Tribe Culture

*"There is actually only a fine line between barbarism and civilization. That is known, but what isn't known is where that line should be drawn. Take the enigmatic people of the forest to the east as an example. What little we know about them is only through a happenstance run-in on the great Highway and writings about visits to their villages near the Spine. They live in homes made of mud, sticks, and stone. Their children run about, unwashed and dirty. They quite literally slaughter animals in open tents, not fifteen feet from communal drinking wells, where all eyes can see. Yet, the have ancient laws which they all follow, seemingly without enforcement. They share everything among their tribes, allowing everyone to benefit from the collective. When one person in the village needs help, the entire village responds. These are things that even the people in our greatest cities would consider completely alien, and yet, wouldn't that give them reason to consider us barbarians?"* - **Essays on the Peoples of the Republic**

The culture of the Forest Tribes is as ancient as the earth and as complex as the more civilized peoples on Indagar. The Forest Tribes have existed on Indagar since the time before written history, and therefore, it is not exactly known when they came to establish their presence in the Great Forest. During what is assumed to stretch for at least several thousand years, the Forest Tribes have evolved a complex society built around weaving together tiny villages through a simple, ancient code and a collective mindset. Tribe villages are communes where the people of the village work towards the common good of the Tribe as a whole. They have no need for a currency, and their entire system of life is built around barter. Relations between the Tribes is governed by ancient laws, mostly based on honor, but still policed by outside organizations that all of the Tribes support and view as necessary. Each Tribe is autonomous, and they are as unique as the people who inhabit their villages. Yet, when called upon, the Tribes can and do band together for mutual support and defense. Such a society built on tiny, independent villages that can also put the might of its people together at a regional level, all while sustaining a communal home environment would simply be impossible in any other civilized area of Indagar.

## Village Economy

Almost all Tribes maintain their villages as communes. This means that all people work towards the benefit of the village rather than solely towards personal ambitions. It is important to note that this is not absolutely the case, as individuals within a village do have plans, ambitions, and self-serving ideas. However, village law often requires that members of the Tribe work mostly in support of the Tribe. They are free beyond those obligations to chase their own dreams, accordingly.

To organize this, Tribes begin training children at the age of 8 to fill needed roles within the Tribe. Once they reach that critical age, children are no longer considered to be the sole responsibility of the parents and are then instead considered the responsibility of the entire Tribe. As members of the Tribe, they apprentice into roles such as farming or crafting, and they will continue to fulfill that role until their death. Having any particular job or role within the Tribe typically is not seen as being anymore important than another role as it is taught from an early age that the survival of all depends on the survival of the Tribe. Therefore, no one in a village considers a farmer, for example, being any more or less than a metal worker, cloth worker, or otherwise. Once this role has been established, a person's place within the Tribe is cemented. They are expected to fill that job each day for the betterment of the Tribe. Once that work for the day is completed, Tribesfolk are free to explore other avenues of their lives.

The people of the Tribes often spend their extra time learning new skills, effectively cross training, socializing, and simply playing. Learning how to fill the job of another is not only important for Tribe survival, it is also encouraged because those with extra, handy skills can use those to barter. If, for example, in his past time, a farmer learns the art of cloth weaving, he may later use those skills for his own gains such as decorating his home, constructing his own clothes, or creating goods for his neighbors in exchange for their services. In this way, people who are ambitious or desire more have avenues to work harder for personal gain, and their regular job is more or less the tax they pay to the Tribe.

For those professions which produce, such as farming, hunting, or crafting, the workers are allowed to keep a certain portion of what they produce. The amount that they keep is relative to the current health of the Tribe as a whole and is dictated by the Elder Council. If for example there is a harvest bounty, farmers would be able to keep larger amounts of what they produce for themselves for trade. If there is a shortage on meat, however, hunters would be required to keep less. In this way, the focus on everyone for keeping the Tribe in a state of plenty is important as it nets the individual more income in the process.

The Tribes do not have a common currency. They exclusively use barter and at a higher level, trade negotiations to manage their resources. Between individuals, they may simply trade for the product or skills of another person. For example, if a person needs help repairing or making an enhancement to their home, they may pay for their neighbor's time by giving him some of the excess stone work they had produced. Those with high talent or yield become somewhat richer than the people around them. For example, a highly skilled clothier may be sought after by many in a village, and thereby be able to amass a larger amount of personal wealth and prestige than others. Although communal, this behavior is not discouraged. It is simply seen that as long as everyone is paying their fair share to the Tribe, they are otherwise free to act as they wish. This strikes a cord and shows the balance that exists between the fierce, individualism of the Tribesfolk and their paradoxical, communal society.

High level trade negotiations are very common between Tribes. If, for example, one Tribe has access to a resource in the nearby forest such as dyes or specific fruits, they may harvest those to fuel trade between a neighboring Tribe who might be supplying them with work or goods that they can't produce. It is through these high level negotiations that the bounty of the Tribes slowly trickles all throughout the region. For example, if a particular Tribe near the Spine has access to metal resources, slowly those resources will make their way across the entire region by trade chains that exist between the villages. Although it is common economics that the villages furthest from the source would feel the pressure of increased cost for some goods, and such imbalances do exist, they are highly mitigated in that those flows are typically two way streets. This means that although metal goods may become more and more expensive the farther away from the Spine you get, those same villages with access to metal working are also paying a much higher price for goods that can only be found in the central regions of the Great Forest.

