AmazonsPage

History of the tribe

Amazons live in isolation in the deep rainforest. They look primitive, but their wood-based technology is more complex than it appears.

The Amazons are uniquely adapted to their environment. Metals are scarce in their home environment, so their skill in mining and smelting is rudimentary. Instead, they have mastered the use of the various kinds of wood. Ironwood, a very hard and dense wood, is used for support in buildings and for weapons. Balsa, very light, is used in the non load-bearing parts of buildings to make them lighter, and in some armor. Rubber is extracted from resin and used for padding in armor and for waterproofing. Lacking iron nails, they use ropes for tying wood when interlocking does not suffice. Amazons are adept at growing trees in difficult environment, and have developed fertilizers to improve poor terrains. When Amazons travel, they bring seeds of all their important trees, so they are always be able to rebuild their jungle home from scratch. The Amazons feast on both plants and animals, and hunting is necessary for a balanced diet.

Having lived without major changes since before memory, and depending entirely on resources they could easily overexploit, Amazons have a strong focus on making all their resources renewable. Their complex interdependence with their environment is best exemplified in their myth of Mother Jungle and Father River, where those two elements are seen as aging parents; they take care of their Amazon children, but they also need their children to take care of them.

On the down side, having adapted so well to their jungle home, they have a very hard time adapting to anything else. Even after coming into contact with other tribes, they eschew learning metalwork and advanced mining. These skills are viewed as unnecessary, taking generations to master, and using non-renewable resources.