Amalj'aa

The Amalj'aa are a Spoken race, counted beastmen rather than a Wandering Race of Men. Native to the high plains of Paglth'an, they have made inroads to Thanalan in recent years, and their devotion to the Primal Ifrit makes them a persistent threat to all who wish to remain free.

Appearance
The Amalj'aa are a reptilian species that walk upright upon digitigrade feet. The primary feature of their silhouette that distinguishes them from other races is the massive, single tendril that sweeps back from the top of the head.

Adult Amalj'aa are typically taller even than Roegadyn, standing nine fulms tall, and are massively muscular. Their skins are generally extremely dark, making it difficult to pick out their features even in the brightest light.

Amalj'aa, being reptilian, are carnivorous, and will hunt and consume any beastkin, scalekin, or even vilekin. (Author's note: Fortunate it is that they do not have a taste for Spoken flesh.) They do not require much in the way of water.

Amalj'aa begin their lives as eggs, which incubate within a week and a half of being laid, and which are guarded by both parents until after their hatching feast.

History
The Amalj'aa believe that their history began with a perpetual war between beasts, during which they proved themselves most worthy of the favor of Ifrit, their god. According to legend, Ifrit stood upon Zanr'ak in Thanalan, and bestowed upon them their awareness and personhood. As a result, Zanr'ak is counted a holy place to them.

When the Kingdom of Belah'dia laid claim to the entirety of Thanalan in the Sixth Astral Era, naturally, this incurred the wrath of the Amalj'aa, who were denied their pilgrimage to Zanr'ak. After repeated clashes with the much smaller but better equipped and educated Lalafell, they were left with no recourse but to lay the implied insult to their god at his feet.

When Ifrit did not move of his own, the Amalj'aa then carried out a forbidden ritual meant to force him to manifest in Eorzea. However, no ritual can compel a god; and instead, the Amalj'aa's fervor and bitterness manifested something quite different: a Primal. Hungry for aether, and bound to the limitations of Amalj'aa expectations and imagination, this Ifrit has since urged them endlessly to war upon first Belah'dia and its successor, Ul'dah; and many an unwitting bystander has been made prey to their terrible master.

General
Amalj'aa life is nomadic; a clan's livelihood is centered around its carefully guarded and maintained herd of sheep or scalekin. As the seasons turn, the clans move from one grazing pasture or oasis to the next. It comes to pass frequently that two tribes may attempt to claim the same pasture, at which point it is expected that they will come to blows and bloodshed.

Certain clans have established permanent encampments, where they have built forges. These forges produce the tools and weapons needed for the Amalj'aa way, from hunting to food preservation to warfare. Though relatively primitive, their weapons in particular are well crafted.

The many clans of Amalj'aa make up seven tribes, over which are war chiefs. These chiefs regularly attend a council to make determinations on behalf of their own clans. Should they agree on the need, they will select a "war marshal", who will then lead the combined forces of all of the tribes against a common foe.

Amalj'aa have managed to tame drakes, which they employ as mounts, hunting companions, and occasionally food.

Amalj'aa have a written language, called "Amaljic". They also identify themselves visibly with necklaces, strung with teeth, bones, and claws; the order of objects on the string apparently communicates the name and rank of the wearer.

They regard ignus snails as sacred to Ifrit, and will go to great lengths to acquire them.

The Life of an Amalj'aa
Upon the laying of a healthy egg, the father of the child chooses out and slaughters the finest member of his herd, which he then prepares as part of a feast for the clan. The bones leftover from the beast are cremated, and the ashes then spread upon the scales of the newborn, serving as both a sunscreen and a ritual reminder of the race's devotion to Ifrit.

Though the child never forgets his or her birth parents, all Amalj'aa children of each generation are raised together, communally, by the clan. Upon coming of age, they are then sorted into castes, and a title is appended to their names to indicate their permanent role in life.

Castes
Amalj'aa are divided into two categories: commanders and soldiers. This is somewhat confusing, as the primary work of any given Amalj'aa is not necessarily warfare; but as all of them are expected to take up arms in the event of battle, it is indicative of their rigid approach to authority.

Highest in the "soldier" category is the priest caste, or Chah. They are responsible for conducting divination rites and rituals of devotion to Ifrit; they are associated with spring. Beneath them, Gah, the warrior caste, associated with summer and tasked with commanding and coordinating other soldiers during minor conflicts. Then are the Roh, the peacekeepers and enforcers, who see to it that tribal law is obeyed, and who are associated with autumn. At the bottom are the engineers, Boh, who construct camp and carry out the needful tasks for the rest of the community.

The other category, "commanders", are those who would loosely be called the government. Most of the business of the clan or tribe is handled by the Koh, advisors to the war chief and those who, under his authority, issue directives for the governance of the tribe. Their word is, in turn, executed by the Teh, bureaucrats.

Any Amalj'aa named Zoh is the war chief of his tribe, and there are only seven at any time. A Zoh is not designated at adulthood like others, but upon succession by bloodline. A Zoh may have formerly been of any class, but he or she is always kin to the previous one.