Hufweticaya clan

All paths lead back to Eywa.

This music fits them very well :)

Do you hear the shrill, yet melodic whistles? It means they've spotted you. This is the home of the Hufweticaya, an isolated Na'vi tribe with purplish blue skin and piercing eyes. Their long limbs and exceptionally strong fingers allow even their children to easily scale the gigantic floating mountains they call home. Do you dare to step on the vines that connect the ginormous rocks like tightropes?

The name "Hufweticaya" is presumed to come from the Na'vi word for "wind", as the Hufweticaya also refer to themselves as the "wind people".

Ecosystem

The Hufweticaya live on a seemingly unnaturally huge cluster of flying mountains that are connected by ancient vines and roots. At the very top of the cluster sits the sacred tree, surrounded by a small forest of tiny offspring planted there by the Hufweticaya. This is also the coldest point of the territory – even the Hufweticaya need to wrap themselves in woven cloth to be comfortable up there.

Below this point are warmer areas where the elders reside. The older they get, the higher they climb up to make trips to the sacred tree easier on their aching bones. Younger Hufweticaya reside on the cluster area below the elders, which offers the most habitable surface area. Small animals may make their way to this area, but the majority of the hunting takes place below. Around this height the cluster also starts to widen, with some singular flying mountains being farther away. This is where wild gulpers live, while the tamed Gulpers reside on nearby mountains.

The lower parts of the cluster connect to the higher parts of the stationary mountains on the ground. This is where the ikiki and other prey animals can be found. Some trees and other vegetation from the shady forests below make their way up to this area, but the growth is pretty sparse.

The shady forests are home to a bigger variety of animals and plant species. The forests sprawl all around the territory, with plains and areas of sparse vegetation in some places.

Plants

The floating mountains and the shady forests below don't support the lush and colorful vegetation normally found in the jungle biomes. Still, many different species of plants can be found there, perfectly adapted to the colder and harsher climate. Their leaves tend to be smaller and tougher, their roots tend to be thicker and their flowers aren't as pretty and colorful.

Animals

Ikiki

The ikiki is one of the main food sources of the Hufweticaya. When spotting a threat, a source of food and water or something else of interest, it lets out loud, distinct whistling noises. Each whistle appears to mean something else, so it's very likely these herbivorous animals have developed a rudimentary language.

Ramenari

The ramenari, meaning "mountain with eyes", is a huge herbivore roaming the shady forests underneath the flying mountain cluster. It is territorial, highly dangerous and a source of very fatty and nutritious meat.

Nantxur

Nantxur, Boawolf, the main predator stalking the shadowy forest underneath the flying mountain cluster. They hunt medium-sized prey in small groups, but if they form a temporary bond with experienced Hufweticaya hunters, their hunting party grows in numbers and together they can take down larger prey - the ramenari. Both parties benefit in the end as they share the kill. Hunting on nantxurback is dangerous and definitely not for everyone, but the reward is worth it. And so, every other month or so, an experienced hunting party descends on their tslenga'aws' back. The latter are too huge and clumsy to enter the thick shadowy forests, so they fly off to wait for the end of the hunt. The Hufweticaya hunting party seeks out a pack of nantxur and - if they manage to make a temporary bond - begin the hunt for ramenari. The gathered meat and other animal parts are then transported back to the top with the help of the tslenga'aw.

Tslenga taw

https://www.tumblr.com/buzzkillchainsaw/727367305024143360/finished-rigging-and-animating-this-guy-now

Sacred place

The sacred tree of the Hufweticaya sits at the highest point in their territory, overseeing everything on the tallest floating mountain. Its roots connect many of the rocks together into a large cluster and some even reach down to the ground below. When a Hufweticaya Na'vi feels that their time has come, they scale this mountain for the last time and spend their last days connected to Eywa, until they peacefully pass and receive a proper burial amongst the roots.

Glossary

Here are the words unique to the Hufeticaya that are not (directly) found in the Na'vi dictionary.

