#mapthearcana

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

- Nopal’s staple crop is the prickly pear cactus, a plant native and abundant in the Catclaw Desert. On the outskirts of their town are fields of cacti crops

- Goats and sheep are common livestock, providing dairy, fabric, meat

- Other staple foods like corn and wheat, and meats like beef and chicken are usually obtained from trips to the Bulan mountains or through the nomadic tribes

- No Nopal dish can be separated from spices! Spices are grown on a smaller scale, and are numerous enough around the desert itself. Onions, garlic, chili, cinnamon and peppers are among some of the typical spices found in a Nopal kitchen

- The people of Nopal do hunt from time to time, often gathering desert hares, birds or eggs

- Fish and seafood are obtained through the occasional trips to the coast and to the Bintang port

- Nuts and sweet potatoes can be found in just about every household’s little garden, often made into snacks, like turrón, candied nuts and sweet potatoes, and sweet potato cakes

LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE

- Most houses are made from mud brick, typically with a stucco finish, and their roofs tiled with clay.

- Paint is more of a luxury here, so many houses are simply painted white.

- The light colors reflect heat during the day, and when the temperature drops after sunset, the stucco walls help to retain warmth to get through the chilly nights.

- The largest building in the town is Nopal’s only latifundia. As agriculture is the lifeblood of Nopal itself, the latifundia can be considered the heart of the town

- The latifundia contains animal pens and rearing facilities that are free for use by any of the townsfolk. Farm tools, crop planning, as well as crop harvest and storage, all of that is centered here

- Due to the importance of the latifundia in sustaining life in Nopal, the town head is directly in charge of maintenance and upkeep, as well as handling all agricultural-related affairs

- Unlike the Bulan mountains, water is not as abundant. Families rely on the few large wells around the town for water, typically making weekly trips to draw water and store them at home

- Only the latifundia has a built-in plumbing system, mainly for agricultural purposes

- The town head is allowed a few personal rooms in the latifundia, and will move back to their original home once they step down

- There are also guest rooms in the latifundia, primarily for important visitors

COMMUNITY AND CELEBRATIONS

A single grain of sand can never survive as a desert

- A popular saying in Catclaw, it refers to how a single person cannot survive alone in the desert. Thousands of grains make up a desert, as do people make up a community, and this allows them to thrive in the harsh climate

- Nopal is a very close-knit community. The neighborly spirit is strong and unity is prized as the key to everyone’s survival

- It is important to sustain good relationships with one another and help each other in times of need. Nopal often feels like one big family, with everyone knowing everyone else and their business

- On top of that, as the largest permanent settlement in the desert, Nopal tends to be designated as a social hub by the rest of Catclaw

- The nomadic tribes of Catclaw do not simply stop by Nopal, they are considered part of the community as well. One tribe, one town by itself can only sustain its people for so long. Together, all of their people can survive for decades to come

- The tribes often gather at Nopal for big desert-wide celebrations, like the  Butterfly Rain Festival, to celebrate the coming of spring, or the Painted Daisy Festival that celebrates the harvest

- During both these festivals, the town head and the tribe elders and leaders will gather together for meetings and discussions, to talk about how their people are doing, what resources or help they need, about upcoming harvests and trade routes, and of course, to simply catch up with each other

- The town head is typically selected at one of these occasions, the selection agreed upon by the other tribe leaders present

- The Painted Daisy Festival in particular is considered a very important occasion

- It is a celebration of family, hope and unity, reminding the people of the joy of family and the blessings in their life. Despite how rough life can be, they are all here together, warm food at the table and surrounded by loved ones

- All the stops are pulled out for this festival. A month before see people already beginning preparations, tribes starting to arrive in the town, and most townsfolk start taking half-days from work

- And in the three weeks that make up ‘Painted Daisy season’ (the week before, the week after, and the week of the festival) have people taking breaks from work almost entirely

- Rich paints are reserved for such occasions, for decorations, for murals, for pottery, and of course, for copal, the colorful wooden animal figures typically present in Catclaw celebrations

- Not to mention, dyes for new clothes and fabrics

- There is typically a big feast (or a few) for the townsfolk and tribespeople around night-time, where everyone gathers together by the bonfire pit, to eat, to dance, to laugh and be happy

OUTSIDERS AND HOSPITALITY

- But during such celebrations, where do all these tribes stay?

