There are several dozen beast tribes within the Seravusi. Most tribes are only a couple of thousand strong with less than a dozen having more than ten thousand members.
+ Politics
The Seravusi used to be ruled by one supreme Aulete but strange magics corrupted the last one, Jairn (Cf Genertela Book p69), and he has not been interested in ruling for over a century. Attempts to find a new supreme Aulete through the contest of music have only succeeded in summoning a foul-mooded Jairn and resulted in much bloodshed. For that reason, the government of Seravus has become dispersed among the tribe of Auletes and the leaders of the beast tribes themselves.
+ Some Tribes of the Seravusi:
Aulete: This select tribe keeps the peace among the Seravusi with their enchanted pipes. The ruling Aulete of any given area is chosen through a contest of pipe magic. The supreme Aulete, widely known as the Enchanter, is supposed to be chosen through these contests but that hasn't happened for a while.
Deer: The largest tribe owing to the presence of the nearby Pralori, the Deers have been kept out of power due to the treason of the Sleek Deer Prince during the Gbaji Wars. Accordingly most of the tribes lives beyond the influence of the Aulete and relies on the Hsunchen mysteries for spiritual guidance.
Devil-smellers: This small heterogeneous tribe is full of members from other tribes with one thing in common
Lions: The lions are valiant warriors but distrusted due to their kinship to the Traitor. Select lions have risen high in the service of the Auletes but these have always been fanatical servants to erase the suspicions about their loyalties.
Loons: The Loons are the first of the beast tribes and are ranked higher in precedence than even the Auletes. For all their high status, they make their living as fisher folk.
Ox: A slave tribe established after the defection of the Cattle Tribe to the winds. Any male storm worshipper caught by the Seravusi is forcibly inducted into this order and castrated before being put to work as laborers and farmhands.
Rats: Lowlanders believe the foul, loathsome Rat tribe to be extinct but they still scavenge the refuse pits of Seravus. They were particularly hated in war time for their role in infiltrating cities and spreading disease.
Snakes: Although small, the snakes are the most cultured tribe as its members are lawyers, diplomats and merchants. The tribe once had a fearsome reputation for sorcery but the tribal magicians were annihilated for their friendship with the EWF.
Wolves: A tribe of raiders and shepherd. Since Seravus has traditionally provided refuge for fugitives and renegades from Telmoria, the wolf tribe is notorious for its savagery with only the Auletes preventing them from hurting other Seravusi.
+ The Three Foes:
The Seravusi have three sworn enemies with grievances dating back to the Gods War. The first foe are the Galanini for their murder of the Aulete. Since the demise of the Galanini, the Seravusi now extend this hatred to Riders in the four Horse Troops and, to a lesser extent, anybody who rides a horse.
The Orlanthi are hated as allies of treacherous Yinkin and thieves of life magics, which forced the beasts to become humans. Accordingly when raiding the Orlanthi, the Seravusi delight in enslaving their women and children as well as crucifying any cats they find.
The third foe, the Partanians are gone now, scattered after a recent battle and in their place, the Seravusi now fear Malkioni in general.
+ Magics:
Each tribe is a heroband with its guardian providing blessings on any member wearing a tribal beastmask. In addition, each tribe has access to its own magical traditions. The hsunchen mysteries, introduced in the Imperial Age, are widespread but some tribes disdain them and a couple cannot practice them.
+ Myths of the Seravusi
When Earthmaker danced in the Wood of Wonders, he danced to the music of the Aulete's pipe. But the Aulete left the woods long ago because he ate the fruits of the Tree of Wisdom. The inhabitants of the woods say that this was a terrible crime for which Earthmaker expelled him but the Aulete said that his new knowledge made him leave.
The Aulete left the Woods travelling westwards until he came to the place that is now Seravus. There he witnessed the beasts tearing each other apart but with a simple tune on his pipes, he brought peace. There he named the beasts and the ways in which they were to live.
Having brought peace to Seravus, the Aulete made his way to Hrelar Amali, the City of Gods, further to the west. But the Gods there favoured the lyre and scorned the newcomer for his rustic instrument. Undaunted the Aulete played a sweet melody on his pipes that charmed all those that heared it.
When the Gods heard the new music, they were angered by the Aulete's defiance but they were also secretly ashamed of the inferiority of the lyre. To assuage their wounded pride, they ordered the Galanini to flay the Aulete alive and throw his pipes into the depths of the Bakeel Lake. When the Beasts of Seravus heard of his death, they wept so much that they created the Estal River from their tears.
It was the Loon that brought the magic of the Aulete back to Seravus once again. Diving repeatedly in the depths of the Bakeel, he brought up the broken pieces of the Flute and bore them back to Seravus. There the broken pieces were studied and new pipes were made. A contest was held to find the best piper who was then chosen to be the new Aulete. For his great labor, the tribe of Loons was honored as the first of the beasts, even before the Auletes.
After the death of the Aulete, the unity of the Seravusi was marred by rank treachery. Yinkin the Mangy, a troublesome beast, found that his constant whining would not get him fed. Seeking new servants to look after him, he found windy friends in the east and led them to plunder Seravus.
The result of Yinkin's treachery was catastrophic for the beasts could no longer reproduce. To save themselves from extinction, the beasts held the first contest of music to find a new Aulete.
Once found, the Aulete went to the nearby city of Partan which was suffering an plague of rats and offered to rid them of the rats. When the city fathers accepted his offer, the Aulete played a tune and led the rats into the Felster lake where they all drowned.
The Aulete then returned to Partan for his reward and found the city fathers were waiting for him at the gate with with sacks of gold. But the Aulete did not want gold and so he played another tune and lead the children of Partan out of the city into Seravus. There he allocated the children to each tribe and bade them raise the children as their own young. And that is how the beasts of Seravus came to have the shape and gait of men.
When the Devil and his horde approached Seravus from the north, the beasts were all terrified for anybody that had fought the Devil was gone forever. But the Aulete was unafraid. As the Devil's horde drew near, he summoned the beasts and played the normal music of peace backwards. Upon hearing this, the Beasts tried to sing and dance along to it but only created such a terrible din that frightened the Devil and his horde into running away. And that is how Seravus was saved from the Devil's horde.
--Peter Metcalfe
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