Shapeshifter Clans
A shapeshifter clan is defined as a group of Shapeshifters, numbering at least a dozen or so members of different families, who live together either as nomads, or what is more common these days, as a small commune, generaly at least partialy, and sometimes fully independant from any outside government.
Structure
Leader/Chief
The leader of the clan is usualy chosen by a democratic vote held amongst all of the clan members, aged 12 and above. However, some clans still use the old way of chosing a leader, which is by organising a Boyeken Battle between the candidates. The winning candidate must be at least 16 years old and when they win or get elected, they must rule for a 10 solstice term, equivalavent to 5 years. Their role is to decide various things for the clan, like its military, industry, population and territory.Elders
The role of the Elders, which are the eldest members of each individual families within the clan, regardless of age, is to serve as guides for the leader. The leader is not obligated to act upon their wishes, but is is seen as highly disrespectful to simply dismiss them and3or their opinion without listening to them.Emissaries
Members of the Clan chosen to represent the clan when the Leader cannot. They participate in various diplomatic activities, such as alliance or trade negociations. They are also in charge of organising Boyeken Battles at the request of the Leader in order to slove disputes. They can also recommend fighter candidates for these boyekens amongst the Warrior population, but the Leader has the final say if they are present.Warriors
Charged with the protection of the clan's territory and people. They have a fearsome reputation in the outside world and are known for their brutality in combat, but also for their courage and strenght. They participate of Boyeken Battles as it is a extension of their protective duties towards the clan. Warriors are generaly the second largest group of people within a clan, the largest one being the workers.Workers
Workers are the backbones of any clan. Whereas Leaders and Elders guide the clan towards goals, the workers, along with the emmisaries and the Warriors, make it happen. These members have jobs ranging from farmer to carpenter, from blacksmitting to pottery. As long as they have a skill that members find valuable in any way, they are considered a worker and are treated with great respect. They form the bulk of the population of Shapeshifter clans, making up to 85% of its population.Culture
Isolated
Because of their rough and tumultus history with humans, most clans have decided to establish themselves far away from human settlements and try to keep to themselves as much as possible, only really communicating with other clans and rarely with neighbouring human settlements. And while they will gladly accept a new shapeshifter within their ranks, a human or even another mage will not be accepted.Inter-Kin Racism
Racism between different shapeshifter species, or kins, is widepsread amongst the clans of Arrosia, to the point that is is an incredibly rare sight to see a clan made up of a diverse array of animals. Usualy, similar Kins, like foxes and wolves, could live together in the same clan, but a fox and a lion generaly would not. Of course, there are exceptions, such as in the City of Hersa, where all kinds of shapeshifters live together, but it is an exception to the rule. This is cause by historical resentment between different kins that have yet to heal.Anti-Slavery
All shapeshifter clans are vehemently opposed to slavery. This feeling is not only reserved for their own kins, but also for other mages and humans. Thissentiment stems from their history, as they have been, and still are in some regions, victims of slavery, where they were forced to battle each other in perverted versions of Boyeken battles. In most clans, a large proportion of current, or former members had been kept in slavery, which is why the opposition is so strong in their communities.Tight-Nit community
Inside the clans, life isnt always easy. Lack of food, resources and attacks from humans or other shapeshifters clans makes the situation for the members difficult at times. However, the people in those clans care very deeply about each other as for them, they are more than just a group of people banding together for survival, they are a giant family. Mothers care for all childrens, not just their own, kids from different families play together, regardless of their social standing and the whole clan comes together every month to sing and dance under a full Veos, to celebrate and give thanks.Public Agenda
The goal of any shapeshifter clan is to survive by preserving both the clan's population and its territory, and idealy, expand both of those things. For shapeshifters in particular, they learned centuries ago through many hardships that they are at their strongest against an enemy when they present a united front for a common cause. In times of peace, that unity tends to fall to the wayside as most clans revert back to their self-centered survival needs. However, all shapeshifters have heard of their history, and many hope that when the time is right, they will be able to unify again.
History
Chalenging a leader
Centuries ago, the way that a new clan leader was chosen was by organising a Boyeken Battle, where candidates fought each other. The winner would become the new leader of the clan. However, the practice fell out of fashion over the centuries due to a number of reasons, including for causing a lot of instability within the clans and in between the clans, causing wars. However, despite all this, some clans, particularly in the Vechor Islands and in Rumalia, still elect a leader that way.The cause of Inter-kin Racism
This racism comes from the fact that not all Shapeshifter kins went through the same chalenges as others. In fact, some were rather privilged compared to other kins, specificaly when it came to their relations with humans. Which kin got special privileges or not was largerly based on physical atributes, so the one who where left out grew resentful of the others and isolated themselves from them. This resentment grew larger when some shapeshifter where hired by humans to track down their own kind who had fleed. Of course, those kins saw this as a betrayal, which is a sentiment that they carry with them to this day, even after all those centuries.Religion
Most Shapeshifter clans are pretty open-minded to fates other than what the majority believes in, mainly because most of them dont care as long as the new members are loyal. However, this is not true, as some clans, especialy west of the Alvars mountains and even more in Enaskia, are instead very protective of their fate and wont accept anyone who believes in another one.
Asset
A large proportion of the population of those clans are battle hardened, either by choice, or by obligation and provide skilled mercenaries to many kingdoms, which brings in money into the clan. It is generaly an important source of revenue for most small to medium sized clans. These skilled warriors are also of course crusial for the defence of their clan's territory from incursions by humans or other shapeshifter clans nearby.
Foreign Relations
Shapeshifter clans are in general nearly completly independant from any outside autority. However, in some area, they do pay a set amount of taxes to a king or duke, in exchange for trade or examptions from war time levies. They can also in some instance make alliances between each other, even sometimes through international borders.
Industry
Small scale agriculture, metalurgy and other manual labour is done in most clans for sustanance. In some cases, larger clans are able to produce enough products in order to be able to trade them with others, wether they be humans in a nearby village or a neighbouring clan.
Comments