Fragment of Ice
in TorarIn prehistoric times, long before man discovered he could pull metal from earth, there were The Tribes. Five species of hominids that are early precursors to recognizable species of other fragments. They were created in Torar's prehistory by the mi-go that established colonies on the planet, each for a specific purpose. In this time magic is unknown and while gods exist they are not the familiar forces of modern times, but rather ancient and strange beings. However, there is power in the world around you, and the primitive spirits that inhabit it.
The tribes are:
Naledi
The Star Men. Originally created to be the overseers and interface between the hominids and their masters, naledi are often tall, graceful, and beautiful compared to the other tribes. They excel at communication and diplomacy, have the most advanced language and society, and are the longest-lived of any tribe. This leads some naledi to believe they are superior to the other tribes which have created a faction of them that espouse cutting ties with the other tribes.
Neanderthal
The Hollow Men. They were created as the brute force workers that would haul heavy loads out of the mines for processing. Neanderthals were also used to keep other tribes and workers in line through threats of violence. They are the strongest and toughest of the tribes. While possessing a warrior culture, they generally value savagery and force over skill at arms or honorable combat.
Denisova
The Rock Men. Created to be the engineers and mechanics of the mi-go colonies, the denisova are the shortest but most intelligent of the tribes. They have the most advanced tools which gives them a technological advantage over the other tribes. However, the denisova care little for the other tribes, often wishing to be simply left in peace as they burrow through the earth in search of more buried mysteries.
Habilis
The Spirit Men. Habilis were designed as support for the other tribes. They would grow food, raise livestock, and tend gardens. Over time this connection to the world deepened until the habilis could seemingly control the weather and change their bodies into those of the beasts of the land, sea, and air. They are the wisest, most intuitive of the tribes, with a culture second only to the naledi.
Sapiens
The New Men. Not technically created directly by the mi-go, the sapiens are the designed outcome of too much mixing of DNA between the other four tribes. They were meant to be the generalists of the servitors, able to jump in and fill any gaps in the workforce. They did not show up for several centuries after the other four tribes were created, and weren't populous enough to be considered their own self-sustaining tribe for thousands of years after that. Sapiens are the most adaptable of all tribes, easily able to incorporate external stimuli into their own culture and habits.
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Original works are copyright Michael Plowden.