Viashino of Jund (Alara)
Turrrak: Hello, this Turrak Screnar, and this is my second entry detailing the various peoples of Alara. I’m joined by a guest for this one, who’ll be able to provide a first-hand perspective on viashino life and society, Yurlok of Scorch Thrash!
Yurlok: I speak now?
Turrak: Yes, the communicator is recording.
Yurlok: I am Yurlok of Scorch Thrash, elder-shaman of thrash. I make sure Turrak not make mistake about viashino when they tell other planes about us. Also that he not give away secrets.
Turrak: So, with my last entry, I began with a deconstruction of why goblins aren’t as stupid as popular wisdom would lead you to believe, but for viashino, while some viashino have a reputation for… lacking intellect, the most notable examples of this are dead, and any examination of viashino society beyond the surface debunks that idea. The Skyclaw (formerly Thunder) Thrash were, by all appearances, not the brightest embers in the fire pit. They were aggressive, belligerent, and often violent to the point of self-destructive. Notably, they did manage to graft etherium wings onto themselves through unknown means, although that action got them wiped out by the Esper who they took the etherium from. I think it is safe to say that they were the exception, not the norm, for viashino intelligence. Anything to add?
Yurlok: Thunderclaw not clever. Could barely track a thrinax. Laid eggs in bad places, drank tainted water. Had half again as much, sometime twice as much muscle as other thrashes’ viashino. Viashino more different from other viashino than most humans different from other humans. Turrak exception to rule. Thunder-sky-claw more like crocodile, but not have instincts of crocodile. Relied only on physical might, no shamans. Not last long in Alara, even if not steal etherium. Old stories not mention Thunders, maybe not exist long before being gone from Alara. Most viashino smarter. Even Carrion Thrash, and Carrion eat rotten meat. Not day-and-night old meat, meat that molded.
Turrak: Huh, interesting. What did you mean when you said that one viashino is more different than another viashino when compared to home much humans are different from each other? I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of anything like that.
Yurlok: One human different than other human. Skin color, muscle, size, hair, eye color, all usually different. One viashino different than other viashino. Scale color, muscle, size, eye color, but more than that. Scorch Thrash usually better surviving heat than viashino not Scorch Thrash. Thorn Thrash not scratched by thorn or bramble or claw as easily as not Thorn. Pitch Thrash hold breath more long, swim through pitch. Manytooth Thrash teeth replace faster. Thunder Thrash footfalls said to sound like thunder, Thunder more big and heavy than not Thunder Thrash. Carrion Thrash not poisoned often by rotten meat or fungus. Even in thrash, viashino more different than human different. Scale thickness not same, claws long or short, tail long or short. Not even near same in same egg-clutch. Yurlok red and large and shaman and short tail. Okeru, Yurlok sister, brown-green and small and long tail. Zagrox, Yurlok brother, gray-green and large and long tail. As example.
Turrak: Fascinating. You said that Manytooth Thrash’s teeth replace faster, which implies that all viashino teeth replace themselves. How does that work?
Yurlok: All full-grown viashino, if tooth knocked out or pull out infected tooth, tooth grow back within two moon. Manytooth teeth, within one moon, often less. Human teeth not grow back?
Turrak: *chuckles* No, we just have teeth that come in when we’re young, then another set when we’re older, and a third set of back teeth that come in when we’re a bit older.
Yurlok: Every fact Yurlok learn about human body, stranger than fact before newest fact.
Turrak: Well, maybe when I do one of these on Alaran humans, you can join me for that, see what an outsider’s perspective is on humans.
Yurlok: Yurlok will.
Turrak: So, what physical traits do all viashino share beyond the obvious? You all have scales, tails, teeth that replace themselves, eyes mostly in the front of your face, noses, ear holes, some form of back ridges or spikes, and as a species, lay eggs to reproduce, rather than give birth to a baby. Any other widespread commonalities?
Yurlok: Viashino only mate during certain periods. All of thrashes’ eggs laid within one moon. Eggs laid in place connected to thrash-name, nest in offal pile for Carrion, in cave with rock-teeth for Manytooth, in swamp for Pitch, near hot pit or steam vent or lava for Scorch, and in brambles for Thorn. Palehide lay eggs in nest made from human skin. Palehide not like other thrashes. All viashino eat meat and plant, but less plant than human. Eat bunch of meat, enough that viashino not need meat for five to ten day-and-nights.
