====== The Frozen Wilds ======= ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Ban-Ur ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ (IMPORTANT TODO: Ban-Ur and The Cut are NOT the same places! Most of the Banuk in The Cut are there because they were banished from Ban-Ur. It looks like the people of The Cut don't take much liking to Ban-Ur, either. For example, an important painter described the art of Ban-Ur to be "eternal, always painting over the same lines with the same colors." She clearly meant this in a negative way, having previously said that 'the light of the skies is ever changing' [not quote!], and to take that as a lesson.) (TODO: Refer to Sekuli for information on Banuk paintings.) (TODO: Mention the incredibly high quality medicinal plants found common in The Cut but unheard of anywhere else.) (TODO: "the Cut", not "The Cut".) Ban-Ur, known as The Cut to outlanders, is a cold, desolate region found in the north-east region of the map. It is primarily a mountainous area, with forests covering most land and lakes and rivers spread throughout the lower areas of the environment. Snow falls across Ban-Ur persistently throughout the entire year, though the region does experience seasonal temperature changes. Access to Ban-Ur from the outside world became possible when a mountain slide caused an opening just north of the Grave Hoard. Though the task of visiting Ban-Ur is not easy, in part because of the drastic climate, several outlanders have done just that; a team of Carja hunters and an Oseram merchant, to name a few. The Banuk ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ The Banuk tribe, who have long occupied Ban-Ur, are an interesting contrast to the other tribes. They are divided into separate "weraks": separate groups of Banuk, practically forming tribes within the overall Banuk tribe. But weraks are different from the tribe known as Banuk. When one is born, they do not inherently become part of a werak. In order to be considered part of a werak, one must prove themself as valuable, skilled, and relevant, according to that werak. Each werak tribe includes a chieftain, a councel of shamans, and any other members (often hunters). A chieftain acts as the leader of a werak, guiding its people through the environment. Shamans give their werak deeper advice, being trained in understanding and providing the voice of machines. (Note: "According to that werak"? Does it run as a vote? Or is the judgement of the chieftain and the shaman more relevant?) Dye Pools ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Scattered across the Cut are small pools of steaming hot water. The local Banuk use these pools to their benefit: the water is perfect for mixing and applying dye. The process is fairly simple. They bring buckets of powdered dye to the pool, pour some in, and move large cloths or felts in the water, using a pole to reach in. Rocks and materials can also be crushed into dye nearby, for convenience. Clothes is also weaved there. Of course, usually there are multiple people working at a single pool; at least one for each task. It is tiring work, though. Mixing the dye to just the perfect color is not easy, and actually scrubbing the dye in by dragging the cloths with the pole becomes tedious quickly, in part because of the somewhat cramped position one has to take while reaching into the pool. The whole dye pool ordeal is a service. Hunters and other Banuk request outfits of a certain color; those who work at the dye pools make them. It's not known whether those who work there are paid. The origin of the dye pools in the Cut is uncertain. The Banuk do pour dyes into these pools, which could contribute to the rainbow-ish colors of the water, but there also exist identical, rainbow-colored pools, which are not used by the Banuk. Perhaps the Banuk chose these naturally ocurring pools as places to dye cloth because of their appearance. Or maybe they found the pools to be convenient, using the colorful stone within the pool as a base for their dye.