The Gwópfas ([ŋˤwop̪f.as]) have lived on the island of Chefas ([cçʰɛf.as]) for thousands of years. Their traditional matrilocal lifestyle remained unchanged throughout that time, even through the arrival of a small group of lost Maldisians c. -1500, who brought boat technology and agriculture to the island. While the proto-Gwópfas had arrived on rafts c. -7000, they had forgotten the technology by c. -1500. While the Gwópfas already had simple matriarchal chiefdoms based on the abundant marine resources when the Maldisians arrived, boats allowed them to make even better use of those resources. Agriculture supplemented their marine food supply and industrial crops let them craft large nets to take even better advantage of the seafood. Otherwise, the proto-Maldisians were assimilated into Gwópfas society.
With such a focus on marine resources, it is no surprise that the Gwópfas advanced their boat technology more quickly than those on the mainland. By 1, they were involved with trade with the mainland, and by 400 such trade was dominated by a Gwópfas state encompassing all of Chefas: Sakdatas ([sak.nˤat.as]).
Sakdatas was prominent since at least -600 as a major chiefdom. Its chiefs were shrewd, and took every avenue they could to increase their power - strategic marriages, selective trading, military conquest, religious sanctification, espionage, and more. By 40, Sakdatas had grown enough to be called a city. By 150, it controlled all of Chefas, and thus its trade with the mainland, dominating all trade in the Midland Sea. 400 is when the end of the Malasami dynasty started in Umam. One of its causes can be traced back to Sakdatasian trade stations on the mainland, offering safe places to do trading out of sight of any Umam temples. This led to a gradual flow of resources out of Umam and into Sakdatas, causing the shortages cited by the revolutionaries in Umam. Sakdatas rejoiced in Umam's weakness, and Sakdatasian trade posts started appearing far inland.
However, this power grab would backfire somewhat on Sakdatas, as Republican Umam became became a major center of trade, culture, and education, much of which eventually appeared in Sakdatas, too. Since there was still a lot of resources and information funneling into Sakdatas, by the 620s, it considered itself more powerful than Umam. As a show of this power, Queen Tssikyofom ([ts’i.kjɔf.ɔm]) made war on Umam and conquered it in five years. She installed a puppet government that answered to her and her successors. In 814, however, this government was expelled by Hasane Sardamin, who would become King of Umam. However, before the Sardamin Restoration, Sakdatas' power went unchecked, allowing it to make colonies throughout the Midland Sea. [And then there was probably some more war for control of trade. Possibly even one in the present day, 887?]
Gwópfas society is matrilocal and matriarchal. Relations between the sexes are more equal than in patriarchal societies, but still not egalitarian. Women are considered superior, stronger - after all, they can survive pregnancy and childbirth, while men are fragile, both emotionally and below the waist. Women's better lower body strength lends well to lifting things, so women are the ones who build things. They are also the ones who do the fishing. Men's better upper body strength is downplayed and considered only fit for the field. Men's emotional inferiority is expressed through stereotypes of violent jealousy and humourlessness, taking great insult at even the most playful jab. Child rearing is done by the community. Where the sexes being more equal than in other societies comes in is that while men are considered inferior physically and emotionally, they are considered equal intellectually and creatively, so representation of the sexes in the ranks of craft and scholarly specialists is rather equal. Since men are considered inferior physically, warriors are always women. They take advantage of their superior lower body strength through the use of polearms, both of the stabbing and swinging variety.
Gwópfas culture, long being centered on the sea, exalts its fishers and traders. Their religion features a myriad of deities. As of late, there has been a decidedly imbalanced proportion of gods, with fewer, more powerful deities being on top, and multiple, weaker deities being on the bottom. These higher deities relate to specialists, fishers, and traders, while the lower deities relate to terrestrial nature and other kinds of manual labour. So, a boat full of fisherwomen only pray to one deity in their work, while a farming man has to supplicate many more, each related to a different part of his work. The more singular deities on the top typically have multiple names, belying their syncretic origins from multiple deities. Such fusion is the result of Sakdatas' efforts of religious justification for ruling the whole of Chefas - turning local deities of prestigious activities into mere facets of the relevant Sakdatasian deities.
With such a focus on marine resources, it is no surprise that the Gwópfas advanced their boat technology more quickly than those on the mainland. By 1, they were involved with trade with the mainland, and by 400 such trade was dominated by a Gwópfas state encompassing all of Chefas: Sakdatas ([sak.nˤat.as]).
Sakdatas was prominent since at least -600 as a major chiefdom. Its chiefs were shrewd, and took every avenue they could to increase their power - strategic marriages, selective trading, military conquest, religious sanctification, espionage, and more. By 40, Sakdatas had grown enough to be called a city. By 150, it controlled all of Chefas, and thus its trade with the mainland, dominating all trade in the Midland Sea. 400 is when the end of the Malasami dynasty started in Umam. One of its causes can be traced back to Sakdatasian trade stations on the mainland, offering safe places to do trading out of sight of any Umam temples. This led to a gradual flow of resources out of Umam and into Sakdatas, causing the shortages cited by the revolutionaries in Umam. Sakdatas rejoiced in Umam's weakness, and Sakdatasian trade posts started appearing far inland.
However, this power grab would backfire somewhat on Sakdatas, as Republican Umam became became a major center of trade, culture, and education, much of which eventually appeared in Sakdatas, too. Since there was still a lot of resources and information funneling into Sakdatas, by the 620s, it considered itself more powerful than Umam. As a show of this power, Queen Tssikyofom ([ts’i.kjɔf.ɔm]) made war on Umam and conquered it in five years. She installed a puppet government that answered to her and her successors. In 814, however, this government was expelled by Hasane Sardamin, who would become King of Umam. However, before the Sardamin Restoration, Sakdatas' power went unchecked, allowing it to make colonies throughout the Midland Sea. [And then there was probably some more war for control of trade. Possibly even one in the present day, 887?]
Gwópfas society is matrilocal and matriarchal. Relations between the sexes are more equal than in patriarchal societies, but still not egalitarian. Women are considered superior, stronger - after all, they can survive pregnancy and childbirth, while men are fragile, both emotionally and below the waist. Women's better lower body strength lends well to lifting things, so women are the ones who build things. They are also the ones who do the fishing. Men's better upper body strength is downplayed and considered only fit for the field. Men's emotional inferiority is expressed through stereotypes of violent jealousy and humourlessness, taking great insult at even the most playful jab. Child rearing is done by the community. Where the sexes being more equal than in other societies comes in is that while men are considered inferior physically and emotionally, they are considered equal intellectually and creatively, so representation of the sexes in the ranks of craft and scholarly specialists is rather equal. Since men are considered inferior physically, warriors are always women. They take advantage of their superior lower body strength through the use of polearms, both of the stabbing and swinging variety.
Gwópfas culture, long being centered on the sea, exalts its fishers and traders. Their religion features a myriad of deities. As of late, there has been a decidedly imbalanced proportion of gods, with fewer, more powerful deities being on top, and multiple, weaker deities being on the bottom. These higher deities relate to specialists, fishers, and traders, while the lower deities relate to terrestrial nature and other kinds of manual labour. So, a boat full of fisherwomen only pray to one deity in their work, while a farming man has to supplicate many more, each related to a different part of his work. The more singular deities on the top typically have multiple names, belying their syncretic origins from multiple deities. Such fusion is the result of Sakdatas' efforts of religious justification for ruling the whole of Chefas - turning local deities of prestigious activities into mere facets of the relevant Sakdatasian deities.
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