#stow

hypothetical, what if this style of collar marked the "upcoming chief"

both Tsu'tey and Tarsem wore it, and both took it off after they were made chief.

kinda similar as to how Tsireya, the Tsarakem, has a hairpiece that is similar to her mothers

[she doesn't wear it all the time, especially in AFAA, but still, we're in hypothetical land, and I vaguely remember something being mentioned about it being a parallel to Ronal. but I could also be totally making shit up over a false memory]

it isn't totally bonkers to think that, maybe, both roles had a piece of clothing/accessory specific to the. to mark them. just like their are items specific to chief and tsahik.

and guess who else wore a collar...

so in this hypothetical... what was his status?

like. was he Jake's heir? we know that the next in line tends to be familial, if it can be. we know it's not always determined by age. but, by tradition, could Kiri have been Tsarakem? would she want to be?

was Neteyam old enough? were his parents ready to put that on his shoulders amidst the war? is that why (in this hypothetical) Tarsem also wore a collar? because he would become chief, even in an interim position, if Jake died before Neteyam was of a certain age?

perhaps Neteyam had been Jake's heir before the humans returned, when he would have succeeded Jake in the "normal" sense. no fear of it passing to him when he was young out of tragedy. but as the humans invaded, Jake knew he would have to name someone else. and that collar remained buried somewhere in Neteyam's things. or displayed as a reminder of what could have been.

did Neteyam weave the collar himself because he wanted to be his father's heir? did he adorn himself with it in Awa'atlu to remember home and the life he anticipated for himself? that he might get to go back to one day?

or maybe... maybe being chief scared him. but now, here in Awa'atlu, where it meant nothing... it was like reclaiming it. he wasn't going to be chief. he was just going to be a boy wearing a necklace. no fear for the future. no fear of a pressure that was no longer going to be on his shoulders.

Ice vehicle spotted in Kent and Stow ohio on February 3rd and 4th-- please spread the word, stay safe, and call and email hotlines!

More stow. This time with a more derived member with old art and actually showing a lot of their defining features.