Svampflanders (sampf-landers (v is silent))
The wily River-Men of the South...
A relatively new faction on Planet Thanged that formed over recent decades, they have officially been recognized by the Watch-Rider as an independent cultural identity and given leave to live as they see fit so long as they abide by the will of the gods. Craving unfettered freedom of the open skies but still desiring the creature comforts of the city, they've developed a curious compromise residing on their steamboats scattered throughout the deeper waters of the Salt. The marsh provides everything they could possibly need...and because it has and always will exist, in recent years some of the younger generations have taken to thinking they don't really need to give credit to the gods. This is a dangerous mentality to develop, but Roth believes these problems sort themselves out in due time, and one way or another these brash fools learn the folly of their ways. Initially calling themselves svafmplanders, city-folk and Freelanders commonly refer to them as svampflanders, or "River-Men".
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Instead of speaking purely Thangien, or even Oldworlder, the River-Men have adopted a very obscure dialect believed to have originated from the Oldworld and spread throughout adventurers braving the Salt.
Spoiler Warning: Planned Content!
The Pair-Aunt Trap"Whoa whoa whoa...what's that?" Shainie marveled and rose to her feet when she saw what looked like smokestacks jutting above the towering stands of reeds. Plumes of white steam belched into the air before drifting away in the breeze. She could hear the unmistakable chug of an engine as something large came into view. It looked like the prow of a boat not unlike the paddle-boats of the Mississippi. For all it's size it managed to just barely graze the jutting stalks of the reed walls bordering their little island and pulled up to the shore.
"Svampflanders," Ko'li explained. "The River-Men of the marsh. You don't see them often." Ph'li grabbed the reins of Chauner and Daemonsteel, pulling them close and tucking himself between them. Shainie noticed and glanced over her shoulder, puzzled. Ph'li looked shy, and Shainie guessed he didn't want to take a chance that the newcomers wouldn't display the same prejudice he'd experienced growing up in the city. Shainie stepped forward and composed herself: she needed to step up and do some chaperoning. She saw a lanky man with reddish hair and stringy muttonchops stride out onto the deck. Unlike other Thangiens, he wore what looked like a woven shirt and long waders. He reached up and tipped the brim of his straw hat.
He spoke what sounded like a question, smiling warmly. Shainie cocked her head when she thought the words sounded familiar. She could count on fingers and toes how many Thangien words she'd picked up in all the time she'd been here, but something about the way the man spoke triggered a faint memory. Ko'li replied in Thangien that they were on their freelanding tour and had set up camp on the island. The man asked a question again, and to Shainie it almost sounded like he asked if they needed supplies. Ko'li politely declined the offer. Shainie's gaze darted from side to side as she tried to place where exactly she'd heard that language before. The man spoke again and gestured to various points on the horizon and Ko'li replied that they'd already conducted an aerial survey of the immediate area. Shainie's face lit up as she put two and two together.
Ph'li's ears went up and he dared a peek out from between Chauner and Daemonsteel when he heard Shainie reply in the same language as the svampflander. Ko'li did a double-take at her when she told the man that they hadn't run into any dangers so far. "ShaTakin! I did not know you spoke Thangien!" Ko'li marveled.
"It's not Thangien! It's Acadian!!" Shainie stated, remembering the times she'd spent on long train or boat trips listening to audio tapes in Louisiana and New England. The man's eyebrows went up and he asked if Shainie knew of the Oldworld. Shainie replied back that she came from there actually, and was the Twins' aunt-in-law. She introduced herself and Ko'li and briefly gestured to Ph'li but before the man could get a thorough look at the young Native, she quickly changed the subject, complimenting the man's boat and that she didn't know people lived this far in the Salt.
