Drenchen

Far to the south, the plains give way to wetlands. These marshes, infused with the heat of the air, become more and more dense. By the time that solid land is all but a memory, the jungle and overgrowth are so compact, it can be difficult to see where one apeknot tree ends and the next begins.   Freshwater lakes make up the majority of the floor here in the Swamp of Sog, broken by raised tree roots and peaty mounds, punctuated by quicksand and gas vents.   Here among the giant apeknots is the largest tree in the swamp: the Great Smerth, with a trunk as wide around as a small village and hundreds of times as high, it serves as the Drenchen capital and is their patron tree. This is where the Drenchen Gelfling make their home, with burrows carved with respect and care into the Great Smerth’s living body. The Drenchen are the only Gelfling who actually live within the patron tree of their clan. About seven out of ten Drenchen families make their home within the tree, with a minority living in hanging huts within the maze of its outer branches.   Although many Gelfling live separately from their sister clans, it could be argued that the Drenchen clan is the largest of these remote communities. In number, they rival the Spriton or even the Stonewood, but their distant and difficult-to-reach location limits their interaction.   No Gelfling is as physically strong—or as damp—as a Drenchen. These Gelfling are proud hunters famed for their ability to breathe underwater and swim with the swiftness of a Ruswha, though the females of this clan cannot fly. With limited exposure to the other clans, the Drenchen have a reputation for being rude and uncultured, but the truth is a Drenchen value honesty and the truth before politeness.   Biologically distinct from other Gelfling, Drenchen have greenish-gold hair and skin. This tint is attributed to a combination of diet (lichens and tadpoles) and algae buildup (a result of being submerged in swamp water for most of their days). They also keep. their hair in distinctive braided locks. Members living outside Sog, such as Kartak, would eventually develop more typical Gelfling skin tones. Physically, they were the strongest Gelfling.

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Daily Life

  The Drenchen are extremely organized, despite their number, performing every task within the clan in small groups that report to leaders within larger groups. A good example of this is how the hunting parties work. Among the maudra’s council, there is an elder whose role is to manage the many hunting tasks necessary to feed the clan. She, in turn, has a small council of six Gelfling, each whom lead several hunting parties, each with their own captain. In this way, each of the smaller groups can always be assured they are working toward a greater purpose, ultimately that of the maudra and her council.   One thing that is different in the Swamp of Sog is how different the seasons are compared to regions everywhere else, or to put it more accurately, the lack of seasons unlike everywhere else. Farther north, the seasons change from spring to summer to autumn to winter and so on. However, the snows of the northern regions never touch Sog; the temperatures rarely change from their warm and humid conditions; and it rains every day, sometimes without stopping between. So, while the Spriton and the Stonewood are preparing and harvesting and sowing crops, thinking in terms of the cycle of the trine, the Drenchen follow a different rhythm. Their hunting cycles follow the cadence of the quarry being hunted, whether that is migratory or spawning or something else. The hanging gardens, built into the canopies, bloom in every season, but require constant care if they are to bear fruit at the appropriate time.   Whether hunting, building, playing, or working, the Drenchen spend most of their time above the swamp in the apeknot canopy, called the High Road (of course, the muddy, unforgiving swamp below is thus called the Low Road). Although the Drenchen female’s wings are not well suited for flight, both the males and females leap and move through the apeknot branches with ease and skill not seen outside of the Sog. This skill, to scale the tall trees and to read the stability of the apeknot branches and the distance between them, is taught and learned from a young age. The females may have an advantage, being able to use their wings to glide—lengthening their leaps by short distances or buffeting them enough to leap all the way to the swamp floor—this does not stop the males from jumping to and from the boughs of the High Road as if it were as safe as skipping along a cobblestone path.

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Masters of Water

  Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Drenchen, which sets them apart from all other Gelfling, is their ability to breathe underwater. They are the only Gelfling known to have gills, and while their wings are too small and dense for flying, they make unparalleled fins for maneuvering underwater.

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Healing

  A talent unique to the Drenchen is the ability to heal the physical body. This is not an ability all Drenchen have, though it’s not particularly rare, either. Those youngling Drenchen that manifest with the gift attend regular training sessions with their elder healers, learning to control and focus their abilities.   What these healers are capable of is beyond remarkable. While the strength and finesse varies from Gelfling to Gelfling, with great care and the right mentor, it is said that any Gelfling can learn to use their gift to heal some of the most disastrous of injuries.   Though the effects of this ability are undeniable, it is impossible to say where it comes from, it has never been seen beyond the Drenchen of the Swamp of Sog. Some songs say that the gift was learned from the Great Smerth itself when the Drenchen first made their home in the heart of the swamp. If this is the case, perhaps that explains why it is somewhat common among the Drenchen, but rare among Gelfling.

