EVE Fiction

I've got rather a soft spot for the Derelik region for some reason, and so have spent a lot of time in Ammatar space. However, I've come to realize that there's rather little available in the way of specifics on the way things are in Ammatar space. I've read the chronicles relating to the elder war and know about the whole 'whoa, the Ammatar saved the Nefantar!' thing - and know about how, while many Ammatars defected to the Minmatar Republic, even more stayed and remained loyal to the Mandate (though one of the chronicles hints that even among those who stayed, there might be a whole new group of anti-Amarr malcontents ready to raise hell). Some other things can be inferred by in-game happenings, as well. For example, we know that the Ammatar do take slaves, because there are killable 'ammatar slave taker' (or some such) npc's in game, and some of their missions have you dealing with slave-related difficulties.

However, while we know a good deal about the plot significance of the Ammatar, we don't see much about how life actually is in their territory, or what they are like as a people. Furthermore, what I've found so far basically paints them as 'naturalized' Amarrians - that is, it seems life in the Mandate wouldn't be much different from life anywhere in the Amarr empire, aside from the fact that many/most of the citizens are ethnic Minmatar.

The question, then - is there anything out there about the Ammatar that gives any hints about what they, specifically, are like? How the Amarr faith affects them? Whether they take to slavery with the same brutal glee as the Amarr and Khanid, or use it less/more? Whether there is much of anything that differentiates the Ammatar from the Amarr aside from one or two special sub-plots?

This post is partly inspired by the Khanid post elsewhere on this forum, so I'll summarize by saying that I have the same goal that poster did: gather any specific tidbits available on my subject matter - just for the Ammatar rather than the Khanid. Thanks!

The Ammatar are the Nefantar. The tribe the Ammatar were safeguarding was the Starkmanir. As you say, it seems as if there was and is a large faction within the Mandate who work hard to retain their Tribal nature. The Nefantar who fled to the Republic alongside the Starkmanir also also fragmented - many of them are still Amarr Faithful, and they have been having troubles forming a tribal structure.

Here's a chronicle about life in the Mandate shortly after Yonis Ardishapur became their liege. IIRC, the narrator is a Minmatar terrorist living in the Mandate.

In order to keep the irregularity of the Starkmanir secret, there must be other slave-worlds just like Halturzhan. It seems like there was little actual oversight - just the slaves leading low-tech lives tilling crops and working.

It may be that the Mandate's practices of slavery are more like forcing people to live like Amish to learn to appreciate God and the world, letting nature take its course and allowing people to live in peace.

I remember seeing somewhere that the Ammatar are expert agronomist and horticulturalists, and that their region produces advanced food crops. I always thought that gave a little clue as to what their culture focus might be like. Educated and scientific, but more aimed at increasing basic domestic prosperity than at external politics or expansion. Agriculture is about the most conservative and non-dynamic area a culture can invest its energies into.

Good to see that there are a few people out there who are interested in Ammatar background. And yeah Horatius, I did misspeak - confusing the Nefantar with the Starkmanir =/. Thanks for the chronicle link, I have read it but it's been long enough I'd forgotten some of the specifics.
I'd be curious to see where it's mentioned that the Ammatar are heavy into agriculture, I haven't heard that before.
Thanks for the interest everyone, hopefully more tidbits on the Ammatar will be forthcoming.