THE
ORDER
OF SEYELLA
("THE
SEYELITES",
"SERPHELORIAN
ARMY") |
The
Serphelorian Army is known more commonly around
the Santharian kingdom as the
Santhran’s Order of Seyella, and is
one of the Orders through which the Santhran governs his or her kingdom. They
are sometimes called "the Seyelites" or "the Seyelite Army" (to distinguish them
from Seyellans, who are clerics of Seyella)
or simply "the Serphelorians" in reference to
their tribal affiliation. Because of the customs of the
Serphelorian tribe, Seyelites are almost all
women.
The Serphelorian way of thinking requires and venerates protection of the weak
(a concept called ‘katmoh’), and as such, the Order of
Seyella is well known for personal
protection services. Defending is a concept which is deeply anchored in the soul
of Serphelorian warriors, and it is well known
that their faith in the Goddess of Destiny
makes them unafraid to give their life, should the Goddess demand such a
sacrifice.
The Order of Seyella is a large Order compared to other groups of its kind. This
is because the Army is such an integral part of the
Serphelorian tribe’s culture; it is perhaps the final bastion of the
traditional, matriarchal and martial ways, and is a proving ground for young
Serphelorian people. The Order is also a great
source of pride for this tribe, as through it they use their strength to be a
part of protecting the whole kingdom.
Purpose and Activities. The main activity of the Order of Seyella,
like that of the other Santhran’s Orders, is preserving stability within a given
area. In the case of the Seyelites, this area is the province of Sanguia. As the
various Thanes, Dukes or Duchesses and Gravens are responsible for their own
areas or sub-areas, this mostly includes sending supplementary troops where and
when needed. This also often fulfills a secondary function of the Order: being
visible, as a reminder of the Santhran’s power, should any of his or her vassals
contemplate a lapse in their loyalty to the kingdom.
The Seyelites also patrol the roads in Sanguia. Groups of xau-va (soldiers) who
are on this duty travel around the province for months at a time, keeping an eye
on new or established areas of banditry and stopping in at towns to rest, and to
ensure that all is well there. A group of Seyelites will usually pass through
most towns on a monthly basis, although for places which are more isolated, this
can be as seldom as once a year.
As with all Santhran’s Orders, each member of the Order of Seyella
will spend some periods of their time serving as a guard to the Santhran’s
Court. Dependent on the rank of the Seyelite, this service might be as
uninspiring as guarding the exterior of the Santhran’s Palace or standing as a
ceremonial guard in one of the its labyrinthine corridors, or as important as
guarding the royal stores or treasury, or serving as a guard to a particular
member of the court. For Champions of the army, a Seyelite could even be called
to the distinguished role of becoming a personal guard to the Santhran. The
elite who are invited to fill this role can, in time, and if they prove
themselves as sharp of mind as of sword,
become permanent advisors to the Santhran.
Other official business to which the Seyelites may attend can include guarding
buildings or people in Sanguia. This type of duty normally only arises when a
person requires a guard loyal to the Santhran, rather than to any local lord.
Sometimes this is for reasons of intrigue – for example, if a lord whose guard
would usually be used has taken a particular dislike to the person to be guarded
– or it may merely be so that the rank of the guard is commensurate with the
importance of the person or thing being protected. In addition, should the
Santhran need to wage a war, the Order of Seyella
would be completely mobilised and would serve as one of the key units of a
united Santhran’s Army, along with the other Santhran’s Orders and any other
groups who would fight for Santharia.
The unusually large size of the Order of Seyella,
the typically plentiful numbers of troops of the Santhran’s Sanguian vassals,
and the fact that other Orders share the duties of protecting the Santhran’s
Court, means that at any given time many Seyelites are not required for formal
duties. Those who have no official business to attend to may accept paid
contracts from people who require protection of some sort – usually merchants,
nobles or otherwise prominent people.
Poorer people who cannot pay the Order’s asking price also sometimes request the
services of the Seyelites. The
Serphelorians’ moral code of katmoh, which is particularly strongly felt by
their Army, demands that all these requests be considered. Many such contracts
are in fact accepted; however, a price is always demanded, whether in gold or in
labour. In some cases that price has been to become a Seyelite oneself at some
agreed future time, so that one may gain the skills to in turn protect others.
Furthermore, it is said that the help of
Seyellan clerics is often requested by the army to help discern the need of
these supplicants, so that only people who are not merely trying to take
advantage of the Order, and are truly in need of protection, are ever aided in
this way.
To supplement the income granted to the Order by the Santhran, the Seyelites run
a quarry in the Stonedale, a source of a dark,
quartz-veined stone called
"grey-gleam", "greywhacke" (a mispronunciation of the
ThergerimTaal word), or by
those working in the quarry, "grey whack". This quarry is heavily guarded by
members of the Order, and criminals from the fief of which Clymnios is part are
sent there (for a fee paid by the Graven to the Order) to serve their time.
Perhaps strangely, members of the Order who are to be punished are also sent
there. Such is the liberal way in which punishments are handed out that all
members of the Order can expect to spend at least one day in the quarry. It is
even relatively common for officers to be found labouring here, whether as part
of a punishment, or, as has happened occasionally, as the result of a lost bet!
