Jarohi Coast

Jarohi Coast
Capital	None
Ruler	Many
Government	Informal democracies
Demonym	Jarohi
Adjective	Jarohi
Languages	Aserdian; Sangiran
Religions	Aserdian pantheon; ancestor worship

The Jarohi Coast (pronounced jah-ROH-hee) refers both to a stretch of coastline in the eastern Laqto Rainforest as well as to a collection of loosely-connected settlements that can be found there. These communities are particularly infamous for their seasons of piracy, with corsairs who opportunistically strike at ships along the trade routes between Okoton and Kea Racha during the dry season. Though suppressed during the height of the Sangiran Empire, since the empire's collapse the Jarohi sea raiders have resumed their activities with vigor.

Geography, flora, and fauna

The Jarohi Coast is a section of coastline where the Laqto Rainforest meets the Mhasmuth Ocean. Steep cliffs are common along most of the coast, rising high above the waters, broken by the valuable coves used as natural harbors. The weather is typically quite hot and humid year-round.

The region is widely considered to encompass not only the coast itself but also the handful of nearby islands.

History

Culturally, the Jarohi Coast has long been influenced by Kea Racha, owing primarily to its location between the island and the cities of the Okoton Estuary. In the days of the Sangiran Empire it was not uncommon for imperial ships to be found in the ports of the larger Jarohi cities, which were viewed by imperial advisor-priests as lawless havens to be watched and controlled for the benefit and protection of Sangiran trade. Though this direct influence has waned greatly following the Eternal Suzerain's last death, the cultural ties remain, as evidenced by Jarohi cuisine, language, ships, and for some even names.

Demographics

Most inhabitants of the Jarohi Coast are humans, elves, half-elves, and catfolk.

Culture

Religion

Jarohi religion blends the veneration of Aserdian deities, particularly Saiph, Auva, and Kalausi, with a heavy emphasis on ancestor worship. Nearly every settlement has a small district for ancestor houses, small buildings clustered on the outskirts of the village that are dedicated to deceased forebears. Intended as homes for the spirits of their ancestors should they choose to visit, the ancestor homes are kept clean, decorated, and repaired as needed, even if the furniture and objects they contain are never used by the living. In fact, if forced to choose many Jarohi would rather ensure their family's ancestor house is better tended and more richly ornamented than their own.

As is typical with the worship of the Aserdian pantheon, the people of the Jarohi Coast do not place great importance on the roles of religious leaders, with clerics generally considered more significant as healers and in the enactment of funerary rites than for day to day spiritual guidance.

Languages

Aserdian and Sangiran are by far the most spoken languages in the Jarohi Coast. Common is much less widely known. Ancestral languages, particularly Elven, can be heard in many communities as well.

Society

In Jarohi society, social status is conferred by the success of one's self and relatives as corsairs. Piracy is rarely undertaken for the purposes of amassing wealth, as the Jarohi are largely self-sufficient and see little use for coinage or material affluence, but rather to bring prestige and standing - stolen ornamental items are often prominently displayed in one's home and plundered foodstuffs are used to prepare great feasts. These activities are an outgrowth of the Jarohi's favorable views towards those who eagerly seize passing opportunities and turn them towards their own gains.

Jarohi piracy is seasonal in nature. During the wet season most attentions are directed towards agriculture, the collection of foods, and the replenishment of stores, even though conditions in the rainforest mean such activities are viable year-round, while the relative lack of necessary tasks in the dry season leaves plenty of time for raiding.

Traditions

While not strictly a Jarohi tradition, traveling storyteller-mages known as the Mantled are common in the region. These individuals carry around sets of elaborately carved and magically imbued wooden masks that they use for their performances, swapping them out as they portray different characters or moods. By tradition the identities of the Mantled are kept secret from those who view their acts, both by keeping their masks on and by never answering any question - nearly all do not perform in their own communities or any nearby for precisely this reason.

Pedigreed raptors, especially velociraptors, are often kept as pets by high status Jarohi. Inordinate amounts of resources and attention are spent on the care of these animals, even though they rarely serve practical purposes.

Ships

The Jarohi use two types of ships, each for a different purpose. For fishing or transportation between communities, small sailing crafts are commonplace, typically only large enough to hold ten or so people at a time. Though far smaller than their inspiration, these ships use a kind of battened sail rather similar to those of the junks of Kea Racha. For piracy, meanwhile, light and fast galleys are preferred, reminiscent of those of the Kilche Sea. Even when engaging in raiding these ships are never armed, as the Jarohi instead rely on boarding parties that can take what they can carry and escape quickly.

Architecture and urbanization

Most communities in the Jarohi Coast are quite small. The four cities of Port Jados, Tanso, Venom, and Yreddin are notable exceptions, yet their combined populations are still far less than those living in the many small villages of the region. Though always near the sea, these villages are almost never directly on the water, instead built at least half a mile or more inland in parts of the rainforest that are minimally cleared to have space to live and farm. The docks upon which most settlements rely are built within hidden coves, protected not only from the weather and any creatures out at sea but also from those who might seek an end to the Jarohi sea raiding.

Jarohi architecture varies somewhat by area, most notably between the mainland and the islands nearby, but typically takes the form of relatively small wood-framed thatch buildings, raised off the ground and connected by walkways. While living areas are private, buildings for cooking and other aspects of life tend to be communal.

Food and cuisine

Living close to the ocean has made seafood an important part of the Jarohi diet. Along with significant amounts of fish and shrimp, the cuisine of the Jarohi relies heavily on rice, farmed or foraged, tropical fruits, nuts, and pigs that are either domesticated or hunted wild. Agriculture tends to be small-scale and not intended to fully support a community, but rather supplement caught or foraged resources. Many families grow small vine gardens much alike those kept in Talmithe.

Government

Nearly all communities of the Jarohi Coast are informal democracies. Any positions of authority tend to be temporary and only given out of necessity, as familial relations and alliances are used to govern day to day activities. This holds even in the few larger cities of the coast, where political life can seem extremely chaotic to outsiders unfamiliar with the long-standing yet non-codified norms that govern it.