Children of the Sun
01-10-2019, 05:21 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-10-2019, 06:36 PM by Tealah.)
The Sun's People have been a nomadic tribe of hunter/gatherers for as long as the Great Sun has shown on the green growing earth, far back to the times of the great ice expanses, the mammoths and the woolly rhinoceros, and their ways have changed very little in all that time. They are a society of animistic shamans, peerless hunters and navigators. Not being a particularly militaristic society but rather one that encourages self-sufficiency, they do not place any particular significance on fighting skills, rather exalting each skill for its contribution to their survival. Their warriors tend to be trained with an eye towards protection from predators rather than warfare. Crafts are decorated beautifully but simply, and more often by the wolf who will be using the item than a dedicated crafter or trader, though they do hold meetings with nearby tribes every summer. Healers and hunters alike are highly sought after for mates, and the leaders are very often the best navigators but are also expected to be well-versed in all of the skills to better understand the needs and abilities of the wolves they lead.
Societal Structure
The structure of the society is simple - the greater society as a whole is broken down into tribes, which are further broken down into bands and from there into family groups. The tribes are most often named for elements of the natural world, usually a major feature of the area they tend to inhabit, such as the Tribe of the Silver River, or the Tribe of the Black Plains. Bands, in contrast, are named after another animal. Within the band, the families are grouped into dens named after the head of their family and usually consists of couple, any children who have not married and made a den of their own, and often an elder family member from the previous generation who is no longer capable of providing for themselves or chooses to move in with their children or grandchildren out of loneliness - such wolves are often welcomed for their wisdom and the status it may bestow upon a favored denleader, but can also cause strife and difficulties when they are not used to allowing another to lead their den. So a wolf might be named Auvel Andersden of the Raven Band of the Tribe of the Black Plains, son of the Sun's People. A specific wolf's standing within the society as a whole is complex and fluid, based on his standing within his band, and the band's standing within the Tribe, but his own deeds outside of the tribe can also raise or lower his band's standing as well, making a wolf's behavior among those not of his band extremely important.
Gender Roles
Though males and females are generally equal as far as status is concerned, the two sexes are often encouraged into different occupations. The women are gently encouraged to find occupations that keep them nearer to the band's center, such as healers, guards, or childrearing, while the men are encouraged to take up the occupations that would lead them further afield such as hunters and far-ranging scouts. Females who choose traditionally masculine roles are not disregarded in comparison to their male counterparts, but they are discouraged from ever bearing young as the necessities of childbirth and nursing make it difficult to properly perform their duties. Those who choose to have families anyway mostly choose to marry a male with a stay-at-home sort of occupation so that the pups will always have a parent around. Quite often the wolves who buck the traditional roles are those of alternative sexualities, who are less affected by the requirements of parenthood.
Sexuality
Alternative sexualities are not viewed as taboo, seen as a rather effective form of birth control. Marriage is a matter of two wolves who love one another seeking to bind their lives together, usually at the Summer Meeting though if a couple becomes pregnant between Meetings they may sometimes choose a quiet ceremony among just the band in order to form a new Den before the pups are born. Pups are considered a joy and a blessing, and even among same-sex couples or those who cannot bear children they may seek out a surrogate to provide them for a Den to raise.
There is a casual sort of sexual freedom often practiced discreetly, though it's strongly discouraged to conduct affairs flagrantly because of the jealousy they may cause, but at festivals and certain ceremonies it is expected to find new partners for the night, to celebrate the gift of life. For this reason, family lines are most often matrilineal, with care taken whenever possible to avoid breeding between half-siblings by marrying those from outside the band. This allows a much greater diversity of bloodlines within a band, and the occasional accidental linebreeding during festivals has less effect and is tolerated, though not encouraged.
Important Roles
The leader, or most often leaders, of each band are usually the founders of the band. Generally one male and one female, most often mates or siblings but occasionally two unrelated wolves who chose to work together, so that they will be harmoniously balanced between the Great Sun and her Consort the Moon - on a more practical reasoning, because they feel that a female leader is more likely to understand the female followers and a male the males, so having one of each is thought to lead to fewer misunderstandings, though this of course does not take alternative sexualities into account quite as well. Thought the two leaders will be in theory completely equal, one leader will naturally gravitate towards taking the lead in situations that they excel in, and in practice one leader will often be looked to more than the other overall. The leaders are expected to show the Tribe that they are capable and trustworthy individuals, and must show a greater understanding of each skill than individuals are usually expected to. They must, between the two of them, demonstrate understanding and skill in navigation, healing, fighting, and hunting, as well as the less definable skills in dealing with social issues, before they will be allowed to set off on their own with a band.