## Village Culture

As a communal society, villagers see themselves effectively as an extended family. This is supported by cultural ideals but is also reinforced by their communal, barter economy. As with any large family, there are obviously schisms and varying feelings between the individuals, but as a whole, the village will come together and act as one in support of itself. Service to the Tribe is held as the highest ideal, and as such, individuals and families are expected to put aside differences when it comes to the health and safety of the whole Tribe. Those who cannot are often punished by the Tribe leadership.

Tribes are led by a Chieftain and often also an Elder Council. The Elders are literally the aged people in the community. Each Tribe maintains its own requirements about joining the council, but typically there is an age requirement of around 40. It is not uncommon, however, if a Tribe has a particular young individual who is especially gifted in one area to be placed onto the Elder Council to tap into his wisdom. For example, if a Tribe has an especially gifted tactical thinker, she may be placed on the Elder Council to provide wisdom in terms of war. The Chieftain is the leader of the village, but he must also answer to the Elder Council. It is the Chieftain who has tie breaking power for tough decisions by the Council. The Chieftain also has the role of communicating the will of the council to the people and enforcing it. Thus, the Chieftain and the Council members are held in higher esteem among the villagers because they are effectively the heart and mind of the village.

In general, the people of the Tribes are fierce individuals. Beyond the structure of Tribe leadership, communal service, and codes of law, each person is freely allowed to make choices and decisions based on their own way. Acceptance and tolerance of your neighbor's life choices is taught at a young age. The Tribesfolk are not supposed to judge harshly or even involve themselves in the lives of others in the Tribe who do not wish it. Therefore, tolerance in Tribal society for all sorts of ways of life is very high. If conflicts do occur between individuals that cannot be ignored or resolved, they will be mediated by the Elder Council and a suitable resolution will be found. It is rare that anyone be forced to do something that they do not wish. The Tribesfolk believe that each person is best served by chasing their own way of life without interference as much as possible, and they do not have any intrinsic understanding for ways of life which use laws or authority to otherwise squash the individual's will in favor of a social norm. This has the benefit of creating a very free society, but it also has the drawback that Tribes have little in the way of instituting social policy to solve problems.

Distinct groups do exist within a Tribe, typically along family lines. Children are with their parents until the age of 8, and even after that, their closest relationships will still be with their family. As such, it is not uncommon within a Tribe to find groups of individuals who share common thinking, outlooks, and traits. It is also then not uncommon for familial groups to have conflicts among each other. The ties that bind families are strong. In large villages, familial groups may often be more akin to a sub-Tribe, negotiating trade or other contracts between families as a unit. The governing of such relationships is loose and is simply an extension of the same simple principles that govern individuals. Effectively, the Tribe stays out of the business of the families as much as it can. Families are therefore free to negotiate or resolve conflict between themselves. Any negotiations that they reach are then enforced by the Tribe leadership. If there are real tensions, the Elder Council will resolve the issues through mediation. Some family groups within a village may also grow richer as a unit and demand more prestige from their neighbors. These types of interactions as seen generally as acceptable to the Tribe as a whole provided such a family does not begin to interfere with the communal politics of the Tribe leadership.

## Individualism

The Tribesfolk are taught from childhood that respect of the individual is highly valued. Therefore, it is not the place of the Tribe to pass judgement on the will or acts of the individual unless they are negatively effecting the Tribe or another individual in some way. At the age of 8, children join the village as apprentices and assume the rights of individuals. People within the Tribes are therefore free to make friends with whom they wish, build relationships with whom they wish, chase hobbies and dreams that they wish, and are expected to be able to do so without interference from others. Being an individual is highly prized in most Tribes, meaning that the ideals of group think or fitting in are actually looked down upon. This creates an amazingly free society in comparison to most, but it also creates a lot of room for strife between individuals and social conflict.

To display their individualism, tattoos and other body art are common place. Further, clothing choice, color choice, and other ways of expressing one's self are very common. Tribes people often do not dress alike other than based on the restrictions that they have in workable material. Dealing with individuals is also therefore a real art and science when it comes to leadership and charisma. Each person must feel considered. This makes dealing with groups very difficult, but it also means that people who do come together do so in a fiercely loyal way.

Honor is very important among the Tribe. Honor is established by being true to oneself but also by being true to others. Such an honor system is what creates the glue which allows individuals to interact efficiently. So long as each person honors and respects the will of the other, consensus can be reached. The downside to such an honor system is that when individuals feel their honor or will is besmirched, they also then feel the need to defend it. Since the warrior culture is pervasive in the Tribe due to forced military service, fights between individuals is not at all uncommon. In the end, if two individuals cannot come to terms, the Elder Council may step into to resolve their situation for them, and honor will dictate that they follow the will of the Council.

