Quoted By:
Elder Knotmother
>The Swampling tribe is led by a Committee of Elders, but if one individual can be designated as their "leader", they would be the Elder Knotbaba/pappy, the oldest living member of the tribe. Swamplings commonly live up to 80s years, though rarely an individual may live up to 100 years. These individuals have a relatively passive role in their tribe; they may not be the ones making the choices for the tribe, but they are integral to the raising of Little Ones. With their large repertoire of Memories, Swampling Little Ones are "schooled" by Elder Knotbaba who shares her Memories, passing on not only skills but history.
>The current Elder Knotmother is Baba Pika, a matriarch in her 90s with 8 children, 56 grandchildren, and 224 Great-Grandchildren. Her exceeding age combined with her relations throughout the tribe puts her in a remarkable position as being almost everybody's literal Baba.
Action 1: Shines in the Waters
>Every Spring when the Salmon fry hatch, some eggs continue to remain. These eggs are bright like the roe of their Salmon guests, but they are often much larger and sturdier. The Swamplings have observed these unhatched eggs for many years, hoping they would eventually hatch, but have come to understand them as gifts left by Salmon.
This is amber, I want them to have some valuable and abundant commodity, but something they don't really need or use.
Action 2: A Hammock for Baba
>Baba Pika is too frail to move and she is everybody's Baba. The Swamplings shall send youths to live with Baba Pika at the Salmon Nursery to tend to her needs and maintain the Spawning Grounds. It is customary for all Swamplings to spend at least one year as unmarried adults looking after her. Individuals are replaced every Spring when the Swamplings break into Bands again.
Preparing a makeshift capital.
Diplomacy: Divine Empire of Khimor
>Strange creatures who look like us have appeared! Who are these? Why do their mouths make noises like ours that we cannot understand? Their ears are so small too! Their arms and legs are much longer than ours, but they sure don't like climbing trees!
>The people of Khimor have folklore about "Little Woodland Singers", creatures who look like small humans who sing in chorus among the trees. They are always heard first before they are seen, but if one gets too close, the singing abruptly stops. Many people throughout history have claimed to have seen them, but only when they were small children who got lost in the woods. These stories are usually passed off as the wild imaginations of children, I mean c'mon, riding a bear? Please.
I want Swamplings to be nice little people in Khimor folklore, but nobody really knows whether they're real or not.
