The Tribes of Green World are a collection of communities that came to Rifts Earth in 103 PA from the dieing planet of Green World. Although they left only a few years after the Jungle Elves that formed Maga Island, the erratic nature of transdimensional teleportation caused the people that would form the Tribes of Green World to arrive centuries later. However, within a few short years, the Tribes had occupied a fairly large section of Amazon jungle south west of Maga Island.
The history of the Tribes of Green World is similar to Maga Island. The race with the largest proportion of the population of the Tribes is known as the Erbacce and their history has the same origin as the Jungle Elves of Maga Island. The Erbacce are indigenous to Green World, the same planet as the Jungle Elves, and they lived in peace with the planet around them. Like the Jungle Elves, Erbacce had no central government, instead there was a large collection of independent tribes, each led by a Tree Council. Due to the diverse nature of the Erbaccia tribes, some were peaceful, but independent, some lived together with the Jungle Elves in the same communities, and others were violent and territorial. Overall, however, relations between the two main races of Green World were very good and in times of danger, the two races would work together to protect the planet.
When the Splugorth invasion began, the Erbacce reacted even faster than the Jungle Elves in retaliating. They quickly raised a large army and brought the entire strength of their race to bear against the invaders. Unfortunately, like the Jungle Elves, the Erbacce were unable to stop the invasion and their numbers were devastated during the plasma bombardments. When the Jungle Elves decided to leave the planet to save their race, the Erbacce refused to participate, choosing to remain and die fighting then to abandon their home world.
One of the major problems with the Jungle Elves' plan to evacuate the planet was the exclusion of many of the natural creatures that lived on Green World. Too many species of plants and creatures had to be left behind by the Jungle Elves because they could only carry so much and they had so little time to prepare. The Erbacce argued that unless more species could be saved, they would not abandon the planet. So the majority of the Jungle Elves left, leaving behind only a few elite elite forces to assist the Erbacce against the Splugorth.
The Erbacce continued to fight the Splugorth invasion for an additional ten years following the exodus of the Jungle Elves, but in the end the Erbacce came to the same conclusion as the elves, they had to leave. During the final two years of resistance, the Erbacce rounded up thousands of animal species and plant seeds to bring with them and they began to evacuate their remaining population from sections of the planet in an effort to consolidate their final forces. By the time the Erbacce had finished their preparations, much of the planet had been reduced to a vast desert and only a small portion of the once beautiful jungle remained under their control. Their decision made and the battle lost, several dimensional portals were opened and the Erbacce began their own exodus from the dieing Green World.
As fortune would have it, the largest group of the Erbacce, which was carrying a large variety of animals and plant seeds from Green World arrived on Rifts Earth. However, while only ten years had passed on Green World, nearly three centuries had passed on Rifts Earth while the Erbacce were traveling between dimensions. When the Erbacce arrived, the years was 103 PA, and similar to the Jungle Elves before them, they arrived in South America, only a few hundred miles west of Maga Island, the home of the Jungle Elves. The Trees of Wisdom that led the Erbacce immediately detected the presence of the nearby Trees of Wisdom on Maga Island and contact was established between the reunited races. Within two of their arrival, the Erbacce were had to establish control over a large section of the jungle to the west and south of Maga Island.
In the years that followed, the Erbacce came into contact with all of the other powers in their section of South America, but many had no interest in the new power, and the feeling was mutual. Unfortunately, the aggressive and militant Kingdom of Lagarto was much more interested in their new neighbors. However, within a span of six years, the Erbacce of the Tribes of Green World, as they have labeled themselves, have expanded and risen in power and have reached roughly the same level as Maga Island or the Kingdom of Bahia.
The Tree Council governs an area approximately 10,000 square miles (25,900 square km) to the south west of Maga Island on the west side of branch of the Amazon river that breaks South America into two parts. Beyond this area is an additional 16,000 square miles (41,440 square km) where Erbacce and other former inhabitants of Green World can be found, but are outside of the jurisdiction of the Tree Council and the protection of the War Council. Many of the Erbaccia and Jungle Elf communities in this area are allied with the Tribes of Green World, but have declined to be governed by the Tree Council.