Each band must also have a shaman, though some bands close in distance and location may share a shaman between them. This, though not unheard of, is unusual because the shaman must regularly travel between them, and if he or she has charge of several bands they must often have an apprentice within each clan to take care of small things in the shaman's absence. Shamans are sometimes also healers, but most often not since they must by necessity be more focused on the spiritual aspects of a band than the physical. Some of the very best of the shamans of the People are healers as well, though, their understanding of the way the mind body and spirit combine into a whole sometimes giving them far greater insight into the well-being of their charges than others. Some are hunters, following the way of the Horned One who gives wolves the hunt, and still others follow the way of the stars. The gods allow for many paths, but each shaman is expected to retain vast amounts of knowledge in the history and lore of their people, as well as the bloodlines of each wolf within their band. They interpret portents, perform ceremonies and rituals, tell stories, and provide for the spiritual well-being not only of the wolves of the band but also of the world around them - keeping the balance of the spirits.
Tribal Meetings
Every summer the various bands each get together, most often within their own tribe but depending on the size of the tribe there may be several different meeting places. Bands may choose to attend any one of them, or a meeting from a different tribe, depending on the distance they are willing to travel and what they are hoping to get at the meeting. Summer Meetings provide the opportunity for trade, for skill building, for competitions, but also for meeting wolves from other bands either for mates or to bring new skills or status to a band. Wolves dissatisfied with their current band may petition another band for entry there. Bands with too few members or who have lost their leaders may merge. Bands that have grown too large may petition the Council of Elders to split into a new band, if the potential new leader can show that they possess the skills and followers to support themselves.
Physical Attributes
Since the People are drawn from a wide variety of families and lands and bloodlines so often mingle far from their ancestral homes, the gene pool for the group is extremely varied, and the phenotypes expressed are equally diverse. The vast majority of the group are naturally colored and very few have any sort of mutations - vivid, unnatural colorations are not particularly sought after in a mate since the society widely revolves around hunting and nature, and mutations are widely considered to be unlucky, but there are of course exceptions, particularly if the unnatural coloration mimics in some way a particular bird or reptile or the mutation is a useful trait from another animal. Because they're not particularly sought after, they are rare to pass through family lines, but certainly not unheard of. Albinos, due to the nature of their condition and the light sensitivity, skin cancers, and poor eyesight that often come with it, are considered to be extremely unlucky and pups that display the condition often grow up shunned and eventually leave the group if they do not die naturally. They do not find mates within the group, and so are nearly nonexistent. Even red or pink eyes with a non-white coat are looked at warily, and will find it more difficult to find mates than another.
Markings are very diverse, with no particular emphasis placed on any particular set except by personal preferences of individuals, and color combinations also vary. Golden fur is considered to be particularly sought after, both in a main color or as markings. Wolves with gold fur or gold or yellow eyes are considered to be blessed by the Great Sun at their birth, that she "smiled upon them" and they are an auspicious omen for a pup to be born bearing either. Silver eyes, while less auspicious than gold, are often said to be a portent of change, or a warning. They can indicate either great or terrible things to come, and such a pup is watched with interest while it grows.
Size and build also vary, though quite often particular families who are known for an occupation will seek out mates of a particular height or build as being particularly desirable for future pups. For instance, a family known for bearkilling might deliberately seek out other large, substantial wolves to interbreed with, knowing that size and muscle will be useful to the continuation of their line as bearkillers, so future generations of that line will also tend towards a great deal of height and muscle. Except in those particular cases, though, size and weight is not given particular emphasis unless it is clearly detrimental to the health of the individual. Dwarfs - rather than simply proportionately small wolves - are not very well accepted, and often newborn pups with obvious dwarfism will be exposed to the elements rather than raised to live a life of pain, much as they would do to other newborn pups born with obvious deformities.
