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pulau-harimau · 1 month ago

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Setting Profile: Heralds

Heralds are extremely important to the colonies. They are a special group of high-ranking individuals within the colony who have dedicated themselves to the service of a specific god and taken on tasks appropriate to that role.

All colony cats worship and pray to all gods, but the relationship between heralds and the gods they serve is special. Unlike in Warriors where a medicine cat has almost the sole authority on religious leadership, each of a colony's heralds hold the sole authority to interpret signs and omens from the god they are dedicated to. It is believed that when a herald dies, they are not only accountable to Felkeba on the question of whether or not they have lived an honorable life, but also to the god they chose to serve, and that heralds may be denied their afterlife and doomed to roam the earth as ghosts if their god decides that they have failed in their duties.

While there are nine gods, there are only seven roles that are traditionally referred to as "Heralds," with two additional roles having the status of "honorary heralds." Each colony can ONLY have seven Heralds-- while a Herald might have a student who will take on the role after their deaths, or a group of tigers in the colony who enjoy assisting them in their mundane duties, the religious demands of heraldry are only available to the tiger who bears the title.

The Heralds and their responsibilities can be found beneath the cut.

The hunting herald, devoted to Worraporrwa (or, in Dawn's Streak, to protecting the Streak from Worraporrwa). It is the Hunting Herald's job to maintain the health of the territory and therefore the colony that lives in it. They decide where the tigers can hunt, how many tigers can hunt, and what can be hunted (or, more often, what CAN'T be hunted). It is also their responsibility to be aware of potentially dangerous animals in the territory and, to a lesser extent, the locations and populations of any homestead within their territory. The hunting herald often works closely with the Hearth Herald. Hunting Heralds are also generally responsible for teaching cubs about the dangers of certain animals, although this duty is often shared by a cub's teachers. Hunting Heralds primarily receive guidance from Worraporrwa in the form of haruspicy, the practice of divining omens from the entrails of prey animals, or apantomancy, the practice of divining omens from interactions with animals (especially unusual ones).

The Hearth Herald, devoted to Fyrriu. It is the Hearth Herald's job to maintain cookware and dishes, tend fires and grills, and have a strong enough grasp of nutrition to prepare one communal meal for the entire colony every day that should theoretically prevent malnutrition or starvation. They also teach cubs fire safety, firestarting (although never the main fire-- this is the sole, sacred job of the Hearth Herald), and basic nutrition and food preparation. It is also the Hearth Herald's responsibility to keep an eye on the eating habits of those around them to make sure everybody is getting enough, which often means they are the first to notice when a tiger's mental health is struggling. Hearth Heralds primarily receive guidance from Fyrriu in the various forms of pyromancy, especially osteomancy-- where bones are cast into fire and omens are read from their cracks.

The Historian, devoted to Felkeba. The Historian is the only tiger in a colony who knows how to read and write. it is their sacred duty to accurately record the history of the colonies and maintain those records, including copying old scrolls to new parchment if necessary. They also record births, deaths, name changes, and the changes of the seasons. Historians are additionally responsible for performing honorable burials and preparing the dead for those burials. Historians often also take an interest in the well-being of tigers who are too old to continue doing physically demanding work. The Historians of the three colonies are the Heralds who work the most closely with one another, as each Historian also keeps records about the other colonies in case anything were to happen to the original documents. They teach cubs (and anyone else) history and other basic educational topics like simple math (think, like, kittycat elementary school). Historians generally receive guidancce from Felkeba in the form of bibliomancy, the practice of divining omens from the written word, or automatic writing.

The Herbalist, devoted to Oobass. It is the Herbalist's job to maintain the health of the colonies. They collect herbs, prepare medicines, perform health checks, take care of the sick and injured, and offer wisdom to those struggling with ailments that are less than physical. They also teach cubs and adolescents basic first aid and anatomy, as well as knowledge about what plants may or may not be safe to collect or touch. Herbalists are believed to have some amount of control over when it rains, and are expected to appeal to Oobass on their colony's behalf if too much or too little rain is coming. Herbalists generally receive guidance from Oobass in the form of aeromancy (weather reading, including clouds) or tasseomancy, where omens are divined from tea leaves.

