Dorin Culture

The Dorin culture

Climate/Terrain​

Dorin appeared first within the arid western wastelands of the Empire, which is known now as the Sultanate of Arakmat. A large population still resides there, but they are now spread all around the Empire. They are used to difficult weather conditions and can live in nearly any locale. Outside of the Sultanate, Dorin live in vast empty spaces, such as hills and mountains. It is rare to encounter a dorin in a thick forest, as their muscular body lacks agility and does not suit the forest environment.

Dorin prefer dry climates; even cold weather is not a problem for dorin, as their fur protects them from any external effect. By contrast, humid areas aren't the best place to search for a dorin, as their fur causes respiration problems in the water-charged atmosphere. As the Empire evolved, and the cities gain territories, Dorin spread even to places like Natura. On the whole, dorin can live nearly anywhere in the Empire.

Organization​

[template=Wiki-locale-blurb]
| title= The Pack
| content= The Dorin people, living in vast and large areas, developed a nomad lifestyle, based on small groups called 'packs'. Packs are family based groups of nearly twenty dorin, large packs are rare, due to the mobility imperative, composed of members of the same large family. Members of the same pack have a strong solidarity. A dorin would give his life to save another member's life. The pack is structured around a lone principle: "The pack must be led by the strongest". In every pack, there is a leader that both leads the group and speaks for it as its voice. The members of the pack will generally follow their leader without a moment's hesitation. Any hesitation is considered as a challenge and will invariably result in a Challenge Ritual, a combat for the leadership. These are rarely done to the death, but victory means leadership for the winner.

With the dorin society being heavily patriarchal, it is rare, if not impossible, to see a female dorin lead a pack. Packs live on vast territories, changing positions according to weather and hunting imperatives. Each pack has its own hunting territory, and the members will defend it with extreme ferocity. Packs entertain good relations with other packs, as long as there is no conflict about territories. Dorin have a great sense of belonging to the dorin nation, but are strongly attached to their freedom and liberty. In the face of an external attack, dorin will face the enemy as an army, but during peace times, packs constitute independent groups acting on their own.[/template]

[template=Wiki-locale-blurb]
| title= The Tribe
| content= The supra-set of the pack, the tribe, is formed of a certain number of packs that claim the same ancestors. The number of packs that can form a tribe, varies from the insignificant three packs tribe to the major tribes which include more than twenty packs. The tribe's structure is based on the shared origins of the packs. Each member of the tribe is related by blood ties to the other members of his tribe.

Each tribe claims a right over a hunting territory, the size of which depends of the importance of the tribe. All the packs belonging to the tribe will protect this territory, not necessarily in coordination, against any external threat. The tribe, while it is a recognized set does not show a vertical hierarchy and any pack acts as a free member of the tribe. Decisions relating to the tribe will be discussed in a council, but most of the time packs will act in a spontaneous way concerning tribe matters.

Tribes have played, from earliest brightenings of the dorin society, an important role. While the pack represents the close family of a dorin, and thus, the individual and free part of him, the tribe represents the Dorin's belonging to the people as a whole and it is the first guardian of a solid dorin nation. It is in fact the fusion of the major dorin tribes that led to the founding of the two cities of Nadir and Zenith and, still nowadays, the tribe acts as the first base of the dorin society. Despite the dispersion of the dorin through the Empire, the tribe maintains the existence of a moral dorin nation.[/template]

[template=Wiki-locale-blurb]
| title= The Clan
| content= The Clan entity has a dangerous role in dorin life. Many historical dorin events have been influenced by the clan concept and still, in modern times, dorin have a great attachment to their clan.

Unlike the pack, which is based on family ties, the clan is much more a moral belonging than an organized group. A dorin will claim his belonging to a certain Clan according to his vision of the dorin future and his political stance. It is not rare to find two members of the same pack belonging to different clans.

There are two major known clans, the Graw'Shata and the Aman'Shata, and each one has a large number of followers. Despite the fact that the fusion with the Arakmatan Sultanate and joining the Empire diminished the power of the two clans, dorin still give an importance to their clan and tensions often arise between the two of them.

The members of each clan hold meetings once a pattern to discuss current affairs and the future of the Dorin nation. The Graw'Shata clan hall is known to be housed in the city of Nadir, next to the Great Temple of Aslan, while the Aman'Shata hold their meetings in Zenith.

During later years, new minor clans appeared. Their members most live outside the Sultanate and hold to points of view that are different from those of the two initial clans.

A clan is often designated by a symbol that its members wield proudly.[/template]

Society​

Strictly patriarchal, the dorin society is still subject to many studies. If other societies are built around the close family, this concept is totally absent from the dorin customs. In fact, due to their short lifespan, dorin tend to have multiple partners, as much as they can in truth, and consider that monogamy is a waste of life. This concept applies to both males and females.

Dorin life is centered around the large family that is represented by the pack. While a dorin cannot tell with precision the name of his father, he is sure that every dorin of his pack is a brother or a sister to him. This is seen as anarchy by most of the Aelyrian Peoples but to dorin it is just natural. This conception leads to a strong brotherly feeling among the members of the same pack. A dorin will not hesitate to risk his life to defend his pack and its members.