Personal Decoration
Though they tend towards simple decorations, the People are no strangers to personal adornment. Gold and other easily malleable metals, leather, dyed quills, and furs tend to make up the sort of bling-bling that they are attracted to. Paint and dye to decorate their fur are common, particularly during festivals. Tattoos are common as well, but tend to be of a more spiritual nature than decoration. They are commonly done to signify major changes in the wolf's life, weather it is coming of age, marriage, pups, or particularly auspicious or traumatic events. Deciding when or even whether to get them is considered to be a deeply personal decision much along the lines of having the gods speak to you, and to either pressure someone into getting one or discouraging them from doing so once they have made the decision is considered to be extremely bad manners.
WIP
Notes to self:
colors assigned meaning
gods and spirits
Societal Structure
The structure of the society is simple - the greater society as a whole is broken down into tribes, which are further broken down into bands and from there into family groups. The tribes are most often named for elements of the natural world, usually a major feature of the area they tend to inhabit, such as the Tribe of the Silver River, or the Tribe of the Black Plains. Bands, in contrast, are named after another animal. Within the band, the families are grouped into dens named after the head of their family and usually consists of couple, any children who have not married and made a den of their own, and often an elder family member from the previous generation who is no longer capable of providing for themselves or chooses to move in with their children or grandchildren out of loneliness - such wolves are often welcomed for their wisdom and the status it may bestow upon a favored denleader, but can also cause strife and difficulties when they are not used to allowing another to lead their den. So a wolf might be named Auvel Andersden of the Raven Band of the Tribe of the Black Plains, son of the Sun's People. A specific wolf's standing within the society as a whole is complex and fluid, based on his standing within his band, and the band's standing within the Tribe, but his own deeds outside of the tribe can also raise or lower his band's standing as well, making a wolf's behavior among those not of his band extremely important.
Gender Roles
Though males and females are generally equal as far as status is concerned, the two sexes are often encouraged into different occupations. The women are gently encouraged to find occupations that keep them nearer to the band's center, such as healers, guards, or childrearing, while the men are encouraged to take up the occupations that would lead them further afield such as hunters and far-ranging scouts. Females who choose traditionally masculine roles are not disregarded in comparison to their male counterparts, but they are discouraged from ever bearing young as the necessities of childbirth and nursing make it difficult to properly perform their duties. Those who choose to have families anyway mostly choose to marry a male with a stay-at-home sort of occupation so that the pups will always have a parent around. Quite often the wolves who buck the traditional roles are those of alternative sexualities, who are less affected by the requirements of parenthood.
Sexuality
Alternative sexualities are not viewed as taboo, seen as a rather effective form of birth control. Marriage is a matter of two wolves who love one another seeking to bind their lives together, usually at the Summer Meeting though if a couple becomes pregnant between Meetings they may sometimes choose a quiet ceremony among just the band in order to form a new Den before the pups are born. Pups are considered a joy and a blessing, and even among same-sex couples or those who cannot bear children they may seek out a surrogate to provide them for a Den to raise.
There is a casual sort of sexual freedom often practiced discreetly, though it's strongly discouraged to conduct affairs flagrantly because of the jealousy they may cause, but at festivals and certain ceremonies it is expected to find new partners for the night, to celebrate the gift of life. For this reason, family lines are most often matrilineal, with care taken whenever possible to avoid breeding between half-siblings by marrying those from outside the band. This allows a much greater diversity of bloodlines within a band, and the occasional accidental linebreeding during festivals has less effect and is tolerated, though not encouraged.
Important Roles
The leader, or most often leaders, of each band are usually the founders of the band. Generally one male and one female, most often mates or siblings but occasionally two unrelated wolves who chose to work together, so that they will be harmoniously balanced between the Great Sun and her Consort the Moon - on a more practical reasoning, because they feel that a female leader is more likely to understand the female followers and a male the males, so having one of each is thought to lead to fewer misunderstandings, though this of course does not take alternative sexualities into account quite as well. Thought the two leaders will be in theory completely equal, one leader will naturally gravitate towards taking the lead in situations that they excel in, and in practice one leader will often be looked to more than the other overall. The leaders are expected to show the Tribe that they are capable and trustworthy individuals, and must show a greater understanding of each skill than individuals are usually expected to. They must, between the two of them, demonstrate understanding and skill in navigation, healing, fighting, and hunting, as well as the less definable skills in dealing with social issues, before they will be allowed to set off on their own with a band.