The Diving Herald, devoted to Lalsee. The Diving Herald is the most different between different colonies, but is generally responsible for maintaining the safety of the territory and being aware of environmental dangers. They teach cubs to swim, and educate their colony-mates about relevant territorial dangers. In Swamp's Shadow and especially Tide's Leap, they are also responsible for keeping track of the condition of the ocean, including whether or not it is safe to swim or fish in, and managing both fishing and diving teams. In Dawn's Streak, their role is mainly to do with land slides, tunnel collapses, and keeping an eye on the river and its behavior. They are also theoretically the one in charge of maintaining territorial borders, and will direct colony-mates to specific portions of the territory that need scent marking as needed. (This isn't usually a problem, though-- most colonies do a pretty good job of this without direction!) Diving Heralds usually receive guidance from Lalsee in the form of conchomancy, where one listens to the sounds made by seashells, or by interpreting the movements of crabs in a practice called nggàm.

The Arbitrator, devoted to Ashekorrl. When you can't settle an important dispute with a colonymate, you seek out the Arbitrator to settle it for you. When someone breaks a rule or harms a colonymate, the Arbitrator is in charge of collecting evidence and conducting the trial. The Arbitrator also settles inter-colony disputes; when a colony has been wronged, their Arbitrators will meet and discuss potential solutions, although usually this leads to the Arbitrator's more famous role: that of a military commander. When war breaks out, it is the Arbitrator who organizes the battlefield and directs their colony. In Dawn's Streak, the combat general role of the Arbitrator is instead held by the King. Sometimes the Hunting Herald will also call upon the Arbitrator to direct "combat" against particularly strong, worthy prey. Arbitrators generally receive guidance from Ashekorrl by interpreting the shapes made by melted, especially sun-melted materials like wax, or, rarely, metal when poured in water.

The Artisan, devoted to Wafok. It is the Artisan's responsibility to maintain tiger-made structures and tools, especially things like instruments, dens, and the rarely-used weapons of the colonies. It is also their responsibility to manage colony resources and create things to replace any object lost or broken. Their primary responsibility is usually the direction of den maintenance and parchment-making, but a colony's Artisan is usually an avid inventor. Any kind of new or specialty object will likely be created by an Artisan. Artisans also tend to create a lot of artwork, usually in exchange for something else, but this isn't a primary responsibility of theirs-- the Artisan is just usually the best artist in the colony! Artisans generally receive guidance from Wafok by interpreting the shapes found naturally in wood, or by casting sticks and interpreting how they fall.

All heralds swear to never have cubs. A tiger who is or becomes a parent is not ever eligible to be a Herald, because parents (and wetnurses!) are the honorary heralds of Shossuow.

Parents and wetnurses are holy to Shossuow, and are thought to receive her blessings and protection the same way that Heralds receive blessings and protection from the gods they are dedicated to. Likewise, parents and wetnurses will face Shossuow's judgement when they die, and may be denied their afterlife at her side if they fail in their sacred duties. Parents and wetnurses are believed to receive special guidance from Shossuow. It is believed that both groups, but especially those actively caring for young cubs, are heard by Shossuow the way the prayers of Heralds are heard by the gods they serve. Parents and wetnurses also are able to receive guidance from Shossuow like a Herald, especially in the form of astrology.

Cubs and adolescents, similarly, receive the blessing of Mesha. Mesha is not a judgemental god, and there is no "wrong" way to be a child-- but it is Mesha's job to guide and protect cubs and adolescents, especially those who die. Cubs and adolescents are dishonorable to fight or harm because of Mesha's blessing of protection over them. It is believed that young tigers receive guidance from Mesha in the form of dreams, but their ability to interpret those dreams is often limited by their inexperience. Many Historians maintain records of common dreams and their generally agreed upon meanings to assist in this divination. Occasionally, meewa tigers take on the role of interpreting the dreams of young tigers. The presence of the blessing of Mesha is also why a tiger is not eligible to begin formally training to be a Herald until they have earned their first adult holy name.

