Kaas'Tuumbi

== Location/Atmosphere ==
Kaas'Tuumbi (Caws-Tomb-bee) is situated within the Topeivoldt Mountains, a chain of steep, snow-covered mountains that are perilous to those who are not familiar with the area. They are nestled in the Dumoy Valley, surrounded on all sides except for the one river path that carves through these magnificent mountains. The intense cold of the area causes most water to freeze, so they utilize deep wells, that special Umatombs, or "well makers", must train for years in order to create. Even though the town is within a valley, it is still high in altitude and will remain cold all throughout the year. Its people have gotten used to the cold, oxygen-scarce environment and thrive in the homes that they have made for themselves. Although they live so high up, they still can see massive, coniferous trees that seem to enjoy the cold conditions, and they also enjoy the cavern plants that populate the insides of the mountains and caves.
== Culture ==
This quaint mining town is situated within the mountains, removed from all other society, so its people have developed their own, unique culture and dialect. Kaas'Tuumbi holds numerous celebrations and the townsfolk all treat each other with love and respect. There is almost no crime, and it is almost always committed by someone visiting the area.
=== The Ice Matron ===
In the biting cold, the people of Kaas'Tuumbi live off of the belief that one day, the Ice Matron, Gaelabond, will come for them and see that they have built a thriving community that embraces her "gifts" and spare their lives as she covers the world in endless night and suffering. They have built altars and temples devoted to Gaelabond and offer her various types of food and artisanship, as they believe that the fruits of their labor belong the one that will keep them safe in times of need and at the world's end.
=== Celebrations ===
When you live in the bitter cold with not much to look at but the large, coniferous trees and massive stone-scapes, you learn how to enjoy yourself in other ways. They hold numerous unnamed celebrations all throughout the year and constantly eat and decorate all around the town. Whenever the colder, bitter months hit and they can't be outside all day, they move into their homes and buildings and continue the good times within a warmer environment. Contrary to what you may believe, they very much enjoy the cold and the warmth makes most of them itchy, so they tend to stay outside whenever possible, as their health permits.
During the coldest month of the year, Totafrost, they hold a massive, weeks long celebration. Their Totafrost Festival is held in their meeting hall, which is a massive, stone building within the deepest parts of their main mountain. They don't have a specific amount of time they celebrate for, but it typically last for about 3 weeks. Within the meeting hall, you will find that the town's shopkeepers, artisans, and specialists have set up stalls for people to peruse while enjoying their time there and this is the time in which most people buy grand gifts for each other. There is a dining section of the meeting hall, within which a kitchen and brewery are situated on the sides. People eat and drink here, as the cooks, brewers, and bakers all work together to create the best buffet that their fellows will enjoy all festival long. People tend to dress up as the Ice Matron's minions, which typically means they wear the bare minimum clothing and paint their bodies in blue, white, and pink paint, however some get crafty and construct apparatuses that look like the folktales depictions of the early minions. These costumes are fairly gruesome, and slightly horrifying to anyone that may not understand and these tales are things that keep children in their beds at night. Others dress in comfortable clothing and just embrace the celebration. There are games played and contests held, each varying in rewards, but the annual Totafrast Race warrants the best prize to its winner. That prize is almost always quite a bit of currency, and the year-long deed to the Totafrost Manor, the second largest building in Kaas'Tuumbi, which features hot springs, lavish furniture, and all the comforts one could enjoy.
Birthdays are another big celebration for the people of Kaas'Tuumbi. Right at the moon's peak, the celebration begins and they celebrate from moon's peak to moon's peak. The birthday person is put on a pedestal seat and carried around town, even in Totafrost when the weather is the harshest. The birthday celebration features a large pie made by the bakers in town, gifts from their friends and family, and a feast that is held all day within and outside their residence. Gifts range from hugs to favors to large constructs or flashy items. At the ending moon's peak, that person is painted with a deep, crimson red paint, and the special celebratory brush, in a vertical line down their face from their forehead to their chin. This is a ritual that all the townspeople partake in and they all chant, "Another year, another year!", as the birthday person is slowly painted. When all is said and done, everyone helps clean up the town and some stay to assist in the cleaning of the birthday person's residence. If there are twins who are clebrated, the same celebration applies, both most things are just doubled.
Death is another thing that is celebrated. People in Kaas'Tuumbi are not buried, instead encased in monuments of ice and placed in the side of Mt. Gaelabond. They are left on display for as long as the ice remains intact, which is typically many years, and then they are placed in the actual monument within the mountain where their ice-preserved bodies remain for the rest of eternity. Anyone that gets to join the Ice Matron in the afterlife, must have a good time and safe journey, so they leave the bodies with an offering and a protective, spiritual weapon that they believe will assist in thwarting off evil spirits on their trip to the afterlife. The "spiritual" weapons are spears that have been anointed in special oil, and decorated with images and items that they held dear in life.
=== Diet/Food Gathering Practices ===
The diet of the people of Kaas'Tuumbi consists of various cave-dwelling plants and the animals that live and thrive within the confines of the caverns in their mountains, as well as a much more limited selection of outside-dwelling plants and animals. They are heavily omnivorous and most people are not picky at all, eating any and everything that hits their tables. It is seen as rude to reject something your host or parents feed you, so they will consume everything and dinner, especially, is a lively time filled with stories, conversation, and laughter. Most people typically eat one meal a day, but some do partake in the smaller meals throughout the day. 
There are some farms both outside in the cold and within the expansive cave systems that farmer cultivate hardy, cold-embracing crops. They can't grow anything outside during the colder months (about two months before and after Totafrost) and the outside farmers will relocate and work with the cave farmers until these months are over. With their rotations, crops are grown and harvested all year-long, keeping a steady flow of food coming to the people of Kaas'Tuumbi. There is one farm that grows a special type of crop, Matronus Vie, which is a special blue plant with psychoactive properties. People only indulge on this crop on special occasions, as overindulgence is seen as an addictive and evil behavior.
For meat, there are ranches that are managed by the cave ranchers. This is the only steady supply of meat, but there are hunters that take to locating, stalking, and slaughtering the outside-dwelling creatures. This is a less steady supply of meat, but warrants larger and better tasting yields, which are enjoyed as a delicacy and are typically reserved for more special occasions, but are not exclusively meant to be.
== Leadership ==
The leadership of Kaas'Tuumbi is essentially the entire town, as they decide on management, construction, and laws collectively. However, there often arises a particular charismatic individual, which people regard as an informal leader and their choices typically guide the town into their respective visions. The current informal leader is Jomei Tuumbi, a tall, slender elven person with smooth, tan skin, long, flowing chestnut hair, and commanding green eyes. They are more female presenting, but fairly androgynous and are typically seen wearing long, flowing green robes with white accents.
Category:Locations