Each band must also have a shaman, though some bands close in distance and location may share a shaman between them. This, though not unheard of, is unusual because the shaman must regularly travel between them, and if he or she has charge of several bands they must often have an apprentice within each clan to take care of small things in the shaman's absence. Shamans are sometimes also healers, but most often not since they must by necessity be more focused on the spiritual aspects of a band than the physical. Some of the very best of the shamans of the People are healers as well, though, their understanding of the way the mind body and spirit combine into a whole sometimes giving them far greater insight into the well-being of their charges than others. Some are hunters, following the way of the Horned One who gives wolves the hunt, and still others follow the way of the stars. The gods allow for many paths, but each shaman is expected to retain vast amounts of knowledge in the history and lore of their people, as well as the bloodlines of each wolf within their band. They interpret portents, perform ceremonies and rituals, tell stories, and provide for the spiritual well-being not only of the wolves of the band but also of the world around them - keeping the balance of the spirits.
Tribal Meetings
Every summer the various bands each get together, most often within their own tribe but depending on the size of the tribe there may be several different meeting places. Bands may choose to attend any one of them, or a meeting from a different tribe, depending on the distance they are willing to travel and what they are hoping to get at the meeting. Summer Meetings provide the opportunity for trade, for skill building, for competitions, but also for meeting wolves from other bands either for mates or to bring new skills or status to a band. Wolves dissatisfied with their current band may petition another band for entry there. Bands with too few members or who have lost their leaders may merge. Bands that have grown too large may petition the Council of Elders to split into a new band, if the potential new leader can show that they possess the skills and followers to support themselves.
Physical Attributes
Since the People are drawn from a wide variety of families and lands and bloodlines so often mingle far from their ancestral homes, the gene pool for the group is extremely varied, and the phenotypes expressed are equally diverse. The vast majority of the group are naturally colored and very few have any sort of mutations - vivid, unnatural colorations are not particularly sought after in a mate since the society widely revolves around hunting and nature, and mutations are widely considered to be unlucky, but there are of course exceptions, particularly if the unnatural coloration mimics in some way a particular bird or reptile or the mutation is a useful trait from another animal. Because they're not particularly sought after, they are rare to pass through family lines, but certainly not unheard of. Albinos, due to the nature of their condition and the light sensitivity, skin cancers, and poor eyesight that often come with it, are considered to be extremely unlucky and pups that display the condition often grow up shunned and eventually leave the group if they do not die naturally. They do not find mates within the group, and so are nearly nonexistent. Even red or pink eyes with a non-white coat are looked at warily, and will find it more difficult to find mates than another.
Markings are very diverse, with no particular emphasis placed on any particular set except by personal preferences of individuals, and color combinations also vary. Golden fur is considered to be particularly sought after, both in a main color or as markings. Wolves with gold fur or gold or yellow eyes are considered to be blessed by the Great Sun at their birth, that she "smiled upon them" and they are an auspicious omen for a pup to be born bearing either. Silver eyes, while less auspicious than gold, are often said to be a portent of change, or a warning. They can indicate either great or terrible things to come, and such a pup is watched with interest while it grows.
Size and build also vary, though quite often particular families who are known for an occupation will seek out mates of a particular height or build as being particularly desirable for future pups. For instance, a family known for bearkilling might deliberately seek out other large, substantial wolves to interbreed with, knowing that size and muscle will be useful to the continuation of their line as bearkillers, so future generations of that line will also tend towards a great deal of height and muscle. Except in those particular cases, though, size and weight is not given particular emphasis unless it is clearly detrimental to the health of the individual. Dwarfs - rather than simply proportionately small wolves - are not very well accepted, and often newborn pups with obvious dwarfism will be exposed to the elements rather than raised to live a life of pain, much as they would do to other newborn pups born with obvious deformities.
Personal Decoration
Though they tend towards simple decorations, the People are no strangers to personal adornment. Gold and other easily malleable metals, leather, dyed quills, and furs tend to make up the sort of bling-bling that they are attracted to. Paint and dye to decorate their fur are common, particularly during festivals. Tattoos are common as well, but tend to be of a more spiritual nature than decoration. They are commonly done to signify major changes in the wolf's life, weather it is coming of age, marriage, pups, or particularly auspicious or traumatic events. Deciding when or even whether to get them is considered to be a deeply personal decision much along the lines of having the gods speak to you, and to either pressure someone into getting one or discouraging them from doing so once they have made the decision is considered to be extremely bad manners.
WIP
Notes to self:
colors assigned meaning
gods and spirits