Med'ja

Summary
The Med'ja are a race of sentient rodents that live beneath the forests of Gaea. The first and largest known tribe, the Med'ja-Hom live in the southern forests of Gaea under the rule of their Chieftain Ma'Ten, the 9th Chieftain of the Med'ja-Hom.

History
Born during the Age of Creation the Med'ja began as mindless creations of the nature deity Hom until they were given sentience by Yuna and blessed by Ailsa with the ability to pass on their knowledge.

With the boons granted to them by the gods Med'jan society began to evolve, culiminating in several tribe-based societies, the first of which came to be known as the Med'ja-Hom.

Med'ja-Hom - The first tribe
Under the rule of Chief Mar'in 1st the scattered communities that made up the proto-tribes of Gaea's south were united allowing them to challenge and claim greater territory from the roaming spawn of Mara which had spread throughout the land in the absence of Hom.

With their ancestral enemy held at bay the culture of the southern tribe flourished allowing the development of music to complement the passing of knowledge through song. The use of herbs and plants as medicines was developed attracting the attention of Umbralocht, the formless God of obsession, transformation, and strife. The whispers of Umbralocht echoed through Med'jan society resulting in the birth of the first Shamans and the Cult of Umbralocht.

Controversy
With the rise of the Cult of Umbralocht many became distrustful of the Shamans fearing that they would bring strife down upon the peaceful tribe and so they were cast out to fend for themselves against the dangers of surface life.

Life on the surface tested the Cultists resolve resulting in the discovery of many compounds both poisonous and beneficial. Over time word of the Cult's power spread among the people of the Med'ja-Hom tribe and brave members would seek out the Shamans for a cure to illness or blessing in the hunt.

Reconciliation
As generations passed and the Pantheon of Med'jan worship grew consultation of the Cultists of Umbralocht became commonplace. Council was held and the decision made to welcome them back under the rule of Ma'Li, 7th Chieftain of the tribe of Med'ja-Hom.

Culture
Med'jan society is based around a tribal culture ruled by a single Chieftain with a council consisting of tribal elders and spiritual advisors beneath him.

Life in the Burrows
Children are raised in communal nests deep within the Burrows by their mothers and elders with knowledge passed onto them through song. They remain in the Burrows until they are of age, assisting with the growth of mushrooms and the excavation of further burrow passages once they reach adolescence.

Hunting on the surface is undertaken by both Male and Female alike as there is little physical difference between genders with food shared evenly among the tribes people. Many Hunters and Huntresses have taken to adorning themselves with trophies gathered during their hunts.

Life in the Burrows is relatively stress free for many Med'jan tribes, due to the development of weaponry and poisons they seldom need fear incursions from surface predators. Time in the Burrows is spent farming, sleeping, manufacturing tools and weapons, playing music and extending the boundaries of the Burrows.

Art and Religion
The Med'ja have delved little into the arts beyond song and the use of basic wind and percussion instruments though exceptions can be found with body paint and the primitive wall art created to honor the gods.

Having developed into a Pantheistic culture the Med'ja worship many of the gods of Gaea including but not limited to:

Hom - Known amongst the Med'ja as the "Ground Father" Hom is worshipped for giving birth to their ancestors and as a god of Plants and Animals

Yuna - Known as the "Great Sky Mother" Yuna is worshipped as the mother of all things and she who rose the Med'ja from their primitive origins.

Ailsa - Known as the "Father of song" and worshipped for giving birth to the first song.

Umbralocht - Known to Med'ja Shamans as "The Whispering Madness" and "The Bringer of temptation" who worship him fervently for the knowledge and transformation he brings.

Technology
The Med'ja have developed many of the tools and weapons classically seen in stone age societies made from bone, stone, wood and seashells such as spears, shields, bow and arrow and nets made from the Snagweed.

Tribes of the North
The Med'ja have spread across the entirety of Gaea wherever there is forests to be found, though little is known about those that live beyond Hom's Southern realm. Legends speak of a great northern tribe dedicated to the goddess Yuna and of "The Wildlings" who brave the plains and worship darker gods.