THE
SARVONIAN
AOHU'O
BROWNIES |
These mischievous little
beings are often blamed for giving Brownies
a bad name because of their antics. Survivalists to the core and children at
heart, these little people can be found throughout the
Sarvonian continent in groups called
'clans' that can be nomadic, semi-nomadic, or completely settled depending on
the history of the clan. While none can know for sure where all the Sarvonian
Aohu'o are and what they are doing, researchers in this area seem to constantly
assume that they have been able to pinpoint all the locations of the settled
clans. For their help they give thanks to other
Brownies,
elves, and
hobbits.
However, as always, someone stumbles over evidence of a new clan or more
information on an older one and researchers had to delve back into the world of
little people. Half of those involved in the project have given up the endeavor
to put a pin in a map where all the Aohu'o reside. They have decided that if
they looked for a thousand life-times, or as one
elven researcher of the
Auturian Woods put it "until
Avá wakes", they wouldn't find all these
crafty little trouble makers.
General.
At one point, the Aohu'o were probably their own people dating back to the
separation of the Kingdom of Birni by
Keekoo the Deliverer, though time has
turned them into a mixture of most tribes that live on the
Sarvonian continent. If tales are to be
believed, there are Brownies from
elsewhere in Caelereth named Aohu'o as
well. One of their most common, widely told myths is that many ages ago they
came from across the oceans, separated from the rest of their kind by a great
fire and they were forced to take to the
sea and flee. While only a myth, it is still the most commonly accepted
explanation on how they arrived on
Sarvonian shores.
Since their arrival, they have mixed with various bands of
Brownies and due to this the group is
sometimes referred to as 'foundlings', though Aohu'o (lit: "wandering") is the
name recorded as the true one for these
Brownies. However, this is no longer true for most known clans which have
settled for various reasons. Most of these reasons involved an endangered
population and leaders who saw the merit in settling into a somewhat secure
place for a time. Stories of additions to the Aohu'o bands by those of other
tribes that have lost their way, become exiled from their home, and even those
that have just sought a way to escape the chaos of their original home can be
found throughout the history of the various clans.
Milken and
Llaoihrr foundlings exiles, refugees, and the sort are the most likely
additions to this group as the Aohu'o have never been known to turn away their
own kind even if years and possibly massive bodies of
water separate them. Reports have even
mentioned a few 'turned' Rat Brownies joining the
ranks, but while they aren't completely shunned by the Aohu'o they are somewhat
kept on the outside. However, it's more common to hear stories of Brownies from
across the ocean joining a clan, namely Memnoor
refugees and outcasts, than a turned Rat Brownie.
Territory.
The extent of the Aohu'o population on
Sarvonia is unknown. With the constant stories and tales of little
disturbances across the continent, it is impossible to get a number that is
even close to accurate. Rumours on the winds
telling of paths being tended near Bardavos,
Marcogg, and
Nyermersys on the same day have led
to the belief that there is more than one nomadic group of
Brownies tending to the continent's
paths for the little prizes merchants, travelers, and guards sometimes leave.
At the current time, 1669 a.S., there are eight known bands of Aohu'o (plus one
believed to be myth) throughout the continent, with settled and semi-nomadic
bands ranging from the Sharadon Forest,
just north of Bardavos and the
Narfost Plains in Brendolan
Province, to the Kanapan lands
in the cold north. Though there are always possibilities of other bands
(nomadic, semi-nomadic, and settled) between and beyond those regions.
One place the Aohu'o are not readily found is the
City of Magic, Ximax. While they seem to
have a good population of Redbarks throughout the clans, there are not a lot of
these Brownies at the
Magical Academy of
Ximax, even though they boast a Tower of
Life Magic among the towers of the outer circle. The Aohu'o are largely family
and clan based with a very simple tribal government and lifestyle that causes
tight bonds to form within the clan, so most
magic users among them remain with the clan, learning from an elder
life magic, or
Brownie magic, user. Nomadic clans
will often avoid the city as well to prevent one of their young life-mages from
being snagged by the lure of power. Therefore, aside from those that break the
bonds of their clan and depart, the area around the
magical city is free of the pesky Aohu'o.
Lifestyle/Culture.
