The Oral History of The Blue Foxes - Part II

The Oral History of the Blue Foxes; Part II As Recited by Sul'Dove (Luyu of the Blue Foxes) Documented by Ophiviel of Dormiria

ATU Northern Culture and History Collection The Tribes as they are today:

The Blue Foxes stayed in the lands of their birth and follow the Great Fox to this day. Little has changed for them and they maintain the winter village of Tamehollow and their summer village of Wild Woods. They are skilled hunters with spear and bow. They exist by trading furs and bone and not only gather from the lands but are known to plant in the springtime and harvest by the first frost.

The Black Seals became renowned hunters of the endless northern seas and regarded as some of the best boat builders in Tyedu. In time they would be greeted and welcomed by the spirit totem of the Mighty Seal and taken into such beliefs and protection. This allows them to hunt the seas without fear and partake in such prey as the Ice Whales and the Dire Walrus. They maintain two villages; their summer home of Old Tooth and their winter home of Snow Harbor. They exist by trading in the harvest from the sea, carved ivory and bone pieces, and gathering from the lands when the sea is not friendly.

The Grey Eagles are well-known fishers of the eastern coastal waters of Tyedu. In time they would be discovered by the High Eagle and taught the ways of the sky and the oceans that lay before them. Armed with that belief they were able to find the schools of fish and other sea life to maintain life on the rocky and mostly frigid coastal region. They exist mostly from fishing and gathering along the coastal lands. They are even known to damn up small creaks and raise fish for harvesting. They mostly trade in smoked and salted fish but also produce some of the most sought Snowberry Wine in all of Tyedu.

The White Hares are some of the most adept hunters of Eastern Tyedu. In time they would meet and following the Wise Hare by learning its ways of preparing and being watchful of trouble. They have two known villages Silent Vale and Whispering Winds. They exist through the fur trade mostly but also plant crops in the spring and harvest by the first frost.

All four tribes share many values and structures to this day. Little has changed in that manner between them. There is no male superiority over the tribes. Women provide just as much life as men do. Women take as many lives as men do. As they say 'The tribe is strongest when all work together'.

At the height of winter, they all gather under the lights in the sky for a long festive known by different names to them all. At the festive, plans are made for the next summer, to raid or not, settling of old scores, trade between tribes, and the selections of mates by the women. The women of the tribes practice a form of polygamy known as polyandry. Which is where the women can and do take more than one mate. This is in part due to the number of men outnumbering the women. The practice dates back to the start of the Blue Foxes as a way of maintaining peace within the village. One male will leave to hunt and the other stays to protect the village. When the one returns the other leaves to hunt and rarely are the two within the hearth together unless the women request such.

They each have various rites of passage to obtain status and known by many names. All seem to center on hunting or fishing and are not solely the domain of the men either. Women are known not only to partake in the rites but also earning status among the hunters as equals in the hunt, and like the men can hunt or fish together, or on their own.

There are also rites solely for women and men. These are sacred rites of fertility and rituals to ensure tribal growth and successful birthing. Each tribe also has similar rituals to mark the journey of a child to a man or a woman. Due to the sacred rites and rituals, they will not be revealed at this time.

All the members of these four tribes are known to mark themselves with the sacred color of their tribe in marks that tell the stories of their life. These pigments are crated within the tribe and are very guarded; the Blue Foxes use a sky blue, White Hares use white of snow, Grey Eagles the pale gray sky of winter and the Black Seals the black of the depths of the seas. The runes and designs they have on their skins tell where they have been, what they have done, and who they are. These act as a kind of status for each of them but more importantly tell a story of the person.

In summary, the collections of tribes from eastern Tyedu stayed true to their core beliefs and maintain their family connections over the icy landscape with their cousins in their other tribes. They are known to band together in defense of each other and to attack others or raid them when needed.

About the reciter: Sul'Dove was taken as a battle prize by the Circle at the age of eight at the Battle of Thick Trees; where the Blue Foxes and their allies the Circle fought the Blood Wings of Jechran. For over a decade Sul'Dove, known as Luyu by her new tribe was raised within the Blue Foxes and taught their ways. She escaped in a snowstorm to avoid being given away to the Circle to honor them for joining the Blue Foxes. She now resides in Elysia as a Bow Maiden with the Warrior Maidens of Dre'Ana, and has taken to using her birth name of Sul'Dove or Sky Dove.

About the Documenter: Ophiviel is from the city and lands of Dormiria. She has spent her life documenting the stories of the people that come to The City of Refugees seeking new lives. In recent years, she has taken to travel and is currently employed by the Avlis Tower University for her skills at documenting the living history of people and interviewing skills.