Vádas lámé

Description

Vádas lámé is the Tarrabaenian/Tebrinian word for those who go into the Moiyeli Swamplands to gather ressources that can not be found elsewhere, like the spice sméhhahh, or who facilitate trade through that general area. The term is highly derogatory as the Moiyeli Swamplands are known to be a dark, lawless and chaotic place and those who venture there are viewed with some distrust.

Typical ways to become a Vádas lámé

Most Vádas lámé are recruited from the lower to lowest classes of society. The term was at first solely tebrinian as it was from this state of the Confederation of Tarrabaenia that the first people tried their luck in the swamps. Later on, others too came to Tebrina to go gather things in the swamp or find more direct ways to the Andaperna to access their higly sought after charms made of huwawit more easily.

Other ways to become a Vádas lámé than doing it as a free man but out of necessity include being sent there as a slave. This is in most cases a form of punishment as it enables the owner of a slave to possibly get rid of a slave, who has caused him damage or shame or is in general good for nothing. It can also be a way for a slave to work his way into freedom, as some owners offer their slaves contracts to extract something from the Moiyeli Swamplands in exchange for their freedom. It can also be a sentence in a lawsuit for the one losing the case to be sent into the Moiyeli Swamplands. This is in fact not the same as the cases described before as it pertains to outlawed person and is rather a way to get somebody sentenced to death without having to organise an execution. Nonetheless these outlaws are called Vádas lámé just like the others.

Role in society and economy

Even though their reputation is low, the Vádas lámé play an important role in the Tebrinian society. They are the main providers of huwawit, which otherwise can only be obtained by trading with the Madini for shockingly high prices. The charms and amulets made of huwawit are collectors items very popular with the wealthier people all over the Confederation of Tarrabaenia. On the other hand the raw material itself, which can not be mined locally or in the Central Erana Mountain Range to the west is highly valuable for its possible applications in alchemy, but also for practicioners of magic tapping into and working with the element of Shimmer.

A pure luxury good is the spice sméhhahh, which is used in Tarrabaenian cuisine. It is expensive and thus an exclusive commodity for the upper classes. It is mostly used in fish dishes, as its freshness adds well to the light flavour of most fish and its spiciness complements the fishes' tenderness.

Other goods that are sometimes extracted from the Moiyeli Swamplands contain wood, venison or - for the antiquarians and researchers - artifacts of the Luak culture that used to inhabit the area.

Type

Raw Materials Gathering