The Sius'am are the Susagh'am, following many generations of linguistic drift and a degree of isolation from the outside. Their endonym, Sius'am, means the same thing (Fish People, in reference to the rivers that define their land), and they would see themselves as a continuation of the very same culture.
Siusah is a plentiful and rich, but hazardous land. Enough resources in animals and plants are present for people to thrive, if they are able to harness them- and therein lies the rub. Many of the great resources are defended by fearsome wildlife. Ultimately the most successful tribes are those who can find ways to get the most out of this land, and it is them and their descendants who come to dominate Siusah.
One such method is applying the methods applied by the Hazhaham (Ashala), attempting to form alliances with pliable beasts, so that they can be made useful as more than mere prey. Many peoples attempt to apply the principles of domestication to the various creatures in their area.
Another method is to become steadily better at taking down large items of prey, developing increasingly powerful hunting bows with broadhead arrows, as well as more organized group hunting methods. This includes the incorporation of many roles, both practical and ritualistic, to hunting bands. And as applies to hunting, so does to war. Sius'am tribes, particularly the most successful, find their ranges expanding into one another. Successful tribes expand increasingly into the territories of others, and when resources run slim, often resort to combat to resolve their conflicts.
However, bloodshed is not the only means of the Sius'am. Peace and diplomacy often take place through trade, tribute and intermarriage. Powerful and wealthy tribes often flaunt their status through gifts, a system which both serves to prevent widespread violence and allow for specialization. A tribe of skilled riverside fishers can provide gifts of smoked meats and water-resistant beaver pelts to an inland tribe, who provide the sturdy hides of great plains beasts in return. Ritual sexual exchanges and marriages fit into this same framework.
As the tribes steadily grow and these practices develop and spread, the Sius'am grow more numerous and powerful. The largest villages see accumulations of wealth, and the production of greater walls and palisades, now regularly incorporating stone in addition to wood. Where the riches are great enough to allow for permanent settlements, they incorporate stone and wooden walls, shelters for individual or communal use, and ritual sites built around sacred stones.
What physical characteristic are you adding? (if any)
With access to a greater amount and variety of meat and other foods than their ancestors, the Sius'am tend to be larger and taller than their ancestors. The use of creative, ritual hairstyles to indicate roles, positions and seniority also comes into vogue.
What two new specialisations does your tribe develop?
A system of war and hunting: In practical terms, organization, improvements to hunting tools such as greater bows and arrowheads for killing difficult prey, and bands with ranks and operational hierarchies to allow us to exert dominance over men and beasts alike.
A culture of trade and accumulation: In practical terms, more complex and permanent structures among the richest and strongest villages (often incorporating stone or fired brick, where applicable), and traditions of mutual gifting, tributes and intertribal marriage. These networks create soft hierarchies and help to allow tribes to become specialists in their areas (stonecrafting, animal breeding, pottery and vessel construction or even waging war), rather than forcing all to be generalists.
How aggressive/adventurous or cautious is your tribe?
Quite aggressive and willing to use violence when necessary or desperate, but will approach most matters through a context of trade and tribute first. Cautiousness is a function of resource availability: the poorer the situation, the more caution is disregarded.
What are your relations with other tribes?
We view foreigners (those who do not speak our language) as trading partners first, but we are as willing to war with them as we are with our own people (and this tends to happen more frequently when, due to linguistic barriers, we are unable to reach any other kind understanding beyond violence).
Will your people migrate, or remain where they are?
Siusah is our home since the ancient Ashar'am (Ashut'ar) migrated from the awakening place, Ashadazo. As such, we do not intend to leave this rich land. However, there are some among us who will lose out in conflicts and be forced to migrate. Many of these people will push south, to and beyond Sitor' and Iva'inkha, where they will attempt to establish similar realms to those that exist in the north, with their hunting/warring bands, palisade forts and traditions of exchange. Others will exchange goods with the Owhan'am (people of the outer sea), who refer to themselves as the Kodaka (Kodagh'am), in exchange for transportation to their offshore homes, or other liveable lands where they might continue their way of life.
For those pushed into the harsh north or arid west, it is more likely that they will assimilate into the local cultures, as the Sius'am way of life is less well-suited for these inclement lands.
