonely, so he gave a bit of his voice to each animal he met until he could talk in nothing but whispers. He could speak with anything, they say, and wherever he went he brought music to the land. To many animals he gave the gift of stealth, teaching them to hide, while to others he gave the gift of cunning, showing them to trap prey and work together.

It is even told that once, when Kin was out in the jungle looking for food he was caught by one of the yarisa. Kin begged to be let go, but the giant could not hear him and instead placed him in a gigantic prison made of polished crystal. Despite all his skill and wit, he could not escape. After a while, the giant left and Kin began to get bored. From his pack he took his flute and began to play a tune. After a short while a kianae (a blue and green bird-like animal similar to a sikasae) landed on the edge of the prison to listen to him play. Kin called the kianae down to him and said to it "My, your plumage is beautiful. Surely you must be the second most beautiful creature in the world!"

The kianae, like all its kind, was ever proud and vain, so to hear that Kin thought it the second most beautiful creature was an unbearable agony. Kin knew how the kianae would react, of course, and so he said soothingly "Oh, I'm sorry! I could be mistaken you know. It's just that I was sure that the lakurae who ride atop the adutaranae had the most beautiful feathers of all." Now, the lakurae is an ugly thing with soot-black feathers and mottled-red skin, the kianae became even more indignant that anyone could think a lakurae was more beautiful that it. "We could always go compare you to a lakurae, of course." said Kin with a smile. "But, alas! I am trapped here and will surely die." The kianae was small and had no hope of freeing Kin, but it decided that if he couldn't leave, it would go and bring a lakurae to him. Before long, the kianae returned with an adutaranae carrying two lakurae, each of them fighting over a fire-beetle they had found on their mount. Now in these days, adutaranae, quadrupedal animals with leathery skin and large, round feet, were not gigantic, but were still strong and tough. Kin said to the kianae "Oh, how wrong I was! You are by far the most beautiful creature. Just to be sure though... could you tell the adutaranae to come closer so that my weak eyes might see better."

As the adutaranae came closer, Kin greeted it and made a proposition. "I see how strong and powerful you are, old one, but you are not yet the biggest beast. You are wise and mighty and I cannot trick you, so I must offer you a trade. I come from a strong and mighty family and each of my brothers has grown up to be healthy and tall, and yet I myself have not yet grown to my full height. If you free me from this cell, I will give you the size I am due, for I prefer to be small and inconspicuous." The adutaranae, pleased at this notion, charged the prison and shattered it with his mighty skull, freeing Kin. In a rare show of honesty, Kin gave up his strength and size to the adutaranae, which even today towers above all else. Kin then ran off into the jungle, never to be captured again by another living thing.

At many points on his adventures Kin met spirits and fey, but none could compare in his eyes to Elewi, the spirit of the breeze. Many times Kin met Elewi, and many times she escaped his grasp. Kin fell madly in love with her, but she was fickle and did not return his advances. The only way Kin could ever charm her was through his music, but after each song she would grow bored and fly off. Kin tried his flute, but he ran out of breath. He invented the drum, but soon grew tired. Frustrated, Kin invented the harp, which he loved most of all. Elewi was ever enchanted by its melody, but Kin could do nothing but watch her while his fingers moved over the strings. In a flash of genius one day, Kin constructed a pinwheel and attached a reed to it. Placing his harp behind the wheel, it would be plucked by the wind, freeing Kin. As Elewi approached the sound, Kin wooed her and made love to her in the forest. Afterwards, Kin slept to the sound of his harp, but Elewi was afraid, for she loved Kin, but had always fled his advances because she was promised to Karakuloe, a spirit of thunder and snow. Fearing what her betrothed might do to Kin, Elewi stole Kin's voice so that he might never tell and she ran to her father, Khovas, and begged him to transform Kin so that he could never be found and she would not know temptation. Khovas agreed and transformed the trickster into a hundred kinmathae, a crystalline insect with a soft, white glow. Kin's dagger became the kinmathae's fierce stinger and when each awoke, they leaped into the air and began to float along, ever seeking Elewi. Even today, the kinmathae drift in Elewi's gentle caress, playing their own music on tiny harps and fearful of the harsh power of Karakuloe.[/ic][ic Twimi]Kin never returned to his family, but his bloodline lived on, for Elewi bore twins within her womb and as much as she feared what might happen, Elewi loved Kin and kept her unborn children safe and hidden. Elewi, as the time of birth grew near, fled into the mountains and hid within a cave. She enlisted the help of her cousins, the spirits of snow to hide the cave and keep her safe. Unexpectedly, Elewi also received help from a great fire spirit named Jhoguza who opened a well to the center of the world which radiated light and kept her warm. Jhoduza also created the abrax, a mighty serpent monster from molten rock to guard Elewi and his well. Before long, Elewi gave birth to two sons whom she named Twimi and Jamim. The boys were as healthy as could be though they were small, like their father. Knowing that she could not raise the children with honor, Elewi thanked Jhoduza and her cousins and left her hideaway. On her way down the mountain, she saw a nest of baby olumai, bat-like creatures, because in those days the animals had not yet spread out across the world as they now have. Elewi, knowing the nobility and honesty of the olumai, placed her sons in the nest and blessed the family with all her power. Nearly as soon as she had gone, Karakuloe, who had been seeking his wife for months came across the nest. Karakuloe knew not why, but the babes sparked his anger and he picked up the nest and hurled it like a giant discus far into the sky. The nest sailed through the clouds and over the Kunoviera Sea all the way to the land of Kimuk. The blessing of Elewi kept the nest and both babes from immediate harm, but during the nest's flight Twimi fell and splashed into the water. Jamim landed safely with the family of olumai, but this story concerns the life of Twimi, and the waves of the seas threatened to bring him to an early death. Luck would have it, however, that a school of yatwae was in the area. The kind creatures rescued Twimi and taught him to swim. Knowing that he was of omaku, the yatwae carried Twimi for weeks on a great journey back to the homeland of his people. On the way, they taught him how to fish and how to dive, but most importantly, they taught him how to love the sea.