This eventuality has given rise to the saying that “all women are equal in the
Stonedale”.
Coat of Arms.
The Coat of Arms of the Order of Seyella,
unlike that of the tribe, has evolved over the years. Represented on official
messages, rings, banners and formal clothing, the sign is a silver oval bisected
diagonally by two crossed pikes. The top quarter is coloured
teki red, the bottom is
saffire blue, the left is
cyhalloi snow and the right
is nor’sidian. The oval is
bracketed by two barsa dusk
owls, wings spread and heads facing the viewer, and surmounted by a golden
crown. The grey owls represent Seyella,
the Goddess from whom the Order take their name, and the crown represents their
fealty to the Santhran. The complete sign is set on a
sognastheen green field.
The colours of the Order are
ithild-grey and sognastheen
green – the grey of Seyella and the
green which traditionally signifies leaders in
Serphelorian culture.
Territory.
The Order of
Seyella is based just
outside the town of Clymnios in Sanguia, on the opposite side of the Rimmerins
Ring to the Eyelian
Order of the Wings. Almost the entire town
is devoted to some aspect of feeding, clothing, and of course entertaining these
women and men. Multiple tanners and weapons
smithies compete for the Seyelite
san, showing arms and armour of the highest quality, often at relatively low
prices. Taverns and bawdy-houses line the streets, and farms blanket the areas
around Seyelite lands, striving to supply both the Order and the places of
entertainment the Seyelites love to patronise.
The Order itself is housed in a large complex of
Serphelorian-style
round buildings an hour’s ride away from the town. Barracks, training rooms and
courtyards, a large officers’ complex and a vast parade ground are laid out in a
perfectly planned arrangement across a large paved stretch of unwalled ground.
While it may look ill-defended, most are aware of the troops who guard the camp
with strict vigilance, day and night.
The Seyelites also administer the Rangwer Warden, along with several other watch
towers in the area under their ward. Bullspoll Lake to the south, Scythe Grove
forest to the west, those parts of the North Horn plain which aren’t farmed, the
rubbly Stonedale and its quarry, and the foothills of the Rimmerins Ring are all
used in various sorts of training exercises – sometimes startling travelers
through these parts. The Ring mountains themselves have also been used for
training, especially in preparation for missions to colder climes. This has left
a number of the peaks with some rather less than polite nicknames, of which “Old
Tit-Freezer”, referring to Mount Rangwer, is perhaps the most polite!
The Order of
Seyella is associated
with the area of Sanguia, in the same way as the
Order of the Wings functions in
Manthria. This system of moving Santhran’s
Orders belonging to certain tribes to nearby regions, rather than allowing them
to function in the areas they come from, has helped tribes understand their
neighbours better. It also makes it more likely that the Order members will
honour their vow to their liege, the Santhran, by avoiding divided loyalties.
People and Appearances.
Not all Seyelites are people of the
Serphelorian
tribe, but almost all come from areas in which
Serphelorian
customs are predominant. People from other areas often feel uncomfortable with
the bawdy but focused culture of the Order, and the occasionally sexist
behaviour which can be found in many of the women here. The Order of Seyella
was originally the
Serphelorian
Army: an army of fierce-eyed, blue-tattooed, scantly armoured female warriors.
They look fairly similar in current times, even down to the large blue tattoos
on their arms, necks or faces - although not all women choose to be tattooed
now.
Clothing.
The uniform for this Order consists of a short skirt made of heavy leather
pieces, high leather boots, and bindings to secure the breasts during vigorous
movement, in a strong toccon fabric dyed in the colour of the woman’s bivil (the
bivili are the four sections or ‘arms’ into which the Order is divided). This
outfit seems silly and provocative to some who have never seen it before, but
those who have fought with or against these women know that each item serves a
purpose, and is perfectly tailored for jakatya, the
Serphelorian
fighting style. Hair is typically worn in the normal style for this tribe,
although some Xathinins who have formed a fanatical
Seyella-worshipping group shave their
hair completely off, often exposing tattoos atop their bald pates.
The short skirt is made of pieces of hardened leather sewn on to a circle of
dense cloth to allow easy movement. At rest, each piece of leather meets the
next perfectly; when in motion, the cloth allows the skirt to flare out as much
as is needed. The pieces are studded with iron to aid the leather in deflecting
blows to this area. The waistband of the skirt is wide, allowing warriors to
display any badges they have won for bravery or katmoh (protecting the weak).
The high boots protect the calves and the kneecaps – areas that
Serphelorian
are apt to target on their opponents. The breast bindings allow the freedom of
movement that enables a woman fighting with the
Serphelorian
technique to protect herself better than she could be protected even if she wore
an iron breastplate. The cloth of the binding is wrapped from the back, crossed
at the front, and tied at the back of the neck. The fabric hides ingenious
hardened leather cups, lined with a soft fabric, which provide support and
further protection to the fighter.
