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Humans have spread like ravvits across the World of Two Moons and the World's Veins Canyons are no exception. There are two tribes of humans that can be found around RWH: the Sky Singers and the Land Lopers. Both tribes of humans are very prehistoric in nature, belonging to the Cro-magnon period of human evolution and are not as technologically advanced as the elves. The humans also tend to be very myth oriented and/or superstitious, sometimes to the benefit of the elves and sometimes not. However, elf killings by humans is not a common occurance as the elves try to avoid activity during the daylight times when the humans are most active. Also, the elves make sure to steer clear of territory normally inhabited by either human tribe. The few elf murders that have occurred at the hands of humans have always been by the Land Lopers due to their fear and hatred of the elves. Sky Singers will not harm an elf.

Sky Singers

Area Map - Sky Singer Location

The Sky Singers are a fairly large clan of humans living north of RWH, having moved into the region in RWH year 1392. Relatively peaceful, the Sky Singers are strongly mystical and are led by a male clan leader (Haran) and his female mate, the clan's shamanness (Arainna) - both leaders are given the highest respect in the clan and have equal power.

The shamanness is also the clan's symbol maker and they have several sacred caves where symbols are painted onto the walls - none may enter but the shamanness and her mate, the clan leader. Many of the symbols found in the sacred caves are those similar to the elves - small, lupin forms with large eyes and big, pointed ears surrounded by various wildlife, especially wolves. The Sky Singers in effect worship the elves as a type of forest spirit who cares for the wildlife and forest and who can grant a successful hunt, bless a hunter or protect the clan from natural disasters such as the bad weather of flash floods and storms.

Elves that are "caught" or found by the Sky Singers are not harmed, for to harm a forest spirit in any way is to seal one's fate with a horrible death, a cursed family and casting out of the clan. Instead, the Sky Singers will try to present the elf with a gift in the hopes that the forest spirit will bless them and their hunts and that the spirit will continue to prosper, thereby keeping the forest and its animals alive, too. On very rare occasions, elves found by the humans are brought back to the clan for a celebration (or so the Sky Singers try - the elves usually escape or are rescued by other elves beforehand). Even when an elf escapes from the clan before the celebration ceremony, the Sky Singers are not upset for they have been lucky enough to have a forest spirit tread upon their soil and it is believed good fortune will come to the clan the next year.

However, this is not to say that the Sky Singers are not nor cannot be warriors for indeed, they are. In fact, the Sky Singer clan often clashes in battle with the Land Lopers, almost on an annual basis as the Land Lopers return to the World's Veins Canyons near the end of spring. The two groups of humans despise each other due to a conflict as to whether the elves are benificial forest spirits or evil death bringers. Battles between the two groups are often long and bloodly and both sides tend to loose many warriors.

The Sky Singers commonly wear well tanned skins and roughly woven cloth, their permanent village and lack of wandering allowing them to research and partake in finer skills. Face and body paint made from plant dyes is very common, especially for the clan leader, shamanness and the most distinguished warriors and hunters. Weapons used include javelins and spears and knifes chipped from stone or deer antler or bone.

Sky Singer Pantheon

Asan-Gara: Goddess of Life and Death

Asan-Gara gives the gift of life to humans and also takes it away when the time has gone. She is the Great All Mother, the beginning and the end. She decides the length of every human life at birth but by pleasing the goddess it is possible to live more years in fine health. The shamaness is associated with her.

Symbol: Circle. Animal: Praying mantis.

Gandor: God of War

Gandor is strong, cunning and wise. He respects good warriors and follows every battle closely to see who are brave and who cowardly. He especially rewards the courage shown in saving tribemembers in battle or defending the helpless ones. He despises cowards who kill the weak. He loves good strategies. The clan leader is associated with him.

Symbol: Knife. Animal: Swordfoot.

Asardhe: God of Arts

Asardhe is called "Shining Man". He gives inspiration and skill. He invented the use of clothing and body-paints and gave this knowledge to the people. He is the one who blesses the shamaness when she paints the sacred pictures in the caves. He is mated to Dishaza, the goddess of dreams.

Symbol: Painting brush. Animal: Tailor bird.

Dishaza: Goddess of Dreams

Dishaza rules the dreamworld and gives to her favourites dreams that come true or warn about future dangers. She is mated to Asardhe, god of arts.

Symbol: Two closed eyes with a third open eye in forehead. Animal: Owl.

Myr-Hrand: God of Rain and Storms

Myr-Hrand is mated to both Vasainna, the water goddess and Eamanna, the earth goddess. When it rains he is making love to both his mates, making them happy and flourishing.

