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Culture Package
Gypsy
Society Personality Marriage Birth Death Interracial Relations Family Leisure Legends Clans Laws The Kris
Gypsies are landless people who roam freely through Dyllaria and Emuria.
Their home is wherever they choose to stop for the night, though it is
not uncommon for Gypsies to establish themselves in several different towns.
A Gypsy might choose to make his home in one town during the warm season,
and travel to another town during the cold season.
Thus a Gypsy rarely places allegiance with any particular location,
preferring to allow them all to serve him equally.
The
clan is the basis of Gypsy society, and most Gypsies identify themselves with a
clan. Each clan is led by a
bandolier, which speaks for the clan when it is necessary for relations with
other clans or among the non-Gypsies. The
bandolier is not necessarily the eldest of the clan, but rather the one chosen
either by the Gypsy King or Queen or by the clan’s prior bandolier as the one
best able to represent the interests of the clan.
The proper term of respect for a bandolier is “Mother” or
“Father” and the individual’s name. This
term of respect is sometimes used more familiarly as “Mama” or “Papa”
when the situation allows. As a
clan bandolier is second only to the Gypsy King or Queen, all Gypsies will defer
to a bandolier before other Gypsies, and their own bandolier before the
bandolier of another clan. Hierarchy
within a clan below the bandolier is up to the clan itself.
Some clans have more positions than others, but all clans respect the
elder members of the clan as they have had more experience in the world than the
younger members.
The
clan is like a very large and extended family to a Gypsy.
Loyalty to one’s clan is very important to a Gypsy, and members will
always place each other above anyone not in the clan.
Gypsy allegiance is first to one’s clan, but always to the Gypsy race
above anyone not of Gypsy blood. Naturally
enough, this sometimes poses some difficulties where laws and nobles are
concerned since these are a convention outside of the Gypsy view of the world. Gypsies are apt to view nobles as they would an elder of
another Gypsy clan: worthy of whatever respect they earn by actions.
When conflicts arise between Gypsies and gaje (the Gypsy term for anyone
not a Gypsy) nobles, the leader of the clan, known as a bandolier, is often the
one who must make the peace. If a
bandolier is not available, then one of the elders of the clan can substitute.
In all cases, it falls to diplomacy to smooth ruffled feathers on both
sides.
As
opposed to nomads, Gypsies are not hunters.
They prefer instead to barter and trade to increase their wealth and
power. They are always trying to
get a more favorable price for their goods and have swindled many lesser skilled
merchants. For this reason most
people do not trust Gypsies. Unfortunately,
this distrust usually stems from the fact that a Gypsy’s view of trade and
possessions rarely coincides with those not of Gypsy blood.
Most Gypsies will share possessions freely among those of their clan, and
usually among other Gypsies as well. If
there is something one member needs and another has, the item is usually given
to the needy member without hesitation. In
return, the recipient will remember the gift and will often keep the giver in
mind when the Gypsy comes across new items in his travels that the giver might
like or need.
When
it comes to the possessions of those outside the clans, Gypsies will often view
them as they would with a member of the clan.
If a gaje (the Gypsy term for a non-Gypsy) has something the Gypsy needs,
the Gypsy sees no reason why the gaje should not part with it.
This leads to the trade and bartering with the gaje, where the Gypsy
finds great pleasure in trying to see who ends up with the better end of the
bargain. Most Gypsies feel that if
the gaje wasn’t smart enough to bargain well to come to an even deal, the gaje
deserves what he gets, or doesn’t get as the case may be.
Gypsies
are very relaxed and easygoing people. They
believe that life is to be enjoyed and that anything that isn’t enjoyable is
rarely worth doing. As long as the
Gypsy is having fun, nothing can be too seriously wrong.
All Gypsies enjoy any form of entertainment, whether it is music,
dancing, stories, drinking, games, or trading.
Even those Gypsies who feel no particular talent at a form of
entertainment will at least enjoy watching someone else performing.
Oftentimes, the Gypsy won’t even care that he has no talent and will
perform anyway simply because it amuses him.
Slavery
is frowned upon generally because they believe that men should be free to live
how they want. After all, how much
fun can it be to be forced to do as another wants you to do?
