Totemreach

Overview

Totemreach is a collection of tribes (Plemya) and villages within a vast and varied wilderness. Its people call themselves Plemyans, after their word for tribe. Totemreach began as a mission to restore the natural order of the wilderness following the Sundering. It grew to encompass different and sometimes opposed ways of achieving that mission.   The name Totemreach is derived from the practice of leaving cairn-like totems when a Plemya moves. Many trails in and out of the region are dotted with them.   Plemyans are deeply dedicated people, stemming from their shared goal. They are loyal, kind, charitable, and creative. The people of Totemreach must be incredibly skilled, as the harshness of the wilderness demands inhabitants who are strong enough to survive it. Many talented channelers, naturalists, skirmishers, and warriors have come from this region and consider it a brutal but warm home. Sylvan, Human, and Beastkin are prevalent here, though almost all species can be found among the wilds. The only exceptions are Undying and Soulforged; it is rare to find either of these races amongst the Plemya.  

Culture

Outlook

Plemyans believe that the world was inherently broken by the Sundering and that it is their job to restore it. They believe they can bring the wilderness back to its pre-Sundering glory through skill, cooperation, and nerve.   Plemyans understand that their way of life is not for most people. Many come to Totemreach from other cultures to work towards something more important than their own personal goals. They specifically avoid the affairs of other cultures; intervention outside of Totemreach is unusual unless nature is at risk.   Most Plemyans would prefer to live in a place without political leadership, but recognize that leaders provide order to the chaos of the wilds. Although different groups may have different approaches, all have rallied around their mission to help save the wilderness wherever possible.  

Look and Feel

Plemyans tend to dress in brightly patterned clothes that they dye using local plants and minerals. The colors and patterns mimic the native foliage. Each tribe has a set of distinct colors that they wear proudly in their clothes and on their banners. Some Plemyans wear more muted or natural colors, while others take pride in their vibrancy. Hats and head coverings are common, ranging from simple caps to large head pieces designed and made by the wearer.   Southern Plemyans dress in long tunics made of cotton. They wear sashes and toga-like robes over them. Sashes and robes are often functional as well, serving as bags or blankets to sleep under.   Northern Plemyans, who live in and around mountains, favor heavier wool fabrics. They tend to wear darker colors to retain and catch more heat from the sun.     In contrast to their clothing, Plemyan architecture is subdued. Most of the buildings in a Plemya or village are small huts or cottages. Some Plemyans dig basements based on the surrounding area; some live together in long homes where privacy is rare. Thatched roof huts with clay walls are common. Larger villages may have more intricate wooden cottages for chieftains or other respected members of the community. Many if not all structures have some sort of garden attached to their building to raise food.  

Religion

Chieftains lead their Plemya in religious worship and tradition. As the leader, they are responsible for the vision and task of ensuring successful missions and ensuring the gods smile upon their people.   The two deities primarily worshiped in the region are Moros, the Desolation and The Golden Road, though they go by different names depending on what Plemya you talk to.   The Plemya of the Gardner worship Moros. Moros is instrumental in the change, decay, and rebirth of the land, leading many to seek their guidance. These Plemya center their shrines to Moros around a compost bin or pile. Offerings are made from scraps of food and waste, allowing the natural world to take the unused foodstuffs and reuse them for the land. Being irresponsibly wasteful or striving for a sense of permanence is seen as an affront to Moros and to the Plemya as a whole and is taken seriously.   The Plemya of The Pioneer worship the Golden Road. These Plemya believe strongly in actively moving towards nature’s improvement and charting paths to success. Maps and navigational devices are revered in these tribes and are treated as holy relics. They may be beautifully adorned and displayed for the whole Plemya to see. Many families have an heirloom map that has been passed down through generations. Most, if not all, will leave a small corner or whole swaths of this map blank, symbolizing the unknown yet to be discovered and to remind them to adventure on and find new ways to make the world better.   All Plemya have a reverence for the gargantuan, Ashtouched creatures called Primal Beasts that roam throughout the wilds. Those who do not feel a connection with the gods will often turn their worship towards the Primal Beasts, idolizing their way of life and trusting them as spiritual guides. Few have come across these creatures, yet many claim to have seen them. Many embroider symbols of them on their clothes or carve them into their huts and cottages for good luck. It is common to ask young children which Primal Beast is their favorite. Chieftains prefer their people to worship the gods, but understand the role the Primal Beasts play in the story of the land, the story of the waters, and the story of the skies; they respect and try to channel that energy within the Plemya as well.  

Holidays and Traditions

While each tribe has their own holidays, there are three notable ones that are widely celebrated and known outside of Totemreach.

