Numab (NEW-mab)

A nomadic confederacy that lives in the borderlands and desert

The Numab people are made of innumerable distinct tribes. While they do have some settlements, they mostly adhere to a nomadic lifestyle for better hunting and water resources. They will also mine for metals that the Piromese highly value in exchange for Piromese produce and water. These disparate tribes are bound together by a strong oral tradition, which are maintained by the Keepers and their Guardians who travel between the tribes providing news, stories, and aid. Traveling Numab often live in caravans of Sadi as they migrate. They are not as anti-magic as the Piromese, but are still cautious. Gifted children are usually brought to the Gathering Place to better learn their abilities or grow out of them. While they do trade with Piromere, they don't trust Piromere to keep the peace given how antagonistic Piromere has been toward them in the past and currently. While some advocate for war and others for peace, all are preparing for what seems to be an inevitable invasion.

Culture

Shared customary codes and values

"All Numabians are born storytellers. It must be in the water they drink or the air they breathe because to listen to a Numabian story is magic." --Retired Explorer Rand Belmont

Oral traditions are strong among the tribes of the Numab. There is a guild of story tellers whose sole mission is to keep the oral history and culture of the Numab alive and connected to the people. These Keepers travel as part of Guardian crews to different tribes to spread news, knowledge, and stories as well as to collect them. Keepers do have a central organization that helps train Keepers, keeps track of where they've gone, and advocates to the Council their findings. However, anyone can become a Keeper if they want so long as they can complete the training. Even if you're not a Keeper, story telling is highly regarded and instilled in youth.
The Numab also see the natural world as their teacher. Learning about the world and how better to navigate or survive in it is a big priority. They see the creatures, whether plant or animal or some other form of life, who have survived in the wilderness as their teachers. Thus they try to emulate the behaviors and strategies of wildlife. Because of this, they are able to survive and thrive in regions of the world where others struggle. Thus they can almost always get away from the Piromese by escaping into the desert beyond the Borderlands where the Piromese struggle to follow.

Average technological level

They have attained steam and battery powered technology as well as radio capabilities. They use this technology to continue their traditional ways of being rather to replace them. Because of their mistrust of the Piromese, they can be slow to adopt new technology out of Piromere.

Common Etiquette rules

They have strong hospitality rules. They will try to take on strangers who've been stranded or take in those in need of aid. However, they won't sacrifice their own crew (for example, if there's no space in the sadi for another person, they won't strand their own crew member to save the stranded person. In this case, they'd set a marker for the stranded person and share as much food and water as they could spare.). If hospitality is violated by either party, this is met with swift rebuke.

Common Dress code

Their clothes are loose fitting and breathable to deal with the extreme temperatures they often encounter. The openings around their sleeves, pant legs, and neck are tight fitting to help keep the sand out. They will layer a vest with pockets over their flowy jumpsuit type clothing. Hoods, scarves, and other head coverings are common, even when not out on a voyage. Hair is kept pinned back and/or up as loose hair often gets in the way. They can have rudimentary combs of bone or wood to pin their hair or intricately made metalwork depending on the occasion. Dyes are made from desert materials so most clothes are either their natural color or are dyed in muted warm toned colors. There are distinct sets of clothes used for inside spaces and those used for outside spaces or traveling. It's considered rude to wear outside clothes into someone's home.

Art & Architecture

The Numab put their art into things they take with them. They'll paint the sides of their sadi or embroider patterns into their clothes. Often their art has multipurposes and extreme durability. They also consider song, music, and storytelling as high art forms.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

"Numabians are a lovely bunch compared to those stuck up Piromese sour pusses." --drunk merchant overheard at Deefin Gate

Often when tribes or crews meet out on voyage, they will create a meal together to swap stories. Crews that do not join such meetings are considered rude and suspicious. Such action will generate hostility from the rebuked tribe/crew.
When traversing the tunnels, it is customary to sing. This helps alert the tunbe beetles to the crew's presence and reduces the chance of startling one. It also helps gauge oxygen levels. If the singing gets harder, that is good indication that the crew has come across a gas pocket or dead air and needs to reverse course or breach to the surface.

Coming of Age Rites

The youth must tell a story of their life at a big feast. Others may join in with stories about the youth, but the youth is not considered an adult until they have a story of their own that they can tell and add to the collective oral history. It is tradition to have a Keeper join the celebration so that the stories are kept in the community "record".

Funerary and Memorial customs

"It may appear almost necrophiliac to the casual bystander, but it is in fact a most heartfelt ceremony, the likes of which I shall not easily forget."--Retired Explorer Max Jamison

The dead are laid out on a table and their loved ones gather round. They tell stories about the deceased and pass food over the body. The food is then eaten. They believe that by passing the food over the body, they infuse it with a bit of their spirit. By eating the food, they then keep the spirit of the deceased with them and in the tribe as they transition to the spirit world. By tethering the spirit to the people in this way, it's thought to increase their chance of transitioning peacefully and fully rather than become a ghost stuck between realms.

Common Taboos

To alter or destroy art or otherwise harm the collective soul of the people is one of the highest kinds of taboos. To take advantage of hospitality through false pretense or malicious action is also in this tier of taboo.
Wasting resources is also taboo, but not as much as the previous actions.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Because surface dwelling Numab wear clothes that covers most of their body, including face, a person's voice is often what is considered beautiful. Rich voices in lower registers are held it highest regard. Though clarity is as important as timbre. Brassy, nasally, or vocal fry tendencies are not ideal. Natural beauty is also held in high regard since make up isn't traditionally used beyond coal type pencils for the eyes.

Gender Ideals

There are not strong gender roles in the Numab and if there are gender roles, they fluctuate between tribes and factions.

Courtship Ideals

During courtship, they try to demonstrate how they would provide for the other person. Essentially what they could offer the family unit/tribe if they joined. This could be through gifts of clothing, tools, food, or water or by creating works of art or stories for the other person.

Relationship Ideals

Relationships are partnerships. When they are working together, that is ideal. Fighting between couples or sabotage is considered anathema because they not only threaten their own lives but the lives of those who depend on them in the community for fulfilling their tasks (fetching water, gathering food, etc.). Affection through acts of service is often the ideal. Big romances are considered unrealistic and dangerous to implosion. Small romance is preferred, small daily acts of affection that add to the day-to-day chores but doesn't get in the way of them.

Major organizations

The Council

The Council of the Gathering Place is the leading body. Councilors are elected by their various tribes to represent them on the council. The Council meets at least four times a year. In between meetings, councilors may either stay at the Gathering Place or join their tribes as they migrate to various regions with the season. As such authority is limited in scope, but respected.

The Keepers

The Keepers are an organization of people who are trained to remember stories orally. The organization has a loose central structure, with the training happening at the Gathering Place and with the lead Keeper being the advocate to the Council, taking news and information that the Keepers gather to the Council members as needed. Keepers travel with Guardians who are sworn to protect and aid the Numabian people, no matter their tribe affiliation. Anyone can become a keeper or a guardian so long as they pass their training and maintain their oaths.

Related Items

• Blood Stone

Related Locations

• The Borderlands