The Kingdom of Hûr’Taal on the island of Sëmar—a fictional or speculative society if not cited—can be described through reconstructed anthropological logic, drawing from common medieval island-kingdom structures and ritualistic archetypes. Here's a plausible structure:
Social Structure
- High King (Zhaal'Tuur) – A semi-divine monarch claiming lineage from ocean gods, ruling both spiritually and politically. His authority was legitimized through celestial omens and tide cycles.
- Stone-Faced Council (Ibrakûn) – A rigid caste of hereditary advisors and judges, interpreters of lore, ritual law, and land disputes. Known for wearing carved basalt masks.
- Warrior-Priests (Taarim) – Dual-function elite serving as both temple enforcers and military commanders. Bound by blood oaths and forbidden from marrying.
- Clans of the Inner Ring – Noble families controlling trade harbors, forest-tower settlements, and inland obsidian mines. Intermarriage sealed alliances.
- Free Artisans and Navigators – Esteemed for their shipbuilding, tide-reading, and sky-charting skills. Organized in guild-temples with strict initiation rites.
- Earthbound (Varûk) – Peasants and bonded farmers tied to clan estates, some protected by ancestral pacts, others subject to tribute and seasonal levies.
- Outlanders (Khur) – Foreigners, captives, or untethered individuals—either assimilated via ritual trials or forced to dwell outside sanctified boundaries.
Ritual Practices
- The Tidal Coronation – Every new king underwent submersion during the “Three-Moon Eclipse” in the Sea of Whispering Stones. Survival signified divine favor.
- Obsidian Oracle Rite – Priests cast shards into a volcanic spring to interpret visions. A failed vision required human sacrifice (usually war prisoners).
- Naming of the Stormborn – Children born during monsoon weeks were sequestered in cliff shrines, raised communally until age 12, then claimed by guilds or Taarim.
- Festival of the Seven Winds – A week-long celebration invoking the gods of direction. Included aerial kites carrying blood offerings, chant-dances, and competitive storytelling.
- Salt-Purge Rites – Seasonal rituals where Varûk peasants walked barefoot through salt marshes to purge ill spirits. Supervised by barefoot Taarim.
- Severance Ceremonies – Used to expel or ritually “kill” kin without physical death—names removed from oral genealogies and spirit-totems shattered.