Heralds have the sole right to select their successors. Some heralds choose to train multiple potential successors and only choose one when they are close to death; others will only train one in their lives. In the event that a Herald dies without a clear heir or an heir at all, the next Herald is chosen either among the potential heirs by themselves or by the colony in question's leadership. In dawn's streak, the king will select a successor; in Swamp's Shadow, the Oligarchs (other Heralds) will; and in Tide's Leap, the successor will be chosen by vote. In the event that a Herald's training is incomplete or hasn't started by the time their predecessor dies, it is expected that the relevant Heralds in other colonies will teach them, especially in the case of Historians. Historians are the ONLY tigers who can know how to read and write, and are therefore not able to teach their successors. Historians are taught to read and write by the Historians of the other two colonies.

A tiger may not begin training to be a herald until they have earned their first adult holy name, and cannot be considered to have completed their training until they have at least 25 seasons-- this is considered the age of good judgement, and a tiger below that age can't be trusted to responsibly show the wisdom of a Herald, even if they theoretically know all the things they need to know. Most tigers don't start training as Heralds until they have closer to twenty or twenty-five seasons; this isn't a rule, just a mild cultural perception that it's better to make a decision like that once you're a little older and more reasonable.

#pulau harimau/the island #colony culture #creative writing #xenomoggy #setting profile #worldbuilding #yay tigers!

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pulau-harimau · 2 months ago

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Setting Profile: The Betrayers

The Island is a closed population. It was separated from the mainland almost six million years ago, leaving the not-quite-tigers who lived there to evolve in isolation. However, there are those who do not follow the laws of the colonies, those who belong to other cultural groups, and those who have chosen to leave the groups they were born into. These tigers are known by the tigers of the colonies as the betrayers.

CONTENT WARNING: Descriptions of xenophobia, deeply unjust treatment of minority groups, and cultural genocide (including the kidnapping of minority children) mentioned in passing. Other crimes implied but not explicitly stated.

"True" Betrayers

Colony cultural belief is that all tigers on the Island are descendants of their own cultural group. This is not true, but due to the dominance of their culture, there are many outsiders who are. "True" betrayers are exiles, self-imposed and otherwise.

These tigers are called "betrayers" because they have betrayed their vows to their colonies and because they have betrayed the gods. Because of their status as oathbreakers (or at the very least disonorable), they are believed to be inherently untrustworthy and dangerous. Their betrayer status also passes on to their descendants; colony cats believe that their inherent untrustworthiness is hereditary. Almost all colony tigers believe that every non-colony tiger on the Island is a "true betrayer" or one of their descendants. Within the actual culture of those called betrayers by the colony cats, it is usually only actual first-generation exiles and heretics who identify with the label of "betrayer." Others consider the label (and the implication that they are incapable of keeping promises or telling the truth) deeply offensive.

Loners & Homesteaders

The Island is only so big, and virtually all portions of it are claimed as the territory of one of the three colonies. Instead of killing all betrayers, colony cats have two legal distinctions of "betrayer" who are allowed to live and hunt within their territories. Those who are born outside of a colony and who do not belong to another culture usually primarily identify based on their current legal status as either a loner or a homesteader; the polite form of address for a non-colony tiger whose status you aren't familiar with is "stranger."

Loners are allowed to move through any territory without extra permission in groups of up to three. Loners have very few restrictions on the type of prey they are allowed to hunt as long as they follow the current restrictions of the relevant colony's Hunting Herald. However, they are not allowed to place territory markers or stay in the same general area for more than a few days at a time. They also are not allowed to engage in trade, especially with homesteaders or other loners. Furthermore, a loner or their loner group may be told to vacate a given territory at any time by members of the relevant colony, and are expected to comply with the order.

Homesteaders may hold a small territory and permanent or semi-permanent densite with the permission of whichever colony's land they are on. A homestead may contain up to ten related individuals. If you are not related by blood or mateship to at least one member of a homestead, it is illegal to associate with them. Homesteaders also have reduced hunting privileges. In general, they are disallowed from hunting large or high-value prey, and must also comply with any restrictions set by the relevant colony's Hunting Herald. However, homesteaders are allowed to participate in trade with other homesteads, and even with colony tigers who are willing. Every colony also allows a loner group which includes a mated pair to form a temporary "emergency" homestead without prior permission if one of the members becomes pregnant. Unrelated individuals still may not be part of a suckler's homestead. Traditionally, if they cannot secure long-term permission, these suckler's homesteads will be allowed to stay until the cubs have two seasons. Homesteaders of both types are also required to semi-regularly (at least once per season) attend full-moon meetings to report births, deaths, and group changes to the Historians.