- Well aside from the neighborly spirit, Nopalis also value good hospitality. The better the host, the better the reputation

- While tribe leaders and elders stay in the latifundia, the people of Nopal fight tooth and nail to host the other tribe members in their homes, one of the few annual opportunities to show off their good hospitality

- Some tribes may choose to camp on the outskirts, while letting older folk, those who are pregnant, and children to stay with local households

- Outsiders from beyond the desert or Bulan mountains are an even rarer sight. Typically, they also stay at the latifundia, but no one in Nopal would pass up the chance to host a visiting outsider in their home

- As a result, there aren’t any inns or similar establishments in Nopal

EDUCATION AND MAGIC

- Barring the Bulan mountains, Nopal contains the only formal school in Catclaw, a joint effort by both the town and the tribes

- Parents from Nopal and the tribes send their children there for basic schooling. Children from tribes may ride to and from their camps, or stay with a local family

- Schooling here finishes at 12 - 13, covering basics like reading, writing and numbers

- After, most will either start learning the family trade or take on apprenticeships, usually within the confines of the desert. This is due to the fact that the people of Catclaw will rarely charge each other much, if anything at all, to offer one of their own an apprenticeship

- Higher education may be pursued in other regions. The Bulan mountains offer a wider range of apprenticeships and some opportunities for higher learning

- As for magicians, Nopal does not have any

- It is not because no one has magic, but to begin with, apprenticeships beyond Catclaw are expensive and a magical education even more so

- It is lucky at all to meet a magician passing by Nopal, much less one that is willing to take on an apprentice. Typically, they tend to charge a lot, more than what an ordinary household can afford

- Parents may attempt to make efforts to give a magical education regardless, often due to the strong and wild powers their child possesses

- One way may be by sending their child to travel with a tribe and find a teacher, or searching out a suitable magician to send them to, often in Zadith

- In recent years, the traveling librarians of Catclaw have been hoping to expand on that front

The Traveling Librarians

- The traveling librarians are a group of merchant scholars, its members usually hailing from Nopal or the desert tribes

- Decades ago, there was a merchant group made up from different tribes, a typical practice where they would pool together resources to trade beyond the desert and mountains

- During their travels, they wanted to bring more books and reading material back for the school in Nopal, to help the new generation

- Over time, more and more books were collected and stored in the school library, open to both children and adults, to townsfolk and tribespeople

- Tribes that traveled far from Nopal started requesting if books could be delivered, and a wagon was built to help carry the books to and fro. Eventually, the library ran out of space and the excess reading materials were transferred to the wagon

- At a Painted Daisy Festival, a young merchant from one of the tribes suggested to the leaders to formally establish the traveling library, allowing for books and knowledge to reach all of Catclaw

- This was agreed upon, and like the school, all tribes would help to chip in to continue sustaining the endeavor

- The traveling librarians wander the Catclaw Desert, offering books and lessons to its residents

- Currently, there is more than just one wagon, and the librarians often take turns in their responsibilities. Some will stay and manage the library, while others will travel to Vesuvia, Venterre, Prakra, and farther to trade and do business, allowing income for both the library and their own families

- The merchants will also bring back new books or knowledge to be added to their current depository

- Overall, the traveling librarians are considered a highly respected profession within the Catclaw Desert

–––––––––––––

- A subtropical desert that receives infrequent bouts of rainfall. The climate tends to be consistently dry, receiving a little more rainfall in winter

- However, there are semi-arid patches here and there, particularly closer to the mountains, where the effects of changing seasons are more apparent, like frost

- Throughout the desert, spring is usually signaled by the coming of flutters and flutters of butterflies, nicknamed the Great Butterfly Rains, where migrating butterflies pause at Catclaw

- Oases are scattered throughout the desert, typically populated by the many nomadic tribes of the desert

- The tribes might have their disagreements, but overall, they tend to cooperate and assist one another where they can. After all, a single grain of sand is no desert, just as no single person can survive alone in the harsh climate of Catclaw

- Merchant caravans traveling through the deserts are uncommon, due to the harsh conditions and maritime travel generally being more favored

- Nopal is the biggest permanent settlement in all of the Catclaw Desert

ii. 🌙⛰️ THE BULAN MOUNTAINS 🌽

- While the Bulan mountains is a semi-arid place, it experiences far more rainfall than its desert neighbor.

