Valisem, criminality on Bothea
Warning: this topic talks about criminality, crimes of every kind, and about physical and mental violence.
Valisem? What's this?
Valisem is a Yevat word. It is the plural of "Valis". It's used to designate a specific cast of people: strangers and betrayers. Literally, it means "outside of the circle of the Primordial Yevat's soul."
If Yevatem could see a Human, they'd call it a valis, a stranger, in opposition to the word 'Yevat.' But in general, 'valis' has a bad connotation: it also represents those who lost their Yevat souls, such as criminals. For some valisem, the word also means "free men."
Valisem are outlaws, excluded from communities and society, condemned to survive alone in the dangerous and wild Bothea. They are all of those which don't belong to the group.
In Yevat's beliefs, a Yevat's soul will join the FATHER (read more on the Pantheon's page) when they die. They'll be able to reincarnate in a new Yevat afterwards. When you become a betrayer, it's said that your soul detaches from your body, loses the connexion with the world, and is removed from the circle of the FATHER. According to Yevatem, if you become a valis, you'll never be reincarnated into a Yevat anymore (you'll then be an animal or a tree in your next life.)
Valisem? What's this?
Valisem is a Yevat word. It is the plural of "Valis". It's used to designate a specific cast of people: strangers and betrayers. Literally, it means "outside of the circle of the Primordial Yevat's soul."
If Yevatem could see a Human, they'd call it a valis, a stranger, in opposition to the word 'Yevat.' But in general, 'valis' has a bad connotation: it also represents those who lost their Yevat souls, such as criminals. For some valisem, the word also means "free men."
Valisem are outlaws, excluded from communities and society, condemned to survive alone in the dangerous and wild Bothea. They are all of those which don't belong to the group.
In Yevat's beliefs, a Yevat's soul will join the FATHER (read more on the Pantheon's page) when they die. They'll be able to reincarnate in a new Yevat afterwards. When you become a betrayer, it's said that your soul detaches from your body, loses the connexion with the world, and is removed from the circle of the FATHER. According to Yevatem, if you become a valis, you'll never be reincarnated into a Yevat anymore (you'll then be an animal or a tree in your next life.)
How to become a Valis (Yevat)
If you are a Yevat, you were probably born within a community: a town, a city, a nomadic pack, etc. Under normal conditions, you are free to leave your town for any reason (hunting, trip, etc.) and to come back without any problem. Staying within a community grants you rights and duties: protection from your town, making sure everyone is alright, and offer your goods or talents to the community. For example: if you are a good tattoo artist, you'll have to tattoo anyone asking for it in exchange for the fact that you eat at the general buffet, even if the person you tattoo isn't the hunter or the cook feeding you. |
Communities are based on exchange, trade, and protection of other people. But here it comes: you may be excluded from that community. If the community judges that you are a danger for the others, you'll become a Valis and will be excluded.
You can be excluded, but not definitly (no Valis) if your behaviour is judged risky:
- If you threaten someone publicly (with witnesses)
- If you confess dark thoughts, such as need to kill or need to hurt
- If you don't participate in the town's activities and upkeeping (even the oldest Yevatem must do something, such as transmit their knowledge to younglings.)
- If you show an excess of hate or violence
Velilyevatem of the town will decide on how many days you will be excluded, to help you think about your behaviour. You are free to come back after the delay, or not.
These acts, however, will make you a valis:
- If you show and use strange powers that you're not supposed to have (Yevatem only - Velilyevatem are allowed to have powers); especially if they look really strange or dangerous
- Regular physical and/or mental violence towards another Yevat, their possessions, or their pets or mounts.
- Rape and murder (killing another Yevat is probably the most prohibited act)
- Bearing traces of the Ovscrudem disease and thus, being highly contagious.
If the community thinks that you're a danger, they will not think twice: you'll be excluded.
You can be excluded, but not definitly (no Valis) if your behaviour is judged risky:
- If you threaten someone publicly (with witnesses)
- If you confess dark thoughts, such as need to kill or need to hurt
- If you don't participate in the town's activities and upkeeping (even the oldest Yevatem must do something, such as transmit their knowledge to younglings.)
- If you show an excess of hate or violence
Velilyevatem of the town will decide on how many days you will be excluded, to help you think about your behaviour. You are free to come back after the delay, or not.
These acts, however, will make you a valis:
- If you show and use strange powers that you're not supposed to have (Yevatem only - Velilyevatem are allowed to have powers); especially if they look really strange or dangerous
- Regular physical and/or mental violence towards another Yevat, their possessions, or their pets or mounts.
- Rape and murder (killing another Yevat is probably the most prohibited act)
- Bearing traces of the Ovscrudem disease and thus, being highly contagious.