At long last, the son of Kin was brought to Loihu, and a great feast was made to thank the yatwae for their deed. Twimi was raised among his aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins, but always his mind stayed on the sea and it was he who built the first raft and learned to master the waves. At his coming of age, Twimi was told of his father and the crime he had committed. As an adult, the first act of Twimi was to apologize to Ala and her children, then to his uncles and their descendants. Finally, Twimi apologized to Vlas and to Kamawuni, whom he loved dearly and as a show of his devotion, he cut his right hand across the palm and let his blood return to the waters where it began.[/ic][ooc]Confused? Check out the Phaedorás introduction.

Please do not post in this thread.

Instead, say what you'd like to say in the Kyobazu Discussion Thread[/url]. Thank you.[/ooc]

[Raelifin]

[ic Culture and Behavior]Twimi's bloodline flourished, and in Morimikan, the language of the totwimi, the prefix "to" is added to a name to mean "descendant of." Thus it was that the children of twimi grew and traveled the world thanks to the skill of shipcraft. Though most of them live in Kyobazu, modern totwimi can still be found all across the known world.

Thanks to frequent contact between ships, totwimi culture remains fairly uniform. Each ship tends to develop a sub-culture with unique customs and traits, but the totwimi have a strong sense of brotherhood with their bloodline, and rarely isolate themselves from each other. Another safeguard that prevents ships from forming new cultures are the laws of marriage. Because of strong community ties, it is forbidden to marry someone of the same usana (crew). Strangely enough, it is also forbidden to marry one who is NOT of the same ship. Whenever a ship is boarded peacefully, for whatever reason, it is required that the youngest unwed woman of the boarding ship called the "usadipaishaini" (oosah-DEE-pie-shie-nee) is traded with the youngest unwed man of the receiving ship called the "usadipaishainoe." The ritual symbolically bonds the ships, as the two are expected to kiss and embrace each other as brother and sister and thereafter they are treated as siblings in most respects. As part of the new usana, the "sibling" is given every comfort of family and are expected to marry as soon as possible. Because of this custom, most totwimi marry shortly after adulthood, or are expected to marry usadipaishainae later in life. Regardless of gender, the captain of a ship (kojintae) is exempt from trading. On occasion, because of undesirable traits or a lack of interest, an usadipaishainae can be traded several times, hopping from ship to ship.

Though sex and marriage are forbidden within an usana, sex itself is given very little taboo. Many totwimi ports, in addition to providing repair services and food, often have a number of professional prostitutes, both male and female. Prostitution is considered to be an undesirable occupation, but holds no real shame in totwimi culture. One of the most interesting differences between the laws of the waves and the laws of land, actually, is how ports lack the laws prohibiting marriage and sexual relations between citizens of the same group. Citizens of a town are granted full freedom to come and go as they please, though this often only occurs when a group of families builds a ship and becomes a new usana.