The territory controlled by the Tribes of Green World is dominated by a thick, seemingly impenetrable jungle. While not as thick or as diverse as the original Green World, the Erbacce have found a place similar to their home. The jungle is thick, hot, and it rains a lot, all things common on Green World and enjoyable to the Erbacce. The only problem in the jungle is the introduction of foreign plants and animals into the rain forest's biosphere. While this was deliberate on the part of the Erbacce, there have been some unintended consequences. The Erbacce have managed the introduction of the plants and animals from Green World very deliberately and slowly, but they are working with the limited knowledge they have gained from Maga Island and what they have observed in the jungle since their arrival. The Erbacce cannot predict how a particular animal or plant will react to something else in the biosphere from a different dimension. For example, a beautiful and delicate butterfly-like creature over three feet in length was completely wiped out when a single creature came into contact with a strange and unique plant from another dimension deep within the Amazon Rain Forest.
As with the Jungle Elves and Maga Island, the Erbacce are slowly converting all of the major plants within their sphere of influence into M.D.C. structures, although due to time constraints, they have been forced to limit their work to only include trees and other large plants within the area they control. So far this work has gone unstopped, however, if war broke out between the Tribes and the Kingdom of Lagarto, there would insufficient resources to continue the process of converting the trees.
When war appeared to be approaching, the Erbacce began an ambitious project to establish several coastal communities similar to those operated by the Dwarves on Maga Island. The Erbacce used Stone Masters from Maga Island to build whole villages and then populated these villages with a large number of troops. The purpose of these harbor towns was twofold: first, the War Council wanted to ensure that the enemies of the Tribes could not gain control of those locations without a fight, and, second, quick access to waterways might become increasingly important as the war progresses and material needs to be rapidly transported to and from the Tribes, Maga Island, and the Kingdom of Bahia.
Thanks to the large number of Erbacce that arrived on Rifts Earth, the Tribes of Green World has a relatively large population, slightly higher than that of Maga Island. While Erbacce and Jungle Elves make up the majority of the tribes' population, the third largest group is Lizard Men. Most of these Lizard Men had lived in the jungles claimed by the Tribes of Green World for centuries, but others are recent arrivals fleeing the tyranny of the Kingdom of Lagarto. This large Lizard Men population is of concern to some Erbacce, but the Tree Councils believe the Lizard Men do not wish to see the Kingdom of Largto win in any future war between the two powers and that is enough to satisfy the Erbacce... for now.
All official inhabitants of the Tribes of Green World live by the same philosophy as the Erbacce and the Jungle Elves. Living as one with nature remains the all-important rule of the Tribes, and even as they prepare for war, the Erbacce will never willingly do anything that will harm the jungle of their adopted home world.
The Gaea Tribes is not the center of learning that Maga Island has developed into, but it is quickly becoming a military force to be reckoned with, and this is one of the main concerns of the Kingdom of Lagarto. While the Jungle Elves of Maga Island have built communities along the shores of their islands and beautiful communities under the canopy of the jungle, the Erbacce have built small fortress communities that are almost completely undetectable from the air. Except for communities of non-Erbacce scattered throughout the Tribes' claimed territory, all of the villages and tribes in the area have been built since the Erbacce arrival in mid-103 PA and many of the existing communities have been rebuilt using Biomancy and Stone Magic.
Tribal communities have always been important to the Erbacce, and they continue to be so within the Tribes of Green World, even among the non-Erbacce. The idea of private property was virtually unknown among the Erbacce back on Green World, as all Erbacce could produce food and they never wore clothing, but as war descended upon their home, the idea of owning objects, particularly war trophies, began to appear. After arriving on Earth, the Erbacce decided to adopt a policy similar to the Jungle Elves of Maga Island, an idea that also proved popular to the other inhabitants of the Tribes. The policy was the idea of community ownership, where the community and every member within the community owned all possessions within that community. Items can be assigned at will by the Council of Elders and if anyone needs an item that is currently being used by another member, they can simply ask the person using it or ask the Council of Elders for permission to use the item in question.