Cloaks in the colour of the warrior’s bivil and leather lace-up leggings are
also regularly worn, especially in winter. Hardened leather arm protectors,
thigh protectors and helms are sometimes used to supplement the protection
offered by the traditional clothing, but to wear these brings taunts from many –
it is seen as a sign that a warrior is not fast enough to avoid blows that one
more skilled in jakatya could evade. Off duty or for formal occasions, fabrics
dyed in the colour of the warrior’s bivil can be fashioned in to short skirts
and bindings, although many wear their uniform on all but the most important
occasions.
Rank
Signs.
Champions, Firsts, Xau-va Feara and the High Seyelite may wear a green cloak
bearing the coat of arms of the Order on formal occasions, or a plain green
cloak when on duty. These groups also wear grey breast bindings as part of their
uniform; the lighter the grey colour, the higher the rank.
Firsts’ formal wear incorporates a long skirt in their bivil’s colour to
differentiate them from ordinary xau-va; the High Seyelite wears a similarly
long skirt, but one which incorporates the colours of all four bivili, whether
in stripes, sections, or some other kind of pattern. Skirts of High Seyelites at
formal occasions over the years have often given interesting indications of
where the favour of the High Va lies: if she is sitting on the only white part,
the Xathinins have done something wrong!
The Santhran, as the liege lord of the Order, may also wear Order clothing. On
these occasions, he or she is given a cloak of the best fabric, dyed in the
lightest grey available, which is embroidered with the Order’s coat of arms in
the finest thread.
Organization.
Leaders. The leader of the
Serphelorian
Army is called the High Seyelite, which is usually abbreviated to ‘High Va’
within the Army. The High Seyelite directs the four separate fighting units,
called ‘bivili’ (arms), with the advice of each bivil’s leaders. The bivili are
each run by their respective First, with the help of the Champion of their arm
and their bivil’s Xaukyra (officers), and Vakyra (head support staff).
Commander (High Va)
The High Va, officially called the High Seyelite, is the commander in chief of
the Order, and answers only to the Santhran. She is elected from the four Firsts
when the previous High Va steps down. The members of the First Council (see
below) participate in this process.
Generals (Firsts)
Each bivil has a First, who leads her bivil with the help of her Champion and
Council. They come to their post by being the Champion of the bivil at the time
of the previous First’s death, or when the previous First becomes incapable of
holding the post, or when they step down. This may seem unfair, but most Firsts
have the wisdom to step down at an auspicious moment. If they do not, the High
Va will often have the wisdom for them. Some Firsts have in the past come to
power through less even handed means, but usually order prevails and the bivili
are run by she whom good sense would recommend.
Seconds-in-Command (Champions)
The Champion of each arm is arguably the best fighter in that bivil, and is the
successor-in-waiting of the First. This woman goes everywhere the First does,
becoming her aide and pupil. Champions gain their rank by fighting in the annual
Festival of the Jewelled Bridle. Thus, a Champion runs the risk of being demoted
each year should she let her fighting skills slip, but she must also spend every
possible moment with the First, learning how to run the bivil lest the First
become unable to continue in her post. Most Champions were previously Xaukyra,
but there are relatively regular occasions when ordinary, if experienced, xau-va
have won the Festival and become an army’s Champion.
Officers (Xaukyra)
Xaukyra (singular Xaukyar) are the officers of each bivil. Each Xaukyar has an
area of expertise, whether it be in a weapon,
in tactics, in strategy or some other need of the Army. Each bivil can have as
many or as few Xaukyra as are required at any given time, and the specialties of
the Xaukyra generally reflect the strengths of the bivil in question. The title
of a Xaukyra is "Kaiar". For example one might see Kaiar Cavalier if one was a
Merin in need of training in horse-mounted fighting, or the Kaiar Supply if one
was a Tamarian in need of an expert in supply lines in battle. All bivili have a
Kaiar Xau-je Va-Kai, abbreviated to ‘Kaiar-je’, the Xaukyar who is the Mistress
of New Recruits, and a Kaiar Jakatya – the Xaukyar who gives instruction in the
core principles of jakatya, the
Serphelorian fighting style.
Elite
(Xau-va Feara)
Xau-va Feara is an honourary title bestowed upon elite warriors who have been
called to serve the Santhran in a capacity which means they must, in effect,
leave the army. Xau-va Feara have in the past taken on roles as the Santhran’s
Master of the Guard, Master of Arms, close advisors to the Santhran, or in one
notable case, the leader of the Santhran’s War Council. The title of Xau-va
Feara is often seen as a consolation prize to those who would have otherwise
been a Champion or First. However, serving the Santhran directly brings its own
rewards, and some of those who have been called away have returned to become
High Seyelites after being released from direct service.
Head
Support Staff (Vakyra)
Vakyra are those support staff who have shown the intelligence and ability to
excel in the other areas necessary to the running of an army. Vakyra are given
the normal respectful title for women, ‘Va-kai’ (even if they are men) rather
than any specific military appellation, but these are formidable people
nonetheless. They may not be able to fight, but the woman who crosses a member
of the cook or supply staff may find herself eating gristly meat, or using sand
for soap, for quite some time. It is usually these sort of wily, quick-witted
members of the staff who go on become Vakyra, so they more than earn their place
on the Council Kaiara. Like Xaukyra, Vakyra are each heads of one area of
support activity. Some of the most traditionally important are the supply-va who
organises all the goods which the Army owns, the stable-va who oversees the
training and care of the army’s horses, and
the cook-va, who is characterised as always being the type of person to feed the
Seyelites awful things if her opinion is ignored.
