The Sigwa Tribe

Shadows in the Swamps

• Learn More

Tenets of the Sigwa Tribe

Honor the ancestors

Your actions, your intention and deeds, they see all. They are just as much a part of you as the future ahead of you. We learn from the past... We learn from our ancestors. We seek wisdom in their trials and take comfort in their tales. Honor their legacy, and bring honor to their names.

Contribute to the whole

Contributing to the whole is indeed about family, about friends, the spirits and the waters. But more importantly, it is specifically about what you can give back. You pull your own weight. What weight you pull may not be the same weight as another. But it also means that no one comes empty-handed.The hunters feed us. The watchers protect us. The children inspire us. The elders advise us. But no one is idle. No one is still. No one does nothing. Stillness bring stagnation, stagnation brings decay. Give of yourself what you can, but give. If each pair of hands holds but one fish, we can still feed the tribe.

Keep safe your own

Protect your family, whether they be by blood or by circumstance. Guard the homestead of the Sigwa and keep safe the secrets of our territory. Safety is measured not only with the blood that can be spilled in defense of your people, but also in the wisdom to speak only what is necessary so as not to endanger your kin.If one stands among us that cannot be trusted to guard the back of the Sigwa, we will turn our backs on them. If you cannot fight beside us, you will perish alone.

Beware your actions

You are but a pebble poised above the water. It is you. It is everyone you know. Everywhere you've gone. Everything you will ever do.Beware your actions for everything you do will have a ripple. Every action, every word. No matter how slight, no matter how insignificant, the small of pebbles can cause lasting effects with every ripple it casts upon the water.You may go through life tip-toeing, careful and silent, unsure and anxious. You will hardly leave a single notable ripple on the surface of the water. This can be good and bad. Though you do not disturb...you also do not inspire. You do not affect. You are unnoticed. This can be good as you can slip past danger. You can make sure not to anger or upset. You choose your steps thoughtfully and wisely.This can be bad as you are forgettable. You are a face in the crowd, a whisper of a name, a faded memory. Or...You can rise to your challenges, to your peers and obstacles, to your everyday life...and throw yourself at them.Good and bad. You can be a sharp memory. People will know your face and your name, in reverence or in revulsion. In affection or hatred. But you will be someone they know by name. You can inspire. You can gain friends, lovers, family. You can hit hard, hit fast. You are bold and fearless.But you are also reckless. You do not think of the ripples that follow your actions. The water is displaced; your steps are heavy ones, and you have no thought to how they echo in your stead.Your choices, your actions, should be reflected upon...before you cast your pebble. Do not mourn the water, nor the ripples, or past pebbles. That is what we do. To live too far in the future or too deep in the past is death to us.

Respect the waters

Be confident in your strike, for a hesitant predator is cocky prey. Strike swiftly and accurately, as the water does not forgive. You will not be granted a second chance. Strike not when you feel ready, but when your prey is unable to flee. Kill swiftly. The water calls to others when there is struggle.One strike. One kill. Either they die, or you will. The waters have no love for the foolish. You exist only on its terms. If your arrogance outweighs common sense, you will fall prey to the teeth that reside in its embrace.Respecting the waters does not mean protecting it from others. It is protecting yourself from its wrath. If you disrespect it, it will consume you whole...and feel no remorse for your death, nor mourn your passing.Respecting the waters is not only for the hunters that prowl its depths. Everyone must respect its current. Take caution around dark waters, lest you are dragged under. Know the signs that a predator is near. Don't underestimate the fact that everything can and will hunt you should you present yourself as prey. Heed the tide or it will consume you.No one is above the food chain. You are a small fish in the waves. Never forget.

