Crestpeak Family

The Crestpeak Family is a family of **Spears** generally not known to the central vens due to their far flung geographical location. With very different practices from most of spear culture this led to a cultural isolation to match their physical isolation.

### Isolation

Their physical isolation is caused by them living in the Sleeping Valley, a valley teeming with life, this valley resides within The Deephorn Mountains, a very dangerous region for anyone. Despite their physical isolation they still traded with nearby towns and such for resources, but only rarely and they did not interact with them much more than that.

### Bone Spears

Like every other Spear family, they used the honoured dead for their bone spears, in addition however, they used the beasts they hunt. Since they don't need to rely on family for their bone weapons, they often carried numerous bone weapons for specific tasks. Crestpeaks would often carry bonespears of specific animals in hopes that the animal's spirit would bestow its strengths upon them. They also had no qualms using non bone parts. They believed that so long as the area used to strike was bone it was to be considered a bonespear. Crestpeaks used their bonespears very differently as well, their weapons were physically stronger so they had no qualms using them for combat.

### Boneshapers

The trial to become a boneshaper is not an easy one. They must defeat a beast in single combat, and then form it into a spear, thereby taming its spirit. The boneshapers were often smiths to forge the iron to use in construction of the bone weapons. This iron was specially prepared by burning bones in the coals used to make it and was then used as fastenings to hold the weapon together better. Leather from the same beast was often used as well.

### Family History

According to Crestpeak legend, they were the best when it came to hunting dragons and giants and many other threats, although it is unknown whether these stories are true or not. Going by these stories, many are lead to believe that the Crestpeaks predate The Wildchoir. Many tales tell of the founder of the village, they were named Trip Crestpeak. The most recent of the leaders of the village was Silver Crestpeak. Though they were a relatively new chief when the undead attacked, they were able to lead the tribe from the valley.

## **Rites, Rituals, and Traditions**

### Tacnu Zoku

The Crestpeak Tacnu Zoku is to defeat a strong beast in honourable one on one combat. For Crestpeaks this is seen as a strengthening of spirit.

### Communication with the Ancestors

Crestpeak belief says that they can speak with the ancestors that completed their Taknu Zoku. They attempt to do this by surrounding them with their bonespears stuck in the ground, or laid upon surfaces such as stone, in a circular fashion. They then sit within and simply wait.

### Hunting for their Spears

Not just any animal corpse can be turned into a Crestpeak bonespear. Crestpeaks believe that in order for it to have any power, the hunter must also craft it into a bonespear. The crafting process includes making a deal with the beast’s spirit for it to lend its help as a bonespear.

### Hunting

Due to using bone weapons for everyday combat, they often cary multiple. It was considered taboo to carry more than one spear from the same species when going on a hunt. This was only so for more territorial animals as it was believed that they would fight each other through the wielder. Crestpeaks pride themselves on their spiritual ways of the hunt.

### Apparel

Most Crestpeaks wore primarily furs, leathers, and many other animal products.  Crestpeaks also pride themselves on their trophies such as Claws, teeth, and other animal parts, some even wear full skull trophies. They still wear metal armor, just nowhere near as much, and when they did, it almost always was bone iron as it was seen to protect them spiritually, no one knows for sure if this is at all true.