Over much of the Flanaess, the people who gave it their name, the Flan, were exterminated, absorbed, conquered, and had their cultural identity eradicated in the face of the stronger Suel and Oerids. In some areas, however, the Flan remained strong and kept their cultural identy. One such group is the Harashim, who live among the lands of Ahlissa and the Iron Leage.
Author: Taras Guarhoth (montand@canonfire.com)
Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.
The Harashim
Racial Origins
The Harashim are a subgrouping of the Flan, originally descended
from those who dwelt in Ahlissa and the southern regions of Aerdy
proper (which tends to be the area they still dwell in, although
some have moved as far north as North Province over the centuries
of Aerdi rule). Over the centuries of Aerdi control of their homelands,
the Harashim have managed to retain some degree of racial purity,
due more to religious prohibitions about marrying outside the
faith than to any feeling of racial superiority. As a Flan grouping,
they tend to share the traits common to other Flan peoples. Skin
color tends towards the coppery end of the spectrum, rarely getting
very dark, while eyes tend to be shades of brown, although occasionally,
green-brown hazel eyes do show up. Hair color shows the greatest
variance, and tends to run from black through brown to blonde
(although the lighter shades are less common, with a medium to
dark brown being most common), and is the only evidence of intermarriage
with the dominant Oerids groups. Males tend to average out around
5 and a half feet in height, with women being slightly shorter.
Language
Generally, all Harashim know Aerdi, and use it extensively,
as befits people living in the midst of the cities of Aerdy. In
addition, almost all Harashim know at least a smattering of Harashim
(a Flan language), with those who are better educated (or very
pious) knowing more of it. An exceedingly common practice among
the Harashim (and one that outsiders find quite aggravating at
times) is the use of both languages, freely mixing in Harashim
phrases and words into their speech, although they still use the
grammar rules of Aerdi, which takes a while to get used to. In
writing, the Aerdi script is used in daily life, again following
the grammar rules for that language (yet still containing Flan
words and phrases freely mixed in), while for religious, magical,
and alchemical texts, pure Flan is typically used.
Political and Social Structure
As they live in Aerdi dominated areas, the Harashim have adapted
to their feudalistic government, although very few live outside
of the cities or reach the nobility (except in isolated areas).
The Harashim are an almost exclusively urban people. They have
long since abandoned the agrarian lifestyle of their ancestors
in favor of living within the Aerdi cities, often in their own
enclaves or ghettos. Within these cities, they tend to gravitate
towards certain economic activities, generally becoming traders,
working with precious metals and gemstones, or becoming scholars
or alchemists, although they can be found performing almost any
occupation. True poverty is almost virtually unknown amongst them,
except in cases where the local nobility sets out to deliberately
destroy them, as wealth is shared among the members of a family
when there is a need (although this does not mean that they will
squander their hard-earned money on relatives who refuse to actually
earn a living...they just won’t let them starve or go without
a home, and will constantly encourage their wayward relations
to take up a trade at every possible opportunity).
In their social lives, they have retained their ages-old traditions,
which do resemble those of the Aerdi. The Harashim are largely
patriarchal, with the head of a household being male (although
on rare occasions, a female will become the head of a household,
if she is widowed and her late husband has no surviving brothers).
Families tend to be large, and include uncles, grandparents, and
cousins in addition to more immediate relatives. Often, these
families grow too large to be housed under one roof, and will
extend to take over nearby buildings, to such an extent that an
entire neighborhood may only contain a handful of different families.
Within these neighborhoods, often, everyone will know each other,
and outsiders (even Harashim from other neighborhoods) will be
instantly noticed by the residents. Marriage among the Harashim
is strictly monogamous, although in the past, polygamy was common
but eventually fell from favor with the coming of the Oerids and
the adoption of some of their customs. Children are primarily
raised by their parents, but it is quite common for the rest of
the extended family to help care for them, with elder members
often being responsible for teaching them.
Dress
The women of the Harashim tend to dress in long, flowing skirts
and loose blouses. Males tend to dress in robes, although they
will wear breeches and a shirt when engaged in their trade if
such would be more convenient. Garments are typically made of
cotton or linen during the warm months, while wool is used by
those who live far enough north to actually experience a real
winter. They tend to favor solid colors, although these are generally
of darker hues, with browns, dark blues, and blacks predominating.