Council Kaiara and First Council
The First, Champion, Xaukyra and Vakyra of each bivil form a Council Kaiar which
runs that bivil. The Firsts and Champions of each bivil also serve on the First
Council, advising the High Seyelite, the woman who leads the entire army. Any
Xau-va Feara currently in existence are also invited to sit on the First Council
whenever they are able to visit Clymnios.
Units.
There are four main units within the
Serphelorian army, and as has
been mentioned, they are called ‘bivili’, or sometimes, ‘arms’. These are the
Tamarians, the Merins, the Narists and the Xathinins. The Tamarians are the
officer bivil, and their colour is red. The Merins, who wear blue, are the
largest body and are the regular troops. The Narists, in black, are skilled in
stealth and scouting, and the Xathinins in white have a reputation as the most
merciless fighters.
The bivil to which a warrior belongs usually makes little effective difference
in the ways she serves the Santhran, especially when on assignment to the
Santhran’s Court. All those serving for the first time at Court will find
themselves on ceremonial guard duty, whether they are a Tamar or a Narist! The
bivili system functions more to give new warriors a smaller ‘family’ to bond
with, in which the girls are of a similar mindset to oneself, and in which that
mindset is catered to. The emphasis of training is, of course, placed somewhat
differently in the different bivili.
Officer Unit (Tamarians)
The Tamarians (a Tamar, some Tamars, the Tamarians) are the officer bivil, and
thus are usually the more intelligent Seyelites, or those who show more
potential for leadership. Tamarians learn strategy and tactics more deeply than
members of the other bivili, as well as various other more scholarly necessities
such as reading, writing, and how to maintain command. While it is considered an
honour to be chosen as a Tamar, the other bivili suspect that it is a boring
life, with very little glory; most say they are glad not to have been selected
for that bivil. These are no coddled Graven’s children however (although some
are that before they join): the Tamarians are also intensively trained in
combat, and are quite able to field strong candidates in the Festival of the
Jewelled Bridle.
Regular Unit (Merins)
The Merins (a Merin, some Merins, the Merins) are the largest bivil of the
Order. They wear blue bindings, and are the regular troops, forming the main
body of the army. The personality of a common member of this bivil is like that
of most Serphelorian women:
outgoing, noisy, ebullient, confident and trustworthy. Merins are schooled in
all kinds of fighting, be it horsed, unhorsed, with polearm,
bow or blade.
A fully armed Merin carries so many weapons
that myths about their armaments are common. Perhaps the most well known of
these is the ridiculous story that
Serpheloria warriors carry two knives strapped to their inner thighs, which
they call ‘the Chastities’!
Stealth Unit (Narists)
The Narists (a Nara, some Naras, the Narists) are the bivil which harbours those
with skill in stealth; their bindings are black. Naras make good use of their
skills as scouts and messengers, or, more often than could be guessed, as spies
or assassins. They learn many of the same skills as the Merins, but additionally
learn things like the subtle art of the poisoner, the arts of disguise and
fitting in in many places, and how to use charisma to gain access where others
could not.
Commando Unit (Xathinins)
Where the Narists are a dagger in the night, the Xathinins are a club to the
face. Wearing white, and almost always tattooed, the Xathinins (a Xathin, some
Xathins, the Xathinins) are those warriors with boundless energy for war. They
are trained constantly throughout their careers in jakatya, unarmed and armed
wombat, fighting mounted and on foot, in rough terrain and in towns. They are
trained to be able to fight using found items, and in how to survive in extreme
conditions with very few resources. Xathins have a reputation as brutal
opponents, and it is half-seriously joked throughout the order that the
Xathinins are only trained as hard as they are to stop them getting in to
trouble. A small core of fanatic Seyella-worshippers
are found in this bivil; these warriors are feared indeed.
Sub-units. Each solider in the Army also belongs to a sub-unit within
their arm, called a kha (pl. khazi; lit. ‘fingers’). Khazi are groups of around
eight soldiers of different ages or levels of skill and expertise who show an
aptitude for a particular area. These khazi are watched over by the Xaukyra of
that particular skill. Members of each kha sleep in the same hut, take meals
together, and are usually given extra lessons by the Xaukyar to whom they
belong. The Xaukyar is able to ask members of her kha to run errands for her,
and in return she is expected to take a special interest in these warriors’
development, particularly in her own area, and also to keep an eye on the other
aspects of their wellbeing. In this way the Council Kaiar of the bivil is always
informed of the welfare of all their warriors.
Through the khazi system, even members of large bivili, like the Merins, are
able to bond with a small group of soldiers of various different ages. This
gives them a feeling of having a place within the Order, and gives new xau-va
people to help and advise them. Warriors may move between khazi as the Council
Kaiar of their arm see that their skills or needs for training, development or
friendship change. The Councils try to keep the number of xau-va in each kha to
twelve or fewer, so as to facilitate bonding. If one Xaukyar has too many in her
kha, her best student can sometimes be promoted to Xaukyar status so that the
group can be split into two smaller khazi with slightly different emphases.