The man explained that they were few and crossed paths on occasion but mostly stick to the deeper waterways. He asked if they'd seen The Razzer and Shainie feigned ignorance, not wanting to let slip her encounter with Berrie the other day. The man chuckled and shared the same ominous warning Shainie had heard many times before from the Twins and Azuro, but she already knew Berrie wasn't at all like that. He tipped his hat again and bid goodday to Shainie before turning to walk back to the cabin. He paused and glanced over his shoulder at Shainie, his gaze lingering for a few moments before he sauntered back inside. The boat withdrew from the shore and pulled away before chugging along past the walls of reeds.
Culture and cultural heritage
There is no precise founding date only that they originated at some point during the Second Thangien-Thunthen War decades ago, likely from workers manning the floating black water rigs who grew tired of commuting all the way to the city and back and instead chose to live in the marsh and bring their families with them. Because the marsh was not suitable to keep pegacorns, they forewent winged steeds in favor of boats. Family units spread out across the Salt, their numbers growing incrementally in recent cycles. One would think so many boats would stand out in the Salt, but the staggering size of the marsh yield countless waterways to explore and occupy.
Shared customary codes and values
Svampflanders are generally friendly to one another, but younger generations have taken to looking down their noses at Freelanders who they view as living like savages or the city-born who they view as being too soft, despite the fact that most svampflanders have never even wielded a sword much less fought a Nobeyl....
Average technological level
Far from being uneducated country bumpkins, svampflanders probably have as great an understanding of mechanics than metalworkers in Peirolyth or physicians at the Traedeskaton. Many of them have on occasion worked the floating oil derricks scattered throughout the Salt, originally designed by Deres himself, and have made use of advanced systems when designing their boats for optimal speed, mobility, fuel efficiency, and quality of life. Far outside the boundaries of the city, they've devised mechanical methods of food preservation, water filtration, waste disposal, even laundry (since obviously washing directly in the Salt is a very bad idea...) Thangiens generally abhor firearms, but the River-Men have developed methods of snaring select fish without having to deploy traps or troll nets and risk the ire of The Razzer.
Common Etiquette rules
River-Men present themselves with a rugged charm and will greet visitors cordially, but never stay in one place for long nor do they allow anyone to stay on their boats more than a few hours, preferring their privacy. Because so many of the newer generations have never ventured north to the city, they are often ignorant of current events or influential figures, and sometimes fail to follow the manners established by their forefathers.
Spoiler Warning: Planned Content!
The Pair-Aunt TrapShainie sat on a stool next to the fire pit and poked at the embers, wondering when the Twins would get back with a fresh catch. They had plenty of dried meat and fruit rations, but she wanted something fresh and they insisted they could catch something so she could try out some recipes. How hard is it to catch a fish way out here...I bet they're goofing off with the Pegasi.... Shainie could almost envision the Twins taking potshots at the water with the Pegasi's eye beams or missiles, but she hadn't heard any distant explosions, so maybe she was just being paranoid.
She raised an eyebrow when she thought she heard the lap of water and looked over her shoulder. She raised both eyebrows and stood up when she spotted the same svampflander from the day before in a smaller boat. Apparently he left his floating man-cave docked somewhere else. The air shield shimmered above the island, but the edge did not reach all the way to the shore. The man waved heartily at Shainie and she wiggled her fingers in greeting, wondering what brought him all the way back here. He paddled close to the shore and hopped off, pulling the small boat ashore slightly.
He asked if she needed help with anything, and she replied that the Twins were taking their sweet time foraging for dinner. The man shrugged and lamented he hadn't brought his fishing gear. Shainie offered him jerked meat and fruit but he declined.
Then he asked if Oldworlder girls were as feisty in bed as he'd heard. The remark came so far out of left field Shainie felt taken aback. The man leaned close and commented how lonely it could get so far out in the marsh, and that River-Maids weren't nearly as comely as she.
