Bear and Roc : The Tribes of the Wilds
Few on this island know that our people were not as united as we now are. Even the minstrels, who are often tasked with spreading the myths and legends that compose our history would have a hard time recalling that there once were two tribes living in the forest and near the cliffs of the island. Even now it is difficult to believe - Both of these tribes united in a futile attempt to fight off pirates that had been smuggling their own as part of slave trade. As sickening as this end is, that it was aided and abated by the very council I now stand on has made me turn my stomach more than once on this research. Perhaps I will be at peace once their story has been told, but chances are it will not be this easy.
Originally, the people of Toegisil were one - united in their quest for survival. This is where the few elements of recorded history diverge. The official history I was able to access in the archives tell a tale of a lone individual from other lands showcasing his power, teaching the rudiments of his bare-fighting art then leaving on a boat. Many were infected by this promise of power and left known civilization to train in the deepwoods and on the cliffs where the beasts even our hunters dared not touch dwell.
As you may have noticed a theme throughout this book, this history is full of holes which I will attempt to rectify. This is from early scriptures that I'd found in a coffer well hidden in a cliff's cave. Though crude writing, they offer a different and, I am tempted to say, truer perspective of what caused this removal of society. It seemed that as the port developed, many had the same fear I now have with our Garlean occupants, that our roots would be lost to a more powerful invader. Even back then we were not a warlike people - any invader would easily overpower our forces so we were as neutral as possible. We established ourselves as a resupply port for any who would stop and were generally left alone. After all, the sailors who would use us as a resupply port would not want to see us destroyed by those who sought an easy population to farm for slave trade. Keep this in mind as it will be important later in this story.
The part about the lone combatant washing up on our shores was true. He was unlike anything we'd ever seen - a Hyur, like us, but as tall and wide as a buffalo. His name is now lost to us, but we know he was a bare-handed combatant with unmatched strength. To learn of our ways, he joined our hunters on hunts and defended them from beasts they would otherwise run from. As a reward for nursing him back to health and showing him our secrets, he taught the secrets of bare-handed fighting to those who had the courage to endure his teachings, and left to lands unknown.
However, those who had the courage to endure his teachings were also a faction who opposed the establishment of the port. With limited to no influence on the council or as Officiates, they would find no ear to listen to their pleas, and soon decided to leave. If the people would not listen, they would become the unwilling protectors of the people by honing their newfound skills against the wild beasts of this island.
This was the start of the Bear and Roc tribes, named so after the animals they wished to test themselves against. The Roc tribe established themselves alongside the cliffs, while the Bear tribe went to the deepwoods, where hunters would never dare approach. From this time, we had limited contact with the tribes. They would often come to us for trade, and they would be treated the same as outsiders. They offered us roc wings and feathers, bear paws and the meat they themselves would not use, and we would trade them some crafted necessities they would need for their own camps.
Before describing the tragic tale of their destruction, I should spend time describing what made them special compared to what we hear of the Monks of Ala Mhigo and the warriors of Doma. The Roc tribe developed a fighting style that sought to mimic the grace and agility of their chosen hunting animal. They would ascend to the sky and grasp others with their powerful legs, to bring their enemies down to the ground. To be considered a master of this ability, they would need to hunt down the biggest roc found, alone and naked. If they succeeded, they would be rewarded with a leather circlet with the best looking feather from the roc they had killed. Their rituals called upon Wind and Lighting to give them grace and speed, though the specifics are lost to time. The crude writings I discovered detail that conflicts within the tribe would be settled with one on one duels where the techniques used would be quite different, as a midlander opponent did not fly and more so, had limbs to grab. It was not uncommon to see the loser of the duel die from the injuries or be relegated to an educational role, passing down his techniques to the children of the tribe, for the betterment of all.
The Bear tribe worked in similar fashion, except favoring strength above all. They were not agile by any means, and would seek to mimic their own chosen animals by using powerful grappling maneuvers. The writings I found are less detailed on this tribe as they are on the Roc tribe, but they do mention that much like the Roc tribe, mastery was attained by killing a bear bare-handed, alone and naked.
What is more interesting about the Bear tribe is that by perusing trade records from this era, I found that they often traded for linseed oil. What they would need linseed oil is beyond my understanding until another bit of research revealed their dueling practices. Unlike the Roc tribe, the Bear tribe used duels to establish hierarchy within the tribe and were often used as a means to learn more about their own bare-fisted art. They would perform a ritual where they oiled themselves up, offering themselves to Earth and Fire. The actual duel would take place in a pre-established circle surrounded by rocks, and the way to win would be to grasp the opponent's subligar for three moments, or throw their body outside of the circle. Surprisingly enough, the dueling circle has been fairly well preserved by the elements, and I have seen it with my own eyes.
What happened to these tribes, however, is a cruel fate. The very people they sought to protect sold them out to slavers who sought an easy source of slaves. By telling the slavers of where the tribes were located, they would save themselves from the burden of slavery, and at the same time, get themselves rid of those who had brazenly defied the council. A pathetic, sad maneuver to be sure, but one that functioned. The tribes were not easily captured - they slaughtered slavers to be sure, but once the fight was taken to their ships, their lack of experience fighting on the sea was their downfall.
Thus ends the legacy of the Bear and Roc tribes, as well as their art. I have found some crude writings describing their fighting arts in more detail, but these have been sent to an individual I trust so that he may try and restore them. As this is a history book and not a fighting manual, they are more important to him than I.
OOC Comments:
Well ain't this some shit. For those wondering, the Bear tribe's dueling format is a mixture of Yağlı Güreş and Sumo, having the limitations and win conditions of both arts of wrestling.
Naturally, the Roc tribe is based on Lucha Libre.
