Pescadors

Nomadic fisher clan split into several different clans that travel with fleets of small boats up and down the coast. Stay mostly around what used to be Florida but there is a larger family that goes up and down the coast of the gulf of Mexico. Clan heads of each fleet meet once a year in a council to divvy up territory, settle disputes, celebrate "The Week of the Dead" and vote on a new council head.

Children are raised by the community and close to reaching adulthood they spend a year with another clan in order to learn to trades and to build trust between families. Upon reaching adulthood members are given a tattoo by the clan head as a mark of their independence.

Clan heads sometimes arrange an exchange of members for short periods in order to expand the family with new blood. Though marriage is encouraged it is not looked down on when a child is born out of wedlock. It is especially common to do this with tribe members with obvious gifts in hopes of breeding said gifts into other bloodlines.

Religion plays a big part in Pescador communities. Each boathouse has it's own altar, sometimes two, devoted to various saints/saviors. The most common being the Moon fish, who is said to protect the Pescadors from the wrath of the sun but luring it away with her scales. Small tokens and offerings of dried fish are left, with fresh flowers in bowls of water scented with cedar around celebration times. Charms and pendants are often worn, and those that cannot afford these often stitch symbols into their clothing for protection. Prayer beads are often worn by those who weave and take care of the homes, while those who are more active attach them to necklaces or piercings.

Pescadors are adept at fishing, net making, boat making and weaving. Self-defense depends on the clan and where they are based, with some being more warlike than their brethren. Each will come to arms if they catch wind of another clan falling into trouble, and there have been rare occasions when all of the clans have come together in order to take care of a common threat.

The Sunbird and the Moonfish

The Sunbird is ever hungry, as everything he tries to eat burns and turns to ashes before ever reaching his mouth. He knows no love because of this, and vainly tries to touch everything he sees in an attempt to fill his emotional void. All are afraid of him because of his intense heat, and cower when he comes too close in fear of getting burned. Sometimes the Sunbird gets angry he tries to burn things on purpose, causing wildfires and burning homes in his wake. He likes the sound of people crying, because he cries with them. But they never hear his crying, they only hear what sounds like anger and destruction.

But the Moonfish hears his crying. Their crying. She is a gentle soul that feels everything, taking it in and gliding through it like a clean river. She is the one that tries to keep the Sunbird from burning the earth, the people, her people. She swam after him when he slept, when the sky cooled and her water became even clearer. As he slept she fed him scales, little bits of herself to ease his empty stomach and cool his parched throat. When he woke she would be gone, but he would not be hungry and would keep his distance from the people below.

This would continue every night until the last night she gave the final bit of herself, leaving only her shadow to swim to the depths of the ocean to make herself whole once more. Until she was whole again the Sunbird would come out, setting fires and screaming his pain and loneliness. But when she was whole again the cycle started over, the Moonfish giving the Sunbird parts of herself to keep the people safe.

Pescadors and Genefreaks

For the most part Pescadors are made up of normal people, but the occasional Gold pops up in some clans. These people are considered lucky, a good omen for the clan and usually end up being made a clan leader. Known lines that sire golds are encouraged to breed, and sometimes political agreements are sealed with the attempt to sire a Gold child as a sign of their commitment to the agreement as well as wishes of good luck. Golds tend to have larger families, and either through morale or actual good luck their clans tend to be prosperous.

There is an extremely recessive silver bloodline that is regarded as especially holy, as they are considered progeny of the Moonfish and representative of her in the realm of humans. They are deferred to in matters of religion and serve on the counsel as an important weigh in for political matters. They are held in high regards by all clans and are always welcome and fed regardless of the clan's wealth. The moment another Silver is born they are groomed to replace their predecessor. If more than two Silvers are within the Pescadors at a time it is considered an ill omen, as the second born is said to lead the clans astray with false teachings and bad governance. Mothers who give birth to a Silver that is "second born" often attempt to hide this, either by committing infanticide or leaving the child with an orphanage. The current Silver is named Teleri and she is old, even by Pescador standards. There has yet been a successor born and the counsel is worried that Teleri might die before she can be replaced.

Even rarer than silvers are the stray Mercuries that are born. They are said to be cursed and are killed instantly. There hasn't been one born in many generations, and in the past entire families have been killed because of the appearance of a Mercury.

Otters

Otters are considered companions to the Moonfish and protect her from predators that may try to eat her while she is weak. They have been domesticated by clans that live along the Gulf Coast who use them to get shellfish. Occasionally otters will be given as gifts of good will or peace offerings, but for the most part these clans keep their otters a closely guarded commodity. They sometimes appear on the black market, either from someone within the clan or someone who has attacked a clan and raided their supplies.