The tribes have long since ceased to be meaningful political entities. These days, people owe more to their family than their tribe, which is more of a historical heritage. Despite this, it is clear that the tribes have left a distinct mark on Uasan culture. In the modern day, scholars have divided the tribes into four main categories, based on culture and geography. These are the Crown Tribes, the Blind Coast Tribes, The Young River Tribes, and the Acharannach Tribes. These are retroactive ideas – none of the tribes would have ever referred to themselves as part of these groups during their heyday. Most tribes would be more accurately categorised as a mix. Many scholars have, at various times, tried to add a fifth category to make things more aesthetically pleasing, but none have stuck in the long run. Despite these limitations, these tribal legacies are a useful tool for understanding variations in Uasan culture.
The Crown Tribes
The tribes of northern Uasa, centred around Corroch. These tribes all claim to have been among the first supporters of the Réig. Indeed, most claim that their warriors and shamans personally delivered the First Réig from the assaults of the Siabhalaigh when they landed in Tirneach. The most important thing about being Uasan, for the Crown Tribes, is loyalty to the Réig. The Réig made the realm, in their eyes, and one should never allow affection for past traditions to override loyalty to the Réig of today. Anyone who strongly holds to this legacy will make a point of travelling to Corroch for the coronation of each new Réig, hoping to swear loyalty to them in person, even if as part of a crowd.
Service to the Réig is considered the highest calling. Particularly, no one can ever attain a position of prominence in a dearbhfhine without having worked for the réig in some form. This is usually as a gallóglach, though it may be as a reckoner or other role. Many of the members of the dearbhfhines will seek to be a servant in the réig’s court, to show their loyalty. While opportunities are not found so readily for the commoners, many will still seek to serve the Réig in some way during their lifetimes.
The traditional rite of passage in this area, naturally, is tied to the Réig. Youths must learn the tales of Réigs past, and recite them in front of their family in a ceremony, explaining how each one has taught them and will guide them into adulthood. Most of these tribes will have relics of past Réigs as heirlooms. The grandest relics might be something like a sword a Réig wielded for many years, but even something like a cup a Réig once drank from can be treasured by an Uasan family. Shamans of the crown tribes often use these relics in their ceremonies, harkening back to the stories of Réigs past and using this to bless future endeavours.
Details on some historical Réigs can be found here.
Superstitions common among the Crown Tribes
- One may pray to the past Réigs in the Shaper’s Hall to deliver messages to the Shaper.
- When in need of luck, wear a black ribbon.
- A toast to the Réig must be shared by all.
- Speak no words of cruelty to a stray cat, lest ye face the Shaper’s wrath.
- Whoever holds the title of Réig shapes Tirneach spiritually. The shamans will read omens in a new Réig’s coronation.
Notable dearbhfines among the Crown Tribes
- Ó Tanaí, who led the tribe of the shallows. The dearbhfine pride themselves on the collection they have of relics of previous réigs.
- Ó Uisce-Glórach, who led the tribe of loud water. What is a one-time rite of passage for most is a way of life for many of this dearbhfine, who dedicate themselves to learning and performing epics of past Réigs.
- Ó Green-Mud tend to serve in the Réig’s reckoners rather than their gallólgaigh. In days of old the shamans swore oaths of peace with the spirits, and the dearbhfine considers the reckoners truer to their legacy.
The Young River Tribes
The tribes of southern Uasa, centred around the sprawling tributaries of the Young River. In times of old, these tribes were closest to the heartlands of the gwyllt, and had the most need of the spirits’ protection. The spirits kept them hidden, and they moved along the rivers in darkness, unseen by the hateful stars. They place a great importance on secrecy and night. When one of their young comes of age, a ceremony is conducted in secret in the dead of night. Each community has its own rite, closely guarded.
The families of the Young River will often have some tributary of the river that they think of as home. They will have many tales of the river spirit. These tales tend to emphasize sacrifice and harsh choices more than the tales found elsewhere in Uasa. The spirits are portrayed as dark but necessary powers. Often those tales will include the spirit interacting with the Shaper, who may make a plea for mercy on behalf of the mortals. They tend to have old ceremonies to ward off the gwyllt, usually drawing boundaries along the river.
These tribes are wary of strangers. Because of their secretive nature, they sometimes have a fearful reputation, and are often associated with criminality. However, those of the Young River are fiercely loyal to those who gain their trust. If you have a friend on the river, they will move mountains for you.
Superstitions common among the Young River Tribes
- Sharing a secret with someone forms a powerful bond with them. Some mages can use this to work magic – for good or for ill.
- Never cross a river without a brief prayer.
- An oath is best sealed with a drop of blood.
- A cloudy night means the Shaper is blessing you. The ideal time to start some new endeavour.
- The gwyllt dread to cross running water.
Notable dearbhfines among the Young River Tribes
- Ó Srutha-Láidir, who led the tribe of the strong current. They are suspected of connections to the Riverborn, but nothing has ever been proven. Peadar Ó Srutha-Láidir, the réig who followed Léamh, tried to undo much of her work to little success.
- Ó Hidden-Spring. The line of this tribe’s shamans has been broken and their history and secrets lost. The dearbhfine still exists but no shamans currently bear the name.
