Avakuli

The Avakuli hold northern Pemba, bounded by Ophir in the north, the ocean in the west and the Okawala River in the south, their land fading eastward into the wilds of Awalawa. They are of medium height with chocolate-brown skin and kinky black hair usually dyed several colors, and wear nothing but bright body paint and the odd ornament. They build no permanent settlements, migrating with the seasons around a small range.

Their ways descend from half-remembered Amazon times: women hunt, fight and make every decision, while men gather vegetables, cook and keep camp. They worship the Old Goddess Hawwa through shamans. Though primitive, they trade heavily with Ophir, swapping ivory, furs and rare jungle plants and animals for metal goods they cannot make, so their warriors carry Ophirite spears, machetes, bows and even some armor. Despite trade agreements, they often slip across the border to raid Ophirian settlements.