The Coalition | open

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"The independent and the strong." - Edge

 

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The Coalition is made up of independent and capable kin, almost exclusively hunters but also open to kin with unique and very useful skills (e.g. healers). There is a tighter-knit core of kin that settle in Coalition territory, but everyone is free to come and go much as they please. Clan structure is loose and responsibilities are minimal, respect is earned but loyalty runs strong.

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CURRENT STATUS AND PLOT
The clan is currently small but established, composed of a tight-knit core of kin and a few loosely allied wanderers. Plotwise, we are looking for members for the establishing core kin, though loosely allied kin are welcome!

Future plans:
- Buck contest
- Ashmoot ORP
- Bonepicking contest

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
7/7/12 - Announcements section added, thread content edited + formatted, buttons added, a few Culture & Traditions written. Tribe OPEN!  

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FOUNDING
As clans sprung up left and right in the Swamp, Edge could not help but anticipate future threats to her usual lifestyle. She was strong, yes, but what could one kin do when ten or more stood against her? And surely she was not the only lone hunter who had thought of this. She had already discovered a cavern in the heart of the Swamp, a headquarters of sorts, now she put out a call to draw forth others like her, the independent of strong, to come together as a united strength, a Coalition.

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IDEOLOGY
The Coalition has no hard and fast rules that need to be adhered to, but they do have an overarching mindset under which actions are carried out and judged. Members of the Coalition are likeminded and usually readily adopt the ideology of the clan, if they do not already share it.

STRENGTH | While the Coalition was founded to provide strength in numbers, the clan is not meant to help the weak survive, rather to help the strong grow stronger. The strength of the clan is meant for assisting kin in something they could already do (e.g. a joint hunt), or doing what no kin could normally do alone (standing up to another clan, should it come to that). One’s own strength is the crux of a member’s entrance and acceptance within the clan. Each clan member is expected to be able to fend for him or herself, both as a requirement for admission and a matter of personal pride. "Fending for oneself" is heavily biased towards hunting, which is much more difficult than eating available vegetation, and kin who are not at least sufficient hunters are often looked down upon if accepted at all.

LIFESTYLE | Clan members are never confined to Coalition territory, and many come and go much as they please, passing through to exchange tidings or stay a few nights. More permanent residents tend to live in the Cavern and watch over the Killstone, as well as keep track of nearby tribes and the state of Coalition land. Whether they stay or go, on the evening after a full moon all members who haven’t been given leave are expected to convene at Ashmoot.

AUTHORITY | Edge holds chief authority primarily from being the guiding force behind the Coalition’s establishment, discovering the Cavern, and proving her own strength. Marshdove, who has her mother’s ear and keeps track of all clan members, is also highly respected, as is her sister Cornice. Everyone else is approximately equal and expected to respect each other as such, though differences in personal strength result in different levels of deference.

LOYALTY | is expected, but the Coalition is not possessive of its members—those that want to leave its ranks are free to go, but must keep the clan leaders notified of their decisions. It is customary to make an addition or several to the Killstone on one’s departure.

FAMILY | Currently, kin are given the choice to raise their children themselves, or raise them within the clan. Only clutches raised within the clan will have access to clan resources and aid from other clan members, but it is expected that the children will become clan members and be trained to hunt from an early age. When the children are grown, they will of course be free to make their own decision. Views on raising foals clearly unfit for Coalition lifestyle are still mixed.

DISPUTE HANDLING | Disputes that cannot be settled between members may be brought to Edge who, with council from Marshdove and Cornice and possible discussion with other members, will reach a decision.

FAMILIARS & PETS | While most Coalition members have no qualms about hunting animals that could also serve as familiars, they will not knowingly kill bonded familiars despite how tasty or useless they may be. That said, preferred familiars are hunting partners, and familiars without any apparent utility may be looked down upon. Pets without utility (e.g Tortoises and swans) are judged even more harshly, however that is not to say kin cannot have them- they must simply command enough respect to defend their pets.

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TERRITORY
Coalition territory is a vaguely circular piece of land about five acres in area radiating out from the Killstone, an area that will increase in time to fill the hunting needs of all permanent residents. The surrounding land is not as fertile or forgiving as the northern reaches, the area directly around the Cavern being unusually rocky. The clan definition of “territory” follows Edge’s, which is that no kin or group of kin can truly take a piece of the Swamp and call it theirs, therefore they are not possessive of their land. Other kin are free to come and go and feed (though malicious destruction of land or game will be met with retribution), but the Coalition will let no other tribe call the land “theirs” or keep Coalition members off of it.

THE CAVERN | Part of a larger rocky hill, the Cavern is an unnamed partially-underground cavern in the middle of Coalition territory, large enough to sleep twenty or so kin with ease. The entrance, guarded by fire bushes, leads to a few paces of wide descending passage, which quickly opens up into the main cavern. Straight ahead is the Killstone, near the center of the cavern, and several paces behind it is a pool of collected rainwater which has eroded a basin into the rock floor below over the years. Rain and sunbeams filter in from an opening far overhead.