- Ó Giolcacha, who led the tribe of the reeds. This is considered a stereotypically criminal name in Uasa. Some members of the dearbhfine embrace the notoriety, while others strive for respect in high circles.
The Blind Coast Tribes
The tribes of coastal Uasa, spread all along the Blind Coast where they hid in the mists. Their spirits were the sea spirits, and the ocean remains deeply important to them. They have a sailing culture, and traditionally made their living as fishers. In more recent times, some have found themselves more at home as merchants. Some have gone inland, and made their living in the cities, but of course the highest calling is trading on the open sea. Some vessels stop by other ports in Tirneach, but others head further afield, to the Eastern Reaches and faraway Orohogar. Tales from faraway ports are prized on the Blind Coast, and are a sign of a sailor’s worth.
In many ways, they cleave tightest to the old ways. Shamans wise in the ways of divination are particularly highly prized on the blind coast. Sailors always consult them for guidance before setting out on a voyage. In addition, their old tales naturally feature spirits, and the Shaper is found more rarely than in tales from other tribes. Some suspect this to be Orohogari influence. Indeed, pacts and bargains with spirits are a common feature in Blind Coast tales. That said, the firetouched tend to raise an eyebrow at the strange rituals and ceremonies the Blind Coast has around trading. Each tribe will have some rite they must perform as part of a trade – sometimes at the beginning of negotiations, sometimes when sealing the deal. They are also known for their harsh traditional rite of passage – the youth is tied to a rock as the tide comes in, showing their faith and trust in the spirits and the Shaper. While outsiders decry its danger, in reality it is done carefully, such that water only comes up to the chest – and usually with someone on hand to rescue the youth if something goes wrong!
Superstitions common among the Blind Coast Tribes
- Never kill an albatross, or you will not reach shore again.
- Toss a pingin in the sea, and the Shaper will grant you a prosperous voyage.
- Navigation by the stars is a dark art, and must be handled with care.
- If you are to fight gwyllt, salt your blade, and they will fear to approach you until the next midsummer.
- At feasts, set aside a little food for the Shaper.
Notable dearbhfines among the Blind Coast Tribes
- Ó Sacred-Shell. The dearbhfine has a strong presence among the fishers off the Blind Coast. However, the bulk of the tribe has spread inland and is now one of the most common tribes.
- Ó Céad-Tonn, who led the tribe of the first wave. Much to the chagrin of many Crown Tribes, the dearbhfine insist that it was their ancestors who rescued the First Réig from ambush in Siabhal. For this reason they are sometimes considered a Crown Tribe instead.
- Ó Muireann, who led the tribe of Muireann. Often compared to the Siabhalaigh, they revere their ancestor, the great reaver-shaman Muireann. A seafarer, she is said to have led raids on the gwyllt, and indeed other mortals, with the help of the spirits.
The Acharannach Tribes
The tribes of northwestern Uasa, centred around Loch Achar. Frequent conflict with Draíod and Siabhal has defined them, and they are a rugged people who pride themselves on being able to stand their ground, fight for their lands, and endure anything. Outsiders would unfairly stereotype them as stubborn, backwards bog dwellers. It is true that they are more in tune with the swamps than most modern Uasans. Leamh’s canal network barely reaches the northwest, so many live in the traditional manner on stilted houses. They know that the waters are to be revered and sometimes feared. Flooding is an ever present danger that they must be wary of. The waters give, but they also take. They have many tales of the water spirits, who they often characterise as majestic, prideful, tempestuous petty deities.
Hospitality is a major concern for the tribes of Loch Achar. They live in treacherous terrain, where a journey can be safe one day and certain death the next, depending on how the waters flow. Thus, one must be ready to put a stranger up for the night. Sacred rites of hospitality are used to bind the guest and the host to proper behaviour. Some even claim that this will bind a gwyllt in disguise, though the Torchbearers are quick to dissuade people from such ideas. The other common ceremony is the traditional rite of passage, which more or less involves sending out a batch of the community’s youths on a camping trip in the bog, to live off the land for five days. Smaller communities must sometimes look far afield to find youths of an age with their own, to assemble a sufficient group for the trip. Thus isolated, parochial settlements form bonds with their more distant neighbours, keeping the realm strong.
Superstitions common among the Acharannach Tribes
- Under the light of the full moon, the Shaper will guide you safe across the swamp.
- If you can skim a stone that skips ten times, you’ll find true love in the next year.
- Never disturb a body in the bog.
- When the floods come, prepare a saucer of water, place a piece of bread in it to absorb the water, and thus the flood will pass.
- A piece of bog oak under the pillow wards off nightmares.
Notable dearbhfines among the Acharannach Tribes
- Ó Solid-Ground is well known for its shamans, who can be found all over Uasa. The dearbhfine takes pride in sending shamans to places it believes the local dearbhfines are neglecting the old ways.
- Ó Eas, who led the tribe of the waterfall. Living in the foothills of the Ring Mountains, Vartach outcasts are not uncommon amongst them.
- Ó Riasc-Dorcha, who led the tribe of the dark marsh. This dearbhfine has rallied support against Siabhalaigh invaders many times, and has enemies among the Ruby Court. Their secretive nature often draws comparisons with the Blind Coast tribes.