Other Cultural Groups

Of course, the colony belief that they are the only culture that has ever existed on the Island is completely false. There are many other cultural groups on the Island, including those that predate the colony culture altogether. Other cultures on the Island are primarily identified by colony tigers on the basis of their religious observance or lackthereof. Those who follow another religion, such as the Birds of Paradise, are seen as especially untrustworthy and dangerous on the basis of their blasphemy. However, since they are all still betrayers, even tigers who follow other religions are entitled to the legal status of loner or homesteader.

Struggles of the Strangers

Obviously, those identified as "betrayers" by colony cats do not have easy lives. From a young age, cubs are taught that all betrayers are habitual liars who are more likely to break promises than keep them. Accusations of all sorts of other moral crimes typically follow, especially for cultural groups with different religious beliefs. Very significantly, it is virtually impossible for a crime against a stranger to be prosecuted; after all, who would believe an inherently untrustworthy individual when they say that they have been harmed by someone assumed to be honorable simply by virtue of the fact that they belong to an "honorable" culture? Crimes against outsiders by colony tigers are common, and many other injustices (such as displacing them, restricting access to food and medicine, or preventing groups from gathering together) are perfectly legal. Strangers who break the laws of the colonies (or who are accused of such) are often killed, and even when they do receive trials, they are often unfair simply because "betrayers" are not seen as credible witnesses.

However, some colonies are a little more welcoming than others. Swamp's Shadow is the most hospitable to homesteaders due to a cultural belief in hospitality, and a belief that all tigers on the Island have a gods-given desire to live in the bog (and a belief that the only honorable burial is within the bog). Swamp's Shadow is more likely to allow a trial to take place, and therefore more likely to allow sympathetic colony tigers to represent wronged betrayers at a trial. Furthermore, tigers of the Shadow have a legal relationship type that allows for two non-related, non-mate tigers to be considered family; this is often utilized by homesteaders within their territory to allow friends and lovers (unfortunately the colony tigers are monogamists) to homestead with them.

Tide's Leap is the most sympathetic to the plight of the strangers in general. While a member of the Leap would be offended if you said it to them, Worraporrwa is the god most associated with liars and codebreakers. Because of their reverence for Worraporrwa, members of Tide's Leap are generally more lenient about liars and deserters. Similarly, because of their reverence of Mesha, they are in particular sympathetic to the cubs of oathbreakers and are less likely to punish them for the sins of their parents. Strangers with a desire to join a colony often find the most luck in Tide's Leap, and in general the Leap is more lenient about non-hunting violations of their rules because of a belief in the consent of the governed. Furthermore, because of this belief, Tide's Leap has in the past allowed betrayers within their territory to participate in votes that might affect them (although this is not without controversy).

Dawn's Streak is and always has been especially hostile to the betrayers. They greatly revere Ashekorrl as a god of justice and view Worraporrwa like a devil figure, so their revulsion of liars and oathbreakers is much stronger than that of other colonies. In particular they tend to come into conflict with the Birds of Paradise, a pacifist minority religious group on the Island who worship a singular god of the sky. The Streak views them as not only betrayers but also heretics and cowards; however, the Birds' religion often drives their members to scale the mountain (and therefore venture into the Streak's territory) anyway in order to be closer to their god. In contrast to their more conservative culture on betrayers, Dawn's Streak is the only colony that does not necessarily hold cubs responsible for the sins of their parents. Dawn's Streak believes that a cub has the same legal status as their primary parent, but especially their mother-- which means that mixed-blooded cubs are full members of the colony of whichever parent is raising them, and betrayer cubs adopted (or stolen) by colony members are full members of that colony and do not inherit the lying tongue of a betrayer. This is known as Shossuow's Decree. There are more nuances to it, but that's better left to another post.

#pulau harimau/the island #colony culture #the birds of paradise #betrayers #setting profile

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