The United Tribes of Jukai

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*Nature is change.*

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## *Overview*

The United Tribes of Jukai is the vassal state of Sen. Encompassing a cozy portion of the eastern seaboard north of Qiulong, the primary geographical feature of Jukai is forest. Wooden houses with thatched roofs, wide verandas, and interconnected rock pools decorate the ground level of Jukai settlements. Pit houses, dug deep beneath the earth, provide storage for perishable foods and collect runoff rainwater. Finally, social outposts like market stalls, gathering-places, tribal offices, and sites of worship are constructed in the canopy of the trees, connected to one another through a complex series of ladders, ropes, slides, levers, and pulleys that require a high degree of dexterity to navigate successfully.

### Kinongbo

The capital of Jukai is Kinongbo, a city nestled between two of the three rivers flowing out of the massive Uma-ori Lake. Kinongbo is situated in the Atatukai region of Jukai, where it deals with the long stretches of dry season by diverting water from the nearby Ruku River. Kinongbo is the most agriculturally cultivated settlement in Jukai. Terraced fields of rice paddies, perennial vegetables, and bright fruit trees hedge the western border of the city proper, which is built on top of a high hill overlooking the Ruku River. There are no formal borders, walls, or posts that demarcate the boundaries of Kinongbo; the capital simply begins. Houses made of wood, cement, and glazed tile dot the landscape, with interconnected farmlands and streams. Wells, drilled deep into the hilly soil, tap into fresh veins of groundwater originating from Three-Hoof Lake.

As we draw closer to the heart of Jukai, the houses become cloistered together, their verandas, walking paths, and rock gardens bleeding into each other with such interdependency that it becomes impossible to tell where one building begins and another ends. Residential homes, merchant stalls, and artisans’ workshops alike intertwine; it is common here for multiple families to eat, sleep, work, barter, and make art together. The Kinongbo hill continues to slope gently upward until we reach a flat, gradual peak. Here, you’ll find the magnificent palatial complex of the Jukai leader: Lord Henka of Oju, the Great Uniter.

### Power

At the top of the political ladder is Lord Henka Oju, the Great Uniter, to whom all the vassal tribes must regularly pay tribute and taxes. Seven years ago, Lord Henka concluded a successful, decades-long military campaign to unite the warring tribes of Jukai under a single banner. Now, it is said that the tribes live in blissful harmony. Underneath Lord Henka are the other Lords of the other tribes, and underneath them are the heads of households. Each tribe is comprised of closely-knit familial units, complete with their own unique norms and family traditions. Marriages between young adults of different tribes are a common way to secure alliances, as are trade agreements, and the sharing of favored hunting and harvesting grounds.

Toward the bottom of the social order are the iransa, or the household servants: the workers who manage each family’s cooking, cleaning, organizing, tidying, child-rearing and general labor. Iransa are forbidden from participating in hunting and harvesting efforts, which is seen as a necessary labor and honor that regular members of household perform. That being said, it is a common cultural understanding that an iransa one day can easily turn into the head of household the next, due to the constancy of change. It is not unheard of for sudden turns of luck to occur that might reverse an entire social order within a tribe, nor do iransa all silently accept their fate; many of them achieve advancement through the tribe by forming close, personal relationships with the heads of household. Although power, prestige, and titles are often passed down through bloodlines, it is not an uncommon occurrence for a head or even Lord to gift their title to a favored iransa.

### Culture

Hunters and harvesters are the lynch-pins of Jukan society. The more skilled a person is at hunting or harvesting, the more rapidly they can advance through their tribe, and the more favors bestowed upon them by their heads of household or Lords. Young people who come of age must all pass a trial of hunting or harvesting; failure can mean mandated social ostracism, or even expulsion from the tribe. Those who win the trial each year are granted a special personal favor by the Lord of their tribe. Heads of household are usually the best hunters or harvesters in their family, and Lords are typically the best within their tribe.

On par with hunting and harvesting, social maneuvering is a highly valued skill. Children are taught from a young age how to control their facial expressions, regulate their tones of voice, and otherwise identify ways to manipulate the currents of power flowing between individuals, social groups, and even entire tribes. As such, each person has multiple names, ranging anywhere from five or six to over thirty. Names are gifted to youth by parents, relatives, friends, heads of household, and Lords. Each name is treasured on their own terms, and regarded as equally important.

## Landmarks

### Igbochiba

The temperate deciduous forest of Igbochiba dominate the southern third of Jukai. Here, the springs are pleasant, the summers are moist, the autumns golden, and the winters chilly but manageable. There are a total of two dozen or so tribes scattered across the temperate woods of Igbochiba and the mixed forest of Atatukai.

### Atatukai

As we move farther north, Igbochiba transforms into the mixed forest of Atatukai, which attracts long stretches of heavy rains and dry seasons. That being said, the hunting grounds of Atatukai are particularly prolific, making them a popular spot for tribes all over Jukai to gather, hunt, and harvest.

### Fumosoki

The northernmost swath of Jukai is dominated by the boreal forests of Fumosoki. Perennial snows, blizzards, and freezing temperatures make the climate harsh, and dissuade tribes from staying here for an extended period of time. Only the exiled and outcast members of Jukai society inhabit the taiga of Fumosoki. Although dangerous, the flora and fauna of Fumosoki produce many valuable byproducts -- seeds, furs, milks, venoms, fruits, and spores that contain highly sought after magical and medicinal properties. The most skilled and daring hunters and harvesters are known to brave the woods of Fumosoki in order to gather these materials for crafting and trade.

### Uma-ori / Three-Hoof Lake

Uma-ori Lake is the largest lake in Andake after Zeema. In Common, its name means “Three-Hoof Lake,” a reference to the lake’s horse-like appearance. This lake is home to an emissary known as Unmei.