#steeldowry

[thesteeldowry]

Olya Mikkima, of the Nikkari Chiefdom

North of the Kalari Chiefdom, the Nikkari are their closest siblings. Though they do not till and farm the divine corpse in the same way, and they live mostly on their horses—there is fondness between the two.

Olya Mikkima was a surprise to his mother, as her first son, and a further surprise to the rest of his family when he went on to gain the rank of horse marshal in the Nikkari chiefdom, and then again in the Kalari chiefdom. Of course...to do so, he had to leave his family, and divorce his own prestige from them when he decided to serve the Kalari Chief.

[morganebrewer]

Inktober 5

Building

Farm and pastureland in the cliffs comes at a premium, so housing must be creative and frugal with space. With centuries of cliff home tradition, some of the most skilled stonemasons and carvers hail from the Alterga region.

Not only does a family have the responsibility of the home the live in, but also with the maintenance of their stairs, ladders, bridges, and walls to maintain infrastructure in such perilous housing.

[morganebrewer]

Inktober 4

Freeze

When the temperature drops in mid-fall and the first snows arrive in the cliffs, most families pull out their furs. Fox and wolf pelts grace the ends of bed to warm the feet, deer and elk are layered over blankets. Bear is favored for its warmth and the size of the pelts they give—though these pelts often sport repair stitching to cover up the way the beast was felled.

Furs are usually passed from parent to child, and can become prized family heirlooms after a couple generations.

[morganebrewer]

Inktober 2

Mindless

Cliff families are often close, and deeply loyal. The business of the family is often done in collaboration and in confidence--especially the sort of business that isnt strictly above board or legal.

A minority of cliff families are fully criminal, but those without a scheme or two can lack for clothes and food and dowrys. So it's understood that everyone might need to pitch in and keep their mouths shut, later.

[morganebrewer]

Inktober 10

Pattern

Embroidery in the western Alterga has a tradition so long that many of the old motifs and designs have forgotten origins. Most common are depictions of animals and plants, or even landscapes. Many symbolically communicate the lessons of the goddess Yevya.

Children expected to marry into another family spend endless hours decorating linens, making pillow cases, bags, cup towels, clothes, hats and shoes.

[morganebrewer]

Inktober 9

Swing

Gender expression has many conventions for men, women, and those who identify outside of that spectrum. Clothing worn has more to do with suitability to work or role within the family. A child’s gender is often assigned at birth, but considered highly changeable until they are of marrying age (16 to 20). Helping a child determine themselves as they grow is considered a vital step in securing a quality match later. Families expecting their children to marry well go to great lengths to obtain medicine or visits to surgeons in the east or south.

The term ‘red slipper’ is a common term for those who are in a state of fluctuation or in the process of determining gender expression, named for the dye-producing flower that is difficult to propagate since male and female plants need training to distinguish. Although, the self-described terms for people transitioning are more often ‘Fall one’ or ‘Spring one’, and third gender, or gender-less expression self-termed as ‘Sun one’.

[morganebrewer]

Inktober 8

Frail

Godseye flowers are an uncommon find in the western cliffs—they grow in small pateches that receive neither too much nor too little sunlight, at the correct elevation, in the right soil. The seeds are coveted almost as much as the knowledge that renders brilliant turquoise dye from them. Those who endeavor to grow godseye in mass and sell them for a fortune often spend their whole lives in obsession, and might sooner fetch the moon from the sky.

[morganebrewer]

Inktober 12

Dragon

The Southern Confederation of Tribes is not a force to be toyed with. Yet, centuries ago, the Altergan Kings sought glory through conquest, thinking themselves equal to their thousand machines of war, hundred ways of killing, and dozen battle princes. The tribes beat the cliffsiders on their plains and then drove north. The mountains were to costly to keep, but over decades, cities were seiged, sacked, and then burnt to rubble. When they had their fill of looting, the kingdoms were dust, and the fragile nobility sank into ruin.