Cotaw
The Cotaw people are another of the primary tribal groups that make up the Sypi Confederacy. They are best known as the Confederacy's craftsmen and workers, even while they still maintain their tribal lifestyle and nomadic behavior. Most of the mines and quarries currently operating in the Confederacy are owned and operated by members of the Cotaw people, and they have a reputation for no nonsense honest dealing. They are remarkably straight-forward, perhaps even to a fault, and most of the other tribes state that one of the certainties of life is that you can trust a Cotaw for both honor and quality in workmanship.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Macha, Chapawee, Witashnah, Hantaywee, Dowanhowee, Chlumani, Wachiwi, Talutah, Winona, Takchawee
Masculine names
Lootah, Weayaya, Howahkan, Yahto, Wanikiya, Tatonga, Skah, Wahkan, Canowicakte, Tashunka
Family names
As with the majority of Confederate tribes, there rarely exists family names within the membership of the Cotaw tribe and its associated clans. Most people identify themselves by the Cotaw tribe name, which is usually in the case of trade with other tribes or outlanders. Occasionally, a person will take a last name that identifies the type of item or product they are most known for such as "Ore," "Longbow," or "Necklace."
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
The Cotaw, like the other Sypi tribes, has adopted Common as its primary language. Some do choose to speak elements of Alsonan, but the Cotaw mastery of that language has rapidly diminished over the past few generations. Instead, only elements of the Alsonan language remain, used rarely in conversation among older members of the tribe. The Cotaw are said to have had a language of their own long before the foundation of the Confederacy, but these words were abandoned, in favor of establishing a more cohesive nation to defend itself against outsiders and giants.
Art & Architecture
The Cotaw are a solely nomadic people and lack any true presence in the major towns of the Sypi Confederacy. When they do reside in a town, they often rent or purchase a house of another culture's design, rather than building their own. That said, the tents of the Cotaw are prized among all of the tribes of the Confederacy, for their warmth and durability. The secret behind the leather and materials used in the creation of the tents is closely held, but their unique color and texture that seems to blend into the surroundings and maintain warmth in the winter and cooling in the summer is almost magical in its effectiveness.
Ideals
Gender Ideals
The Cotaw were partially influenced by the Alsonans, in the selection of the Alsonan pantheon, which the Cotaw follow. However, they declined to pick up the trappings of matriarchy unlike other tribes that had been influenced by the northern kingdom over the centuries. Instead, the Cotaw culture remains decidedly masculine in nature and development. Men are honored above women for the most part, though women are not exactly forbidden from pursuing a career as a warrior or craftsmen. Typically, as the people of the Cotaw place jobs that require more upper body strength as more important, men tend to thrive more in Cotaw social structure.
Relationship Ideals
Relationships within the Cotaw society and tribe are typically monogamous between a man and a woman. That is not to say that other relationships are disallowed, quite the opposite. While not as hedonistic as the Conino tribe, the Cotaw are instead more interested in achieving a relationship for its sustainability, rather than the heat of passion. What a Cotaw prizes most is a partner of either gender who will remain trustworthy and loyal until death. Family ties are important, but trust and honor is placed above all else.
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
Languages spoken
Related Locations
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