{"submission_id":"78746","keywords":[{"keyword_id":"1419","keyword_name":"clan","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"64"},{"keyword_id":"1165","keyword_name":"gypsy","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"161"},{"keyword_id":"37139","keyword_name":"nightmare fea","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"2"}],"hidden":"f","scraps":"f","favorite":"f","favorites_count":"0","create_datetime":"2011-02-27 11:51:41.200743+01","create_datetime_usertime":"27 Feb 2011 11:51 CET","last_file_update_datetime":"2011-02-27 11:47:38.410834+01","last_file_update_datetime_usertime":"27 Feb 2011 11:47 CET","username":"SissyeBunnyBoi","user_id":"11550","user_icon_file_name":"149841_SissyeBunnyBoi_adorbsavi.png","user_icon_url_large":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/149/149841_SissyeBunnyBoi_adorbsavi.png","user_icon_url_medium":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/149/149841_SissyeBunnyBoi_adorbsavi.png","user_icon_url_small":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/149/149841_SissyeBunnyBoi_adorbsavi.png","file_name":"103415_KateFea_the_nightmare_clan.rtf","file_url_full":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/full/103/103415_KateFea_the_nightmare_clan.rtf","file_url_screen":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/103/103415_KateFea_the_nightmare_clan.rtf","file_url_preview":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/103/103415_KateFea_the_nightmare_clan.rtf","files":[{"file_id":"103415","file_name":"103415_KateFea_the_nightmare_clan.rtf","file_url_full":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/full/103/103415_KateFea_the_nightmare_clan.rtf","file_url_screen":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/103/103415_KateFea_the_nightmare_clan.rtf","file_url_preview":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/103/103415_KateFea_the_nightmare_clan.rtf","mimetype":"text/rtf","submission_id":"78746","user_id":"11550","submission_file_order":"0","full_size_x":null,"full_size_y":null,"screen_size_x":null,"screen_size_y":null,"preview_size_x":null,"preview_size_y":null,"initial_file_md5":"be8697d166cc4fff467beb0ab2ef6cc6","full_file_md5":"be8697d166cc4fff467beb0ab2ef6cc6","large_file_md5":"","small_file_md5":"","thumbnail_md5":"","deleted":"f","create_datetime":"2011-02-27 11:47:38.410834+01","create_datetime_usertime":"27 Feb 2011 11:47 CET"}],"pools":[{"pool_id":"4437","name":"Fea'Ri Information","description":"Where all past and present information on the various races of Fea'Ri.\n\nMostly contains Lun'Phir Fea'Ri (originaly codenamed Nightmare Fea)","count":"6","submission_right_submission_id":"96140","submission_right_file_name":"125244_KateFea_p3200090.jpg","submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge_noncustom":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/125/125244_KateFea_p3200090.jpg","submission_right_thumbnail_url_large_noncustom":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/125/125244_KateFea_p3200090_noncustom.jpg","submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium_noncustom":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/125/125244_KateFea_p3200090_noncustom.jpg","submission_right_thumb_medium_noncustom_x":"90","submission_right_thumb_medium_noncustom_y":"120","submission_right_thumb_large_noncustom_x":"150","submission_right_thumb_large_noncustom_y":"200","submission_right_thumb_huge_noncustom_x":"225","submission_right_thumb_huge_noncustom_y":"300"}],"description":"This is the total sum of what I have so far on the Nightmare Clan. Now Mind you this is primarely about the clan, so it dosn't contain a discription of the species or race, except for personality traites.\n\nAlso I make mention of an every changing city. It has no name yet and will gain more information on it at a later date.","description_bbcode_parsed":"This is the total sum of what I have so far on the Nightmare Clan. Now Mind you this is primarely about the clan, so it dosn't contain a discription of the species or race, except for personality traites.
Also I make mention of an every changing city. It has no name yet and will gain more information on it at a later date.","writing":"NIGHTMARE CLAN INFORMATION\nBy: Kate-Hope the Nightmare Fea\nand by information found on the internet\n\nCULTURAL LIFESTYLE AND FAMILY DILINATIONS \n\nMost Clan members live in traveling wagons called Kaveras (sah-veer-s) or traveling air-boatss called Katros (sat-ros (sat. The typical wagon is a small wooden caravan wagon with a high arching roof and a door at the front. The driver sits at the front in an outdoor seat. Kaveras are painted in vivid colors and might even have tiny windows of tinted glass, if the owner is prosperous. The Kavera travels with a Dericulav (a large typically slow herbivore crawling reptile). The Katro travels with a Metkal (Met-sal, large ring made of Met, a type of metal, attached to the front which pulls the Katro by manipulating kal energy.)\nFaithfula'drikky and Fea'drukky hop alongside the Kavera or ride on the stern of the Katro. Crates of Helli'aks (chicken like reptiles) may be strapped to the side or beneath the both, and a tethered Dericalit (Milk bearing species similar to Dericulav) or Gavin (mediumm bird that looks like a two legged goat with a beak) may bring up the rear of a Kavera, only Gavin can be carried on the Katro. Sometimes a trained Davcaton (large crawling meat eating reptile capable of standing on hind legs) accompanies the Kavera ready to amaze and entertain the villagers at each stop.\nThe campfire is the center of Clan life. Each night the Males build roaring fires and play violins, violas, and the like, as young females dance and recount the oral history of their tribe.. Older members recall important legends of these nightly gatherings.\nBeyond travelingn Kaveras and Katros caravans, which are usually one tribe but can be several tribes traveling ogether for protection and or profit. The Fea are loosely united into a number of tribes. The tribes are further united into three states , called Bastzix (Bas-sex). While each state has its own variations in manner of dress, appearance, and traditions, they all recognize each other as fellow Clansmen. Each state has certain crafts and services in which its members traditionally excel, although these crafts and services are not exclusive to these groups.\nThe three distinct states of the Nightmare Clan are the Gavoltis, the Vinzels, and the Wensha.\nTHE GAVOLTIS BASTZIX\nThe Gavoltis are \"camp followers\": tinkers, smiths, Dericulav trainers/breeders, and healers. They pride themselves in their ability to supply armies, trade caravans, and adventurers and others with the proper tools needed to defeat enemies, as well as needed healing after a battle. The Gavoltis have been known to supply both sides in a conflict, not really caring about the disputes of non-clan, but more interested in making a living.\nTribes include:\nAtrivali - silversmiths\nAvrutas - goldsmiths\nBica – Metsmiths\nCixen – tinsmiths\nKacun – Technicians, Programmers, and Inventors\nLayis - Dericulav traders, trainers, and breeders\nValsiv – Kaveras and Katros builders\nZenkol - weapon smiths/blacksmiths, and Mechanics\nTHE VINZELS BASTZIX\nThe Vinzels are consummate entertainers. Their camps are rife with bards, dancers, musicians, and con men. Vinzels are also known to hire out as smugglers on occasion, taking great delight in pulling one over on the non-clan. Like the Gavoltis, the Vinzels might accept such assignments from all sides in a conflict, performing what they view as necessary preordained tasks.\nTribes include:\nEvota - jewelers and evaluators\nFinca - dancers\nLeazinf - musicians; specializing in fiddle\nMastrofic - singers and bards\nPalmoz - masters of keys, locks, and traps\nXes - animal trainers\nTHE WENSHA BASTZIX\nThe Wensha are the rarest of the major states, and are seldom encountered in numbers larger than a single family. They are the most mysterious and reclusive of the Clan and the ones closest to the oldest legends of the race. They are tinkerers in the arcane: amulets, charms, potions, and lore. Rumor says that they know much of ancient evils and how best to ward off or escape them. It is also this group which boasts the biggest number of hunters of necromancers.