Survival is the main goal of the Aohu'o, though having some fun is their second
goal in life. The Aohu'o are well known for being pests, annoying, 'bothersome
little beasties', and just plain mischievous little beings from one end of the
continent to the other. In the
Goltherlon Forest, it's not uncommon to be met with a shower of bittersweet
fruit or become prey to the playful antics of the
Aohu'o dragonriders and
their mounts. However, no clan has perfected the art like the Stained Clan of
the Auturian Woods, who have been
deemed worse than vermin in the homes of those living in the area, though their
camouflage and lack of true harm in their pranks has kept them from being wiped
out. However, in the interest of their first goal, survival, they stay away
from the Tethinrhim
Academy of Archery for the most
part. At least it seems this way as the traditional marks of their presence are
rarely found and any 'attacks' on the academy are done more by the youth when
passing in the area.
Due to these bouts of mischief, some of the more superstitious folk in the area
have taken to hanging garlick around their home in attempts to ward away the
Brownies when they are thought to be in
the area or are known to have settled in the area. However, garlick isn't
nearly powerful enough and any amateur herbalist or local hedge witch could
tell you that onions are the way to go. The strong smell repels the little
pests and most know or have heard of the consequences of getting too close to
this particularly pungent vegetable.
Aside from being mischievous survivalists, the Aohu'o are seen as being the
closest to the true Brownie religion and
intense worshippers of the spirits. As said before they are a group of misfits.
Parts of most known Brownie tribes have
flocked to the various clans of the Aohu'o. One of the reasons behind seeking
out one of these clans, or even just leaving their original tribe and stumbling
on an Aohu'o clan, is the search for a way back onto the right track, to the
right religion. These clans are close to nature, so much so that their version
of spoken Browniin is
closely associated with natural sounds. While they are considered closest to
the spirits, most clans worship and respect the spirits of their mounts more so
than those around them as the creatures they ride provide protection, food, and
transportation, all of which are important to even the most settled clan.
Clans Overview.
Being between about fourteen and sixteen
nailsbreadth in height,
these little people are somewhat difficult to find even though unknown numbers
of bands of them can be found from the southern tip of Southern
Sarvonia,
Strata, to the northern most point of the
lower half of the continent, the
Tandala Highlands in Nermeran province.
There is even one known band living north of the
Kanapan Peninsula, in
Northern Sarvonia at this time
(1669 a.S.), though there is always the possibility of more.
The size of the people makes these Brownie
clans difficult to find though a few of the more settled clans have been
recorded by various sorts of travelers. The travelers range from
humans,
elves, and hobbits, which have
seemingly enjoyed the antics of the little creatures from time to time, to
their own kind, the Llaoihrr and
Milken Brownies. Even a few races that don't
record the encounters are known for hunting down and eating these creatures
even though they don't make much of a meal. While for the most part, those
races considered more civilized have mostly stopped using the old
Brownie receipts,
orcs,
goblins, trolls, and
ogres are still believed to munch on these
little creatures every now and again.
Brownies also been found as pets from time to time in small human
settlements if someone is smart and quick enough to catch them.
One nomadic Brownie tribe has even been
located and followed for a time to gain information. Here is a brief
description of the known Aohu'o bands, or clans, on
Sarvonia:
The Sweet-wood Clan
So named for the multiple uses and constant association with the
bittersweet tree. This clan
has made their home in the
Goltherlon Forest, claiming only
Golgnomes as their neighbours in a forest originally inhabited by
Goltherrhim Elves. The
elves descent from power began with the
murder of the heir of the people by Kyranian
rogues and the ensuing Curse of Fire and following wars with the
Helcrani, which led to the extinction of
said tribe. Now, living in a previously abandoned forest with nothing but the
gnomes, animal life, and plant life to
keep them company they have turned to a beast once feared by them,
dragons.
The Sweet-wood Clan is best known for the
dragonriders, which
causes the humans to call them the
Dragonrider Clan. This
group of brave little
Brownies face all odds in the attempts to capture and then raise a
skyter dracoid, beasts they
call dragons. They are honoured for
their bravery and service to their people as they put their own lives on the
line to protect their settlements from their tree-dwelling predators, the
herín (tree cat), and the
horned wolves that roam the forest
floor. The dragonriders
have perfected the practice of confining and killing the
cats, using the
cat pelts to cover their homes and
effectively keep most predators away. They have even taken to using the method
to take down the snowy deer of the forest they inhabit. At one point, their
lore tells of a young rider that, with the aid of the first
dragonrider, Cawrr
Dragonrider, brought down an elk, and the clan feasted throughout the winter.
