Mountain People
The Mountain People of Kitaa lives on the solitary mountain found in southern Kitaa. They make a living using a combination of hunting and gathering and gardening practices. They live in a treetop village, set in the highest hills of Kitaa. They change the location of this village once every twenty years, usually by returning to the previous village and renovating it to make it habitable once again.
#Seasonal cycle
Like most hunter-gatherers, the Mountain People value honey over any other food. Most of their actual diet comes from gathering rather than hunting, and trapping small game supplies more calories than big game, but since they share this in common with almost all other hunter-gatherers, none of this sets them apart or makes them unique.
In the summer, the Mountain People tend to their coconut groves. They pride themselves on their ability to climb these tall trees, and have a close relationship with the local monkeys, who often climb the trees for them and share in the rewards. The Mountain People will often settle disputes with climbing contests, and healers among them have a reputation as some of the best in Greenland at treating bone fractures and other injuries that can result from falls.
In the autumn, the Mountain People turn their attention to their coffee groves and the rites of the Coffeehouse. The Mountain People maintain a mystery cult that finds in the brewing and drinking of coffee mysteries of spiritual enlightenment. Some of these ceremonies permit outsiders to take part and enjoy the coffee that they brew. Sharing this experience with passing traders have made the Mountain People a favorite stop for many, which has given them some political leverage. Traders always ask for beans to take home, though they can never quite capture the experience of a full coffee ceremony as practiced by the Mountain People, which keeps them coming back year after year.
Through the long dark of winter, the Mountain People stalk pigs through the trees, following them to the locations of truffles and mushrooms. They'll also shoot the pigs with arrows from above for meat.
In the spring, as the sun begins to return, the Mountain People hunt goats. This, once again, puts their climbing skills to the test. Injuries from falls happen quite often.
#Politics
The coffee cult has given the Mountain People some close relationships with Arctic traders, who have helped them form far-flung friendships across the Arctic Circle. This has frequently proved beneficial to them, particularly in their dealings with the neighboring Chiefdom of Kitaa.
Approximately 60 years ago, with their society beginning to falter even then, the chiefdom targeted the mountains for conquest and expansion. The Mountain People called for aid, and the chiefdom found itself harried on several fronts. Meanwhile, those who ventured into the mountains fell prey to guerrilla attacks — sometimes aided directly by their monkey friends. These incidents helped fuel stories about the "Monkey People of the Mountain" in the chiefdom.
Since the failed invasion, life has only become harder in the chiefdom. Some try to flee that life to join the Mountain People. Such runaways can earn a place in the community over time. According to the chiefdom, the Mountain People kidnap these people and transform them into their monkey slaves. These stories occasionally inspire some hot-headed young man to venture into the mountains to take vengeance against the Mountain People for their supposed crimes. These incidents rarely end well for such young men, though usually it does not require violence.
Nonetheless, as tensions keep mounting and the chiefdom becomes hungrier and more desperate each year, the threat of renewed hostilities looms large. The Mountain People hope to pull the strings with passing traders to keep them and their communities on their own side, and away from the chiefdom. For their part, the traders would like to trade with everyone, the chiefdom included.