\nTribes include:\nCelv - rune smiths\nGal - healers and potion makers\nOmitalic - alchemists\nQoa - astrologers and lore masters\nZe - celestial casters and scroll makers\n\nTRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS\n\n\nRemarkably adaptable to changing conditions in different countries, Nightmares are versatile and earn their living by various means. Generally, there have been two conditions that a job must meet before it will be of interest to a Nightmare. The first is it must allow the Fea free travel. The second is for it to cause as little direct contact with Noble Fea, Zawcav, as possible. Services that cater to occasional needs and an ever-changing clientele are well suited to the Nightmare Fea way of life.\nMost Nightmares are peddlers selling what they have bought cheaply or selling what they have made themselves. There are certain staple occupations, such as horse-trading, metalworking, and dealing in scrap metal. In gaining a livelihood, the women play their full part.\n\nMETALWORKING\n\n\nOne area in which the Nightmare has traditionally excelled is that of metalwork. They have been known as metalworkers from the beginning of their history. They have made nails, arm, tools, and cooking equipment. They have been skilled at plating objects with tin, embossing and engraving jewelry . The Nightmare Fea have been experts in all forms of metalwork, whether it be as tinsmiths, copper smiths, silversmiths, or goldsmiths.\nNightmares have not only been master metalworkers, but they have also shown great ingenuity in technology advancement. These are necessary to their work and are specifically designed to be easily transported.\n\n\nENTERTAINERS: MUSICIANS, BARDS, AND STORYTELLERS\n\n\nNightmares are also noted as entertainers, especially as musicians and dancers. The instruments traditionally preferred by the musicians have been the guitar, the lute, percussion instruments such as the cymbalom and drums. The cello and violin are also favored. Other instruments are zills, hand cymbals worn on the fingers, Bagpipes, and panpipes and flutes.\nTheir skill at improvisation is well known. There is another type of music that is authentically Nightmares a highly rhythmic progression of tones in which few or no instruments are used. The dominant sound is often that of clapping hands and stomping of feet.\nNightmare females are also noted for the fluid grace of their dances and the haunting sensuality of the way they move across the floor to viola and drum. Many females are highly paid by the non-clan to dance for them in taverns. This is done sometimes, but with the Nightmare males attentive at all times for any defilement at the touch of Zawcav hands.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFORTUNETELLING\nThe occupation for which the Nightmare Fea has been most famous is fortune telling, the foretelling of the future.\nThere are three main reasons that fortune telling appeals to the them. First, it gives them an aura of mystery and magic. Since it is one means of close contact with those who are not of the Clan, fortune tellers are useful in learning of the social, political, and economic climate of the region they are visiting. Their clients often take them into their confidence, revealing facets of local conditions the Nightmare would otherwise be unable to judge. Finally, of course, fortune telling is a relatively simple way of earning money.\nThey have been known to perform many kinds of predictions. They have read tea leaves, seen visions in crystal balls and scrying bowls, analyzed the future from reading cards, and from interpreting the significance of numbers, or numerology. They have practiced palmistry, judging a person's fate, character, and aptitudes from the shape of hands and fingers and the designs of lines in the hand.\nThough the claim that their great powers of prediction come from supernatural sources, the real skill of fortune tellers lies in their remarkable abilities in judging character and in manipulating desires. She knows that most people remember what comes true and forget what does not. She knows, too, that she is capable of adding an exotic, exciting element to the life of non-clan. To please their believing clients, they most often predict a favorable outcome. There will often be mysterious warnings of perils that might well be avoided by preventatives (charms, talismans) provided, of course, by the Nightmare.\nThe concept of fortune telling contains several elements. One element is foretelling the future. Another element relates to healing powers. The healing elements of fortune telling are called \"advising\".\nGood luck charms, amulets, and talismans are common among Nightmares. They are carried to prevent misfortune or heal sickness. Some Nightmares carry kal stones in their pockets as protection against bad luck, and supernatural spirits or ghosts, called mulo'.\nNightmare Fea also practice herbalism, and alchemy, as well as rune magic and the druidic arts.\n\n\nFORMS OF DIVINATION\n\n\nAleuromancy - divination using flour or meal\nAutomatic Writing\nAxinomancy - divination using axehead, usually heated red hot\nBelomancy - divination by arrows\nBibliomancy - divination using a book, randomly opening to a certain page, a dictionary is good for this\nCapnomancy - reading/interpreting pictures made by smoke\nCatoptromancy - using a mirror, reflections\nChiromancy - Palmistry\nCleromancy - divination by dice\nCoscinomancy - divination using a sieve\nCrystallomancy - crystal gazing\nDactylomancy - divination by rings\nDivination by pendulum\nDivination by coffee grounds\nDivination by playing cards\nDivination by coffee grounds\nDivination by Tea Leaves\nDivination using wells\nGeomancy - signs in the earth ie cracks, wetness, upheavals etc.\nHerbal divination\nHydromancy - water divination\nKleidoscopy - Divination using keys or chance verbal exchanges\nLecanomancy\nLibanomancy - divination using incense\nLychnoscopy - divination by candles\nMetoscopy - divination by forehead\nOmens or natural occurrences\nOneiromancy - dream reading\nOracles\nOuija boards\nPhrenology - divination by feeling the number, shape, and size of the bumps on ones head\nPyromancy - divination by fire\nRhabdomancy or Rahabdoscopy - divination by dowsing or rods\nRunes or bones\nTable tipping\nThe Tarot\nOoscopy - divination using eggs\n\nRACIAL CUSTOMS\n\nMarriage Customs and Beliefs\n\nEngagements, handfastings, and marriages signify the extension and continuation of the family. For this reason they are accompanied by great celebrations.\n\nEngagements\n\nIf a Nightmare marries a non-clan, the clan community may eventually accept them, provided that she adopts the clan's way of life.\nThe first step in contemplating marriage is the selection of the bride. The male does the courting, and when the couple agrees to marry they become engaged and exchange modest gifts.\nThere are sometimes lengthy marriage formalities that must be followed. First, there are prolonged discussions between the parents, particularly over the amount of darro or Dowry.\nPhysical appearance is least important in selecting a bride. The prospective brides are judged on their merits, such as health, stamina, strength, dispositions, manners, and domestic skills. The character of the females family, as well as their prestige in the community, is also taken into account. Rejection of a formal proposal is considered a disgrace.\nIf all goes well the father of the male calls on the father of the female. It is a polite and rather serious meeting. The purpose is to obtain formal consent of the females father, and to establish a price to be paid for the bride. This money is to compensate the father for the loss of his daughter, and not as the purchase of the bride.\n\nPliashka\n\nWhen an agreement is reached the father of the future bride drinks a symbolic glass of wine. This means that the male has been formally approved as a husband, under the agreed conditions. Following the formal agreement of terms, there is often a banquet, complete with music, singing, and dancing. The bride to be and her family often feign sorrow at having to leave each other. The grooms family may complain about the high bride price they had to pay. In the end they decide that the price is fair for a bride who will be a good wife to their son.