THE KILLSTONE | A large rock located in the Cavern, the stone rises to a kin’s knees, near flat and wide enough to stand atop, worn smooth over the ages. It is the only evidence that the cavern was once occupied, but the kin that relocated the stone and smoothed its surface are long deceased. The Killstone is now where the Coalition’s surplus kills and gatherings are placed, a symbol of power and plenty. Clan members are welcome to partake of the spoils, and expected to bring their own additions when they are near enough to do so. All new members are expected to offer a kill to the Killstone, a promise that they will never take what they cannot readily give back. While the Coalition is not particularly territorial, any wild creature found stealing from the Killstone is quickly added to the pile, and any kin is punished dearly for their trespasses.

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CULTURE & TRADITIONS

ASHMOOT | The Coalition's monthly gathering was originally when tribal matters (if any) were discussed and settled, but it now also a time for fun and merriment. Kin journeying back from afar typically bring more exotic offerings for the Killstone to supplement the current cache (already piled high for Ashmoot) and tribe members feast well into the night sharing news, telling stories, even dancing and challenging each other to games or dares. Guests are occasionally welcome, though expected to bring their own offerings. At the end of the celebration the bones of the finished kills are piled high outside the mouth of the Cavern and set aflame, a bonfire that burns well into the night until only the ashes remain come morning. As each kin exits the Cavern, they step through the ash, the more pious few (or the unfortunate losers of bets) scooping up a mouthful, to scatter across the Swamp, nourishing her in thanks for the livelihood she has provided the Coalition.

BONEPICKING | A game oft-played at Ashmoot, where kin step forward with the largest or most exotic bones they have been able to find. The story of how the bone was acquired is told, usually with much exaggeration and embellishment, and gathered members (particularly others who have brought forth bones) denounce each detail, even the honorable acquisition of the bone itself. As stories are denounced beyond defense, bones are thrown into the fire until only one bone remains, its champion winning glory and respect and sometimes choice pickings from the Killstone or other prizes.

VIGIL | New members of the tribe seeking to prove their worth, or colts and fillies grown of age, often stand vigil over the Ashmoot bonfire until the last embers sputter out. All members are welcome to stand for any reason at any Ashmoot, but are free not to as well. The Vigil is usually stood in silence.

THE HUNTSWORN | A fabled tale of the Swamp's first hunting tribe, oft-told at Ashmoot or on other nights when the Killstone is stocked.  

[Vesperiie]

Precipice a.k.a. Edge
The Visionary Leader
Fearless, competitive, and practical to a fault, Edge is above all ambitious. She founded the tribe to gather strength and now works to hone it, recruiting new members and challenging the old. What she is building for she cannot be sure, perhaps being proactive in case of threats, or merely to be the strongest clan in the swamp.

Marshdove
The Wise Counselor
Edge's right hoof, she tempers her mother's more hot-headed or merciless notions with quiet wisdom. She is very in tune to the feelings of clan members and many find her a more sympathetic ear than her mother or sister.

Treacherous Snow a.k.a. Cornice
The Merciless Advisor
BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY BLURBY

Dares-to
The Warden
A close friend to Edge, Dares-to at once relishes the loose structure of the Coalition yet tries to impart some of the Totoma attitude onto it. The result is that she of the whole tribe is the most territorial, known to run others off Coalition land and make a regular patrol of the borders, marking danger signs as she goes.

Totoma

Totoma

COME AND GO

Snow Shrike
The Migratory Bird
Appearing and disappearing often without notice, Snow Shrike roams the swamp at will, returning at Ashmoot with some exotic offering for the Killstone. Sly and playful, she has a notorious penchant for bloodlust and wicked sense of humor.  

[Vesperiie]

[ORP] Rebuilding the Mound | Edge and Cornice | Celebrating with recruiting undertones  

[Vesperiie]

Think you have what it takes to join the Coalition? We are looking for:
- Members that are, ICly, Coalition material
- Active roleplayers to play a core group of kin
- Active/Semi-active roleplayers willing to plot IC events even if they can't play them out

Please fill out the form below to apply! No need for lengthy responses, just a few sentences will do. Say what you need to say, don't worry about anything else.

[b]Kin name:[/b] [url=linktocert]KINNAME[/url]
[b]Why do they want to join the Coalition, and where do they see the clan going?:[/b]
[b]How would they be an asset to the Clan?:[b]
[b]Propose a plot for how they join, e.g. 1) Edge finds/hears of them and comes recruiting, 2) they approach Edge seeking admission, or 3) something entirely different:[/b]

For accepted kin, please fill out the following form for the member's list!

[b]Kin name:[/b]
[b]Short title describing them:[/b]
[b]Blurb about how they interact with the clan:[/b]
[b]Permanent resident or wandering member?:[/b]

 

[Vesperiie]

- Content written by Vesperiie, with input from Amorpheous

- Banners made by Vesperiie using the free font US 101

- Inspiration for thread structure drawn from all the amazing tribes popping up in the tribes and clans forum <3 Specific shout-outs to:
--- Tidewalkers
--- Borderwalkers
--- Westfen
--- The Royal Rainbow Troupe
--- Blue's pairing thread  

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SOME  

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MOAR MOAR MOAR  

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GIMME  

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MOAR  

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GAH I KEEP GETTING DISTRACTED  

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I NEED TO FINISH RESERVING POSTS NOW  

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WAIT I THOUGHT I ALREADY HAD 12 POSTS DX  

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LEMME SLEEP PLEASEEEE NEW PAGE