Normally, however, members are shifted to other khazi to focus on other skills.
A khazi can be as few as just one xau-va and her Xaukyar, but this is
discouraged. The smallest khazi usually contain three or four xau-va.
Ranks and Awards. Once one becomes a full xau-va after leaving
the care of the Kaiar-je, one has no official rank until one is appointed a
Xaukyar or becomes a Champion. This may account for the popularity of the
Festival of the Jewelled Bridle – it gives warriors an opportunity to
distinguish themselves in a time of relative peace. However, while there are no
rank increases for regular xau-va, awards for katmoh, or for bravery in general,
are given when they are earned. These are small, intricately made silver metal
images and are attached by a smith to the waistband of the leather skirt of the
woman, in place of some of the rivets.
The badges vary in size, but tend to be about four
nailsbreadths high and wide,
so that they fit comfortably on the skirt. The badge for katmoh is designed in
the shape of a stooping owl, and the badge for other more general acts of
bravery is an image of the head of a blindfolded woman, representing
Seyella. In cases of exceptional katmoh
or bravery, the image may contain a reference to what the act was. An example of
this might be a broken sword in the claws of
the owl, indicating a woman who fought with her bare hands after her
sword was broken to protect a wounded
peasant boy. Badges in other shapes, for other reasons, have been forged before
now, but these are usually only for great, celebrated heroes who could not be
given greater rank for their efforts.
Unofficially, some women are acclaimed to the
Serphelorian title of
Kaiarxura. While this is not a formal title within the Order, women who are
called this are respected by all those who understand its meaning. Those who
earn it are usually those who have seen war and survived it, or those who have
consistently over many years upheld the concept of katmoh within their kha, by
helping and protecting the newest warriors.
Support Staff. Order staff carry out the tasks of
feeding, provisioning and arming the women of the Order. Other specialist staff
care for the army’s horses, tend the
wounded or see to the religious needs of the army. Most goods are grown, farmed
or created in the village of Clymnios rather than by army staff, so smiths,
farmers and so on are not directly employed by the Order, and much of the other
work is done by the xau-va, including cleaning and some of aspects of the
horse training.
Payment. The xau-va, officers and support staff are
all retained by the Santhran, who gives a lump sum to the Order each year to pay
its costs. This amount is supplemented by the Order’s quarrying operation at the
Stonedale, so the Seyelites are usually relatively well paid, and the Order
quite secure as an institution.
Induction and Training.
Application. Girls can apply to join the Order of
Seyella at the age of fourteen; the
intake is once a year in the last week of
Passing Clouds, after the
Festival of the Warriors. This is traditionally around the age at which girls
are called to see their area’s vaxytha and kaiarxura during that festival, and
through this meeting many young women find themselves joining the army. It is
very seldom that girls are rejected at this initial stage, unless they have both
physical and mental defects, or refuse to swear fealty to the Santhran. When
there are enough xau-va already, only those who show potential for the areas in
which more strength could be used are selected.
Allocation in to Bivili. Arriving at Clymnios in
the autumn, girls are put through a somewhat strange initiation. No fighting or
marching is arranged, but the girls are closely watched by the four Kaiar-je
(Mistresses of the New Recruits) during both phases, and it is on their
personality, rather than on their skills, that they are selected for one bivil
over another. They are left together in a room with nothing to do but interact
with one another for the day on which they arrive, and the next day they are
asked to play a number of games of kokdar, until each girl has had a chance to
play in each position.
As a result of the insights into the girls’ temperaments gained over these two
days, the Tamarians take any who show marked intelligence or the rare quality of
leadership, the Xathinins look for any who demonstrate aggression or anger, the
Narists take the quiet or fearful, and the Merins take the rest. Once chosen,
the girls are dressed in the uniform of the xau-je, which consists of skirts and
bindings which are in the style of the uniform of Order members but are made of
undyed cloth rather than leather and coloured toccon. They are then taken by the
Kaiar-je of the bivil to the First of that arm, and swear their first oath in
the Army. The pledge fealty to the Santhran, that they will uphold the principle
of katmoh, and to stay in the Order for at least two years after the end of
their training, should they be accepted.
The Tamarians, Xathinins and Narists do not always recruit at this stage,
although usually at least two of these bivili will find suitable candidates. It
is possible to swap bivili at any stage during a person’s time in the army if
qualities needed by one bivil are discovered in a person belonging to another.
Many are trained as Merins before their other merits become obvious.
Training. In the first year in the Order girls are
called xau-je, and are trained under the auspices of the Kaiar-je of their
bivil. All xau-je are taught similar skills and knowledge, but each Kaiar-je
works with her type of girl differently, so that all girls have the chance to
develop into warriors. In between standard training, Tamarian xau-je can be seen
trailing Xaukyra of each bivil, serving as their aides and learning by their
example. When not learning on site, Xathinin xau-je are seldom seen as they are
often occupied and trained outside the base, learning to survive in the woods,
mountains or lake. Merin xau-je spend a lot of their time on the parade ground
learning to work as a unit, and the Narist xau-je are kept close to their
Kaiar-je, exercising or training in weapons,
but always talking in quiet voices about things which are not disclosed to
others.