Turrak: Interesting. What about viashino culture and society? I’ll admit, I don’t know much. I can tell you more about how viashino make weapons, tools, and accessories than I could about the significance of any of that. I know about the crocodile or dragon-tooth lined club-swords, the bone ax studded with obsidian shards, and the entangling stones as common, unique to viashino weapons, and I’ve studied some old bracelets and necklaces that viashino made generations ago, but I don’t know what any of them are called.
Yurlok: Paddle-club-sword lined with teeth called Kikkach, meaning rasping tongue. Obsidian chip ax called Sshak for sound it make when striking flesh. Grabbing ropes-and-stones called chalik, meaning toad’s tongue. Viashino also use bone sword, stone ax, stone spear, obsidian knife, spiked club, as well as claws and teeth. Viashino adornments mystical, trophy, or both. Charm of shifting-skin lizard bone to help remain hidden, talisman carved from cooled lava to ward from elemental, teeth on string as trophy from great hunts worn around neck, and almost every viashino wear string of egg-layers’ scales going back generations on wrist. Mine go back four-and-ten generations, my egg-layer, her egg-layer, and each egg-layer in my line before.
Yurlok showed the bracelet and the collection of scales as he spoke, pointing to them. The scales covered a wide range of colors, some a similar red to Yurlok’s, but most were brown or gray, with two of a greener hue sticking out.
Turrak: Cool! What’s the reason that it’s just egg-layers’ scales?
Yurlok: Since viashino not always look like parents, only can know egg-layer, not egg-fertilizer. egg-layer important, egg-layer link to dead elders. egg-layers keep thrash alive. Old viashino legend tell story how. Each thrash has version of tale, but important part is that most egg-layers of thrash all wiped out. Some say dragon, some say lava flow, some say humans, but that not important. What important that egg-layer can still lay eggs. Not always, but some can. Eggs either not hatch, or hatch egg-fertilizers. Young egg-fertilizers mean that in generation, old enough to mate with young egg-layers from last egg-laying season. Thrash set back, but kept alive. Egg-layer keep thrash alive. That why egg-fertilizer usually lead hunt. Egg-fertilizer expendable. Thrash leader usually successful leader of hunt who can fight to stay in charge, means thrash leader good at survival. Elder-Mother Chekra of Thorn Thrash one exception. She both lay eggs and lead hunt. Similar situation to legend, most males wiped out, Chekra take leader status and defend leader status. She have clutch sister or her own children watch her eggs. Usually, egg-layer watch eggs until hatching, but that to protect them. If egg-layer trust other viashino to watch eggs, close enough.
Turrak: Interesting. When are the scales for this bracelet collected, especially if every viashino has one?
Yurlok: Every viashino above certain age, given by egg-layer and elders when hatchlings have come of age and proved selves. Mark shift from hatchling to grown. Egg-layer craft bracelet for hatchlings from collection of scales, and add one of their scales on end. Collection made from when egg-layer dies, children who are egg-layers strip the scales from their egg-layer’s corpse before body laid to rest. Dead egg-layer have collection of scales of egg-layers who came before, collection divided among egg-layer offspring, cycle is continued. Order of egg-layers known by layout of bracelet.
Turrak: Fascinating! What are the death rituals of the viashino, besides the scale collecting?
Yurlok: Process different for different thrash. Most, return body to environment where thrash came from. Scorch thrash return body to lava, Pitch to bog, and Thorn deliver to thorn bush, either grow new one from corpse or spread remains under bush. Carrion leave for scavengers, or eat corpse, Yurlok not know why Carrion choose one or other for dead. Manytooth remove teeth from dead, dig into jaw for new teeth as well, use teeth as decoration, either bury corpse or use as bait. Palehide… Yurlok not know what Palehide do. Turrak, and future-listen-person if smart, probably get idea that Palehide outsider compared to other thrash. While no thrash trust other thrash completely, trade and mating happen more often than large fight. Palehide make hunt of humans center of Palehide ways. Even before other thrashes agree to accord, keep Palehide at edge of spear range; if possible to convince human not Palehide, life easier than needing kill human and not be around Palehide help with that.
Turrak: I was going to ask what relations are like between the thrashes, but that gives a nice overview. Unless you have anything else important about viashino, I think we’re ready to send this out to the network. I’ll let you know if we get any follow-up questions. This was very fun, Yurlok. You’re a wellspring of knowledge, and I’m glad that I’m working with you to help facilitate the accord.
Yurlok: Yurlok enjoy conversation as well. Turrak ask good questions, show not-false interest, and polite. Yurlok feel this enough as start.