• Next

About

The Myths

Hailing from an island archipelago somewhere around the South Seas Islands, they were skilled fisherman and sailors. Able to navigate from the southern tip of Thavnair through the Siren Song Sea, the Sigwa kept to themselves. Not needing trade from larger islands or city-states to maintain their livelihoods. Older tales of encounters from superstitious Thavnarian sailors claim trade was always held in open waters. Mixed with fanciful embellishments, they say large and imposing wavekin would circle the transactions in case of poor deals. Proof of such tales are hard to come by, but the incredibly close relationship the Sigwa have to large crocodilian-like wavekin that swim within their waters hint at some truth.Sometime in the more recent era, a small group found their boats cast adrift into the Drowned. Unable to navigate and beset on by relentless storms, it was their great wavekin that ultimately saved them. Following the bask of giant crocodile-like monsters, they arrived within the deep mangrove swamps of the South Shroud along the delta of the Hathoeva River. A place similar enough to their own home, they settled believing that returning home would be too perilous for the time being.Over the years, and through the ability to hear the elements, their leader bonded with one of the weak elementals. Offering their service to protecting the space and lands, the Sigwa walk through their parts of the shroud without mask or fear. Others are not as lucky.To tread in their home unbidden is to dance with death, as they protect their new home with the same ferocity they do their islands. Tricks of floating lights, whispers in the wind, and hands always reaching to drown trespassers are just a few of the rumors spoken from the rare survivors. A people that can seemingly appear from the shadows of enormous trees only to vanish beneath the placid waters of the shroud, they took to their new home quickly.

The Legends

From isolated islands in the South Seas, to the swamps at the tip of the Shroud, down to the depths of the sea's coral reefs the Sigwa call many areas across the star home. Determining which is their original home is hard to pin down as no two will give a straight answer. The only common thread being the deep water patrolling wavekin they maintain close bonds with and follow through seasonal migrations. Though some have found residencies across the star, few bring detailed locations of entire villages.The Shroud
Within the South Shroud along the delta of the Hathoeva River a small settlement sits around the largest and oldest of the mangrove trees. The youngest of known residencies, it is built within and against the large trees and canopy. Strategically placed to rest several feet above the natural seasonal flooding, the structures sway and move with the whim of the swamps. Rope bridges and ladders offer open access to the homes and platforms. Deeper underwater passages give elder members secret tunnels to the higher reaches, and twisting interconnected tunnels between the large root systems allow safe passage through their territory. This winding way often gives the image of merging with and stepping from the trees at will.South Seas Islands
Somewhere between the trade routes through the South Seas between Thavnair and Hingashi sits a small archipelago with miqo'te fishers who pay little mind to the turning of the star around them. Largely left out of the politics of the star, they carry on as little more than a passing island grouping to navigate the waters. Though should unsuspecting visitors decide to visit unannounced they will find themselves beset upon by large wavekin able to take sizeable chunks out of the hull of larger ships. Here on these islands a larger than usual colony of Zu claim the islands as breeding grounds in the summer months.Coral Reefs
Somewhere deep in the surrounding coral reefs that stretch across the depths many are lead to believe that entire villages sit within bubbles surrounded by vast colorful reefs protected by massive wavekin with viciously long teeth. It's said that the miqo'te living within the South Seas can breathe underwater as easily as they can above. Through magic and alchemy similar to that found in Thavnair, the Sigwa have a tradition within their families that bestows the ability to breathe under the depths of the waters that sustain them. Many hold special trials, rites of passage, or traditional ceremonies that differ per family line to earn the right and claim their tribe's secret for themselves.

Physical Characteristics

All natural-born Sigwa have bronzed skin or darker, regardless of whether they exhibit traits of either moon or sun. Their hair colors range from every hue of green, and rarely blue, black, or white. Occasionally the odd flower will bloom amongst the moss, though these are a rare sight.Their eyes brim with the brightness of the sun, warm gold and amber, earthy browns and verdant greens. Uncommon blues might make an appearance, but rarely another shade.Every smile of every Sigwa is filed sharp. Aside from the pupils, one cannot distinguish a Seeker or Keeper from their bite, adding an unnerving quality to their laughter.

Mannerisms

Sigwa laugh well, and often, but their jovial natures often distract from a sharp smile. Though they might prattle nonsense or make grand fools of themselves in good fun, they are ever aware of the situation, sizing up every perceived opponent, scanning every exit.Though they may be labeled as pranksters and liars, there is truth in their riddles, if one is perceptive enough.

