The Brownie Aohu'o (from a word meaning "walking", "wandering" or "nomadic") tribe is sub-divided into as many as 200 distinct bands, and lives mainly in inland Akdor, but can also be found scattered throughout Caelereth, both as minorities among the other tribes, and as a treeful here and a treeful there. Hunter-gatherers, these tribes are wildly mischievous, to the point of being obnoxious, but they are also the guardians of Brownie culture and religion, as well as being the best hunters and marksmen of the Brownie tribes. Shamans re-enact history and myth, keeping the past alive. They also encourage the reverence of the spirits of tree and rock and stream, making the spirits as real to the Aohu'o as the animals they hunt.

Appearance. Aohu'o individuals are identical in appearance to those of the LLaoihrr, Memnoor and Milken, fitting the general Brownie description. Among the Aohu'o, Brownbarks and Greenbarks predominate, with the occasional Redbark, and, rarely, those of other shades.

Coat of Arms/Sign. None.

Territory. Each band, comprising somewhere between 200 and 500 people, is estimated to utilize a territory of 4 to 9 square kilopeds. Almost 200 of these bands are scattered throughout the open plain of central Akdor. Bands of Aohu'o have immigrated to many parts of Caelereth, sometimes blending in with other Brownie tribes, and sometimes just settling down in a likely tree.

People. Aohu'o do not have the high technology of their LLaoihrr cousins, or the access to myriad worlds like their Memnoor cousins, relying instead on simple nets, traps and ingenuity. This ingenuity often manifests as mischievousness, and Aohu'o Brownies have raised the practical joke to an art form. Whenever you see a group of Brownies tying up intruders, trapping them in nets, or playing jokes on them, it is certain that they are members of a band of the Aohu'o tribe. Many of them are also excellent riders, choosing rabbits or other small animals as their steeds.

Lifemagic, where it is found, is strong among the Aohu'o, but not as organized as among the LLaoihrr. Many Redbarks, having the most lifemagic potential, end up becoming shamans, while the remainder are scattered, with only a small handful being found in any one band.

Aohu'o Brownies are great friends of the drasil, to their mutual benefit. The adult drasil protect the band, while the young are protected from predators by the band.

Housing. Aohu'o bands are generally nomadic, and their housing reflects this. They are built to hold together only for a single season, out of twigs, grasses, and mud, either in a tree or on the ground, with different bands building their houses in different styles. The Aohu'o that live among other Brownie tribes often end up imitating the housing of those they live among.

Clothing. Both men and women dress primarily in various animal skins. Because of the average Brownie's extremely active lifestyle, and the low temperatures present on the central plain of Akdor, rough tunics and pants, and low leather boots are almost universal among the Aohu'o. A belt with multiple pouches is often worn, and a hunting/writing knife or two are generally to be found slipped into a boot.

Diet. Aohu'o are strict hunter-gatherers. Their diet depends both on the luck of their hunting, and on which foods available from plants are ripe. They eat a lot of meat, of all sorts.

Weapons. Aohu'o weapons are adapted for hunting, and are known for their deadly accuracy. This accuracy derives not from the weapon itself, but from the skill of the wielder. The worst shot among the Aohu'o could be considered a sharpshooter if compared to anyone not of his tribe. The most common weapons used are the bow, the blowpipe, and the knife. Using bows and arrows is a skill that the Brownie people learned from observing elves before the Brownies began migrating and dividing into their tribes, in the time of Keekoo the Deliverer. Bows may be a tenth of a ped or longer, and are hand-carved from carefully selected and cut pieces of wood. Arrows are generally poisoned, killing the prey or merely rendering it senseless depending on which poison is used, allowing Aohu'o to take on prey many times larger than themselves. They have a maximum range of perhaps 25 peds. Blowpipes were invented in the same time frame that Brownies were first beginning to use bows, and are compact, easy to store and carry, and simple in form, being merely a hollowed-out straight twig. Poisoned darts are also used with blowpipes. The blowpipe range is generally considered to be 12 peds. Hunting knives are also common, and are used for many things, from skinning and gutting prey, to writing a message to someone, to being an aid in climbing, to being a last desperate weapon of defence. Made from rarely-used iron, they are never thrown as a projectile. Nets and other traps are also very common, and are often used in the hunt to slow down and entrap an animal for the kill.

Occupations. Hunting and gathering are universal, as these are the two skills that are neccessary for the survival of each band. A third occupation, that of the shaman, is composed of Brownies that wander from band to band. Having memorized hundreds of stories, myths, and geneologies, and believed to be in contact with the spirits of rock, tree, and stream, shamans are held in the highest respect. They are the guardians of Brownie history, culture, and religious beliefs.

Government. Aohu'o bands are each completely independent from each other. Within each band, members that are good providers or have much experience are given special respect. Most bands are loosely ruled by these respected elders, with the most respected Brownie often being considered to be chieftain of the band. This group will then make decisions that affect the entire band, yet they get only slightly more preferential treatment.