This is one of the most known clans due to the continually growing trade
relations with the Council Tree
Brownies and dealings with
Llaoihrr Skydiver Clan and their trade
mounts, the arrowhead goose.
The dragons and their riders are known
among almost all Sarvonian
Brownies and some humans as myths if not
anything else.
The Twin World Clan
This clan lives up to its name. These
Brownies are split up between two areas, though originally they both lived
in the Shivering Woods for a
time. However, this clan only remained whole for a short while. The near
constant shaking of the larkentir tree
due to various reasons pushed half of the little people too far. At that point
a split occurred. Half of the Brownies
left the forest, moving eastwards until they ran into another forest that
lacked the shivering trees of their previous home.
For reasons unknown the second group of
Brownies are overly loud. They now live in the Roan Forest, a medium-sized
area of trees north of the Ilian Plateau. In the
Shivering Woods, the
Brownies of the remaining group have
learned to adapt to the shaking of the trees and communicate in mostly hand
signals and gestures, almost never talking. While the two groups are separated
by a sizable patch of land, they are still considered one tribe by
human researchers.
Less known is the mount of these Brownies.
While unique, it has fallen in the shadow of the
skyters and their riders, like
the riding groups in the other clans. The vulk is a creature that is commonly
mistaken for a shir, or fox, from a
dash away at the least,
though when looked at closely has very few fox-like
features aside from size and colouring. Only within the Roan Forest is this
creature celebrated and known by the people of the small village within its
depths.
The Waterwell Clan
While most Brownies absolutely hate water the Waterwell Clan are a little
different. Originally, their band was chased out of a small village just north
of Ephirn's Lake for pilfering
food. The offended villagers chased them to the edge of the lake and lost them
in the many tiny caves and tunnels formed by the elements in the rock side of
the Waterfall of Diamonds. Their fury still intact, the people camped on the
waters edge for three days and the
Brownies were forced to remain in the
tunnels, which seemed large to them, exploring deeper and deeper. After a time
of exploring they found small pools of water
that were fed by the lake with underground tunnels large enough for mithanjor
and mithralfish to swim
through. They hunted these fish from the edge of these small ponds at first and
then from the water as their desperate
search for food cause them to forget their fear of
water.
Even after the humans grew tired of
waiting and left, the Brownies remained
on the waters edge, hunting the fish from the small caves for a generation or
two and then the lake itself. After years of living on the waters edge most of
their clan are Bluebarks, helping them blend in with the
water. Those that aren't blue usually
live within' the caves to keep from being picked off by aerial predators or
draw undue attention from larger water
creatures.
For the most part the Brownies stay near
the top of the water when they hunt or
just 'go for a swim' to avoid the deadly
lysh pike that hunts deeper down. However, these
Brownies won't go into the
water alone, but only with a good sized
group.
While they live in the small caves and tunnels (which they line with yealm
reeds when the seasons turn) amongst the rocks, they will sometimes take to the
water for a few days at a time to 'fish' when the weather starts to turn so
that they will have enough food to remain in their caves and fish from the
shallow ponds when need be. When they go out they will stay on little
'houseboats' for a time. These are rafts made of tightly bound lifereeds and
branches that have small tent-like houses made from the hides of
field mice and covered with fish
scales, built on them for the Brownies
to sleep in during the night. When they go out fishing they go out in groups of
four or nine so that when tired together they make a perfect square. Usually
nine as there is a limited amount of strength and numbers and the even setting
helps keep the rafts balanced when they are all tied together.
While hunting they would hook the fish, let them remain in a 'holding net' in
the water, and feed them from time to
time until they returned. This method had taken years to perfect as dead fish
went bad not too long afterwards and the winters were long. The hook is made of
the wood of the ai'le bush, while
the net is made of lengths of sweetsip vine braided and woven together to
create a thick net. At that point they quickly move the fish over to one of the
underground ponds that had been sealed enough so that the fish couldn't get
out.