\nFrequently a few day after the agreement has been made, a ceremony called a pliashka or plotchka, is held. This event is attended by both friends and relatives of the couple. The symbol of this joyous celebration is a bottle of wine or brandy wrapped in a brightly colored silk handkerchief, brought to the ceremony by the young male's father. A necklace of gold coins is traditionally attached to the bottle. The father of the groom-to-be takes the necklace of coins and puts it around the future brides neck, and warmly embraces his future daughter-in-law. The necklace makes it clear to all that the girl is now engaged and not available as a bride to any other man. The father of the groom-to-be drinks from the bottle and passes it around to the guests. When the bottle is emptied, it is refilled with wine or brandy for use at the wedding celebration.\n\nThe Wedding Ceremony\n\nThe mere fact that two people have agreed to live together and share their lives together constitutes marriage and no formal ritual is required. Some tribes of Nightmare Fea do perform wedding ceremonies.\nIn some marriages the bride and groom will join hands in front of the bandolier and promise to be true to each other. A few wedding rites are centered on bread. In one rite, the bride and groom each take a piece of bread and place a drop of their blood on the bread. They then exchange and eat each others bread. In another ritual, the young couple sit down, surrounded by relatives and friends. A small amount of salt and bread is then placed on the knees of the bride. The groom takes some of the bread, puts salt on it, and eats it. The bride does the same. The union of salt and bread symbolizes a harmonious future together for the groom and bride.\nThe informal joyous festivities celebrating the marriage can go on for several days. A huge feast is served on these occasions. There is an open fire over which whole game is roasted. Drink and other dishes are served generously. There are songs and dances \nWedding gifts almost always consist of money. Some families may save much of their money to present as gifts at weddings. These money gifts will help the new couple start their new lives together somewhat financially secure.\nWhen the celebration has ended, it is time for the groom to take his bride home. The brides family kisses the girl and they weep as they upbraid her hair, a symbol for her new marital status. Her new mother-in-law helps the bride knot her diklo, or headscarf, a sign that she is a married woman. She is never seen again in public without this diklo, headscarf.\n\nBIRTH CUSTOMS\n\nThe birth of a child is a special event. A new child ensures continuation of the family line and adds to the respect of the family.\nDuring pregnancy a clan woman is cared for by the women of the tribe and the husband takes over all her duties. The woman at the time of birth is taken to a birthing tent, and is at this point the responsibility of the midwife and her attendants. Various customs abound for birthing rites and vary from tribe to tribe and eve from midwife to midwife.\nOne rite among some tribes involves the untying of certain knots, so that the umbilical cord will not be knotted. Sometimes all the knots in the expectant mother's clothing will be undone or cut. At other times, the expectant mother's hair will be loosened if it has been pinned or tied with a ribbon.\nOther symbolic rituals involve the formal recognition of the infant by its father. In some tribes, the child is wrapped in swaddling on which a few drops of paternal blood are placed. In other cases, the child is covered by a piece of clothing belonging to the father. It is traditional in other tribes for the mother to put the infant on the ground. The father picks up the infant and places a red string around it's neck, thereby acknowledging that the child is his.\n\nAfter the purification by water the baby is formally a clansmen and can be called by a name. This name, however, is only one of three that the child will carry through his or her life. The first name remains a secret. Tradition has it that this name is whispered by the mother, the only one who knows it at the time of birth, and it is never used. The purpose of this secret name is to confuse the supernatural spirits by keeping the real identity of the child from them. The second name is a Clan name used only among the clan and clan friends. The third name is a name used when dealing with non-clan.\nThe child is raised by the entire tribe, and it is the responsibility of everyone in the family unit to help raise the child. The growing child plays at will. The child has a special place in the family, adored and cherished by his or her parents. He or she learns whatever skills can be acquired by the mother or father, first by imitating them, and finally, by helping the parents whenever possible. He or she learns the ways of the clan, too, by observation and at a certain point, participation. Further training in later years is done in whatever skills they seem most interested in and in what they excel in.\n\nDEATH RITUALS AND CUSTOMS\n\nAll tribes have customs and rituals regarding death. Spirits surround us all of the time. These spirits must be carefully guarded against, or protected by the use of spells and/or charms. For the Nightmare Fea, death is a major, transitional occurrence that should be respected.\nA Nightmare must not die in his or her habitual place, home or dwelling. They traditionally move the deathbed in front of the tent or wagon, usually under an improvised canopy. Tears and lamentations are publicly displayed.\nWhen death finally comes, the lamentation increases. From that time until the burial, certain traditional customs are observed. Above all else there is total absorption in the mourning with no distractions or activities. There is no washing or shaving or combing of the hair. No food is prepared. Only the drinking of coffee, brandy, or other liquor is permitted. Mirrors are covered and vessels containing water are emptied.\nAn important step is the gathering together of those things that will be useful to the deceased during the journey from life to be placed in the coffin. These can include almost anything, such as clothing, tools, eating utensils, jewelry, and money. A small band is sometimes hired to play marches, going ahead of the coffin. This band is followed by the widow or widower, other mourning relatives, and friends. As the procession enters the cemetery, the sobbing of the mourners increases. This display of sorrow reaches its peak as the coffin is lowered into the grave. The mourners generally then throw coins as well as handfuls of earth into the grave.\n\nFESTIVALS\n\nIn the lives of the Nightmare Fea everyday is a celebration of life. The following is a list of a few special festivals that are of special significance. Please feel free to add to these and to spice the ones here up.\nSpringfire March 10\nA fertility festival full of parties and the lighting of the bonfire. A favored time for betrothals and courting. Small fires are made and blessed and prospective couples jump over them as a symbol of life quickening in them.\nFeast of Life Sept-Oct\nAlmost a month long celebration of parties celebrating the harvest and the abundance of life with the promise of renewal come spring. Nightmare Fea caravans will often help local villages with the harvest and in return are given some of the harvested grain and fruits. The first loaves of the harvest are eaten at these feasts.\n\nClothing and Food\nCLOTHING\nNightmare Clan females are recognized by their unique dress. The traditional costume is a long colorfully pleated skirt that uses several yard of material. These skirts are generally of bright colors mixed with Black, often consisting of many layers. Bright chiffon, calico, and metallic fabrics are preferred. \nIf a Female is married she must display that fact by keeping her head covered by a diklo, or headscarf. This varies with each clan, and while some keep this custom others, those in hotter areas, have adopted other customs to suit there surroundings. females usually allow their hair to grow long, as a child most keep it braided, but not all. Females wear jewelry not only for its beauty, but also for its intrinsic value. Traditionally, acquired wealth has been converted into jewelry or gold coins, the latter sometimes worn on clothing as adornments, or woven into the hair.