The Color Spyral

Clan Structure
Isle kaasht are scattered across Tryne, mostly inhabiting tropical islands too small to be mapped. Some groups can be found in inland tropical forests or on otherwise deserted shorelines near forests, for the shrouding canopy of the trees, or near plains, for the semi-tropical heat. A few groups have even been found on small, floating villages, and the kaasht themselves spend most of their waking hours in the water.

Unlike most other breeds of kaasht, Isle kaasht do not live in clans, at least not in the same fashion as Mountain or Plains kaasht. Isle kaasht live in tribes, jointly lead by the clan's spiritual and magical leader, the head shaman, and the clan's elder female. Tribes are much smaller than most clans, never rising over fifty members, and members are almost always related by blood or mating. They are more like over-large families than social or survival gatherings. The tribe's elder, or matriarch, is quite often literally the oldest kaasht with the most blood relations in the clan, and she mainly concerns herself with disputes within the tribe rather than encounters beyond the tribe. The head shaman is in charge of outer matters, be they matters of the hunt, matters of diplomacy, or matters of war. The head shaman usually has more official power than the matriarch, but the matriarch has more loyalty among the tribe.

Isle kaasht tribes are incredibly xenophobic when it comes to other breeds of kaasht, and incredibly territorial when it comes to other Isle kaasht tribes. Small wars are almost constantly being waged between and Isle kaasht tribes who happen to meet borders or share an island chain. Kaasht of other breeds are not allowed within a tribe's territory under any circumstances, though rarely a kaasht will put up such a spectacular fight that the tribe will simply vanish and hide from it rather than risk tribal casualties chasing it away or killing it. To suddenly be abandoned by your foe in the middle of a battle is a high compliment when the foe is an Isle kaasht.

Education in Isle kaasht tribes is mainly handled by a kit's parents. Survival skills, tribe history, and the rules of tribe society are all taught by a kit's mother and, sometimes, the father. Each kit will spend a matter of months before coming of age with the head shaman and the tribe's Lorekeeper, learning about the tribe's spiritual and magical lore.

Culture
Isle kaasht society is highly matriarchal. Females are raised to be more influential in society because they are believed to hold the powers of both life and death. Female kaasht are usually the head of the household, though male kaasht might be stronger warriors or better hunters, and tribes are always led by a matriarch. When kaasht of different tribes wish to be mated, the male will join the female's tribe.

Isle kaasht are also very highly religious. While religions might vary across the vast face of Tryne, most of them follow the same general deities, the Dark Ones, a trio of gods based loosely on the Elementals Death, Time, and Dark, with the Bright One, a combination of Light and Life, as a fourth to alternately lead or oppose them. Ritual and tradition is strictly observed in Isle kaasht tribes; even the every-day acts of hunting and bringing down prey, of cleaning one's self, and bedding down for the night have certain ascribed actions, prayers, and chants involved. Some rituals are meant for shamans alone to enact, and a couple are reserved only for the head shaman. The tribe each have at least one kaasht, sometimes two, devoted entirely to an oral record of the tribe's history, a Lorekeeper. Lorekeepers are said to know more about times before the Time of Madness than most kaasht.

On top of being highly religious, Isle kaasht are also highly superstitious. They believe strongly in luck, fate, and the gods intervening in every activity of life. That is one reason behind their tendency to tattoo and pierce themselves, dying their skin and fur into patterns of the stars to influence their luck, or keeping a blessed or lucky items with them at all times by attaching it to the body itself. As both are also painful activities, they serve the double-purpose of displaying how brave and strong the kaasht are, to withstand them.

Most important about Isle kaasht societal structure, however, is the caste system. At birth, kits have a determined place in society, outlined by first their base color, and second by the moon they were born under. Xyan is the most highly respected of the moons, and being born under it guerantees a kaasht an instant one-level rise in caste positioning. Sirencia is an indifferent moon in Isle kaasht tradition, but Lymia is considered unlucky and can result in a kaasht dropping up to two caste levels. The caste one is born into, however, can be improved through hard work, great deeds, or blessing from the head shaman.

Opinions on Other Species
Sky: Too happy. Too peaceful! And very too accepting! They even accept mundanes! Ugh!

Forest: Anything against those evil plains kaasht can't be all bad.

Plains: Evil! Evil kits of imallin! I hate the giant demons! I hate them as much as they hate me! May every last one of them get swallowed by a h'nir!

Mountain: Mountains have a lot of fight to them. I suppose they're okay. I've never met one.

Desert: They're so... tall...

Cave: They're small... they're small like us. That's something for them. Too nice, though. They make me nervous with all their niceness, because you know that all they want is to ask you lots of questions.

Beach: Not bad. They swim almost as well as we do and don't make a lot of fuss. They can breathe underwater, though. That's not fair; I wish I could breathe underwater, too.

Valley: Grrr, annoying, impudent, pesky... grr, I don't like Valley kaasht. I hope an imallin eats all of them.

Old Mystic: What? Who?

Tundra: I've never met one, but I guess they're okay. At least they aren't loud and annoying.