The Splintered Clan
The Brownies of the Splintered Clan live
in the trees just west of the fork of the Vandrina River that cuts through the
city of Voldar in
Vardýnn Province. They reside in the
Már'cál'ethrón, the marshy section of the
Thaelon Forest as the constant bickering between the two halves and
frequent clan wars have gotten them chased from the Aelle'lón. The other two
sections of the forest frighten them more than the stories of
wisps,
swamphags, the eerie wind whistling
through dead and dying oaks,
ashwudes, and
baych trees, and soggy land
beneath their feet combined.
This clan is split up into two factions that have different ways of living with
the eerie effects of the Thaelon. The
first group is a band of naturally depressed
Brownies that make their homes in the trees a couple strals to the north of
the second band. Those Brownies counter
the Thaelon by being overly cheerful.
Since the two groups first split up they have been fighting and wars between
the two sides of the clan are very common.
While they reside on one of the few strips of land that are high enough up to
retain some sort of solid ground, things beneath the trees are still somewhat
soggy compared to other areas, so the Splintered Clan remains in the trees,
using kites to get from tree to tree. These are little
mice that look similar to kuatus
with webbing, or layers of skin between their arms and legs, similar to the
webbing between the toes of wolves, that allows them to glide from one tree
branch to another. Tame ones often do this with a
Brownie rider on their back. These
flying rats, as some call them make these
clan wars between the different groups of
Brownies in this clan somewhat interesting, even though they are killing
each other.
The Light-trapper Clan
Known and named for their practice of capturing the
dalór and its younger form, glowworms in
nets of silk they have filched from the
Maeverhim or taken from lu'an moth
cocoons found in the Sharadon Forest.
They hang these captured creatures around their dwellings in the south-eastern
part of the Sharadon. The Light-trapper
Clan will feed the creatures and keep them for a short while before releasing
them and searching for others. It is somewhat of a game to them and while the
light is precious to them they enjoy the game more-so.
For the most part these Brownies live in
tunnel systems beneath the roots of the
coastal redwoods and
ahrhillicia and
cinnabark pines which grow
well in the Sharadon with the first
being the most popular choice for a home. From time to time, though, they will
have to change homes and find a new one wherever they can to avoid destroying
the trees. To conceal the openings of their tunnels they will use
vinterberry vines and other vines
common in the area. They do this to hide their homes from the elves that live
in the same forest as previous interactions with the tribe were less than
pleasant.
Also, younger Brownies from this clan
have been known to attempt to ride rubits, a rather rare
lizard-like creature, as a sport when
they find them. Their soft steps allow them to sneak up on the creatures easier
than humans. If they find more than one
the Brownies will first attempt to get
on the creature's back and then race them to a certain destination. The first
one to get there wins and gets to keep their rubites, which is purplish in
colour, while the others have to forfeit any they could get while riding to the
winner. At other times they will see who can ride one the longest. They are
also hunted for food some of the time.
The Mountain-mover Clan
Known for living beneath the Vindel Mountains and in underground lairs
throughout the Stone Fields of
Peat in the Kanapan lands,
they are often jokingly referred to as the
'dwarves' of the Brownies by those
that know of their existence for many reasons, though mainly because they live
underground. They have also been mistaken by those that don't know any better
and venture into their territory for mythical creatures of the south,
domovidgies. Stories are told
and re-told, trickling down to the south and other areas to keep fueling the
myths.
In the mountains those Brownies who have
reached thirteen years of age begin working on aiding in the construction of
the 'Great City' of marble and granite, which in the minds of those that have
seen their city, will never be finished. For reasons unknown these
Brownies are smaller than most, only
measuring between thirteen and fourteen nailsbreadths in height, give or take a
few grains. Due to working on their city from the time they turn thirteen until
they die or have been assigned other duties, the
Brownies of the Mountain-mover Clan are
almost twice as broad across the shoulders than most of their kind.
On the Stone Fields of Peat
they do something similar, though they also work on a tunnel that will one day
connect the two great cities. Both of these groups rely on the few small
rodents that are popular in the areas. Mostly, the stone mice and greycats
remain within the boundaries of the
Stone Fields of Peat, but the
Brownies in the Vindel Mountains have
built tunnels to the outside to lure these creatures into them. They also rely
on those that have escaped their traps and are breeding within the many small
tunnel systems in their area.