As such, enslavements and other effects that force another’s will upon
the Gypsy are not usually acceptable. However,
a Gypsy will have no qualms about other effects that alter the mind of a person
such a hallucinoids, intoxicants, feeblemind gasses, or similar effects because
it is possible for a person to have fun while under these effects, and it is
endlessly amusing to watch someone so affected.
Trading and honest bartering are highly prized skills for a Gypsy and
each of them has a talent for these abilities.
Trickery and thieving are less desired methods by most, but are
nonetheless acceptable as long as they are performed on the gaje.
A Gypsy will sometimes go out of his way to trick a gaje, as it proves
that the Gypsies are much more intelligent and craftier than those not of Gypsy
blood. Thieving or tricking a
member of your own clan is definitely not acceptable and will not be taken
lightly. This could result in the
offending Gypsy being taken before the judicial body of the Gypsy Nation, the
Kris.
Almost all Gypsy clans brew their own form of liquor known as Gypsy
Hooch. The drink varies from clan
to clan and has no set ingredients. Most
Gypsies, having been raised from childhood on their clan’s hooch, will have an
amazing tolerance for the hooch and still be only mildly affected long after the
gaje have fallen over in a stupor. Tolerances
for the hooch of another clan can depend on how close the recipe is to the
Gypsy’s own clan hooch. And of
course, Gypsies have amazing tolerances for fermented drinks in general, owing
to their upbringing. Nevertheless,
a Gypsy will always find amusement in drinking at a tavern, or with friends,
until drunk and all the usual silliness that results.
Because of their nature and love for life, Gypsies have a slightly
different view on marriage than the gaje. While
Gypsies are highly promiscuous before and after marriage, they do view a union
between a husband and wife as important. Gypsies
are very emotional people and have a great love for each other.
But because they have so much love for one another, it is the rare Gypsy
that finds only one man or woman with whom they wish to share that love.
It is not unusual for a Gypsy to have more than one spouse at the same
time, and in fact having more than one is sometimes encouraged.
More spouses mean more children, and children are very important to the
clan.
When a Gypsy marries for the first time, it is usually the parents or
immediate family of the Gypsy that helps to make all the arrangements and
negotiates the terms of the marriage with the prospective spouse.
In the absence of the parents, the clan’s bandolier will take the place
of the father or mother and handle the arrangements.
Many clans still maintain the tradition of the bride price. This is a payment made by the groom to the family or clan of
the bride to compensate them for the loss of a daughter and guarantees that she
will be treated well. If a Gypsy
man happens to marry outside the clan, the clan might even ask a “groom”
price of the woman who is to be married. It
is the choice of the Gypsy man if he wishes such a thing to occur.
The bride price is usually divided between the bride and the family.
The bride’s portion is to ensure that she has something of her own to
enter the marriage with so she is not entirely dependent upon her husband, and
the family’s portion is often used to finance the festivities of the wedding.
Each
clan tends to have its own peculiarities when it comes to a wedding ceremony,
but the wedding is typically performed by the bandolier of the clan.
Some clans will not recognize a Gypsy as legally married unless the
marriage is performed by a bandolier, or at least sanctioned by one.
In the absence of the bandolier, the eldest member of the clan can
substitute, but the bandolier must later be consulted and approval granted.
Most clan ceremonies include some form of handfasting or binding in which
the couple is symbolically tied together, as well as some sort of promise or
agreement that the couple makes to each other regarding what they expect from
the marriage.
As
mentioned before, Gypsies will often marry more than one person, but will always
consult other spouses before a new addition is made.
Most are very open-minded and willing to share, since Gypsies are
somewhat more carefree in their relationships.
After the first marriage, it is the responsibility of the current spouses
to decide upon matters such as the bride price, and how the arrangements for the
wedding should be made. When the
bride price is divided between the new bride and the family, the family portion
is usually given to the clan once more to help provide for the wedding ceremony.
All Gypsy clans cherish children as the continuance of the clan.
There is often great celebration when a Gypsy woman announces that the
clan can expect a new addition in the near future.
Expectant mothers are carefully guarded to help ensure that no harm comes
to them before the child is born, lest the spirits of both mother and child be
weakened before birth. Other than
the celebrations, few clans have more customs to be observed prior to the birth
of the child.