Testing and Next Steps. At the end of the year the
girls have been taught the basics of jakatya,
horse riding and care, how to handle bow
and blade, and some of the basics of the
skills needed by their bivil. They have also been given the tools to improve
their strength, fitness and confidence enough to be of use to the army. At the
Festival of the Warriors, a test is set for the xau-je. A full day is set aside
for the girls to undergo this ritual, at the end of which the decision is made
as to whether they will either become xau-va, or be sent home. In preparation
the girls are fed a large meal the night before, and told to pack all of their
belongings in to a trunk because they will need to leave the hut of the xau-je
the day after the test.
At sunrise, the Xaukyra of each discipline of the bivil wait in a series of
walled courtyards to put each girl through her paces, each Xaukyar testing the
xau-je in the area most closely related to her own specialty. In this way, each
Xaukyar gets to see each xau-je’s skill and to assess how appropriate the girl
would be to join her kha (finger), while sharing the onus of testing the
recruits. Seldom do the Kaiar-je participate in the testing, although they
usually try to observe as much as they can without being observed by the girls.
Many of these tests are ritualised mock fights, especially for the Merins and
Xathinins who are trained almost entirely in combat. The fights, however, are
not so mock that xau-je cannot be hurt.
At the end of the day, when the last girls have been tested, they are given
gruel laced with a sleep-inducing mixture and are sent weary and beaten back to
their round huts. With the girls safely asleep, the four Council Kaiars convene
separately to discuss the merit of each xau-je. This meeting can run for many
hours, late into the night. Eventually, with the Kaiar-je overseeing, the xau-je
are accepted into khazi, or are rejected. In the morning each girl wakes up in a
new place, having been moved from their xau-je hut by warriors, to the hut of
the bivil they will now be part of. There they wake up surrounded by women who
congratulate them on becoming a xau-va, then clothe them in the garb of their
bivil. The kha then take them to the First of their bivil who, together with the
Xaukyar of the kha, accepts the new xau-va’s renewed oath to serve the Santhran.
Those who fail the test are transported to an empty hut. They are met there in
the morning by the First and Champion of the bivil who tell them in a ceremonial
speech that that they have been rejected because, despite the best efforts of
the army, they do not show the necessary abilities to protect the people of
Santharia, and that they will now be given transport home. All who fail the test
have been consistently unsatisfactory throughout the year, so there are no
surprises in this respect. Even if a girl falls sick during the day she will be
chivvied through the rest of the examinations, as the Xaukyar of the right bivil
for her will usually be able to get the correct actions from her, or recognise
the girl as someone who will fit in with the warriors of her kha.
Support Staff. For those who come to be support
staff, the intake is each year in
Changing Winds. Staff are usually taken from the population of Clymnios,
although lately quite a number of men from other places are sent to become a
part of the army in this way. There are no bivili in the staff sector of the
army: new arrivals here are put straight to work doing menial duties for the
year. When the next lot of new workers arrive the next spring, those who have
demonstrated some initiative and willingness to work are promoted to new
positions in somewhat less disagreeable jobs. Skills and interests are matched
as closely as possible to keep the morale of all high. Those who did not show
such promise are kept on if they are suited to menial work, or in the case of
trouble makers, are sent home.
Order Life. Once
girls have become xau-va and have been accepted into a kha, life becomes
composed of various types of guard duty, service once every few years in the
Santhran’s court, camaraderie, and of course the constant training. Xau-va are
required to serve after training for at least two years, in which time they are
able to experience most facets of life in the Order of
Seyella.
Each kha trains together, having one half-day session with a different Xaukyar
of their bivil each day. The exception to this rule is jakatya, on which a full
day is spent approximately once a week in every bivil, although the frequency of
this is dependent on the number of khazi which must be trained. Training
sessions are held in round walled courtyards which can be covered against the
weather, on the parade ground, or inside training rooms, depending on the skill
to be taught.
The process of learning jakatya is unique to the Order of
Seyella and as such is perhaps worth
mentioning here. Jakatya itself is described as ‘seeing without looking’. It is
being aware of one’s surroundings without concentrating (which would lead to
missing other things), while also being aware of one’s own body, having good
balance, and gaining the ability to move separate parts of the body quickly to
avoid a threat without losing that balance. Jakatya is not a type of fighting
itself, but is rather the basis of the ways in which Seyelites move and think
while fighting. Different bivili learn this art in slightly different ways, but
it is regularly told – and quite truthfully – that it can involve running on
rubbly slopes or spinning logs, walking on ropes tied up in the air like a
traveling acrobat, or even stones being thrown at xau-va by the Xaukyar, which
the xau-va is expected to dodge.
Breakfast, lunch, and the evening meal are taken at staggered times in the Order
refectory. The evening meal is not held until dark, so in summer xau-va go
straight to their bunks after this meal. During the winter when the
Injèrá is in the sky for a shorter time, they
may use their bivil’s common room to play games, or just to relax in the company
of their wider group.
