A clan cast out from
their homelands for their impure blood by their birthtribe, the Tehuriden Ter'ei'Vikh
live on the outskirts of the Drifting Woods, making do with whatever they manage to scrape
from the jungle, or trade for with the Morchini. Their survival is made possible
by their sense of kinship with one another; each Tehuriden considers the
others to be nothing short of direct relatives, and they work together as
one family to maintain their way of life. Low in number with a population rarely
exceeding seventy to eighty individuals, and keeping an even lower profile
whenever possible, these people nonetheless have played a significant role
in local Kaerathi history.
Appearance. Slender, but less spindly than the Ter'ei'Vikh,
the Tehuriden are like their Ter'ei'Vikh
cousins and Lilivear forefathers, a clan of elegant-looking people. To a great
degree, they share the appearance of their parents' tribe, with the main
differences lying in the coloration of the skin which is pale rather than dark,
and hair, which is brown or even black in contrast to the pure white of the Ter'ei'Vikh.
They typically reach heights of about one ped and
seventy-five nailsbreadths,
which is slightly more than the pure-blood Ter'ei'Vikh.
Most of these differences are thought to be caused by the re-appearance of the
ancient Lilivear
bloodlines in these individuals. As Tehuriden Ter'ei'Vikh
usually give birth to normal white-haired Ter'ei'Vikh
children, whom are then left for adoption at the gates of M'aghin, the
bloodlines in question appear to be rather unstable and the appearance of a
Tehuriden child in a family has little meaning as to the actual purity of the
bloodline.
Older Tehuriden often sport considerably more scars from old
wounds than their ancestral tribe's members would, as the Tehuriden do not have
access to the advanced healing abilities of the Spirit Song and are often forced
to adopt the more crude method of treating wounds of the outside
world.
Coat of Arms/Sign. The Tehuriden have never used a sign or crest
to symbolise their bonds, nor do they carry the crest of the Drifting Woods. It
is rumored that certain documents have, at times, been signed with the Mark of
Vikthi, the word "Udri" ('not') in its centre. If this would be true, it is
quite likely the work of Tehuriden Ter'ei'Vikh
operating beyond the Ter'ei'Vikh's
Council of Elders' ability or without its specific
approval.
Territory. The Tehuriden live only around the border area
of the Drifting
Woods
, near the
Metherinin river. There, they occupy a set of clusters of dwellings, often
within direct line-of-sight from the river. On a larger scale, a Tehuriden may
be encountered all across the Kaerathi plains and the Northern Bay of Western
Nybelmar when assigned the role of diplomat or
emissary.
People.
Loyalty and cooperation are the key elements in a Tehuriden's life. Their bond
as a family-in-exile keeps them whole and in reasonable good stature instead of
forcing them to scrape together a harsh living from the fringes of the forest. A
second aspect of loyalty ties them to their former tribesmen, and has over the
years led to their current position as a political and economical buffer between
the Ter'ei'Vikh
and the outside world, improving living conditions for both the "Vikh and the
Tehuriden themselves. While they used to live scattered among the outskirts of
the Drifting
Woods
before the construction of the Gates of M'aghin,
afterwards they build a single settlement near the Metherinin river. As a
result, they prosperity increased dramatically and their mortality rate declined
in accordance, doubling their number over the years to an average of fifty to
sixty individuals, not counting those who spend their time at distant courts and
nations.
It is noteworthy that, even though their impure blood makes
it impossible for them to reside in their sacred Drifting Woods,
the Tehuriden are still considered to be Children of Vikthi. This is partially
explained by their ability to use the Spirit Song, which according to the
legends was a gift of the Moon Spirit to his people only, and partially by the
fact that, even though they live in exile, each Tehuriden has been raised as a
Ter'ei'Vikh
child for fifteen
years. They have developed a sense of being tested by their position, and often
see themselves as a first line of defence between the Earth Children (a general
term which encompasses most human tribes) and the Moon Children.
The
Tehuriden pay significantly more respect to the other four Spirits of the Sky,
all brothers and sisters to Vikthi, than their parent tribe, and their symbols
and observations may be encountered in many aspects of Tehuriden life, a
practice rarely seen among the "Vikh. Example of these include the signs of
Nampte and Ituļ, the spirits of the wind, on weapons, the sign of Veramu the
Bright on a doorpost to invite warmth into a home, or invoking Marira the Star
Guide when confronted with a particularly difficult
problem.
Housing.
