The Denzorali

It is said that the skill of writing was first created by the Denzorali and so was the first use of numbers. These were not created to enhance the world, but rather to keep record of it. It is very important to the Denzorali to note who has done what and who owns what (and who owes for what). The Denzorali believe that everything has a place and that order is the way to true understanding. Hence, they are the clerks of the world. They can be found in any major city, business or enterprise. Their reputation for clear and accurate records is as renowned as the purity and balance of their art. They are a patient people. Slow to commit, they are like the earth that is their bond. They do nothing in a hurry, preferring to watch, wait and analyze all the information. But also like the earth, when they move they do so in a mass and often take everything with them in their path. Their land is one of order and growth. Communities are well balanced with all the skilled people the village will need. They live in harmony with their environment and believe that any construction, creation or endeavor must be one with the environment around it. This is not so much because of a clear concern for the environment, but the esthetics. They are craftsman of all they do and believe that if a thing can not be done right, then it shouldn't be done at all. To the other races, this makes them appear as indecisive or even cowardly, but Denzorali like to see all sides of a problem. But for all their patience, they are not best negotiators. They are often locked in their ideas and it takes much to move them from their positions. But by the same token, the Denzorali are very difficult to rouse to war. In their entire known history (see the loss of knowledge) the Denzorali have only been to war once, and that was when several human clans tried to invade the mountains of order. They were repelled. Legend says that once, long before the night of wind and fire, the Denzorali warred with the Beradai. But without documentation, this is believed to be just tales. Crossbreeds - Most are assigned to the workers party. They are looked on as second class citizens.

Denzorali artists

While stoic and reserved, the Denzorali do have a very sophisticated taste in the arts. In all forms of art, the Denzorali prefer balance. Architecture, literature, painting or music, the Denzorali strive for balanced perfection. No craft is to be rushed. A poet may take years to complete a sonnet. A musical instrument burned before it would be allowed to sound a sour note. Many of the other races find the Denzorali slow and unexciting in such artistic endeavors. Their poetry and literature tends to be ballads that go into great detail about legends and history. Their music is very complex and long, full of many refrains. But in two areas, all agree that the Denzorali are unsurpassed, Architecture and jewel craft. The Denzorali prefer to build with stone or even to live within the caves of the earth itself. Their buildings are elaborately decorated so that one can look at a single doorway for hours and still not see all the images carved therein. Within the earth, they will tap and work to bring to life the living stone. Waterfalls, fountains and pools flow with an untold rhythm and beauty. Every village will have elaborate sets of fountains and, where possible, the dwellings will have baths for bathing.

Denzorali and Money

While many would not consider it so, the Denzorali feel their greatest racial art is mercantilism. Trade and the accumulation of wealth is sign of status amongst the Denzorali and a mark that is desirable for leadership. While artist are held in great esteem, the wealthy are those that show ability to make decisions with positive results. As the Denzorali are fond of saying, money is the grease in the wheels on the wagon of civilization. "gifts" are very much a part of working the way through the bureaucracy of Denzorali government. It is to the Denzorali that we give the credit for inventing the current monetary system. Gold and silver (somewhat plentiful in their mountains) are crude and Denzorali will not use them in the raw from. Gems are too beautiful to be used as currency. Therefore, the Denzorali developed the ring system. Gold and silver can be used as a setting for gems or in plain ring form for commerce. Copper is considered to uncouth for the Denzorali and only something that someone with out esthetic appreciation (like the Shen) would use. A Denzorali would buy the bottle with a silver ring than a glass with 2 bits if they can. However, they will make payments in the copper currency to the other races, as that way they can keep the more beautiful metals for themselves.

Government

Denzorali government is just as complex as their art work. They believe in many layers of officials to ensure that any problem is well considered before it is solved. This makes getting papers or chits that are needed to show approval for any action, whether to build a house or leave a village to visit another village, very difficult, especially for outsiders. Bureaucracy is the proper term for their government. Often times it takes the proper "gifts" to get what one wants. Officials are chosen based on the amount of success they have had in creating their fortunes. Inheritance is seen as an impure form of wealth. It is the wealth that an individual has generated on their own that is the most telling. Therefore, those that have the most self-accumulated wealth will often have the highest positions in the bureaucracy. All villages have a triumberant with who final decisions are made. And over the land of the Denzorali is the Supreme Triumberant, those most wealthy and successful. The upper officials appoint the lower officials and so on. A member of the Supreme Triumberant can be ousted by the other two. Then the other two will select a third. The only limit is that the three may not be related by more than 5 generations. Therefore no one family is dominant. Government is largely regionalized. The Mountains of Order being difficult to travel and control needed in close proximity to the people.

