The group rides on, approaching the camp at a careful pace-so as not to alarm anyone. The rain beats down relentlessly, sparing only the bard-who is perfectly protected by her umbrella. Not a drop of water spoils her dress.
...
No movement at first. Only a sort of vague feeling of being watched. Closer now, they make out the strange design of the tents and wagons. They seem a bit offsized for human folk, too wide and low...and their are strange totems hanging over the door, seemingly made of cunningly woven hoops of willow bark in a sort of net shape, with trailing feathers and beads.
Vic and Wen-Li recognize them, however-these are
Horsefolk tents.
The sort of demi-animal-humanoids species that once inhabited the continent the Empire has claimed have been driven further and further East over the years, the original natives of the land. They were scarce before, and even scarcer now-collectively, they are called 'Spirit People', and some believe they inhabit the lines between man, spirit, and animal for some divine reason or the other. Indeed, many of them were able to take one form or the other, or a mix of the two. Most well known, due to the Succession War, were Horsefolk, Ravenfolk and Foxfolk-and the myths about their powers and abilities are as varied as their forms-there are, or were, many more sorts once upon a time. Most of them seemed to be able to shift their forms from animal to human to something in between, though, was generally agreed.
The Spirit People in majority had been technically allied with the Periphery during the war (they were said to have shared their secrets with the border dwellers), after having managed to find peace with each other-though some fought for the Empire as well. None were spared after the Wars end, however-no matter which side they fought on, they lost. The Empire tends to exterminate them now, when they can catch them. Already, they are becoming more myth than reality.
...
Vic seeing Horsefolk during the war, actually fought with-and against them-their hit and run tactics did a lot of damage. She remembers they would rush in, lay down a barrage of bullets and arrows, they run back out. Cowards tactics, to some, but shockingly effective. And, sometimes they would charge all out with blades and axes, screaming and whooping like a horde of Demons freshly paroled from Hell-though, these tactics fell off later in the war due to how many they lost trying it. Terrifying to face down a Horsefolk charge, she remembers. They had a fearsome smell, not entirely unpleasant, truth be told-just overpowering. They claimed to never to bathe as long as they had a war to fight and she could have affirmed that rumor. She remembers their wild, unbound tempers-they fought only when they wanted, and only if they wanted. Many of them seemed just as steady on two legs as they were on four, and the strongest willed of them could switch between them seemingly by will-she saw this a few times, though it seemed not all of them could actually do it, at least not quickly. Easy to rouse to anger...but, just as eager to celebrate, just for no reason at all. They could be your friend or your enemy-they tended to make up their minds quickly, but they made up their minds new every other day. She had a bond with one, a female Horsefolk she named 'Palomino'-she never told Vic her name, for some reason. She remembers trying to understand their culture, sitting around the campfires. They were a truly unfocused people who had no long term thoughts, but the horizon in front of them and the weight they were carrying. They lived completely free of worry or consequence, almost like children. Palomino was a more friendly sort, who liked to sew those little dreamnets like what Vic sees hanging over the door of the tent right now (Vic can tell at a glance that it is not one of the oft pandered fakes, due to the design of it)-though, she warned Vic that most of her kind was truly chaotic by nature, and it wasn't easy to define them by herself, that they wanted what they wanted and were just as apt to take it as ask nicely, depending on their mood. Vic's memories turn to seeing what was left of Palomino after she was torn in half by grapeshot-probably fired by her own people in a futile attempt to stop the Imperial charge she has always thought, friendly fire be damned, they were just Spirit Folk, right? ...and, she flinches back to reality.
much the same, seeing those little hoops she knows are called 'Dreamsnatchers'-she saw many of the Spirit Folk living in relative peace, as well. She feels an old pang of grief, knowing what happened to those who were brave enough to fight alongside Orinost-dying to protect their ancestral lands alongside their adopted brothers and sisters. There were so few of them then-they were dying out already, and many of the old secrets they shared with her people were in an attempt to halt or fix this-that, she's honestly surprised if any are still alive. She remembers Horsefolk tend to be the least easy to negotiate with, not because they are stupid or cruel, but because they don't want anything..but what they want right at the moment-be it food, wealth, land or even women, which they can be rough with-they are mostly unfettered by the thoughts of human consequence, valuing only their freedom to do what they wish, when they wish. They tend to be brave, and they are a martial people who enjoy fighting, if a fight is offered-they are quick to offer a fight themselves, if none are forthcoming. It's best to choose ones words carefully when speaking to them-they are fairly cunning and are excellent listeners-essentially brutally honest, and in turn are especially sensitive to people trying to lie or trick them. As an additional note of cultural interest, it's best not to share names with a Horsefolk, and they usually won't offer them in return-Horsefolk only share true names with lovers, and they only speak these names when alone with one another. Offering your name to one freely, is a cultural faux pas well best avoided.
are just mystified, wondering what sort of people could be comfortable in tents like these.
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Topic: The Far West-Ch.1/Light for Some-others, A Deeper Darkness (Game thread) (Read 21882 times)