The Deer Watcher Tribe

**The Deer Watcher Tribe** is a normadic tribe from Galacia.

## **History**

The tribe settles in a region for a period of time and then will move with the various herds of deer in the region. The tribe has also practiced domesticating them like most would with other, more common livestock. To members, there is no formal name for the tribe. However, those outside that know of the tribe often refer to the people as Deer Wardens or Deer Watchers because of its strong connection to them.

## **Tribe Culture**

The tribe is fair in size, maintaining often 70 to 100 people depending on how well off they are. The tribe often trades with and contacts other civilizations while traveling. The tribe keeps good relations with those they meet. The tribe relies on material that they cannot harvest with a nomadic lifestyle and the people they trade with rely on the tribe to provide quality items associated with the herding (e.g. meat, pelts, horn, etc.)

The tribe is formed of a rather closely knit community. Everyone at least knows someone from each family. People are free to leave the tribe and return, but the tribe is hesitant to accept outsiders from joining. Unless adopted by a family, people often have to earn their right to become a member of the tribe. People are given names by their parents, but their surnames are relative to those parents. For example, Asmunder has two surnames, Sigutharson and Ingifritharson. Most people receive nicknames from friends and family. A family is often named after their current elder.

The tribe is not led by one person or family. The tribe places great trust in it’s elders, seeing their age as testament to good decision making. Each family usually relies on one of their elders to be a part of meetings and decisions. Although there have been differences in opinions between elders, it is often unanimous when deciding on matters of the tribe’s benefit.

The tribe, while not a pinnacle of modern civilization, has means to manage more modern means of life. The tribe’s primary source of Every family knows how to work simple pelts into basic attire, but some do spend more time and material to create nicer quality clothing for personal use and even trade. There is a family that runs a simple forge and smithing service, providing metal tools, weapons, and other items. Some members of the tribe have even started using their nomadic lifestyle to collect and trade luxury goods between other civilizations. Many of the elders, now unable to continue more physical work, spend their time practicing more knowledge based professions. Some become practitioners of alchemy, diplomacy, history and storytelling. Some elders have even taken to the study of the arcane.

#### **Deer Watcher Stories**

There is a story of ancestors arriving in the forests for the first time. The trees were young and the land untraveled. During their first night, while trying to make a fire, a wounded fawn approaches them, silver fur covered in blood. Shortly after, a large pack of wolves surround the group. A fight between man and beast ensues, lasting the whole night. The wolves appear from the darkness in unending droves with an unnatural viciousness. The group holds its ground, having lost weapons and shields to beasts biting and pulling them away. The ancestors unwilling to submit to their fate fight beasts with bare hands and iron will. Dawn comes and as the sun just begins to breach the trees, the wolves finally start to retreat. The ground stained in blood both the wolves and men’s. Piles of beast carcasses stack two feet high. The group finally begins to rest from a hard victory and as the fire is relit the fawn is looked over. It’s wound was not serious but had the fawn been left alone like that, a miracle would have been it’s only chance. The fawn is unafraid of these people and spends the time inspecting them, inspecting their belongings, and resting by their fire. With the morning almost over, the group gathers their belongings and prepares to return to the camp. The fawn follows them for a time, and as they are about to leave the forest a massive stag stands in their way. The stag’s horns are sharp, it’s stance sturdy, it’s breath billowing condensation, and it’s fur, silver. The group stands hesitant to the situation. The fawn, unabated, trots to the stag. A moment passes as the stag and fawn meet each other. The fawn stands to the side of the stag, the stag looks to the group, and then bows its head. As the two reunited deer return further into the forest, and the group leaves back to camp. Since then, the tribe regards the forests as their home and travels them with more freedom than most others have.

### **Geir**

The tribe has a religion in worship of Geir, a god of the forests in the regions they travel. Geir provides safe passage and bountiful resources for those that respect his forests. Geir can take the form of any of the animals of his domain with silver fur or feathers being his prominent feature. The tribe often depicts him in the form of a stag.