When totwimi interact with strangers and one another, their behavior depends entirely on whether the two omaku belong to the same usana. Strangers, or "rumatsae" never show kindness in public, even among old friends. It is rude to touch a rumatsae and conversation distance is rarely acceptable closer than two feet. Among usana, however, is an entirely different story. When conversing with family there is no distance that is too close, and physical contact is encouraged when talking. Kissing is an appropriate affectionate act between any members of an usana, but is forbidden beyond the usana, even in private. ("He was kissing a prostitute." is a common insult to one's loyalty and ethics.) Whether conversing with rumatsa or usana, totwmi follow the unspoken body language rules of "look at the person you speak to" and "do not watch someone while they speak." For usana, this can actually be quite amusing, as two totwimi may be sitting together, yet they never look at each other at the same time, always turning away after talking to keep the other in peripheral vision. When addressing multiple omaku, totwimi will either look at each in turn or pick a neutral area between subjects to speak into--often the sky.[/ic][ic Life and Style]In Morimikan (totwimi language), "ship" is called "latoe" though the word is used by many peoples to specifically refer to a ship of totwimi design. Similar to the junks of ancient china, latoe are flat-bottomed and huge, often reaching 150 feet long and 50 feet wide. Despite their large size, the three, hundred-foot masts on the average latoe make it the fastest means of travel in the known world. Sails are also in junk fashion, being composed of between six and ten separate pieces of cloth, reducing the damage should one tear. Instead of a crow's nest, a line of netting is tied between each mast, with ropes leading to the deck. All around the edge of the deck are holes that allow rods with cloth between them to be mounted along the rim of the ship. Because it is waterproofed with tar, the cloth collects rainwater which can then be siphoned with a reed into the ship's freshwater stores, allowing latoe to remain at sea for longer. Typical latoe are roughly flat with an aftcastle that houses the rudder. Because of their design, latoe are able to sail up rivers easily and have little trouble with reefs. Beneath the the main deck are two sub-decks, each roughly five feet tall and composed of several rooms.

Because latoe serve as a home for the totwimi, they tend to be very multi-purpose. Almost every latoe, for instance, possesses trawling nets for catching fish. Fish is the staple of the totwimi diet, usually being present in every meal. Sea birds are a bit of a delicacy, and are occasionally shot down and fished out of the water. Eggs, roots, spices and seaweed are purchased in port when possible, especially shakinu, an amazing bitter kind of seaweed known to fight off the many kinds of disease that can occur on the open ocean. Totwimi dishes typically mix shakinu in, giving a rough, dirty taste to the food. To counteract this, many cooks add liberal amounts of spices to the food, creating a potent mix of powerful flavor. Some totwimi prefer to take their dose of shakinu all at once, mixing it with water and occasionally a raw egg in the morning. On most ships though the standard fare is spicy fish stew morning, noon and night.

Eku, a stiff, fibrous plant that grows along the coasts of the Kyobazu island chain is the primary currency between totwimi. Raw eku can be broken down and spun into thread that is used to make ropes, sails, clothing and other goods. Ropes are typically coated with tar to waterproof them, making tar production a valuable occupation in ports. On land, totwimi enjoy light skirts and draw-string pants with wide legs, but out at sea the most common form of dress is the saralu, a tight-fitting piece resembling cycling shorts or some forms of bathing suits. The saralu is preferred by both genders for the freedom it gives the legs and the lack of resistance while swimming. Upper body wear usually consists of a yawazu, a large, sleeveless shirt with buttons all the way up that resembles a loose, over-sized vest. Hats, caps and bandannas are very common among totwimi. Hats often have wide brims and resemble sombreros or tricorn hats and are usually made of rin (a reed). Totwimi generally do not wear shoes. Clothing is usually white or gray.

The totwimi of the isles typically enjoy wearing their hair in dreadlocks or braids. Rings of precious metal are often woven into the hair as a sign of wealth. Warriors occasionally cut their longhair short, though not as often as in other cultures. Piercings are particularly common on the islands. The totwimi love to flaunt their wealth, so the flashier the better. Both genders of totwimi will collect earrings and nose-rings, though only females get lip-rings.[/ic]

[Raelifin]

[ic The Sebayet Age]Though totwimi have a long history of coastal living and sailing, the advanced latoe of the modern age are a very new development. For you see, the modern date is nearly the centennial anniversary of the greatest technological jumps in the history of omaku. In the old days there were many rafts, and early totwimi spent much time fishing and exploring, but the only metals available were gold, lead silver and a metal called roseflame, each of which were too soft to make decent nails or sawblades. Then, 100 years ago, the stars are said to have wept tears of silver flame for three days and four nights, turning the sky into a crimson haze. The tears became great boulders which fell from the sky, destroying many things. In the aftermath, the stones were found to hold a secret metal. Dark blue in color and dull in sheen, the metal was called many things by the many people who found it. The totwimi came to call it yulosaza waesu, but I will hereafter call it by it's Ubin name: sebayet; the star-metal.