Symbol: Storm cloud. Animal: Swallow.

Vasainna: Goddess of Waters and Rivers

Vasainna is a jealous goddess, often attacking her mate's another woman, Eamanna, the earth goddess. Vasainna attacks with floods and in her anger also tries to kill Eamanna's creatures who dare to step in her rivers.

Symbol: Waves. Animal: Crocodilian.

Eamanna: Goddess of Earth and Crops

Eamanna is a mate of Myr-Hrand and after he has made love to her, she will give birth to crops and plants, trees and bushes, producing food for the people. If people anger her, she will deny her gifts and the earth turns dry and barren.

Symbol: Red earth and the punkin plant. Animal: Mouse.

Zad-Rakath: God of Fire

Zad-Rakath is the brother of Myr-Hrand and often teases him into rage. Then, as the storm rages in the skies, he uses it to drop down fire in the form of lighting. The people once tricked him into giving the gift of fire to them and because of this, he is still trying to hunt people with his lightning or forest and plains fires.

Symbol: Lightning. Animal: Salamander.

Hanai/Hanah/Hanar: God of Love/Passion/Lust

These three gods represent a single deity, but are still separate.

Symbol: Phalice (all). Animal: Blushing bird (Love), treewalker cat (Passion), painted dog (Lust)

Mann'rei: Goddess of Prosperity

Mann'rei is called "Smiling Huntress". She speaks for the people in front of other gods and goddesses, especially Eamanna and Rei-Medh, the deities of crops and hunting. Her favour grants plenty of food, healthy children and good luck.

Symbol: Drubal melon. Animal: Deer

Rei-Medh: God of Hunting

Rei-Medh is mated to Ara-Medh, the goddess of forest. Their children (the elves) are protectors of the forest and messengers who bring the will of their father and mother to the people. Rei-Medh supervises hunts. If animals are killed and not used, he becomes angry. If females with young ones are killed, he becomes enraged. The hunters have to respect the prey, kill only what they need and always sacrifice a part of the prey to Rei-Medh. This will ensure his favour.

Symbol: Paw print. Animal: Tuftcat. When a tuftcat is killed there is always a special ceremony to appease Rei-Medh.

Ara-Medh: Goddess of the Forest

Ara-Medh supervises the forest. If people anger her by cutting trees for nothing or letting fire burn the forest, she will make the paths disappear so that the people will be lost forever.

Symbol: Giant redwood tree. Animal: Elk.

Forest Spirits (the elves)

The forest spirits are the children of Rei-Medh and Ara-Medh. Seeing them is a good sign and approval from their parents. It will mean plentiful game and safety from the dangers of the forest. If a forest spirit will accept a sacrifice of a human, that human will be blessed in his/her hunts for the rest of his/her life. If a forest spirit gives a present to a human, that human will surely have a blessed and wonderful life in all aspects because he/she is the favourite of gods. Killing a forest spirit would doom the whole tribe in terrible curse and death. Killing the forest spirit killers (Land Lopers) is accepted and encouraged by Rei-Medh and Ara-Medh, who reward their children's defenders with plentiful game.

Forest spirits' symbol animal is a wolf and it is considered very bad luck to kill a wolf. If for some reason a tribemember has had to commit this act, they always keep a special ceremony to beg for the spirits' forgiveness.

Land Lopers

Area Map - Land Loper Location

The Land Lopers are a nomadic warrior tribe of humans that wander through a large curcuit from the World's Veins Canyons all the way out to the plains. They appeared this is area RWH year 855. They often return to the World's Veins Canyons at the end of spring and leave again in early autumn, so as to try and miss much of the bad weather that often occurs in the Canyons. The rest of the year they move out to the plains.

The Land Loper tribe is led by the male head warrior (Gor'Ak) who claims his distinguished position by fighting the current leader/warrior in a battle to the death, only one may walk away from this fight. If the challenging warrior kills the current leader, he becomes the new leader. If he fails the battle, he dies. Leaders are often extremely suspicious of possible challengers to the rank of leadership and as such, they have been known to kill to keep their title and position. The next highest position in the tribe is the fire-bearer, also male (Mank). The fire-bearer, as the name suggests, carries the tribe's precious ember from which all fires are started and must never go out. Females has the lowest of positions, often no better than chattle and are responsible for bearing strong, warrior sons and keeping the tribe fed.

