The Swamp Elves appear to be a primitive or decayed tribe of River Elves. Outsiders notice their habit of marking their bodies in coloured muds and pastes and their preference for living away from the cities and towers of their kind, often in the marshy lands along the rivers that the River Elves sail upon. Outsiders often notice the disparaging behaviour of other Elves towards this tribe and believe the Swamp Elves to be a servile caste or perhaps even slaves. But this is not so.
The Vision of Wuvuko
The River Elves turned their backs on the Millennium War and make a point not to speak of it. They devote themselves to trade, in order to fund the pursuit of art, beauty and pleasure. But not all River Elves are happy with this dispensation.
The elf Wuvuko received his Vision a century ago, back in the eastern lands of Myrhak where the River Elves originate. Wuvuko foresaw the arrival of Balor and the Formorians in this world and the alliance of many races that would stand against him here, outside a City of Blood.
Wuvuko set about preaching his message, a call to arms for the decadent River Elves, but it was not well-received. He was cast out and ostracized. But a small following accompanied him and, such were the intensity of his visions, this following grew, becoming the Sacred Circle or Nanissaanye.
The elf Wuvuko received his Vision a century ago, back in the eastern lands of Myrhak where the River Elves originate. Wuvuko foresaw the arrival of Balor and the Formorians in this world and the alliance of many races that would stand against him here, outside a City of Blood.
Wuvuko set about preaching his message, a call to arms for the decadent River Elves, but it was not well-received. He was cast out and ostracized. But a small following accompanied him and, such were the intensity of his visions, this following grew, becoming the Sacred Circle or Nanissaanye.
The Nanissaanye Grows
Wuvuko's non-tribe, the Nanissaanye, grew to a size that rivaled the great Septs of the River Elves. It was made up of discontented Elves from the other Septs, but also fugitives, criminals and exiles seeking a fresh start and a new outlook. At first, the fledgling tribe was treated as an army of brigands and had to defend itself from raids by the other Septs who drove it out of the estuaries of Myrhak.
The Nanissaanye's fortunes changed when Wuvuko led the group west to the Forests of Khosa. Here, Wuvuko met with the Wood Elves (Khosiu) who vindicated his visions. The Wood Elves had been receiving many fugitives from Faerie that they had not directed on to the High or River Elves. Now they directed these exiles from Faerie to join the Nanissaanye. doubling the size of the community in one night.
The Dignity of the Elves
The Nanissaanye was now too large to be persecuted by the other Septs. Peace was declared and a formal pact made. The Nanissaanye would purchase their 'Dignity' (status as a full Sept) from the other Elves. This involves a monstrous debt which the entire community of the Nanissaanye have taken upon themselves. It is said that Wuvuko's last Vision concerned the Dignity and prophesied that the last battle of the Millennium War would be fought when the Dignity of the Nanissaanye is finally purchased.
Inner and Outer Circles
Many years have passed since Wuvuko's famous Visions and the Sacred Circle he established has settled into a tribe-like structure, with Elders and Braves. The term 'Swamp Elf' was originally coined by the Dwarves to describe the Nanissanye, but it has stuck and the stoic Swamp Elves accept it. Wuvuko's people turn their backs on the luxurious lifestyle of the River Elves and embrace a more austere code of living, right beside the life-giving rivers that lead them westwards, looking for the City of Blood ("Meskonsing"). Their travels have brought them to Merkabar, the City of Paradises (Sonagsing).
The Inner Circle of the Swamp Elves refers to the individuals who have sworn themselves to uphold Wuvuko's Vision. These are the Oglasaanye who distinguish themselves with the ceremonial shirts they wear, stitched with tassels and beads in a fashion that draws many sneers from the River Elves.
The Outer Circle makes up the majority of the tribe. These are Swamp Elves who support the Nanissaanye by paying their portion of the Dignity each year, but do not take on the shamanic practices of the Oglasaanye, which include strict monogamy or celibacy (concepts rather alien to River Elves). These 'laymen' of the tribe are the Mishisaanye.
Swamp Life
Paying the Dignity imposes a huge financial burden on the tribe, so most Swamp Elves are poor. A few Swamp Elves act as mediators for the payment of the Dignity and ensuring the Nanissaanye are allowed to live by their own laws. These elves are known as Myrildin ("Easterners") and they have a reputation for skimming money from the Dignity payments for themselves. Many live in great luxury while away from the Nanissaanye, effectively having relapsed back into the lifestyle of the River Elves.
One way for the Swamp Elves to support themselves and maintain their culture is to take service with the Warden Rangers, a body of warriors devoted to protecting the roads and canals of the World's Crown. So many young Swamp Elves take service with this force that they have become almost identical with it in the minds of outsiders. It's common for non-Elves to refer to any Swamp Elf as 'Scout' regardless of their actual occupation.
Swamp Elves who join organisations like the Warden Rangers commonly take on board nicknames rather than using their Mishisaanye name. 'Swampy', 'Sedge', 'Mudder' and 'Fen' are common and the Swamp Elves accept these titles without irony. Swamp Elves offer their Mishisaanye names only to those they trust; the Oglasaanye practically never reveal their Inner Circle names to anyone outside the tribe.
Swamp Elf religion revolves around seeking dreams or visions, through meditating while consuming the hallucinogenic weeds found in the swamps. They use the Sweetsedge, a fragrant grass, to clear their minds before and after these 'dream dances'.
One feature of River Elf culture that the Swamp Elves have not abandoned is the predilection for gambling, but where the River Elves celebrate Blind Chance, the Swamp Elves insist there is the Unseen Hand of Fate. The most common gambling involves placing bets on fights between dracolisks (plumed bipedal reptiles) and interpreting the future in the blood splatters and the duration of the fight. This is one of the few institutions that draws River and Swamp Elves together. Swamp Elves also play Shibolbo, but have developed their own divinatory interpretations of the cards and counters.
