The Wildlands

The Wildlanders tend to be larger than Arcadians, extremely strong, and have very little genetic predisposition to feel fear. They call Arcadians Softfoots or Soft-Born.Their society is governed by an intricate system of ancient traditions, generally referred to as ‘the old ways’. Unlike the Arcadians, the Wildlanders’ codes of conduct and morality are rarely discussed and even more rarely written down. They depend instead upon intrinsic understanding and some oral tradition. The basic values of Wildlander society are honor, courage, and respect for the Earth.

 Wildlanders tend to live in small communities known as circles, which remain in the same place for centuries at a time. Housing is often built with a deep sense of permanence. In mountainous areas, homes are carved into caving systems. If no caves are available, homes are made of stone, sturdy enough to last for generations. Their system of faith centers around ‘the Souls’, which can be interpreted as saints. Religious leaders are the elders, the most powerful of which is always the Clan Mother, who is most often a healer as well. Each circle has a Clan Mother, all of whom can communicate with one another along a common psychic path. Though most Wildlanders have some ‘sixth sense’, an ability to sense the emotions of those close to them, only Clan Mothers are able to take it so far.

The biggest weakness of Wildlander society is a very strong disposition to breed male, rather than female children. Some families go for five or more generations without birthing one daughter. The Wildlanders have adapted to this by creating Clan groups, two to four males who seek out a single female. This system is also beneficial because of the high mortality rate of Wildlander warriors. If one dies fighting the Dark Ones, there is usually one, or more, mates remaining to care for their bride and children.

The agreement with Arcadia regarding Tribute Brides has been beneficial to Wildlander society. As they’ve had a long history of practicing marriage by capture, they see nothing immoral in taking the often frightened and unwilling exiled Arcadian women as brides. Their marriage ceremony, which consists of at least two Clan members simultaneously penetrating their bride, is rarely enjoyed by Arcadian-born women. However, after the ceremony comes a 'bonding' period, where the Clan members are released from their community duties temporarily to devote their energies into comforting their new mate and helping her get used to her new life. The process involves gentling the bride to the touch of her mates. The Arcadian women's sexual impulses, stifled by their old society, are brought to life and indulged to the utmost. Many Arcadian women emerge from this time quite happy with their Clans.

Wildlander society embraces sexuality, and encourages its members to explore their natural urges, particularly during young adulthood. As there is no prohibition or prejudice against same-sex relationships, almost all Wildlanders do some experimenting of that nature. To form a Clan group, a man must receive the permission of their circle elders. Such permission is only granted to strong warriors who have proven themselves as capable leaders of good character. Male Clan groups usually consist of close friends or lovers. Allowed, but less common, is brothers joining the same Clan. This hesitation comes from the strong incest prohibition within Wildlander society. As sexuality is considered fluid, it’s common for male Clan members to have relations with one another. Once a Clan has been formed, it is expected that they will cease all intimate relationships outside the group. The only concession to this is in the case of Clans who do not have a bride. Then they are permitted to engage with what are known as ‘public’ women, basically prostitutes. Even this can only be done with the agreement of all members.

Once a Clan has acquired a bride, they are never to stray from the bounds of the Clan for intimacy. This is generally not difficult, as the more the Clan members exchange fluids, the more addicted to one another’s bodies they become. When one Clan member dies, the others often become physically ill from withdrawal. In a Clan, when children are born, all male members are considered to be ‘fathers’. This leads to a very complex kinship system. Wildlanders often move between Circles, if for no other reason than to find sexual partners with whom they share no blood ties.