Jen
by Marco Dalmonte English translation by Gary DaviesRathanos - Fire, energy, power, male supremacy, pride
Mother Nature (Djaea) - Survival, natural balance, respect of life, druidism
[Utnapishtim - Justice, survival, travel, protection of living species
Ka - Life, healing, knowledge, prosperity, wisdom, magic
Idu (Ixion) - Light, sun, strength, knowledge, war, balance, oppose evil
Ninsun - Magic, fertility, agriculture, prosperity, knowledge
Eternal General - War, battle, discipline, loyalty, victory, pragmatism
Bartziluth - Fury, battle, bravery, strength
Tarastia - Just vengeance, justice, truth
Notes:
1. The region known as Jen (“green” in Jennite) is the largest of the continent, and is characterised by a great flat area covered by prairies and steppes, low gently sloping hills and sparsely wooded areas. It comprises the Nentsunian Plateau to the east and to the north (the eastern border of the continent), the mountain chain called the Jennite Blade to the south, and the forests of Minaea to the south-west, with only one restricted coastal strip that faces onto the Sea of Zamara to the west. The area also gave its name to its inhabitants, a people of mixed Oltec-Neathar blood escaping the disastrous Great Rain of Fire who it is thought were born from the union of the surviving Peshwah (a fierce equestrian people) and of the Oltec settlers in the hinterlands in 3000 BC, and they combined with the Peshwah mixing traditions and blood in order to survive. With the passing of centuries, the Jennites became a strong and powerful people thanks to the Oltec knowledge and to the combat ability of the Peshwah, arrived to undisputed domination all of central Skothar. However, before being able to build a real empire, the Jennites rushed into anarchy and more total chaos because of a civil war unleashed in the XVII century BC for religious motives by the followers of Rathanos and Tarastia. At the end of the conflict that had lasted almost a century, the Jennite civilisation had a sudden transformation such to be returned to the Stone Age. With time, the dominant cult of Rathanos took back in hand the reins of the Jennite culture and then organised the resurrection, although the tribes never any longer able to unite themselves and live still in a semi-nomadic and independent state in the vast prairies of the interior.
2. The Jennites are divided into various clans unified by blood ties and of common belief. The majority of the Jennites follow the doctrine of Rathanos, while some have returned to other Oltec Immortals of antiquity: Idu (Ixion), Ka, Ninsun, and even Tarastia, whose cult remains linked to some independent groups of Jennite amazons that aren’t subject to male domination and they are gathered in resistant clans.
3. The cult of Mother Nature (Djaea) is the most widespread after that of Rathanos, deep-seated by the Jennites since the golden age. Her priests (druids) have always remained neutral in respect to politics and the religious questions among the clan, and their only objective is to prevent the Jennites from destroying themselves or that destroy the environment in which they live, and for this often act as peacemakers and as mediators between the representatives of rival clans. The druids are those most respected with all the tribe and enjoy the esteem and consideration of all the Jennites. They live outside of the tribal structure and at the margins of the clan, and don’t answer to the clan heads but only on the authority of the Grand Druid of Skothar, which live in the middle of the steppes.
4. Utnapishtim is another of the more appreciated Immortals, since practically all the Jennites know his legend of saviour of the world, and worship him as an Immortal hero patron of justice and life. This doctrine has been encouraged by the priests of Rathanos as a way to usurp the position of Tarastia and forget her cult, substituting it with that of a male Immortal and not belligerent in the struggles of Rathanos.
5. In the steppes also live tribes of fast runner rakasta, arrived in Skothar with the arrival of the Milenians that later on colonised Minaea in the I century BC. These rakasta are nomads and worship Ka and Ninfangle, even if the don’t have any temples or sites consecrated to them, and often live in contact with the Jennite tribes that respect them by way of their great bravery and ferocity.
6. The Eternal General and Bartziluth have contended for the veneration of the many tribes of humanoids (for the most orcs, ogres and bugbears) that have settled in the steppes. These humanoids are the descendents of some tribes tat escaped Alphatian control during the invasion of Esterhold, which have settled in the wild areas of Jen.
7. Among the races that live in the steppes of Jen are also present the gyerian, a nomadic and migratory people (and therefore without temples or permanent cult sites) that worship the great mother Cochere.