Marsh: Another not bad one. They fight very well, but they follow such confusing rules. All battle and strength and how many times you win, nothing about fate or your gods-given place in life.

Plateau: Very boring, very pesky, very annoying. Always wanting to ask questions and poke at us and they use words I've never heard before. I wish they'd all go away!

Opinions on Other Kaasht Types
Mundanes: Isle kaasht will not tolerate a mundane in their tribe, and such kaasht are exiled or even killed as a sacrifice immediately upon discovery. Parents of mundane kits are often demoted in caste rank for the sin of bringing a colorless kaasht into the tribe. Mundane Isle kaasht rarely survive past kithood.

Half-breeds: Multi-breed kaasht are not tolerated among the more traditional Isle kaasht tribes, and usually the whole family is exiled. There are a few cases in which a family has been allowed to stay, but usually kits of these unions are either half Beach, half Cave, or highly favor their Isle side. On the whole, multi-breeds are not trusted and usually leave of their own accord, anyway.

Bi-colors: Kaasht born with two colors confuse most Isle kaasht. Which caste should they go into? What is their place in life? And why, oh, why do they keep disappearing? Should a bicolor stay in a tribe long enough for such issues to be worked out, however, bicolors end up highly respected members of society because of their extra power.

Protectors: Isle kaasht in general dislike the Protectors, feeling that they should mind their own business and leave other kaasht alone. A Protector is not likely to be given any respect, even if he just happened to save the matriarch or head shaman from a Guilder. Of course, most Protectors simply fall into the category of untrustworthy multi-breeds, as Isle kaasht don't normally know anything about the Protectors.

Guilders: Those rare Isles who know of the existance of the Guild speak about it in hushed tones, full of both fear and respect. Chameleon seems like one of the Dark Ones, themselves, in both goals and methods. Some Isles go so far as to believe that the Guild is a force of the gods on Tryne, and if they are singled out to be killed, then will usually die happily, as a sacrifice or a martyr.

Opinions on Colours
Base color is extremely important in Isle kaasht society. Nearly every tribe follows a strict caste system, in which different roles and stations in the tribe are assigned by base color first, and moon a kit was born under second. The ranks of this caste system are listed here, from highest ranking color to lowest ranking color. When more than one color is listed in a caste level, this indicates ambiguity. Isolation between Isle tribes leads to differences between clans as to which color should have higher rank, or whether colors should be lumped together. Different clans might have slightly different caste orders, but this is the general pattern:

Copper

Black, Purple

Iridescent, Green

Orange, Silver, Transluscent

Red, Blue

White, Yellow

Gold


Back to Isle Kaasht	Clan Structure Isle kaasht are scattered across Tryne, mostly inhabiting tropical islands too small to be mapped. Some groups can be found in inland tropical forests or on otherwise deserted shorelines near forests, for the shrouding canopy of the trees, or near plains, for the semi-tropical heat. A few groups have even been found on small, floating villages, and the kaasht themselves spend most of their waking hours in the water. Unlike most other breeds of kaasht, Isle kaasht do not live in clans, at least not in the same fashion as Mountain or Plains kaasht. Isle kaasht live in tribes, jointly lead by the clan's spiritual and magical leader, the head shaman, and the clan's elder female. Tribes are much smaller than most clans, never rising over fifty members, and members are almost always related by blood or mating. They are more like over-large families than social or survival gatherings. The tribe's elder, or matriarch, is quite often literally the oldest kaasht with the most blood relations in the clan, and she mainly concerns herself with disputes within the tribe rather than encounters beyond the tribe. The head shaman is in charge of outer matters, be they matters of the hunt, matters of diplomacy, or matters of war. The head shaman usually has more official power than the matriarch, but the matriarch has more loyalty among the tribe. Isle kaasht tribes are incredibly xenophobic when it comes to other breeds of kaasht, and incredibly territorial when it comes to other Isle kaasht tribes. Small wars are almost constantly being waged between and Isle kaasht tribes who happen to meet borders or share an island chain. Kaasht of other breeds are not allowed within a tribe's territory under any circumstances, though rarely a kaasht will put up such a spectacular fight that the tribe will simply vanish and hide from it rather than risk tribal casualties chasing it away or killing it. To suddenly be abandoned by your foe in the middle of a battle is a high compliment when the foe is an Isle kaasht. Education in Isle kaasht tribes is mainly handled by a kit's parents. Survival skills, tribe history, and the rules of tribe society are all taught by a kit's mother and, sometimes, the father. Each kit will spend a matter of months before coming of age with the head shaman and the tribe's Lorekeeper, learning about the tribe's spiritual and magical lore. Culture Isle kaasht society is highly matriarchal. Females are raised to be more influential in society because they are believed to hold the powers of both life and death. Female kaasht are usually the head of the household, though male kaasht might be stronger warriors or better hunters, and tribes are always led by a matriarch. When kaasht of different tribes wish to be mated, the male will join the female's tribe. Isle kaasht are also very highly religious. While religions might vary across the vast face of Tryne, most of them follow the same general deities, the Dark Ones, a trio of gods based loosely on the Elementals Death, Time, and Dark, with the Bright One, a combination of Light and Life, as a fourth to alternately lead or oppose them. Ritual and tradition is strictly observed in Isle kaasht tribes; even the every-day acts of hunting and bringing down prey, of cleaning one's self, and bedding down for the night have certain ascribed actions, prayers, and chants involved. Some rituals are meant for shamans alone to enact, and a couple are reserved only for the head shaman. The tribe each have at least one kaasht, sometimes two, devoted entirely to an oral record of the tribe's history, a Lorekeeper. Lorekeepers are said to know more about times before the Time of Madness than most kaasht. On top of being highly religious, Isle kaasht are also highly superstitious. They believe strongly in luck, fate, and the gods intervening in every activity of life. That is one reason behind their tendency to tattoo and pierce themselves, dying their skin and fur into patterns of the stars to influence their luck, or keeping a blessed or lucky items with them at all times by attaching it to the body itself. As both are also painful activities, they serve the double-purpose of displaying how brave and strong the kaasht are, to withstand them. Most important about Isle kaasht societal structure, however, is the caste system. At birth, kits have a determined place in society, outlined by first their base color, and second by the moon they were born under. Xyan is the most highly respected of the moons, and being born under it guerantees a kaasht an instant one-level rise in caste positioning. Sirencia is an indifferent moon in Isle kaasht tradition, but Lymia is considered unlucky and can result in a kaasht dropping up to two caste levels. The caste one is born into, however, can be improved through hard work, great deeds, or blessing from the head shaman. Opinions on Other Species Sky: Too happy. Too peaceful! And very too accepting! They even accept mundanes! Ugh! Forest: Anything against those evil plains kaasht can't be all bad. Plains: Evil! Evil kits of imallin! I hate the giant demons! I hate them as much as they hate me! May every last one of them get swallowed by a h'nir! Mountain: Mountains have a lot of fight to them. I suppose they're okay. I've never met one. Desert: They're so... tall... Cave: They're small... they're small like us. That's something for them. Too nice, though. They make me nervous with all their niceness, because you know that all they want is to ask you lots of questions. Beach: Not bad. They swim almost as well as we do and don't make a lot of fuss. They can breathe underwater, though. That's not fair; I wish I could breathe underwater, too. Valley: Grrr, annoying, impudent, pesky... grr, I don't like Valley kaasht. I hope an imallin eats all of them. Old Mystic: What? Who? Tundra: I've never met one, but I guess they're okay. At least they aren't loud and annoying. Marsh: Another not bad one. They fight very well, but they follow such confusing rules. All battle and strength and how many times you win, nothing about fate or your gods-given place in life. Plateau: Very boring, very pesky, very annoying. Always wanting to ask questions and poke at us and they use words I've never heard before. I wish they'd all go away! Opinions on Other Kaasht Types Mundanes: Isle kaasht will not tolerate a mundane in their tribe, and such kaasht are exiled or even killed as a sacrifice immediately upon discovery. Parents of mundane kits are often demoted in caste rank for the sin of bringing a colorless kaasht into the tribe. Mundane Isle kaasht rarely survive past kithood. Half-breeds: Multi-breed kaasht are not tolerated among the more traditional Isle kaasht tribes, and usually the whole family is exiled. There are a few cases in which a family has been allowed to stay, but usually kits of these unions are either half Beach, half Cave, or highly favor their Isle side. On the whole, multi-breeds are not trusted and usually leave of their own accord, anyway. Bi-colors: Kaasht born with two colors confuse most Isle kaasht. Which caste should they go into? What is their place in life? And why, oh, why do they keep disappearing? Should a bicolor stay in a tribe long enough for such issues to be worked out, however, bicolors end up highly respected members of society because of their extra power. Protectors: Isle kaasht in general dislike the Protectors, feeling that they should mind their own business and leave other kaasht alone. A Protector is not likely to be given any respect, even if he just happened to save the matriarch or head shaman from a Guilder. Of course, most Protectors simply fall into the category of untrustworthy multi-breeds, as Isle kaasht don't normally know anything about the Protectors. Guilders: Those rare Isles who know of the existance of the Guild speak about it in hushed tones, full of both fear and respect. Chameleon seems like one of the Dark Ones, themselves, in both goals and methods. Some Isles go so far as to believe that the Guild is a force of the gods on Tryne, and if they are singled out to be killed, then will usually die happily, as a sacrifice or a martyr. Opinions on Colours Base color is extremely important in Isle kaasht society. Nearly every tribe follows a strict caste system, in which different roles and stations in the tribe are assigned by base color first, and moon a kit was born under second. The ranks of this caste system are listed here, from highest ranking color to lowest ranking color. When more than one color is listed in a caste level, this indicates ambiguity. Isolation between Isle tribes leads to differences between clans as to which color should have higher rank, or whether colors should be lumped together. Different clans might have slightly different caste orders, but this is the general pattern: Copper Black, Purple Iridescent, Green Orange, Silver, Transluscent Red, Blue White, Yellow Gold