Hufweticaya prop.n. Na’vi clan name (c.w. from hufwe wind)

Ikiki prop.n. diregoat

Nantxur prop.n. boawolf (c.w. from txur strong)

Ramenari prop. n. “Mountain with eyes” (c.w. from ram mountain and menari eyes)

Tslenga taw / Tslenga'aw prop. n. “False sky”, Gulper (c.w. from tslenga false and taw sky)

Pìwopx prop.n. cloud, Hufweticaya slang for Gulper hatchlings

Sänume prop.n. lesson, in Hufweticaya context: a skill or lesson a child requests to learn from an adult

Tseywll prop. n. snack plant (c.w. from tsyey snack and ’ewll plant)

Hufwe'lì’fya prop. n. "wind language", whistled language of the Hufweticaya (c.w. from hufwe wind and lì’fya language)

Tslenga'awtaron prop. n. "Gulper hunt", hunting style that involves riding on a Tslenga taw (c.w. from Tslenga'aw gulper and taron hunt)

Nantxurtaron prop. n. "Boawolf hunt", hunting style that involves riding on a Boawolf (c.w. from Nantxur boawolf and taron hunt)

'oktìsop prop. n. "Journey of remembrance", adulthood ritual, Hufweticaya equivalent of the iknimaya. (c.w. from 'ok remembrance and tìsop journey)

Lifestyle

The Hufweticaya live isolated lives far away from other clans, but that doesnt't mean they're hostile to visitors - quite the opposite, actually! Any visiting Na'vi is welcomed with open arms and treated with a feast, no matter who they are or why they're here. Their hospitality ends, however, when humans and their demonic five-fingered spawn enter the picture. The Hufweticaya may only know them from the horrific tales of other Na'vi clans, but that doesn't stop them from hating them. Anyone old enough to hold a weapon is instructed to kill anything five-fingered on sight.

Diet

Their diet consists of leaves, roots, berries and anything else they can forage on the floating mountains. Meat is eaten less frequently, depending on the season and hunting luck.

Growing up

Just like any other Na'vi clan, a birth is treated as something to celebrate among the Hufweticaya. As soon as they're born, one of their first instincts is to hold on to something and not let it go, which is great for climbing, but not so great for whoever the tightly gripped hair/ear/tail belongs to. They get used to great heights, cold winds and turbulent Tslenga taw-flights quite quickly.

As soon as they can safely walk and climb, they set out to play important games with the other kids: hide-from-the-tslenga-taw, climb-the-highest, hang-from-a-ledge, collect-the-best-food, and so on. These lessons (disguised as fun games) teach them important survival skills that they will need in life. They also set out to talk to adult na'vi other than their parents, to receive their "sänume" (lesson). This is an old tradition among the Hufweticaya, which dictates that every adult must teach at least one skill or lesson to a child, once that child comes up to them and asks for it. Refusing to do so is considered very rude, although it's fine to promise a sänume at a later date if the adult is busy at the moment. This tradition is supposed to make sure each child grows up with a lot of well-rounded knowledge as well as good social connections within their clan.

Once they're ready for their rite of passage, the 'oktìsop, they join a group of similarly-aged youngsters and are carried down to the very lowest point of the territory on the backs of the adults' gulpers. They are each given nothing but a seed of the tree of life, which they are supposed to carry up to the highest point and plant it among the roots of their sacred tree. Here, all the sänume they've learned so far will pay off: they will have to work together to climb, find food and shelter, protect themselves from predators and take care of potential wounds. Only those who manage to plant a seed will be allowed to tame a Tslenga taw.

To do this, they will have to seek out the cluster of rocks that house the wild animals. Taking the huge beast on like an ikran is not an option, so they will have to hang from a ledge nearby, pretending to be prey while carrying a rope with weights attached to it. A tslenga taw will choose them by trying to throw them off the mountain walls with their claws. The young Na'vi must jump off at the right moment, throw the rope around the legs of the beast and quickly climb up the body while the confused Tslenga taw tries to free itself mid-air. The youngster must then reach the queue of the animal and connect to it.

Hunting

There are two main hunting styles that depend on the mount: Tslenga'awtaron (hunting on the back of a Tslenga taw) and Natxurtaron (hunting on the back of a Nantxur).

Tslenga'awtaron is typically done alone, with the hunter and Tslenga taw working together to spot prey climbing or flying around the flying mountains. The hunter will use their bow to kill smaller prey, which the Tslenga taw will scoop up into its throat pouch. Bigger prey, like herds of ikiki, will require to the hunter to throw a bola-like tool to bind the animal's legs so the Tslenga taw can catch it. All caught animals are transported safely in the Tslenga taw's throat pouch and carried to the main Hufweticaya residence once the hunt is over.

Natxurtaron is done in a small group of experienced hunters. The group first has to descend to the shadowy forest, then they need to seek out a pack of Nantxur to form a temporary bond with them. This alone can be dangerous, as the Nantxur might not see the Na'vi as worthy enough and attack them. But once the temporary bond is formed, the group works together to track and hunt ramenari.

Make your own!

This fan clan is open for anyone, as long as you don't directly profit off of it (i.e. creating adopts or customs for real money). Already established characters with extra art etc. can be sold for money. Make as many characters as you want, you don't need permission! Please credit me at least once when posting your new character.

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