Bissenke

The Bissenke are the peoples of the coastal rainforests of western Idiri, as well as the Gilded Plain and portions of the Hazari Desert along the Tajeddi River.

The Bissenke are known for their weaving and production of textiles, and their lands are also a major source of the gold which flows from Idiri to the rest of the world via the trans-Hazari caravans. Bissenke peoples are often ruled over by kings who are considered divine but are elected by the members of the polity, and if the king proves tyrannical or disastrously inept he may be cast down and executed by the will of the people, the reasoning being that the divine spirit of kingship has clearly abandoned a ruler who behaves so. Some groups of Bissenke have exclusively male monarchs while others are ruled only by women, but in either case the ruler is referred to as a king. In general women occupy a prominent and influential place in Bissenke societies, and are often accorded more deference than men.

Appearance

The predominately brown-eyed Bissenke tend towards the darker side of skin tones, ranging from dusky copper and rich brown complexions to a burnished dark bronze. Their hair is dark and frizzy, and is often worn in very elaborate hairstyles making use of braids, dreadlocks, and the vivid ochre clay found throughout their kingdoms.