The Taoclave

"To the arms of the mother's mother, we send forth a spirit, robbed of its vessel. [Name], we return your family name as you ascend to The Follow if it places you at peace. In your honour, we share our blood. May the guidance of your brothers, sisters, mother and father send you forth to her. Eiabium In Exhar."

- Funeral words upon a Hawker's death.

The Taoclave, formerly known as the Lataoc, were part of the larger Ahtex culture that resided in the north-eastern regions of Eia in present day Venkerhimoat and East Fordachai. The Taoclave is the ancestral remnant of that culture; along with the dwindling Anverse, these clans have evolved and adapted to the new world. In modern times, the Taoclave serve as freelance bounty hunters and have no ties to the many societies on Eia, nor are they governed by anyone other than their own appointed clanfather or clanmother. They are usually found working alone, each of them known as Hawkers, who have trained specially in this field for most of their lives.

Traditionally, all members of the Taoclave are brought in as toddlers and raised by the clan, but in recent times it has been difficult to recruit.



Origin
Hawker is the modern noun for a pylon of Lat'aoc, in other words, a vigilante of an ancient people. While pylons still exist within The Anverse, the Lat'aoc people were very nearly erased from history during The Age of Holy Blight, leaving just an echo of its teachings to form The Taoclave. The Lat'aoc coexisted with The Anverse and The Old Ahtex as a trinity of clans that lived outside the confines of Eia's laws, providing and protecting each other in order to sustain their own society. Many books tell of ancient Lat'aoc pylons who read the stars to learn of the day that the world would sink into the sea, requiring them to split from governmental and monarchical rules and ready themselves for the end times.

Hawker Training
While there are exceptions, hawkers are brought into The Taoclave within the ages of 5-10, sometimes even as young as 3, depending on their reasons for being there. It is common that a potential hawker is an orphan or unwanted by their parents, but some are juvenile criminals (if they're accepted in the first place). It is very rare that anyone older than 12 joins The Taoclave, one exception being Yirris Riksilver at the age of 29 when he was exiled from Erwood.

Structure and Laws
The Taoclave operated on a very strict creed that dictated none of its hawkers must discuss the past - only if it serves them tactically. Once a person is brought into the fold, they must leave all that they were behind and exist only in the present to benefit the future of the Taoclave. Should someone break this rule, they would be cast out, if not slain.

Succession of Sacrifice is the law that states each Clanfather or Clanmother must bear the title until death, but that death must either be in combat or by the blade of their successor. In many cases, the Clanleaders would grow too old to serve their purpose, and would voluntarily sentence themselves to death. This would also serve as a test for their successor, who would be the executioner. When the Hawkers were beginning to dwindle in the 1720's, Clanfather Corobune retired his title to the sword of Vizden, who would go on to lead the Taoclave until its war against the Jerisain Sun. This law was forgotten upon its rebirth when Twin Shivok took the title by forfeit.

The Hawker's Trial
When a hawker is deemed experienced enough by their mentor, usually at least 10 years into their training, they will be set 3 tests that push them to limits they may or may not be exposed to in the future. The hawker is tested on tactical improvisation under immense stress, physical endurance and the art of patience, stealth and quick decision-making. Each situation the hawker is put in is deliberately made as extreme as reasonably possible by the Taoclave to ensure that they gain incredible discipline regardless of the result of the trial.

Tactical Improvisation
The first test involves the hawker being left in a random location anywhere in Eia, usually in the wilderness, and it is their job to find their way back to the Taoclave's current hideout, all the while doing their best not to leave a trail for other hawkers to follow. They are told that under no circumstances must they be found, but in reality, the first test is only to see how they act under the stress of being pursued by far more skilled members of the Taoclave.