Nomads of Mercury

In the harsh extremes of Mercury, the nomadic people have always lived on the edge. The traditional migration patterns of the terminator nomads made them uniquely suited to adapt to life after the Scorching of Mercury, allowing them to avoid of the intense temperatures of night and day.
Most Mercurian nomads are Kara, a hardier Humanoid Keras. There are some Humans among their ranks, and a few Mori. Unlike the Kara and Mori, Humans are not native to Mercury. Many Humans fell through the cracks of the immigration system over the centuries, and were taken in by nomadic groups.
While most of the population of Mercury fled the planet, the majority of Mercurian nomads remained. Today they share the planet with the Defenders of Mercury managed by the Interplanetary Solar Defence Council and a few scattered undergound factories. The terminator nomads now have the honor of speaking for the planet and being heard. While nomads are now present at negotiations, they still find the final decisions are not theirs to make.
Relations between the nomads and the other occupants the planet have been strained as of late. The nomads feel that the ISDC and the factories do not adequately consider the enviromental impact of their action and extractions. The relationship is particularly tense with the Borealis Ice Mining company. Several nomad groups have attempted to appeal to the ISDC with claims that BIM is mining outside of their permit areas and illegally exporting Mercurian ice, but little has come of it.

Migration

For as far as Mercurian memory goes back, the nomadic people have walked along the terminator of the planet, always remaining in pleasant twilight. Now that the twilight is the only part that can sustain surface-side life, these skills and practices have become a necessity. The Interplanetary Solar Defence Council took note of this, and learned from indigenous knowledge when founding their mobile military base Penumbra.
In return for their expertise, some nomadic groups were able to secure rovers to help them with transportation of goods. Being able to carry more has helped these groups survive as more of the land turns barren and sunbleached. For the groups without rovers, their Walker livestock has had to pull double duty as beasts of burden.
Walkers have long been a key part of nomadic life. They provide food with their eggs, and shelter with their tall frames. Despite their giant size, they are surprisingly delicate. A poorly balanced or too heavy load can cause severe damage to the creatures. Most nomads prefer to be safe rather than sorry. They revere their animals, and it is through their care that the walkers remain on Mercury to this day, as most wild walkers perished during the Scorching.
Among the nomadic groups at the equator, the Walkers are traditionally accompanied by polewalkers. Polewalkers serve both the role of herders and of scouts. They walk on tall stilts, with a larger pole for balance, which allow them to wade through shallow waters, and also provides them with additional height. Not only does the height help them see further and scout ahead, but it also makes the polewalkers more visible to their fellow travellers.

Trade

The nomads trade with Penumbra and the underground factories that remain in operation. In exchange for staple grains and water, the nomads provide harvested salt, traditional medicine, and other crafted goods. A few nomadic groups also provide goods scavenged from the Iron Spires.
Some nomads have turned to raiding, attacking convoys of iceminers or food supplies. In response Borealis Ice Mining has repurposed some of their mining lasers for defense. There's been no confirmed reports of nomads raiding a factory, though the fear that it might happen has lead some factories to improvise armaments and include militia drills as part of employee duties.

Trade Goods

Export

Salt
Traditional Medicine
Crafted Goods
Scavenged Treasures

Import

Grain
Water
Conventional Medicine

Life in the tents

Very few nomadic groups remain on foot constantly. Most of them travel to the edge of night, where it is just warm enough to set up tents. These nomads set up camp for a week or so, taking their tents down when the heat of dawn claims the region a few days later.
The most presitigious tents among the nomads are those draped around the Walkers. Each Walker is claimed by a specific family, and a proud part of their family heritage. To use the creatures as tents, tarps are draped along their bodies. The Walkers are then safely and harmlessly immobilized by burning insence underneath them. The smoke puts them into a cataleptic state, a defense mechanism used by the creatures to survive the day heat.
Since the Scorching, some nomads have taken to scavenging the ruined cities and Iron Spires. The abandoned buildings contain a plethora of valuable finds like technology, keepsakes, raw materials, and perhaps most useful, shelf-stable provisions. The younger scavengers have taken to the art of scrapping, specializing into several roles such as ensuring buildings are stable, safely removing rubble, and disassembling technology to get at the light and expensive crystals contained within.

Iron Spires by Annie Stein

Oasis Snacks by Annie stein

Finding Food

With the extreme loss of atmosphere and subsequent destruction of most ecosystems, the land has not been able to fully sustain the nomads. In the past, the nomads would harvest grains and roots, but very little has survived the dual threat of burning and freezing. The nomads are caught between harvesting for survival today, or in ways that can protect and secure future yields as well. Most nomads have found themselves needing to trade for staple grain to bulk out their meals.
Additionally, many of the staples the nomads rely on to get themselves through times of pestilence or famine, like bark and wood pulp, are not digestible by Humans. Some groups try to ration food, while others encourage their Human family members to break off from the group and seek transportation off the planet. A former nomad, Roseah, has set up a travelling bar that tags along with Penumbra. Roseah is known to help nomads get them in touch with ships and earn enough money to safely make it off planet.

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Read more about the Cuisine of the Mercurian Nomads

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Nomads of Mercury
Humanoids Kara ( Majority ) · Human · Mori Characters Roseah Livestock Walker Society Traditions ( Still Sun ) · Cuisine of the Mercurian Nomads ( Halobate Salt )

Mercury

☿ Mercury

History Scorching of Mercury Locations Caduceus · Penumbra · Biomes ( Sunbleached Wastelands ) · Iron Spires ( Hokusai · Hun Kal ) · Enheduanna Characters Blue NM-2 · Eun · Sciah · Roseah · Tray Species Keras ( Mot · Walker ) Politics Ruling ( Mercurian Triumvirate · Interplanetary Solar Defence Council ) · Keystone of Mercury Society Ethnicities ( Refugees of Mercury · Nomads of Mercury ) · Borealis Ice Mining

Potter Eggs by Annie Stein

Encompassed species

• Kara

Related Items

• Halobate Salt

Related Locations

• Mercury

Subarticles