Although a number of Harashim have become skilled jewelers, they
tend to frown upon wearing large amounts of flashy jewels, favoring
instead simple rings and chains. When a gemstone is used, it is
either of a darker stone (such as garnet) or a pearl (which they
seem to have an inordinate fondness for). Pierced ears are found
only among the women, and generally only one piercing per ear.
Architecture
The quarters of cities that the Harashim have taken over tend
to be quite distinct from those of the dominant Oerids. Streets
narrow and twist in an almost maze-like fashion between the homes
and shops of the Harashim, almost like miniature canyons winding
about and crossing each other’s paths unpredictably. At the
center of this warren will generally be found the main temple
of the Harashim of the city, a squat building with a dome atop
it, usually standing in the middle of a square, and often lower
than the surrounding buildings. Other, smaller temples and shrines
will be found scattered about the quarter if the population is
of sufficient size to warrant them, although these generally are
indistinguishable from the surrounding buildings.
The other buildings of the Harashim tend to be plain constructions,
often built of stone naturally found throughout the area. Such
buildings are often unadorned, except perhaps with a sign if a
business is to be found within. The homes of the Harashim are
often 3-4 stories tall, and bear a flat roof surrounded by a low
wall, in contrast to their Oerid neighbors who generally have
peaked roofs. Rarely, an entire block will have their roofs leveled
off, and the walls separating them removed, although this is generally
only done if the entire block is used by the same extended family.
The roofs will almost always contain some kind of rooftop garden,
usually local herbs or vegetables, with the occasional potted
fruit tree, and are used to supplement the family’s diet
and/or income. In the center of most blocks will be found an open
courtyard, accessible only through the buildings touching it,
containing a fountain or well. These courtyards (and the rooftops)
serve as the primary social gathering spots of the Harashim, with
even meals taken outside in warm, good weather.
Diet
Harashim tend to drink wine, disdaining beer and ale, favoring
sweet red wines over dry and white wines. For meat, they usually
eat pork or game birds (although, oddly, they dislike chicken
and most Harashim refuse to cook it or serve it in their establishments),
generally cooked with bitter herbs or honey. A good portion of
their diet consists of vegetables and grains, with various beans
and lintels being staples of their diet. Fresh or dried fruits
are sometimes taken with a meal, citrus fruits being favored,
although in the more northerly areas they will substitute whatever
grows locally. Cooking among the Harashim is typically a family-wide
affair, and they generally have large kitchens, with the eldest
ladies in the family ruling over them, constantly poking their
noses into everything being prepared and offering their advice
on how to improve it. Spices tend to not see much use, with herbs
or natural sweets (such as fruits or honey) doing most of the
seasoning.
Religion
Religion and culture are almost one in the same to the Harashim.
Their beliefs are central to their customs, and they guard both
jealously, clinging to them in the face of Aerdi dominance of
their lands. To outsiders, it is impossible to tell what has religious
significance to the Harashim and what doesn’t, given that
over the centuries, various celebrations and activities which
were once purely secular have either been reinterpreted as religious
or had older religious elements mixed with them. As such, the
vast majority of Harashim are religious, and take their beliefs
seriously. They generally center about the worship of Pelor and
Zodal, often worshipped together. Various other Flan (and Oerid)
gods are recognized, and called upon when needed, although only
in the case of rare individuals do these other gods eclipse the
importance of Pelor and Zodal. The temples and shrines of the
Harashim tend to be pantheonic, with niches or side altars to
gods other than the main two, and these vary from temple to temple,
based on which other gods are important to the people around.
In addition, most homes have a small shrine set up to Pelor, Zodal,
and whatever other gods they follow, generally to be found in
or just off of the main room of the house. Priests of the Harashim
are exclusively male, and are highly respected by the Harashim,
although they do tend to look down on non-Harashim priests.
Magic & Mysticism
When a Harashim learns some kind of magical art, it tends towards
the non-flashy. Generally, this means they specialize in Divination
or Enchantments, although some do become Abjurers. Traditional
Necromancers are not found among the Harashim, as such tends to
go completely against everything the Harashim believe in, although
some who practice Necromancy are grudgingly tolerated, if they
focus upon the healing aspects of it, rather than the undeath
aspects of it. Invokers and Transmuters are only found exceedingly
rarely, and generally in the service of the Oerids around them.
