Tiruhattun

The west coast is home to one of the most feared villages in the realm. Tiruhattun is the matron settlement of Der’Tiru, the dreaded white shark. Sacrifices to her have resulted in an overabundance of fish in the region, providing plenty of food for the village. Stone huts adorn the beach, with narrow windows and stone circle slabs rolled in place for doors. Fishing vessels are pulled onto the beach when not in use, tethered to large stakes driven deep into the sand. It is the mimicry of shark cuisine that outsiders have come to fear. The people of Tiruhattun are absolute carnivores, and not discriminating on the source of the meat. All parts of prey or victims are used in meals, including the bones and even hooves. Residents often go as far towards mimicry of the great shark as to file their teeth to points. Rather than using fishing polls, inhabitants use sharpened wood spears to impale prey in the waters. Fins are also constructed to allow quicker swimming speeds. To increase the time available under the sea, skilled hunters make use of air bladders and weights to descend quickly from their boats. This technique has allowed the people to amass a great deal of wealth in trade for pearls, sponges, and coral. For such treasures, traders risk dealing with the predatory followers of Der’Tiru.   Tiruhattun is led by Chief Tirupacha. She gave up her birth name to adopt the name every chief takes in the village. Most chiefs in the village tend to be women. Though human men are generally larger, the women of the village exert a great amount of time working to be stronger. As with the sharks in the sea, every inhabitant establishes dominance above others. Those who fail to stand up to others are reduced to the most menial of duties. Some have been known to challenge the chief for the right to lead in attempt to regain standing, but the cost of failure is often sacrifice to Der’Tiru unless the chief is feeling particularly lenient. It is the chief of Tiruhattun alone who has the right to wear the teeth of Der’Tiru. They have been worked into a bone crown adorned with iridescent pearls. Rumor has it that the crown allows the wearer to traverse the seas for hours at a time, with no need to surface for air.