Contrary to the exceedingly strange tree-dwellings shaped from the living forest
of their Ter'ei'Vikh
brethren, the Tehuriden live in simple, one-room huts and houses on the forest
floor. As they lack the ability of the "Vikh to combine their innate ability to
shape nature, they must rely on more common methods of construction instead,
although many Tehuriden allow their homes to become more and more overgrown as
time passes, encouraging flowering vines and creepers to have their dwellings
appear more as if they have been embraced by the jungle. In more recent times
imported shoots of the popular burgisvillai
have become
increasingly prevalent in the Tehuriden homestead, highly valued for the ease by
which they can be propagated, and the speed at which they may turn a wooden hut
into a flower-covered pile of
vines.
Clothing. On the matter of clothing, the Tehuriden
strive to maintain their connection with the Ter'ei'Vikh as
much as possible. Although fabrics imported by the Faen are used even more than
within the woods, the actual style of dress is much the same. Nearly all
Tehuriden own a large, heavy habit that conceals even their face with the hood
up. This deep, dark brown or black garb is worn on diplomatic 'missions', to
avoid Tehuriden entering the woods to converse with the Council of Elders from
being officially detected by their former kinsfolk (They are consequently
ignored. Even if a Tehuriden in his habit would walk through Mūn'ti, the Ter'ei'Vikh
capital, in broad daylight, no-one would admit seeing
him or her afterwards), and to protect their identity from prying eyes as they
travel the Morchini territories or join a Faen caravan. This has even led to
whispered stories of the "Dark Councillors", fearsome sorcerers that would exert
substantial influence on many governments and leaders, molding the political
landscape of the entire northwest of Nybelmar as they please. The Tehuriden see
little reason to disprove these rumours, and in fact have cultivated several
exciting variations, as the fear of terrible sorcerous wrath helps keeping their
envoys
safe.
Diet. While still preferring the food they themselves can gather
from the jungle, the Tehuriden have a much better knowledge of the culinary
options of the outside world. Their meals often include bread and gida from the
Kazai Morchin-i, and the alcoholic beverage 'Jiin' made from the same grain
as
this basic food has not escaped their notice either. Several Tehuriden have
taken up the habit of smoking rolled Uttun leaves from the lowest ranges of the
Germon Doilth, something not seen past the Gates of
M'aghin.
Weapons. The
Tehuriden have little in the form of weaponry. They are able to acquire knives
and metal arrowheads from the traders, and other hunting tools can either be
self-made, or traded for with their kinsfolk at the Gates of M'aghin. Not in the
position to make war on anyone, and somewhat protected by the stories about the
Dark Councillors, they have never seen the need for much
else.
Occupations. The Tehuriden Ter'ei'Vikh
have become merchants of information, and in the process turned into a key
factor for the local political climate in Northwestern Nybelmar. As the Dark
Councilors, they relay information, negotiate pacts and agreements, and provide
neutral advice to several nations and factions in the northwest of Nybelmar.
Their relative neutrality, seeing as they do not choose sides unless this would
threathen the Drifting Woods
, is widely appreciated although few governments publicly
acknowledge using the Tehuriden's services in their foreign relations for fear
of appearing weak, or .
A second function they perform is that of intermediary
for merchants visiting the Gates of M'aghin, the large river gates that form the
only permanent trading post where Ter'ei'Vikh
materials and craftswork can be purchased. As Ter'ei'Vikh
refuse to learn any language but their own, and no one but the Ter'ei'Vikh
and the Tehuriden speaks Ter'maes, the Tehuriden,
whom often master three or four languages in their early years of exile,
provide mutual interpretation for the bartering
parties.
Government. The Tehuriden, being small in number as they
are, have little need for a government in the traditional sense of the word. As
every member of the clan is an adult by their standards, they simply convene
when an important decision needs to be made. Overall, most matters are solved
between themselves, and in the case of conflicts, three neutral arbiters are
selected to consider the matter and provide a solution acceptable to both
parties.
Natural Resources. The
Tehuriden have little natural resources, being able only to harvest materials
from the fringe of the Drifting Woods.
However, as translators for the Faen merchant barges, they are often paid in
natura, securing most of the materials and products they need but cannot obtain
directly from their surroundings. Amongst the few resources they do have
available, the tangleweed
is worth
special mentioning, as they trade potted plants of this kind to the outside
world, fetching a fair price for the usefull plants from the Faen, who use its
medical applications on the Tsohamin guards that often accompany their larger
caravans.