The Land Lopers despise the elves and are fearful of them, calling them evil death bringers, believing the elves bring disease and death to the tribe and stealth their prey. When elves are caught by Land Lopers, they are almost always immediately killed. Land Loper law says that if it is not human nor a recognizable hunting animal, it should be killed lest it be an evil death bringer in disguise. Elves may by killed in a variety of ways, depending on the urgency of the situation. The sacred fire is preferred as nothing the Land Lopers know can escape it but they will also kill using weapons, their bare hands, pushing or dropping off a cliff, drowning, etc. if the tribe's sacred fire is not available. They do not keep remains of the elves they kill as they're superstition believes the elves' death and disease ability will continue to flow even after death.

The Land Lopers hate the Sky Singers for their misguided belief that the evil death bringers are in fact good forest spirits and they believe it is more of the death bringers' magic that has twisted the Sky Singers into believing this. Since the Sky Singers cannot be trusted due to their conspiracy with the evil death bringers, the Land Lopers war on them as often as their warrior population will allow.

Land Lopers wear crude leather and skins, although they tend to wear less clothing than the Sky Singers except during battle when they pile on thick layers for protection. Weapons are commonly thick clubs and crude knives made from chipped stone, bone or antler.

Land Loper Pantheon

Gor: God of War

Gor is the main god of the pantheon. Gor bathes in the blood of killed enemies and battle cries are music to his ears. Death is a sign that the fallen one was not strong enough to live and that is why Gor was displeased with him. Gor rewards courage, strength and victory. He demands many of sacrifices.

Symbol: Club. Animal: Bristle boar.

Min: Goddess of Life

Min is the bearer of life and the mate of Death. Land Lopers do not pray nor sacrifice to her, she is just the vessel through which the process that Death started comes true. She is not supposed to have a will of her own.

Symbol: Female breast. Animal: Ravvit.

Mor'Ak: God of Death

Mor'Ak is the creator of life, death begets life. Mor'Ak is pleased when many people are sent to him. He becomes Especially happy if any of his demon children (the elves) are sent to him.

Symbol: Skull. Animal: Crocodilian.

Vir: God of Storms and Rain

Vir sends his powerful weapons to test the people and make sure that the weak ones will not survive. If offered enough sacrifices may become appeased.

Symbol: Tornado. Animal: Crowned prey bird (Harpy Eagle)

Ger'Am: God of Power and Strength

Ger'Am is the second most prayed to god in the Land Loper pantheon. He can grant strength and power to wield, if he is offered enough sacrifices. Ger'Am is a very greedy god and the flow of sacrifices has to be continuos or he will grant his favour to someone else.

Symbol: Closed fist. Animal: Mad horn (wooly rhinoceros).

Sem: God of Hunting

Sem rejoices in killing animals and eating their flesh. He grants strength and luck to his favourites. Sem does not restrict the hunting in any way. The only way to anger him is by showing mercy to the hunted.

Symbol: Knife. Animal: Longtooth.

Mar: God of Virility

Mar is pictured as a male with gigantic sexual organs. His favour guarantees strong healthy sons that will make a man's position in the tribe stronger. Mar will become displeased if the women in the tribe are allowed too much freedom.

Symbol: Phalice. Animal: Horse

Sirt: God of Fire

Sirt made a pack with the people a long time ago. He gave them fire, but on the condition that if they would ever lose it, he would get the whole of the tribe as a sacrifice, burning in the skyfires and plains fires. He is anxiously waiting for this day.

Symbol: Fire. Animal: Death bird (Vulture)

Zeheke: Goddess of Evil

Zeheke lured Mor'Ak into mating with her and gave birth to demon spirits (the elves). These children of the deities of evil and death are the plague of the people. Zeheke envied the children of Min and urged her own children to attack and destroy them when ever they could. Zeheke is still planning the destruction of the humans and sometimes she manages to seduct and lure one of the other gods in helping her. This makes the storms worse, floods higher, skyfires more accurate, women barren and battles non-successful.

Symbol: Poisonous snake. Animal: Wolf and she has given wolves to her children to help them in killing the people.

Demon spirits (the elves)

Demon spirits are death bringers, who bring plague and bad luck. The bad luck can be only reversed by killing the demon spirit. The best way is to burn them in the sacred fire, but if that is not possible, a warrior must just kill the demon spirit fast, not touch it if possible and then sacrifice to the gods to avoid the curse the demon spirits always put on the people. If it is possible to sacrifice the demon spirit itself in a proper way, with fire, the gods will be pleased. The next best thing to killing a demon spirit is killing its companion, a wolf.