From
the very beginning the ocean surrounded us. Long, long ago we crawled out of
the waves and became bound to the earth. We learned to walk and hunt. Our
development was not in mathematics or literature but in flesh, in ancient battles
and primal ritual.
Many
forgot this truth. They did not.
The
Sons of Clay prescribe to no greater reality than that of their own bodies.
There is no tomorrow. Today there is hunger and struggle. Their ships move with
oars, for wind cannot be trusted. They beat with drums not to create art but to
move in the most efficient rhythm. Clothing is only for those that need
protection from the elements. Morality and hierarchy are extraneous, tools that
the blind use to breed more of their own.
Can
you row?
Can
you fight?
Then
you are welcome.
Their pragmatism does
not exclude spirituality. More so than perhaps any other faction, the Sons
believe in a greater power. This power is tangible. It is the land of milk and
honey: the promised land, Tír na nÓg, Heaven. It is the one memory and belief
that they all share. To reach it is the ultimate goal, the culmination of the
first man’s dream for warmth and food, carried out by the strongest descendants
of the early dreamers of the earth.
Their
origin is hard to trace. Some say that when the first sailor dipped his sails
into the waves of the Ocean Beyond, the Sons were born. More likely is the idea
that multiple sailors, not drawn by philosophy but survival, came together and
formed a fleet out of necessity. It was only later that they began to form
their beliefs and their name. Like stones, the ocean weathered them and carved
its truth into their bones.
The
first belief was in Paradise. The Promised Land was the easiest truth to
believe. After many long years of struggle and conflict the young Sons decided
that they were, in fact, sailing for a greater idea. Some of them had seen it,
after all – a place overflowing with locusts and honey, gourd trees fat with
breasts for unborn children to suckle, a land so bountiful and radiant that
they felt it tugging at their spines when they closed their eyes. It was in the
Ocean, and they would find it.
The
second belief was in their name – the Sons of Clay. They would find it. Not the haughty gilded ships, packed with mousy
philosophers. Not the strange men sealed in iron. Not the stranger, uncertain
of his desires: those who did not understand Paradise did not deserve it. Those
that did deserve it knew simple truths about the world. In the Real, they were
farmers, fisherman, mothers; men and women who lived and died with the earth
they stood on. They knew that the best possible existence was routine. They
wished to live with the setting of the sun and move with the wind that blew the
rain. The earth was their home, and paradise was the ultimate extension of that
home. One of them called himself a Son of Clay, in nostalgic remembrance of a
legend he remembered from the Real. Others followed, and soon men and women
called themselves Sons of Clay and sailed with deep oars across the sea.
Over
time the culture of these explorers expanded and formed into what modern sailors
call the Sons of Clay, or colloquially the “oarsmen” for their exclusive use of
oars on their ships.
Organization
While the Sons are certainly a singular body, their
organization lies in a large network of extended families and debts. While they
ultimately sail for the same reason, no Son will do anything for another unless
they have good reason to, so autonomy among ships is common and encouraged.
Each individual ship is basically
the equivalent of a family in the Real. The ship’s name is just the name of the
captain. Since almost all who come to the Ocean come individually without a
family, the Sons use a system of naming to establish hierarchy. This is the
only form of law: almost anything is tolerated, as long as it observes the
rules of the name and the rules of the gift.
Naming
New sailors in the Sons are
nameless. They are referred to as “woman”, “man”, or derogatorily “unnamed”. Once
they prove themselves to a ship, most often through an invaluable and notable
feat, the captain of the ship reveals the true name of the new Son. The Sons
believe that this name was always their name, and that it only becomes revealed
when the new member emulates the prowess of Paradise. These names are usually
just titles of jobs or professions, like “Bear-Killer” or “Wheat-Culler”, and
they correspond to the role that the Son will play in Paradise.
In naming a new member, that member
becomes a part of the higher member’s “family”. A “family” is a group of named
Sons and the one who named them. The Son who has naming rights is always the
captain of a ship, and those who sail under them are always the ones that they
have named. To have naming rights is to have authority. A Son must always
respect the orders of the one who revealed their name, or else face death: the
only criminal punishment in the Sons.
Starting new “families” is a common
tactic. A Son may leave their family at any time with no consequences. If they
sail their own ship or find their own island, they establish naming rights on
their new property. The new Son must always remember, however, that they still
owe loyalty to the one who initially named them.
This system of creating new families
and naming rights lead to the dissemination of the Sons of Clay across the
Ocean. The first to ever have naming rights is Leader of Men, who named the early Sons who then went off to found their own fleets and
recruit new members. It is said that he found his name when he asked the winds
what his purpose was: and they answered by forming men out of clay to follow
him. Following a long chain of succession, Leader of Men has de jure command over most of the Sons. This chain is complicated and
at times severed, so the Leader and other high matriarch or patriarch use
gift-giving to establish more immediate bonds.
Gift-Giving
Establishing debts is also a common tactic among the
Sons. By giving a gift from one Son to another, a debt is formed that must be repaid
later in some way. These debts are based on an honor system and are not
recorded. This tactic is used to form alliances outside of families, but is
also used in daily society as well. Giving a small gift of shells to another means
that they will repay later in some form, and is used to form marriages and
friendships. Among ships, large stones or other unwieldy artifacts are
transported across stretches of ocean to signify a bond. Often, these artifacts
are impossible to move, and remain stationary: but as long as the Sons
recognize that their ownership has changed, they are legitimate. The most
notable example is Gift
Rock, a large stone
structure jutting out of the Ocean which is about as valuable as a declaration
of peace.
The Sons use no currency; gifts are
enough.
Goals
and Dreams
The promised land is the ultimate
goal. Reaching it is the entire purpose of the Sons, and all their actions eventually
lead towards this truth. The Sons believe that Paradise is not only hidden
geographically, but also spiritually: they may only reach it when they are worthy.
A Sons of Clay ship, therefore, is
doing one of three things at any given time:
1. Searching for
the location of Paradise.
2. Naming more
and more new recruits – once all names have been revealed, Paradise will open.
3. Gathering
artifacts, fighting others, and exploring islands to accomplish the earlier two
goals.
When a matriarch or patriarch dies, they are laid down in a simple coffin
which is placed on their ship. The crew of that ship sails with them into the
open ocean. They do not stop on any islands. Eventually, the entire ship sinks.
The Sons believe that these
dead are waiting. When the gates of Paradise open, they will return to join the
living in the joyous discovery of the promised land.
The Sons of Clay speak of two
important artifacts in their culture: the Tablet of All Names, said to contain every object’s true name,
which will be used to find the missing Sons, and the Conch of Far Horizons, which will signal the opening of Paradise to the deaf and dead.
Encounters
with the Sons of Clay
The Sons are reasonable and pragmatic. Their purpose
is clear, their resolve strong: they do not lie or scam. However, they do not
tolerate or observe any laws other than their own. If you have an object that
they want, and you are weaker than them, killing you is the most efficient
option.
Sons of Clay Template
Armor: Often unarmored.
Move: Normal.
Morale: 8
Most Sons carry a waterskin, light rations, clothes
if the climate requires, and a spear, axe, or other simple weapon. They carry
their things around their belt, which is a rope harness that fits tightly to
their body.
No comments:
Post a Comment