Myriad Worlds: Gilbrim

The Gilbrim are a diverse and adaptive species of beings who have achieved a level of ubiquity among the Myriad Worlds. Humanoid in shape and stature, Gilbrim vary widely in size, far more so than compared to the other people of the Myriad Worlds. Heights range from the average person’s hips to a head above the average person’s head, width from rail-thin to balloon bulbousness.

Skin-tone is often a shade of green, though darker yellows and blues have been found in disparate communities. Noses tend to be long and thin, as do ears. Hair is thin and whispy, sometimes absent. Facial hair exists on both male and female Gilbrim, though females never get hair on the front of their chins or jaws, only on the bottom of their chins and neck. Hair colors range from black to light brown to dark blue, never red or blonde.

The Gilbrim are culturally nomadic, a fact which resulted in their classification as a barbaric race for centuries by the Arcwhite Cultrual and Racial Council. For a shamefully long time, the Arcwhite kingdoms attributited civilized culture to those who had stable domiciles, specifically those made from stone or mortar. As such, upon their discovery, the Gilbrim were seen as primitive even though they had not only already perfected the art of Stonemetal Forging, but the Gilgilnoob numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Culture

Living as nomads in the harsh climates of their own world, the Gilbrim have a finely honed sense of survival. Though now it is not uncommon to see Gilbrim caravans laden with various creature comforts, centuries ago the Gilbrim who survived were those who were able to thrive while carrying the least. This led to a culture where innovation, miniaturization, and practical engineering were highly prized. Trade and social dependency were also important, which means, more or less, that the Gilbrim Culture is one of scavenging, tinkering, and shrewd bargaining.

Nowadays, this leads many cultures to believe Gilbrim are natural savages and greedy moneychangers. Nothing could be further from the truth, as many great scholars, architects, and nobility herald from the Gilbrim culture. Indeed, to their friends and allies, the Gilbrim are kinder and more generous than almost any culture you care to name.

It is important to note, however, that while in the Gilbrim culture the act of cheating someone on a deal is a great crime, there is no such taboo for non-Gilbrim, and many see cheating a Tog, as non-Gilbrim are so called, as an act of retribution for centuries of discrimination. Thankfully, most Gilbrim are not so callous, and will not outright cheat a Tog unless they are rude, cruel, or condiscending.

Haggling is expected among Gilbrim merchants, though rarely for any length of time. If you wish to barter or haggle, it is wise to cease bargaining once a Gilbrim repeats the same offer without improvement. Once a Gilbrim sets a price, the price is set.

This is all to say that Travelers are urged to treat any and all Gilbrim with politeness and respect. This respect must not only take the shape of cultural tolerance, but also not allowing a Gilbrim to obvously cheat, lie, or steal from you. To allow a Gilbrim to get the better of you is — to the Gilbrim — a sign of disrespect all its own.

As a final word of warning, what is considered rude or condescending is dependent on the individual Gilbrim themselves. It is said among those who know: You are more certain of getting a fair deal from a friendly Gilbrim then ever knowing if a Gilbrim is your friend.

History

The first known historical reference to the Gilbrim people is a controversial subject. While the debate over which of the folk was “first” is quite heated, there are ancient references to “a traveling people with songs of cold salt” in some of the oldest dated Dworg literature. The Gilbrim insist this is a reference to the Songs of Dust, a song of over three thousand stanzas that covers much of Gilbrim’s history. At this reference is dated somewhere in the late third of recorded Dworg History, it is assumed that the Gilbrim are at least among some of the earliest people among the Myriad Worlds.

At the same time, the writings of the Aspanighoraji scholar By-twi Noklak state that zhe was present when a “People of wanderers, whose place was beyond the ninth hill around the passing of the river, appeared before me.” Zir writings are generally ignored by Gilbrim, though some scholars have drawn connection between the “ninth hill,” and the Gilbrim concept of the Nine Arduous Crossings, a legend whereby a folk-hero is forced to climb steeper and steeper hills while loosing important material possessions as they do.

I would also be remiss if I did not use this opportunity to explain one of the most significant misconceptions about Gilbrim History; the Arkeneesian War. Many penny-scholars and petty dilettantes have repeated the like that the Gilbrim allied themselves with the Kingdom of Juhenc, and fought under their banner. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The evidence available suggests that a single tribe of Gilbrim¹ fought alongside the Juhenc army during the Battle of Widepond. This is neither indicative of the wider Gilbrim culture, nor is the purported existence of a “Hidden Gilbrim Monarch” substantiated by any practical evidence or historical events.