Denzorali Parties

Denzorali have fewer children then any other race, because of that, every person is accounted for when it comes to productivity. Everyone is born into a party. You are in that party and it is responsible for you if your parents die or until another agrees to take you and train you. You are not allowed to be of more than 1 party at a time. But sometimes people change professions. A child is always given opportunity to grow in a party, but does not have to seek a profession in it. It most often happens by 13 or 14 but by age 16, all Denzorali must seek entry into the party of their choice. In order to do so, you must have a sponsor, paperwork, etc. Party colors show trade, loyalty, etc, but are not required. Party officials must ware the party badge while on duty. Most party members are always on duty. Anyone that is in a party will have the legal right to perform work, for payment, that is under the control of that party over any other non-party personage. This keeps Denzorali trade tight within their social system. If for some reason a Denzorali has no party, they are part of the worker party. Most non-Denzorali can apply for temporary status as a worker while in Denzorali controlled areas.

Workers - Green - Laborers, farmers, non- associated workmen, teamsters, boatmen, and miners. They are by far the largest of the Denzorali parties. Not common to serve on a Tribunal. Its members are often looked down on by the other parties. Very few are well educated, but they don't need it because they supply the unskilled labor pool. Their power is in their ability to bring all work to a standstill with a strike.
Merchants - Gold - Shop owners, traders, and innkeepers, service persons, buying and selling but not producing. The Denzorali must have at least one on each of the Tribunals. Merchants are the backbone of the economic system.
Warriors - Red - Any sell sword, guard, army, police, hunters. Non-Denzorali must pay a fee for working for Denzorali. Not many Non-Denzorali would work as mercs in the Mountains of Order. Not common on a Tribunal unless there is military activity.
Brewers - Blue - Alchemists, maker of spirits, healers, and growers or gathers of specialized spices. Small party, but has very tight control on the trade in the boarders of Denzorali influence. They will often serve on a Tribunal.
Scholars - Brown - scribes, clerks, Lore Masters, librarians (archivists), Architects, Inventors, and Explorers. Scholars are rarely on a Tribunal. They are very common because of the Denzorali knack for keeping records. They are respected but do not have a lot of influence. Librarians (archivists) are often seen as a sign of good luck to have one around.
Tradesmen - Orange - Craftsmen (armors, blacksmiths, glassblowers, etc.), artists, carpenters, any skilled craft. Often rival the merchants because they have a right to sell what they make. They are very often on the Tribunal.
Elemental - Purple - Elementalist and bonders of any and all possible elements. They are a very small, but powerful and influential party; often serving on a Tribunal, but not as common as they once were.

The Watchers

All of the land of the Denzorali is watched and all activities are recorded. It is said that the Supreme Triumberant has its own secret set of eyes, the watchers who report the comings and goings of everything in the land. Some even say that the Supreme Triumberant even has watchers in the other lands to keep track of what is happening there. There are legends with in the Denzorali people of a select group of Watchers called the Cats Paw who are used by the Supreme Triumberant to eliminate "problems" that can not be solved any other way.

The Loss of Knowledge

The greatest tragedy to happen to the race of Denzorali is known as The Loss of Knowledge. During the great darkness that preceded, the Mountains of Order where seized by chaos. Volcanoes erupted and earthquakes shook the Mountains to their roots and many lives were lost but more significant than the loss of life were the loss of so much knowledge. Records, kept on paper were lost or out right destroyed in the chaos and fire that followed. To this day there are no written accounts of the time before the Great Darkness. So many of the Denzorali were lost in the mountains that for the better part of a century after the Chaos War, survival was all that could be hoped for. It was the brotherhood of the Totekai that helped unify the Denzorali once again and with the Denzorali, search in vain for any scraps of knowledge. This created an order of Denzorali in the mode of the Totekai called the Seekers of Knowledge. 150 years ago, the Seekers finished building The Hall, a series of natural caverns carved out as a permanent store house of all worth while knowledge. All written works are submitted to the order for permanent recording and then carved into stone tablets to insure that the records will not be lost again. Anyone, with the permission of the Supreme Triumberant, may seek knowledge here and the order will supply written copy of the information sought, but none other than the order itself may walk into The Hall. Nearby in the City of Starstone is the place of the government so that all pertinent records may be swiftly recorded or transcribed.

Racial Makeup

Denzorai must wear brown makeup in a distictive pattern over the face and neck. This pattern can be accentuated with gray, however brown must be predominate.