Adapt or Die

The wolves of Ephorel, the Oshaide Blood is one of the two governing forces of the Realms. Physically inspired by Pacific-Islander culture, each member of the family is a force to be reckoned with in their own right, and it shows. Not as powerful magically as a Regalia, but far exceeding them physically- The Oshaides fight like the animals they are referred to.

The most notable member of the family (and one of my favorite characters), Themulock Oshaide, stands at seven and a half feet tall- with gunmetal hair despite young age. Tribal tattoos cover most of his body, except his neck and face, for only the heads of the blood get the opportunity to “paint their face”- anyone else would be considered sacrilege.

Opposite their nomadic counterpart- the Avricious horde- the Oshaide prefer the sedentary life style, and established a sprawling city which is the sole home for anyone bearing the family name. The city- called Vellocken- is deeply ingrained in the Oshaide culture and pride, and as a result every member of the Blood must have “lock” at some point in their name, to spiritually lock them there. Every year, the family hosts a massive coming of age ceremony known as The Return, in which they blindfold their youth, and abandon them in the harsh wilderness of Ephorel. The children must then return to Vellocken by themselves, using their hunting skills and survival knowledge to survive. Upon their return, they are considered adults. It is a great shame to not come back from The Return, as it shames the parents for not training the child well enough, but also because it shows a lack of care for their homeland.

It is The Return that gives substance to the Oshaide Blood’s motto- Adapt or Die, because if the children are unable to change quickly, they will become the food of something else. Because of this, The Oshaide Return causes much strife between the Oshaide and Avricious families, as in their journeys home, the Oshaide children interrupt the wildlife populations through their hunting. The same populations that the Avricious need to be there as they rotate between different areas of the Realm. The feud between the families is much deeper than food reserves, instead, it is a fundamental disagreement on their connection to the land- the hunting is simply a symptom of it. The Avricious horde believe themselves to be a part of the nature, no better than it in any regard- and as such they view their impact on their surroundings as physical damage they’re causing to the world around them. The Oshaide believe that in order to not get swallowed by the same nature the Avricious revere, they must adapt and dominate it. This means establishing themselves in a physical location, and cultivating it to their needs. Because of this, intermingling between the two families is completely forbidden.

The Oshaide Blood was nearly wiped out by the End of Silence- Criom, who attacked them following the family’s small conflict with the Akabane clan. Most of the family was turned to stone before they knew what happened- currently waiting for someone to remove the curse.