Jidera—literally the “people of heaven” in Jijid—were a species of Biosynths hailing from Jidshi. They were known across the Shimmering Seas for their spiritual ways and mysticism, as well as being adept hunters. Their language was Jijid.
History[]
The Jidera first appeared on Jidshi as the first sentient Biosynths of that island. Over time they developed their own language, culture, and social structures. Jidera spread out across Jidshi, establishing villages scattered across the island. They developed elements of a common religion that varied from village to village across the island, all of which were centered on the deity Indijesmi. Basic trade developed between some villages, and dirt roads were created across Jidshi to help facilitate this trade.
Some time after Jidera society had become well established on Jidshi, the plague known as the Embrace broke out across the island. The Embrace appeared targeted towards Jidera, with many of the primitive Biosynths of the island unaffected. The plague killed roughly one fourth of all Jidera on the island and forced many Jidera to abandon their villages and in some cases even flee Jidshi.
When the Embrace eventually subsided, enormous damage had been done to Jidera society. Surviving Jidera however resolved to rebuild and restore their way of life from prior to the Embrace. Very few of the Jidera that had fled the island ever returned, however.
Abilities and traits[]
Jidera were identifiable from other sentient Biosynth species by their tall, dark, slender bodies and clawed hands and feet. Most Jidera had red eyes, with a rare few displaying green eyes. Jidera of high regard, such as village elders or shamans often wore cloaks. Matoran living in the Shimmering Seas who had seen Jidera at first mistook them for Makuta.
Though Jidera often appeared frail and lanky, they generally possessed great physical and cardiovascular stamina. The best Jidera hunters were said to be capable of sustaining a running pace without stopping for well over a day, and when pressed could break into sprints at speeds of around fifty kilometers an hour.
Jidera were also sexually compatible with several other sentient Biosynth species. A male or female Jidera was capable of mating with members of another species of the opposite sex without possibility of producing fertile offspring.
Society and culture[]
Jidera culture varied from village to village on Jidshi, but most variations of the culture were heavily influenced by common Jidera mysticism and religion. Jidera villages were usually led by shamans, who served as both the political and spiritual leaders of Jidera society. Shamans gathered in councils to discuss how to lead village life, and when approaching old age, would select young adults from the village to apprentice under them. Once a shaman had passed away, his chosen apprentice would take his place on a shamanic council.
Most Jidera believed in an entity known as Indijesmi, a being that resided deep within the cosmos. Interpretations of Indijesmi were highly varied, and often councils of shamans disagreed on what the being actually was, but many councils developed village policies based on their interpretations of Indijesmi.
When a member of a Jidera village died, shamans would burn Jidinjis plants in massive quantities to facilitate a sort of village trance, blessing the body of the deceased, and setting it alight with fire. The significance of this ritual was to purge the deceased Jidera’s soul of worldly concerns and guide it into communion with Indijesmi.
If rivalries broke out between two Jidera in a village, a Jidera in the rivalry could invoke a Ritual Duel in which a shaman would oversee a fight to the death between the two. Such duels were rarely invoked, as they necessitated the death of at least one participant, but occurred nonetheless in most villages at least once.
Jidera, like most sentient Biosynths, were omnivorous, and villages survived off of farming crops and killed food brought in by hunters. Villages often venerated hunters as the purest form of warrior, not directing their violence toward other Jidera but rather toward a natural process of exercising the Jidera’s position on the food chain. Bullsheep were major targets of Jidera hunters, as a single carcass could feed an entire village. Jidera hunters usually fought with knives, spears, or bows and arrows.
During the Embrace, many Jidera chose to leave Jidshi and sail abroad. Many of this migrant community settled on landmasses within the Scattan Islands, and established an identity for themselves among the multitude of sentient species living there. Jidera on the Scattan Islands were often perceived as distant and aloof for their tendency to isolate among other Jidera or wander off alone. Some Jidera became Starved Guns during the Scattan Wars, and were valued by commanders for their excellent speed and stamina during battle.