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Hard-Talk

  Among the Drenchen, especially at the elder council table, hard-talk is a phrase often spoken—especially in the rare instances when Gelfling from beyond the swamp are present. Hard-talk, meaning to speak without metaphor or hesitation, is an ability valued highly in Sog—though that does not mean that cannot speak in other more subtle ways as they are just as adept at nuanced, symbolic, and polite speech as any other Gelfling. So although the Drenchen may puff their chests when boasting how blunt and straightforward they are compared to other Gelfling, in actual practice hard-talk is more a communication strategy during serious debates. Essentially, as a key that opens the door to saying what others are reluctant to say for fear of potential insult they might bring on others. This emphasis on honesty—and a promise of withheld judgment and a listening ear—has a fascinating impact on decision-making within the clan.

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Muski Companions

  The swamp has created a hunting environment unlike any other. Though it seems overflowing with game and plants, the density of the foliage and the constant shifting of water make locating quarry difficult—and catching it even harder! Add to this the fact that quicksand and various predators are quick to snatch up game that is not collected immediately, and you have the makings of some of the most challenging hunts one will ever encounter.   To assist in these difficult hunts, the Drenchen have solicited the aid of the swamp Muski. These flying eels are indispensable as hunting companions, quick to retrieve quarry as well as bola. In exchange, the Muski partners take part in every aspect of Drenchen life, from travel to sleep to dining in Great Smerth’s hall. As such, the Muski are the Drenchen sigil animal.   Unlike other companion animals, Muski arre very particular about choosing their partners, and once chosen, are bonded for life. Although some Gelfling have studied the Muski for generations and can predict the likelihood of a certain eel bonding with a certain Gelfling, it is impossible to make this guess with precision.   Of the elders within Drenchen clan there are those whose role it is to match Muski to Gelfling. As such, one of the largest components of a successful pairing is the precise timbre of a Gelfling voice. Muski ears are very sensitive, able to pick up nuances in sounds that even Gelfling ears cannot perceive. Those who study the Muski have also found that certain spots and markings along the eel’s body indicate what kind of voice that eel may be attracted to—thus, which Gelfling they may bond with.   Additionally, Muski also seem to favor bonding along family lines. For example, the Muski bonded to the Drenchen maudra will spawn several times during her life, and it is likely that her offspring will be compatible with the maudra’s children. Thus, many Muski bloodlines follow that of their Gelfling partners.

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Spring Festival

  The Drenchen observe most of the traditional Gelfling occasions, and even though seasons have a different effect on life in the swamp those festivals marking the turning of the trine still occur with great consistency and enthusiasm. The Spring Festival is remarkable for its visual splendor and raucous celebration.   Because flowers bloom at all times in Sog, they grow bigger and in greater numbers than in other places in the Skarith Land. Thus, when stringing the traditional flower garlands, it requires every youngling in the clan, and heavy ropes that can bear the weight of a thousand blooms in every color.   The spring festival is also the time during which the maudra’s successor—as in other clans, usually her eldest daughter—addresses the clan in place of her mother. This serves a purpose, as it eases her into what will eventually be her role: standing before her clan and greeting them each, one by one, and welcoming them into the new trine as they welcome her. She will then descend from the maudra’s balcony and light the hearth that waits at the foot of the Great Smerth.   Once the fire is lit, the festivities begin, most of which are familiar to any Gelfling. Competitive games such as dart throwing and rope swinging are popular among the younglings, and of course for the adults, many of the vintners will introduce the trine’s sogflower wines. As evening falls, the torches among the branches of the Great Smerth are lit, and the dancing and music will go on until dawn. The day following is often one of rest, granted to the entire clan in observance of spring and the vigorous and joyous activities of the day and night before.

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Drenchen Drums

  Every morning, a single drummer signals the start of the day with a beat from among the arms of the Great Smerth, where large-skinned drums are fastened in clusters. There is something particularly special about the way the beating resonates through the swamp in the earliest morning. The drums are so big and durable, the drummers use their spears to beat them—the thick and sturdy drumheads are not scarred even by the blue stone spearheads.   After the first beat of the drum, the rhythm steadily increases until it is similar to that of a Gelfling heartbeat. The other drummers will join the first after a while, until the sound of the Drenchen heartbeat rings across the swamp. It is not just for the Gelfling of Great Smerth, but for the entire area that hears the drums. The birds begin their song, the swamp Nebrie coming to the surface to feed. The flowers that bloom during the day open their petals and fronds; those that thrive at night close up and rest.   The drumming will continue throughout the day. New drummers arrive in shifts, relieving their companions, so the drumming never ceases. The steady beat can be used by metalworkers and carpenters to moderate their strikes; the trembling can be felt below the water by the fish farmers and waterbed gardeners who work tirelessly to bring food to the Drenchen table. The beating can be heard by rangers and hunters who have gone out into the swamp, always calling them back home so they are never lost. This is the steady backdrop of life within Sog. The endless beating represents the community and its presence, as interwoven as the apeknot canopy.

