The Iwu Krouh are a medium sized tribe of Harakoans, numbering in the 2000 area, that have taken to fortifying their position. They dwell to the north of Seher, outside the mouth of a large cave covered in spider silk that they call “The Wailing Grove”. They believe the Wailing Grove to be the entrance to Hell, and protect the entrance from others who would wander in by accident. Within The Wailing Grove live numerous species of spiders, the largest being the Kironaki, which the Iwu Krouh have mostly domesticated and use as mounts and food. The Iwu Krouh also covet the spiders, believing them to be closer to Sh’torak than the Iwu Krouh.
The Iwu Krouh have built extensive fortifications in the form of walls and trenches to better protect their people and keeping others out, having only recently known peace thanks to the treaties signed with the Jedi and other parties.
Culture
The Iwu Krouh have developed into a caste based society that they use to keep order and peace.
Revocants/Priest Caste
The highest level of the caste system, the Revocants, are indoctrinated by Samael to believe that he is the son of their creator goddess, a giant spider that they believe created them out of silk. The reason behind this is so the Iwu Krouh remain pliable and willing to do what is best for the Jedi of Odan-urr, even going so far as putting their own lives at risk to protect them. The Iwu Krouh, however, still have minds of their own and do not follow Samael blindly. Though it is not something the Council of Odan-urr agreed with, the indoctrination had spread through the caste due to the eidetic memory that each of the Revocants possessed.
The Priest Caste is the only caste that is not allowed to leave their standing. The reason being is the Revocants are taught basic necromancy and herbalism, which they use to commune with Sh’torak. Samael has ensured that the Revocants are only taught necromancy which can be used for more useful applications, like healing or protection.
The Revocants also undergo a ritual when they believe themselves ready, in which they allow swarms of spiders to cover their body and bite them. The venom from their bites is highly hallucinogenic and painful, but the bitten receive a vision of Sh’torak and are imparted with some kind of wisdom. They call it the Trial of Sh’torak, and while some do die from the venom of the spiders due to being unprepared, most priests have returned since the arrival of Samael. This test must also be undergone by warriors who wish to remain warriors after their mandatory service.
Priests are also responsible for maintaining the Wailing Wall, a tapestry within the first chamber of the Wailing Grove made completely of the skinned faces of those enemies killed during war. The Iwu Krouh believe that if the body is disfigured upon dying that Sh’torak will not recognize her children and will consume the dead for food. The Priests will disassemble the Wailing Wall in times of war and give the faces to the warriors who have undergone the Trial of Sh’torak, believing the souls of the dead to be trapped inside the face. When the face has become rotten, or worn by a warrior that was killed and returned, it is the Priests job to burn the face and release the soul.
Warrior Caste
The second level of the caste, the warrior, follow the Revocants orders. Every young Harakoan that is able will be in this caste for at least five years. Trained when they reach puberty, the Iwu Krouh make sure their warriors can protect the tribe if necessary. They also are instructed on how to repair and further fortify the defenses of the area.
Every warrior within the Iwu Krouh is expected to make a weapon out of the corpse of a fallen loved one, believing the spirit of the deceased will aid them in battle and protect them when needed. Every Iwu Krouh, upon beginning their warrior training, is given an egg taken from the Wailing Grove. It is the warriors job to raise the spider inside, eventually using it as a mount. It is believed that the mount and warrior develop a deep connection, nearly reaching telepathic levels. A spider mount and it’s owner are not considered one until the rider has willingly tasted the venom from their spider, again receiving a vision of Sh’torak. This is called The Blessing, and is believed to change the warrior forever.
Worker Caste
The third level, the crafters, are for Iwu Krouh who have served their time in the warrior caste and wish to find a less dangerous role in society. Often, these members are working on finished goods or working in the fields with the lowest caste members. Iwu Krouh craftsmanship, though primitive by Galactic standards, is top notch and sophisticated. Utilizing bone and other organic materials that can be gathered from the body of an animal, a Iwu Krouh crafter can make a durable and lightweight set of armor that has served them well in their times of conflict.
The Unhonored
The lowest level of the caste are those that have done some wrong doing and must atone for their crimes by doing manual labor or menial tasks. Being in this caste is not always a death sentence, as more often than not the member is allowed to return to their former caste after serving out their sentence of ten years in this caste. They can opt out of this caste if they rejoin the warrior caste in times of war, being deployed before the other warriors in a form of trial by ordeal.
Behind the walls of the Iwu Krouh lay agricultural fields and livestock, worked by the lower caste of the Iwu Krouh people. Though the Iwu Krouh eat what they can from their labors in the fields, they also have a secondary source of nutrition. The Iwu Krouh are cannibals, to an extent. When a family member is deceased, or joins the lowest level of the caste system permanently, the members of the family are able to consume the corpse in a ritualized fashion. The only caveat to this is that they must then use the remains completely, as a reminder that death is apart of life and no one person is without sin.
Religion
The Wailing Grove
Main Deity: Sh’torak
Sh’torak is a gargantuan spider that the Iwu Krouh believe to be New Tython, the planet being her backside. It is their belief that everything that grows is a part of her, and because of this, they thank her and apologize for any pain she might experience before every harvest.
The Iwu Krouh believe that Sh’torak will grow angry with them if they do not show proper respect, using her anger as a way to explain natural disasters and bad harvests. It is also their belief that when Sh’torak grows old and dies, so too will their world.
