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Totem/Fetish/Guardiangod/Spirit: The Spirit of the Magpie leads the Glittering Collection. The Magpie is said to be the craftiest of all creatures made by the gods. When the birds were challenged to see who could fly highest, The Magpie perched on the back of the Great Eagle, and when the bird was tired, fluttered off of his back, claiming the crown for himself. He preens himself with pride, his collection growing every day.
Pact: Under the Magpie, the tribe shall not want. Harsh times may come, and some may die, but there will always be just enough food
for the next hunt, just enough water to last until the next oasis, and just enough obsidian to finish a spear. The Magpie also
leads the tribe to areas where there is plenty, especially in food or his 'shinies.' In exchange, the Magpie requires his
insatiable appetite for glittering trinkets satisfied. Blandness cannot be tolerated, and dullness is the mark of an outcast.
Furthermore, he himself claims a portion of the best, under his 'right' as king of avians.
Minor Totems/Fetish etc: The Mark of the Raven is a small of a bird, the wood blackened and charred. Said to contain the spirit of Magpie's oldest friend, it is affixed to a strip of leather, with numerous jet-black feathers and obsidian and gold pieces. It is a sacred and extraordinary precious trinket, and to lose it would bring disgrace to the entirety of the tribe.
Pact: Anyone wearing the Mark of the Raven gains a new insight on life. Everything seems clearer and easier to understand, and
even the most complicated of puzzles become child's play whilst wearing it. However, the wearer changes in other ways. They become
more distant and capricious, their great intellect tempered with a flighty and eccentric nature. Furthermore, it seems to push
away the Mark of the Eagle, making wearing the two together impossible.
There is also the second fetish, The Mark of the Eagle. An eye made from amber, it too is attached to a leather necklace, however the necklace is instead marked with white and bronze feathers, as well as bird talons and shards of iron. It too, is a sacred and precious trinket, and its loss would be a great a mark against the tribe as loosing the Mark of the Raven would be.
Pact: Those wearing the Mark of the Eagle are the greatest hunters the tribe has ever been blessed with. They can spot prey from
great distances, aim their bows and spears with pinpoint accuracy, and never tire in the pursuit. They also seem unnaturally lucky
with finding prey- and they will never search for days, only to come up empty handed. However, those wearing the mark become hauty,
arrogant and overbearing, and the wearer cannot stand the wearer of the other Mark.
Leadership: The Collective are a polygamist Matriarchal society, where woman and men can both have multiple partners. Whilst the men gather the 'shinies' and are the main force behind the nomadic season, it is the woman who clean and polish stones, raise the children to appreciate the Magpie, make amulets and weapons alike, and fish during the autumn months. Woman are also considered more responsible and determined than the men, and sons are expected to listen to mothers over fathers. Decisions are made in the Winged Council- four women who are elected from the tribe upon one's death, lead by a fifth who communes with the Magpie for guidance.
Organisation: The Collection are seasonally nomadic. They roam during the spring and summer months, however in the autumn and winter, return to their ancestral home. Furthermore, many members of the tribe remain at their home year around, where farming is used to supplement the normal diet of fish and wild fruits and berries.
Warriors: The Collection strives not to fight, instead preferring to trade and showcase their wealth to each other. However, it would be a mistake to underestimate them. They produce high calibre archers and spear-throwers, and their obsidian arrows are prized for their resilience and edge.
Important People:
Mother Piari: The youngest member of the Council. She acts as a liaison between the council and the members of the tribe, assisted by her reputation as a caring and considerate figure. She has four children, and spends a large majority of her time caring for other children as well, making them amulets, charms and fetishes as gifts.
Speaker Okya: The current leader of the Council, and bearer of the Mark of the Raven. A thin figure, she secludes herself from all others, spending much of her time in discussion with the Magpie, or with the council, behind closed doors. Most find her eccentric at best, esoteric and impossible to understand at worst.
The Huntsman: Zayzhe Varruk. Current bearer of the Mark of the Eagle. A peerless hunter, he spends most of his time away from his fellows, only returning when he has caught his quarry. In times of need, Zayzhe is also leader of The Falcons, a group of other hunters who serve as assassins and marksmen for the defence of the tribe.
Story: Long ago, before the world had been scorched by Hyena, the Magpie was another lowly bird. He was not as fast as the Peregrine, as powerful as the Eagle, as beautiful as the Macaw, as large as the Condor or as fit as the Albatross. However, he did have an eye for precious items. Scooping them up, the Magpie would jealously protect his glittering horde, until one day, one of the Gods came down, curious as to what the shine was from Magpie's nest. Astonished at what he had created, the God was also concerned that the Magpie would collect all the precious materials in the world. To prevent this from happening, he scatted the great horde far and wide, however in return, granted the Magpie something to make him truly special- intelligence. He was not as fast as the Peregrine, but he could take a faster route. He was not as powerful as the Eagle, but he could trick the other birds into giving him food. Ammasing his collection once more, he draped himself in fine blue robes, to become as beautiful as the Macaw, and could ride on other creatures for far longer than the Albatross could fly. When he found humans however, he saw a kindred soul.
Humans were not as strong as the Elephant, as ferocious as the Lion, as lithe as the Gazelle, as fast as the Cheetah or as resilient as the Rhino. But Magpie saw cleverness within the humans, and where there was cleverness, there was guile. Together, promised the Magpie, the humans would never want, but they would need to help him in assembling his 'shinies' again.