Barren Federation
The Barren Lands, a harsh and unforgiving expanse in the North, is home to the resilient Barren Federation. Enduring freezing dust storms and toxic mercury rains, the Barreners have learned to navigate this inhospitable environment with resourcefulness and adaptability. Fueled by the abundance of silver and cinnabar, the Barren Federation thrives as a major exporter. Embracing a nomadic lifestyle, Barreners engage in an offering system, contributing selflessly to each other’s survival. The Barren Lands, with its unique culture and challenges, stands as a testament to the resilience and unity of its people.
Taiakti
The Taiakti (tye·ahk·tee) were the first people to roam the Barren Lands, northernmost land of the continent, and are the second-oldest race in the world, with their people’s oral history dating back thousands of years. Taiakti are a humanoid race with animalistic features, and a nomadic people. They are of one kin divided into several Burrows. Kits (children) of the Taiakti people are not necessarily born with the same features as their parents. Each Tai is born with a purpose, and it is believed that the ancestors give them the tools they need to complete that purpose and fulfill their role in society. A Tai's purpose is determined by the animalistic features they are born with, though it could be tied into another purpose the ancestors have for them, which is shown through their natural skills. It is more common to see Tai of two varying animal features, or at most three.
The Taiakti had a unique social structure prior to the establishment of their Kingdom. Those that displayed four or more varying animal features, Kaimeras [kye·mear·ah], typically became leaders of their specific Burrow, while the lowest class was composed of Tai which displayed only one trait, referred to as Safkans [sahf·kahns]. Both Kaimera and Safkan are very rare, and these governing structures based on the ancestral blessings of Tai individuals didn’t hold strong in an unforgiving land. Today, Taiakti of all kinds within Barren society are treated fairly and equally.
The Taiakti have a strong connection with their ancestors, and while many Burrow communities have minimal to no routine interaction due to the vast size of the Barren Lands, tales of the first Tai are consistent. According to their prehistoric lore, there was a time when humans walked the Barren North, stranded in this desolate land and pleading to the ancestors to save them from a harsh mercury storm. The ancestors heard their cries and bestowed their blessings. The stranded people were gifted traits necessary to survive the climates of the tundra. Some received large canine or feline ears, sensitive noses, and keen eyes for better tracking the limited wildlife across the snow desert. Others were blessed with wings of feathers or skin to reach tree canopies and catch birds which flew too close to hunting parties. Others still had thicker skin than that of a human. Every Tai is born with innate blessing from the ancestors, honed by the climate and perfected early in life.
Taiakti believe that nature will provide for them, and so they find that using the natural land around them, without taking resources in excess, is a way to honor and give thanks to the natural world and the ancestors that provided it. They believe their ancestors are everywhere around them, in nature and the wilderness, guiding the lives of each creature, as calm guardians and escorts upon death. Taiakti believe that they do not own the land, they only live within it. They do not agree with killing if it can be avoided, as much like the wildlife found in nature, the Tai are of nature. Life is sacred and a gift from their ancestors. Upon success during hunting parties, a Tai will thank the animal for its life and what it will provide in death.
The offering system of the Barren Society originated from the Taiakti. The Offering is a type of barter system involving open exchange, with members of the community contributing wherever another is lacking, without the expectation of repayment. It takes everyone to survive in the Barren Lands, and the Taiakti learned that early in their peoples’ history. Without the offering system, the Barren Federation and its people would not be able to thrive.