To keep warm they will wear multiple layers of the fur from the animals they
hunt so that they look like walking fluff balls when outside of their
buildings, which also have fur lined walls. The Mountain-mover Clan has also
bred a domesticated version of the stone mouse that they keep in pens within
their city boundaries and feed them on squirm moss. A select few of the
Brownies will ride these mice, using
them to travel quickly to certain tunnels, to their traps near the outskirts of
their territory, or to hunt down wild stone mice and greycats that have fled to
the tunnels and bred.
The Stained Clan
This clan is most known for the fact that they take petals and leaves from
plants in their area, leave them to dry out, grind them into a powder, add
water and one other unknown ingredient to
make it a paste which they then cover their skin with. This paste, after being
applied to the body acts, as a dye and temporarily changes the colour of their
skin for a period of time, most likely depending on how long they leave the
paste on.
By the tenth year of life the Brownie no
longer has a 'Brownie smell' due to the
dyes, but rather he/she smells of the world around him/her, effectively
blending in with his/her surroundings. Some even claim that the dyes have
altered the colour scheme of these Brownies
and that children are boarderline shades when born, but this hasn't been
confirmed.
The plants used to make the dyes range from the golden-green leaves of the
silkel tree to the plain leaves of bushes that can vary in shade from
gnastheen to
herne green and beyond.
However, their favourite disguise only appears during the spring and fall. The
dark blue nightbloom often becomes a somewhat long-term home for this clan
during this period as they enjoy both the small blue berries that grow on the
bush, as well as the large dark blue flowers that blossom in abundance
throughout these months.
These little creatures are difficult to find as they will move into the area
where the plants they just used as dyes grow in bulk so that they will blend in
with the plants. Once the dye begins to wear off they will seek another spot
and start drying out new plants, moving in only once they dyed their skin
again, which makes changing homes the most difficult, and dangerous, part.
The Brownies of the Stained Clan are
know as the pests of the Auturian
Woods as they travel to all the reaches of the forest and are known to be
worse than rats when it comes to intruding. Key to the survival of these pests
is the strong scent of the plants they live around and the fact the dye they
use on their skin retains the scent of the leaves or flower petals used.
Without this disguising scent the sharp nose of the thrisyrór, or auturian
hound, a pet of the Tethinrhim elves,
would have picked out the pests long ago, but their camouflage works in more
ways than one. However, the local cats are another problem, both domestic and
wild, namely the shingar.
Not only do they take food from the larder, and even the table, they wreak
havoc in the houses by pushing something just too close to the edge of a shelf,
leaving open a door for other pests, covering sheets and blankets with the dust
of various plants that cause minor itching or short term effects.
Throughout the forest and in inhabited places near the forest, children are
known for using the excuse that the Brownies
put a certain plant in their beds and it made them ill so that they can get out
of doing their chores for the day. As a rule, most parents have taken to
keeping two bottles of homemade
jeshanna ointment around, one full of a cure for rashes and burns made from
the jeshanna lily while the other is filled with a harmless grass and
water mash for those effects caused by
lazy children. For the most part, commoners make their own salve and seal them
in their own jars rather than purchasing the pricey, labeled ointment.
A less known aspect of the Stained Clan is the eternal search for the rare
horsefay. While the Aohu'o are notorious for being mischievous, this clan would
win in a contest to see which clan best fits that description. Aside from
surviving, their main goal in life is to enjoy themselves. So they move often,
searching for the rare little creature so that they might claim one for their
children to ride as they are too small for a full grown
Brownie, which is saying a lot.
The Pathtender Clan
For lack of any other explanation behind the strange movements and tendencies
of these Brownies, scholars of the
Santharian Compendium have
decided that they move for their safety, though others argue that they just
move to move. The Pathtender Clan is known by merchants, guards, and travelers
for traveling and cleaning the roads as they go. These little
Brownies will move from place to place
inside large boxes that became necessary after a time as their constant
movement on open roads makes them more susceptible to various dangers, with the
sun being not the least of these, causes a
Brownie condition known as sunblood. While it isn't serious, it is perhaps
the most dangerous as it slows down the clan a bit and opens them up to other
elements and predatory dangers.