Production/Trade. Furs and other animal products, as well as the herbs and other plant products that the tribes gather. A particular band of Aohu'o on the western coast of Akdor also produces Brownie-sized ships, as well as small boats of human size for trade.

Natural Resources. Small and large game, roots, herbs, fruits, vegetables, grasses, and the occasional tree.

Holidays, Festivals and Observances. The most celebrated holidays among the Aohu'o are religious ones, as they are fervently religious. Several of them have something to do with honoring the spirits of rock, tree, and stream, and one of them honors Aheh, the mysterious First One. Other holidays are also celebrated, as the Aohu'o have the most celebrations of any Brownie tribe.

TIME TABLE OF THE AOHU'O BROWNIES THE ERA OF CONSOLIDATION (YEARS 8.500 B.S. - 3.400 B.S.) 3983 b.S. Westward Departure of the Keekoo Brownies The Brownie Keekoo the Deliverer reunites Brownies of Southern Sarvonia, organizes them and sends out three groups of colonists. In this year he sends out the very first group from the Auturian Woods, which eventually will become the Aohu'o tribe, the Akdorian Brownies. 3983 b.S. to 3109 b.S. The Wandering Years of the Western Brownies The Brownie band migrates northward, and soon reaches the Almatrar forest. Finding the Ahrhim tribe of elves already living there, they continue to migrate. They pass through the Paelelon forest, stopping only long enough to discover traces of the dark elven Eophyrhim. The Goltherlon, the next forest along their course, also turns out to have previous inhabitants, the Goltherrhim elves. As the wandering tribe of Brownies continues north, they reach the Thaelon, think it a wonderful place, and settle there. They are never able to shake the feeling of uneasiness that they have while they live there, however, even though they try several different places for their settlement. Eventually they continue north. Passing through the Hovel Frond forest and the Shaded Forest, they eventually reach the Folkmore Trees on the Peninsula of Kr'uul, and settle at a point where a finger of the Caaehl'heroth touches the fringes of the forest. Even this forest soon proves unsuitable for them. They change Keekoo's plans they had been following for hundreds of years of wandering, and become ship-builders. A generation later, they build enough ships to hold all the Aohu'o, as they now call themselves, and set sail into the trackless Sea of Tears. This sea proves true to its name, and many ships are destroyed. The few that remain afloat eventually make landfall on the western coast of Akdor, in a bay just north of the Mountains of Hiding. THE AGE OF MYTHS (YEARS 3.400 B.S. - 1.655 B.S.) 3109 b.S. Brownies arrive in Akdor The Aohu'o tribe makes landfall on the coast of Akdor    3029 b.S. The Aohu'o tribe settles just North of the Mountains of Hiding Spread out over quite a distance, the Aohu'o build houses and settle in the trees on the southern fringe of Akdor's great central forest, just north of the Mountains of Hiding.    2963 b.S. Fiery Inferno in central Akdor The vast majority of trees in Akdor's central forest are destroyed in fires started because of a human war against pendrowe and drasil. Most of the Aohu'o Brownies are killed in the resulting inferno. 2963 b.S. to 2961 b.S. The Scattering of the Aohu'o Because their territory is so spread out, the Aohu'o Brownies are unable to completely regroup after the fiery inferno in central Akdor, and, fleeing for their lives. They are separated into several bands, which will eventually divide further as their population reaches the carrying capacity of their band's territory. These bands struggle for survival, and in the process become very good at it. Aohu'o hunters develop their legendary marksmanship through the process of this struggle. Aohu'o Brownies also "adopt" the drasil, which has been nearly wiped out in the war and fires, forming a symbiotic relationship with them. Because of everything they have been through, Aohu'o begin to especially value their history, their myths and other stories to a degree not now found among the other Brownie tribes. An oral tradition is developed, and culminates in the creation and eventual separating out of the class or band now known as shamans.    1695 b.S. Crumbled Leaf's Comment In the Aohu'o Hawkfeather band, Crumbled Leaf, the local shaman, makes an offhand comment that "The spirits of rock, tree, and stream will never abandon us as long as the sun shines". THE AGE OF AWAKENING (YEARS 1.655 B.S. - 822 B.S.) 1648 b.S. Capturing of the Hawkfeather Brownie Band The elven ship "Helnaura" anchors off from Akdor after the Year of Darkness has ended. The entire Hawkfeather band, now numbering just over eighty individuals, hides themselves among the supplies on the landing boats, and so manages to find hiding places aboard ship. Weeks later, the ship's cook, noticing supplies missing and suspecting rats, searches for the culprit and finds the Brownies. He realises that they are sentient beings, so they are brought before the captain Macharean, member of the League (a secret elven society trying to find out the best way for a harmonical rule of the world). He spares their lives and brings them to Artemidor, the inspirator and leader of the League. THE AGE OF THE BLOOD (YEARS 822 B.S. - 50 B.S.) 803 b.S. The League choosing of the Erpheronians The Artapherana Trees have long ago developed to their full size but still no human tribe can be found to match the criteria of the experiment. In this year the Brownies are informed that the tribe is finally found. It will be the Erpheronians.