- On top of that, there is its large main river, often called the Verde river, due to the rich soil by the riverbanks that allow for plantlife and crops

- The river weaves through the entire length of the mountains themselves, creating a river canyon, and branches off into smaller streams. There are also small box canyons here and there

- Most of the larger settlements are focused around the rivers and streams, to help sustain crops and livestock

- Landslides and erosions can be a frequent problem during heavy rainfall. To prevent this, it is common practice to carry out intercropping or forestry activities, mostly along areas with little vegetation

- Maize, corn and wheat are common staple crops, among a variety of others. The Bulan Mountains are particularly well known for their Bluemoon corn, which comes in different colors

- Latifundias are the center of agricultural activities, whether it’s for management of crops or animal rearing and are either community-owned or privately owned.

- There is no limit to the number of latifundias in one area and the layout is reminiscent of our world’s haciendas

- Like Vesuvia, the settlements of the Bulan mountains have complex aqueduct systems, both for agricultural and domestic purposes. Indoor plumbing is not unusual, even in smaller villages

- Stucco is a common building material, and houses are often painted in bold, bright colors, helping to reflect some of the heat

- Occasionally, nomadic tribes from Catclaw will migrate to the Bulan mountains, especially in the cases where their oasis or local water source has dried up.

- Recent droughts and the lack of water in even Nopal has led to more tribes moving to the mountains, establishing new routes and camps

- River travel is one of the main modes of transportation, particularly for these tribes as they journey through the mountains. They often carry out trade with the towns and villages scattered throughout the mountains

–––––––––––––

- At the foot of the mountains, along the coast, efforts have been put into by several towns to establish a permanent port known as the Bintang port

- There is merchant activity, both within the mountains themselves and with the outside. This is mainly with Prakra and the Republic of Galibrada

- As a result, there’s quite a bit of cultural exchange. Silk can be found in many towns, as well as Prakran curry and naan bread

- Traveling to the other side of the mountains, towards the south, is often done via maritime travel rather than traveling through the desert

- On the rare chance they do travel by land, Nopal is often a stopping point

–––––––––––––

The mountain range is referred to in the common tongue simply as the Snowcap Mountains, but in the language of the Laochra, the range is called the Céimeanna Dia, or “God Steps,” referring to a legend among the tribe that the mountains were formed by a god pressing their feet into the earth and walking along the shoreline before entering the Frozen Sea.

The mountains themselves are filled with a number of deadly creatures, like the game’s mentioned muskbear, wolves, and my own canon of lindworms.

Prey animals include birds, hares, some deer, and fish off of the coast. There is a trading post at the south-eastern most corner of the continent where ships travel the Strait of Seals and trade primarily different meats and breads for the furs and pelts found in the South.

There were a great number of people in the Southern Spines, but over the generations, they were whittled away until by the time 50 years or so before the game timeline begins, the main three groups left were the Laochra, Morga’s clan more to the west, and the final tribe that I haven’t named yet that lived further to the north-east. In my timeline, this tribe is led by a person named Afon, and of the three, that tribe was the most magically-inclined.

The Kohkuri were established further north-west, and did not come in contact with the Laochra much, if at all, their conflict coming from Morga’s clan exclusively.

For this post, we are focusing on the Laochra alone!

History of the Laochra

The Laochra tribe was established hundreds of years before the Arcana game timeline, by people traveling from the east, across the Strait of Seals. They came from a similar climate and landscape, so navigating the cold, mountainous terrain of the Southern Spines was easy for them, though the local wildlife, not so much.

They are a nomadic people, often with multiple camps throughout the Spines, and they would move their main camp every decade or so across the map depending on the food supply, threat from wildlife or other tribes.

These are the same people that the first Pirate Queen, Niamh, is from, though she became Queen before they settled in the Southern Spines and no one in the tribe is related to her.

By the time Meredith was born, her mother Gwyn was the tribe’s leader, and though the Laochra fought frequently with Morga’s clan over generations, the two women had agreements in place that they would revise as needed, but mostly kept each of them from attacking the other. The leader of the third group of people, Afon, was not as easily appeased, and despite Gwyn’s attempts to communicate with their tribe, Afon refused and repeatedly attacked.

