A people who venture into the tidelands at tidefall to forage its unique resources, then retreat to land at tiderise to trade with the agrarians. They form clans, familial groups that travel together.
Navigating the tidelands is difficult and dangerous due to their ever-shifting topography and lack of landmarks. This is exacerbated by the inhospitable environmental conditions; there are limited sources of food and fresh water, temperatures fluctuate dramatically between starrise and starfall creating powerful winds that whip salt and other particulates into the air at high speeds. There is no natural shelter available, and building permanent structures on the tidebed is extremely difficult.
Near Tidelands
The near tidelands are the area closest to the islands of the archipelago. This area is exposed for the longest amount of time during tidefall, and remains exposed even at tiderise during some periods of the tidal cycle. This stability results in the formation of large, multi-generational clans deeply rooted in tradition, with complex political dynamics, including clearly defined territories. Clans merge as partnerships are established and divide when they become too large to self-sustain, though clans that have divided maintain a close relationship, which impacts everything from the establishment of future partnerships to territory agreements.
The territory of well-established clans is often a rough radius around one or several tidal shelters, with that clan bearing the responsibility of maintaining and stocking them. Traveling through another clan’s territory is permitted, but harvesting more resources (i.e. salt, food) than is required for survival during that travel is considered poor etiquette and will sour the relationship between clans if discovered. As survival in the tidelands is often a matter of collaboration, having a large, well-established clan that refuses to trade with or assist you can lead to a quick dissolution of smaller clans; and it is the larger, well-established clans that have the oversight to more easily discover these transgressions.
The near tidelands is the location of sheltertown, a tidal shelter that grew into a permanent settlement and acts as the seat of governance for clans of the area.
Far Tidelands
The far tidelands are the area furthest from land. This area is only briefly exposed during tidefall, so its transient residents must stay moving to avoid being caught out by tiderise. This pressure to remain mobile creates small, fluid clans that individuals move freely between. Combined with the hostility of their environment, this leads to a highly collaborative “superclan” mentality with no defined territories or system of governance as seen in the near tidelands.
Because of this, no one clan is associated with a single tidal shelter, resulting in shelters that are sometimes more poorly maintained and supplied. Clans also tend to integrate more deeply into land communities when they return at tiderise, facilitating the exchange of ideas (and sometimes people). These characteristics also make clans of this area quick to adapt to change and embrace new ideas and technology.