Table of Contents

Dahlia - The Trickster

Some call me The Lady of the Dance because of my predilection for playing
Others say that I lead the Dance of Life with tricks and double-dealing
To those I say For Shame!
Is it my fault my tongue is golden?
That fools would gladly give me all that they have?
- From the Word of Dahlia


Dahlia the Trickster is forever laughing and dancing. They say she led her people joyfully out of the camps, showed them light and hope where there was only despair before. She showed them that life could be a game to play and that things didn't have to always be so serious. She was the first to teach her children the joy of Synthesis.

Dahlia is made of many faces, masks and ribbons laced together around a metal frame except not always. For often she takes the face of another and walks about amongst her tribe without them knowing. She wields the eminences of illusion and motion

The Tribe

Unlike the other tribes, Dahlia's people are organised into a number of different Caravans that move around Vimary and it's surrounds rather than having a permanent home. The caravan you are a member of is more important than family and the ties that bind it together are matched only by their love for Dahlia herself. Each Caravan is led by a 'Little Trickster' - one of Dahlia's favoured children who are thought to have the closest connection to her.

Growing up a young Dahlian will learn all the skills that will serve them well in later life, following this they become what is known as a 'Crester' where they can move freely from caravan to caravan, testing their skills and finding a caravan where they feel they may belong. When a young Dahlian comes of age at 17 they go through a celebration called the 'Ritual of Flight' which occurs once a year. Each young 'Crester' wearing their cresting feathers climbs to the top of a tall tower and calls out the name of the caravan they wish to join before throwing themselves off the tower. If the caravan chooses the young Crester back then they will catch the youngster (often using Motion) and welcome them into the fold. If the caravan rejects them, and if they survive the fall, then they are declared members of no caravan and are usually banished shortly afterwards.

Dahlian's act as traders across the seven tribes and beyond moving from place to place in their caravans. Bazaar is where they come together to one giant market to trade what they've brought back and meet up with one another as well as the other tribes. Of all the tribes they are most at home in the bustling market. Dahlian's also play a role in the entertainment of the other tribes, every year they put on liberation plays for each of the fatima's and bring a sense of celebration to all the tribes as they travel.

They are also viewed by many as tricksters and thieves - but the main defence to this is that if they were able to take what they wanted, the other person clearly didn't want it enough themselves (and they've learnt an important lesson from Dahlia in the process). Trickery, teases and the like are Dahlia's way and so they are her people's way and they say this should be as respected as the Sheban's are with their laws… but not everyone follows this logical conclusion.

The Unwritten Rules

Dahlia is always watching and you never know who's face she wears or who's voice she uses or who's eyes she is watching through. She is always testing her people, and if you pass then she leaves you a gift, if you don't… well, that depends on how bad the trick was. It is her one desire that her people be happy and not gloomy or fighting amongst themselves. She can't stand her people to be unhappy. There are those who sometimes forget this but it's rarely a lasting problem, if they can't be happy they just tend to leave suddenly in the middle of the night.

What does she think of her sisters?

So many of the tribes view us as outsiders, they don't understand what it is we offer them. Yagan's are nearly impossible to make laugh, surrounded by death all the time it's hardly surprising. Sheban's take everything so seriously and hate the way we joke around, they would be lost without their laws and traditions. Evan's are just as bad, they just want to control us while pretending that it's all for our own good. Not all the tribes are so bad though - the Agnites are the best audience you could hope for and always up for a tale or a song or a play or a trick. Magdalites are mostly ok, they're very similar to us but very different at the same time, far too focused on looking in when there's a whole world out there that they're missing. Finally the Joanites, you'd have thought we'd find them too stuffy but actually they're as devoted to Joan as we are to Dahlia without letting laws get in the way - they keep the tribes together and that's a good thing.

The Fallen are fascinating, pushing for change which Dahlia loves but they're not as confident as they could be and not at all organised or focused - but once they've learnt a lesson or two they'll be well on their way. Dahlian's have often helped the fallen sneak into Bazaar or back to see their family during festivals, perhaps that way they'll realise their mistakes and change.

The Keepers are good for trade but not much else, they just don't understand what's going on in the world. The Squats are harmless, they've got nothing to trade though so it's hardly worth bothering with them.

The Z'bri are vile and monstrous. They want to take away our freedom and replace our joy with pain. They are dangerously close to tribal lands and most of her tribe know that Dahlia wants them out and away from her children!

Guilds and Cliques