## Warrior Culture

To survive as a Tribe, all members of the Tribe are trained starting at the age of 8 to fight. This is not only important to protect the Tribe from outsiders, it is also simply important to protect oneself from attack from creatures of the forest. Should you find yourself working a field and suddenly beset upon by a beast of the forest, it is imperative that you know how to fight. This type of training and need to learn to fight creates a warrior culture within a village. Such a culture sees value in the strength of arms and skills of fighting. Warriors who are especially gifted are held in high esteem.

Because of the constant need to refine fighting skills, many Tribes often hold contests to determine who in the village is the strongest warrior. These contests are seen as sport, and winners are often lauded or perhaps even gifted with prizes. Losers lose little more than pride, and when a Tribe has many strong warriors, this is a great source of pride for the entire village.

The warrior culture this creates works well with the stark individualism of the Tribesfolk. It serves the dual purpose of self defense as well as making sure that the individual is quite capable of defending his own individualism.

## Tribe Law

Most laws within a Tribe a very simple and are often not seen as needed. There are, however, some basic laws that exist in almost every Tribe. New laws or edicts are created by the Elder Council, and they are not entered into lightly. Laws are expected to only govern the overall health of the Tribe and not to interfere greatly with the individuals. Thus, getting a new law through Council is very difficult.

The basic laws of almost any Tribe cover basic human rights. The right to body, the sanctity of life bonds, right to individualism, and laws governing the honoring of agreements are all in place, often not written but just understood. These principles are considered so basic as to not need formal introduction. The laws governing agreements almost always override others. If, for example, two people decide that the only way to resolve a dispute is through a duel to the death, the winner would not be punished provided he has witnesses that the other party agreed. Likewise, individuals within life bonds who willfully choose to violate its sanctity are allowed to do so provided they have an agreement between them. Violating an agreement is considered a basic violation of the honor of the individual. These basic laws are enforced by the Chieftain and Elder Council. They are often extremely harshly punished, even up to death. Therefore, violating such very basic laws of human rights is quite rare.

Beyond that, laws for a given village can vary depending on the needs of the village. There may be village laws governing access to resources, governing movement, governing time, or any number of other needs. Such laws will be very basic and highly depend on the village's needs. For example, a village might have a law governing being in the fields after dark because they simply have gotten tired of people being injured by some animal attacks. They may have a law which governs access to public working areas because they simply have too many people that need access at one time. They may have laws governing how people must contribute to social projects like repairs of their communal hall. Such laws are created on a case by case basis and can be dismissed when no longer needed by the Elder Council.

Most cases of law happen as a result of agreements between individuals and families. Such cases can be complex as contracts between individuals are often complex. In order for a contract to be proven, it must be approved and thereby documented by the Council. Any agreements made outside of contract are therefore not subject to recourse and left to the individuals to solve. If individuals create a problem while trying to resolve the issue, the Council will step in and negotiate an end to the agreement in any way they see fit. This can usually end badly for one side or another making seeking recourse not often desired. Contracts between individuals can be created along any lines.

One special case of Tribe law is the Life Bond. When bearing children, couples are expected to honor and stay together until the child reaches the age of 8. Life bonds are held in utmost regard. Violating the sanctity of the life bond can be punishable in an extreme way.

## Inter-Tribe Law

There are also a few laws governing the relations between Tribes that are ancient and well understood. Most are based, similar to individual law, around an honor system and a strict adherence to agreements and negotiations. Such negotiations are almost always reached through a Gathering. There are rites of the Gathering which address behavior during such an event, and these rites can be enforced by Ranger Outfits if needed. Beyond that, once an agreement is struck, it is expected to be followed to the letter or until once side lets the other out of the agreement. Again, these are often enforced by Ranger Outfits.

Beyond such agreements, there is little that governs the interactions between Tribes, but there are some basically understood laws. First, a Tribe is expected to not intrude on the area immediately surrounding a village without consent. Many Tribes are so friendly with each other that consent is implied, but for those that are not, they can take the right to territory very seriously. There are also basic rights around Tribe interaction in terms of human rights. Obviously, attacking another Tribe without an express declaration of war is immediately punishable by Ranger Outfits. Further, acting in defiance of another Tribe by denying it resources or otherwise trying to undermine it through malicious intent such as poisoning a water supply or raiding their lands is also punishable by Ranger Outfits.

Tribes are all also bound by oath and honor to pay duty to their local Ranger Outfits. Failure to do so can result in reprisal.

## Shaman Law

Bear Shamans are a critical cornerstone of Tribe society. Shamans act as mediators, negotiators, and protectors of the Tribe. It is therefore not uncommon for a Bear Shaman to seek out a particular Tribe for assistance. Tribes are bound by culture to assist a Shaman when she calls. Shamans also act with authority within a village. Should a Shaman visit a village and have need to pass edict, it is obeyed by the Chieftain and Elder Council in almost all cases.

Return to Forest Tribes Back Story

--Neil (talk) 16:59, 25 October 2016 (AST)