• Next

Hierarchy

Babaylan

The spiritual leader of the Sigwa. Through them, the will of the Weave is made known as they honor the pact with the Black Shroud elementals, keeping safe the territory bequeathed to them. There is a special connection between the Babaylan and the oldest and largest tree in their territory, known as the 'Wise One'. It is said that their benefactors reside within the spirit of the tree, though only those gifted with Hearing are fortunate enough to know a difference.The Babaylan is responsible for guiding their people through peace and hardship. They dictate who will join the council to help govern the people of the Sigwa, as well as who will be cast out of their family. They perform last rites for the departed, facilitate trade between neighboring tribes and towns, and generally help the Sigwa survive in the shadows of the Shroud.

Council

The council is made of a few, highly trusted individuals within the Tribe, each a leader of their respective family lines. Currently, there are four, one of which is Khaj Shadowrun who also stands as the martial leader of the tribe.These people are the main governing body of the Sigwa, with the Babaylan at the head. Every large decision will be set before the council and as a group, they will vote. The council will also settle any disputes brought to them by the people, as both judge and jury.

Watcher

Watchers are responsible for keeping the Sigwa territory safe, first and foremost. These are the warriors and the scouts that patrol the length and breadth of the swamp where the Sigwa call home, often gone for days at a time, but never too far. They are fiercely loyal to their family, willing and able to put their lives on the line to keep any threat at bay for others to escape, or to dispatch quick justice to any that dare trespass on their land.When a stranger explores too close to their territory, they will hear a range of calls in the distance, as if the wood itself is greeting them. This is, in all actuality, the long-distant huntspeak of Watchers warning of an intruder. Though they typically patrol alone or in pairs, they will alert other Watchers close by before engaging a potential threat. Anything believed to be a danger, or otherwise unwelcome, will be driven out or swiftly silenced.There is no one weapon of a Watcher. Be it a spear, a bow, their bare fists or the might of their magic, they will deliver unto Sigwa enemies a merciless end.

Hunter

Hunters, gatherers, they are in constant pursuit of their prey and their quarry. Some hunt game and herbs in the wilds of their land, while others will fish in the swollen rivers or the ocean at their doorstep. They are a hardy bunch that travel alone or in hunting parties, but there is no other more capable of surviving off the land as a Hunter does, needing very little to survive while out gathering. Unlike the Watchers, they return at the end of their hunt in order to share in their spoils with the Tenders back at home.

Tender

Tenders are the beating heart of the village, tending gardens, cookpots, and young children. They treat common ailments of the body with medicinal skills passed down from generation to generation. They are warm individuals who will lend a hand to help their fellow tribe members, usually a jack of all trades or a master of a handful. Not all Tenders encompass every aspect of their position, but it is not unheard of for the elder Tenders to be skilled in cooking, child-rearing, crafting, gardening, medicine, and music. These are the ones most often found around a fire, eager to tell a tale to anyone that sits with them.

Children

Children in the Sigwa are raised in a crèche while their parents are out performing their duties, only returning to their homes when their guardians return for rest. Once they're old enough to move about with ease, typically at around six or seven summers, they're given free reign of the village and the surrounding territory. They are left undisciplined, allowed to sleep, eat, and bathe as they like, though this does not mean they are devoid of guidance.To an outsider's standpoint, this might seem chaotic and neglectful, but to a Sigwa it breeds independence, allowing their natural curiosity to spur them toward people that inspire them as they discover what role they will take up when they come of age.Lessons to a child are often words of wisdom given before they do something foolish, but ultimately the adults will allow them the freedom to experience the consequences of their actions rather than leap to pluck them from harm.At around fourteen or so summers, give or take a few years, children can begin to take their rites of passage, performing three difficult trials in order to gain responsibilities within the tribe. This is not the rite of passage to becoming an adult, only that can be got with age. Instead, completion of their trials is, at its core, a demonstration that they are prepared to take the next step to taking their place amongst their people.

• Next

OOC Information

Our tribe lore and story is specific to our own group, and incorporates a lot of south east Asian mythology most notably from the Philippines. We also acknowledge that even in our real life setting, there are countless ways that a people can exist and flourish and that no one way is the right way.If you are interested in more of our story, please don't hesitate to ask one of us! If they can't answer, they can point you to someone who can.Although our backgrounds are obviously of the Rak'tika Greatwood, we are not a tribe from the First. We use this zone purely as a backdrop for where our group exists canonically.

• Back