Sudzi

History

The people that is known as Sudzi has lived in isolation for many years. There have been contacts, but the Sudzi live more or less on their own and do not give away information about their culture to every merchant.

“Sudzi” is the Naglani name for this people, and like many other things the Sudzi adopted this name and forgot what they were called before their contacts with the Naglani - one of the other things they forgot is their own language...
It is said, the people of the Sudzi orginiated from Thirun, a state that existed many centuries ago in the plains between Dernian Landis and Daleth. Diwan is suppost to be build on the ruins of this kingdoms capital, Fasr. As the climate changed, the Sudzi came to the western part of the continent, to Daleth. There, they met the Giants and the Naglani and they peacefully lived together in these lands, in small communities.
After the arrival of the Poorters, the number of Sudzi in Daleth decreased and only two larger communities survived the centuries: Klainskrizzon in the south and Fiutha in the north. These communities have been separated for a long time now, and have very different cultures.

Language

The Sudzi do not seem to have an own language. They speak Poorterian with their visitors, and many of them know enough Naglan to talk to the rare Naglani merchant. However, they have some words, that may originate in the language of the Giants, or from their own language, a tongue they left in Thirun, and of which we do not know much.
The Sudzi from Het Verboden Dal and those from Klainskrizzon have a different dialects - the northern dialect is influenced by Tuggs, the southern by Giantian and a little Lubanian.

Culture

Religion

The religion of the Sudzi is based on the believe that the dead go to another place, close to Airtha, maybe another dimension. They still can be contacted and watch over the ones left behind. [More about the ancestral religion]
Some Sudzi picked up one of the other religions in Daleth, but keep their ancestors as a source for help, even though they might ask for their help via one of the gods of Daleth.

The creation-myth of the Sudzi reflects their former homeland. They believe the universe was made of stardust, sand and dirt. A small beetle named Smarnator gathered the dust, the dirt and the sand and rolled this into a ball. It kept on going untill Airtha was formed. It laid eggs on the ball and waited until the first Sudzi and other creatures crept from the eggs. To make the Sudzi warm and vivid, the ball was placed into the light of Fon, but to protect the people from nocturne the ball was rolled into a rabbithole at night. That’s why it’s dark at night.
Smarnator never died, but isn’t considered to be a god, nor a force of nature.

Magic

The magic of the Sudzi is only found in religious rituals. They use the Amalburns to get in contact with their ancestors. Other uses of magic are not known, but the regular Sudzi is not stunned by acts of magic from other people. They strongly believe there is more to life than what is known to men.
The talking to the ancestors can be done in silence and in any language. Scientists think that Sudzi may have ears to hear thoughts that are never spoken - the orginal Sudzi language might have been a combination of spoken language and telepathy. This scares some people, who either stay away from the Sudzi or do distrust them.

Physics

The Sudzi are remarkable (a foot) smaller than any other known people on Airtha¹ , although a tall Sudzi can be taller than a short Poorter. Their short stature is usually exagerated by the enourmous Giant ruins they live in - ruins that dwarfen any being in Daleth.
Another difference from other people is that Sudzi have three fingers and a thumb on each hand, and four toes on each foot. They have special swords and knives that can only be used with the small, four digit hands of the Sudzi. Enemies who had captured the swords first had to adjust them to make them useful.
The average Sudzi has a fair coloured skin that might be tanned during the years, and a light colour of hair ranging from blond to reddish. Their eyes are blue or brown, green is seldom seen. They have long, dark eyelashes, that protects their eyes from the desert sand.
Due to the rough conditions of life, the Sudzi hardly grow older than 50 bisunjane. Many children die in the cradle, 50% of those who survive the first year will never be an adult.
Sudzi hardly start a sexual relationship with other people. Sudzi women with a male partner of another people don’t want to get pregnant, because the unborn baby might grow too big for their womb. Mother and child will die if the child is not aborted before. There is few known about children with one Sudzi parent.