Shainie blinked several times then held up her hand and pulled down her bracer. "Um...I'm married? See? Got the scar to prove it," she pointed at her Pairing scar. The man chuckled that never stopped anyone, and what her pairmate didn't know wouldn't hurt him. "Um...the Twins will be back any second now...Maybe you should get going...." Shainie scooted back a step, feeling very uneasy. She didn't even carry a belt knife on her person, and the only implements she could use as a weapon currently rest by the firepit. The man purred he knew how to be quick about it, and that Ko'li and his unicorn-boy brother were probably too busy dawdling about in the marsh. "....I really....really think you should get going...Azuro's a Metraind. He'd disintegrate you and your boat if he found out..." Shainie stated firmly and stepped away again, making sure not to turn her back to the man.
The man stepped forward, growling she didn't know what she was missing. Shainie dearly hoped not all svampflanders were horny perverts like this guy... She didn't exactly know any of the Queens on a first-name basis like Yainae did, and she doubted they'd be concerned with her so far away from the city. The man seemed to pick up on what she thought and snickered that the Queens don't often concern themselves with the River-Men. Shainie clenched her fist and flexed her fingers: she doubted she had the strength to vthiasak the man even if she tried, but she could at least make it very uncomfortable for him...
"Thhhllllppppttt!!" Shainie jumped where she stood and the man whirled around upon hearing the rude sound. She spotted a round white mass poking out from just beside the man's boat. Berrie! The Razzer poked its head above the waterline and stuck out its tongue again, directing its vocalization at the man. The svampflander snorted and waved his hand dismissively at Berrie, saying this was none of its concern before turning back to face Shainie. A jet of water struck the man in the back and he sputtered angrily, whirling around and clenching his fists. Shainie used the distraction to back up closer to the firepit and grab a poker. The man stalked over to the shore and yelled at Berrie, startling Shainie. Ko'li had said the River-Men revered The Razzer. The man lashed his arm to the side, yelling for Berrie to leave, but Berrie stared up at him blankly.
Shainie tensed when the man raised one leg, aiming his boot heel for Berrie's face. She strode forward, gripping the poker with both hands and raising her arms to hit the man in the back if he dared stomp on Berrie...Without warning, it seemed as though the water erupted in a surging wall and Shainie caught a glimpse of what looked like a gigantic maw with many teeth before stumbling onto her back in shock as the maw clamped down where the man stood. Water sheeted back down onto the grass and when Shainie dared open her eyes and turn forward, she saw a large chunk of the island had vanished, as if someone took a bite out of a colossal cookie. She could no longer see the svampflander or his boat.
Berrie floated idly in the water, his little eyes and ears just above the waterline. Bubbles surged up briefly infront of his nose. Shainie sat on the ground dumbfounded, trying to process what had just happened. "...You know what? I'm not going to judge! We have a saying about stones and glass houses where I come from!" Shainie shrugged and shook her head. She looked over her shoulder when she heard a distant bubbly cry. "The Twins are on their way back. You better make yourself scarce. Thanks for the save! I owe you one big time! Though....maybe later, since you're kind of...you know...full..." Shainie grimaced awkwardly. Berrie vanished below the water and Shainie walked over to the air shield generator and switched it off as the Pegasi came in for a landing.
"ShaTakin! What happened?" Ko'li asked as he dismounted. Ph'li hopped out of the saddle carrying a stick with several fish dangling from hooks. Shainie clasped her hands behind her back and turned to the side, biting her lip.
"No idea! It just...fell away!" she replied, feigning ignorance.
"That is not good. If the ground is unstable, we might have to make camp somewhere else...." Ph'li worried.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, the Pegasi already scanned it when we arrived. It's perfectly stable, right?" Shainie asked and cocked her head to the side. Chauner and Daemonsteel exchanged glances, looking almost nervous. Shainie got the impression they knew exactly what happened but chose not to relay the knowledge to the Twins. They nodded and grunted, pronouncing the ground safe and stable. "See! Now, let's get cooking! I'm famished!" Shainie clapped her hands together and walked back over to the firepit. The Twins looked confused but relented and started cleaning the fish and helping her grill the fillets.