Gypsy children are born with the help of a midwife who is generally an
older clan woman. The family of the
expectant mother and father is almost always present, and as many other members
of the clan who are in the vicinity make it a point to attend the birth. The new arrival is then welcomed to the clan with great
revelry in which the parents present the child to the rest of the clan and give
it a formal name.
Children
are typically cared for by all mature members of the clan, as well as by their
actual parents. Because of this
arrangement, it is not unusual to find that a child might be fostered by other
members of the clan rather than the actual parents.
Gypsy children understand that this does not signify a lack of love on
the part of the parents, but an excess of love on the part of the rest of the
clan. It is not unusual for a
family to have six or more children, especially those families with three or
more parents.
Learning
begins as soon as the child can understand what he or she is being told.
It is important for the child to learn when it is appropriate and when it
is not appropriate to use the Gypsy Curse that is inherent in all Gypsies.
The customs and laws of both the clan and the race are taught to the
young by example as soon as they are able to understand what is done, and why
they are important is a matter to be ingrained into the child throughout his or
her childhood. The young ones are expected at a very early age to carry
their own weight within the clan. They
are often apprenticed to an older member in order to learn a trade to assist the
clan. The apprenticeship can begin
as early as the child’s eighth birthday, though most children have picked up
the rudiments of their parents’ trades in theory by that age.
Gypsies see death as a painful separation from their loved ones.
However, they will celebrate the good times and memories they share of
the deceased with a wake. The body
of the deceased is placed upon a bier with a pair of coppers on the eyes, and
all his or her worldly possessions piled about the body.
There is much singing, dancing, drinking, and reminiscing in the course
of the wake during which time each of the people closest to the deceased may
choose an item to remember the deceased by.
In exchange for the item taken from the bier, the mourner will place one
of his or her own possessions on the bier as a symbol of what the deceased has
taken from them by dying. At the
end of the wake, the body and all the possessions on the bier are burned.
Whatever survives the fire is distributed among the immediate family of
the deceased as things that the deceased meant for the family to have.
Gypsies get along with every race so long as they can trade with them.
Gypsies see people as individuals and if offended by someone they do not
develop racial prejudice as a result. Most
Gypsies feel that as long as an individual is being friendly, there is no reason
why a Gypsy should not be friendly in return.
However, if an individual offends a Gypsy, it is not unheard of for that
Gypsy’s entire clan to develop a distaste for that particular individual until
the offense is rectified. Once the
offending person has made amends to the satisfaction of the offended Gypsy, the
Gypsy and the rest of the clan will usually forgive the offender.
Forgiveness does not entail forgetfulness. Some Gypsies will reach a point where a person can only
offend them so many times to be forgiven, and after that point there will be no
forgiveness.
When a Gypsy has been offended, the most common way for the Gypsy to
punish the offender is by use of the Gypsy Curse.
By suffering through the curse for whatever the Gypsy sees as fitting the
crime the offender can try to make amends for his crime.
Because of the easygoing nature of Gypsies, it takes something fairly
offensive to merit a curse. Getting
into a simple argument with a person is not enough to merit a curse unless the
person happens to begin insulting the Gypsy’s clan.
Personal insults between people in an argument are repaid by further
insults in return. When a Gypsy
curses someone who they will probably forgive in the future, the Gypsy will
usually set a condition or time limit that must be met before the curse is
removed.
Removing the curse of another Gypsy without the consent of the originator
of the curse is highly insulting and should never be done.
Only the bandolier of a clan can be excused from removing a curse from
another clan member, and the bandolier will only do so if he or she deems it
appropriate. In all other cases,
the one who removes a curse without approval from the cursing Gypsy might find
himself or herself subject to the clan’s discipline in whatever form that clan
might find appropriate.
The clan is the primary family a Gypsy has, particularly since a Gypsy
may have more than one spouse within the clan.
Gypsies do recognize their immediate birth families as important, but
view the rest of the clan as an extended family as most gaje view aunts and
uncles. Gypsies will generally treat others of the same generation
like siblings, and may even call each other "brother" or
"sister" for those from the same clan. Similar generations from different clans will usually use the
term “cousin” for one another. Older
generations may be "auntie" or "uncle" and are generally
respected as elders. The clan's
bandolier is the parental figure for the entire clan, and is shown the respect
one would for one's own parents.
Gypsies enjoy gambling, drinking, and bartering above all things.
Women have more of a tendency toward music and dancing than the men.
