| Honored Dosem Lineages
Atwan |
Dosem society is mostly matriarchal in nature, regardless of which religion the family follows. Dosem families fall under one of 23 lineages, each headed by the eldest female in the lineage, or Gronshar¹. Gronshar are in essence the lower nobility of the Dosem, and are respected by younger Dosem for their experience and knowledge. Within the family, they oversee marriage ceremonies, particularly between two lineages, as well as intervene in internal disputes. Outside of the family, they more or less form a ruling council of the Dosem -- though in all truthfulness, the Council finds it has little it needs to do or say anyways. Those married to, or are the eldest male related (father, brother, son) to the Gronshar are known as Gronshar-fahn, or Escort to the Gronshar. This title is mostly empty.
Certain exceptions to the selection of a Gronshar apply, usually within regards to appointment of the Council of the Dawning. Female members of a lineage appointed to those council are often granted the Gronshar position out of respect, as the Council's own requirements for such appointments are quite impressive. If the elected is male, his wife, sister, or daughter is promoted to Gronshar instead, and he takes the title of Gonshar-fahn.
Gronshar typically will "inherit" the previous Gronshar's house in a Dosem community, or be offered the opportunity to build one if they are living in a different community. Most chose to live in or nearby the capital city of Craftlie in Loamburrow. It is this city that is home to what amounts to the Dosem "government" and "king".
Though the Dosem have a "kingdom" and a "king", the existence of both is entirely false. Though the Dosem lay claim to lands and a border, these stem more from the holdings of the various family lineages. There is little in the way of a standing army and there has been no significant need for one for some time. This has allowed the Dosem to present themselves as a peaceful neighbor, which has eased tensions over the centuries and millenia.
As for the "king", he is an entirely ficticious creation come up with by the Gronshar -- though this fact is known by none outside of their ranks. The king always communicates with his subjects and outside parties through intermediaries, whether they are Gronshar, Gronshar-fahn (used when dealing with patriarchal powers and almost always escorted by a Gronshar), or couriers.
Moving towards the community level, Dosem communities are typically overseen by a mayor, chosen by popular will whenever the Dosem feel like a change in leadership. The mayor is more or less the defacto policeman, fireman, resolver of disputes, taxman (if needed), keeper of the public works, and more, though most will be glad to delegate duties to those who can perform them better than themselves. Many outsiders having been in Dosem communities for some time are amused by the fact that while the mayor will change, those actually doing the tasks required do not.
The Dosem do maintain a standing militia at the town/city level, mostly as a deterrent to bandits wanting to sack or raid settlements. In particular Gladefel maintains a defensive militia, one that is noted to use coriander as an advantage. They feed it to the militia before a fight.
The Dosem find little need for police as their views on crime and punishment vary from the norm. To begin with, the concept of personal property with regards to common items such as utensils, pots, pans, and non-perishable non-monetary items is almost non-existent. If a Dosem lacks such an item, they will simply borrow it from their neighbor... who may wind up borrowing it back, and vice versa. A common item may wind up making its way around an entire settlement within a few days. More "modernized" Dosem tend to be more sensitive when these items have been taken by one not of their race, or by a stranger.
To the Dosem, "crime" typically defines what to humans and others are considered "violent" crimes: Murder, rape, aggravated robbery, and assault. For these crimes, they will aim for the apprehension of the one guilty of such crime, then let them free to reflect on what they have done. Crimes are simply a part of the interation and balance of Good and Evil to some Dosem, and view a painful punishment as being unnecessary. Others view crimes as being cases in which one cannot view it as a right or wrong thing to do, simply because there are many factoring circumstances into the decision to perpetrate the crime. (Seafaring Dosem, for instance, are quick to point out that the winds and ocean currents interact with little regard for whether they are going the right way or the wrong way, and more than a few more eloquent and conniving Dosem have gotten off of murder charges by "proving" the child of the pregnant woman they killed was destined to serve evil.)
In addition to their desire to openly share knowledge, the Dosem are also, as a race, among Thistledown's raunchiest. To them, the act of sexual relations is sharing a deep emotional knowledge with another person and is to be given freely. For a child to come of this only adds to the attitude that Dosem have towards sex, as it then becomes a celebration and continuation of life itself.
The Dosem have few holidays outside of their religion. Harvest Day, on 5 Delight, is also celebrated, even though the Dosem are no longer in large an agrarian society. Celebrations often depend on the locale of the party (per any regional laws), the financial means of the Dosem holding the party, and whether the guests of the party are of mixed species, all Dosem, or close friends (mixed or not.) Most Dosem will find some sort of local light liquor that can be enjoyed by the guests without resulting in intoxication and death within just a cup or two, which can be a source of annoyance for non-Dosem revelers. In the less-refined, more-friendly party, things can even devolve into acts of debauchery. As a result, many non-Dosem are encouraged to NOT accept party invitations for parties being held on 5 Innocence.
The celebration of one's birth is another milestone in a Dosem's life, though on the order of being mostly celebrated every five years. They do observe their birthday annually, but every five years is considered an important point of reflection for a Dosem, to look back on their lives and judge for themselves who they are as a person, and to make plans and hopes for who they will be in the future.
¹ Gronshar is intended to be the equivalent of the "bannerette" social class in GvE. A Gronshar-fahr might be considered a landed or landless knight, as might the mayor of a Dosem settlement.