Main Belief
The Iwu Krouh started worshipping Sh’torak when one of their leaders, Tyoka, received a dream from Sh’torak every night for a year. Each night, Sh’torak would discuss how the Iwu Krouh should live, how they could better themselves and their culture, and how they should treat other Harakoan’s that did not believe in Sh’torak.
Sh’torak gave them five rules to follow, and they are as follows:
Death is a gift from Sh’torak, both to the living and those that died.
This rule was added when cannibalism became part of their grieving ritual and used to explain why the corpse was used, as Sh’torak was believed to have worked through the family members in creating the tools they made from the body
Only use of Sh’torak what you must, for her life is precious and will one day end.
This rule was used by Tyoka to try and conserve the resources his people used, while also using it as a justification for war when dealing with other tribes that were more wasteful.
Conflict helps the Iwu Krouh grow, but knowing when to fight and talk helps the Iwu Krouh grow wise.
This rule was added after Tyoka passed, as the Elders of the Iwu Krouh wanted to ensure that no member of the tribe died unnecessarily. Death may be a gift, but even the Iwu Krouh feared dying.
One day, Sh’torak will bless the Iwu Krouh with her voice and reason. This being will be unlike the Iwu Krouh and will bring great changes.
Those ignorant of Sh’torak are like children, they know not their ignorance and should be forgiven.
This rule has been twisted and bent over the years by various leaders to pursue all manner of conquests and wars.
It is believed that if the Iwu Krouh follow these five rules, they will be reunited with Sh’torak in her nest and live in blissful harmony upon their death.
Ritual of The Dying Heart
There is a ritual, undergone by the old revocants who have begun to experience dementia, that is carried out by Samael in the deepest pits of the Wailing Grove. Taking feral Kironaki venom, mixing it with the blood of other species of spiders and crushing the petals of a rare flower that grows near the mouth of the cave, Samael injects the Revocants with the concoction. The effect is putting them in a near death like state, which allows Samael to use necromancy and alchemically treated substances on them without interruption.
Placing crystals charged with Force energy and fusing alchemically treated substances to sinew and organs, Samael was able to create near-undead Priests that could serve the tribe for longer than they normally would have. The result of the ritual restores the mind of the Revocant, as well as sharpening it and giving them increased stamina and strength. The downside is that the Revocant will start to decay within a few years of the ritual, appearing as a monster to their tribesman. These Revocants, called the Unseen, remain in the Wailing Grove and only appear when the Iwu Krouh are in danger or are being attacked.
Export
The Iwu Krouh are known for exporting silk and food to other tribes. On top of this, in earlier times, they will also export a special beverage made from the Kironaki. Ingredients are hazy, but the beverage delivers a religious experience upon consumption, showing the consumer a vision of Sh’torak. This vision is usually enough for peace to be bartered, and at times full scale conversion can happen.
Since the signing of the Treaty of Menat Ombo, and Chib Nyac becoming the leader of the Iwu Krouh, the exporting of the special beverage has been discontinued, though it is still made by the Revocants for ritual purposes.
Mounts and Animals
Mount: Kironaki
The Kironaki are gigantic spiders that have been domesticated by the Iwu Krouh. At their highest point, they are four feet tall, with a naturally occurring saddle-like ridge growing out of their thorax. They are black with green web like designs on their legs and head. Large mandibles, blood red in color, are seen on either side of their head. The Kironaki in the deepest chambers of the Wailing Grove are nearly twice the size due to their voracious feeding on other spiders and Revocants and Iwu Krouh who wander too deep.
The Kironaki grow exceedingly fast, taking only four years to reach young adulthood. They live, however, for thirty years or more depending on diet and handling. Their intelligence is slightly lower than a sapient creature, potentially due to the deepest chambers of the Wailing Grove being saturated by a Force Nexus.
Pets
The Iwu Krouh have taken to domesticating the various spiders they have found in their immediate vicinity as pets and beasts of burden. Though most are the size of normal spiders, there are at least three species of spider, not including the Kironaki, that are considerably larger.
Ratak
The smallest of these species, the Ratak, is the size of a golden retriever and is used in much the same way as a hunting dog. Their color ranges from bright blue to dark purple, and when raised properly, can be rather affectionate pets. Their venom, usually removed at a young age if given as a pet, can paralyze a grown man in minutes and lasts for hours.
Cortini
The second largest species are the Cortini. Used as beasts of burden. Strong as an ox, they are used to pull plows and carts of the Iwu Krouh. Lacking venom sacs, the Cortini defends itself using its spinneret and immense strength. Their color ranges from brown to white to a light green. Their meat tastes slightly salty and holds a higher shelf life than regular beef.
Kitani
The Kitani are a size that fits somewhere in between the Ratak and the Cortini, and they are most commonly used to pull sleds and scout ahead. Fast and agile, the Kitani are able to cover massive amounts of ground with little effort. The Kitani are, for all intents and purposes, defenseless. Before domesticated by the Iwu Krouh, the Kitani were ambush hunters and created hidden nests underground that were laid with trip wires from their spinnerets that they used to hunt. The Iwu Krouh will utilize the Kitani when they are creating new fortifications, using them to dig their underground nests and repurposing them as trenches or punji stick traps.