Gerena Tribe

The Genera tribe is a group of like minded individuals from The Warm Glade. Those that live on the island live a peaceful life, entertaining guests visiting the island from pilgrimage.

Culture

Common Dress code

Because of the glades effect on the culture of the Gerena, and from the brightly colored slugs that the Genrena have learned to ride through the treetops, the people have taken to light clothing with dazzlingly bright colors and patterns. All clothing is hand-made by whoever happens to have grabbed a needle that day. The color yellow, though commonly found in the slugs on the island, is extremly rare to come by, and as such is a sign of wealth or nobility on the island.

Warriors

Warriors of the tribe are given ceremonial armor on numerous occasions throughout their life. Once when they become warriors, once when they become married, and once to be burned on the ancestral shoreline. Each one is made from the scales of the giant fish, or the chitin of the local giant crustacean. These are emblazoned with natural grasses or objects washed ashore to dazzling effect.

Coming of Age Rites

Upon reaching 16, unlike the majority of their life, a weapon is formed from the branches of fallen trees. The child is tasked with making a weapon, for he is to leave the island to hunt in the waters. The men coming of age gather in a wide ship along with the parent or mentor of their choice, and are brought to the ocean deep, far from the warmth of the island. There, they take their weapons and are each given a choice. Fight alone, or fight as one. Tradition demands that those who choose to fight as one proceed first. They must find a target together, slay it together, and bring it to the ship together. Upon their success, those that chose to fight alone are given a second chance. Fight together, fight as one, or deny the chance to slay a creature.
For those who choose to fight alone, the youngest always goes first. They must find a creature on their own in the water, learn its weakness, slay it, and bring it to the water on their own. Should those who choose to fight together on the second try, if there are no more than three, that wish to fight together, they are instead forced to return another year.
All those who caught a creature learn to carve and clean the creature, and what waste there was is tossed to the water as a prayer to the divine to keep them fed another day, all who caught a creature on their own are now considered men of the Gerena. Those who caught a creature on their own are considered Warriors. They can return to the tribe not only as men, but with the right to sit down and discuss matters of the island with the other warriors. Finally, those who failed to catch anything in any way, or were wounded in the fight, are healed, and brought back to the island, forced to return again another year should they desire.
The coming of age ritual is usually performed when there are guests to the island, which are also invited to watch, to understand the power of unity in the tribe. In addition, the food caught is given to the guests as a sign of good faith should the scales and chitin be left for the tribes warriors.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Upon the death of any member of the Gerena tribe, the body is quickly taken care of. Since no creatures are able to eat the animal, even after a day the corpse is incredibly well preserved. The body is lain upon a funeral pyre in ceremonial clothing, and until the body is fully burnt, none in the tribe are to speak.

Related Locations

• The Warm Glade