The Erbacce have made it a policy to spread their members into all of the tribes within their borders, but most non-Erbaccia villages will have only a few Erbacce living within it. The Erbacce on Rifts Earth firmly believe in intermingling species and have often encouraged other races to travel and establish themselves in communities that are dominated by other species. Racial intolerance, with a few exceptions, such as the Minions of Atlantis, is strictly forbidden within the Tribes and violations are dealt with nearly as swiftly as violations of nature.
The faerie population within the Tribes of Green World is the second largest on the continent, second only to Maga Island, and the faeries are allowed to do whatever pleases them. The faeries often play tricks and pranks on people wandering around in the jungle, but they mostly leave the communities undisturbed. Faeries treat Erbacce with just as much respect and awe as they treat Jungle Elves; even faeries that are unaware of Green World feel a special relationship with Erbacce and Jungle Elves. No faerie will knowingly play a prank on an Erbaccia or Jungle Elf, although that does not protect those they travel with, and they will only attack one in self-defense, often preferring to leave instead of engaging in combat.
Along with a large number of native animals and plants that have been transplanted to Rifts Earth from Green World, the Erbacce brought a large number of Wurms to Rifts Earth. Many of these magnificent creatures were released into the wild so they could establish themselves in the jungle's biosphere and begin reproducing naturally, but a large number were retained to serve within the militaries of the Gaea Tribe and Maga Island. These powerful creatures are respected throughout the Tribes and hunting these creatures, even for food, is considered taboo, but not illegal. These creatures have a great deal of respect for the Erbacce and Jungle Elves and will not attack either race unless attacked first. Often Erbacce or Jungle Elves are sent into the bush to track and follow herds of Wurms as they migrate through the Amazon Rain Forest. Some herds have been known to travel as far south as Manoa, which led to the initial contact between these two powers. It is not an uncommon sight to see one of the smaller Wurms wandering through a community within the Tribes, and they are seen as part of the local animal population even if they do appear to be terrifying monsters to some visitors.
As with Maga Island, the Tree Council, a group of wise and ancient Trees of Wisdom leads the Tribes of Green World. All important matters that are unable to be resolved by lesser courts are brought before the Tree Council where any decision by the council is binding and cannot be appealed. Where the Tree Council of Maga Island has 48 Trees of Wisdom, the Tribes of Green World are led by 36 Trees of Wisdom.
Unlike the Jungle Elves of Maga Island, the Erbacce prefer more order and structure in their lives, so a Council of Elders leads each community in the Tribes. The exact make-up of these councils can vary widely from one community to the next, as can the method of selecting its members, but the duties of the councils remain the same: each Council of Elders is to provide for the community under their jurisdiction. The services provided by the Council of Elders includes running the community, handling disputes and crimes, and commanding the local militia. Often the rulings of the Council of Elders are final, but in rare cases, a problem is brought before the Tree Council for it to rule on.
The Gaea Tribes live relatively unregulated lives and there are not many laws within the Tribes. However, the single most important law is the protection of nature; any action that damages nature in any way, either accidentally or on purpose violates this law. Punishment for damaging the environment varies depending on the crime, but punishments can range from community service to exile and even to death.
In the face of the impending war with the Kingdom of Lagarto, the Tree Council has established a War Council, which is made up of three Erbacce, three Jungle Elves, and three Trees of Wisdom. The purpose of the War Council is to direct the entire war effort on the part of the Tribes of Green World and to remain in contact with Maga Island and the Kingdom of Bahia. The Tree Council on Maga Island has also established a War Council, but it is made up of four Jungle Elves and four Trees of Wisdom. When war begins, control of local militias will fall under the jurisdiction of the War Council instead of a community's Council of Elders and all decisions regarding the war will be made by the War Council, subject to final approval by the Tree Council.