The boxes are made of various tree branches and twigs, though those of the
black birch are favoured when they can be acquired. These 'twig boxes', with
one open end, are tied and formed with what ever vines are at hand. No, these
boxes don't grow legs and travel on their own, but rather, they are carried by
kodaels, taken and raised from pups by the
Brownies. Being another very common hound throughout Southern
Sarvonia, the rusthound is also used
from time to time, though not very often as they tend to be too active until
they reach a certain age. Either of these dogs are used as 'carriages' for the
Pathtender Clan, as the boxes are strapped to the animal's chest/stomach with
leather straps, most often unknowingly cut from the soft leather armour
commonly used by hunters. The boxes, or rather wagons to the Brownies, are
large enough for a good number of them to stand, and even sleep in.
These Brownie carrying hounds travel the
roads, either going where they want or being steered by their 'baggage'. The
Pathtender Clan lives up their name as they travel the roads, cleaning up those
that are cluttered with broken twigs, branches and other such obstructions or
inconveniences that the little race can take care of. Scholars and witness
accounts have led to the conclusion that a group of two to three stray
kodaels is only part of a band of
these Brownies and that there are more
than one of these bands within the clan as they have been spotted from time to
time in different provinces and different areas of provinces on the same day.
The road between Courtford and
Roulk has been watched by the
common folk since times long past. At one point a man from
Courtford found a small group of
dor’iyn sheep coming down the road from
Roulk. Knowing that town for being lax when it comes to their livestock, he
decided to keep the sheep as long as no one came after them. So he collected
the sheep and brought them back to his home. Upon trying to sheer the fleece
for a profit, he got pricked by something and when he held his hand up to his
face he found a little dart, or what he later found out was a spear, embedded
in the side of his hand.
From that point on, the common folk in that area look at stray sheep
suspiciously as their stories and legends tell of a horde of
Brownie infested sheep raiding their
lands, no doubt an exaggeration by the original farmer, even though the
practice of making barbecued Brownie,
started by the Eyelians, is now considered
uncivilized and wrong. Aside from that one particular sheep, others, mostly the
sawis due to their location and thick coats, have also been found to have their
fleece infested with Brownies. These
sheep-riding Brownies can only be
grouped with the Pathtender Clan.
It has become a somewhat common practice for guards, merchants, and other
travelers that take a certain road many times to bury a small pouch containing
a san or non-perishable goods, near a tree or object on the edge of the road
with a sign for the Brownies to
recognize. These signs signify an offering from the humans to these
Brownies. The sign is different for each
region, though somehow they recognize it. Some report that one day while
traveling down a tidied path they noticed a small hole on the side of the road
where the Brownies had dug up the
treasure they'd left, while other treasures have remained buried for years. If
the Pathtender Brownies do indeed take the offerings is not known, but it is
likely as mostly those that 'donate' know the signs and leave them be. Some inn
keepers throughout Southern Sarvonia
have claimed to wake up to food missing from their pantry, with
sans along with random
little treasures in its place.
The Healer Clan
The secondary name for this clan is the Domovidge Clan, named so by
humans because of the insistence of many
Brownies that this clan doesn't exist
and because they are commonly mistaken for a race of mystical house guests. The
Healer Clan is known to be a group of nomadic or wide-spread settled
Brownies that are believed to go around
tending to minor injuries and illnesses in the night, mostly those of children.
They are known to have knowledge in medicines which include various simple
herbal mixtures that appear in herbal guides under antivenins and antidotes and
fever reducers, well as simple first aid knowledge of how to deal with cuts.
Any healer worth their title knows the basics and this leads to the belief that
this clan is just a front to take uncomfortable thanks off of healers. This
clan has seemingly sprung up out of nowhere in the stories of healers who tell
of little palm-sized people that come in while they are sleeping to make them
better, which often helps calm the child.
To the amusement of both children and adults, these
Brownies are featured in written and
illustrated herbal guides. Most commonly the comical image shows any shade of
Brownie carrying a bladeleaf almost
twice his size with a drop of the goop dripping from a wound in the plant and
one on his head. They can also be found within the pages dragging sacks of
redberries, being blown away with a
tareptail weed (leaves,
flower, roots and all) by an overly strong
wind, or even attempting to separate a slab of willow bark from the tree by
pressing their backs against the tree and feet against the bark. However, while
these Brownies
provide amusement, aid, and reasoning for certain things, there is nothing that
proclaims them as more than myth.