\nAs for Males, there is really no characteristic clothing. They show a preference for bright colors. Males tend toward vests with loose fitting poet shirts in bright colors mixed with blacks. \nA brightly colored neck scarf may be worn on special occasions. Like the females, they appreciate fine jewelry and bangles.\nFOOD AND SUSTENANCE\nTraditionally the eating habits of the Nightmares have been conditioned by their nomadic way of life. Their diet consisting of what is readily available. This includes fruits, berries, leafy plants, mollusks, and small mammals.\nCoffee is drunk and is a staple of the clan lifestyle. There is usually no lunch and dinner is served at sunset, or, since the food is generally cooking all afternoon, whenever anyone is hungry. The basic element of dinner is usually a thick vegetable stew. Sometimes meat is served generally broiled or cooked on a spit. Garlic is a very commonly used seasoning. Water is the most often served beverage during the course of a meal.\nCeremonial events such as christenings, marriages, and festivals are occasions for community activity and sharing. Enormous quantities of food and drink are consumed during these celebrations, and preparations are long and enthusiastic. On these special occasions beer, wine, and other spirits are substituted for water at the meal.\ntaboos extend to animals as well, from the edibility of certain types of meat to pet ownership. Clan law, prohibits cruelty to animals and they may only be killed for food. The eating of Dericulav meat is a serious offense. According to customs of certain tribes, any clansmen eating Dericulav meat may be severely punished or banished from the tribe. The relationship of the Dericulav to the Clan has historically been such a close one that it is unthinkable to eat this animal. Fea'drikky and Fea'drukky are also forbidden as foods.\n\nWar\nWhile normally against killing, the Nightmare Fea will not hesitate to defend themselves. And although preferred to keep their distance, Nightmare are well versed and skilled in any weapon and method of combat that they have been taught, to a deadly level.\n\nThey also keep their agreements. When a Nightmare says they have your back, regardless of who you are, they will not stop fighting till the battle is won or they have fallen.\n\nCLAN LAW\n\nThe Clan legal system not only protects the clansmen from external and internal threats, but also serves as a code that organizes their society. Clan law acts as a cohesive force serving to protect Clan interests, rights, traditions, and ethnic distinctiveness. Clan law is self-contained and cannot incorporate rules of a foreign legal system. The non-clan legal system is equally insular so far as Gypsy law is concerned.\nBut unlike the non-clan who know nothing about Clan law, clansmen are necessarily aware of non-clan law. The clansmen believe they should approach and respond to the non-clan with caution, especially if the non-clan profess good intentions, or claim to serve the best interest of the clansmen, are also cautious with non-clan notions of due process, civil rights, and neutrality of law.\nAlthough the clansmen do not formally gather to pursue an objective (outside the one ever changing city), their need to survive as a distinct and isolated group provides them with a common purpose. Clan law ensures that the host country's legal systems and cultures minimally influence Clan life. Although Clan law has sacred aspects that direct clansmen to lead their lives properly, it does not advocate imposing its values on non-clansmen. Its main purpose is to achieve a state of balance, that pleases the spirits of the ancestors, .\nEach Clan group can determine its own form of mediation. \nEach associated unit is involved in the administration of justice, beginning with the smallest, the family, which informally settles minor disputes, and extending to the larger units with increasing formality.\nEach community is ruled by a Taruna, a person who is chosen for his/her age, experience, and wisdom. The Taruna of a Clan community is a person who inspires respect by his/her strength and intelligence, a person who by his/her own life sets an example for the other clansmen. The Taruna settles minor disputes on the basis of his/her mature judgment, and his/her decisions are followed by other members of the community. However, if the matter to be settled is a serious one, such as theft, adultery, acts of physical violence, or complicated disputes between two parties, a court is convened.\n\nTAVALON\n\nEach Taruna handles all day-to-day conflicts within his population. When conflict emerges between clansmen of different tribes, a Tavalon may assemble. A Tavalon is an informal proceeding where the chiefs of the various clans try to mediate a dispute. The parties themselves are not required to attend, and they are not technically bound by the Taruna's suggestions. The contestants sometimes bow to peer pressure and settle the case. Blatant disregard for the Taruna's recommendations could cost them the respect of the community.\nWhen the Clan cannot settle a controversy amicably in a Tavalon, a Valic may become necessary. In former times, the Valic usually mediated three kinds of cases: property losses, matters of honor, and moral issues including disregard of taboos. Other examples included are: stealing from or lying to another clansmen, direct disobedience of the Clan King/Queen without good cause, and breaking faith or revealing secrets of the Clan to enimes. If the matter to be settled is a serious one, such as theft, defaults in payments of debts, acts of physical violence, serious violations, or complicated disputes between two parties, a court is convened. This court is the most important moral force in Clan life. To be called before the Valic is a serious accusation before the entire Clan.\n\nThe leader of the Valic and the elders of the tribes will hold a meeting to select one or more men to act as the judges, for the Valic. The Valic must remain unbiased and impartial presides over the case, surrounded by the members of the council, who act as associate judges. The council is made up of five respected members of the community. They are the most respected and wisest members available at the time. Only the Valic is a permanent position, appointed by the Queen, the other five are rotating positions.\nThe Taruna and the Valic my be removed from the position only if: (a) they resign or (b) they are accused of being unfair, biased, or if committing another act which requires them to stand before the Court, and they are found guilty. At such times the Clan King/Queen will call another Valic and appoint the judges to sit in judgment with him/her over the previous seat holder. If not found guilty the Clan King/Queen may restore the seat holder.\nIf the need for a Valic arises the duty of calling the Valic falls in the following order:\na) the Gypsy King/Queen,\nb) the head of the tribe\nc) the Taruna of the nearest tribe,\nd) the Taruna of the nearest state etc.\nWhile the judges have been chosen because of their personal authority, they are expected to allow behavior that might be considered prejudiced or disruptive in non-clan trials. Participation by the audience is expected and encouraged by custom. Members of the audience, although not formally called as witnesses, may feel justified in expressing views. Whether their contributions to the proceedings is based on personal observation or opinion does not matter. Ultimately the judge weighs the value of the cumulative evidence to make rulings. Parties or witnesses will be perceived as credible if their statements have \"the ring of truth\". A person who can demonstrate in court that he or she has conformed to accepted communal standards may also be considered credible by the court.