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Waterfasting

  The Drenchen have a morning and evening ritual called waterfasting. Though this is not observed by all within the community, many of the elders make their way down into the lake at the foot of the Great Smerth to join in a group meditation with the water. It is not uncommon to see small groups of elderly Gelfling standing waist-deep in the lake, eyes closed, humming softly as they move their flattened hands across the surface of the water as if in dreamfast.

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The Mystic Blue

  Although Drenchen art, whether weaving, painting, or otherwise, is often colorful (as many paints and pigments are available in the rich land of the swamp), the color blue tends to be used much more frequently than other hues, especially in depictions of a mystic or spiritual nature. Drenchen artisan have developed no less than ninety dyes and pigments used in painting and weaving; of that ninety, nearly a third are shades of blue. Blue for the sky, for the water, for stone. Different blues for rain and for rivers and lakes. Made from fruits and vegetables, pollens and minerals, colorists refine their pigments with great care and specificity.   This rainbow of blues can be seen in depictions of the Crystal, the celestial bodies, or Gelfling, for example. Drenchen Gelfling are always painted in blue, while Gelfling of other clans may appear in blue or other colors, depending on their narrative role within the work. The maudra’s chambers are protected by hundreds of wood medallions, each with a sigil inscribed in blue ink. Blue eyes are considered a sign of mystical affluence. When the sky clears and its blue face shows through the swamp canopy, the days are called mystic smiles.   Blue is also the color used when depicting fire, despite its naturally amber and red color. Fire is the most sacred of elements, representing spirit and the third eye. When illustrating fire of any kind—sacred or not—a particularly dark, rich, and shimmering blue is used, made from a mineral found within the swamp. The mineral is called vliyaka, named after Gelfling magic.   Hammers, a useful tool anywhere, but especially in the swamp, are made of blue stone, a variety of extremely dense rock common to Sog. While blue stone hammers are used mainly in construction, they are also crafted for ritual purposes, and often given as gifts. Drenchen song tellers say the tradition of the blue stone hammer dates back to Maudra Ipsim Vlisabi-Nara—also known as Ipsy the Blue Stone Healer. This title is passed down to the Drenchen maudra generation after generation.

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Food

  Though traditional Drenchen meals are predominantly composed of fish and fresh game, there is no shortage of fruits and vegetables in the swamp.   Drenchen partake of a unique feasting tradition called dotraba, which means “big table”. In dotraba, dishes are prepared in bountiful quantities and served on large platters that are used by all who sit at the table. In this way, mealtime becomes a community event, and everyone is invited to share and to feed one another as well as themselves. Mealtime among the Drenchen is always joyous and energetic, everyone is always well fed.   The dotraba style becomes more interesting when all the Drenchen—not just small groups, such as families—gather on special occasions in Great Smerth’s dining hall. This chamber is large enough to fit nearly all the Drenchen of the clan, and during these dodotraba—very big tables—the dishes are brought out from the kitchens by the chefs one at a time. As each platter is finished by the group at the table, another arrives to replace it. And, as the Gelfling become sated by the meal, they retire to the kitchen to begin preparing the next round of platters, thereby relieving those who were so recently cooking and serving. In this way is not just a method of eating, but a symbolic ritual representing the unending cycle of life and death.

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Fisheries

  Fish is used in many of the Drenchen’s most popular meals, especially during spring, when the Blindfish spawn. To maintain fish numbers, the Drenchen keep underwater fisheries below the Great Smerth. These fisheries provide safe habitats for the fish, as well as allowing the Drenchen to count their numbers and, in turn, moderate their harvest.   The fisheries are constructed of lake stone, mined from the swamp bed, and aligned in concentric circles. If one were to stand among these small walls, they might come up to one’s knee. The Blindfish are mud-dwelling, and rarely swim higher than the walls, so they remain within the fisheries at peace, while simultaneously being easy to harvest for the Gelfling fishers who swim down from above. The curvature of the fishery tracks also prevents the fish from panicking, as the walls block water disturbances and sound vibrations.   The fisheries are broken up by covered stone huts, which provide dark caves for the fish to bury themselves in. These shadowy sanctuaries are also where the fish deposit their eggs and where the young hatch.

