Post by obxpanda on Jul 26, 2010 10:27:06 GMT -5
It was early one spring morning when Mara woke. She gathered a few supplies and packed them in her bag, grabbing her staff and bow she quietly left her cave. As she walked through the tunnel her heart was heavy. She paused at the entrance and looked back one last time before leaving her home forever.
The previous eve at the Tyonraty council meeting, it was decided that she would go and live with the Elipochi clan. She was to marry their chief’s son, and since the Elipochi’s chief was older than Mara’s father, he had the choice of where the married couple would live. But Mara was not ready to get married, and by leaving her clan she would never become the clan’s Shaman.
Mara's clan, Tyonraty, and the Elipochi clan were just two of the four clans that lived in the Wealdath Forest. All of them direct descendants from an Ancient Green Dragon named Iliihechty. The clans each consist of about twenty people, and they live in caves nearby one another, the entrances to which are well hidden by waterfalls. When a child reaches the age of eighteen, the leaders of each clan would decide who would be married, and the child would reside with the strongest of the parents and their clan. Marriage outside of the clans was forbidden, save for every third generation; this was to ensure the blood line would stay pure. Every third generation an outside would be taken to mate with an elected female member just to keep the blood line from being damaged from inbreeding. The marriage customs of the clans have been this way for the past ten generations.
Each clan has a leader which is the oldest member, as well as a shaman, warriors and scouts. Every day a patrol leaves the cave to make sure the forest around the cave entrance is not disturbed. Once a month a group consisting of scouts, warriors, and the shaman travels to Mosstone, a city to the east, to get supplies. These groups have been known to raid caravans along the trade route as well. They worship Timat and revere Iliihechty since their great father had passed on to the afterlife. As such, their native tongue is Draconic, but they speak a combination of Chondathan, Elven and Sylan to communicate with those that travel in the forest.
Mara’s father was the leader of the Tyonraty clan. She was trained in using the long bow to hunt for food and is also one of the few of her clan that the magic from Iliihechty was strong in. The Tyonraty community is strong and self supporting, having all the comfort that other communities offer. A comfort that Mara was now leaving behind.
The previous eve at the Tyonraty council meeting, it was decided that she would go and live with the Elipochi clan. She was to marry their chief’s son, and since the Elipochi’s chief was older than Mara’s father, he had the choice of where the married couple would live. But Mara was not ready to get married, and by leaving her clan she would never become the clan’s Shaman.
Mara's clan, Tyonraty, and the Elipochi clan were just two of the four clans that lived in the Wealdath Forest. All of them direct descendants from an Ancient Green Dragon named Iliihechty. The clans each consist of about twenty people, and they live in caves nearby one another, the entrances to which are well hidden by waterfalls. When a child reaches the age of eighteen, the leaders of each clan would decide who would be married, and the child would reside with the strongest of the parents and their clan. Marriage outside of the clans was forbidden, save for every third generation; this was to ensure the blood line would stay pure. Every third generation an outside would be taken to mate with an elected female member just to keep the blood line from being damaged from inbreeding. The marriage customs of the clans have been this way for the past ten generations.
Each clan has a leader which is the oldest member, as well as a shaman, warriors and scouts. Every day a patrol leaves the cave to make sure the forest around the cave entrance is not disturbed. Once a month a group consisting of scouts, warriors, and the shaman travels to Mosstone, a city to the east, to get supplies. These groups have been known to raid caravans along the trade route as well. They worship Timat and revere Iliihechty since their great father had passed on to the afterlife. As such, their native tongue is Draconic, but they speak a combination of Chondathan, Elven and Sylan to communicate with those that travel in the forest.
Mara’s father was the leader of the Tyonraty clan. She was trained in using the long bow to hunt for food and is also one of the few of her clan that the magic from Iliihechty was strong in. The Tyonraty community is strong and self supporting, having all the comfort that other communities offer. A comfort that Mara was now leaving behind.