Physical Characteristics

Cliff Walkers look much the same as other Seekers of the Miqo'te, with a few distinctions. Most tend to have beige or tan skin with lighter hair, including shades of copper, red, blonde, and white.Because they live high up in the mountains and cliffs of Gyr Abania and go barefoot more often than not, their hands and feet are heavily calloused. In addition, they tend to have stronger tails than other Miqo'te, as they utilize them often when climbing for added balance and support.

Clothing

Cliff Walkers tend to wear light garments that won't weigh them down when climbing amidst the peaks, and allow for their skin to breathe in the arid heat. Most of their garb tends to be sleeveless, and sandals are the favored footwear, when not going barefoot.They favor earthen colors, and shades of orange and yellow. Bones, beads, and totems carved from wood are often weaved into their hair, as well as their clothing. Shaman wear masks carved from bone.

The Cliff Walkers have existed for thousands of years and hundreds of generations, hidden away atop the rugged and windy cliffs of northern Gyr Abania. As such, they have a rich cultural history and a number of traditions that shapes their way of life and informs their outlook on the world.

• Territory
• Rites and Rituals
• Religion
• Cuisine
• Tribal Structure
• Warfare

Cliff Walkers are a nomadic sept, and as such, do not maintain permanent villages or other settlements. However, given the great expanse of the Peaks, they prefer to center their wandering in the northern Peaks, going only as far south as the northern outskirts of the Rustrock region. Their migrations take place at the change of seasons, with summer being the longest and winter the shortest.In the months-long periods between their wandering, they prefer to establish camps and settlements at caves and alcoves that provide ample shelter and protection from storms and other dangers. These caves were long ago established as Cliff Walker territory by their ancestors, and woe be to any who dares attempt to claim them as their own.

The Great Climb

When a Cliff Walker comes of age, they are given a pack of simple supplies and a hunting knife, and told to climb the highest mountain in the Peaks. The true purpose of this trial is not to complete the climb itself, but rather to experience solitude and the thoughts and experiences that come with it. Few ever manage to complete the climb, but all have returned with their own deeply personal revelation, which they are instructed to share only with the one who will be your future mate.

The Dance of Skill

In order to be recognized as a mated pair in the eyes of the gods and chieftain, any two Cliff Walkers who are mated must compete against one another in some form of trial. The specific skill being tested is up to the pair, though the most common choices are battle and hunting. Who emerges the victor is of no consequence, but rather proving that each Cliff Walker could support the other and any subsequent family should something happen to the other.

Personal Totems

In addition to reverence for their Jackal totem, individual Cliff Walkers will take on additional totems that are personal and resonate with them. More often than not, it is said that these totems appear to them during their Great Climb, and remain with them the rest of their lives.

Seasonal Feasts

At the passing of each season, ceremonial feasts are held, which are multiday affairs that include sacred hunts, war dances, and nunh challenges. Each feast is overseen by the shaman, who open and close the ceremonies.

The Cliff Walkers revere Rhalgr and Azeyma in equal measure, and see them as two sides of a cosmic balance that flows through all things. Rhalgr represents the active force of all things that brings about chaos, and Azeyma the passive thought that tempers it into order. Shaman are the heralds of this balance, and provide wisdom for the sept.Many Cliff Walker Seekers find themselves drawn to one aspect other the other, said to be a reflection of either their 'active' or 'passive' souls, but all Cliff Walkers understand the balance and respect both. Some Cliff Walkers grow closer to the other aspect as they live, understanding this to mean that their souls have been shaped by their experiences.

Culinary Traditions

Cooking is an important aspect of Cliff Walker culture, and their philosophy of balance in all things extends to their cuisine. Cliff Walkers primarily cook their food in large, round-bottomed cooking pots set over firepits constructed from stone and clay. A variety of oils are used in cooking, and the versatility of their cooking pots allow for a diverse range of techniques.Color, smell, and taste are the three traditional aspects to describe Cliff Walker food, as well as the meaning, appearance, and nutrition of the food. Cliff Walkers tend to appraise food with respect to the ingredients used, knifework, cooking time, and seasoning. Stir frying, steaming, and braising are the most common preparations, but the totality of their unique preparations is much more extensive.

