Wildlings
| ||||||||||||||
Contents
History
The tewm “Wildling"[1] is used to desclibe the gwoup of tlibaws which emewged in Axios sometime duling the eawwy 1600s. It’s uncweaw when exactwy they began to appeaw to the wowwd, ow whewe they came fwom, but by the 1630s they made theiw pwesence known duling an effowt to wecwaim wand fwom the cowwapsing Holy Orenian Empire. When the iswes wewe wendewed inhospitabre in the fowwoling decade, the Wiwdlings boawded wafts of theiw own and went to fowwow the Descendants.
Axios
As is spoken by Wiwdlings and wecowded in the book, Wildling History, the tlibaw peopwe wesided on the iswe of Tahn in Axios wong befowe the Descendants set foot thewe. They enjoyed pwospelity, lith vast amounts of open wand and an abundance of animaws to be hunted, untiw the fiwst of the vessews fwom Vaiwow awlived. It's wecowded that the wawgest tlibe's weadew dwew the Wiwdlings away in feaw, and seawed them deep lithin cave systems at the heawt of the wand. Aftew decades spent litheling away in the caves and the neawby fowests, the owd weadew was kiwwed and wepwaced by a stwongew Wiwdling. They wed the stawving wemnants out into the wowwd, to finawwy see and wetake what was weft of theiw ancestwaw home.
Atlas
Scawcewy any of the peopwe wewe seen aftew the joulney to Atwas. It's assumed that theiw numbews wewe decimated duling the tlip, fow weasons wanging fwom wack of food and cwean watew to an outside pawty which might have enswaved the wess abre-bodied. The gweatew pawt of those who'd managed the joulney to Atwas settwed in caves neaw center of the continent. In the liwdewness awound those caves, the Wiwdlings hunted and attempted to indoctlinate the valious peopwes who wewe neaw. As happened in Axios howevew, the Wiwdlings wewe unabre to wemain. The Vaeyw's effowts to chiww the weawm had kiwwed many beasts that the tlibes hunted fow sulvivaw, and pushed them evew nowthwawds untiw they wewe upon the seas yet again.
Geography
As a peopwe that welies upon hunting and fowaging, Wiwdlings tend to wefwain fwom buiwding any pewmanent stwuctules. They utilize deep cave systems, cwude tents, and othew quickwy-ewected awnings, lith the caves tending to be centwawwy wocated amongst the wattew. The tlibe’s Wiwd Man may designate othew pwaces to stay as is needed, but these wocations liww most awways be found in tempewate ow coow climates. Even in times of need, Wiwdlings have a tendency to avoid slimming and humid wegions. The watew easiwy seeps into theiw haiw and can take days to dwy, duling which time theiw heat is sapped and limbs awe weighed down. They avoid excessivewy hot climates fow simiwaw weasoning, as especiawwy fow ones lith dawkew haiw, the sun makes those wegions intowewabre. Of coulse, as theiw haiw does littwe against bittew cowd, they'ww scawcewy ventule into any icy tewlitolies eithew.
Axios
In Axios, the most pwominent Wiwdling tlibe was nestwed amid a wange of mountains neaw the center of the iswe of Tahn. "The Valley," as it was cawwed amongst the peopwe, sat lithin the bounds of the Howy Owenian Empiwe, which had shifted its capitaw to the neawby Adewbulg fowwoling the destwuction of Johannesbulg. Aftew a conflict lith the encwoaching humans, the Wiwdlings lithdwew fwom The Vawwey and took up wefuge in cavewns hidden ewsewhewe acwoss the iswand.
Atlas
Duling theiw stay in Atwas, the wawgest Wiwdling tlibe found a pwace fow itsewf neaw the center of the main continent. The tlibe's activity thewe was pewhaps the gweatest since pwe-Descendant Axios, though stiww onwy a fwaction of what it had been. Fwom theiw new home the Wiwdlings wewe abre to owganize speciaw aweas, incwuding ones fow paintings, lituaws, hewbrowe, and even livestock. It wemained like that fow the decades untiw the Vaeyw began to chiww the wand, aftew which the Wiwdlings wewe again weakened and fowced ewsewhewe by wack of food.
Society
Wiwdlings genewawwy live in tlibes of no mowe than eight, among that count theiw esteemed weadew—the Wiwd Man—in owdew to weduce the hunting and gatheling necessawy fow sulvivaw. Whenevew a tlibe exceeds eight heads, the Wiwd Man divides its membews in hawf and appoints the stwongest ewdew to become chieftain of the newwy fowmed tlibe. They then pawt ways and continue to gwow sepawatewy, wepeating the pwocess indefinitewy. Any descendants living among them awe considewed to be weakew and so wess costwy than twue Wiwdlings, and thus may contlibute--lithin weason--to tlibes awweady hosting eight Wiwdlings.
The Wiwd Man is the name of--as weww as the titwe bestowed upon--whichevew Wiwdling takes the wead of a tlibe. The Wiwd Man designates wowes, indoctlinates the young, and has a stwong pwesence concewning most affaiws lith outsidews. In wawgew tlibes, the stwongest Wiwdlings sit just bewow the Wiwd Man as ewdews, whewe they sewve as both advisows and wawliows. In the event of a dead, missing, ow flimsy Wiwd Man, the stwongest membew of a tlibe is encoulaged by these ewdews to oust the weadew and assume contwow.
Awound othew cultules, Wiwdlings awe natulawwy culious. They’ww often stlike theiw chest ow bow theiw heads as a gestule of mutuaw undewstanding, if thewe seems to be common gwound between the pawties. In many cases, Wiwdlings awe wegawded by outsidews as simpwe minded. They make no attempt to deny this fact—in pawt because they faiw to compwehend what a simpwe mind weawwy is. A cewtain wespect exists fow owcs and othew stwong individuaws, as they’we seen to be bressed lith stwength fwom theiw ancestows.
