This is the village of Mounchili, home-base of our characters, as modified and expanded from the write-up in the "Dire Spirits" adventure module.
The town of Mounchili sits within the b'Ida forest between the large human Empire of Mabwe and Wakyambi-land. It is nominally claimed by Mabwe, and is loosely ruled by the Tembu clans there, but the majority of the town is made up of the forest dwelling Nghoi, the Wakyambi, and the Agogwe. There is also a nearby community of Ngoloko which trades with the town.
Mounchili is organized around several extended families. A typical family clan consists of a patriarch and his wife or wives, his unmarried sisters, his brothers and their wives, the unmarried daughters of the patriarch or his siblings, the sons of the patriarch or siblings, the wives of those sons, and the children produced by those marriages. Since the average Nyamban woman will have between four and eight children in a lifetime, these extended families can be quite large.
Each family lives in its own compound, surrounded by a wall of dense thornbushes. This wall keeps any livestock in, intruders out, and turns each family compound into a self-sufficient thorp. A council of elders, with a representative of each family, is responsible for running the town as a whole, and the council elects a chief to oversee the defense of the village.
Though there are few dedicated businesses the town has a small market where the various clans trade with one another and sell their wares to any strangers who pass through. There are no inns or taverns, but some of the families are willing to put up strangers for a few nights in exchange for a small fee, help with the chores, etc.
The various clans of Mounchili are:
Alignment: Lawful Good
Population: 68 Tembu Humans
Orisha: Ancestor Orisha
Services available: brewer, butcher, rugmaker, sandalmaker, shrine
Notable figures:
Bango (lvl 5 expert [brewer]) - clan elder
Dambu (lvl 5 gamba) - village chief
Moto (lvl 5 warrior) - leader of the Sacred Ape Warrior Society
Clan Bango is, at the moment, the leading clan of the village, and holds most of the political power in the area. Chief Dambu knows, however, that the Nghoi, Agogwe, and Wakyambi who make up most of his people are little interested in listening to dictatorial decrees from far away Mabwe, and contents himslf with a fairly hands off attitude, letting most of the day to day business of the village take care of itself and only intervening when something serious occurs. Bango, the clan elder, spends most of his time making superb banana beer, which is in great demand. Moto is the leader of the Warrior Society of the village. The Clan Bango shrine is dedicated to the ancestor orisha, and has large carved statues of the clan ancestors. However, it is open to the use of any who worship the ancestor orisha.
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Orisha: Ancestor Orisha
Population: 81 Tembu humans
Services available: basketmaker, cobbler, goldsmith, potter
Notable figures:
Chenziro (lvl 1 Mchawi) - clan elder
Sata (lvl 8 expert [basketmaker])
Clan Chenziro is the major competitor for leadership of the village, and members of the clan actively work to promote their rise to power. Chenziro, the clan elder, is a clever politician, and is believed to be able to use minor magics to promote his clan. However, almost as important to the clan as Chenziro is Sata the basketmaker - she manufactures stunningly beautiful baskets which are sold as far away as Shomo and brings considerable wealth to the clan.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Orisha: Ancestor Orisha
Population: 82 Tembu humans
Services available: tanner, shrine
Notable figures:
Hundo (lvl 2 Aristocrat, clan elder)
Tanu (lvl 5 Warrior) - second leader of the Sacred Ape Warrior Society
Clan Hundo holds the role of kingmaker in the village, and works primarily to play Clan Chenziro and Clan Bango off against each other. Hundo is not particularly interested in taking on the mantle of chief, but instead chooses to sell the influence of his clan to the highest bidder. It is likely that should the chiefdom be offered to him he would decline. Tanu is the second in command of the Sacred Ape Warrior Society within the village. He shares a friendly rivalry with Moto of Clan Bango, and the two of them frequently change places in the hierarchy of the society due to bets and competitions.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Orisha: varies
Population: 83 M'Banta humans, 3 Zamara humans
Services available: wheelwright, weaver, lodgings for travellers
Notable figures:
Rudo (10th lvl Commoner) clan elder
Pairu (8th lvl expert [wheelwright]
The M'Banta clan encampment is fairly chaotic, even by the standards of the Nghoi. In any given year several members of the clan may move out and be replaced by others who come in. In truth many of the M'Banta are only loosely related to one another, and it is suspected by many in the village that such relations as exist are largely convenient fiction. Even the clan head changes ever few years as members of this nomadic people move in or out. Though Clan Rudo is represented in the Council of Elders their representative has never been known to vote, though he or she will happily debate at the council meetings for hours. Pairu the wheelwright manufactures carts and wagons, mostly for sale to M'Banta travelling through the area though a few are sold to the Tembu (the Nghoi generally see little need for them). The clan also provides lodging for travellers, serving them a nutritious but rather bland paste made from tubers and roots. Those who know the M'Banta reputation for cooking are usually surprised by this, but anyone who has sampled the offerings they bring to village feasts knows that their reputation is well earned.