Niuewedannum

(New-weh-dahn-num) — the new year Festival of Lights. A celebration of surviving a new year within the land. The lights symbolize the light of Totemreach in a dark world choked by ash. Villages spend the day making and sharing crafts and hosting musical performances. At night there are feasts and games for villagers to play such as Totem tag. As the night ends, villagers leave candles at the edge of the Plemya and dance at the edge of their light, symbolizing their push into the wilderness.  

Gardenerentaag

— the Gardener’s birthday. A day of rest and celebration. Many people make wreaths and place them on their doors. Offerings to Moros and to idols of the Gardener are common. Usually, the day includes a feast of vegetables and grains. Meat is never served on Gardenerentaag.  

Pioneerentaag

— the Pioneer’s Birthday. A day of rest and celebration. Along with feasts and games, villages draw incredibly detailed and beautiful maps in the dirt with sticks and chalk. These maps are eventually walked over and washed away, symbolizing the way the passage of time changes the land.     Other traditions relate to the migration, when a Plemya moves to a new home. Plemyans celebrate the land that housed them by planting a flower for each member of the tribe and leaving a totem with the symbols of their Plemya. Following the planting, Plemyans take great pains to ensure that they leave no trace besides the flowers and the totem. This act of leaving totems in old spots gave Totemreach its name among the other cultures of the world. A Plemya moves at the discretion of its chieftain. Usually, a Plemya moves when a caravan like The Kafervolk Caravan comes through or when the chieftain feels the land is no longer tenable for its current mission. Sometimes this is a long and calculated decision, but other times the Plemya moves quickly to avoid danger.  

Superstitions and Taboos

• Exploring alone. The people of Totemreach deeply understand how dangerous the world is, and consider the act of exploring by themselves to be a death wish or suicide mission.
• The woods will trick you. Too many people have been lost to familiar sounds in the woods. If you hear someone calling your name when they shouldn’t be, it may be the woods trying to take you.
• Shrines of those before. You must respect the flowers and totems left by a site’s former occupants. Many make small houses for the totems so that they can be protected from weather. Desecrating a totem shrine is equivalent to wishing death on the previous Plemya or declaring a war against them.
• Think before you kill. Some Plemyans are hesitant to kill an animal while hunting for fear that it could be connected to a nature spirit. Plemyans thoroughly inspect tracks for any deviations from known animals and look for “stars against the sun:'' spots of light that seem to dance and play in trees and on the tops of rivers and ponds that signal the recent presence of a nature spirit.
• Ash moons and the dark sun. Eclipses of all kinds are interpreted as omens and signal the fate of the land. The lunar eclipse, named the Ash Moon, is considered a deeply bad omen. Conversely, the solar eclipse, called the Dark Sun, is considered a good omen.
• Walking over the sleeping. It is considered bad luck to walk over someone's body while they are sleeping.

 

Common Plemyan sayings:

• Do not act on your own accord. Listen to the earth and trust its guidance.
• Thank the wren for telling you what's around, ward the wind for disguising footfalls
• A red sky in the morning is a hunter’s warning. A clear sky in the night is a hunter’s delight.

Geography

The land of Totemreach is varied. Much of Totemreach is made up of dense forests and swamps brewing with Ashtouched plants and animals. Totemreach meets a small part of the coastline where people can take boats to reach other cultures for minor trade and features mountains that offer scenic views, but provide little in terms of foliage. Much of the wilderness has been ashtouched and mutated. Many tears in the veil occurred here and stayed open for a long time. The wilderness is harsh and unforgiving and breeds some of the most competent adventurers and magic users in all of Aldwa.  

Villages

Each of the main settlements within Totemreach has a distinct culture shaped by the land around it. There are four main villages that make up these settlements:

• The Sun Village - Salidarah
• The Mountain Village - Modradarah
• The Forest Village - Lisdarah
• The Sea Village - Tileadarah

Salidarah

The Sun Village, the largest of the villages within Totemreach, famous for historical meetings and the Reformation of the Pioneer. In the Plemyan tongue, “sali” means “sun” and “darah” means “village”.   This village is set on a wide plain. Many of the huts and tents are long and domed to blend in with their surroundings. The high heat and lack of shade make water a valuable resource; magic used to save water is highly valued. To keep their bodies cool, the residents of Salidarah wear long white robes with wide brimmed straw hats.  

Modradarah

The Mountain Village, known for its hardy villagers adept at mountain climbing. Some Plemyans refer to its residents as “the Goats” both for their pastoral nature and their incredible climbing abilities.   Plemyans from Modradarah dress in bright shades of red, pink, and green derived from mountain flowers.  

Lisdarah

The Forest Village. Settled on the edge of one of the densest forests in all of Aldwa, Lisdarah is a bridge for several ecological missions within Totemreach and attracts a diverse population.   Lisdarah is home to a group of herbalists seeking a cure for the ashtouched plants of Totemreach. Due to their demand for instruments, Lisdarah is also home to a substantial number of glass blowers. They sell their wares to the herbalists and the other villagers in exchange for food and drink. Many residents of Lisdarah are also tanners; in recent years, pelts have become a major export.  

Tileadarah

The Sea Village. This village is known for its interactions with the Marshhelm League. Their dune ecosystem is fragile and was built up over many years. Reeds along the coast act as protective barriers from storms rolling in from the sea. Small seaside huts dot the shores, painted in deep greens and light pastel blues. Much of their clothing is muted in color.  

Government and Laws

Totemreach is a collection of tribes, called Plemya, headed by chieftains with privy councils. The largest Plemya are no more than 50 people, meaning that management of these groups is very personal and specific. Each one has its own laws, punishments, and hierarchies.   When enough Plemya group together to become a village, a new chieftain is elected and the privy council expands to account for the larger population. On rare occasions, some chieftains may appoint lieutenants to help manage tribal matters. In these circumstances, it is typical for successful lieutenants to become full chieftains once the current chieftain steps down.   Plemya of the Gardener tend to be more democratic than other tribes, pushing the ideas of listening to the people and listening to the world. Chieftains can be reelected rather frequently in Gardner Tribes, with the longest known chieftain lasting 12 years. Many serve for 3-4 years, although some serve as little as 1-2 months.   Plemya of the Pioneer tend to be very centralized, with charismatic and passionate chieftains. While votes from the Plemya officially decide the chieftain, much of their final election is based on oratorical challenges from impassioned members of the tribe. Votes can only be held after a challenger has voiced their arguments to become chieftain. If the current chieftain cannot hold their own in a debate, many if not all members will elect the challenger.   Nieuwereld Plemya tend to have cold, calculating, and oftentimes eccentric chieftains. These Plemya often have very large privy councils due to both a desire for equality and smaller population sizes. Many Plemya of both the Gardener and the Pioneer consider them ecological terrorists and refuse to spend time and effort making peace with them.  

Agriculture and Industry

Most Plemya are self-sufficient, subsisting off of hunting and gathering. Larger Plemya and small villages rely on basic agriculture and raise cattle for their food needs or for trade. Medium and large villages are big enough to sustain small groups of artisans who produce goods to trade such as woven tapestries, blown glass, and reed woven furniture.   Totemreach is well known for its pottery and art, which are their main exports. Many Plemya are capable of weaving and weapon making for their own needs, but larger villages sustain other crafts like blacksmithing, brewing, and woodcarving. Self expression is prized, and it isn’t uncommon for art to be shown and shared between Plemya so that all can see it.

History

Pre-Sundering

Before the Sundering, Totemreach was a large swath of wilderness known as the Great Wilds. Much of the region was inhospitable for agriculture and the weather was extreme. A few nations tried to tame the land, but nature always found a way to root them out.    

Post-Sundering

In 20 AF, a collection of druids, shamans, and other followers of the forest came together in small missionary groups to try restoring nature with their newfound powers. Their primary goal was to return the forest back to a time before the ashes fell. In the early days, they marked the path into the wilderness using totems and cairns to signal their trails. The totems were needed to navigate the land, and so they named it Totemreach.  

The Year of the Gardener

After another ten years of slow progress in the region, several small groups joined together under the leadership of The Gardener. He sought to preserve and redeem Aldwa by listening deeply to sounds that the land was sharing with the people–sounds calling for help and action, and sounds warning them to stay away and let nature heal itself. The Plemyans call that year, 30 AF, The Year of the Gardener.   As the years went on, The Gardener consolidated a large following until the people of Totemreach formed a cult around him. This cult is known as The Garden.  

The Pioneer and the Salidarah Reformation.

In 55 AF, the village of Salidarah hosted a meeting of the tribes to voice opinions on The Gardener’s power. Arguments eventually led a young follower of the Gardener, now known only as The Pioneer, to form his own teachings and splinter from The Garden. The Pioneer sought to more actively preserve the land and taught that the people cannot wait for nature to call for aid.  

The Nieuwereld Tribes

The tribes splintered again in 97 AF when a group emerged claiming the ashes were a new form of nature. These Nieuwereld Tribes look to stop the work done by the old world tribes, believing that the land has been irrevocably changed by the ashes and must be respected and nurtured. These tribes are few and far between due to their ideological friction with the rest of Totemreach and are home to powerful and often antagonistic members.   Stealth is a key strength of these tribes. They use calculated, clever tactics to attack other tribes, disrupting their works. They must remain discrete; members of Nieuwereld tribes have been hunted down by the old world tribes, and so their safety is always at risk.