Illusionists among the Harashim tend to specialize in the deception
and concealing aspects of their specialties. Generalist mages
tend to focus in the same areas that specialists do, mostly in
Divination and Enchantments, with Abjuration and a handful of
Illusion spells thrown in.
Astrology was a favored pastime of wealthy Harashim, and many
dabbled in it. The meteor of 198 CY caused quite a stir, and led
to many of the more practical minded to renounce the practice
after it led to a number of riots from various predictions of
doom. Since then, some have again taken up the practice, although
few specialize in it, most who do dabble in it mixing it with
alchemy or divination magic (or both). Alchemists, on the other
hand, are exceedingly well respected among the Harashim, and almost
all enclaves of them have at least one. They are well thought
of for their learning, and more importantly, for the non-magical
medicines and elixirs they produce, as well as the occasional
true magic potion, although few like to actually live near an
alchemist’s shop, given the sometimes hazardous nature of
their work.
Views of Others and Viewed by Others
The Harashim tend to have little to do with most demi-humans
and humanoids, given that the two dwell in separate areas. In
general, they find most demi-humans and humanoids to be near-savages,
insisting on dwelling in barbaric conditions not fit for a human.
In general, humanoids and demi-humans tend to feel the same way
about the Harashim and their maze-like warrens. With the exception
of dwarves. Dwarves tend to get along well with the Harashim,
often feeling a vague sense of kinship with them. Both tend to
be practical, clutch their cultures and families to their hearts,
and take pride in their metalworking abilities, so they actually
do have a bit in common. As such, the Harashim will generally
get along well with and think well of the practical minded dwarves.
Even if they do have this tendency to drink the most disgusting
alcoholic beverages available.
The Oerids around them are a different story. The Harashim
try to get along with them, out of necessity at the very least,
with mixed degrees of success. The two have different cultures
that share some common elements, which often only serves to highlight
the differences between them, which often aren’t well understood
by each other. For example, the Oerids see there really aren’t
any destitute Harashim and immediately assume that the Harashim
are wealthy, and sometimes draw the conclusion that they are cheated
whenever they go to Harashim merchants (who, on average, charge
the same as Oerid merchants for similar quality goods), and tend
to resent them for it. The attitude the Harashim display to Oerid
priests tends to further alienate the Oerids, and increase resentment,
making the Harashim good scapegoats whenever one is needed. As
a result, the Harashim don’t exactly get along well with
their Oerid neighbors, and sometimes suffer when a noble decides
to increase his coffers and raise taxes on them, or even institute
pogroms against them, driving them from his lands. While pogroms
aren’t exactly commonplace, more subtle forms of discrimination
are common, such as increased taxes or excluding the Harashim
from certain guilds or sections of town.
Harashim Names
Male |
|
Female |
Adar |
Jeconiah |
|
Abigal |
Milcah |
Amaziah |
Kaimis |
|
Abihail |
Naamah |
Anah |
Kedar |
|
Achisa |
Rechal |
Azariah |
Malachi |
|
Adah |
Salma |
Azubah |
Nahor |
|
Baara |
Sari |
Baaseiah |
Nebadiah |
|
Bathshua |
Shaapha |
Caleb |
Pedaiah |
|
Hushil |
Shelomith |
Eliashib |
Sethar |
|
Maachah |
Sherah |
Hadoram |
Sharar |
|
Masara |
Tamara |
Hashub |
Sihon |
|
Matrea |
Tassalia |
Havilah |
Tahath |
|
Mehetabel |
Zillah |
Heliz |
Uzziah |
|
|
|
Hezir |
Yeshal |
|
|
|
Ibhar |
Yeshua |
|
|
|
Ilshar |
Zadok |
|
|
|
Jashub |
Zophal |
|
|
|
Family Names
Most Harashim lack a family name, instead prefixing the name
of an ancestor (generally their father) with ben. The exception
to this being the rare nobility, who have mostly adapted the name
of the seat of their house as a surname, or acquired the surname
of another noble family through marriage.
Flan, Humans, Races