Editing Autia (section)

====The Bridge Isles (Gib'Dunes, Bridge Tribes, Alprobes, Four Sisters Confederacy) ====

'''Gib'Dunes:'''

''Native Americans with a seabird motif. Broke away from Rig'Nood to ally with Alkor.''

The northern most island is inhabited by a splinter group of the Rig'Noods. They found it absurd to dress as hoof demons to terrify their own children and the occasional enemy.

They are known as the Gib'Dunes, and instead they dress like seabirds. They did not trust the Union to protect them and did not want to pay them tribute like the rest of the Rig'Nood tribes chose to do. They also decided the best place to live where hooved horrors couldn't hurt them was on an island. They now pay tribute to the enclave of the Alkor Empire to their south, which seemed like a superior arrangement to them for some reason.

They are less frightful than their mainland cousins and survive a bit more independently, they are not an uncommon site in the cities and lands of the southern oceans, being more willing to travel about in places with plenty of water between them and the mainland.

'''Bridge Tribes / Alprobes:'''

''Pacific Islanders who hang out with Grey-type aliens and do piracy and voodoo and stuff occasionally.''

Distant relatives to both those who live in the Shahdom and Napan, the Bridge Tribes claim to be the purest descendants of those who made the many bridges connecting the islands of this region. Living in small tribal fishing villages, the Bridge Tribes are deceptively primitive, but in fact are capable of powerful magic, particularly curses, divinations, and potentially overwhelming visual illusions.

For the most part, the Bridge Tribes mind their own business, but they sometimes engage in piracy via sleek catamarans and captured foreign vessels. Most raids target ships of Alkor, their hated enemies, but they have been known to raid as far east as Napan and as far west as Temple Isle. No body really likes them except for the strange, long fingered beings known as the Alprobes.

'''Four Sisters Confederacy:'''

''More Pacific Islanders.  Were once part of the Shahdom but broke away.''

On the small islands on the southeast side of the continent lays the Four Sister Conderancy was the original sister state to the shahdom, but they rebelled against the Shahdoms control removing the sisterly connections of the states to it during the war. they diced to make new sisterly connections and form new ones with each other creating a confederacy base on mutual protection.

The state is made up of four allied states; Huma, Toga, Sola, and Grim. even do they broke away from the sister system but are still under the influence of the Shahdom. they are well known for their seamanship and boats which have navigating a whole continent. they do have special crafts of the islands but they more prefer to work as shipment believers.

'''People:'''

The dominant cultural group in the Bridge Isles are the Bridge Tribes, a branch of the Jinsanic racial group. Sometimes the term Bridge Tribes is used specifically to refer to tribes unaffiliated with Alkor or the Four Sisters, but usually it refers to the culture as a whole.

The so called "Colonists" are Bridge Tribers who settled in the ruins of the Eldrian Empire, but later gave up, settling first in Rig'Nood, then some returning to the Bridge Isles to create the nation of Gib'Dunes by conquering smaller tribes. Although closely related to the Bridge Tribes, they have a number of distinct cultural traits like their worship of Gull, and their strong aversion to Taurs and other Eldrian creations.

The term colonist can also refer to the Alkorians who have taken over much of the Bull'Limb Island and parts of Gib'Dunes, though the majority of people on Bull'Limb and Gib'Dunes are still Bridge Tribers.

The most rare and distinct beings living in the Bridge Isles are the Alprobes. A short race with long fingers, scrawny limbs, large heads and almond shaped eyes, they are unlike any other race found in the world, though the few who are unfortunate to have encountered both say there is some similarities with the underground dwelling mind flayers.

'''Religion:'''

A wide range of gods are worshipped in the Bridge Isles.

Tiki is the traditional god worshipped in the area, and still has many worshippers, particularly among the smaller, unaffiliated tribes. He is associated with creation, magic, and ocean weather. Figures similar to Tiki can be found in many of the oldest ruins, suggesting he has been worshipped in this area for a very long time. Various animal and nature spirits, and even some demons and undead spirits, are said to be servants of Tiki.

Some of the smaller tribes also worship the Alprobes as servants of Tiki, though most don't. Some tribes offer "sacrifices" to the Alprobes, though such individuals generally reappear weeks later, perfectly fine if a very shaken and disturbed.

Gull is the most prominent of Tiki's servants, and is associated with the freedom of the ocean. He is the patron of sailors, as well as the Gib'Dune peoples, who worship him as their main conduit to Tiki.