Shainie glanced over her shoulder at the altered shoreline. As much as Azuro worried about her being in the marsh, Yainae had once told her the Queens work in mysterious ways.
Common Dress code
Perhaps the only major group on Thanged that doesn't wear combat uniforms, preferring strictly casual clothes of spun cloth.
Art & Architecture
"Architecture" can be applied very loosely, as the River-Men seem more focused on how many improvements they can make to their boats without compromising its stability or directly violating Roth's Edict.
Foods & Cuisine
Just about everything is fair game in the Salt, but the River-Men primarily dine upon fish and have probably developed enough methods of cooking to fill several tomes in the Archives of Raaezen...
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
"My boat is my boat, Your boat is your boat." Svampflanders may converge on occasion to trade supplies or swap gossip and tall tales, but generally live solitary lives or as singular family units, much like Freelanders. They generally respect boundaries as being the entire boat, and save for foodstuffs, clothes, or tools for repairs, generally don't leave the relative safety of their boats.
Coming of Age Rites
Because their very lifestyle is one big freelanding tour that never ends, teens only set off on their own when they get bored and acquire the mechanical know-how to build a boat of their own.
Common Taboos
Even though the River-Men don't partake in duels to the death like the city-born do, they are no stranger to drunken brawls or clashes of ego. If a boat is found drifting alone or run aground on a lonely bank, it can safely be assumed the captain came to a bad end.
Common Myths and Legends
The Razzer
-Viewed as almost a patron saint by the River-Men. A brief encounter with the guardian of the marsh during the height of the Second Thangien-Thunthen War led to the custom of placing stakes in the banks with offerings of food, and the River-Men continue this custom in an effort to curry favor with the beast. Older generations remember where they came from and how they came to be, but newer generations have taken to scoffing at the beast's existence and teasing passing Oldworlders with all manner of exaggerated stories.Frozen-South Isle
-Something of a legend even among city-born, it is often spoken of as a myth or tall tale, but older generations insist it does exist but can only be encountered by chance, and even then only at a distance for drifting chunks of ice could jeopardize the hulls of their boats. In the modern day Pegasi could easily fly down themselves for a quick survey, but for whatever reason refuse. It seems they would rather brave the Basek de Rhakka than the South Pole. Younger generations have circulated all manner of embellishments such as tales of colossal abandoned cities entombed in ice, living specimens of land dragons, and whole colonies of scantily clad women who partake in endless parties...
Parent ethnicities
Related Locations
All artwork used is self-made and belongs to me unless otherwise stated, such as kitbashes and commissions. Age of Defiance does not and will not use or feature RW/YST original artwork out of consideration for the OAS creators
Comments
Author's Notes
The idea of the svampflanders is fairly new in AoD and partly inspired by one of the short stories in Man-Kzin Wars. I can't remember the exact name of the author and the book I have is in storage, but the story centered around military operatives who purposely aggravated local Kzin forces and lured them into a swampy area occupied by a friendly human faction called the Sumpfrenners. They helped the operatives navigate the swamp and its many hazards, which were unfamiliar to the Kzin, luring the pursuing Kzin deeper and deeper. The Kzin became increasingly aggressive, as if in rut, but all they cared about was avenging their Heroes and killing the humans. Finally the entire Kzin force is lured into a abandoned facility in a box canyon with the only escape being a narrow shaft the Humans take. Before the Kzin have a chance to examine the situation or go further, the entire area explodes. The Sumpfrenners and the operatives observe from a safe distance with the Sumpfrenners puzzled as to what happened. The operative explains that he'd been using a experimental chemical derived from plant extract that could stimulate rut aggression in Kzin, and that he'd been discreetly spritzing it all along their path, causing the Kzin to go increasingly bonkers. The military is hoping to use it as a weapon but had to test it first without the Kzin realizing what had happened. The scenes with Shainie will likely go in a future chapter set at some point before the End Tide, since she is a supporting character.