Geir has refered to themselves as also being called Cerununnos in other worlds and has stated that they are the entity of ancient forests throughout worlds.

## **Tribe Values**

The tribe holds simple values that act as one aspect that keeps people together.

* Loyalty
* Balance of Life
* Justice & Temperance in All Actions
* To Think before Action

Most are loyalty based where members are expected to respect the tribe, their family, their elders. Another is to act in the interest of the tribe should a course of action bring the tribe involved. One major value is that of balance, that survival requires both acts of good and evil. Balance means to satisfy one’s needs and not to overindulge in that which is not necessary. Such values have kept the tribe unified and prospering for generations. In many cases where people are conflicted, they are often encouraged to speak with elders for insight.

## **Tribe Members**

### **Berakind (Bera’s Kin)**

The family of Bera Ivarsdottier. Asmundr’s family. The family is a mix of herders and religious people.

#### **Members**

In relation to Asmundr

* **Bera Ivarsdottier - Elder**
	+ A member of the tribe’s spiritual leadership in worship of Geir.
	+ Asmundr's Grandmother.
* **Ivar Gegnirson (67) - Uncle**
	+ Veteran herder and trains apprentices
* **Siguthar Gegnirson (63) & Ingifrithar Tarrsdottier (60) - Parents**
	+ Siguthar is a veteran herder and trains apprentices. Bera’s son.
	+ Ingifrithar take care of the home and assists Bera in her work.
* **Asmundr (30)**
	+ Herder
* **Hrafna (35) - Sister**
	+ A cleric of the tribe and assistant to Bera.
* **Kol (33) - Brother**
	+ Trader

* **Austan (32) - Brother**
	+ Hunter
	+ Bearded
* **Asfrithar (28) - Sister**
	+ Herder - Works with goats, reindeer, and sheep.
* **Astrithar (28) - Sister**
	+ Tanner - Processes animal hides for leather
* **Gegnir (18) - Brother**
	+ An apprentice to Bera

### **Gunnarkind** (Gunnar’s Kin)

The family of Gunnar Gunnarson. The family’s main contribution to the tribe is running a forge and smithy. The family is also apart of the leatherworking parts of the tribe.

#### **Members**

In relation to Gunnar

* **Gunnar Gunnerson - Elder**
	+ Teaches apprentices to the smithy and catalogues the tribe’s knowledge of smithing
* **Sigurtha Tyrson - Wife**
	+ Leads the family’s work unassociated with smithing.
* **Gunnar - Son**
	+ Trades for the tribe and gathers material for the smithy
* **Tor - Son**
	+ Lead smith of the operation
	+ *Deceased - Amalgum*
* **Dordi Olafsdottir - Daughter in-law married to Tor**
	+ Runs the leather processing
* **Gunnar - Grandson**
	+ Smith
* **Hrolf - Grandson**
	+ Apprentice herder to Siguthar
* **Rowen - Granddaughter**
	+ Apprentice smith
	+ *Deceased*

### **Tuckskind** (Tuck’s Kin)

The family of Tuck Huginson. The family mainly consists of traders and individual craftsmen and researchers. Traders sometimes also act like diplomats when dealing with outsiders.

#### **Members**

In relation to Tuck

* **Tuck Huginson - Elder**
	+ Head trader who manages the supplies and storage within the tribe. Also is trusted as an ambassador to the tribe.
	+ Currently has an entity called **Brokken** attatched to them. Brokken is a large 2 meter tall badger-god that lives mostly underground and protects miners and subteranian creatures.
* **Oskar - Son**
	+ Performs alchemical and arcane research. Collects obscurities.
	+ Currently on Ali's ship.
* **Birget - Daughter**
	+ A head trader and organizer for trading with outside groups.
* **Brynhildr - Granddaughter**
	+ Hunter
* **Olen - Grandson**
	+ Collects luxury goods from outside the tribe and trades them.
	+ *Deceased - Amalgamated*
* **Bjorn - Grandson**
	+ Jeweler and Trader
* **Daggi - Granddaughter**
	+ Weaver and Trader