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Culture
Topic Started: Dec 1 2013, 08:03 AM (67 Views)
MadQueenAlice
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Religion

In the Miakoda culture, there are many gods within every aspect of life.
But none is more powerful than Ma'iitsoh, who is known by many names.
'The Great Pack Leader', 'God of the Hunt' and 'Father of the Wolves' are just a few of the titles that Ma'iitsoh the Wolf God goes by.
It has been told that Tl'eehonaa'ei, the Moon Goddess, gifted him with two forms so that they may be together.
Together, they gave creation to all tribes.
It is believed that the Miakoda are their cubs and that they inherited to transform between
a two-legged and four-legged forms. They live their lives by Ma'iitsoh's influence and see their powers as a gift from him.
Nights of the full moon are commonly used as times of worship for tribes.
Prayers are also spoken in his honor before hunts, in the hopes that he will bring them luck.


Tribes

In the beginning, there were four great tribes from the North, South, East and West.
They would only gather together during the summer solstice for a week-long festival, though they would keep contact through messengers.
Tribes live in small camps in the forest with thatched huts as their dwellings. Their refer to their villages as their 'Den'.
They are commonly ruled by patriarchy, with dominant males leading the pack as chiefs.
While females are given equal opportunity to become respected warriors, they commonly have to prove their worth against their male comrades.
Communication differs between forms. While in their human forms, the Miakoda are able to speak verbally in the common tongue.
In their beast forms, however, they may speak telepathically. Telepathy between both forms is uncommon, but can happen occasionally.
In recent years, the Miakoda has started to lessen in numbers, due to internal conflicts between tribes.
This issue has not helped the recent settling from the outside world. Both Northern and Southern tribes have fallen and lost their territories to outsiders.
Survivors, few in number, have fled to the two remaining tribes for safety.
The two largest tribes, East and West, have decided to put the younger generation out on their own to form a new pack.
This has created a fifth tribe, now known as the Central Tribe.


Roles

All tribes are run by two Alphas, male and female. They are always outwardly shown respect, regardless of personal bias or opinion.
They are responsible for the well-being of the rest of the pack.
Betas act as second-in-command. They are peacekeepers and the head hunters of the tribe, leading during the absence of the Alphas.
In the event that the Alphas get weak or old, a Beta may challenge him or her to a winner-take-all duel for their title.
The Gammas act as advisers to the Alphas and Betas, often in charge of organizing things.
A job seemingly unimpressive, yet nothing goes on within the tribe without the Gamma's knowing or blessing.
Deltas are caretakers and nurturers. Although given a low ranking, they provide an important social role to their people.
They are also known to keep many fascinating secrets about their fellow tribe members.


Childhood

Starting at the age of five, the Miakoda are taught in the ways of a warrior.
Daggers, archery, spears and staffs are thrust upon them and they are expected to master them all with equal skill.
Levels in training are ranked by colored fangs.
White is rewarded for a warrior's first outstanding achievement and are followed by tawny, fawn, black, bronze, silver and finally, gold.
The final fang is given to the warrior when they have fully completed their training.
Once they reach this milestone, they are considered to be an adult.


Adulthood

With their training completed, a member of the tribe officially joins the rest of the pack as a warrior.
If they are particularly gifted with a skill (such as tracking or agility), they are given a set job that they must fill (Messenger, Trainer/Mentor, etc.).
Typically, mates are assigned through betrothal. If a warrior wishes to choose their mate, they must fight for their hand in order to gain parental approval.
When a warrior grows too old to be able to hunt, they are taken care of by their children and maintain simple jobs within the Den.


Reproduction

Although breeding can take place at any time, many Miakoda infants are conceived during the lull of winter (particularly around the time of the Unaligohi festival).
During pregnancy, females are unable to shift between forms and are forced to remain this way throughout the duration of their gestation period. While they are not fully human, embryos develop much faster and are expected to be born in a mere six months instead of nine.
Expecting parents follow a strict list of superstitions and traditions which vary depending on the tribes they come from. In the West, it is believed that bad luck may befall a child if the father-to-be takes life or hunts. Eastern women are extremely dedicated when it comes to prenatal diets. Foods such as raccoon, speckled trout and black walnuts should be avoided, while the drinking of wild cherry bark infusions is encouraged to hasten birth.
It is a tradition within all tribes that fathers must create a cradle-board for their infant. A ceremonial choosing of a tree takes place and certain supplications and prayers must be offered while laboring over the hewn wood to ensure his child's health.


Birth

Miakoda believe that birthing should never occur while lying down. Mothers instead endure labor while kneeling, accompanied by the females of their family or the pack midwife (known as 'the one who holds'). Homemade remedies, such as the rattles of snakes, are given to the mother to ensure quick and easy deliveries.
Fathers are not permitted to see their mates or child for a 10 day lying-in time, in which the village women attend to them.
On the 9th day, a great feast is prepared in the mother's honor and she and the newborn are bathed carefully and ritualistically. After a name is chosen, the father announces the sun's arrival and the mother presents their baby to daylight for the first time.


Death

When a member of the pack dies, their corpse remains in its wolf form.
Rather than having a funeral for them, their life is instead celebrated by their fellow comrades.
Corpses are burned upon a funeral pyre, along with their worldly possessions and offerings from family and friends.
This ritual is done in the hopes that they will join Ma'iitsoh for an eternal hunt in the afterlife.
A feast is then conducted in their honor by the rest of the tribe.


The Outside

Beyond the limits of the Eternal Forest lies an entire world unknown to them.
Vast kingdoms of stone with castles that reach towards the heaven and towns lay scattered across the country, which is known as Isros.
In recent years, kingdoms have begun to expand themselves and claim untouched land as their own territories.


The Magic

Many humans are born with magic abilities outside of the forest.
Their gifts come to them at young ages and they are typically taught to better control it as they grow.
Those with wealth or in some cases, luck, are sent to attend a mage's college.

All spells need some sort of base. While potions can work, they're extremely difficult to work with due to the specificity of each one, and, as a result, are extremely unpopular. The most common way is to invoke a spell that has been drawn or carved out. These get very complicated, and doing it wrong can be disastrous, due to either using the wrong symbols or using incompatibility of materials, etc.
Paper is the go-to because of its consistency, portability and being easy to write on. Most mages buy their tomes, but they can be homemade as well.
When a mage wants to invoke a spell, they tear a page from their tome and use it as the base of their spell. Once the spell is finished, the page is consumed and unusable.


The Settlers

Led by a man of nobility, settlers have reached the Forest of Eternity, making their homes along the borders and using the trees for timber.
Some have come searching for a new start, while others have been chosen to oversee the expedition due to specific skills in combat or magic.
Northern and Southern tribes made an attempt to defend their homes, only to be destroyed.
It is unknown if they will make an attempt to tame the land for their own or surrender to the wolves.
Either way, there is sure to be bloodshed.
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