\nThe taruna are not necessarily aware of all the laws. These laws have never been written down or codified. They have been passed along for generations by word of mouth, but this fact makes the decisions nonetheless binding. The clansmen interpret laws according to contemporary custom. Former interpretations of laws may be gradually revised as the needs of the community evolve. The exclusive reliance on oral transmission has led to a high degree of flexibility. Nevertheless, there is a shared feeling that the law is clearly defined. Few ever challenge this notion. This strict adherence to the law in part accounts for the continued cohesion of the Clan in spite of their persecution and forced migration.\nThe following eight (8) laws are the most predominant laws among the tribes and are set in stone.\n(1) The leader of the combined Clan (either the Gypsy King/Queen) has the final word in all decisions or instructions among the tribes. Members of all tribes, whether born or \"initiated\" owe their loyalty and allegiance firstly to the Clan King/Queen's wishes and decisions; secondly, to those of their Taruna (the leader of their own tribe who, in the absence of the Clan King/Queen, has all the powers of the Clan King/Queen) ; thirdly, to the well-being and safety of all other Clansmen; and lastly, to any other group with which the Clansmen becomes associated. A Clansmen may not place loyalty to any group or person above that which the Clansman owes to the tribe. If any conflicts of loyalty arise the Clansmen must stand on the side of the Clan or face the Valic.\n(2) The Valic is the court of the Clan and has the sole authority to remove a person from the tribe. Anyone found guilty by the Valic loses all Nightmare blood, including the accent and the ability of spatial manipulation (through the rite of sealing)\n(3) Only the Clan King/Queen may appoint or choose from among the tribes: (a) the Valic; or(b) Taruna.\n(4) No clansmen without good and provable cause, may cause harm or danger to another clansmen. To do so will result in facing the Valic.\n(5) The Clan is blood family. In order to become a clansman, a person must adventure with a band of clansmen for a time as a clansmen, or be sponsored by a member of the band. The band will then vote whether to accept the candidate into the tribe, and if accepted, the candidate must successfully undergo the initiation ceremony which changes their blood to Nightmare blood.\n(6) The truth is expressed in the clan language. No clansmen lies-it is not our fault if we inadvertently get things \"wrong\" while speaking with the non-clan. If we speak their language, they'll have to be patient if we make mistakes.\n(7) Any traveling clansmen is welcome to the hospitality of any camp whenever there is need.\n(8) Any non-clan who is name a \"Clan Friend\" or Paluk by the Clan leader or tribe is considered an honorary Clansmen (without powers) and is welcome to the hospitality of the camp and the loyalty and protection of the tribe.","writing_bbcode_parsed":"NIGHTMARE CLAN INFORMATION
By: Kate-Hope the Nightmare Fea
and by information found on the internet
CULTURAL LIFESTYLE AND FAMILY DILINATIONS
Most Clan members live in traveling wagons called Kaveras (sah-veer-s) or traveling air-boatss called Katros (sat-ros (sat. The typical wagon is a small wooden caravan wagon with a high arching roof and a door at the front. The driver sits at the front in an outdoor seat. Kaveras are painted in vivid colors and might even have tiny windows of tinted glass, if the owner is prosperous. The Kavera travels with a Dericulav (a large typically slow herbivore crawling reptile). The Katro travels with a Metkal (Met-sal, large ring made of Met, a type of metal, attached to the front which pulls the Katro by manipulating kal energy.)
Faithfula'drikky and Fea'drukky hop alongside the Kavera or ride on the stern of the Katro. Crates of Helli'aks (chicken like reptiles) may be strapped to the side or beneath the both, and a tethered Dericalit (Milk bearing species similar to Dericulav) or Gavin (mediumm bird that looks like a two legged goat with a beak) may bring up the rear of a Kavera, only Gavin can be carried on the Katro. Sometimes a trained Davcaton (large crawling meat eating reptile capable of standing on hind legs) accompanies the Kavera ready to amaze and entertain the villagers at each stop.
The campfire is the center of Clan life. Each night the Males build roaring fires and play violins, violas, and the like, as young females dance and recount the oral history of their tribe.. Older members recall important legends of these nightly gatherings.
Beyond travelingn Kaveras and Katros caravans, which are usually one tribe but can be several tribes traveling ogether for protection and or profit. The Fea are loosely united into a number of tribes. The tribes are further united into three states , called Bastzix (Bas-sex). While each state has its own variations in manner of dress, appearance, and traditions, they all recognize each other as fellow Clansmen. Each state has certain crafts and services in which its members traditionally excel, although these crafts and services are not exclusive to these groups.
The three distinct states of the Nightmare Clan are the Gavoltis, the Vinzels, and the Wensha.
THE GAVOLTIS BASTZIX
The Gavoltis are "camp followers": tinkers, smiths, Dericulav trainers/breeders, and healers. They pride themselves in their ability to supply armies, trade caravans, and adventurers and others with the proper tools needed to defeat enemies, as well as needed healing after a battle. The Gavoltis have been known to supply both sides in a conflict, not really caring about the disputes of non-clan, but more interested in making a living.
Tribes include:
Atrivali - silversmiths
Avrutas - goldsmiths
Bica – Metsmiths
Cixen – tinsmiths
Kacun – Technicians, Programmers, and Inventors
Layis - Dericulav traders, trainers, and breeders
Valsiv – Kaveras and Katros builders
Zenkol - weapon smiths/blacksmiths, and Mechanics
THE VINZELS BASTZIX
The Vinzels are consummate entertainers. Their camps are rife with bards, dancers, musicians, and con men. Vinzels are also known to hire out as smugglers on occasion, taking great delight in pulling one over on the non-clan. Like the Gavoltis, the Vinzels might accept such assignments from all sides in a conflict, performing what they view as necessary preordained tasks.
Tribes include:
Evota - jewelers and evaluators
Finca - dancers
Leazinf - musicians; specializing in fiddle
Mastrofic - singers and bards
Palmoz - masters of keys, locks, and traps
Xes - animal trainers
THE WENSHA BASTZIX
The Wensha are the rarest of the major states, and are seldom encountered in numbers larger than a single family. They are the most mysterious and reclusive of the Clan and the ones closest to the oldest legends of the race. They are tinkerers in the arcane: amulets, charms, potions, and lore. Rumor says that they know much of ancient evils and how best to ward off or escape them. It is also this group which boasts the biggest number of hunters of necromancers.
Tribes include:
Celv - rune smiths
Gal - healers and potion makers
Omitalic - alchemists
Qoa - astrologers and lore masters
Ze - celestial casters and scroll makers
TRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS
Remarkably adaptable to changing conditions in different countries, Nightmares are versatile and earn their living by various means. Generally, there have been two conditions that a job must meet before it will be of interest to a Nightmare. The first is it must allow the Fea free travel. The second is for it to cause as little direct contact with Noble Fea, Zawcav, as possible. Services that cater to occasional needs and an ever-changing clientele are well suited to the Nightmare Fea way of life.
Most Nightmares are peddlers selling what they have bought cheaply or selling what they have made themselves. There are certain staple occupations, such as horse-trading, metalworking, and dealing in scrap metal. In gaining a livelihood, the women play their full part.
METALWORKING
One area in which the Nightmare has traditionally excelled is that of metalwork. They have been known as metalworkers from the beginning of their history. They have made nails, arm, tools, and cooking equipment. They have been skilled at plating objects with tin, embossing and engraving jewelry . The Nightmare Fea have been experts in all forms of metalwork, whether it be as tinsmiths, copper smiths, silversmiths, or goldsmiths.
