User:Nataera/Cliffrunner Tribe

The Cliffrunner tribe is a small tribe of tauren, nomadic yet constantly living within Stonetalon Mountains.

Heirarchy
The Cliffrunner tribe are divided into three steps. The first being Chieftain itself and his/her primary partner

The Chieftain
The Chieftain is the leader of the Cliffrunner tribe, having the final word in all matters. The change of Chiefs are from the Chief and his/her primary mate's to their firstborn child.

Duties of the Chieftain
The Chieftain's duties involves decided when to move to a new campsite, assign tasks among tribesmes, commanding the braves, to overlook Ceremonies, to elect Elders and to act as Judge upon criminal accusations, along with a council of Elders.

The Chieftain gets his/her born name removed when he/she gets titled as Chieftain, only being known as "Chieftain Cliffrunner" or "The Cliffrunner Chieftain".

The Chieftain often works as a father/mother figure within the tribe, whom tribesmen of all steps are seeking for council and advice. The Chieftain is also the one who possesses the Cliffrunner Skins, artifacts there old stories and tribal laws are carved into thick hides of kodo and deer.

The Elders
The Elders are the second step within the Cliffrunner tribe, and selected by the Chieftain only.

The usual Elder titles are Elder Hunter, Elder Shaman and Elder Warrior. Although the Chieftain got powers to add more Elder titles as he/she sees fit.

Duties of the Elders
The Elders are responsible of everything that falls into their tiers: Hunting and food gathering, Spiritual teachings and ceremonies, and Warfare and safety of the tribe.

The titles are not heired. If an Elder dies, the Chieftain must appoint a new Elder.

The Elder Shaman usually is the Chieftain's closest advisor, due to his ability to forsee glimpses of future events and read signs of the Great Eagle, Cawa. The Elder Shaman is also only able to teach one calf within the tribe about the spirits and elements, in order to teach it to become a shaman.

So even though new Elder Shamans are elected by the Chieftain, it is very often it is the student of the old Elder that gets elected, and following that path for many years and decades.

The Elders are required to be present when a tribesman accuses another of crimes, and work as a judge council along with the Chieftain.

The Tribesmen
The tribesmen are the third step within the tribe, and builds the bulk of it. Anyone who is not a Elder or Chief finds itself within this step, may it be a brave, a gatherer, a leatherworker, or even the Chieftain's children.

Duties of the Tribesmen
The tribesmen's duties is to keep the tribe alive and kicking. To gather wood, water, food, to hunt beasts or to keep the tribe itself safe, it falls within the tribemen's responsabilities.

If a calf is born within a certain step, doesn't mean he/she can change its standing within the tribe. A tribesman can become a Chieftain if the deceased Chieftain left no living heir. A Elder can also step down a step to tribesman if the Cheiftain is dissapointed of the Elder's actions or decisions.

Beliefs of the Cliffrunner Tribe
The Cliffrunner tribemen are grown up with deep respect for the Earthmother and all living, only killing beasts when required, and then take care of everything the beast has to offer.

But apart from the Earthmother, they rever the Great Eagle Spirit, Cawa. Her "arch-nemesis" is Cha.

The Great Eagle, Cawa
The Great Eagle, named Cawa, is central within the Cliffrunner tribe. They see her as guardian of Stonetalon and protector of the Cliffrunner tribe. She is said to reside in the sky, always watching over her brother and sisters; the shu'halo and all beasts. Very few has claimed to have seen her in person, but rather believing that she works through signs and miracles to aid her people. She guided the Shu'halo and their brothers from the barren plains back to Stonetalon and later in the legend it's said that she died from combat with Cha, although only after she killed him.

Although it didnt stop her from watching over the Mountains, now doing so as a Spirit.

Cha
Cha is in the legend a massive wyvern alpha, said to have ruled centuries ago, possibly thousands, over the Stonetalon Mountains and all its living creatures. He gets but to sleep through a spell from the Earthmother, and hibernated for many years. Much later an earthquake breaks the spell, and Cha is free to take over the reign of the Mountains again.

This is however stopped by Cawa who kills him. But he manages to paralyze her with a venomous sting from his tail, killing her at the end from the crash after the aerial combat.

Jebus
Jebus (the Holy Squirrel Spirit of Stonetalon) is a minor spirit within the Cliffrunner beliefs. Not as impressive as Cawa or other beings of the Earthmother, he carries a duty to make sure all trees within the Stonetalon range gives fruit and seeds, keeping the forests and its habitants alive and ever green.

Histories of the Cliffrunner Tribe
When the tribe was founded is unknown, but thousands of years is likely to be the age. Long was the Cliffrunner tribe living within the Stonetalon mountainrange and its forest covered valleys, with a "brief" visit to the Barrens for a hundred years or so.

The Cliffrunner's own history has lived through the ages through dance, songs and oral stories. The most important ones of these stories are:

The Curse of Cha
(Oral Story)

Many years ago a mighty and ruthless Wyvern ruled the peaks of Stonetalon, named Cha. He saw himself chief and ruler of all living creatures within Stonetalon Mountains, killing ruthlessly any creature of any kind and race to spread fear and respect within the habitants of the mountains. His fear within the creatures forced them to flee the mountains southwards, towards the barren plains.