Occasionally a Gypsy King will call an open tournament which will see his
best men take on all comers in various tests of skill.
In general, anything that a Gypsy might view as fun is something that
might be pursued in times of leisure.
Gypsies
are usually friendly with each other, but if they have an unresolved dispute a
dagger fight to the death is a common dueling method.
Other methods may be used to solve a dispute that gaje view as frivolous
such as drinking contests, or arm wrestling.
It is up to the Gypsies involved to determine how they wish to resolve a
conflict. In the event that a
method cannot be chosen or the dispute is not ended by the combatants, a clan
bandolier may be called upon to settle the issue.
In Dyllaria the following clans are prominent:
Clan:
Primary Color:
Bandolier:
Berylstar
Light Green and Dark Green
Galena Berylstar
Damashay
Royal Blue and Yellow
Reesie Damashay
Kytarm
Orange and Blue
Aveers Kytarm
Vogalin
Red and Brown
Xander Vogalin
In Emuria the following clans are prominent:
Clan:
Primary Color:
Bandolier:
Emilio
Orange and Sky Blue
Don Emilio
Fallowfield
Gold and Russet
Delpher Fallowfield
Moonshadow
Pink and Green
Klotyos Moonshadow
Clan primary colors will usually be displayed in a Gypsy's clothes.
There are also numerous petty clans who may join or splinter from the
prominent clans, and some who are remnants of previously prominent clans.
Clans will occasionally engage in trade wars, but will seldom proclaim
all-out war on another clan because even the winner loses too many numbers.
Clan-specific
Information:
Berylstar:
Historically the Berylstar clan has been well known as traveling
entertainers. Each clan member will
have some skill to entertain the somber gaje who always need a bit more fun in
their lives. Aside from the
entertaining skills, many members of the Berylstar clan tend toward the
scholarly professions. While there
are many families within the clan that are primarily warriors and rogues, there
is almost always at least one member of each family that specializes in magical
abilities. In addition to their
primary profession, each member of the clan also has at least one craftsman
skill that allows him or her to help provide for the clan’s needs.
The Berylstars have an alliance with the Fallowfield clan of Emuria and
it is customary for the young people of each clan to spend several years in
training with the other clan. Because
the Berylstars tend to specialize in magical abilities, those youths who wish to
pursue crafting or fighting abilities may remain longer with the Fallowfield
clan for training, as those skills are the specialty of the Emurian clan.
During the early teen years, a youth of one clan will become apprenticed
to an older member of the other clan to further the study of the chosen
profession. It is also during this
time that the young people get a chance to meet other youth from the other clan.
It is not uncommon for a young person to fall in love and change clans to
marry. In this way both the Berylstars and the Fallowfields have
kept their blood fresh over the generations.
The Berylstars follow the typical customs of the Gypsy wedding of the
bride price, and the binding of the bride and groom, but they also include the
practice of the Gauntlet. During
this portion of the ceremony, the groom must make his way past a double line of
wedding guests who try their hardest to prevent the groom from reaching his
bride. The Gauntlet symbolizes the groom’s desire to reach his
beloved past all obstacles, and also reinforces the clan bonds as some clan
members will always help the groom pass the test to show him that his clan will
always support the couple in times of trouble.
For
more information about this clan, visit their homepage at: http://www.100megsfree3.com/garngriffin/
Damashay:
While all Gypsy clans enjoy a good time, these Gypsies seem to enjoy life
more than most. A major portion of
this clan tends toward the rogue and alchemy skills.
They are well known as battle rogues.
Most notably, the alchemists excel in the production of recreational
ingested poisons such as intoxicants and hallucinoids.
Damashays are boisterous, fun-loving Gypsies who frequently throw parties
simply because one hasn’t been started in the last ten minutes.
Damashay parties all involve much drinking and storytelling, and if there
are performers available for music and dancing they are always welcomed.
The Damashays love gaje, mainly because they think their overall behavior
and customs are funny, like being monogamous.
The Damashay rarely express these entertaining feelings to the gaje
because they believe the gaje are “less enlightened” than Gypsies are in
terms of things like the value of life, and other silly things like the ideas of
honor, bravery, and “dying in battle.”
The Damashay view life as the most important thing anyone can have.
