Umme

"We do not forget the hand that lifts us, nor the blade that wounds. Blood remembers, even if the tongue does not."

— Elder Amaet of the Circle of Crones

  Tucked into the golden belt of subtropical wilds between Itania, Sitaar, and Zeder, the Umme people were once nothing more than scattered tribes living among the bones of a fallen empire. But now, they stir with the first signs of true unity and rising nationhood, a fire lit by the return of one man: Yekuun of the Sea, a former sailor of the drifting Sea People. Though a man, he holds power only because the Circle of Crones allows it—an aged council of matriarchs who oversee the realms of commerce, learning, faith, and justice.
  The Umme may be a minor kingdom by scale, but their influence ripples far beyond their borders. Revered as linguists and translators, Umme youths are encouraged from childhood to study foreign tongues and customs. Their oral historians and interpreters are welcomed at many foreign courts, even in Sitaar, where a single Umme warrior—Kushar the Bound—became the only foreign-born Muhafiz, loyal to the famed Amrane the Lion until his death.
 
 

Governance and Society

The Umme rule through dual authority: the Warlord-King, currently Yekuun, who handles military and diplomatic concerns, and the Circle of Crones, elderly women drawn from each of the major cities who serve as spiritual advisors, record-keepers, judges, and economic regulators. The king cannot pass laws, set taxes, or declare war without the Circle’s blessing.
  Their society is matriarchal in structure but not in exclusion—men hold necessary and honored roles as builders, warriors, and hunters. However, inheritance is matrilineal, and economic and spiritual leadership is entirely female.
  Blood debt is one of the most sacred laws of Umme society. If an Umme is saved by another, they bind themselves—and their bloodline—to that person for life. These oaths are unbreakable and can extend through generations if left unpaid.
 

Cities and Industry

The Umme kingdom is structured around three central cities:
  Zhimek, the capital, rises from the ruins of an ancient city. A blend of sunbaked stone, iron-reinforced fortifications, and newly carved roads surrounds an old temple district they still revere though no one remembers the god’s name. Water is drawn and filtered through old-world aqueducts, still functioning thanks to repairs made by Umme engineers. Zhimek produces cloth, iron goods, and stone.
  Namali, the forest city, hums with the slow rustle of lumber and fruit harvest. The slow-walking trees of the deep groves are considered sacred, and only certain elder-wood can be felled. Baobab oil, nuts, and forest fruits are harvested here, and Namali is known for its fruit wines, long-boiled nut butters, and sacred bone carvings.
  Setak, the savannah settlement, was rebuilt from ash after a series of raids by the wild tribes of the Turmoil. Today, it thrives on grain, hides, and beer production. Beer is a matter of pride—ginger, millet, sorghum, and even honey brews are shared at nearly every festival.
  Many ancient cities still lie lost in the wilderness, taken long ago by cannibal tribes or collapsed in the aftermath of the Turmoil. Some Umme youth take pilgrimages to try and rediscover these ruins, hoping to bring back artifacts or lost stories to the Circle of Crones.
 

Rituals, Religion, and the Lost One

Though they remember little of their old faith, the Umme still carry its weight. Their god is now called simply the Lost One, a presence felt but unknown, honored in rituals they no longer understand. They perform sun-drenched dances before old temples, coat their bodies in sacred clays during mourning, and carve labyrinthine spirals on objects of spiritual importance—each spiral symbolizing a forgotten truth.
  Every year, they host the Festival of the Lost Flame, where the people fast and remain silent for one full day, followed by a night of drumming, dancing, and storytelling in a massive torch-lit ceremony. It is said that any who speak with perfect truth during this night will see visions of the world before the Turmoil.
 

Cuisine and Dress

Umme cuisine blends necessity with ingenuity. Savory breads made of wild grains are served with baobab jam, pickled nuts, or roasted meat. Common dishes include:
  Zehba – a fermented millet porridge served with spiced fruit
  Ginger beer and honey wine, both brewed in earthen casks
  Smoked antelope and flatbread
  Firefruit stew, a tangy slow-cooked vegetable and meat dish
  Their fashion leans loose and light for the heat: woven linen robes dyed with local plants and minerals, wide sashes, and tall headdresses for the crones. Jewelry is common, often made from bronze, bone, or shell, and symbolic spiral tattoos mark adulthood or initiation into service to the Circle.
 

Character and Cultural Values

The Umme may lack the grandeur of Sitaar or the political entrenchment of Zeder, but they hold fast to memory and debt. They do not forget a kindness, a rescue, or a betrayal. In a world where ancient powers rise and fall, the Umme cling to what still binds: language, family, and promise.
  Among the whispered paths of the forest and the sun-blasted roads of the savannah, one thing is certain: the Umme remember. Even when the gods are lost, the people remember.