Nightmares have not only been master metalworkers, but they have also shown great ingenuity in technology advancement. These are necessary to their work and are specifically designed to be easily transported.
ENTERTAINERS: MUSICIANS, BARDS, AND STORYTELLERS
Nightmares are also noted as entertainers, especially as musicians and dancers. The instruments traditionally preferred by the musicians have been the guitar, the lute, percussion instruments such as the cymbalom and drums. The cello and violin are also favored. Other instruments are zills, hand cymbals worn on the fingers, Bagpipes, and panpipes and flutes.
Their skill at improvisation is well known. There is another type of music that is authentically Nightmares a highly rhythmic progression of tones in which few or no instruments are used. The dominant sound is often that of clapping hands and stomping of feet.
Nightmare females are also noted for the fluid grace of their dances and the haunting sensuality of the way they move across the floor to viola and drum. Many females are highly paid by the non-clan to dance for them in taverns. This is done sometimes, but with the Nightmare males attentive at all times for any defilement at the touch of Zawcav hands.
FORTUNETELLING
The occupation for which the Nightmare Fea has been most famous is fortune telling, the foretelling of the future.
There are three main reasons that fortune telling appeals to the them. First, it gives them an aura of mystery and magic. Since it is one means of close contact with those who are not of the Clan, fortune tellers are useful in learning of the social, political, and economic climate of the region they are visiting. Their clients often take them into their confidence, revealing facets of local conditions the Nightmare would otherwise be unable to judge. Finally, of course, fortune telling is a relatively simple way of earning money.
They have been known to perform many kinds of predictions. They have read tea leaves, seen visions in crystal balls and scrying bowls, analyzed the future from reading cards, and from interpreting the significance of numbers, or numerology. They have practiced palmistry, judging a person's fate, character, and aptitudes from the shape of hands and fingers and the designs of lines in the hand.
Though the claim that their great powers of prediction come from supernatural sources, the real skill of fortune tellers lies in their remarkable abilities in judging character and in manipulating desires. She knows that most people remember what comes true and forget what does not. She knows, too, that she is capable of adding an exotic, exciting element to the life of non-clan. To please their believing clients, they most often predict a favorable outcome. There will often be mysterious warnings of perils that might well be avoided by preventatives (charms, talismans) provided, of course, by the Nightmare.
The concept of fortune telling contains several elements. One element is foretelling the future. Another element relates to healing powers. The healing elements of fortune telling are called "advising".
Good luck charms, amulets, and talismans are common among Nightmares. They are carried to prevent misfortune or heal sickness. Some Nightmares carry kal stones in their pockets as protection against bad luck, and supernatural spirits or ghosts, called mulo'.
Nightmare Fea also practice herbalism, and alchemy, as well as rune magic and the druidic arts.
FORMS OF DIVINATION
Aleuromancy - divination using flour or meal
Automatic Writing
Axinomancy - divination using axehead, usually heated red hot
Belomancy - divination by arrows
Bibliomancy - divination using a book, randomly opening to a certain page, a dictionary is good for this
Capnomancy - reading/interpreting pictures made by smoke
Catoptromancy - using a mirror, reflections
Chiromancy - Palmistry
Cleromancy - divination by dice
Coscinomancy - divination using a sieve
Crystallomancy - crystal gazing
Dactylomancy - divination by rings
Divination by pendulum
Divination by coffee grounds
Divination by playing cards
Divination by coffee grounds
Divination by Tea Leaves
Divination using wells
Geomancy - signs in the earth ie cracks, wetness, upheavals etc.
Herbal divination
Hydromancy - water divination
Kleidoscopy - Divination using keys or chance verbal exchanges
Lecanomancy
Libanomancy - divination using incense
Lychnoscopy - divination by candles
Metoscopy - divination by forehead
Omens or natural occurrences
Oneiromancy - dream reading
Oracles
Ouija boards
Phrenology - divination by feeling the number, shape, and size of the bumps on ones head
Pyromancy - divination by fire
Rhabdomancy or Rahabdoscopy - divination by dowsing or rods
Runes or bones
Table tipping
The Tarot
Ooscopy - divination using eggs
RACIAL CUSTOMS
Marriage Customs and Beliefs
Engagements, handfastings, and marriages signify the extension and continuation of the family. For this reason they are accompanied by great celebrations.
Engagements
If a Nightmare marries a non-clan, the clan community may eventually accept them, provided that she adopts the clan's way of life.
The first step in contemplating marriage is the selection of the bride. The male does the courting, and when the couple agrees to marry they become engaged and exchange modest gifts.
There are sometimes lengthy marriage formalities that must be followed. First, there are prolonged discussions between the parents, particularly over the amount of darro or Dowry.
Physical appearance is least important in selecting a bride. The prospective brides are judged on their merits, such as health, stamina, strength, dispositions, manners, and domestic skills. The character of the females family, as well as their prestige in the community, is also taken into account. Rejection of a formal proposal is considered a disgrace.
If all goes well the father of the male calls on the father of the female. It is a polite and rather serious meeting. The purpose is to obtain formal consent of the females father, and to establish a price to be paid for the bride. This money is to compensate the father for the loss of his daughter, and not as the purchase of the bride.
Pliashka
When an agreement is reached the father of the future bride drinks a symbolic glass of wine. This means that the male has been formally approved as a husband, under the agreed conditions. Following the formal agreement of terms, there is often a banquet, complete with music, singing, and dancing. The bride to be and her family often feign sorrow at having to leave each other. The grooms family may complain about the high bride price they had to pay. In the end they decide that the price is fair for a bride who will be a good wife to their son.
Frequently a few day after the agreement has been made, a ceremony called a pliashka or plotchka, is held. This event is attended by both friends and relatives of the couple. The symbol of this joyous celebration is a bottle of wine or brandy wrapped in a brightly colored silk handkerchief, brought to the ceremony by the young male's father. A necklace of gold coins is traditionally attached to the bottle. The father of the groom-to-be takes the necklace of coins and puts it around the future brides neck, and warmly embraces his future daughter-in-law. The necklace makes it clear to all that the girl is now engaged and not available as a bride to any other man. The father of the groom-to-be drinks from the bottle and passes it around to the guests. When the bottle is emptied, it is refilled with wine or brandy for use at the wedding celebration.
The Wedding Ceremony
The mere fact that two people have agreed to live together and share their lives together constitutes marriage and no formal ritual is required. Some tribes of Nightmare Fea do perform wedding ceremonies.
In some marriages the bride and groom will join hands in front of the bandolier and promise to be true to each other. A few wedding rites are centered on bread. In one rite, the bride and groom each take a piece of bread and place a drop of their blood on the bread. They then exchange and eat each others bread. In another ritual, the young couple sit down, surrounded by relatives and friends. A small amount of salt and bread is then placed on the knees of the bride. The groom takes some of the bread, puts salt on it, and eats it. The bride does the same. The union of salt and bread symbolizes a harmonious future together for the groom and bride.
