#yes i'm saying echani beat each other up in WWEE SMACKDOWNS for government positions

[eorzeashan]

Echani Wintertide: "Trul's Tide"

Winter is a vital time in Echani culture, given their connection to the cold and the frost of their home planets. While it is a time of life and celebration much like the rest of the galaxy, it is also one of war and tribulations for the Echani. This period bears witness to some of the most important rites of passage for a people said to be born from the fallen snow, as cold and majestic as the season they revere the most.

To understand the naming convention of such an auspicious event, one must revisit the Echani religion. Trul is a main deity of the Echani pantheon, the mother wolf and the god of the Echa'olm, ancestor to all Echani and Eshan wolves whom the Echani owe their descent to. She is a multi-legged, massive Echa'olm who rules over the night sky, and it is said the light of the largest stars seen from Eshan are her eyes--with the rest of the constellations being that of her many children.

The season of winter is named after her not only because of ancient Echani reverence of the cold, but because legend states that freshly fallen snow is the shed fur of Trul, whose pelt is whiter than bone, softer than feather down and colder than the sea. Every winter, Trul and her pups do battle in the sky with the giant armored nerf-deer named Ne'Yool to kick off the annual hunts, and the ferocity of their battle is said to be the cause of earthquakes and massive snowfall in the region. This is true in part, as Ne'Yool's own species are not actually nerf-deer as the name suggests, but a mammalian semi-aquatic fish who migrate to land every winter in search of warmer climates. The nerf-deer tunnel through Eshan's glaciers, causing earthquakes and such, and bringing with them a dark tide as they ascend the ice beaches. This is why winter is named "Trul'stide".

The nerf-deer are hunted every winter in preparation for the celebratory feasts, as tributes to Trul and the primary source of meat in a time of little sustenance. Due to their natural outer bone formations, nerf-deer are considered formidable foes, and great honor is given to warriors who slay any number of them. Nerf-deer goulash, cooked right within the shell, is a regional specialty that varies from planet to planet, province to province, yet each Echani settlement claims theirs is the original recipe. Such is the importance of Ne'Yool and Trul's bounty; adults partake of the meat, and children are given the bones and tendons to chew and play with. The children of the chief hunter are given the marrow, seasoned with spices, as a reward.

Winter is not just for the hunt; it is a time of reflection, observation, survival...and the extension of the family. Seekers, or single Echani searching for the children of other families to adopt, take this time to adorn themselves with a pup-pouch--an elaborate outer carrying bag lined with decor that speaks of the life they've lived thus far as a warrior, with the inside containing soft blanket material made from their own fur. As explained before, Echani often raise children unrelated to them by blood, and it is common for children to choose different parents to live different life experiences with before moving on to the next, and rarer for them to only stay with the parents of their birth. The pup-pouch is scented with the bearer's pheromones on Trul'stide, and if successful, will attract a new child who will climb into the pouch to signify that they accept their new parent. Seeker meetups often happen at the Trul'stide feasts where most Echani gather, hence marking Winter as a time of family.

Recent adaptations of Life Day from the wider galaxy to Trul'stide have seen the adoption of the cultural precedent of gifts in Eshan, especially those to children, but it is not seen as a requirement. Young adults are more likely to celebrate the modern way, given their fascination with the outer worlds (and partying). While Eshan sees much jubilation in this time like many other cultures, it is not always peaceful: in late winter the government exams are held. It is a time when Echani warriors vye for the highest position on the Seat of Sisters, Eshan's main governing body.

However, the government exams are not written. Rather, mass combative tournaments are held where warriors challenge each other to single combat with a judging panel overseeing the duel, who keep note of the character of the fighter and their methods, as well as the eventual victor. Echani body-language reading abilities allow the panel to judge the fitness of an individual for a particular government seat by measuring their strength in both physicality and mentality, and if the panel is in unanimous favor, they are allowed to move on to the next battle until only one individual remains to be elected for their new position. Warriors seeking to rise politically train all year for the exams, and current seat-holders strengthen their defenses in case of declared war outside of the tourneys. Ancient times saw much bloodshed in wintertime as warriors fought one another for seats and privileges, leading to the creation of the exams.

In more recent times, in an attempt to appeal to tourism and the spirit of the season, Eshan has seen fit to hold the tourneys over holovid, and for the first time in many centuries, allow offworlders to spectate the tournaments in person--resulting in a multi-billion credit sport where fans flock to the stadiums to witness Echani martial arts in this time. Echani Exam tickets are a popular Life Day gift, and signed paraphernalia has become part of the exams itself for those who treat the tourneys as a special occasion. The mascots representing the government games, Echi and Thrys who are white and brown echa'olms, are especially loved by children and given exclusively as Life Day plushies.

Eshan has seen much modernization when it comes to Trul'stide, even adapting to the galaxy-wide cultural phenomenon of Life Day, yet retains its own traditions when it comes to winter. This, and its importance to the culture, will never change.