The rest of the warriors’ time is filled quite solidly. During the half of the
day in which the xau-va are not training, khazi are scheduled to care for the
Army’s horses, clean the grounds, care for their clothing or
weapons, or to do any number of other
duties required to maintain the army’s precinct. Guard duty is one of these
functions, and each kha takes it most seriously, even when once every month they
are scheduled for a half-night duty.
One half-day each week is given to each kha to have free time. This can be
passed in any way they please as long as it does not disrupt the usual
activities of the Order. Many will ride in to Clymnios, although it takes a full
hour to ride there each way. Other khazi have taken to challenging any kha which
is also scheduled to have that time off, to a game of the
Serphelorian sport, kokdar.
Once every three months it is arranged that a kha’s leave periods fall in such a
way as to give those xau-va a full day-span off – either a morning and an
afternoon together, or an afternoon followed by a morning. During these ‘long
leaves’ of either a full day or overnight, xau-va will often spend the time away
in Clymnios, where they can meet with friends or family, or just relieve
themselves of their coin in any way they please.
Rules and Punishments. Apart from during the
festivals celebrated by the army, these long leaves are the only times Seyelites
are allowed to drink alcohol. Xau-je are not allowed to imbibe at all except for
the ritual mouthful of amzyz on festival days. This is not usually a problem,
both because it is traditional for
Serphelorian warriors to avoid drinking and other intoxicants, and because
cha-drinking is such a beloved pastime for
Serphelorians. There is, of
course, a penalty for those who break this rule, as there is for any rule within
the army: a visit to the Stonedale.
Being sent to the quarry in the Stonedale as punishment is a very common
occurrence. Any offence which does not result in expulsion from the Order
accrues a certain number of hours or days in the Stonedale. All lapses, errors
or offences from not being strong enough, not picking up your drills fast enough
or complaining, to more serious offences such as fighting, disrespectful
behaviour, or falling asleep on watch have a certain number of days at the
Stonedale attached to them. This applies not only to the xau-va, but also to
staff, Xaukyra, Champions and even Firsts. When a week’s worth of hours has been
accrued by a warrior she is sent to the quarry on that week’s coach to serve her
punishment.
Of course Seyelites are not the only people who labour here – some types of
criminals from the surrounding areas are also sent to here as the penalty for
their crimes, although they are usually bound there for much longer than members
of the Order. As such, members must also be used to guard the quarry so that
prisoners there cannot escape.
Duties. Guarding the Stonedale, unlike guarding the
compound and most other things, is not done in kha groups. Instead, one person
from each kha is deployed to the Stonedale every second month. This means that
each kha will have one of its members away guarding the Stonedale for a month
every other month, while in the opposite month none of its members will be
required. As guarding the Stonedale is done individually rather than by khazi,
one will usually find representatives of all four bivili on duty there. This
allows interaction between members of different bivili, but also ensures that
any potential favouring of friends by xau-va is unlikely to occur.
In the Stonedale the guards change every week, so there is always someone to
accompany those from the Order or from Clymnios who are being sent there on the
one-and-a-half day journey by coach. On arrival, new guards are greeted by the
lead guards, who are women who have chosen to leave their bivil and become
permanent quarry guards. There are not many who choose this, and those who do
are generally thought of as unpleasant, callous individuals who enjoy the power
of running the quarry rather than seeking the glory of katmoh. All those who go
to guard the quarry spend a month there, and being away from one’s kha for so
long, in the company of people from other bivili, can be quite an experience.
Strong friendships can be made by those guarding the Stonedale, but also equally
strong enmities.
This sort of guard duty usually comes around once every two years. Duty at the
Santhran’s Court occurs at a similar or somewhat shorter interval, but is
usually anticipated with much more pleasure. Although members of the same kha
are seldom given duties together at Court - because duties here are based on
skill and experience which varies within the kha - one is still quartered with
one’s kha, and can share experiences, observations, hints and questions with
those more or less experienced than oneself. The three day journey which would
otherwise be boring for older members of a kha is also enlivened by the presence
of the younger ones who have never seen the Santhran’s Court before.
The Festival of the Jewelled Bridle. This festival,
in which the Champions of the bivili (arms) are selected and the best of the
army are recognised, was once celebrated as a rest week by the entire tribe.
Now, as the army is less important than it once was (due to the peace that being
a part of Santharia brings), this
competition is of much less significance to members of the tribe not connected
to the Order. However,
Serphelorians do enjoy a celebration, so those who can do journey to
Clymnios to watch this exciting tournament.
The events are held each year in the
Rising Sun, when the weather is usually clear, but before the summer is at
its hottest. It lasts for a week, from the first
Elfday of the month until the
following Restday. During this
time all training is suspended, although of course guard duties and all other
essential tasks continue. Those who have served more than the compulsory two
years in the army and plan to compete in the festival are given leave from their
duties over this week. Those who have not yet served more than their required
term in the Order are allowed to compete, but are discouraged from doing so by
being required to still perform all duties as normal during the festival.