Celebrations/Special Occasions. While some clans have their own festivals, events, and other such periods of gathering (ex. the Rider Memorial of the Sweet-wood Clan), there are a few celebrations that the Sarvonian Aohu'o all celebrate in a similar manner with only slight differences occurring between clans. The main celebrations include:
Birthdays
While having a reason to celebrate every day isn't a bad thing, the Sarvonian
Aohu'o put survival first and foremost, so they cannot feast every day. Instead
they split the year up into the seasons and celebrate the birth and gaining of
a year of everyone born during that season. While depending on the area, the
range of season will change, however
Santharian months are attached to the seasons.
First season begins with
Awakening Earth and ends with
Singing Bird, with the feast
for spring-born
Brownies
being in the middle of the fourth month of the year. Second season begins with
Rising Sun and ends with
Sleeping Dreameress, with
the summer feast during the seventh month. The fall feast sits between
Fallen Leaf and
Dead Tree, while the winter
feast is in the middle of the remaining month. The seasons and feasts are also
associated with the four elements: earth
with spring, fire with summer,
wind with fall, and
water with winter. The day before and the
day after the feast are devoted to fasting and thanking the spirits of the
element for things throughout the year, the first half of the season and then
the second half of the season on the first day. On the second they thank the
spirits for the feast, following the beliefs of their people in the honouring
of the spirits.
During the feast, as much food as can be spared is brought out, prepared and
consumed while the party goes on from
Sunreign, or mid-day to the
middle of the night, or
Darkreign, so that those that are on cooking, guard or any other duty can
get a chance to participate when another comes to take their position part of
the way through the feast to enjoy it as well. As a rule, those that are
celebrating their birth are relieved of duty for that night. While the main
idea behind the celebrating of the birth of their fellow
Brownies
spreads throughout the various clans, there are very different ways of
celebrating. For example, the Splinter Clan has an age old truce set that
during the two days of fasting and the day of the feast each season, all
feuding stops. While they don't celebrate together, they stop fighting each
other long enough to celebrate the sacred days and the day of feasting four
times a year.
Marriage
Among the Sarvonian Aohu'o, betrothals are about as common as being able to
choose ones lifemate. Certain families that have a history of being close will
often make pacts that are then approved by the Elder Council. In most cases,
this is when the two mothers or two fathers grew up together as
sisters/brothers and wish to unite their families. Betrothals have also been
used as a way to settle debts, though that occurs less often now than in the
past. These promises can occur anytime between the child's birth and their
sixteenth birthday, and even before their birth. In some rare cases, a child
was 'accidentally' promised before the father, or mother, had even taken a
partner of their own as it only takes one person involved in the pact, plus a
witness to seal a marriage pact.
Marriages are commonly celebrated by the male and females immediate family and
sometimes one or two good friends. The ceremonies are isolated events and the
only ones present are the intended Brownies and one member of the Elder
Council, and only before and after the two are joined are they allowed to see
their family. Little is known about the ceremonies aside from the fact that
sometime during each ceremony they speak the same three words, though the
meaning or context behind the words has caused many questions among those that
study these little people. From
Browniin, the words translate into 'past', 'now', and 'future'. After the
ceremony takes place they attend a small gathering where they celebrate with
their family before retiring to the home (built by the men and friends of the
family prior to the celebration), or shelter in the case of nomadic or
semi-nomadic bands.
Death
While survival is the key goal behind the life of the Sarvonian Aohu'o, death
is accepted as a part of life. The departed are celebrated or mourned depending
on the manner of their death. Those that died of old age or riders that fell to
a predator they were defending against are celebrated for the life they led.
While they would be missed and many were saddened by their passing, they were
celebrated for the wisdom, knowledge, safety, and other things they gave to
their clan.
Those that unfortunately died young of uncontrollable circumstances were
mourned for the loss of a life that they never had a chance to live, thrive,
and bring their own sense of life to their clan. Whether the dead are mourned
or celebrated, these Brownies memorialize them in the same manner. In the early
morning hours of the day a group of the deceased's close family will go out to
the current burial grounds, or open patch in the case of the nomadic tribes,
while another group of the family would prepare the body, prepare food and
drink, and deal with important daily tasks that couldn't be move back to the
next day.
