#nomadism

Karakachani Annual Gathering near Sliven, Buglaria, 2016 - Ivo Daskalov

The Xigdat are a group of nomad peoples whose ancestral routes travel north and south along the Chiangian and Deka rivers and the steppe lands in between. The Xigdat are renowned for their leather and featherworks, and they are expert in the trapping of small birds for their colourful feathers. Their culture has many commonalities with that of the Maa-Ougbig, but relationships between the two groups are often tense as the similarities between them seem to enhance their differences. The Xigdat also frequently enter into conflict with the nomad peoples of the Changian steppe, especially where migratory routes collide.

Snufkin in Comet in Moominland, by Tove Jansson:

But that’s how it is when you start wanting to have things. Now I just look at them, and when I go away I carry them in my head. Then my hands are always free, because I don’t have to carry a suitcase.

Summer transhumance (temporary nomadism moving the livestock to the summer pastures, on the highest parts of the mountains after the winter snows have melted).

This video shows the moment where the sheep flocks from Estac and Enviny mix with the flock from Llessui (all of them villages from the High Pyrenees, Catalonia). A shepherd gives the sheep to the shepherd who will take care of them all summer with the help of his shepherd dog. In autumn, this shepherd will bring the sheep flock down to the valley again, where the sheep will be distributed to their original farm.

Anon, thank you so much!! I have the day off so I spent the afternoon doodling ideas for the Txepiva, half of them not even what you asked for lol

Here's the full sheet, which you can see in full size by opening in a new page.

Clothes :

Let's say they are mostly pastoralist nomads. They have an animal, an omnivorous creature that lives in small flocks of 20-30 members. They have a scaly/platted back and tail, but also tufts of heat resistant fibers close to a wool, just not nearly as compact. It's designed to keep them cool around the neck and chest.

Txepiva task young children with herding the flocks, making tsaheylu and often riding the flock's leading animal, leading them all by directing the one. They are used for meat, but also for their fibers, which are made into protective veils, as heat reflective as anything Na'vi can produce.

This made me think about masks (made of bone or worked leather) that would use glass lenses and veils made of that material to get extra close to lava. A Pandoran take on the protective suits we wear on earth.

I have had to honour of getting very close to a lava flow, and my experience is that when you're 20m away from it, it feels as hot and oppressive as when you're 1m away from a raging bonfire. If they need to get close, extra protection would help.

Masks could also have simple slits, though idk how much protection that would offer.

And since they can weave heat resistant fabric, but not everyone would get close to lava, you could also have more casual but still protective gear, mimicking Tuareg and other desert dwelling headgears and scarves. You could wrap the queue (tswin) inside of it and have it hidden from view. My adult Txepiva who aren't young herders or hunters have little use of their tswin outside of mating.

They would have access to a lot of precious stones. A lot of jewelry would be crafted there and be part of their main exports to other clans, alongside glass objects. Vials and glass rings would be particularly popular, as well as beads.

They'd import a lot of dyes and dried plant material in exchange. The one thing that is taboo for other clans though is metal.

That doesn't stop the Txepiva from using it for themselves, in earrings, worked plates, kuru clasps, brooches, etc. Copper is particularly easy to obtain around volcanic faults.

The other stone of choice is obsidian. I tried to give her white paint under her eyes instead of the black one I did on my original design.

But at the end of the day one of the most used materials in the clan is Bone. All warriors and scouts wear chains of vertebrae over their tswin. It's to prevent being easily killed by the queue being grasped and severed at the base.

The war chief, leader who takes charge of the clan whenever they face conflict or are readying an assault on another clan, tends to wear more flashy gear. This one collected vertebraes with a long neural spine :

The tswin and its bones are tied to his waist so they don't sway or get in his way. It's mostly ceremonial gear, I don't think he'd bedeck himself like this for war.

Didn't draw any shoes, but the Txepiva are occasional users of the stuff, especially on active volcanic plains.

Rites of Passage :

Not everyone is a warrior, so I assume they'd have different rites for different people.

Those who are warriors might be tasked to prepare their own kit to go on a quest of some sort. A raid to steal an animal, or to go deep into active lava flows to collect precious materials and prove themselves.

Or they might be cast out altogether for a whole year or more, young people forming roving bands from different clans who have to get along and conjoin their skills to survive. That feels a little extreme, though I've explored the idea of the ash people having a yearly meeting where most clans peacefully get together and trade, party, bang, and mate across clans to, you know, clean up that gene pool.

It being the moment roving bands return and have a ceremony accepting them as adults and able to join a mate and a new clan would be great. Another group of youth could be cast out at the end of that meeting, only to return in a year.

That has the advantage that it could include people whose main skill isn't hunting or killing, as they'd be just as valuable for a band's survival.

But otherwise I enjoy the idea of yuong people building a 'dowry' for themselves. It's not about mating at all, but to showcase their skills for the great meeting. Elders of all clans gather and inspect the ivory carvings, dyed weaved scarves, worked stones and jewels, or even the smithed blades and copper beads produced by this youth who claims to be an adult. They might prepare a single enormous project, or present a collection of wares.

If approved, then they would receive presents prepared for them by their friends and family ahead of time in a ceremony welcoming them as adults, and they'd be allowed to go trade all their hard work.

And that gathering place definitely has a fun-time tent for adults but also a massive complex of hot springs. It's a sacred place with a lot of growing soul trees where killing or fighting is completely forbidden.

You have to leave your clan's baggage at the metaphorical door.

They'd also have sport competitions and friendly matches, as well as conflict resolution.