All four bivili must have at least three competitors in the festival so that the
Champion for each can be fairly chosen; however the glory of competing is such
that many more than this usually enter. The stands around the parade ground are
filled with all xau-va who can attend, and also – particularly on the last two
days – the people of Clymnios, and those from further afield. Each day different
events are held, with a chance at the end of each half of the day for the
competitors to show off any particular skill they have which could not be
sufficiently flaunted during the set events. Every night there is feasting and
celebrations, honouring the successes of the day (the Stonedale is often full
the following week of xau-va who overindulged too near to their time on duty!).
On the first day of the festival, the first
Elfday in
Rising Sun, the stands around
the parade ground fill for the first time. The Firsts of each bivil stand on a
wooden plinth at one end of the ground, which is decorated in the silver and
green of the Order, with the High Seyelite on a chair set on a higher platform
behind them. The current Champions enter from the opposite end, followed by all
those who wish to compete in the festival. After doing one circuit of the edge
of the ground, the challengers move up the centre and the Champions approach the
dais. Each Champion hands over her green cloak, the sign of her status as a
Champion, to the First of her bivil. With this action, the High Seyelite
proclaims the contenders to all be equal in her sight, and the Festival to have
begun. The rest of this day is spent in the laying of bets among the Seyelites
and other spectators, while in the afternoon games of kokdar are played by the
contestants. These games are thought by many to be a good early indication of
the calibre of the competitors.
On the following day, Halfday,
archery is contested in the morning, and other ranged weapons such as javelins
and the sling are contested in the afternoon. Athletics competitions are run on
Browninday morning to test the
speed and agility of competitors; in the afternoon comes the first of the actual
bouts, with unarmed hand-to-hand combat skills being assessed. The
Gnomesday events are one of the
most popular, but the most taxing for the competitors, as this is when
competitors’ skill with handling and fighting from
horses is gauged. The dramatic stagchase,
and the warhorsing event (in which a warrior’s skill in training her mount to
bite, kick, and move in other less natural ways is assessed) are run in the
morning, followed by competitions in a number of different types of mounted
combat in the afternoon. On
Dwervenday the competitors compete against others from their bivil in events
designed to test the particular skills of their group.
Folkday is the only day on which
the anticipation of the day’s events surpasses that of
Gnomesday: on this day the
competitors are tested on their skill with the
blade.
Finally, after all the events of the week, the Champions of each arm are
decided. On the morning of Restday
the stands are again swelled with people from Clymnios, come to watch the final
festivities. The competitors parade on to the ground and up to the dais once
more. A semi-circle of competitors from each bivil is made in front of each
First. To start with the new or returning Narist champion is presented with a
new green cloak of rank and proclaimed by her First to be the new Champion of
the Narists. Next follows the awarding of the Xathinin Champion, then the Merin,
and lastly the Tamarian Champion.
As this happens the other contestants step back, allowing the Champions to stand
alone before their First. The High Seyelite then stands, and holds up the
beautifully made prize Jewelled Bridle which is set with precious stones and
metals in the colours of the Order and its bivili. This bridle is made slightly
differently each year, and once won it need never be given back. The High
Seyelite intones a few formal words, and then calls the name of the Champion who
has done the best of the four. The High Va then passes the bridle to the First
of the Champion’s bivil, who hands the prize down to the Champion. Once this is
done, the High Va invites all who can to stay and celebrate the strength of the
Army, and to witness the rest of the day’s formal events.
For the rest of the day after the prizes are given, all who competed in the
week’s events participate in the often farcical reconstructions of the most
impressive or interesting of the competitions. Those contestants with special
skill in an area are invited to show it off, and visiting Xau-va Feara and
members of other martial forces are invited to participate in show bouts against
Champions or Xaukyra. As night falls tables are set up on the parade ground, and
food and drink is brought from the kitchens of the Order to cater for the xau-va
and the many guests. The dais is extended and turned into a high table, and
distinguished visitors are invited to dine with the High Va, the Firsts, and any
Champions who see fit to pretend to have had enough of the adulation of the
crowds. The following day is usually given as a rest day except in the most
untoward external circumstances – although guard duties must continue, training
is suspended for one more day.
Place in Society.
The army is very well thought of as a career choice for young
Serphelorian women who want to
see more of the kingdom than they might otherwise, or who have a strong interest
in traditional ways. Girls are also often sent to the army by their elders if
they are thought to have potential, despite the fact that they might want to do
something entirely different. It is seen as a good way to make girls into women,
and as a proving ground which can be a good education in
Serphelorian ways, even if the
girl chooses to follow another path after she has served her two years with the
Seyelites. The Order is now also beginning to be thought of as a good place to
send young men who wish to be more active, although many of these take roles as
support staff rather than warriors.
In a wider context, the Order of Seyella
is seen as one of the Orders which is usually the most loyal to, and most
closely aligned with the Santhran. This is probably due to the fact that the
Order operates in Sanguia and is thus the most literally close to the Santhran,
allowing a closer link between the High Seyelite and her liege than is common
with the commanders of most Orders. When troops of Seyelites are sent to
supplement those of a noble, the xau-va are thought of as the Santhran’s troops
and thus are given high esteem and respect. Additionally, as a Santhran’s Order
Seyelites are in fact of higher rank than troops belonging to a noble.
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