Since the earliest annals of history, the aquatic Sidsel have been rapt in conflict - either with themselves or their neighbors, the crustacean Ch’toklans. As a predatory species, the Sidsel were never ones to shy away from violence or the thrill of the hunt, and skirmishes and wargames to settle internal disputes were common.

Neither the Sidsel nor the Ch’toklans know exactly what started the generations of war that has gripped their peoples, but it has remained in a stalemate for just as long, and with a sense of restraint and honor guiding the flow of that battle - with seasons of rest, and a general unwillingness to strike at civilian or homestead.

This changed in the late 600s, when the Ch’toklans were - either by their own doing, or the machinations of others - exposed to a corruptive and powerful source of magic. Thought to be linked to the Foulheart, later destroyed, the Ch’toklans were driven into an insatiable lust for war, abandoning their previous niceties and rules of conduct to relentlessly strike at Sidsel lands and people.

While this bloody turn in warfare is noted as a dark chapter in their history, it is one of many reasons the Sidsel joined the Accord - who now help them maintain an uneasy cease fire with their neighbors, who still reel from a corruption that unraveled their society in ways the Sidsel can’t begin to imagine.

Aquatic in nature, the Sidsel are bipedal humanoids with bright colorations and smooth scaled skin. Their bold accents of colored scales range from only appearing on the crown and extremities, as an accent to a range of silver tones, to potentially covering the entire body. Spanning the wrist to elbow and the ankle to the back of the knee, Sidsel feature firm fins and extendable webbing between their toes and fingers that aide in swimming and navigating the seas of Masreya.

From the forehead to the nape of the neck and from the lower back to the tailbone, they bear a secondary ornamental fin-like structure, often worn in a variety of styles and with accompanying accessories. Sidsel possess mostly humanoid faces, though lacking a defined nose, and with a mouth filled with slightly pointed rows of teeth. Under their jawbones on either side are a discrete pair of gills, which can seal against their skin when they leave the water.

While the Sidsel are no strangers to war and battle - and certainly much of their culture has revolved around the ebb and flow of violence in their past - they are equally a richly spiritual people, with an appreciation for ritual and ceremony in many aspects of their lives. From seasonal ritual hunts, to elaborate and celebratory water burials of the dearly departed, the Sidsel take current of life as it comes, but they guide that current with a history and rigor for discipline and acceptance both.

As a nation the Manijahu Covenant is lead by the Kaian, who serves both as a spiritual leader and the head of state. It is the Kaian, and their many advisors and clerks, who is responsible not only for leading momentous ceremonies and festivals, but also facilitating and regulating the activities of Sidsel families throughout their lands.

When the Kaian is not available, the Sikaian steps in. The heir of the Kaian, the Sikaian is the first child to be born after the coronation of the Kaian, selected, adopted and raised by advisors to the Kaian - and regularly paraded through the Covenant to prepare them for their role later in life. To further prepare them, the Sikaian is expected to serve with the Dharahu Warriors - the Sidsel’s elite warrior class - for a season.

A people caught between the turbulent tides of war and the rare warm shoals of peace, the Sidsel embrace life as both territorial aggressors and spiritual peacemakers. With constant struggles over their civilization’s lifetime, the Sidsel reject middle grounds and posit that the ever shifting dichotomy of their existence is the natural way of things. They are a people of oscillating black and white opinions.

To punctuate their divisionary nature, they operate under societal expectations to follow specific roles to their utmost but equally have enacted processes to switch that role when it no longer fits the individual. Once this only applied to occupations and hobbies but now it has become part of gender and social expectations. Change is to be expected and welcomed.

Welcoming change does not mean that the Sidsel are soft or easy going when it comes to their relationships. They are prone to grudges– some causing inter-family and political strife– that can last through generations. Territory disputes from the earliest days still make their way into the lives of the common folk when it comes to political decisions related to their lands. Duels still make for interesting social events between friends, lovers, and strangers alike.

Sidsel names are elegant, multi-syllabic combinations of consonant and vowel sounds, often with many vowel sounds combined within a single syllable. They make common usage of sound pairings with some level repetition. Modern Sidsel craft their own surnames or take honorifics and titles. Traditional Sidsel will carry surnames that reflect the date on which they were born. Sidsel names are not typically dimorphic based on sex or presented gender. Given Names: Ayata, Byu’nuda, Deyen, Dyana, Gyu’nata, Hiyeneta, Juyunta, Kyanata, Kiyene, Leneya, Miyan, Nya’anta, Oyatan, Rya’anta, Siyunu, Ty’aran

Traditional Sidsel Surnames: