Jungle City of the Mori
Keywords:
MORI, MORI-TRIBE, MORI-EMPIRE
History
There perhaps no reliable, sources to tell how long the Alaghi tribes
have lived in the jungle that shares their name. Travellers rarely
left the trails to risk the rainforest, or strayed away from the
cities, and those that did - if they returned - either said little or
were not believed. Tales of primitive jungle-dwellers didn't mention
the great city or hidden civilisation, suggesting that any outsiders
who witnessed the conflict long ago also fell victim to it. And so,
for centuries, there was silence.
Now that the city is open, although a long and difficult journey,
more has been learned. Some rare examples of stoneworking, dedicated
to the triple gods of the tribe, survives and appears to be older
than most human cities. But the patterns and signs used are repeated
to this day, writ in ink or carved by obsidian blades upon the bodies
of each fresh generation. The blood rites survive as does the memory
of living sacrifice, so nearly revived.
The swamp dwellers also rely on an oral tradition, but their
scattered numbers mean that only practical information is passed
on. Fishing pools, good fruit groves or the course of a channel
matter - the deeds of the dead, or even last season, do not. Each
dawn is new, for the lizardfolk and jalachara, to be greeted by
meeting the sun and warming their blood for the day.
Ruler(s)
The Mori don't have a single ruler, and their tribal council is
rarely convened. Old legends do suggest that a king, or emperor,
once conquered the tribes for himself or the Sun-father. Today, the
influential figures are the Earth-mother's priestess, followed by
the clerics of the other gods, household matriarchs and veteran
hunter / warriors. Diplomatic visits are more likely to be directed
to the temple than result in a tribal gathering.
The neighbouring lizardman and jalachara tribes, being far smaller,
tend to follow a single shaman, more rarely a hunter or warrior.
Their leaders are male, though experience and wisdom is at least as
important as strength.
Government
The Mori are governed by a tribal council, although the majority of
representatives are female. The final voice in deliberations is
usually the high priestess of the Earth-mother, although differences
of opinion are rare. Decisions have been made against her judgement,
such as during the Drugaal war, but consensus is soon restored.
Within each household, strength and wisdom are the source of
authority. But most males are hunters, often away, resulting in a
matriarchy where mothers, sometimes grandmothers, guide their
descendants and extended families - with a stern word where
necessary.
The swamp dwellers have no links between different groups, but most
have similar arrangements, led by their most talented and experienced
members.
Provinces
The Mori tribe inhabits their great jungle city, although this is as
much jungle as it is a settlement. Trees and smaller shrubs divide
the dwellings, or are even incorporated into them, in an organic
arrangement. The Alaghi draw upon every resource of the jungle, using
its soil, leaves, fruit, meat, hides and a thousand more materials
besides. Even their temples blend construction with growth, often
shaped into the terrain or clad with jungle plants. There are no
other places of note, since the groups beyond don't gather into more
than a single household, a few grouped huts or other shelters.
Noble Families
There is not a formal nobility, although the larger households tend
to hold their position over time. Alaghi children are given their
first tattoos as infants, and by adulthood will carry many scars and
markings to show their kinship and rank. But the tribe is more of a
meritocracy, partly owing to the practicalities of life in the jungle.
A child strong, fast or bright enough to impress will be trained by
the household, even be picked by the priests, regardless of their
birth. The greatest tests, and achievements, are personal feats -
overcoming a jungle animal during the hunt, raising your family, or
being accepted by one of the cults.
Population
Only pure-blooded Alaghi are considered members of the Mori tribe,
but they do offer a welcome to small numbers of other species. The
swampland adjoining the jungle city is also home to small tribes of
Lizardfolk and their cousins, creatures suited to the thick
vegetation and tropical humidity.
The Mori are scattered far wider than the word "city" suggests,
although the settlement is far less dense than those of other
cultures. During the Drugal conflict, their warbands proved
sufficient to scour much of the jungle, although the needs of each
household mean that the tribe could never gather together in a
single place. The total population could be estimated as over ten
thousand, although almost half that number are children and teens.
The numbers of lizardmen and jalachara are proportionately lower
(see above), and even more difficult to count accurately owing to
their insular and wary nature. There are dozens, probably hundreds,
of groups, although some of these are only a handful or two in
number.
Alaghi 70%, Human 2%, Elven 2% (half Shikigami and half wood elves),
Jalachara 15%, Lizardpeople 10%, Deasune 1%.
Language
These are almost entirely on racial lines, since Alaghi speak their
own language foremost and seldom know more than the basics of any
others. Visitors are rare, so most either study the language
beforehand or have to make do with clipped versions of the common
tongue. The swamp-dwellers tend not to know more than their native
languages, having even less contact with outsiders.
Economy
The Mori jungle is rich in natural resouces, some of which are
considered precious by outsiders, but these are used sympathetically
according to the tribe's requirements. There is a limited barter
economy among the Alaghi people, mainly between households where one
or another has a particular talent or material. Most Alaghi women
learn to weave, but only a few brew herbal dyes; most of the tribe
can hunt and forage, but only the nimblest can safely gather ripe
soft fruit, juicy edible leaves, and plump grubs from the high trees.
In the last few years, with the arrival of outsiders, barter
developed into trade. The Mori appreciate gold for its shine, the
way it evokes the Sun above, or emeralds for their verdant gleam.
But obsidian makes better tools, while garlands of flowers and
leaves are ideal offerings. Coins art not used among the tribes,
although are accepted for their metal - even if they are then made
into jewellery to adorn a squat Alaghi.