Inter-Tribe Relations

The relations between Tribes varies greatly from one Tribe to the next. Some Tribes are close allies and so connected through Life Bonds or just a shared destiny that they may as well be considered one Tribe. Some Tribes are openly hostile to each other, attacking each other or waging war. The way in which Tribes interact is governed closely by a set of laws within all the Tribes. Ranger Outfits are often called upon to enforce those laws should a Tribe break them. Almost all written relations or agreements between Tribes are negotiated during a Gathering.

Aside from formal relations, naturally, Tribes experience informal relations as well. This would be the day to day interaction of a member of one Tribe with another should they have a reason to meet or trade. Informal relations can be established between individuals or families, even if the formal relations between Tribes is strained. For example, if two Tribes are having issues, that doesn't mean that all the people and families in the village are having conflicts with all the people and families in the opposing village. Each Tribe acts as almost an independent nation onto itself and as a nation, they may have policies but that doesn't mean that all the people within the nation subscribe to them.

## Trade

When Tribes trade, they often do so via a negotiated agreement in a Gathering. Trade can be the exchange of goods or even temporarily of people between Tribes in order to distribute the resources of the Tribes among each other. For example, a Tribe with a master cloth weaver may trade blankets and clothing to a Tribe with a master carpenter in exchange for furniture. These types of trade deals are negotiated and use contracts to be fulfilled. Such agreements may also cover simply trading members of the village for a specified amount of time. For example, a village may simply request that the master carpenter from another village spend some time with them and offer in exchange their master metal worker. Such trade agreements are extremely valuable to Tribes and are the manner in which they spread their wealth around.

Trade can also simply occur between people in the villages. If a villager who makes excellent shoes has a contact in a neighboring village with someone who makes metal pots, they may strike up an agreement and fund themselves the necessary transit of goods so that they can use them for barter within their own Tribe. Such personal agreements are bound by inter-Tribe law but are more strongly bound by the word of both parties. As such, Rangers cannot be called to settle any disputes, and it is left up to the families to settle them. As a result, failing to see a trade agreement through could turn violent. By oath, Chieftains are not expected to get involved in such disputes, but if one were to spiral out of control, may be forced to.

## Life Bonds

It is common for Tribes to reach agreements either formally through a Gathering or informally between families to establish Life Bonds with neighboring Tribes. Life Bonds are a type of marriage centered around the birth and care for children until the age of 8. At the age of 8, a Life Bond ends unless the couple decides otherwise. Further, the birth of more children extends the Life Bond another 8 years. To negotiate a Life Bond between Tribes requires that the parties involved determine to which Tribe the children will belong and as to which member of the couple travels to the other village. Life Bonds are enforced by Tribal law, and Rangers will enforce them should one party choose to try and escape or carry away the children. This is a rare scenario, however, as both parties in a couple of quite aware that they are free to go after 8 years, anyways.

Negotiated Life Bonds are very useful to build friendly relations from one Tribe to a next. After all, people are loathe to act with aggression or hostility towards another Tribe which may contain their grandchildren.

## Alliances and Treaties

It is not uncommon for nearby Tribes to form alliances or treaties. Formally, these are established during a Gathering. Treaties are binding and always set across a term. This is so that if a treaty is violated, Rangers or Bear Shamans may be employed to mediate. Alliances, of course, are not enforced by any outside party. Tribes may form an alliance for all sorts of reasons including mutual self defense or an agreement to attack another Tribe. Treaties are formed for reasons such as resource sharing, perhaps of a water source or deposit of metal, or simply as a right to cross the land of another without being stopped.

## Friendly Relations

Tribes which are close to each other in terms of mutual understanding, ideals, and often populated with the children of both Tribes through Life Bonds, often consider themselves merely extensions of each other. Such relations are actually the norm between most neighboring Tribes. Such relations are important because it allows the free flow of goods, knowledge, and skill between the Tribes, and all Tribes benefit. Tribes with friendly relations often have alliances or treaties that have been in effect for generations, and they see the bond between them as that of family and thereby unbreakable. Attacking one Tribe or wronging them in some way may indeed also be considered an attack or wrong against all the Tribes in a region. Therefore, it is often important for Tribes to tread quite carefully when considering their relations with their neighbors.

## Hostilities and War

Hostile relations or even open war between Tribes is not the norm, but it does happen. Such hostilities can form for any number of reasons. Perhaps a Chieftain is slighted by another. Perhaps one family within the village has been wronged heavily by a sour trade deal with a family in another village. In any event, once hostilities break out, they are often hard to stop as the pride and individualistic nature of each Tribe often prevents them from easily coming to terms other than through capitulation. Not all hostilities are violent. They may also be political including Tribes playing their allies against each other or trying to re-negotiate terms in a Gathering.

When two Tribes do go to war, there is little that governs their actions. Ranger Outfits are often called to make sure the war doesn't spill into neighboring Tribes, but other than that, the terms of the violence and its outcome are almost solely decided by the two warring parties. The only laws that govern them are when a Gathering may be called to negotiate an end to the violence. Villages are also expected to treat emissaries from enemy villages as their own, and if either party breaks that law may be subject to reprisal from Shamans or Rangers up to the execution of their Chieftain. As such, it is very, very rare that a village violates this rite.

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--Neil (talk) 17:33, 19 October 2016 (AST)