Alignment: neutral
Orisha: Air Orisha
Population: 74 Nghoi Humans
Services available: herbalist, brewer, coppersmith.
Notable Figures:
Aliaka (5th lvl Nanala, Clan Elder)
Clan Aliaka stays out of the politics of the village as much as possible. The most notable thing about this clan is that unlike any other in the village they are matriarchal and matrilinial. The village Tembu find this very odd, and feel a bit uncomfortable dealing with them (which likely suits them just fine) but the other Nghoi clans just shrug and accept that Aliaka is different and always has been. Secretly most Nghoi appreciate the way this difference complicates marriage arrangements and generally "spices up" life around the village. Aliaka herself spends much of her time out in the forest scouting around the village. If there is any sort of Society within the village for Nanala it is widely believed that she is its head. The clan brewer makes a form of wine from local tree sap. It is bitter and not a preferred beverage for casual consumption, but it is used in many of the rituals to the orisha and is therefore in demand among the more religiously minded.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Orisha: Plant Orisha
Population: 40 Nghoi Humans
Services available: woodcarver, jewler
Notable Figures:
Ukwo (2nd lvl N'anga) - Clan Elder
Ukwo are generally considered an annoyance by the Tembu, who have never been able to get the clan to follow directions or work for the common good particularly well. Ukwo pretty much do what they want when they want regardless of what other people need or expect. At times, they act positively contrary. Members of the clan revere plant orisha, and everyone has a particular plant, which is their "totem". Ukwo, the clan elder, spends considerable time before and during council meetings seeking guidance from the orisha, which can be quite disruptive if a "bad omen" should be announced. Many believe he does this just to stir things up.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Orisha: various
Population: 35 Nghoi humans
Services available: Beekeeper, Chandler
Notable Figures:
Ko (8th lvl commoner) - Clan Elder
Abana (8th lvl expert [beekeeper])
Ko is the closest thing that the Nghoi have to a leading clan. They work well with others in the village, are cheerful and cooperative, and tend to pitch in where needed - whether anyone asks them to or not (this tends to frustrate the Tembu, who consider them to be nosy busybodies who should mind their own business and wait to be told what to do). Ko is considered to be very wise by many of the people of the village, who look to him for advice, though he holds no post other than that of clan elder. Much of the clan's income is from the sale of honey and beeswax collected by Abana the beekeeper. Most villagers consider Abana to be rather odd, as she seems to prefer the company of her bees to that of others in the village, but nobody ever says that when she is around because nobody wants to have their supply of honey cut off, or have to go out to collect it personally.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Orisha: Bedaga the Trickster
Population: 62 Nghoi Humans
Services available: weaver, butcher, shrine
Notable Figures:
gUnda (10th lvl commoner) - clan elder
Members of Clan Gunda are the most religious of the Nghoi in the village, and have dedicated themselves to Bedaga the Trickster. Many members of the clan travel extensively, keeping contact with other villages in the area either as messengers or entertainers. The clan butcher is very popular with the Nghoi, though the Tembu do not particularly enjoy the lizards, birds, and occasional insects that he offers for sale. Most people in the village believe that the Gunda are hiding something, since they have no spellcasters of any kind in their clan and yet seem more devout than anyone else.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Orisha: varies
Population: 68 Agogwe
Services available: fortune teller, musician, shrine
Notable Figures:
Nikki-Nanka (NINH-kee NAHN-kah) (4th lvl Gamba, Clan Elder)