Ingredients

The primary proteins used in Cliff Walker cooking are chicken and pork, though beef is also common. Cliff Walker cuisine also use various bovine and porcine organs as ingredients, such as intestine, arteries, head, tongue, skin and liver, in addition to other commonly used portions of the meat. Meats tend to be prepared using a healthy amount of spices and chili oils.The most unique and important spice in Cliff Walker cuisine is the cliff pepper, which has an intense fragrant, citrus-like flavour and produces a "tingly-numbing" sensation in the mouth. Other common spices are solstice garlic, dragon peppers, crimson peppers, pearl ginger, and star anise. A frequent ingredient in dishes is a paste made from beans and a combination of spices derived from peppers. Their dishes are frequently served overtop of or with a side of rice or noodles.

Sept Leaders

The leader of the Cliff Walkers holds the title of Chieftain, whether they be male or female. The Chieftain is considered to be the embodiment of a truly balanced soul, and an example of the principles of right action and careful contemplation. The Chieftain is a hereditary position, and should a Chieftain not bear children, then another is chosen from shaman interpreting the vision they received during their Great Climb.The chief advisor to the Chieftain is the Cliff Shaman, chief of the Cliff Walker shaman. They are always at the Chieftain's side during official meetings, and travels with them when acting as an emissary to other septs. While not dictated as part of tradition, it is sometimes the case that the Chieftain and Cliff Shaman become primary romantic partners.

Shaman

The most devout of Azeyma and Rhalgr, and those who interpret visions and commune with the spirit world, are known as shaman. They are always in pursuit of an eternal state of balance within the soul and the cosmos, and are called upon to lead Cliff Walker traditions and ceremonies, as well as give guidance to young Cliff Walkers as they depart for their Great Climb.Shrines and altars to Azeyma and Rhalgr are constructed along the paths the Cliff Walkers migrate upon, and shamans ensure to leave offerings so that they may be granted safe passage through the peaks. The shaman are led by the Cliff Shaman, and a great many shaman are martial artists or warriors, as well.

Weaponry

Cliff Walkers are fierce and hardy warriors, skilled at fighting in the mountain crevices and on narrow ledges. They prefer bows, spears, and knives as their weapons of war, as well as their bare hands and feet. They have a unique practice common to their warriors that involves covering their bodies with clay and mud to hide amongst the rocks when climbing, then dropping down to harass their enemies as they pass below.

Martial Arts and Battle Dancing

Cliff Walkers have a well-cultivated and ancient tradition of martial arts, with a several styles native to their sept, as well as from those Cliff Walkers who have brought martial styles of the Fist of Rhalgr back to their people. The two most common practiced styles are Open Hand Mountain Boxing, a style from the ancient days of the Cliff Walkers, and Five Temple Element Fist, a style of the Fist of Rhalgr.Alongside their martial arts, Cliff Walkers have an honored tradition of battle dancing, which blends martial arts with ancient dancing techniques to create a unique fighting style that relies on quick movement and the use of dual chakram. Many battle dancers perform at ceremonies and feasts, and train alongside Cliff Walker martial artists.

The Ten Jackals

While a great many Cliff Walkers are skilled warriors, there exists among the sept a group of ten martial artists known as the "Ten Jackals", charged with protecting their people from the greatest of threats. Each one can trace their lineage back to one of the original ten founders of the Cliff Walkers, and they are led by the greatest martial artist from their number.Most of the Ten Jackals are also Fist of Rhalgr, and it is primarily through them that martial arts of the Fist are brought to the sept. They are also known throughout the Peaks of Gyr Abania, as mysterious folk heroes that descend from atop the cliffs to combat roving monsters.

Cliff Walkers have traditionally had a neutral, if distant, relationship with others that make their home in Gyr Abania. Contact is rare as few travel to the areas of the Peaks that the Cliff Walkers claim as their territory, but any hostile encroachment is met with swift violence.Some Cliff Walkers will trade with the villages that rest in the lowlands of the Peaks, and more than a few have gone to become monks under the tutelage of the Fist of Rhalgr. They also have a fierce enmity towards Garleans, something that finds them kindred spirits amongst Ala Mhigans.