Saga Of The Seven Tribes: Worldbuilding

Chapter 1: History: Origin Of The Spiripa

Long ago, a group of humans were trapped in a valley, surrounded by mountains too steep to scale. It is unknown why they were in the valley or how they became trapped, though scholars think they might've been lured there by some powerful being for one reason or another, citing modern day examples of such happenings as evidence.

Whatever the original cause, they were trapped there for many generations, surviving mostly on swîtfrût¹ and in regular contact with large amounts of Inrjim Stones². Over time, they began to change into something not quite human, evolving to fit their isolated environment.

In that age, Spirits and Nisprit³ rarely interacted, and yet these not-humans found themselves allied with a Colony of Life Spirits⁴ — this earned them the title of 'They Who Are Friends Of Life'. It is not known for sure how this friendship came about, but some Life Spirits occasionally talk about a child from the village, thought to be the one that started first contact with the Colony. Being Spirits, it's entirely possible they are just messing with historical researchers, and it developed in a completely different manner.

It is said that Intrap Crystals⁵ formed naturally within the valley, causing great distress among the members of the Life Colony, who were growing weak from energy lost to the Inrjim Stones and yet were unable to distance themselves from the danger with so many of their kin imprisoned. According to the myths, the not-humans were the ones that rescued the imprisoned Spirits, thus cementing their still-fragile bond.

Centuries were spent in peaceful coexistence in the valley, until the day of the Quaking. Earthquakes shook Mênland⁶ and beyond, opening a path through the mountains for the first time in millennia. Some say it was the Spirit Strênj⁷ being freed and cursed, or the binding of the Shadowlight armies⁸, or the very first Great Migration⁹; none know for sure what caused the Quaking, but one thing is certain — the valley villagers were finally free!

Unfortunately, though perhaps not, they were as well doomed.

With wagons loaded and animals leashed, the once-humans started their journey out of the valley that had been their home for so long. The Life Colony gathered, perhaps to join them, maybe just to say goodbye. Whatever their reason, those Spirits bore witness the tragedy that followed an unexpected aftershock.

The villagers and their animals were crushed in a great landslide, every last one perishing beneath the rocks, perhaps a final attempt by the mountains to keep them contained. But cry not, for what happened shortly thereafter lessened this gruesome fate.

It was lucky beyond measure that some of the foremost Servants Of Life were already close by. In grief and urgency, the Life Spirits present joined their claws together, performing the single largest Revival Ceremony in history. So much Life Energy was used, it forever bound itself to the villager's blood; to this day, their descendants serve Life nearly as much as the Life Spirits themselves.

The Inrjim Stones within the mountain rocks were caught up in the Revival, making the changes that came with it more extreme than perhaps they might've been. The animals that belonged to the villagers changed greatly, becoming Sprithorses¹⁰, Flash Rabbits¹¹, and other such creatures. The people, however, hardly seemed the change physically at all.

Their changes were on the inside; soulsight¹², greater senses, changes that went to their very bones and cores. They truly no longer recognized themselves as humans, so took on the name of Spirikin — 'They Who Walk With Spirits'¹³.

The gift of rebirth was grand, certainly, but barely affected them. They still went about their regular lives, albeit with the addition of their new skills, most days seeming almost as the humans their lines once were — until the first new birth, when they realized their transformation wasn't quite over...

A girl who had been in the womb at the time of rebirth was the first Spirikin born with a Bracelet — her outer soul¹⁴. Energy crackled as she left the safety of her mother's body, forming a jeweled ringlet on her wrist, one that grew as she did. She refused to be parted from it, becoming anxious and unreasonable if forced to. Though she was kind and gentle, she became violent if her Bracelet was chipped even slightly, avoiding others until it healed. This was common among the new generation, as each babe born had a Bracelet, and was soon thought of as normal behavior.

The Bracelets were unusual, and very pretty, but mostly didn't affect the Sprikin's lives too much. Until one day, when two men fought viciously, and one destroyed the other's Bracelet. The second man's soul disappeared in the eyes of onlookers, yet he still lived. It was a horrifying sight, but not nearly as much so as when he killed the one who had destroyed his soul, becoming the first Spirikin to violate Life.

Though his fate was never recorded, modern examples tell us the second man became an empty shell, living only to talk of his Bracelet, feeling nothing but depression and longing. There is no known cure for Bracelet Madness or being 'Soulless'¹⁵, and bracelet shattering is considered worse than any murder short of killing one's own kin. No curse or device can stop a Soulless from killing the one that Shattered them, not even their families will matter to them anymore, they will think of nothing else until it is done — one of few fates the Spirikin truly consider worse than death.

Many Sprikin removed their Bracelets after learning of Bracelet Madness, hiding them away in safety, but all retrieved them in the end. The longer separated, the more agitated, anxious, and irrational they became — some were even driven to insanity, and most could last but a few days before putting the Bracelet back on. It seemed they were stuck with their curse, naming forced separation a cruel torture unfit for even the worst criminals¹⁶.

But the 'curse' would soon be revealed as their greatest blessing.

Ironically, not much is known about one of the most pivotal and important figures in Spirikin history; a young girl of the family Stargem, her first name lost to history. What is known about her, however, is that she changed the course of her entire species.

One day, this little star got lost in the woods and was attacked by beasts — most likely wolves, though some argue that wild Gryphons may have been more likely for the area at the time — with no way to escape and too deep amongst the trees to call for help. Fear consumed her then, along with the desperate desire for rescue, the strong and instinctual intent to escape. Her Bracelet began to glow, piece of her very soul splitting off and flowing through it, forming a new being to protect her; the first of the Casted, the Great Spirit.

Strong emotion, desire, intent: these are the things necessary to Cast, to split one's soul, to let it heal stronger than before. As time went on, more and more Casted Spirits joined their families, and the Spirikin became more like Spirits themselves. How strange it must have been to adapt to having such peculiar beings as part of their households, though they did have practice living among Spirits already, thanks to the Life Spirits — a lucky happenstance, or a small part of some powerful being's larger plan? Scholars aren't sure.

Together, the Casted and Spirikin became known as Spiripa. They were led by Ms Stargem and the Great Spirit, supposedly fair and skilled leaders. The Stargem line continued to be rulers, with one of her descendants still on the Great Council of the Stargem Tribe today. Even now that the Tribes number seven, varied and unique, they all share this origin — they are all Spiripa, descendants of the stars, servants of Life.

They Who Walk With Spirits.