Background
The Ebon Claw were a nearly solitary tribe numbering in the hundreds prior to the great decimation or The Great Fall, as it is called. They hold in the highest regard “Golsh” a great black bear that roams their traditional hunting pilgrimage grounds far to the North in the mountains, as its protector and he is considered to be tribes protector as well as being supernatural in nature. On the new moons, the Ebon Claws would leave offerings to him of freshly prepared meats and spices to satisfy his appetite and thank him for his protection. The Ebon Claw also hold the Halfling in odd respect, considering them children of Golsh.
The Ebon Claw tribe are exceedingly proud and have had a long lineage of hunters throughout the history in the Bowl of the World going back many generations. They lived in the north of where currently Keredet is located in what is commonly referred to as the “Bowl”. As the Keredet gained influence over the land, instead of defending just their lands, they joined forces with some of the southern tribal elves, and upon underestimating the mutual threat, the Ebon Claws and many other tribes were ultimately decimated in the first conflict having only a few handfuls of survivors. This is “The Great Fall”.
With the line of succession broken by having the chieftain’s only child killed they started the rich tradition of passing the knife on to the most “Worthy” tribes-person. While a female chieftain has never been chosen, it is not unheard of for one to get thought of in that manner. The tribe commonly spin rich stories of the times prior to the coming of the Kings while communing around the campfires strengthening their heritage. The elder that rules this tribe also holds the sacred blade of Xan’ Za-don. It is thought to be a magical knife that grants the wielder great wisdom and longevity in life and appears to be simply a corroding blade decorated with tribal runes. It is rumored the blood of all members of the tribe, from its very beginning, has touched its edge.
The tribal chieftain passes it down to whom he deems is the most worthy to lead the tribe in the next generation and is the most prized possession of Ebon Claws. The tribe themselves are communal they share everything material. They have no personal possessions besides what is on them and work together closely providing for all. The only exception is in the matters of magick, the callers all have personal group rooms where they can practice and experiment below the main tent.
Feelings on Magick
Magick overall within the Ebon Claws is known about and accepted. Any Void callers within the tribe are kept an absolute secret until needed. Any callers that are not Void, Water or Air and are found out about early enough are traded off to the other Elven tribes for fair compensation, usually weapons, armors or boons.
Water callers are kept due to their ability to create water in addition to curative abilities they have shown.
Air callers are utilized heavily within the tribe as a source of information gathering and espionage throughout the bowl. They travel far and wide for not only information but also for materials for the Void and Water callers.
Earth and Fire callers are rarely seen within the tribe and are often avoided. They are not released from their duties to provide within the tribe if they manifest late, but they are never truly trusted.
Void Callers, however, are seen as the manipulators of death and undeath and the only real way to combat the Sorcerer Kings. They are -secretly- revered and are often sought out by tribe-mates for direction similar to the chieftain except spiritually.
Generally, there are only a handful of Void Callers within the tribe at any given time but the water callers and void callers generally work closely together to try and find a way to end the Sorcerous infection. The Void callers are absolutely never spoken of even to other elven tribes nor are they referenced to or about in any capacity outside the main tribal tent. It is said that the Ebon Claw and Carrara have held a deep tie in this respect, viewing the Void Callers as a necessary aspect.
Below the main tent are four large, reinforced underground rooms, one is for the water callers where they keep barrels and cisterns filled for the tribe, one is for the void callers, one is for the Air callers to meditate and hone their skills while the last and deepest one, is for the experiment room where the two callers types collaborate on different experiments. (The Water and Void)
Racial Traits
Green eyes, black hair and hooked noses were the normal look of the majority of the Ebon Claws, though variation has been happening more frequently as the Elven empires merge together. Skin tones vary from light brown to dark ebon hues. And the women tend to be slightly shorter than the men. While many continue to hold the “Old Ways” intact, the newer generations see the world in a completely new light and tend to look outside the traditional racial traits.
Customs
The children of the tribe are watched over by everyone no single male or female is responsible for any one child. The only exception is once again, the callers, they are taken to the proper mentors and trained from a youth the ways of the elements they follow. Once a child is seen as old enough, they are tested and given the same responsibilities as an adult for the first year. Upon after, they go on a vision hunt to see what Golsh has intended for them. If they return after the hunt and Golsh has seen them worthy, they will bring insight back into the tribe and share it with everyone around a campfire. And at that point, the child is now accepted as an Adult and take a mate if one so chooses. The tribe is loosely composed of hunters and a small council of elders, with a chief that is elected through the Xan’ Za-Don traditions mentioned above.
The Ebon Claw are currently closed to play.