Aquaga

Aquaga takes in the northeastern and coastal lands of Eria. Several tribes live here, among them the Axte, Eque, Shepaug and Quinetu, all tall and dignified with copper-colored skin and straight black hair. They are semi-nomadic, moving with the game; mastodon, deer and bear make up most of their diet, with shellfish and fish from both salt and fresh water. Most also gather fruit, nuts and berries, and a few, the Quinetu above all, have begun some farming.

Climate shapes their lives: northern tribes spend most of the year in long thatched lodges, while those in the southeast use smaller hide-covered shelters. Hunters with flint-headed spears and arrows track the dwindling mastodon herds on their seasonal migrations.

Their religion blends shamanism and nature worship. Every family or clan claims a patron or totem, typically a beast like the bear, deer or wolf, yet the only true deities they revere are the Earth Mother and the powers of nature. Every village has at least one shaman, important in both religious and social life, who in most villages leads the council of elders and answers only to the clan chief.

The tribes sometimes bicker but are not warlike. Recent traders report the Quinetu and Shepaug especially friendly and keen to swap skins, hides and herbs for metal goods and ornaments. Scouts, hunters and guides, many highly skilled, can be hired for half the standard rate. Only the Eque have ever been hostile to strangers, and only when something has roused their natural suspicion.