A Damashay is never too proud to run, flee, or lie to get himself out of
a life-threatening situation. But a
Damashay will almost never cast necromancy since the clan believes it is the
earth who gave them the power to curse those who oppose their “more
enlightened” state of being and anything that challenges the power of the
earth is bad.
Damashay weddings are seen as works of art, and each one has the
potential for being different. The
ceremony will always include two things: the symbolic binding of one spouse to
the other, and stepping over a broomstick.
The broomstick is to symbolize strength and purity (because of course
purity is always associated with cleanliness.)
A Damashay male typically has as many as 8 – 10 wives, but only 2 or 3
of these will be favored. A
Damashay female may have 2 or 3 husbands, because the females tend to be
somewhat pickier than the men. The
women also will usually have a favored husband, and in the case of both male and
female the favored spouses are generally shown through the course of actions
rather than declarations. No matter
who the favored spouses may be, all husbands and wives make sure that their
spouses live well and are well cared for.
Emilio:
Of those in the Emilio clan, many of the Gypsies prefer to follow a
merchant path or trade. The Emilios
have been known to run many casinos and gaming establishments throughout Emuria. These establishments frequently include many small booths
where the Emilio clan displays and sells the wares they have spent their time
creating. While they tend to be
merchants by profession, their skills seem to tend toward the rogue or scholar
abilities.
Like most Gypsies, the Emilio are amused by the customs of the gaje.
The idea of the gaje structure of laws and politics is something
hilarious to them, and so a number of Emilio like to engage in political games
and intrigue with the gaje. While
few Gypsies ever truly understand the convoluted reasoning behind gaje politics,
the Emilio are perhaps those who come closest to comprehending the system.
Unlike some of the other Gypsy clans, the Emilio seem to place a somewhat
higher emphasis on marriage and weddings. Most
Gypsies prefer to choose their own spouses, but among the Emilios arranged
marriages among the unwed members are not uncommon.
If a parent finds himself or herself with too many unmarried children at
an age when the child should have been married, the parent will locate a
suitable mate for the child and endeavor to see them wed.
Since Gypsies will marry more than one person in the course of their
lives, this is not seen as a terrible burden to the young couple, only as a
first acquisition of a mate.
Fallowfield:
This clan prizes the ability to work with metals, wood, and stone.
Some of the best weaponsmiths, armorsmiths, and engineers among the
Gypsies have come from the Fallowfield clan.
Because of the nature of their talents, many of the Gypsies of this clan
also learn how to use the products of their crafts so they may demonstrate the
quality of the work to others. Over
half the clan is warriors or rogues, though naturally there are also a goodly
scattering of scholars and templars.
As described earlier, the Fallowfields are allied with the Dyllarian clan
of the Berylstars. During the early
teen years the Fallowfield youth will spend time apprenticed to members of the
Berylstar clan. Because of the
Dyllarian clan’s scholarly nature, this is also where the Fallowfield youth
acquire excellent training in magical abilities even as the Berylstar youth
acquire superb training in the fighting arts from the Fallowfields.
Kytarm:
This is probably the most light-hearted of the Dyllarian Gypsy clans. A Kytarm is hard pressed to pass up a game of cards, dice, or any gamble they think they can win money on. This clan prides itself on its wealth, garnered in any way possible. Because of this, the majority of the clan follows the rogue profession and makes a livelihood by fortune telling, merchanting, barding, or anything that can make a quick coin. Members of the Kytarm clan are never too proud to perform any job, as long as it pays well. While they don’t enjoy mercenary work, they are willing to take on any position for hire in exchange for suitable payment.
The Kytarms also greatly enjoy being able to show off for an audience. Most will take an interest in some skill that will allow them to amaze a crowd, hence a predilection for roguish abilities and professions that require great manual dexterity. They love to interact with members of other Gypsy clans, and greatly enjoy experiencing other Gypsy traditions. If they find a tradition they particularly enjoy, they may even adopt the tradition for their own clan. They love to travel in search of anything new and exciting, and between the endless quest for wealth and the search for excitement, a Kytarm can sometimes be hard to find. They will rarely stay in one place for more than a few months.
Leadership in the Kytarm clan changes hands often. The stakes of a simple card game between a clansman and the bandolier may be the title of the bandolier, since the Kytarm view the bandolier as a symbolic position without much true responsibility. Because of this, the only real qualifications for a Kytarm bandolier are good luck and great wit. The Kytarm who has held this position the most often in past decades has been Lefty Kytarm, though the position has changed hands with more frequency lately.