If the community thinks that you're a danger, they will not think twice: you'll be excluded.
How to become a Valis Velilyevat
If you are born with wings inside a Bothean society, say goodbye to your freedom immediately. When born, baby Velilyevatem will be separated from their parents to be raised with the other Velilyevatem and to become monks. Velilyevatem must serve the community, represent it, take decisions, and have important places. They'll often be sought by Yevatem to answer questions about souls, society, problems, and to do a therapist and crowd management job. They don't need to hunt and will receive the best homes and food freely. But they are not allowed to leave the town, city or tribe and must be always available for their people. Velilyevatem will be venerated by Yevatem and will lead them, but they also have the duty to be here at all times, and to always be available to answer problems and questions. In other words, it's a golden cage. A Velilyevat leaving their town without proper excuse will be considered as a deserter. It's not rare to have a Velilyevat either: - Leaving their town, fleeing their unchosen responsibilities - Snapping in madness, and suddenly becoming a dangerous Rokyevat attacking their people Either will grant them an immediate valis status. |
A symbol for an act
Whenever Yevatem become a valisem, they are excluded from the community they were living with. But that's not all: not only they have to leave their home and never come back, but other Yevatem also want to protect the other communities from the danger valisem represent.
For this, the fact that they are valisem needs to be written on their face... Literally. If their criminal status is quickly visible, then they won't be allowed to enter any town or community again and thus, they won't be able to harm anyone anymore. A valis symbol on their face means that they are dangerous, and no one would take the risk to have them alongside. If criminals are caught quickly after committing a crime, a Velilyevat will have to carve the valis symbol on their face (see illustration) with a ritual dagger. Then, the dagger is thrown in the wild, and they're thrown as well right after. If they manage to find the dagger that carved their face, that'll be the only object they'll be able to take with them in the wild. It's a violent punishment, and many valisem remain traumatized afterwards. Some details - If someone have committed a crime, but isn't discovered, then they're free to denounce themselves... or to remain silent, and undiscovered. - If they're fast enough not to get caught after a crime, and can run before being marked on the face, they're free to join a new town which doesn't know about them. Congratulations, they broke the game! |
- If a valis Velilyevat succeeds to flee before having the mark, they're not that lucky: other towns will ask what they're doing in the wild. If they don't manage to invent a good excuse, the community will probably understand that they fled their previous town. Then the town will try to mark their face to let the world know. A valis Velilyevat better know how to lie and gabble!
- The Valis symbol means "a soul outside of its body." Basically, it's the same as if one was already dead in a Yevat's eyes.
- Yevatem don't keep the ritual dagger they carve a face with; once it carved a face, it's now an instrument of suffering and it can't be kept inside a town. The blood of a valis is supposed to bring bad luck.
The Valis mark will always be carved on the face, or at least as close as possible. If one is strong enough, or if they debate a lot, the mark may be carved somewhere else: the neck, a shoulder, the torso, etc. It's not rare either to see multiple times the mark on a single body: just to be sure that one can't hide all of them.
- The Valis symbol means "a soul outside of its body." Basically, it's the same as if one was already dead in a Yevat's eyes.
- Yevatem don't keep the ritual dagger they carve a face with; once it carved a face, it's now an instrument of suffering and it can't be kept inside a town. The blood of a valis is supposed to bring bad luck.
The Valis mark will always be carved on the face, or at least as close as possible. If one is strong enough, or if they debate a lot, the mark may be carved somewhere else: the neck, a shoulder, the torso, etc. It's not rare either to see multiple times the mark on a single body: just to be sure that one can't hide all of them.
Judicial system
Someone will be immediatley considered as a valis if they act bad and get caught. Understand that several people saw the act, or proofs of the act remain. For example, if a Yevat is seen killing somebody, knife in the hand, in front of a crowd, there's no possible doubt.
But it's rarely as simple as it. Most often, there are no direct proof nor witness for an act. For example, if a bed place is covered with blood, the Yevat sleeping there will be heavily suspected of murder... but it will not always mean that the said Yevat has killed someone. Maybe he was injured and tried to hide the wound to avoid questions about his personal life.
Velilyevatem will gather eventual proofs and witnesses, and will judge if someone is guilty or not. In general, they'll respect this scheme:
- There is no proof and no witness > everyone's safe.
- There is no proof but one witness accusing someone > It'll be written somewhere, but without proof, nothing will be done.
- There is no proof but several witnesses accusing someone > The concerned Yevat will probably become a valis.
- There is one or several proofs > The concerned Yevat will certainly become a valis.
But other details will be taken into considerations:
- The accused's past and general behaviour (if they were calm or agressive, if they had reasons to commit something, etc.)