The informal joyous festivities celebrating the marriage can go on for several days. A huge feast is served on these occasions. There is an open fire over which whole game is roasted. Drink and other dishes are served generously. There are songs and dances
Wedding gifts almost always consist of money. Some families may save much of their money to present as gifts at weddings. These money gifts will help the new couple start their new lives together somewhat financially secure.
When the celebration has ended, it is time for the groom to take his bride home. The brides family kisses the girl and they weep as they upbraid her hair, a symbol for her new marital status. Her new mother-in-law helps the bride knot her diklo, or headscarf, a sign that she is a married woman. She is never seen again in public without this diklo, headscarf.
BIRTH CUSTOMS
The birth of a child is a special event. A new child ensures continuation of the family line and adds to the respect of the family.
During pregnancy a clan woman is cared for by the women of the tribe and the husband takes over all her duties. The woman at the time of birth is taken to a birthing tent, and is at this point the responsibility of the midwife and her attendants. Various customs abound for birthing rites and vary from tribe to tribe and eve from midwife to midwife.
One rite among some tribes involves the untying of certain knots, so that the umbilical cord will not be knotted. Sometimes all the knots in the expectant mother's clothing will be undone or cut. At other times, the expectant mother's hair will be loosened if it has been pinned or tied with a ribbon.
Other symbolic rituals involve the formal recognition of the infant by its father. In some tribes, the child is wrapped in swaddling on which a few drops of paternal blood are placed. In other cases, the child is covered by a piece of clothing belonging to the father. It is traditional in other tribes for the mother to put the infant on the ground. The father picks up the infant and places a red string around it's neck, thereby acknowledging that the child is his.
After the purification by water the baby is formally a clansmen and can be called by a name. This name, however, is only one of three that the child will carry through his or her life. The first name remains a secret. Tradition has it that this name is whispered by the mother, the only one who knows it at the time of birth, and it is never used. The purpose of this secret name is to confuse the supernatural spirits by keeping the real identity of the child from them. The second name is a Clan name used only among the clan and clan friends. The third name is a name used when dealing with non-clan.
The child is raised by the entire tribe, and it is the responsibility of everyone in the family unit to help raise the child. The growing child plays at will. The child has a special place in the family, adored and cherished by his or her parents. He or she learns whatever skills can be acquired by the mother or father, first by imitating them, and finally, by helping the parents whenever possible. He or she learns the ways of the clan, too, by observation and at a certain point, participation. Further training in later years is done in whatever skills they seem most interested in and in what they excel in.
DEATH RITUALS AND CUSTOMS
All tribes have customs and rituals regarding death. Spirits surround us all of the time. These spirits must be carefully guarded against, or protected by the use of spells and/or charms. For the Nightmare Fea, death is a major, transitional occurrence that should be respected.
A Nightmare must not die in his or her habitual place, home or dwelling. They traditionally move the deathbed in front of the tent or wagon, usually under an improvised canopy. Tears and lamentations are publicly displayed.
When death finally comes, the lamentation increases. From that time until the burial, certain traditional customs are observed. Above all else there is total absorption in the mourning with no distractions or activities. There is no washing or shaving or combing of the hair. No food is prepared. Only the drinking of coffee, brandy, or other liquor is permitted. Mirrors are covered and vessels containing water are emptied.
An important step is the gathering together of those things that will be useful to the deceased during the journey from life to be placed in the coffin. These can include almost anything, such as clothing, tools, eating utensils, jewelry, and money. A small band is sometimes hired to play marches, going ahead of the coffin. This band is followed by the widow or widower, other mourning relatives, and friends. As the procession enters the cemetery, the sobbing of the mourners increases. This display of sorrow reaches its peak as the coffin is lowered into the grave. The mourners generally then throw coins as well as handfuls of earth into the grave.
FESTIVALS
In the lives of the Nightmare Fea everyday is a celebration of life. The following is a list of a few special festivals that are of special significance. Please feel free to add to these and to spice the ones here up.
Springfire March 10
A fertility festival full of parties and the lighting of the bonfire. A favored time for betrothals and courting. Small fires are made and blessed and prospective couples jump over them as a symbol of life quickening in them.
Feast of Life Sept-Oct
Almost a month long celebration of parties celebrating the harvest and the abundance of life with the promise of renewal come spring. Nightmare Fea caravans will often help local villages with the harvest and in return are given some of the harvested grain and fruits. The first loaves of the harvest are eaten at these feasts.
Clothing and Food
CLOTHING
Nightmare Clan females are recognized by their unique dress. The traditional costume is a long colorfully pleated skirt that uses several yard of material. These skirts are generally of bright colors mixed with Black, often consisting of many layers. Bright chiffon, calico, and metallic fabrics are preferred.
If a Female is married she must display that fact by keeping her head covered by a diklo, or headscarf. This varies with each clan, and while some keep this custom others, those in hotter areas, have adopted other customs to suit there surroundings. females usually allow their hair to grow long, as a child most keep it braided, but not all. Females wear jewelry not only for its beauty, but also for its intrinsic value. Traditionally, acquired wealth has been converted into jewelry or gold coins, the latter sometimes worn on clothing as adornments, or woven into the hair.
As for Males, there is really no characteristic clothing. They show a preference for bright colors. Males tend toward vests with loose fitting poet shirts in bright colors mixed with blacks.
A brightly colored neck scarf may be worn on special occasions. Like the females, they appreciate fine jewelry and bangles.
FOOD AND SUSTENANCE
Traditionally the eating habits of the Nightmares have been conditioned by their nomadic way of life. Their diet consisting of what is readily available. This includes fruits, berries, leafy plants, mollusks, and small mammals.
Coffee is drunk and is a staple of the clan lifestyle. There is usually no lunch and dinner is served at sunset, or, since the food is generally cooking all afternoon, whenever anyone is hungry. The basic element of dinner is usually a thick vegetable stew. Sometimes meat is served generally broiled or cooked on a spit. Garlic is a very commonly used seasoning. Water is the most often served beverage during the course of a meal.
Ceremonial events such as christenings, marriages, and festivals are occasions for community activity and sharing. Enormous quantities of food and drink are consumed during these celebrations, and preparations are long and enthusiastic. On these special occasions beer, wine, and other spirits are substituted for water at the meal.
taboos extend to animals as well, from the edibility of certain types of meat to pet ownership. Clan law, prohibits cruelty to animals and they may only be killed for food. The eating of Dericulav meat is a serious offense. According to customs of certain tribes, any clansmen eating Dericulav meat may be severely punished or banished from the tribe. The relationship of the Dericulav to the Clan has historically been such a close one that it is unthinkable to eat this animal. Fea'drikky and Fea'drukky are also forbidden as foods.
War
While normally against killing, the Nightmare Fea will not hesitate to defend themselves. And although preferred to keep their distance, Nightmare are well versed and skilled in any weapon and method of combat that they have been taught, to a deadly level.
They also keep their agreements. When a Nightmare says they have your back, regardless of who you are, they will not stop fighting till the battle is won or they have fallen.
