Charali Architecture
Given that the Charali people are nomadic, their housing structures require that they be easily-movable and compact enough to be carried upon the back of a horse. Plainsmen live in short-term villages of tent-like structures which are easily constructed and designed for the utmost mobility.
Charali tribal hierarchy is easily discernable through these types of housing. While most tribesmen live in easily-movable, conical teepees, tribal leadership resides in cylindrical structures referred to as yurts. The yurt is typically floored with lavish carpets of soft animal skins and furs and has a small, circular opening in the roof to allow for camp-fire smoke to exit. In either the teepee or the yurt, animal skins are used for bedding and there is typically little to no furniture present.
The Charalin style of architecture is simple and easy to break down for transport. Lesser members of the tribe reside within tepees covered with animal skin while elders and those with higher social standing will live in family-sized cylindrical yurts. Because of the volatile nature of the Plains in terms of weather, trees are relatively rare. Each of the poles used is therefore rare and has gained a little mystical symbolism in the process. If a pole snaps, for example, it is an ill omen and portends the injury or death of one of the family. Likewise, there is on occasion a 'sky burial' that occurs when a prominent member of the family has died. Using a pole from each of the homes in the tribe, the corpse is held aloft toward the sky in order to ensure an easier journey for the spirit.
