Notes on the Archin Clans

It is said among inhabitants of Northern Archin Canyon that there are only two sorts of Northern Archins. There are the Northern Archins of the White Banner and the Northern Archins of the Blue Banner, abbreviated henceforth as White and Blue archins. White archins, they say, are the sort that love to live in big fancy white castles with weapons, and who charge into battle in shining armor on a sunny day. Blue Archins, in contrast, are the sort that love to live in big fancy blue castles with weapons, and who charge into battle in shining armor on a rainy day. Other than these things, the main difference between these two sorts is the fact that White archins have a preoccupation with flying things, like griffins, dragons, eagles, and birds, while Blue Archins have a preoccupation with swimming things, like dolphins, whales, and fish.

Of course, we know that it isn’t true that these are the only Northern Archins. Such generalizations ignore the existence of grey archins. Such Archins charge into battle in rather dull armor on a cloudy day. The reason why they are so often ignored is that they are rare, and very seclusive. Furthermore, most people consider them an offshoot of White Archins, or a nomadic group of Black Archins, which will be discussed later.

The banner of the White Archins is a griffin on a white background. For the Blue archins, it is a dolphin on a blue background. I am afraid that grey archins do not publicly share their banner.

If one moves south and west, one reaches the Western provinces of Archin Canyon. It is almost exclusively populated by Archins of the Green Banner, though a few Archins of the Golden Banner can be found here sometimes. There are three sorts of Green Archins. There is the sort that lives in Mountains, the sort that lives in Valleys, and the sort that lives in Forests. The Green Mountain Archins are notoriously fond of Empires, which often puts them at odds with the Golden Archins. They used to dominate the West, but now the Green Mountain Archins are in the minority.

The Green Valley Archins are quieter and more peaceful. They live in valleys and grow sheep. They carry very little weapons, other than maybe a hatchet and a small knife. They never get into wars if they can’t help it, so nobody attacks them.

The Green Forest Archins, though, live in forests near the heartland, are closely related to Black Archins. They are the sort that shoot arrows from behind trees and capture you in the dark.

All three sorts of Green Archins have the same banner: an antelope on a mossy green background. They disagree over what it means, but that matters very little.

If one travels further south, one reaches the Southern Provinces. Here, the Archins of the Red Banner live. They used to be brave desert warriors, but now are mostly metropolitan in their ways. Their banner is a dragon on a red background. They used to deserve such a banner, but they do so no more.

Let us first go along the Southern Provinces in the Eastern direction. Once we reach the largest City, turn North again. Into the Heartlands. Here, Phoenix valley is hidden. Inside lives the Archins of the Golden Banner, known as Golden Archins. They used to rule the continent, but they don’t anymore. All of the other groups claim that the Golden Archins belong to them, but I trust the red archin’s claim the most.

The Golden Archins have an insatiable taste for Empires, more so than the Green Mountain Archins. They invaded their neighbors fifty times in less than a Century. They are also notable for their massive reserves of Gold, and for their skill and use of it. Their Banner is a golden Phoenix, though I would assume that a dragon would fit them better. Golden Archins mostly live in Phoenix Canyon, though some trade gold in the South, and others rule over tiny caves in the West, and others pour over history books in the East.

The Archins of the Brown Banner are the scholars and bookkeepers. They live around the Library and can recite quotations without thinking twice. They memorize whole books, and they read dozens of them. Their Banner is an Owl in the library. I think it is hardly surprising. The Library and the Brown Archins live in the Southeast.

Finally, the Black Archins are some of the most mysterious. Most red, green, and yellow archins have never heard of them, while blue, white, and brown ones know them as a distant rumor. The black archins are the cleverest, and the most devious. They combine the ambitions of the Yellow archins with the secrecy of the Green Forest Archins and the rarity of the Grey Archins. These Archins are so mysterious that I can’t tell you much about them. Their banner is a Thunderbird, on a stormy background. Perhaps that is appropriate, considering how black archins control their surroundings.