Longtooth Clan

"You have nothing to fear from us outlander...
If we have nothing to fear from you."

— Packleader Zan

The Hunter's Code

With their territory centered on the vast - formerly frozen - forests in the lowest part of the Greatvalley the Longthooths live somewhat isolated from the other clans. This distance, heir of mystery, and a collection of rumors have led to skepticism and even fear of the Longtooths.
As wary as others are of the Longtooths, they are of others. This cold attitude is not the coalescence of some deep hatred but the desire of each Longtooth to protect their clanspeople from danger, from the unknown. They are fiercely loyal to each other and to those they would call friend.
For the Longtooth Clan hunting is a group effort - even more so than it is for the other clans - in which the elders teach the young while they watch the adults perform the dance of predator and prey. The way they move in unison, each performing their part, is unparalleled across the Greatvalley, at least by the other peoples. While great actions may be celebrated, there are no heroes among the Longthooths, each is but a part of the of the whole; they see excessive bravery as recklessness which leads to death which weakens the pack.
The fruit of the hunt is shared among all; the sick eat first, then the young, then the old, then the strong.

Life in the Longtooth Clan

When a child is born the Longtooth celebrate in silence for an entire day as each individual takes the time to visit the mother and child, licking their finger and placing it upon the babies forehead. The silence allows everyone to hear the cries of the newborn and remember that as bad as things may become, life continues and they survive. Babies are cared for communally as the parents may have to be gone for extended periods of time on hunting trips.
The young are taught by the elderly about all manner of things from herbal remedies to fire-making and from tool-making to history. When they grow a little older they begin joining on hunts but not participating until they have learned what they need to. In preparation for their first hunt, all the new hunters undergo a ceremony where they receive body paint markings in a ceremony celebrating the transition to adulthood.
Adult life in the Longtooth Clan involves working day-in and day-out to provide for all the members of the clan. Hunting trips can last for extended periods of time but are always followed by a period of rest while others go out hunting. A time to rest is not a time to do nothing, it is a time to perform different labour; common jobs include tool-making, carcass-carving, clothes-making, and education among others.
The jobs of elders are the same as those of the adults though they may not participate in hunts except to watch the young learners and teach them about what they are seeing as they watch the hunters.

A Deal Made

"To this fire we offer this portion of our bounty so that the winds may carry it to you, wherever you are, our kindred, Fangmother Ash."

— Packleader Zan

As their stories go, the Longtooths made a deal with Fangmother Ash when the longcold was still in its infancy; in exchange for her protection, strength, and guidance, they joined her pack. It is believed this is why they look so different from the other peoples of the Greatvalley having taken on some of the traits of her and her pack.
This story is known - at least in part - to all the clans and is likely the origin for the rumor that, when food gets scarce, the Longtooths hunt and eat people. The story is aided in the reaction to finding corpses of those attacked by animals.
An unexpected boon of this deal is that the Longtooths have been the only clan to live alongside animals, enhancing their reputation as wild, unsociable, and animalistic.

"Others often say we are deficient when it comes to expressing ourselves. I say they are deficient in detecting expression."

— Packleader Zan

Clan Relations

While some people dream of witnessing a member of the Longtooths face off against a member of the Boilblood Clan, the two clans hold little animosity towards each other. They have no overlapping territory and therefore little reason to ever think of the other.
Their relations with the Cavehands are also neutral though they have more frequent interactions with them as the travels of the Cavehand Clan bring them through Longtooth territory. Mostly the Longtooths think of the Cavehands as weak.
Longtooths find little need for the supernatural abilities possessed by the Nightwalker Clan but have no true qualms with them. They believe their spiritual valleykin to be true to their word and are more than willing to trade with them or provide aid if the need should arise.
The boisterous nature of the Openarms - and their tendency to idolize heroes - creates tension between them and the Longtooths as they see each other as too different to reconcile their cultures. Overlapping hunting territory also raises tension and has resulted in battles, injury, and death. This overlapping territory has also resulted in beneficial - if tense - trade relations complicating this relationship.

Outside Views

Members of other clans find the direct and short way the Longtooths communicate to be unsociable and their reputation as being sharpfang-like is intimidating. The Longtooth clan knows what their reputation is but does not feel any urgency in improving it; being scary keeps people away from their territory and they know that any outsider who matters will see past their preconceived notions of the clan and their reputation will not be an issue.