During one such attack, Gwyn was killed by Afon—though she also killed them—however Stefan, Meredith’s father, had his suspicions that Gareth, Gwyn’s twin brother, had dealt the final blow to Gwyn when no one was around. He wasn’t able to prove this, and Gareth was named as the temporary leader until Meredith would turn 18.

Gareth, his wife Rowena, and his son Fergus, spent the next few years making Meredith’s life miserable, and trying on numerous occasions to have her and Stefan killed. She survived by her own and Stefan’s combined efforts, but when he died protecting her during a lindworm attack, Meredith knew she would not be safe with her tribe while Gareth was leader. She ran, vowing to return when she was older and strong enough to fight him, only to return years later to find that the Laochra had been completely wiped out.

The Laochra were wiped out by two main reasons: Morga’s clan, and Lucio’s plague. Not long after Meredith escaped and fled to the North, Lucio made his first deal with the demon Vlastomil, and the plague-ridden red beetles began to follow him. The beetles made their way to the Laochra after a particularly vicious fight between them and Morga’s clan. After Gwyn’s death, Morga retracted all of her agreements and attacked regularly against the Laochra. Their final fight killed or injured at least half of the remaining Laochra, Meredith’s uncle Gareth among them, and then the plague infected and killed the remaining half, including Meredith’s aunt Rowena and cousin Fergus, making her, to her knowledge, the sole survivor of the tribe of Laochra.

General Culture

As the climate is very harsh and unforgiving, and the surrounding land and wildlife often more so, the people have adapted to survive. They do not waste anything, using every part of an animal they kill, or almost every part, as prey animals are scarce.

Every member of the tribe contributes in some way, from chopping trees for firewood, to hunting, to sharpening others’ weapons, to preparing and storing food when possible. The tribe does not divide any task by gender, instead they are focused by age and physical abilities. Older or physically disabled people are usually given tasks to complete around the camps that don’t require as much physical strength, like mending clothes or damaged weapons.

Families usually only have 1-2 children, any more and they may have trouble providing for them. If someone does give birth to more children, they will often allow other people/couples to adopt them.

When a child is born, they are given a surname based on their parents, usually the strongest/most influential parent is chosen as the namesake. They use the Icelandic suffixes of “-dottir.” “-son,” or the nonbinary “-bur.” Families can also choose to use both parents' names for the child, but this is rare.

For example, Meredith’s full name is Meredith Gwynsdottir, after her mother, who was named Gwyn Bransdottir, after her father.

Once a child is old enough to walk unassisted and speak/understand complete sentences, they are considered old enough to help around the camp, and often begin assisting with minor tasks before joining their parents with their more strenuous tasks like setting traps and hunting.

Every single member of the tribe is taught to fight and defend themselves no matter what age or potential disability, you have to be able to protect yourself and pull your own weight to survive in the South.

The only celebrations the Laochra have pertain to the summer and winter solstice, the shortest and longest nights of the year. There is usually a feast that the entire tribe partakes in, made with food that most of them helped hunt, and it is a time dedicated to sharing stories of past friends and family members, and to just share time with one another.

This is also one of the few times the tribe will partake in music outside of lullabies or funerals, often singing old traditional shanties that the original group brought with them and passed down for generations.

Language

The original language of the Laochra is loosely based on Irish, which over time morphed into closer to Welsh. This development occurred as the Laochra interacted with other tribes that had been living in the South before them, and as they traded more and more with ships off the Frozen Sea.

Laochra itself means Warrior.

This is why Meredith does not understand Saoirse’s language, despite them both having the same root, as it was mostly phased out of her tribe well before she was even born. The only exceptions are names of places, gods, and people that have been passed down within families, as most of those were established in the original language.

Most members of the tribe do not understand the common language unless they are traders who frequently visit with passing ships in the Frozen Sea. The leader and their family are supposed to personally handle most trade, so the common tongue is known to them by ear at least.

Leadership

The position as leader of the Laochra tribe is hereditary, and has been as such since the original group first arrived, though they did choose which family was to lead.