Around mid-day the body will be taken to the burial site and put into the
ground so that it could become part of the
earth again and the Brownie's spirit
can join the mass of Brownie spirits.
When preparing the body they will string a piece of the deceased's life onto a
bit of rope or vine. This might be a
maple wood ring if the Brownie has
worked with that certain wood for a time in his/her past. These are little
trinkets that are meant to show a part of the person's life and possibly be
something a memory clung too, in the attempts of the family to allow themselves
to be remembered when they live again.
After the burial the family and friends will return to the home and will dine
together on the food cooked earlier in the day. The foods are mostly the
favourites of the dead, with the common foods such as
redberries,
neeps,
greenbark moss, meat (whatever
they can acquire, but a roasting grass
snake makes for happy Aohu'o), and even some human snacks such as popped
grain in certain areas. A variety of insects also come into play here for
various reasons. The malise is highly
sought at all times for the honey they produce, which goes on pretty much
anything the Aohu'o eat if they can get some of it. Where as the
myrmex (non-venomous kind of course)
has as completely different use, often making for a fine appetizer, especially
when dipped in honey and rolled in
cinna, foridite,
khmeen, and pretty much most
other seasoning or spices.
Around night fall, some of the food kept along with other possessions that
meant things only to the dead person are brought to a grove where a small
shrine is made of food and possessions, that after a few days these are often
claimed by the animals of the forest, the possessions by mischievous
kuatus and
mimsys for the most part, though the
Brownies left them out as gifts to the
spirits, to grant swift passage to their family member and friend.
Once the shrine is set up, it is customary for them to return to the home. They
spend time together, mostly telling stories, laughing, joking and generally
enjoying memories while drowning their sorrow in the local drinks, though
Aohu'o Sweet Spiced
Mead is the main one at these gatherings. Throughout the night, those that
were lesser friends and more distant relatives will usually depart from the
remembrance, leaving only those closest to the departed. For the most part,
those that remained throughout the night are useless until mid-day the next
day, at which point their close friends will drag them from the mats of the
floor and put them to light work for the rest of the afternoon.
History/Origins.
The Sarvonian Aohu'o strongly believe in an old legend of their people that
explains their appearance on the continent. Their elders tell stories heard
from the elder's of their childhood and beyond that they were swept from their
homes with a cloud of embers at their heels, forcing their ancestors to brave
dangers of the Land of Waters. After an untold time traveling they landed on
the shores of Sarvonia, though at which
compass point is unknown.
This legend had continued to trickle down through the generations, even
becoming a reality for those Brownies
from the Milken,
Llaoihrr, and occasional other tribes that add themselves to the ranks.
Because of this, the Aohu'o stubbornly argue that they are not on their own and
some of their kin still reside in a solid land across the Land of Waters.
Therefore, those living on the Sarvonian
continent are called the Sarvonian Aohu'o, though those that know of these
mischievous little Brownies just call
them the Aohu'o as this other Brownie
continent has yet to be verified and the common folk don't care much for
technicalities.
Looking back in Brownie history, one
could see that during the Wandering Years,
Keekoo the Deliverer sent off groups of
Brownies to various areas to avoid the influences of the other races.
History also shows that the Milken Brownies
were originally a group from across the sea that landed among the
Helcrani in
Milkengrad. Though, whether they
truly came from the same area as the various bands of Aohu'o is unknown.
However, at this point, it is hard to tell these roaming, or sometimes
stationary bands that don't count themselves as part of the
Llaoihrr or
Milken are truly Aohu'o. Most known clans have some background, myths,
legends, and links to their ancient paths, while some don't. It is customary
for each clan to have at least one Lore-holder, who keeps track of the history
of the clan, passing down the knowledge of past lifetimes and their own
lifetime to their successor. Some researchers of these
Brownies believe that the Lore-holders
have taken place of the Shamans
of their past. There are even arguments among those that believe themselves
human experts on Brownies, who believe
that Lore-holders are the same as the Shamans of their history, but rather than
being nomadic they remain with one clan.
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