Nightwalker Clan

"We must leave the Greatvalley for in a year soon to come the bigwater will come, everything will be washed away, and those who survived the longcold will be killed.
We must support the brave who go beyond valley's edge for when their familiar landmarks disappear, our stars will keep them true."

— Seer Nal, spoken by her interpreter Ril

The Mystical Arts

The Nightwalker's territory is found in the central and dawnward sections of the Greatvalley; much the central portion of this land is also the territory of the Openarm Clan. These lands contain many herds of longhorns that roam far and wide. In addition to the usual tracking skills that can help them follow the food, the abilities of some of the clan members to predict the herd locations is heavily relied upon by their hunting parties.
Seers live longer than most other people of the Greatvalley. It is unclear if this is a result of their supernatural abilities or if it is a result of being more protected by the clan. Whichever might be the case, seers are the first to eat when food is distributed before the others eat beginning with those who need it the most.

Life in the Nightwalker Clan

When a Nightwalker woman is pregnant it is tradition for them to go on a journey accompanied by one or both of the baby's grandmothers. A successful journey often brings them to vantage points on the valley's edge from which they can view the valley or peaceful groves in forests where they can watch the stars. This journey is to grant to the child strength, health, long life, luck, and an attunement to the supernatural.
Newborns are cared for by the women in their family - mothers, grandmothers, older sisters - while the men are watching over the toddlers and young children. The young children are taught first the names of the stars so that, should they become lost, they can find their way back. As children grow they are taught more skills by the members of the clan with an eye open for those who might possess the ability to become seers or to take on other mystical roles.
Most adults spend their time much like the other tribes save that they have little rituals to go with most things they do. They sit in silence before going on a hunt, they thank the animals they hunt, they sing while they make tools, and many other such - in the view of the other clans - peculiar activities.
Of all the people among the Nightwalkers it is the women who hold the most sway. The oldest woman in the clan is the leader and it is her duty to make the big decisions that impact the whole clan and to perform certain ceremonies. While men of the clan can also possess supernatural abilities - and even be seers - the ability is more common among their women which is likely what led to their matriarchal tradition.

Under Open Skies

"The night sky was created by our ancestors who became the stars so that their children and their children's children would have lights to show them the way."

— Seer Nal, spoken by her interpreter Ril

Of all the clans, it is the Nightwalkers who are the most adept at navigation. Their knowledge of the night sky - and the ubiquity of that knowledge among their people - goes far beyond that of the other clans as does their ability to use the positions of multiple stars to find not only a direction but a specific location.
It is also at night when - as their name implies - the Nightwalkers move. Their ability to see in the dark is stronger than that of the other clans and they take full advantage of it to get work done at any time and to travel at night if they need to avoid specific predators or other clans.

"When the world sleeps, we move."

— Seer Nal, spoken by her interpreter Ril

Clan Relations

The Nightwalkers and the Boilbloods both have strong supernatural traditions but little contact with each other. There has been bloodshed in the past but the Nightwalkers have avoided the gaze of the Boilbloods for many generations, traveling through their territory only if they need to and only at night.
The Cavehand Clan and the Nightwalkers regularly exchange goods, either directly or through the Openarm Clan. There is a special reagent that aids the Nightwalkers in their supernatural endeavors that can only be acquired from the Cavehands who have never divulged where it can be found.
Though the stories carried by the Longtooth Clan are very different than their own, there is no enmity between the two clans. The Nightwalkers see the Longtooths as distant and overly reserved while the Longtooths see the Nightwalkers as too detached from the world and too attached to their strange customs.
In the past there have been some conflicts between the Nightwalkers and the Openarms their current relationship is the strongest of any two clans.

Outside Views

The Nightwalkers are seen in a mostly positive light by the other clans because they have spent generations fostering positive relationships and upholding deals. The worst that most can say about them is that they are too attached to their - often time consuming - little traditions and that their speeches can go on a bit too long.