"This moment will happen just this once. Take it in, breath slowly, gaze carefully. You will not get a second chance."

-Elder Monk of Sakura Monastery, Hironaka Tamotsu

Yuyakeese Culture

The Birthplace of Humanity

The rough-and-ready archaeology of the third era is unable to get a perfect picture of the past. Many of the early races either didn't keep records, or in the case of the dwarves, didn't think to record the affairs of specific short-lived races, grouping multiple races together, so their record of humanity is spotty until they began taking a direct hand in human affairs. Therefore, there is no definitive answer to the question, "from where did humanity originate?" However, there are likely possibilities, most of which identify Kelior as the origin point of human migration into the rest of Adra. Within Kelior, the records and ancient sites seem to indicate that humans didn't always live in the mainland, at least in formalized settlements. The earliest identifiable human settlements in Adra were located in Yuyake, a main island and series of secondary isles in the Red Bay. These people were seafarers and fishermen, getting the majority of their food from the surf, while subsisting on an additional diet of roots, nuts, and fruits. They lived in coastal and mountain villages, existing in a climate that was mostly cool year round. They were also a warrior people, training with swords, spears, and bows, and building mighty fortresses into mountainsides. They studied the arcane arts, and meditated on the gods of the multiverse and their multifarious designs. Most astutely, they studied the energies of their own forms, and learned to harness the ki within to perfect their bodies and minds. Eventually, waves of settlers left Yuyake to settle the surrounding lands, and spread eastward as the Great Western Jungle Kingdom rose to prominence. Eventually, through a series of conflicts and negotiations, the Yuyakeese became subjects to the King of Kings, and this fealty remained, even after the Jungle Kingdom proper fell, until the Satrapy finally broke free from the rule of the Mehtians. The Satrap of Yuyake became an independent lord, keeping the logistic and administrative structures in place. Today, Yuyake remains isolated in an isolated land, largely cut off from the rest of Adra. Still, Yuyake has become a darling of nations outside of Kelior, who view it as a place to seek lucrative trade, and for the enemies of the Tesiphonian Empire as a place to gather information, find allies, and shoot off invasions of the mainland from. Yuyake may have a place of prominence in the eyes of these foreigners, but for the Yuyakeese themselves, they certainly don't plan on becoming the object in another people's schemes, for they are their own nation, the root of the great tree of humanity, and they intend to forge their own path in the years to come.

          Yuyake enjoys a unique position in the human world. Beyond its position as the likely origin point for human civilization, it exists mostly unaffected by the cultural developments elsewhere in the human and kith world. There are few people from outside Kelior that can successfully make landing in Yuyake, and those from Kelior are often viewed with suspicion, and are sometimes even treated with hostility. Depending on the ruler, in some periods the Satrap has even locked down the country to prevent dangerous ideas from being disseminated into the Satrapy. This means that the Yuyakeese have a very particular way of doing things, a unique cultural affect, and they are often confounded by the cultural modes of foreigners. Of course, this is not to say they are easily flustered. Particularly outwardly facing, the Yuyakeese generally present a stoic and unruffled face, even if often their true reactions are far more lively. Those who can either master their own body or their own mind are praised highly among the Yuyakeese. Because of this, the elite warrior class, the Samurai, and the monastic lifestyles of the Acolytes are both viewed to be highly virtuous careers. Those who can master both body and mind together are praised above all others, and it is these monks who are sought out for their service, strength, and wisdom. The sea too is a regular calling for the Yuyakeese, and while sailors there are as low on the totem-pole as they are anywhere, Yuyakeese seamen are viewed with a humble respect, the profession viewed to be absolutely necessary to the Yuyakeese civilization. While the Yuyakeese are indeed remarkable for many reasons, they also suffer from fatal flaws as a people. Their calm exterior can often be difficult to keep up in every situation, and can often give way to sudden emotional outbursts. Their separation from the worldly affairs of the rest of Adra keeps them grounded in the simple aspects of life, but can also leave them unprepared for the unique problems to be found outside of their islands. And yet, much unifies the ancient Satrapy with other parts of Adra. While administratively, it has kept much of the bureaucratic functions of the mainland satrapies, politically, the division of power in Yuyake much more resembles a traditional feudal nation, with a class of nobility at the very top, and a class of completely deferential peasants at the very bottom. Therefore, just as with the feudal kingdoms elsewhere in Adra, all Yuyakeese hold deeply ingrained beliefs of class and birthright, whether they embrace or reject these teachings.

          The Yuyakeese people are most highly concentrated on the island of Yuyake, and its smaller chain of isles. Yuyakeese are slow to spread elsewhere, but when they are found outside of their homeland, they are most likely to be found in port cities, or sometimes serving in the courts of noblemen as bodyguards and advisors. The races of the Yuyakeese are most predominately humans, with some notable minorities of kenku and loxodons as well. The Yuyakeese have for thousands of years followed the pantheon of Hagelia more than any other, but particularly in the coastal villages, there are many adherents of Alas as well. Yuyakeese tend to be stoic, shrewd, and physically-robust. They also tend to be mono-cultured, repressed, and meek. The dominant language among the Yuyakeese is Old Keloran, and in fact, the Yuyakeese take great pride in their ancient mothertongue.

If you choose the Yuyakeese Culture, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Wisdom score or a +1 to your Strength score~

~A -1 to your Charisma score~

~As a known language, Old Keloran Common~

~A Sub-Discipline in every knowledge skill on checks relating to Yuyakeese Culture~

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