Moonshadow:
Among the Moonshadows, any profession is acceptable to any gender.
However, it is most common to find the women with the skills of fortune
telling, music, dance, or other performance-based skill.
Men tend toward a musician skill, trader or merchant, and any of the
smithing skills. Some clans require
certain skills in order to receive their clan badge.
Marriage customs among the Moonshadows include a special ceremony
involving the bride price and the scarf that the woman will wear after she is
married. At the pre-wedding party a
bottle of hooch is wrapped with a scarf and something that is valued at the
bride price. This bottle is passed
around those assembled until it reaches the bride’s father.
The father will remove the bride price and scarf, and the scarf is given
to the bride to be worn at the wedding. Once
the woman is married, she will forever afterward wear a headscarf in public to
show that she is married. Unmarried
women are never allowed to wear a headscarf.
For more information on this clan, visit their homepage at:
http://www.geocities.com/moonshadow_clan/Moonshadow_Wagon_Stop.html
Vogalin:
Members of the Vogalin clan are renowned merchants.
Perhaps because of this, and the need to deal often with gaje who are not
noted for the light-hearted frivolity that is a Gypsy trademark, the Vogalins
are more reserved than other Gypsies. They
still enjoy a good party or tale of adventure, but they have more of a capacity
than other clans to restrain themselves when the situation merits.
Aside from the merchants, the females of the clan tend toward bardic or
dancing skills, and there are many of both sexes within the clan with excellent
fighting abilities to better enable them to protect their merchant caravans.
As with other clans, the typical Vogalin Gypsy will have two or three
spouses. These spouses are usually
much closer to one another than to other members of the clan, even to the extent
that they will play a large role in the wedding ceremony when a new spouse is
added to the family. This ceremony
reinforces the bonds between those in the clan, and is sealed symbolically by
drinking from a special cup that has been in the clan for generations.
One peculiarity of the Vogalins is their fiercely strong bonds of loyalty
to each other to the exclusion of the gaje. A Vogalin will rarely marry outside of the clan, and never
one who is not a Gypsy. Also
because of this, they will rarely adopt anyone into the clan unless some amount
of Vogalin blood can be traced in the ancestry.
This does not mean they will not invite others to become honorary
members, or didiki, of the clan, since they believe that this sort of formal
bond is good for their merchanting business.
Legends,
Heroes and Lords:
TOP
Allesande Kytarm – Legend places this Gypsy beauty around the year 315
when she managed to attract the attentions of no less than three members of
noble houses among the gaje. It is
said that she promised to marry all three nobles, but refused to divorce her
current Gypsy husband to satisfy the nobles.
Worse yet, a minor war started among the three noble houses when each
discovered the promised marriages of the others.
Fortunately, the three suitors came to their senses and all race changed
to Gypsies so they might have no qualms about sharing their beautiful wife with
the other men.
Talrico Fallowfield – In the year 406, during the Dark Wars, this
daring Gypsy made a great deal of profit for his clan organizing the production
and distribution of armor to the Drae warriors.
Tragically, Talrico’s generosity was misunderstood by the dwarves who
had no need of Gypsy armorsmiths (being excellent craftsmen themselves) and they
saw this as supporting the enemy. This
caused something of a scandal among the Fallowfields for which Talrico and his
entire clan spent a generation in making amends to the dwarves so they would be
on good terms with them again.
Xavier Vogalin – This former Gypsy King of Dyllaria is perhaps the
smartest and best trader in all of Dyllarian history.
He once traded a bag of worthless rocks to a Mystic Wood Elf for a
magical staff. He drew many Gypsies
to his side and made the Vogalin clan the largest in Dyllaria.
Died in 589.
Xander Vogalin - Current king of the Dyllarian Gypsies.
Son of Xavier.
Don Emilio – Current king of the Emurian Gypsies.