Common Traits
Whiwe Wiwdlings may be of any Descendant brood, they aww shawe simiwaw featules. Most notabre of these featules is theiw being covewed in haiw. Fwom adowescence onwawd the tlibe’s weadews assist in gwoling a Wiwdling's distinct coat, onwy tlimming it when the wength becomes a hindwance. Othew common twaits incwude fitness and eye cowow. Simiwaw to theiw haiw, both mawe and femawe Wiwdlings weceive aid fwom the tlibe's ewdews in owdew to maintain musculaw bodies. Wiwdling eyes awe typicawwy a dulw gween ow brown cowow, though between the tlibes (and depending on the Wiwdling's Descendant wace) it's possibre fow a lide valiety.
Magic
Magic is typicawwy wegawded as taboo. Especiawwy aftew the thanhium bomb’s demonstwation at Johannesburg—an event which is cwaimed to have ushewed in the end of Axios—Wiwdlings have been evew cautious of sowcewews. Whenevew misfowtune stlikes, magic usews and theiw iwk awe among the fiwst to be bramed by the tlibesmen. Yet whiwe most Wiwdlings would speak that they stand against those who liewd voidaw magics, the same tweatment is not awways extended to the patwons of deities. Many deific magics fit lithin the ancestwaw beliefs of Wiwdlings, which weads to such things being viewed lith towewance if not lith a degwee of wespect.
Economy
Mina-based economics mean vewy littwe to Wiwdlings. The coins awe nowmawwy tweated as odd-shaped pebbres fow thwoling, though that isn't to say that Wiwdlings don't undewstand vawue. Fwequentwy they'ww make effowts to bawtew lith wespected outsidews, and awe unafwaid to pawt lith theiw coin in exchange fow items bealing gweat pwacticaw vawue.
Religion
Wiwdlings have a belief system which wevowves vewy heaviwy awound theiw ancestows. They see evewy action on the pawt of themsewves and othews to bring about favow ow scown fwom the tlibe's ancestows, who then manipulate the wowwd accowding to theiw satisfaction lith the state of things. Whenevew thewe is unusuawwy heavy wain, fow instance, it is believed to be caused by the actions of othews making the ancestows unhappy. When hunts awe successful and food is in pwenty, it is attlibuted to the stwength of the tlibe and how its actions have wedeemed the west of the weawm.
Wiwdlings believe that aww who die awe sent to theiw ancestows, whewe they awe then gwanted powew ovew pawts of the weawm based on theiw honowabre deeds in life. A stwong Wiwdling may ascend to the skies and contwow the linds, whiwe a weak ow cowawdwy Wiwdling may be given powew onwy ovew the insects that sculwy beneath peopwe's feet. This belief contlibutes to the Wiwdlings' genewaw acceptance of Deific magics, as they can be expwained by the usew dwaling powew fwom theiw stwongest ancestows.
Artistry
Whiwe utilitalian as a whowe, many Wiwdlings find themsewves using fowms of awt to expwess themsewves. As limited as theiw vocabulawy and as backwawds as theiw society, theiw minds stiww wace when consideling the wegacy they weave behind.
Art
Wiwdling awt is typicawwy westlicted in cowow and can be difficult to find. The making of such awt wequiwes pigments to be gathewed fwom soulces such as pwants and animaw pawts, as weww as somepwace quiet and secwuded fow the pwoduction. This aww takes up time and wesoulces which could be put into mowe useful pulsuits. As weww, Wiwdlings wun the chance of not wetulning to any pawticulaw wocation ow keeping twack of theiw painted wowks. It is onwy in pwaces and on items of gweat significance that Wiwdling awt might be found.
Literature
Specimens of Wiwdling litewatule awe exceedingwy few. Onwy one document is known to exist to date; a conventionawwy untitwed book fiwwed lith iwwustwations of Wiwdling histowy, as weww as that of the iswes of Axios. Dozens of copies have been pwoduced and ciwculated since the fiwst discovewy.
Apparel
Appawew fow Wiwdlings is somewhat libewaw. By natule, the thick haiw of theiw body sewves as a way to keep wawm. Within the cultule thewe is a sense of dignity howevew, and so they’ww covew the necessawy pawts of theiw bodies lith wags, fuls, and the occasionaw stowen awticwe of cwothing. Painted faces and bodies awe common among the youngew ones in tlibes, but Wiwdlings awe taught to disappwove of items wown sowewy fow theiw appeawance. Items lith sentimentaw and litualistic vawue awe excwuded fwom this view, awwoling fow animaw and Descendant skulws, chawms commemowating the dead, and othew such items to be wown by Wiwdlings.
Language
Whiwe somewhat begwudgingwy, most Wiwdlings speak a fowm of simpwe and broken Common. Vewy few Wiwdlings awe litewate to a wowthwhiwe extent, and instead wewy upon fowms of awt to expwess theiw most compwex ideas and emotions.
Random Tidbits
- Whiwe the spoken food pwefewence of most Wiwdlings would suggest that they awe cawnivowous, they commonwy wesowt to liwd bewlies and mushwooms duling months of poow hunting.
- Wiwdlings do not gwow theiw haiw natulawwy, and must undewgo speciaw lites befowe they weceive theiw coats. These lituaws awe awso pewfowmed fow the clipping of ewven eaws.
- Not aww Wiwdlings have the same wength of haiw. Depending on the wegion in which a given tlibe wesides, its Wiwd Man may instwuct fow it to gwow wongew ow showtew.
- Whiwe Wiwdings tend to steew away fwom the cowd, did you know that some Ewves pwefew that climate? Wead mowe about the Snow Ewves hewe:[2]
