Peleg: Blackbird Clan

The Blackbird Clan is a massive nation-tribe of indigenous Elves on Peleg, whose origin there predates recorded history. They have very dark pigmentation, often with black skin and feathers. Their society is matriarchal, though the labor is not divided strictly in terms of sex roles. They have permanent settlements on hundreds of islands, and their population has grown dramatically over the last few centuries.

Usually relying on simple technology, they have areas of specialization that are very advanced. One such area is in their use of fear as a nonlethal weapon, using a combination of stealth and their Elf vocal abilities to scare enemies away with horrifying illusions. Those who specialize in this kind of "magic" are called "guardians" in the Blackbird Clan language.

The Blackbird Clan breeds domesticated carnivores for size, lack of relative appetite, and fighting spirit. These creatures, who vary greatly in variety, are pitted against each other for sport. Sometimes these beasts are used for hunting or guarding purposes, but the most common purpose for these animals is pit fighting. (Animals who die in these contests are always eaten by the community, usually in a "fight feast.") Sometimes, when an owner of a champion animals is ready to retire it, it is pitted against a team of hunters and warriors who wish to prove themselves against such a challenge publicly. The role of "breeder" and "trainer" are two different specializations in a Blackbird Clan community.

Also, the Blackbird Clan are expert hunters of the undead, often establishing long term encampments near areas that are rumored to be haunted. The Blackbird Clan languages refers to the undead as various kinds of "Ghouls," and the specialized hunter-warrior-priests that hunt these ghouls are called "Ghoul Slayers." Though the average member of the Blackbird Clan is not a Ghoul Slayer, it is a common occupation among them, though it requires long term specialized training.

Besides the Guardians, Breeders, Trainers and Ghoul Slayers, the Blackbird Clan also has many more tame occupations. Craftsman build huts, long houses, and the large rafts that the Blackbird Clan traditionally use for transportation between islands. (These rafts are a kind of thatched-together flat-bottomed sailing vessel, capable of transporting large amounts of cargo in shallow water.) Water filterers, (a fairly common occupation on Peleg in general,) purify water, taking the salt out of it, and otherwise prepare it for use. Gardeners grow fruit, vegetables and herbs. Medicine among the Blackbird Clan is also relatively advanced, and the tribe's Healers are sometimes involved with the Ghoul Slayers, Breeders and Trainers, who occasionally have need of the powerful sedatives the Healers are skilled in using.

The Blackbird Clan culture has never been exclusionary, and there are many residents of the tribe's communities that were not biologically related to the tribe, but still participating in it's culture. These adopted families of the Blackbird Clan are usually not even Elves. However, traditionally the tribe has been slow to interact with neighboring cultures, sometimes totally shunning those who have not adopted the ways of the Blackbird Clan. But as the tribe's population is growing, the Blackbird Clan culture is becoming less and less xenophobic.