Orubian

Orubians are vibrant folk, full of music, laughter and self-expression. They are dark skinned, and are born with natural magical abilities and a hunger to create art, music and happiness. The majority of Orubians live in the vast savannah plains of Orubia, with smaller tribes of people dotter around the fringes of the humid rainforest regions to the east.

by TJ Trewin

Their culture has grown up around the use of magic, meaning that societies over time have come to rely less and less upon technology. This has created more time to be enjoyed on refining arts such as sculpture, ceramics, woodworking, textiles and (everyone's favourite) music.
Orubians love to express themselves and their vibrant fashion trends seem to be changing every week. Bright colours and bold patterns can be found throughout Orubian Art, and garments are not always restricted to a particular gender. It's not uncommon to see men wearing striped skirts to keep cool and agile in the hot environment in which they live. Food is also a big part of Orubian culture, as Maisha-rich food sustains their magic reserves.

Family Ties by TJ Trewin

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Family Ties

The recent tradition of family ties only shows the latest history going back around two hundred years. Cowrie shells were recently introduced to Orubia by visiting traders and the trend has caught on fast. Shells are tied through the center gap if a couple are wed, with a knot and line of children running down from their bond (the child shells are wrapped around twice, once for each parent’s protective arms). Shells are varnished in red if the family member is deceased, a sliced cord indicates separation and a burnt cord means exile.

To cut your ties means to separate yourself from people completely, never to see them again.

The family ties can be sewn onto a fabric background or tapestry, but are frequently left loose to be hung as an ornament in the family home. When travelling on long journeys, sometimes a person will take their family ties with them so that it feels like their family is on the journey too (it also makes for a great discussion piece when visiting relatives that are far away).

A tangled family implies that a family has become so big that it's hard to follow each thread and keep order or peace.