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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 5539440" data-attributes="member: 92305">There is a bit of a social class system at work among your people. Like many things Cimmerian, it is simple, functional, and based on the clan's ability to combat foes. Every Urrogh in the Clan of the Blue Fox is a member of one of these four social class categories: CHILDREN Newborn to Age 14 Every Urrogh aged 14 or less is considered a child. Girls are automatically considered adults when they reach age 15. Boys are considered adults once they have completed their deasghnath. The deasghnath is usually attempted by a 14 year old sometime before he reaches the Beltain where he turns 15. Currently, nearly half the clan is made up of children: 151 children in a clan of 336 people. This is the result of a "baby boom" that has occured in the two decades since the Grath Separation. Many adults were killed during that war, and in the prosperous years since, as Seven Stones as grown, there have been more births. In the entire clan, both in the village of Seven Stones itself, and in the 9 outlying homesteads, the child class consists of 74 boys and 77 girls. WARRIORS Age 15 to 30 Every young adult Urrogh is considered a member of the warrior class, but membership among this class does not necessarily include recognition as a warrior. Most women, for example, are not combat trained--or they are trained to a small degree. Cimmerian women will fight, unlike some of their soft counterparts in the civilized south, but women are not typically trained for combat the way men are. Men train their entire lives for combat, no matter their regular profession. Women spend time tending domestic matters and raising children. If a woman wishes to become a warrior as the men, then she is allowed to do so. There is no predjudice. But women are not cut any slack, either. Any woman warrior must be able to hold her own against her male counterparts. Because men are naturally physically stronger than women, few Cimmerian women ever become true warriors. The ones that do, such as Drachena, are truly formidable opponents. Nearly a third of the entire clan, 118 Urrogh from the total of 336, are members of the warrior social class. This is not an accurate count of actual warriors in the clan as women are included in the number. It's a count of people aged 15-30. The Urrogh are a young clan. Many of the craftsmen and laborers are under 30 years of age. This is true for a number of reasons, but the primary reason seems to be that many of the older Urrogh were killed during the Grath Separation, thinning out the older population. Another reason is that the Blue Fox clan, in a way, is radical, breaking with long standing tradition when it rebelled from its mother clan, the Grath. This tends to attract younger minds rather than older people entrenched in their beliefs. The warrior social class is simple the clansmen who are between the ages of 15 and 30, in the prime of their lives. In the entire clan of 336 people, 53 are adult males and 65 are adult females. ELDERS Age 31 to 60 Once an Urrogh is considered 31 years old after seeing his 31st Beltain, he is considered an elder. The elders are the oldest and most accomplished warriors in the clan. The chieftain and war chieftain are exclusiely taken from this societal class, though it is not impossible--just highly unlikely--that an Urrogh of warrior-status become chief. By this time in their lives, a clansman among the elders has lived long enough and experienced enough to have gained wisdom with his words. Finn, of the Duncohr kiln, is the current chieftain of the Urrogh. Formally, he should be called Finn Chieftain, but Finn prefers not to use the title. This has caught on with the clansmen, and most refer to him as Finn Elder. The Blue Fox Clan is not a democracy. It is very much a dictatorship with Finn Elder in the role of a strong chieftain. Finn recognizes his weaknesses, though, and is not afraid to delegate responsibility and share power with those he trusts. Where most Cimmerian clans have one chieftain, Finn has elected to make his brother, Eanbotha, to act as War Chieftain. Together, they have guided Seven Stones Ridge and the clan to its current height of power it has this day. Finn insists that the longhouse near the center of the village never have a solid door applied to it. Even on the coldest winter nights, only a heavy bear skill will be found covering the entrance, placed there to block the freezing wind and rain. Each wall of the longhouse features a fireplace, so the interior can be kept quite warm even when tears freeze on the face outside the structure. Once every new moon villagers and outlying clanmembers gather in the speaking hall to talk about village plans, current events, and the doling out of village assets. The village elders take a postion at the the center of the hall and stand atop a few smoothed-out boulders so that they can speak. The Xean is taken from its place above the largest fireplace and used as a "talking stick". It is passed around when other clansmen need to be heart. There are three rules that should not be broken at the speaking hall, under pain of punishment by deep cuts on the chest and thighs. The first rule is that a non-elder cannot speak without holding the Xean. The second rule is that no weapons may be drawn while a moon gathering is taking place; only fists may cause bodily harm. The third and most important rule is that anything that is decided must be bled for; otherwise the clan will not ahere to it. Any blood gathered in this fashion is poured on the ground near the prachaun grule to mix with the remains of the Titans and seal the decision. On most occasions, Finn will decide the decision at hand. But, from time to time, he will put a question up for vote. Those of the warrior class are given one vote each, while any elder's vote is weighted as three of the warriors. Children and those in their twilight years are not allowed to vote, but most twilight clansmen are regarded as trusted advisors. TWILIGHT AGE Age 61+ Few Urrogh ever reach their twilight years and become members of this social class. Life is hard and dangerous in Cimmeria. Most are lucky to die late in their elder years. There are only 3 male and 4 female Urrogh in the entire clan that make up this societal class. We have established three of them: Old Fionn, the founder of Seven Stones Ridge and father of Finn Elder; Rutcrana, the clan Oracle; and Stenna, who governs the orphanage homestead. It is important not to underestimate the power a twilight clanmember can have over the clan in spite of not having actual voting rights.</blockquote>

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