When a leader dies (or steps down, though the cases of this happening are very few), their oldest child becomes the next leader. If that person dies, then their oldest child is next in line, unless that child is younger than 18.

Only in this case would the oldest sibling of the hereditary leader take over in their place until the child is old enough, or, if the leader did not have any siblings, their spouse would take over. Once the oldest child of the hereditary leader is 18, they will automatically take their place, removing their temporary leader (an aunt/uncle, or father/mother) from their position.

If the leader did not have any children before passing, their oldest sibling would take their place. If the leader did have children in line to lead, but they died after their parent, and before turning 18, the oldest sibling of the leader would be able to keep their position.

The child of the leader does not have to be biologically related to the leader, if the leader adopted a child they are still considered next in line provided they are the oldest. Similarly, if the leader had a bastard child, and then children with their spouse, the bastard child is still the first in line to lead.

Due to this system, cases like Meredith’s where her uncle tried to have her killed for most of her childhood are not uncommon. They are not encouraged, as it is seen as cowardly to try and kill a child just for a position of power, but accidents are known to happen in the wild, and as long as it can’t be proved that the temporary leader caused any harm to the child, they will take position as permanent leader until their death.

If the leader did not have any children, siblings, or spouse to pass the leadership onto when they died or stepped down, the eldest member of the village would hold the position until the tribe had chosen a new family to lead, and then that family would begin the new leadership.

Appearance

The Laochra range from pale to medium-colored skin tones, with mostly blond or brown hair, but have very colorful eyes that range from black to gold to green to purple and beyond. They attribute eye color to favor of the gods, each color or combination a sign of which god is watching over you specifically.

Green eyes, like Meredith’s, are supposed to be a sign of the god of abundance, referred to as Flúirse.

Long hair is traditional as well as practical to protect against the elements and act as an extra layer of warmth, so all people will generally have hair long enough to tie back. Taking care of someone else’s hair is considered a very intimate and personal act, and it is often done between family members, close friends, siblings, and partners as a way to bond.

People who can grow beards will grow them out regardless of gender if they desire to further protect themselves, otherwise scarves and wraps that cover the lower half of one’s face are recommended.

Most of the clothing they wear are thick furs and pelts that they retrieved from animals they have killed, and while most people are expected to know a few basics of sewing to create simple cloaks, there is usually a person or two who serve as seamstresses to create more intricate articles of clothing.

Many of the Laochra have scars, as it is very easy to be injured while hunting, or if attacked by another tribe or clan. To be scarred in battle or against wildlife like the lindworm is often considered a source of pride, but seeking to be scarred is reckless and frowned upon.

Religion

The Laochra have many gods, most of them minor gods for hunting, the weather, or prosperity, but they have one main god who is referred to as The Seanchaidhe, or, The Storyteller.

It is likely that this god was a real person at first, a historian from the original group that founded the tribe, but over time they became much more than just a historian.

According to the Laochra’s beliefs, the Seanchaidhe oversees the tribe and records all that happens, writing the history of the tribe among the stars. The Laochra do not keep physical copies of their history, as they are mostly nomadic, and until they began trading with people off of the Frozen Sea, did not have the materials for books, so they rely on telling stories verbally to pass down information.

As words are all the tribe has, verbal communication is considered extremely important, and to not take someone at their word is considered a grave offense. To be caught in a lie can also have severe consequences, depending on the intensity of the lie. Words are considered sacred enough that a person’s First Word and Final Words are celebrated, and a person who dies without having their Final Words recorded by a living member of the tribe is thought to have trouble crossing into the next life and may curse their remaining family.

Wishing that someone’s Final Words would not be recorded is the same as damning them and is very offensive.

Aside from the Seanchaidhe, as mentioned above in Appearance, each person is thought to be chosen by a god at birth, but they are under no obligation to worship that god if they do not wish to. Most do, just to be on the safe side, by leaving a small plate of food out during a new moon, or burying the remains of a small animal, or lighting something small and treasured on fire. How each person decides to honor the gods they personally care about is different, but the methods are usually passed between families.

Marriage

Marriage is not seen as a necessity for the Laochra, especially considering that many partners live together early on in their relationship to share resources, so there is not much of an actual celebration. However, the act of proposing is considered extremely important for a lasting relationship.

