Firewalking

As stewards of the land, one of the things that the Vasati of the United Tribes of Mare'n know is necessary is controlled burns of their grasslands. Both the process and the need for it are celebrated and carefully handed down from generation to generation.

History

The process and rituals that go into the firewalking process are as old as the stories the tribesmen weave. The oldest stories were simply tales of the brave men and women fighting the natural fires to contain them. Since then, the process evolved to setting and manipulating them for the greater health of the grasslands.

Execution

Firefoxes have perhaps some of the closest relationships with Liril, the Vasati deity, outside of those Starguides who serve her.

• Offering to the Flame - Any time the Dahadin set up their camp, they establish a perpetual flame and dedicate it to Liril. As the firefoxes are leaving to go about their business each day they are working with fires, they make some sort of offering to the flame; it can be as simple as braided grass or a bit of scented resin. If they have something in particular to ask, or know the day might be particularly hard, they might choose something more significant such as a clay figurine or a bit of embroidered cloth or embossed leather. If a perpetual flame is not available, they will burn something small instead.
• Marking with Ash - Whenever a perpetual flame is extinguished so that the Dahadin can move, the firefoxes smear ash from the old fire somewhere on their clothes or equipment.

Tools of the Trade

While magic is often used as well, each firefox travels with the mundane tools to do their job as well.

SPARKBOX Every firefox is equipped with the physical means to make fire. Currently, this is a handheld box with a moving lid that, when squeezed, produces sparks. Before the invention of the sparkbox, firefoxes carried primitive flint and steel.

GIYEN Each firefox carries a tool that is a rake on one end and a combination of sharp-edged shovel and pick on the other. The purpose of this tool is to manually carve firebreaks into the grasslands.

Fire Retardant Clothing A necessity - in addition to the light, gauze clothes favored by the tribal people, firefoxes carry and wear heavier, fire-resistant clothing.

Water All travelers carry water, of course, but firefoxes carry more water and often have a pack animal for this express purpose. They cannot afford to be caught without while doing their jobs.

Participants

In the course of their job, the firefoxes see the ritual of setting and extinguishing fires hundreds or thousands of times. Other tribesmen will rarely see it; they may only see it if they seek intentionally to do so, such as the storytellers who must record the happening for the oral histories of the tribes, young people shadowing to see if the profession is for them, or curious tribespeople if a burn is happening close to their settlement.

Entry for Challengathon, A Year of Challenges for the January prompt: Transformative January, a Year of Change.

Firewalking

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Type

Traditional Practice

Primary Related Location

Westra

Related Organizations

• United Tribes of Mare'n

Related Ethnicities

• Tribal Culture

Header photo by Matthis Volquardsen on Pexels.

Found Family

the Dahadin tribe

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Translated as "Of the Fire", most of those who serve as firefoxes leave behind their own tribe and join this tribe. This is a unique tribe is more bonded by their risky jobs and not family ties. While the Firefoxes are out doing their jobs, their base is looked after by the few non-firewalking elders, partners, and children who travel with the tribe rather than settling at home with a different tribe.