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Sogflower

  Of particular delight is Drenchen sogflower wine, made from the pollen of a large flowering water plant that grows in huge numbers within Sog. When water levels are low, the flowers remain dormant. However, during rainy seasons, the flowers shoot up from the swamp beds on fast-growing stems, with the bulb of the flower developing just below the water’s surface. Then, as the water levels drop, the flowers spring open, ready to be pollinated. They remain open for only a short time, the flower’s stems unable to support the heavy blossoms when the water level is low. The stems then break or bend down from the weight, shedding their spores into the water for the next generation.   Thus, every time the water levels begin to drop, the Drenchen gathering parties travel into the swamp with large pouches and collect the sogflower stamens, heavy with pollen. This pollen is then reduced by the Drenchen apothecaries into a fine, very sweet syrup, which is mixed with various juices rendered from swamp fruits, and fermented. The result is a delicious wine with the consistency of mead, the delight of any Drenchen gathering.   Sogflower, like many of the flora native to Sog, also has medicinal and healing properties. When the pollen is made into a salve or paste, it prevents infection in cuts; sogflower wine is also used generously in the curing of illnesses, as it calms the body and mind while simultaneously promoting hydration.

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Spears

  Spears are the instrument of choice among the Drenchen, closely followed by the Drenchen bola. However, spears are used in ceremony just as frequently as in hunting, as the spear represents spirituality (the blue stone head) and mortality (the wooden shaft). Spears are crafted by their bearers, usually under the supervision of an elder, and carried for as long as the spear itself can endure.   When a spear shaft finally cracks or bends—inevitable, of course, in the moist and rigorous conditions of daily Sog life—a tradition called spear breaking follows. During this short yet requisite ritual, the spear bearer breaks the shaft fully (if it isn’t already) and removes the spearhead. The broken shaft is discarded into the lake to rejoin Thra, and the spearhead is transplanted onto a new shaft. The tradition is often observed by close friends of the spear bearer, and is ritualized through the following incantation:  
Spear shafts are usually inscribed by elders with sigils of bodily protection against injury, illness, and other physical harm. The spearheads are left uninscribed. Instead, as they withstand action, either during hunt or ritual, any marks left (often temporary, as blue stone is nearly indestructible) are immortalized using blue dye. The spearheads belonging to elders are often almost completely blue after their owners’ many trine serving, hunting, and teaching within the community. When a Drenchen passes, their spear shaft is ceremonially broken by the maudra and buried with them. The spearhead—the existing proof of their spiritual influence within the community—is hung among the hundreds of others that dangle in the Great Smerth’s canopy. When the wind blows, you can hear their gentle, low-pitched song. A song teller named Thriya from the Stonewood clan wrote the following song in ode to melodic sounds of the hanging spearheads.  

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Giant Apeknots

  Apeknots are trees that grow only in the Swamp of Sog. Their porous roots and trunks capture air, allowing them to survive even in areas which are completely submerged in water. As they grow, their branches reach out parallel to the water below, connecting with the fronds of other apeknots until the canopy is one interconnected web of leafy branches. The same is true of the apeknot root system. In this way, all apeknots are part of one living, breathing entity that embodies the entire swamp.

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Smerth-Staba, the Sogwood Tree

  Some songs say that the Great Smerth, the Glenfoot Tree, is the originator of all the apeknots within the swamp; other songs say that after the swamp rose from the mud and marsh, three magnificent apeknots grew together in a braid at the heart of Sog and became the Great Smerth. These two origin tales have one thing in common: heralding the Great Smerth to be the largest apeknot in the swamp. It is no wonder the Drenchen have chosen it to be their home.   Within the air-filled vasculature of the Great Smerth’s body, the Drenchen have gently, over many trine, made their homes. From within the corridors of the magnificent tree, one can hear the footsteps of many tip-tapping against the wood a kin to the heartbeat of the tree itself. As the Drenchen tend to the tree that is their home, one can almost hear the sigh of love and releife that the tree breathes in return. The glowing warmth emanating from its heartwood is proof that it thinks of the Drenchen as its children.

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Songs of the Drenchen

  A favorite Drenchen folktale is often sung during rain festivals when the water levels are high enough that the sogflowers bloom. While the tree in the song is often assumed to be the Great Smerth, other songs say that it was, in fact, Mother Aughra who planted the seed that would later grow to be the Drenchen’s patron tree.  
There are dozens of Drenchen odes to the apeknots that form both the pathways and the latticed roofs of their beloved swamp; here is one sung by childlings as they practice counting.  
The following is a hymn sung by the Drenchen maudra thrice a trine to honor the Great Smerth. This song is performed before the entire clan to pay homage to the tree that protects the clan.