Traditionally, to propose to someone, a person will gift their partner a weapon, whatever their partner prefers, that they have crafted themselves. Usually the weapon gifted is a dagger or similar hunting knife, as that is most practical, but bows and arrows are acceptable as well as spears. It is meant to be proof of understanding and knowing your partner and their preferences, how they prefer to hunt or protect themselves, what size would fit their hand best, what weight would work best, etc. You can choose to decorate it if you wish, but the weapons are meant to be practical, so it is not necessary.

It is also traditional to make the weapon out of the tooth or bone of an animal, specifically a lindworm. Lindworm teeth are extremely sharp and serrated, and they lose teeth like sharks, so it used to be fairly easy to find a tooth without having to kill the lindworm to get it. However, as lindworms became more scarce and started to largely avoid the tribe, it became less common to use teeth, and bone, like the knife Meredith owns that was originally her great-great-great grandfather’s, was seen more often.

Some examples of what proposal weapons might look like:

The person being proposed to can accept or reject the proposal. If they accept, their wedding will take place by the next full moon, and the ceremony is usually performed by an elder in their families or the leader of the tribe, whoever the couple prefers.

The ceremony is short, simple, and includes vows that the couple create themselves. They do not wear any sort of fancy dress, just their normal, everyday furs and pelts. Before reciting their vows, the proposal weapon is used to prick each partner’s left thumb, and they each draw a horizontal line over the other’s forehead and heart in their own blood to signify their ties, and then they join hands.

Once the vows have been recited, the couple will eat a meal they prepared themselves, of an animal they hunted together, and the person they invited to perform the ceremony will eat with them as a witness of the union. When the meal is finished, the ceremony is over, and the couple is married. Often, the proposal weapon will be adjusted afterwards to include some part of the vows somewhere, like carved into the hilt, but this is a more recent tradition with the introduction of their alphabet.

This ceremony can be adjusted for polyamorous partners, where there may be multiple proposal weapons, and a bigger meal. It is not uncommon for households of more than two partners to exist in the Laochra.

If the person being proposed to rejects the proposal, they can choose to keep the proposal weapon or give it back to their partner. A proposal rejection is not always a relationship-ender, it usually just makes the person who proposed aware that they may not know their partner like they thought they did, and they need to re-evaluate that on their own.

Death

The Laochra believe that when a person dies, they join the Seanchaidhe in the sky and are turned into a star that holds all of their collected memories. They do not often visit their family left in the living world, provided they were completely passed on, and did not hold any grudges before they passed.

There are three things that need to happen when a person dies in order for their spirit to be considered fully and peacefully passed on. Their Final Words must be recorded, they need to be sung to sleep, and their body set adrift on the Frozen Sea.

As mentioned above in Religion, the most important part of someone’s passing is recording their Final Words. It is the last thing that the person will put their own thought and meaning into, and if their Final Words are a request, they must be treated as law, no matter what the request is. To die without having your Final Words recorded is a dishonor, and means that the spirit has little chance of being properly recorded in the stars.

After a person passes, or at least after they have spoken their Final Words, the person who recorded that and/or their immediate family and spouse will sing the deceased to sleep. The usual song to sing for the deceased spirit is called “An Mac Tíre Airgid,” or “The Silver Wolf,” which is a song that tells about the journey of the first group of Laochra and their passing, intended to help the spirit reconnect with their ancestors in the stars as their body shuts down completely. This can be done even without the body present, as long as the person singing was closely related to the deceased person by blood or by choice, but it should be done outside, at night, and while looking at the stars.

Finally, the body must be set adrift on the Frozen Sea, preferably heading further south. This last step is not considered entirely necessary, especially when the tribe’s main camp was further inward and the trek to the shore would have taken days, but it is just as symbolic as the rest of the traditions.

The Laochra believe that at the end of the world, the furthest point South, there is a god of death who takes the bodies to the Seanchaidhe to join their souls in the sky. When the Southern Lights cross over the sky at night, those are said to be the bodies reaching out to their spirits in the stars to join together. They call this god The Bailitheoir, or The Collector, and when the body is sent out in a small canoe, it is lit with flaming arrows not to burn the body, but to send light and warmth to the Bailitheoir, as they exist in cold darkness.