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Talon the Assassin Captain
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 Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:24 pm
Suuure, there's hardly a tree anywhere, and the valley's plains are filled with many rolling hills and seas of wild grasses up to anyone's knee, but there's a surprise out here no one could have guessed. The valley clan of Vyllea!
The valley clan is a relatively new group of goyals, however they've been around longer than the reawaken of Eternal Nights, which leads them to believe that they were here first. This clan has no interaction with humans, and likewise have no caretakers. Thusly they've come up with a sociaty all their own, and would be fairly wary of humans due to the rumors of what happened with an ancient clan of goyals (Eternal Nights). Yet, they have no more information beyond that.
This Clan is run by Xiaflame.
Contents
Introduction
Living Conditions
Traditions
Courtship
Roles
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:49 pm
[.Living Conditions.]
The valley goyals are subject to a nice lakeside view, with seas of lush grasses that brush and dance in the wind like nothing else. There are no large predators in this area, and thusly the clan is able to thrive at the top of the food chain without much worry of competetion or fear of creatures thirsting to make a meal out of their hides.
They do not live in a castle, however they have a complex setup of tents that cover most of the lakeside, varying in size from a single room to an extensive setup of multi-useable cutoff rooms. Some tents even interconnect to each other, and most are centered around a single floor mud-bricked building that holds the stone guardians of the clan. This mud-bricked building is elgantly designed with many carvings and the roof is a soil based flower bed that blooms all year round. Like all of the land, it is covered in darkness, and as usual the plants absorb the moonlight, so there is a continuous supply of food for all plantlife in the area. This is a sacred place for all the clan, no matter the rank, and as such all important meetings are take place in its halls of broken stone and silent guardians.
They enjoy a fairly lax life with little outside the clan affairs to worry about. They are very capable swimmers and at least one goyal can be seen enjoying the cool waters if they're not all asleep. The mentality of the clan is that they have it good, they have it simple, and the best life is at the top of the food chain with nothing to worry about. However, threaten these goyals peaceful life style, and they can become fierce in a matter of seconds. They are also highly protective of their children and take pride in their teachings of techniques passed down through the generations.
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Talon the Assassin Captain
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Talon the Assassin Captain
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:20 pm
[.Traditions.]
First and foremost is the passing down of the knowledge learned from generations before. How to build and create tents that can bare the chill of the land and stand sturdy in snow or wind. Also they teach of the sacred shrine that is the mud-brick temple where all stone guardians are kept. They preech of a carefree lifestyle and living life to the fullest, also the inclusion of games and water play in order to live a happy life. They are the caretakers of the valley, and the valley is their play thing to be used to the fullest without regret.
Another tradition of the clan is the importance of the council, 3 adult goyals who were trained since their childhood on how things are to be kept running smoothly and how to keep the masses happy and at ease. They settle disputes, plan feasts and clanwide games, as well as make the important decisions such as who to make an ally or an enemy of. If something strange happens in the clan, they are the first goyals to be informed about it, and are expected to act quickly and justly on how the situation should be handled. They are held in high respect by most, and scorned by few due to their easy-going nature and obvious wisdom of the lifestyle they had created for themselves.
The valley goyals don't really have a religion, however they believe (vaguely) in the existance of the divine due to the stories of the ancient clan (Eternal Nights) who made reference to the great sun god who turned them all to stone. Though, they have never had a divine of their own, and thusly believe it to be nothing more than a good fairytale. Instead of worshipping and fearing those gifted with powers, they believe in earth spirits who live in the grass, the water, and the air who look after them and keep them from falling victim to the moon's influence; which they believe to hold power over the lycans who sometimes stray into their territories.
A final widely celebrated tradition is the passing into adulthood. A goyal going from preteen to adult will go through a right of passage, the swimming from one end and back across the large lake that centers their territory. It is believed the lake is cursed and will swallow anyone who isn't brave enough to cross it at the center, and any goyal able to do it is instantly considered an adult. This completed, the goyal is treated to a bountiful feast of the finest prepared stock and wild greens. They are also given their first taste of the Bitter-Berry, a crude form of wine-grapes, that naturally ferments within days of being picked.
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:35 pm
[.Courtship.]
This is a custom that most everyone takes as the most serious; the custom of courtship. After all, a mate is someone you will spend your whole life with, it makes sense that a goyal needs to choose carefully and consider his/her decision carefully. They believe becoming mates is the joining of absolute best friends, someone you could play games with all evening and never tire of the laughing face of the other. Someone you would be willing to die for if your happiness was ever threatened by some outside force.
So, naturally, the valley goyals who are ready for and who seek a mate ask, persuade, or all-out pester an individual they are interested in to play a game of tag with them. But not just any game of tag. The runner, the party who was asked to join the game, is given a sweet smelling flower to pin onto their clothing; whereas the seeker is blindfolded and expected to only follow his/her nose to the one's they seek. The game is only allowed to go on for 24hrs, when a full day has passed and the goyal was not caught by the seeker, they are believed to have been a bad match and the seeker may not ask the individual to another game of courtship until a full moon cycle has passed.
However, if the seeker catches the one they desired, they are given the blessings of the clan and are able to become mates; however both parties have the right to refuse one another if something arises before they are offically together.
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Talon the Assassin Captain
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Talon the Assassin Captain
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:57 pm
[.Roles.]
Council Member
The highest rank in the clan is without a doubt that of a council member, however the power does not lie in one individual, but rather 3 who have had extensive training on how the clan works and how to ensure everyone has a goodtime. These goyals are adults, and can be either male or female. They can stay a member of the council for all their life but it is rare, as there is often an endless supply of eager youngsters able to learn quickly. However, a member's stay in the council is by no means brief. A council member is not a goyal with immense strength, but rather a goyal with high wisdom and intellegence.
Ranger
A ranger is the warrior of the clan. They comb the territories and are thought of as very adventurous, restless souls who have difficultly staying in one place for too long. They are swift in flight, and agile enough to make split-decision movements in the air. However, don't overlook their slim physique! For they are of fair size and have powerful, compact muscles able to pack quite the punch. They aren't too great on the ground, but who needs to be when they can zoom litterally inches above the grass line. Rangers are usually very intense individuals who believe whole heartily in what they're doing, even if they're doing it with a smile. Usually they aren't too great with hand to hand, but give 'em a light bow or heavy gauntlent and they'll make quick work of an enemy!
Farmer
A farmer is a goyal in charge of keeping track of the territories game and plantlife. They make sure nothing is going 'extinct' in the area and ensure the good health of the food the clan will be eating. Asides from these duties, a farmer is also a type of 'hunter' who gathers the food for the clan for the night to be split among the members. There is often an abundiance of farmers to ensure that is a meal to be prepared that night, whether it be meat, greens, or both.
Member
A normal member of the clan has several tasks to perform during the day. This includes groundskeeping- making sure there is nothing amiss with the tents or the mud-brick temple, food division and preparing for the meal, and sometimes even babysitting for those who are out in the territory doing their tasks for the clan. A member lives a fairly carefree life, having the most time to play games and swim in the lake by their clan's tentsight.
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