- The accuser's past and general behaviour (if they're known to tell the truth or to lie, if they have a reason to accuse someone, etc.)
- If a Velilyevat had a vision of the said crime (even if that's not always accurate...)
- If the Velilyevatem judges personaly likes or dislikes the accused (yes, that's biased and unfair, but so is life!)
This system, mostly based on trust and reputation, has its flaws. Sadly, it's not so rare to have a innocents being accused of crimes.
But it's rarely as simple as it. Most often, there are no direct proof nor witness for an act. For example, if a bed place is covered with blood, the Yevat sleeping there will be heavily suspected of murder... but it will not always mean that the said Yevat has killed someone. Maybe he was injured and tried to hide the wound to avoid questions about his personal life.
Velilyevatem will gather eventual proofs and witnesses, and will judge if someone is guilty or not. In general, they'll respect this scheme:
- There is no proof and no witness > everyone's safe.
- There is no proof but one witness accusing someone > It'll be written somewhere, but without proof, nothing will be done.
- There is no proof but several witnesses accusing someone > The concerned Yevat will probably become a valis.
- There is one or several proofs > The concerned Yevat will certainly become a valis.
But other details will be taken into considerations:
- The accused's past and general behaviour (if they were calm or agressive, if they had reasons to commit something, etc.)
- The accuser's past and general behaviour (if they're known to tell the truth or to lie, if they have a reason to accuse someone, etc.)
- If a Velilyevat had a vision of the said crime (even if that's not always accurate...)
- If the Velilyevatem judges personaly likes or dislikes the accused (yes, that's biased and unfair, but so is life!)
This system, mostly based on trust and reputation, has its flaws. Sadly, it's not so rare to have a innocents being accused of crimes.
Why are valisem feared and dangerous
"Valis sinke jukolpojaik viskas murhuner uvolaik."
"Nobody is more dangerous than a someone who lost everything." Valisem have no hope of redemption (some cases happened in history but it's really rare.) Thus, they have no reason to act good anymore - since they're already condemned. They also learn how to survive alone in the most dangerous places of Bothea, and when they survive, they quickly become good hunters, killers and survivors. Velilyevatem Valis will learn how to properly use their wings and will learn how to kill from above. But even more dangerous: sometimes, a valis finds another valis in the wild. See where it's coming? Bothea hosts wild packs of valisem who chose to live together, to make new communities. These communities, wild and only including criminals, are like gangs. If sometimes their purpose is only to live a normal life again, some other groups seek revenge: they'll find towns to attack and will steal whatever they can: food, jewelry, clothes... even children. They take children to raise them as criminal too. They also often kill all the mounts to strike a blast. During these attacks, many Yevatem can die. However, these attacks are really rare and a Yevat can live a whole life without seeing a single valis. They can also become desperados and pirates, and steal merchandises diectly from merchants or producers. |
To take a life
Murdering another Yevat is probably the worst crime anyone can commit. Even if Yevatem believe in reincarnation after death, removing the life of someone means that the killer doesn't respect the Primordial Yevat nor Bothea's sacred work. Not only they kill a bit of the MOTHER, but they also prevent the FATHER to gain more life experience.
It's simple: Yevatem refuse to kill another Yevat, no matter the circumstances. Even if a Yevat tries to kill someone, the victim will do their possible not to kill their attacker while defending themself.
It's possible that an act goes beyond anything forgivable (for example, extreme torture towards another Yevat.) In really rare cases, Velilyevatem can judge that these persons are true monsters. Thus, they will not only become a valis: they will also be placed in a location they can't escape (a deep hole, the top of a super high rock, a cave they're going to lock the entrance of, etc.) A bit like a prison. "Now only the FATHER can decide on this lost soul's fate." If such a prison would technically mean a long and terrible death by thirst and hunger, Yevatem believe that only a Primodial Yevat's miracle could save them. They leave the final decision to their deity.
It's simple: Yevatem refuse to kill another Yevat, no matter the circumstances. Even if a Yevat tries to kill someone, the victim will do their possible not to kill their attacker while defending themself.
It's possible that an act goes beyond anything forgivable (for example, extreme torture towards another Yevat.) In really rare cases, Velilyevatem can judge that these persons are true monsters. Thus, they will not only become a valis: they will also be placed in a location they can't escape (a deep hole, the top of a super high rock, a cave they're going to lock the entrance of, etc.) A bit like a prison. "Now only the FATHER can decide on this lost soul's fate." If such a prison would technically mean a long and terrible death by thirst and hunger, Yevatem believe that only a Primodial Yevat's miracle could save them. They leave the final decision to their deity.