1. The leader of the Gypsy
nation (either the Gypsy King or Gypsy Queen) has the final word in all
decisions or instructions among the tribe. Members of all tribes whether born or
"initiated" owe their loyalty and allegiance to the Gypsy King/Queen's
wishes and decisions firstly; to those of their "Bandolier" (the
leader of their own tribe, who in the absence of the Gypsy King/Queen, has all
the powers of the Gypsy King/Queen) secondly; thirdly to the well-being and
safety of all other Gypsies; and lastly to any other group with which the Gypsy
becomes associated. A Gypsy may not place loyalty to any group or person above
that which the Gypsy owes to the tribe. If any conflicts of loyalty arise, the
Gypsy must stand on the side of the Gypsies or face the Kris.
2. The Kris is the court of
the Gypsies and has the sole authority to remove a person from the tribe. Anyone
found guilty by the Kris loses all Gypsy blood, including the accent and the
ability to cast a Gypsy curse.
3. Only the Gypsy King/Queen
may appoint or choose from among the tribe: a) The head of the Kris, or b)
Bandoliers.
4. No Gypsy, without good
and provable cause, may cause harm or danger to another Gypsy. To do so will
result in facing the Kris.
5. Gypsies are blood family.
In order to become a Gypsy, a person must adventure with a band of Gypsies for a
time as a Gypsy, or be sponsored by a member of the band. The band will vote
whether to accept the candidate into the tribe, and if accepted, the candidate
must successfully undergo the initiation ceremony that changes their blood to
Gypsy blood.
6. The truth is expressed in
Romani. No Gypsy lies - it is not our fault if we inadvertently get things
"wrong" while speaking the Gaje (the Gypsy term for any non-Gypsy)
tongue! If we have to speak their language, they'll have to be patient if we
make "mistakes".
7. Any traveling Gypsy is
welcome to the hospitality of any Gypsy camp whenever there is need.
8. Any Gaje who is named a
"Gypsy Friend" by the Gypsy leader or tribe is considered an honorary
Gypsy (without Gypsy powers) and is welcome to hospitality of the gypsy camp and
the loyalty and protection of the tribe.
The Kris is the legal body of the Gypsy nation. It is not a permanent
group, but is assembled as the need arises. The Kris is made up of 5 respected
members of the tribe. Only the head of the Kris is a permanent position, the
other four are rotating positions. The Gypsy King/Queen appoints the head of the
Kris, who in turn chooses 4 other Gypsies to sit in judgment when a Kris is
called.
RULES
OF THE KRIS
1. To be called before the Kris is a serious accusation before the entire
Gypsy Nations. This is usually the result of having done something equivalent to
a sin or criminal act, as in the following examples (a partial list only):
*
Wrongfully cursing a Gaje or another Gypsy when they've not directly insulted,
threatened, or harmed you or your family
* Stealing from or lying to another Gypsy
* Direct disobedience of the Gypsy King/Queen without good cause
* Breaking faith or revealing secrets of the Gypsy nation to Gaje.
2. A Gypsy found guilty in
the eyes of the Kris is then considered "marhime," or “unclean.”
The person's blood is changed to Gaje blood and he is outcast - exiled-
from the tribe. He is no longer part of the Gypsy nation, shall receive no
protection or hospitality, and loses his accent and his Gypsy curse ability.
3.
The Bandolier or the head of the Kris may be removed from position only
if:
a) They resign.
b)
They are accused of being unfair, biased, or of committing another act that
requires them to stand before the Kris, and they are found guilty.
At
such time, the Gypsy King/Queen will call a Kris and appoint the 4 to sit in
judgment with him/her over the previous seat holder. If not found guilty, the
Gypsy King/Queen may restore the seat holder.
4. If necessary, the Gypsy
King/Queen may call the head of the Kris before the Kris, and vice versa. If the
need for a Kris arises, the duty of calling the Kris falls in the following
order:
a) The Gypsy King/Queen
b) The head of the Kris
c) The Bandolier of the nearest tribe
d) The Bandolier of the nearest Duchy, etc.
604
Xander Vogalin and Don Emilio, both Gypsy kings of Dyllaria and Emuria met on
this good year to celebrate the great art of celebration. The three month
long festival included appearances such as The Lady of the Wood, several lords
and ladies from both lands, and members from every Gypsy clan from Kytarm to
Moonshadow. Several bards from across both lands treated this event as a
time for study, as many new and colorful songs were to be made every night the
hooch was passed around. And eventually when the taps started to run dry
and the party was about to come to a mournful close the Berylstar clan arrived
with three full carts of barreled hooch to close the festivities the right way.