Tarawewe (TAH-rah-WEE-way) (5th lvl fortune teller)
Clan Ele Buju actually lives in burrows beneath the village, and most people believe that they have burrows extending under the compounds of all the other families. They have a well deserved reputation as great friends who never forget a debt, and implacable enemies who never forget a slight - in other words they are folks that nobody in the village wants mad at them. Nikki-Nanka in particular has a reputation as someone that it would be better not to cross. Tarawewe the agogwe fortuneteller is avidly sought out by all those in the village who are facing difficult decisions, as long as they are willing to enter her underground dwelling (particularly large people need not make the attempt). The clan worships a variety of orisha, but Tarango the Drummer is quite popular, though their shrine is to the spirit of the b'Ida forest.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Orisha: Plant or Geographical (b'Ida Rainforest)
Population: 32 Wakyambi
Services available: blacksmith, lodging for travellers
Notable Figures:
Ambaro (10th lvl commoner, clan elder)
Brunsa (lvl 5 expert [blacksmith])
Clan Ambaro forms a backdrop for the village. Whatever is happening there always seems to be a member of Ambaro nearby or involved in some peripheral way. For all that they are in no way the leaders of the village, and tend to take on the role of universal advisors and friends to all. Visitors to the village are frequently surprised to learn that the village blacksmith is a Wakyambi, as this is not a roll that is common for the arboreal race, but Brunsa is quite skilled at his work and turns out a variety of basic, but useful tools for the village from iron ore imported from Mabwe. He does not generally make weapons, however, though he can make any sort of simple weapon if needed. The clan will gladly put up travelers, and serves much tastier fare than the M'Banta. Indeed their fruit and vegetable dishes are highly desired at village feasts. However, Wakyambi food tends to give non Wakyambi gas, so eating it for any length of time can be a trial.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral (?)
Population: ~100 Ngoloko
Services available: weaponsmith, armorsmith
Authority figures: ?
In addition to these family compounds there exists nearby a small community of Ngoloko. They are not part of Mounchili, and do not have a seat on the council, but are in close enough proximity that trade is common. Opinions about them vary throughout the town - some welcome trade, some are interested in them, and some fear them. No one is quite sure how big the village is, though it is believed to be around 100, as non-Ngoloko are not allowed to travel there.
There are several well known societies within the village of Mounchili (and likely several more which are unknown to the village at large). These include:
The Society of the Sacred Ape - this is an organization of warriors into which most of the warriors of the town have been inducted (all warriors of lvl 2 or greater belong). Members of this society are responsible for defense of the town, and for patrolling the area immediately surrounding it. They also stage periodic hunts for dangerous wild animals and host several feasts every year. (Note, this society is for Warriors only. Gamba need not apply.)
The Daughters of Tisanda - this is a fertility cult comprised mainly of Nghoi women. The Nghoi have a very low birth rate, and this organization exists to support those women who have been unable to bear children. The group within Mounchili has contact with other groups throughout the Nghoi community in Wakyambi-land.
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Credits: This site copyright Edmund Metheny and Sophie Lagacé, 2003. Nyambe copyright Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games, 2002. Based on the book Nyambe: African Adventures by Chris Dolunt. The photo of a Mbuti Pygmy village comes from the University of Kyoto Center for African Area Studies, and I can't tell much more since I can't read Japanese.