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Castes
The nature of your commitment to your totem pole will depend on the caste to which you belong and, depending on your social rank, the contribution you are expected to make will not be the same:
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Horon (nobles)
Their primary responsibility is the preservation and smooth running of society. They are therefore governors, knights, merchants or caretakers. They are also responsible for providing food for the population. A nobleman's life is punctuated by the court, his profession, hunting and training.
Nyamakalan (craftsmen)
Established as the pre-eminent caste among the three, they possess all the techniques needed to ensure the stability and technological progress of society. A spiritual dimension is interwoven with these technical skills, since a pact between the ancestors and the spirits is required for the Orixas (deities) to grant access to knowledge.
Djam (slaves)
This singular caste is made up of individuals who are largely affiliated to the families of the other two castes. They are expected to integrate into this new life by placing themselves at the service of the totem in exchange for protection and well-being. A distinction is made between:
Djam-bour (captives of the monarch) are former prisoners of war captured outside the territory's borders and then integrated into the infantry.
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Djam-neg-nday (mother's servants) are acquired on the market, inherited or given away. They are respected and considered to be an integral part of the family.
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Djam-neg-bây (father's servants) do not benefit from any form of protection, are alienated without compensation and remain unrecognised by society. Without being mistreated, they are entrusted with all the most thankless and difficult tasks.
Archetypes
Each character is a member of a family practising the same job and belonging to the same caste. Where the profession becomes the archetype, the caste defines the obligations to society.
Most obligations apply to all castes. Let's picture a clan whose totem is defence. In their case, it's a matter of watching and defending a border. The horon (noble) house supplies the frontier with cavalry and infantry. A nyamakalan (artisan) family of blacksmiths is responsible for equipping them in the best possible way. The djam (slave) of these two families are responsible for supplying the lines, extracting the wounded, etc.
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The martial education offered is inspired by historical martial arts such as Senegalese wrestling, dambé boxing, HEMA, furÅ«siyya (the martial education of the Egyptian Mamelukes) and many others.
Magic is based on the use of words of power and divination. Each word represents a concept and mastering it, an affinity. All affinities allow these concepts to be used freely. Mastering the power word of fire, for example, can set a target ablaze or extinguish it. You can heat it to melting point, cooking temperature or simply extinguish a flame. Of course, you can mix concepts to achieve more complex effects.
What is tabletop role-playing?
A tabletop RPG is a social game where a group of 4 to 6 players are asked to embody and interpret characters in a fictional environment. Players have two main tools at their disposal: narrative and mechanics.
The narrative part is made up of improvised dialogues and descriptions that move a situation forward. Mechanics are used when narration alone no longer allows a situation to progress.
Most often guided by a Game Leader (GL), players are asked to evolve, elaborate and explore the plot they have yet to imagine.