CLAN LAW
The Clan legal system not only protects the clansmen from external and internal threats, but also serves as a code that organizes their society. Clan law acts as a cohesive force serving to protect Clan interests, rights, traditions, and ethnic distinctiveness. Clan law is self-contained and cannot incorporate rules of a foreign legal system. The non-clan legal system is equally insular so far as Gypsy law is concerned.
But unlike the non-clan who know nothing about Clan law, clansmen are necessarily aware of non-clan law. The clansmen believe they should approach and respond to the non-clan with caution, especially if the non-clan profess good intentions, or claim to serve the best interest of the clansmen, are also cautious with non-clan notions of due process, civil rights, and neutrality of law.
Although the clansmen do not formally gather to pursue an objective (outside the one ever changing city), their need to survive as a distinct and isolated group provides them with a common purpose. Clan law ensures that the host country's legal systems and cultures minimally influence Clan life. Although Clan law has sacred aspects that direct clansmen to lead their lives properly, it does not advocate imposing its values on non-clansmen. Its main purpose is to achieve a state of balance, that pleases the spirits of the ancestors, .
Each Clan group can determine its own form of mediation.
Each associated unit is involved in the administration of justice, beginning with the smallest, the family, which informally settles minor disputes, and extending to the larger units with increasing formality.
Each community is ruled by a Taruna, a person who is chosen for his/her age, experience, and wisdom. The Taruna of a Clan community is a person who inspires respect by his/her strength and intelligence, a person who by his/her own life sets an example for the other clansmen. The Taruna settles minor disputes on the basis of his/her mature judgment, and his/her decisions are followed by other members of the community. However, if the matter to be settled is a serious one, such as theft, adultery, acts of physical violence, or complicated disputes between two parties, a court is convened.
TAVALON
Each Taruna handles all day-to-day conflicts within his population. When conflict emerges between clansmen of different tribes, a Tavalon may assemble. A Tavalon is an informal proceeding where the chiefs of the various clans try to mediate a dispute. The parties themselves are not required to attend, and they are not technically bound by the Taruna's suggestions. The contestants sometimes bow to peer pressure and settle the case. Blatant disregard for the Taruna's recommendations could cost them the respect of the community.
When the Clan cannot settle a controversy amicably in a Tavalon, a Valic may become necessary. In former times, the Valic usually mediated three kinds of cases: property losses, matters of honor, and moral issues including disregard of taboos. Other examples included are: stealing from or lying to another clansmen, direct disobedience of the Clan King/Queen without good cause, and breaking faith or revealing secrets of the Clan to enimes. If the matter to be settled is a serious one, such as theft, defaults in payments of debts, acts of physical violence, serious violations, or complicated disputes between two parties, a court is convened. This court is the most important moral force in Clan life. To be called before the Valic is a serious accusation before the entire Clan.
The leader of the Valic and the elders of the tribes will hold a meeting to select one or more men to act as the judges, for the Valic. The Valic must remain unbiased and impartial presides over the case, surrounded by the members of the council, who act as associate judges. The council is made up of five respected members of the community. They are the most respected and wisest members available at the time. Only the Valic is a permanent position, appointed by the Queen, the other five are rotating positions.
The Taruna and the Valic my be removed from the position only if: (a) they resign or (b) they are accused of being unfair, biased, or if committing another act which requires them to stand before the Court, and they are found guilty. At such times the Clan King/Queen will call another Valic and appoint the judges to sit in judgment with him/her over the previous seat holder. If not found guilty the Clan King/Queen may restore the seat holder.
If the need for a Valic arises the duty of calling the Valic falls in the following order:
a) the Gypsy King/Queen,
b) the head of the tribe
c) the Taruna of the nearest tribe,
d) the Taruna of the nearest state etc.
While the judges have been chosen because of their personal authority, they are expected to allow behavior that might be considered prejudiced or disruptive in non-clan trials. Participation by the audience is expected and encouraged by custom. Members of the audience, although not formally called as witnesses, may feel justified in expressing views. Whether their contributions to the proceedings is based on personal observation or opinion does not matter. Ultimately the judge weighs the value of the cumulative evidence to make rulings. Parties or witnesses will be perceived as credible if their statements have "the ring of truth". A person who can demonstrate in court that he or she has conformed to accepted communal standards may also be considered credible by the court.
The taruna are not necessarily aware of all the laws. These laws have never been written down or codified. They have been passed along for generations by word of mouth, but this fact makes the decisions nonetheless binding. The clansmen interpret laws according to contemporary custom. Former interpretations of laws may be gradually revised as the needs of the community evolve. The exclusive reliance on oral transmission has led to a high degree of flexibility. Nevertheless, there is a shared feeling that the law is clearly defined. Few ever challenge this notion. This strict adherence to the law in part accounts for the continued cohesion of the Clan in spite of their persecution and forced migration.
The following eight (8) laws are the most predominant laws among the tribes and are set in stone.
(1) The leader of the combined Clan (either the Gypsy King/Queen) has the final word in all decisions or instructions among the tribes. Members of all tribes, whether born or "initiated" owe their loyalty and allegiance firstly to the Clan King/Queen's wishes and decisions; secondly, to those of their Taruna (the leader of their own tribe who, in the absence of the Clan King/Queen, has all the powers of the Clan King/Queen) ; thirdly, to the well-being and safety of all other Clansmen; and lastly, to any other group with which the Clansmen becomes associated. A Clansmen may not place loyalty to any group or person above that which the Clansman owes to the tribe. If any conflicts of loyalty arise the Clansmen must stand on the side of the Clan or face the Valic.
(2) The Valic is the court of the Clan and has the sole authority to remove a person from the tribe. Anyone found guilty by the Valic loses all Nightmare blood, including the accent and the ability of spatial manipulation (through the rite of sealing)
(3) Only the Clan King/Queen may appoint or choose from among the tribes: (a) the Valic; or(b) Taruna.
(4) No clansmen without good and provable cause, may cause harm or danger to another clansmen. To do so will result in facing the Valic.
(5) The Clan is blood family. In order to become a clansman, a person must adventure with a band of clansmen for a time as a clansmen, or be sponsored by a member of the band. The band will then vote whether to accept the candidate into the tribe, and if accepted, the candidate must successfully undergo the initiation ceremony which changes their blood to Nightmare blood.
(6) The truth is expressed in the clan language. No clansmen lies-it is not our fault if we inadvertently get things "wrong" while speaking with the non-clan. If we speak their language, they'll have to be patient if we make mistakes.
(7) Any traveling clansmen is welcome to the hospitality of any camp whenever there is need.
(8) Any non-clan who is name a "Clan Friend" or Paluk by the Clan leader or tribe is considered an honorary Clansmen (without powers) and is welcome to the hospitality of the camp and the loyalty and protection of the tribe.","pools_count":1,"title":"New Submission","deleted":"f","public":"t","mimetype":"text/rtf","pagecount":"1","rating_id":"0","rating_name":"General","ratings":[],"submission_type_id":"12","type_name":"Writing - Document","guest_block":"f","friends_only":"f","comments_count":"0","views":"44","sales_description":null,"forsale":"f","digitalsales":"f","printsales":"f","digital_price":""}