The Village of Brightwater
By far the largest community of lutrai on the island chain, the village of Brightwater is the hub of several smaller villages that surround the Bay of Light. Most of the dwellings are actually sculpted into the sandstone caves that rise beyond the pale shores; the koba taught the lutrai shamans raise and harden the material of the shore itself, and the inhabitants have an easy time carving out smoothe, modular holts in which to live. These cool, dry caves generally open away from the shore in the instance of high waves, and can easily be abandoned for higher ground during more serious hurricanes. Most are painted with colorful, neolithic designs that seem somewhat childish from the outset but often contain powerful protective wards against evil, illness, even common pests. The written language is somehwat hieroglyphic; colorful pictures to get the point across, and it's quite clear that the lutrai draw it all with their fingers instead of using brushes.
The chieftain of this village is a slightly chubby green-eyed female lutrai named Khua (Pearl). She is aided by a council of six other elders in providing guidance for the rest of the tribe, and has nearly endless patience as a result. Her soft looks and gentle voice make her easy to underestimate, but the shaman's harmless exterior houses powerful water-based magic drawn from the elemental conflux. Still, she much prefers to use her magic to accent her marvellous storytelling skills than to sink ships or calm storms. The shaman also fulfils the role of prophetess, receiving visions of coming strife and helping the rest of the tribe prepare.
Another more unusual residant of this village is a young human girl named Kelti, who washed up on the islands when she was a child, presumably the only survivor of a wreck off the Coral Maze. She remembers nothing of her past life as the daughter of an Erdani baron, speaking only the lutraic tongue and happily living as they do, far from the path fate had laid out for her. Kelti is slim and tomboyish, with short light brown hair and a smile every bit as contagious as that of her adopted kin. She is one of two village healers, though she is also keen on skin diving out on the reefs for sunken treasure.
The Cave of Spirits
This is the name given to the largest of the sandstone caves, a sacred place filled with ancient power. Within the cave, generations of paintings tell the history of the world through the dream-clouded eyes of the otter-folk. The art is haunting in some ways, though childishly simple in most, full of bright painted colors and imbedded shell. Here, the shaman and the elder council gather to receive their visions, often speaking directly to the ancient animal spirits which reside upon the island. Most other lutrai avoid it out of respect for the spirits within, and because most of them find it quite creepy.
The cave is surrounded by a number of spirit totems; carved wooden efigees of the many sacred animals that inhabit the islands. While there are many, ranging from the great whale to the common gull, a small number are more easily drawn to the spirit cave, and are the most common to grant visions to those shamans who dream below the ancient mural. They will also, on occasion, take on mortal forms and walk among the island folk, sometimes with mischievous intent. They are generally benevolent spirits, but they also have an inherantly animal nature, and will not hesitate to take advantage of anything from a free meal to a young virgin if the mood suits them.
Raven: Symbol of cunning and wisdom, but also trickery. Raven's visions are often double-meanings or paradoxes that can confuse all but the wisest of shamans. Though benevolent, Raven also takes satisfaction in outwitting others or making points about the dangers of ignorance. If and when he choses to walk among the otter folk, he takes the form of a slinky black male who makes no sound when he moves. In this form, Raven typically wears a mantle of black feathers about his shoulders.
Wolf: Symbol of strength and fortitude, Wolf is the symbol of the lutrai hunters. His visions tell of plentiful or diminishing game, as well as the migratory patterns of dangerous predators and which regions to avoid. He is a powerful presence, but not especially clever, and Raven tricks him into doing nearly all the hard work. Among the lutrai, Wolf disguises himself as a great silver-furred male with golden eyes and a tendancy to hunker down on all fours. In this form he adorns himself with a necklace of wolf fangs.
Bear: Mother Bear fears nothing, and is the defender of weaker things. She represents strength and compassion, but also anger and menace. Her visions bring warnings of harmful intruders, those who would harm her mortal 'offspring'. When Bear chooses to walk among the island mortals, she takes the form of a stocky, tenacious female with a heart of gold and a mean streak a mile long. Bear is quite solitary, however, and rarely emerges from her deep slumbers.
Serpent: Also called Coatl, this irridescent spirit takes the form of a snake with rainbow-feathered wings. She fortells both birth and death, and watches over the way to the spirit realm. In mortal form, Serpent takes the form of a young lutrai girl with opalescent blue eyes and a tendancy to hiss. She typically wears a rainbow-hued silk scarf about her neck and shoulders, and will often visit the dying or watch the birth of newborns.