In the years after the great event, omaku over the world learned to forge sebayet. Lighter weight than the heavy metals but stonger, harder and more brittle (the key component for edges), sebayet sparked a revolution in every technology from warfare to farming and quickly became the most desired material on the planet. With the new metal came the rise of shipcraft and major woodworking, allowing the totwimi to migrate onto the open ocean. With the increased range and speed of sailing, the totwimi were able to build settlements all along the Kyal-Yobazu Nobanu island chain and make contact with many other cultures. As most societies were isolated from each other trade soon became enormously profitable. Totwimi quickly rose from fishermen to merchants and took advantage of new growth spurred by the sebayet. Best of all, if an usana was attacked all they had to do was sail out of bow range, as few other omaku had sailing craft large enough to be a threat.

The monopoly on exotic goods and information gave rise to a number of fat and jolly merchant lords, but with plump coffers come greedy ne'er-do-wells, and in the case of the totwimi--pirates. Roughly fifty years ago a number of ships turned rogue and began to prey on merchant vessels loaded with treasure. Though the merchant ships had guards, the totwimi had always been reasonably peaceful with one another, and the first few victims were sorely unprepared. The totwimi, for the first time in decades, began to fear for their lives. Seeing the attacks as a kind of war, the greatest merchant lords came together to form a pact called the Safe-Trade Covenant. The names of all ships known to be pirates were written onto a great list which soon became known as the Scroll of Ghosts. The Covenant then offered a running bounty for the heads and ships of all those on the scroll. The treasures of the the Covenant combined with those of the pirates gave birth to a hundred new pirate-hunter ships, determined to win fame and glory combating the scourge. Ironically, many of these pirate hunters, and often the best, were in fact pirates who managed to escape the Scroll of Ghosts. The Covenant didn't scare the pirates though, and conflict between them and the hunters went on for decades, taking hundreds of lives. Roughly two-dozen years ago the conflict reached climax when an epic battle was fought on the Bay of Bones. Stories of this battle are common as can be, but in the end the only thing that is clear is that nearly every ship present burnt, leaving no survivors among the Covenant's mercenaries. The dread pirate Juzoe Toyakumoe is said to have then broken into the covenant stronghold and burned the Scroll of Ghosts before sailing away with the Covenant's entire hoard.

For years afterward things were quiet. Though they were beaten, the leaders of the Covenant remained, bitter and angry. Together they declared the punishment of piracy to be burning, dead or alive, to share the fate of those lost on the Bay of Bones. Juzoe Toyakumoe was eventually captured and killed, though the hoard was nowhere to be found. Slowly, things have been escalating once again, as the greedy slit each other's throats for the promise of riches.[/ic][ic That which consumes, becomes.]When the punishment of burning was announced it was immediately met with strong objection by many totwimi. This is because when an omaku is burned, their soul is eaten by the fire, permanently consumed. To understand more fully, it is important to know the totwimi principle of unity. While most other cultures believe in a duality between body and spirit, the totwimi understand that the body is the spirit, and though death brings an eternal sleep, the spirit lingers in the physical realm. When a body is consumed, the spirit of the dead is said to join with that of the living, forming a kind of perpetual immortality of soul. Because of this, totwimi eat the dead. They are cannibals.

Cannibalism is a very sacred practice among the totwimi that is similar in concept to that of marriage. In a way, the two bodies/souls form a union, to live together forever after. When a totwimi dies, their body is divided up among family and usana according to blood relation and seniority. The heart is considered to be the best portion, followed by the brain and then the liver. If an individual dies of disease, their body is "fed to Kamawuni" and thrown overboard to be consumed by the ocean. If a totwimi is slain in battle, their body rights go to their killer. Great totwimi warriors often have feasts consisting of the hearts of their foes after battles. It is considered to be a great honor to be eaten, and so totwimi have a great respect for their opponents in battle and rarely fight dirty, lest they be spited after death. The great chain of spirits moving from one body to another is so important, that when the cycle stops, due to the body rotting or being burned it is a very sad event. Thus the fate of pirates is not just the loss of their soul, but also every soul that they have consumed, perhaps including many great totwimi.

Fire and rot do not just destroy the spirit, however, for the soul fades to the realm of the spirits to live out a horrible half-dream and slowly fade into nothingness.[/ic]