The Eldrian Gods; Primolt, Great Mother, and Green Titan, are worshipped by some in the Four Sisters and Gib'Dunes, though they are seen as distant, abstract gods.

The Alltimer is worshipped in some parts of Bull'Limb, the Four Sisters, and Gib'Dunes, but even though his followers try to keep a low profile, they still unpopular due to the belief that they will try to suppress other religions like back in the Shahdom.

Nantic colonists follow the Nantic pantheon, and some Bridge Tribers have converted too, though Alkor does not see missionary work as a priority.

'''Magic:'''

The magic used by the Bridge Tribes is usually known as voodoo by outsiders, though the term actually originated from the Fantel Islands. It is a powerful form of ritual magic that has many uses, including placing invisible curses on places or people, necromancy, demon binding, alchemy, divinations, enchantments, illusions, and weather magic.

Under the Sister System, the Shahdom tried to suppress the use of traditional magic, a source of irritation among the common folk which contributed to the departure from the Sister System of Bridge Tribe nations.

The Alprobes have a form of magic on their own known as mind magic which allows them to control the thoughts and emotions of others. They can also absorb memories, and wipe or reprogram minds with prolonged physical contact.

'''Military:'''

The Bridge Tribes rely on loosely organized tribal militias. In the case of the larger tribes/nations like Huma, Toga, Sola, Grim, and Gib'Dunes, a feudal type system is used where the rulers can call on each subtribe to supply militia to a larger national force. Traditional weapons of the tribes include spears, bows, clubs, and hooks, but many Bridge Tribes use modern weapons like muskets and swords when they can afford them.

Armor or heavy clothing is rarely worn due to the semi-tropical climate and need to frequently canoe between islands or wade through swamps.

Canoes and catamarans are the preferred naval vessels for raids, but many modern vessel can also be found among the Bridge Isles being used for merchant operations, piracy, and coastal defense.

Voodoo isn't really suited for direct confrontation, but when combined with the guerilla tactics preferred by the Bridge Tribes is in fact very dangerous.

There are no records of the alprobes fighting, or appearing in large numbers in one location at the same time. The three confusingly named "Gravlind - Alprobe Wars" were in fact between the navy of the Shahdom and Alkorian Naval Squadrons posted at Fort Alprobe.

Alkor has many forts and military garrisons among the Isles to protect its holdings. It frequently recruits Bridge Tribers into auxiliary military units, and such is their effectiveness that they are often posted to Alkorian colonies in the Fantel Islands and certain remote equatorial bases as well.

'''History:'''

Although typically considered a Jinsanic people, the Bridge Tribers claim to have been in the region far before neighboring Jinsanic cultures, and take credit for the many mysterious ruins in the region, including the massive bridges connecting the islands.

The whole region was absorbed into the Jinsan Empire, but broke off into a series of independent tribes followings its collapse. The Shahdom was eventually able to lure the five largest tribes (Huma, Toga, Sola, and Grim, known as the Four Sisters Confederacy, as well as the tribe of Bull'Limb) into their "Sister System" via marriage alliances and treaties. The Four Sisters later expanded onto the mainland, creating the nation of San'Barg in the ruins of the Eldrian Empire. However, before long, San'Barg was all but destroyed by the Taur Tribes and the refugees settled Rig'Nood, and later created Gib'Dunes by conquering weaker tribes.

Rig'Nood and Gib'Dunes joined the Sister System as independent states alongside the Four Sisters and Bull'Limb, but ties between the Bridge Isles and the Shahdom were always weak at best, and both the Four Sisters and Gib'Dunes formally separated after the Walker War seriously tarnished the reputation of the Shahdom, though Rig'Nood remained. Bull'Limb was outright annexed into the Alkor Empire.

Skirmishes between the Four Sisters Confederacy, Gib'Dunes, Rig'Nood, Alkor, and/or unaffiliated Bridge Tribes are not uncommon, with the Shahdom frequently backing Rig'Nood, and sometimes backing the Four Sisters in hopes they will rejoin the Sister System.

'''Economy:'''

Most Bridge Tribe inhabitants live simple lives as fishermen, farmers, and hunters. A number of cash crops like fruit and spices are grown in plantations, particular in the territories controlled by Alkor.

Another backbone of the local economy is salaries earned by Bridge Tribers who work as sailors. A number of shipping companies operate out of towns and small cities in the Bridge Tribes, and many other companies employ Bridge Tribers.

Of course, not all sailors are interested in fishing and shipping, piracy is also fairly common in the region.