Taelyff Specializations
Matriarch - Political figurehead if the tribe. Although she has greater say in spiritual matters, rather than actual family affairs, she is often present for inter-tribal discussion since matriarch is a highly venerated title within all communities.
Matron - Elder women of each Taelyff family (Ett, Seuhas, Elodi) who speak on behalf of their family members during council meetings. Each family has at least two matrons and two matron-apprentices at any one time.
Chuulag (Chitin) Craftswomen
Armorer - An expert in fashioning the iron-tough carapaces of diremites into serviceable weapons and armor.
Beadcarver - Uses the leftover chitin from the armorer to mold into beads, plates, and other utensils/jewelry.
Sunwatch - Patrols that take their shift at dawn. Designated Sunwatchers climb the tallest trees to read the movement of the clouds to predict weather patterns for the upcoming days. The Sunwatch takes over the responsibilities of the Hedgeguard until sunset.
Hedgewalker - One who communes with ancestral spirits and is responsible for performing funerary functions. Doubling as a medicine-woman, she is believed to be able to cure any illness by bargaining with a person's sickly soul. She is also known to comfort the spirits of those lost within the Dreamhedge.
Tunnel Collapaser - A mage adept in earth-element invocations. Any diremite tunnels found in or around the Dreamhedge are collapsed and quarantined by this individual. Though they patrol alongside the Hedgeguard, they can be awoken during the day should the Sunwatch have need of them.
Hedgeguard - Patrols that take their shift at sunset. These huntresses walk the Dreamhedge and deposit any being trapped within it to a safe location far away from their home. The Hedgeguard are joined by a Tunnel Collapser, who helps keep the family safe by preventing the nomadic diremite colonies from burrowing in or around the Dreamhedge.
Miteseeker - These individuals scout far beyond the safety of the Dreamhedge to predict the movements of the diremite colony that is the Taelyff's primary source of food. They report to the Hedgeguard of any potential dangers, be it from mite, beast, or man.
Dancebringer - Known among the Taelyff for their skill in dance and theatrics. When a dancebringer isn't putting on a show for the family or entertaining guests, they actively specialize in other roles on this list. Dancebringers use complex hand-gestures and precise footwork to re-enact old folktales. Unfortunately, these 'plays' are largely incomprehensible to non-Taelyff, and guests must actively be given translations in order to make sense of this widely expanded derivative of Huntspeak (traditional Keeper of the Moon hunting language).
Matron Apprentice - Young women who have devoted themselves to learning under their chosen matron. A matron-apprentice is a role respected nearly as much as the matrons themselves. They are often former hedgeguard or sunguard who are experiencing motherhood for the second or third time, and sometimes they are girls ripe from her coming-of-age. Prospective apprentices are chosen by the matrons and all their methods of doing so are quite different. To show their devotion, these women are tasked to put their personal desires aside and selflessly focus on the well-being of the family until one of the matrons steps down or passes away.
This self-sacrificing role focuses first on the survival and rearing of Taelyff children, followed by the health and happiness of its people. Learning how to maintain healthy relationships with other tribes and breeding males is another task they need to learn, followed by how best to store and distribute limited food and supplies during the winter months. It is not a simple role to fill, and it is not uncommon for a woman to withdraw her apprenticeship should she feel encumbered by what is expected of her.
Basketweaver - Responsible for creating quality baskets Taelyff use for trade with other tribes. After mastering the art in the Gyr Abanian wilderness, they found the Twelveswood offers a greater variety of grasses and branches to weave from. Their basket weaving techniques produce durable and attractive pieces of art that they've become quite renown for.
Woodcutter - Those who build and repair the wagons used to cart their supplies around from one campground to the next. The dense jungle and uneven terrains of the Twelveswood make travel difficult for the nomadic miqo'te. Their building techniques were made for the flat lands of Gyr Abania, but they have had to make due.
Gazelle Herder - A small few tend to the gazelle herd often found grazing on one side of the Taelyff caravan. The big-horned, gargantuan wooly beasts have been tamed well through the generations. The existence of the Dreamhedge keeps them from wandering too far.
Tanner/Leatherworker (Seasonal) - It is during the season of falling leaves that the Hunt begins and Taelyff huntresses return with beast carcasses. Each hide is put to good use and made into blankets, clothing, and, mostly importantly, shoes. Chuulag Craftswomen typically double as leatherworkers during the fall, which is when vilekin (their main food source) go dormant until the spring.
Cooks - It takes a talented team of individuals to make food for such a large family. Come supper time, Taelyff chefs will gather their hands and everyone works together to see that each dish is perfectly prepared. Though it is not uncommon for a Cook to have other responsibilities on this list, those who devote their entire day to food often join the matrons and the children on daily foraging expeditions within the Dreamhedge.
Carter - A Taelyff barterer that will separate from the caravan with a wagon and gazelle and venture to other nearby miqo'te tribes to trade goods for any supplies the tribe might be lacking.