A new born dorin will be raised by his mother but will be in constant contact with the other members of his pack, who will look upon him and protect him as his blood brothers. During the first years of his life, a dorin will learn the basics of wild life and the honor law. During this period he is called a 'pup' and is not yet considered an adult. When the young pup accomplishes his formation, he is prepared to pass the Graw'lak ritual. If he succeeds, he is given the position of adult within the pack, but if he fails to pass the ritual he will be considered as 'dishonorable' until he tries the ritual again. Three fails at the Graw'lak ritual will result in the pup being outcast by the group and banned forever.


In place of the common social laws that other Aelyrian societies follow, and which are inspired by the family concept, dorin society is ruled by a strict honor based law that governs every aspect of their lives. This honor based law is so rooted in the dorin society that the existence of a judge is obsolete; In fact, any dorin will stand as judge and apply the honor law to any who transgress It. It is not rare for a dorin to judge himself according to the honor based law.

Beside the honor law, several rituals punctuate the life of a dorin. These rituals are described with precision and every Dorin has to learn them. Most of the rituals are related to events that the dorin experiences; some are meant as tests, such as the Graw'lak and the Hor'narh rituals, some others are celebrations, as the Gha'Kha and the Illa'Kha. A popular expression claims that for each breath exists a Dorin ritual.

This strict law has often given dorin the reputation of sad and harsh people, but in reality dorin are a very festive people. A dorin will battle with no fear for his life, but he will party, if he is still alive, like it was the last day of his life. Dorin soldiers are known to hold huge parties, lasting over days, to celebrate their victories.

Dorin consider that any moment of life should be lived at its best and tend to live just for the moment. They are horrible at planning ahead, preferring to accept destiny as it comes. Due to their warrior-oriented life, dorin celebrate each day as a blessed one and celebrate each moment they are given.

Dorin Faiths​

Most dorin worship Aslan, God of Honor, who is considered the genitor of the people and their protector. Dorin consider themselves as Aslan's sons and messengers. The destiny of the dorin people, in their beliefs, is to set the Order within the Chaos and spread the word of Aslan throughout the realm.

Scholars believe that the early dorin worshiped a unique god that they called 'The Father' and who was considered to be the first dorin and the genitor of the people. Small statues representing an old male dorin have been found in the lands near Nadir and scholars maintain that those were representations of 'The Father'. During those times the dorin patriarchy, the supreme religious institution of the dorin, was ruling the cult of 'The Father'; Many temples were built within the dorin cities of Zenith and Nadir and still nowadays traces of them are visible in the two cities.

When the dorin made first contact with their human neighbors, the Arakmatans introduced the Aelyrian Pantheon to the dorin and 'The Father' was soon assimilated to an Aetherian god. Most of the dorin assimilated 'The Father', the archaic deity, to Aslan-Maj. In fact, it had been noticed that most dorin tend to consider Aslan, God of Honor, and Maj, Arch Archon, as being one and the same entity with The Father, who gathered the properties of honor and power within himself. The Arakmatan Patriarchy, a result of the fusion of the Arakmatan Order of the Sacred Oasis and the dorin patriarchy, is considered by modern dorin as the official Religion and they are loyal to it.

Great Temples have been built by dorin in the cities of Zenith, Nadir and Arakmat, where the Great Temple of Aslan, the largest temple of the Sultanate(*), houses the Patriarchy. The Arakmatan Patriarchy is tolerated by the Church of Faith, and is considered as its representative within the Sultanate.

Dorin believe in other Aetherian gods, but rarely worship them. Some Dorin have been known to worship an Aeternian, but they are persecuted and invariably killed. Dorin consider Aeternians as dishonorable gods and it is impossible for them to accept a Dorin worshiping them. Religion and social life are tightly linked in dorin life. Dorin, by their patriarchal nature, don't look highly upon female Deities, even Diana, which has always created a tension between the Church of Faith and the Arakmatan patriarchy.

Dorin have a large and complete liturgy, and it is usual to hear a dorin pray to Aslan before a battle, seeking blessing from the God of Honor.

Language​

Due to their use of natural communication means, such as scents and corporal signs, Dorin have retained a primitive language. The dorin language is based on single syllable words that represent items, principles, ideas and feelings. These words are combined in complex words to express precise meaning. The word Graw meaning 'honor' combined to the word lak meaning 'proof' gives the word Graw'lak meaning 'test of honor'. Because Dorin lips are unable to articulate all the sounds a human's would, sounds such as 'v', 'f' and 'm' are absent from the Dorin language. The expression "speaking as a dorin" is used by Arakmatans to indicate a person with speaking difficulties. Modern dorin prefer to use the Arakmatan language, even those outside the Sultanate, but they can, if forced, speak any other language. But, due to their natural limitations, Dorin have a horrible accent and nearly truncate words.

Relations​

Dorin have different relationships with different people. Dorin have bad relations with Katta, due to the years of Slavery, even if these relations have tended to become better over time. Arakmatan Humans are considered as brothers by Dorin, and it is not impossible to see a dorin give his own life for the safety of an Arakmatan. Dorin have no special relation with other human kinds except for Kemites, who share their devotion for Aslan. Dorin are on good terms with Dwarves and the rare minotaurs, but are less understanding of Elves and fae. Dracons are considered as any other people and are respected if they are honorable. Arakmat houses a large Dracon community that lives in peace with the rest of the population. Dorin hate Orcs, goblins, and other Nightland Peoples, and do not hesitate to exterminate any member of these Peoples.

Credit​

Credit goes to Godah