Lewite Tribe
The Lewite tribe is one of the few tribes of the west that has managed to carve out a name for itself in new territory and independence. They have followed the Church of the One Sun, and been led by surviving Sihkas and other members of the Church's community in the Sypi Confederacy out of Confederate lands and into the north. They are known for being very defensive about their beliefs and stubborn in their refusal to submit to the High Chief. They are known for their ongoing attempts to build a new tribal One Sun nation in the lands of the west.
Structure
The Lewite tribe is organized much like an absolutist monarchy. They are overseen by a single chieftain who rules over them. The laws of the land allow the chief to appoint heroes or advisors to administer his lands and see to the needs of the people. These are typically known as temporary positions to be replaced however the chief sees fit.
Culture
The Lewite Tribe started much as the Coninos, trading with Smitlaw and enjoying the rich treasures of the Shin Empire for themselves through trade. When Whitman Mission was established, the Lewites found the message of the Church of the One Sun intriguing, seeing that they offered a new way to civilization. They have always distrusted both magic and nonhuman races, having skirmished constantly with the goblins and orcs of the Sypi Confederacy. They have always considered themselves a practical people, favoring pragmatic solutions over wild ones.
History
The Lewite Tribe, as with others in the Sypi Confederacy, came across the Sypi River, and were welcomed as new members. They staked out lands in the northern part of the Confederacy, where they integrated and began trade with the Shin Empire. They were some of the Confederates most at the forefront of defensive combat against the Shin Empire and then again against Jakonian when the nation was invaded. Their lands were mostly untouched by Jakonian atrocities, leading to a more welcoming tone towards the Jakonians in decades to come. The Lewites were the ones who agreed to the establishment of Whitman Mission in what was their grazing territory, and many converted to the Church of the One Sun's faith.
The Lewites considered themselves more civilized than many of the other tribes of the Sypi Confederacy, and they aligned themselves with the Sihka during the hunt for a new High Chief in 1020. They were less enthusiastic for the civil war that followed, but they were wise in conserving their strength in the early battles. When the war began drawing to a close, the Lewites were probably the least devastated of the tribes from the conflict. After the Sihka tribe was destroyed by vengeful Bienombe supporters, the Lewites chose to pick up stakes and leave the Confederacy.
The invasion of Valtkos Wingo was an extraordinary success as the Lewites defeated the dwarves and their human levies in the region. The Confederate government chose not to pursue the Lewites, hoping that the dwarves would deal with them. The Lewites instead have managed to gain recognition of their conquests by the Kingdom of Alsona, which still considered themselves the legal owners of the land taken. Over the past decade, the Lewites have begun attempting to build the nation they once hoped to create in the Confederacy in the northern wildlands.
Foreign Relations
The Lewite Tribe has fairly unfriendly relations with most of its neighbors. They used to be one of the primary trading tribes with the Shin Empire, but the closure of the borders ended this source of income. They have recently fought against both the government of the Sypi Confederacy and that of Valtkos Wingo, and tensions are high on those fronts. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, however, as they have recently obtained recognition as a sovereign state by the Kingdom of Alsona. This has show a warming of ties, as the Alsonans and Lewites look to coordinate efforts against the Wingo dwarves.
Agriculture & Industry
The Lewites are still mostly a subsistence based economy. They focus upon mobile ranching and hunting as the primary sources of food, but with Alsonan aid, they have created new farmland surrounding their main citadel. The Lewites have produced little in the way of cash crops or industrial goods, focusing on using the traditional methods of local crops and materials to sustain their ways of life.
Education
The education of the Lewite Tribe is granted universally, but is only offered from the Church of the One Sun. The acolytes of the Church offer education to any children willing to hear it, including basic literacy in common and tales of the faith. Further education can only take place from apprenticeship programs and masters of craft, although recent new relationships with Alsona have allowed particularly skilled students to seek out higher education within the kingdom's universities and colleges.
Infrastructure
No true infrastructure exists within the boundaries of the Lewite Tribe. Old Alsonan fortifications were repurposed for the primary citadel of the new nation, but they were old and nearly abandoned even at the time they were captured. These fortifications have been repaired somewhat and brought back to functioning purpose, but no improvements have been made. All efforts in the past ten years have been mostly dedicated towards establishing permanent structures for living and farming, and little else has been added in the years, with no true roads or even migration trails established.
Founding Date
Newfeast 26, 1028
Type
Geopolitical, Tribe
Capital
Demonym
Lewite
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Command/Planned economy
Currency
Copper/Silver/Gold
Major Exports
Foodstuffs
Major Imports
Weapons, armor, construction materials, iron and steel goods
Official State Religion
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
8,200
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