Head Woman of the Beetle Totem
Forest People 12th Century Post Imperium: This particular totemic group is insectivorous, one among a handful of such groups among the Forest People. They are regarded s strange by other groups, and tend to live isolated lives apart from the usual network of Forest People relationships. This particular group is based on the famous jewel beetles of the rainforests; they eat the beetle as food, and claim it as ancestor/creator. The Head Woman's Robe is richly embroidered with beetle wing-cases - a decoration forbidden to all others. She functions as the religious leader of the Beetle Totem people, though she does have some judiciary function as well, occasionally arbitrating between serious disputes. She deputises for the Ancestor Mother (beetle) figure, leads the religious ceremonies, and selects her successor from among the young women of the group. The religious training for such an office is extremely rigorous, involving much ritual practice, fasting, and endurance tests. The Head Woman must retire once she fails in three of these tests consecutively; she is considered to have lost the ability to endure the rigorous nature of the office, and is therefore not fit to continue.