The River of Gold

A philosophical concept that spans Gilbrim society is the River of Gold. It is a difficult concept to explain, and has a multi-faceted history, with different Gilbrim explaining it in different ways; as follows:

The “Cold” River is a river of prosperity and wealth. Material power resides in the River of Gold, and those who are brave, strong, or clever can pull more from the River from those who are not. The River is fickle and vengeful, however, and so more must be offered to the River for everything that is taken. This makes trade and commerce a complicated line to walk, where the crafty and manipulative get more than they deserve, and the weak are dependant on others.

The “Warm” River is a river of community, where the flow of life through the Myriad Worlds ebbs and flows. One gives to the river for it take to those in need, and borrows from the river to survive. The act of giving is therefore an act of living, while to take without reciprocity is parasitism. This makes hording and personal property crimes, while trade is an act of compassion, love, and community. Many scholars have drawn the obvious connections between this concept and the various philosophies of spiritual reciprocity, such as the Aeolam’s “soultouch” and the Rim-runners’ “returned three-fold” concepts.

Historians believe that the “River” concept perhaps originated from an agrarian era in the history of the Gilbrim, when they may have needed to remain close to running water during times of drought or famine. In such times, the idea of taking from the water, either through fishing or gathering river-fruits, was likely combined with tending to its environs to make sure that any other Gilbrim who returned did not go hungry. If the river were swift, it would be possible too that the Gilbrim used the river to transport useful tools or heavy objects that would slow down their travels. This would make the River a communal place of its own, which carried various supplies that no individual Gilbrim had claim to.

The Gilbrim Language

The Gilbrim Language is a fascinating one, not exclusively because there are at least twenty-eight known distinct dialects spanning five separate categorical taxonomies. The five categories of dialect roughly translate to “eastern,” “high-pitch,” “mournful,” “wide-spread,” and “articulate.” (it should be noted that these categories are not accurately descriptive, such that high-pitch dialects are no higher pitched than any other, and the articulate dialects have no more concern for enunciation.)

There has been debate about the Eastern and Mournful dialects, as while both dialects share a distinct lineage with ancient Gilbrim language, they have shifted enough such that an Eastern speaker may be completely unable to understand a Mournful or Wide-spread speaker, while those who speak high-pitch, wide-spread, or articulate can more or less understand each other.

Their isolated linguistic nature, however, has not prevented Eastern dialects from becoming the most wide spread and common dialects of the Gilbrim. This makes one of the Eastern dialects the obvious choice when deciding which Gilbrim Language to learn, even though there are more combined wide-spread, articulate, and high-pitch speakers in Gilbrim society.

For travelers, the most important word to learn is Im’cuc. Pronunciation varies throughout the many Gilbrim dialects, but the most common is “EEm’cyook.” Roughly translated as “I’m grateful,” it is a common and respectful way of expressing gratitude to any Gilbrim you meet, and is often used as a farewell. While many Gilbrim are forgiving of travelers’ lack of linguistic verve, even knowing and using this one word can improve your relations with any Gilbrim you meet.

Stonemetal

The material known as Stonemetal was invented by the Gilbrim, though their histories have no record as to who or how. Regardless, multiple histories from the Imwii, Dworg, Aeolam, and Uumphoun cultures detail how the Gilbrim first taught their metallurgists the art of crafting Starmetal.

It is important to note, therefore, that the Gilbrim are indirectly responsible for every Golden Howdah and Velvet-vessel that travels between the Worlds.

Gilbrim Juuk

There are a significant number of scholars who believe that the Gilbrim do not posess a traditional homeland as most people do, but this too is mostly unsubstantiated, as neither the Gilbrim nor the existence of Gilgilnoob support this theory.

It is therefore here that most people of the Myriad Worlds will find their first encounter with a housed Gilbrim. In their tongue, the word is Gilbrim Juuk, literally: “Gilbrim in a house/hut.” The term can be considered a slur, depending on tone and who is speaking the word, so it is best to only use the translated “housed” when speaking of the locals.

Housed Gilbrim no longer travel in the same manner as other Gilbrim. They possess stable housing of their own, anything from a small self-made hut to a large and comfortable stone house. Their social natures are inescapable, however, and so even in small dwellings you may find multiple families calling the domicile home.

This does not mean, either, that the Housed Gilbrim are sedentary. Oftentimes homes may lie vacant for years while a Gilbrim travels for some reason or other. In such situations, the traveler will often appoint a Home-watcher, or Juk-waari-nash, literally: “House that is observed until the future.” The House-watcher is a sort of squatter who lives, not in the house, but outside in a tarp or tent structure until such time as the home owner returns. This person attains a form of ownership over the house, but in an odd and socially complex manner, such that the House-watcher is not allowed to interact or utilize the house in any way, but may allow others to use the house if in need.

The current working explanation of the House-watcher is a person who represents the owner as a proxy of sorts, who doles out service and gives shelter or food as the owner might, while foregoing the right to partake themselves.