Hunting and Gathering Clans

Hunting and gathering clans are small groups that make their living through hunting meat animals and foraging for edible plants. Their number is usually small, between 10 and 50 individuals, and their culture is simple and practical. They devote their free time to making weapons, clothes, and shelter; otherwise, they are usually tracking animals or foraging for edible plants. Their lifestyle is the most primitive of any on Athas, but it is also the freest. They wander across great tracks of Athas without regard for political boundaries, following game wherever it leads. Even though their lives are hard and short, whatever they do, they do for themselves. If a hunter is not hungry, he does not hunt; if he already has a fine bow and plenty of arrows, he does not make another; if his family has a good tent to protect them at night, he does not erect another. Most hunting and gathering clans are thri-kreen or halflings, although small groups from other races also make their livings in this manner. Humans seem to lack the stamina to endure this lifestyle in the rigorous wastelands of the desert; in all my travels, I have never seen a clan of human hunter-gatherers. Thri-kreen Thri-kreen are hatched to hunt. They roam the desert in packs of up to twenty-five beasts, always searching for fresh quarry. On those rare occasions when they are not hunting, thri-kreen are making weapons. They never sleep, and pause to rest only rarely. Unlike most other hunting clans, they do not burden themselves with shelters or other belongings, taking with them only what they can carry in their own mandibles. Thri-kreen packs usually do not hunt other intelligent beings (aside from the occasional elf) unless they have turned to raiding as a means of supporting themselves. The thri-kreen pack is organized along a strict order of dominance. The most aggressive, toughest member is the leader. The second most aggressive member is next in charge, and so forth. Whenever there is any dispute about the dominance order, the two contenders fight until one of them surrenders or dies. After the fight, there is never any bad will between the contestants; once the issue of dominance is resolved, they both go about their business with the full security of knowing just where they stand in the pack. This pack instinct can make thri-kreen seem belligerent and contentious, yet strangely loyal, in the eyes of other races. The thri-kreen's pack instinct is so strong that when a single thri-kreen is a member of a group including other races, it attempts to establish a dominance order. The thri-kreen instinctively attempts to bully the other members of the "pack." If they let it get away with this behavior, the thri-kreen figures that it's the leader of the pack; if someone stands up to it and defeats it in a contest of physical prowess, the thri-kreen accepts a lower place on the dominance order and does whatever its superior says. Once it joins a group, a thri-kreen remains steadfastly loyal - unless two or more members gang up on it in a dominance struggle. When this happens, the thri-kreen assumes that the other members intend to kill it and leaves at the first opportunity. Halflings The wild halflings live in the forest along the ridge of the Ringing Mountains. Each clan, numbering between 30 and 75 individuals, hunts and forages within a strictly defined area of 20 to 30 square miles. Normally, this would be too small an area to support so many individuals, but the forest ridge is unusually abundant in both animal and plant life. The halfling clans are careful to avoid crossing into each other's territory. This would cause hard feelings, perhaps even a fight. If there is one thing that halflings try never to do, it is offend each other. They have learned that by respecting each clan’s rights and property, all the clans will enjoy longer, happier lives (perhaps the sorcerer-kings should take a lesson from these wild fellows). When some disaster befalls a clan, they have no need to resort to stealing from one another. Instead, those in need of help simply journey (or send a messenger) to their chief (see Villages) with their request. Assuming the need is genuine, the chief either lends his own support or calls upon his other subject clans to aid the one in trouble. This custom even applies between chiefs; if one of them is ever faced with a problem he cannot handle, his brothers are honor-bound to aid him in whatever manner they can. Because of this custom, which is so deeply ingrained in the halfling mind that it is very nearly instinct, every clan realizes that it is never to their benefit to fight with another halfling clan. Unfortunately for us, this ethic applies only between halflings. They consider anything else (including intelligent races) fair game for the stew pot - or just to steal from, if there are too many intruders to capture. Captured humans and demihumans are considered a delicacy and are usually taken to the chief as an offering, but some clans eat their quarry on the spot - particularly if hunting has not been good of late. When away from their own kind, halflings are mistrustful and cautious. I once asked a halfling why this was. He gave me a spiteful look, then, in all seriousness, replied, "l know what on your mind. You think 'not much meat on halfling, but he make good snack someday, ". Of course, I tried to explain that it is not common practice for humans to eat their guests, but my little friend refused to believe it. Steadfastly he maintained that, when it came to mealtime, the only race one could trust was his own.