The Earthmother saw what pain and evil this wyvern brought upon his brothers, and made him fall into a deep hibernation within his lair, deep inside a cave. But the fleeing creatures did not see this, but stayed in the barrens, seemingly safe from his wrath.

The Coming of Cawa
(Oral Story)

Many years passed, when the Great Eagle Cawa, spirit and daughter of the Earthmother, flew into the Stonetalon Mountains. Wherever she sailed, she did not see a single deer grazing the grass, not a Thunder Lizard lurking among the cliffsides, no bear fishing in the lake, not a bird singing and not a Shu'halo living.

The Great Eagle watched with sadness how such a beautiful land was not to be witnessed by any habitants of the forest, not able to share its spendor. She searched for many days for anything living, until she saw a squirrel sitting in a tree, holding a nut.

Cawa swiftly dived down to the branch where the squirrel sat, and landed next to him.

"Tell me, where are all the deers grazing? Why aren't any bears here eating of the fish in the lake, why aren't any Thunder Lizards lurking and why aren't any Shu'halo living in this green and beautiful land, drinking of its clear water and eating of its juicy fruits?" the Great Eagle asked.

The squirrel stood bravely before the Great Eagle Cawa, and said with bold voice.

"The deers fled, the bears fled and so did the lizards and our Shu'halo brothers and sisters long ago, when this land was plagued by a terrible beast called Cha. Cha is long gone, but the habitants of the forest and the mountains have yet to return north" the squirrel said.

The Great Eagle bowed before the squirrel before she set of south, towards the barren lands.

In the Barrens the tribe was starving, thirsty and tired. And so were all their deer and bear brother, aswell as the Thunder Lizards and the birds, who all fought for the slightest of food or the smallest of drop of water.

The Great Eagle Cawa flew down to the Cliffrunner Chieftain, and they bowed with respect to eachother.

The Great agle asked "Tell me, why have you not returned north to the mountains, since this land is so dry and so bare, barely able to feed all our brothers and sisters?"

The Cliffrunner Chieftain answered "A terror has struck out old homeland, killing anyone without warning or purpose. Thus we had to flee south to this land to avoid its wrath."

"Return north to your old homes, along with our brothers and sisters. The terror is long gone, and the grass is green. The water is clear and the lakes are filled with fish. The cliffs are empty and the berries uneaten" the Great Eagle said and flew north again.

As the tribe moved back north they walked next to their animal brothers and sisters, stepping hoof by paw with bears, deers, Thunder Lizards and spiders. As the Shu'halo, the Cliffrunners, set their camp, the Great Eagle came again, and the Chieftain bowed before her.

"Thank you, Great Eagle, for guiding us and our brethren back to our home, safe from the tyranny. Tell us your name, Great Eagle, and we shall sing it over the years" he said with respect.

"I am Cawa, daughter of the Earthmother" she said and bowed before the Chieftain before flying back into the sky where she belonged.

The Wyvern and the Eagle
(Traditional Dance)

(This dance is performed by two dancers, one Wyvern and one Eagle, wearing costumes to resemble the two beasts. Cawa is usually having blue feathers. Rythm and music are aquired from five drummers, forming a circle around the dancers. Often ending in a great feast.)

But one dawn a earthquake accured. The conjured sleep of Cha broke, and he was furious. He wanted to bring fear back into his rightful realm just as before.

Cha flew past the sky, terrifying everyone beneath him. He saw the Great Eagle Cawa fly through the air, his realm! He followed her and confronted her.

Cawa got frightened by the aggresiveness and strength of the Wyvern, trying to flee through the air. Cha however grabbed her with his paws, making her unable to fly away. Cawa bit his paws, causing him to bleed. Cha roared and released her for a spot second. She then forced Cha further away with a gust of wind, formed by her mighty wings.

As Cawa still tried to flee, she tried to delay Cha as much as she could by launching more gusts. Cha however managed to dodge them and thusted his fangs at Cawa's neck. He missed vital parts but she started to bleed.

As Cawa realised she couldn't flee, she decided to fight. She flew up the sky a little further, then folding her wings and struck Cha with the force of the speed of wind and her sharp beak. He fell through the sky a short while before regaining control of the winds again. Cawa, who now were below the Wyvern, flew up to him again, thrusting her talons into his back.

Cha growled and then turned in the air, ripping Cawa's chest with his sharp claws. Feathers rained from the sky along with red raindrops. She screamed in the sky.

Cawa flew in the air, trying not to mind the pain. Cha moved up behind her and stung her with his Wyvern stinger.

Cawa then fell through the sky without control. The Wyvern poison made her almost impossible to move. She could see Cha follow her down the sky.

As Cha reached her and were ready to strike the killing blow, he saw the anger in Cawa's eyes. They soared past the sky with the ground coming close with frightening speed.

Cawa then grabbed him with her talons and he growled again. She then thrusted her beak into his throat. She got drenched in the Wyvern's blood and then thrusted it further in. She ripped everything, each muscle, each canal, each vein.

As Cawa released Cha he was dead. He fell lifelessly past her. After a short while he crashed on the ground. Cawa fell out of control down aswell, landing on the hard ground, breaking every bone on her body.