The most sacred site to the various Gargant tribes, the Valley of Faces is the closest thing to a capital that they have.
Located high in the mountains, the Valley and it’s approaches are the only neutral ground held by the various Gargant tribes. It is here that all Gargants come on a pilgrimage the year before their adulthood ceremony, and it is here they return as the sacred dead for their funeral ceremonies also.
The reasons for this veneration of the Valley are threefold:
The Faces the Valley is named for are carved into various head-sized stones that sit in great fields. Each of them is carved in the likeness of a Gargant, and the fields are arranged by tribe and clan.
This is the history of the Gargants, as each Face is unique through subtleties of the facial shape, clan and family tattoos and scarification, as well as any scars taken by the Gargant in life.
The Faces are carved soon after the adulthood ceremony, and further scars or tattoos are added throughout the life of the Gargant.
Each Face is unique, and a young Gargant is encouraged to study as many on their pilgrimage as they are able, so that their future tattoos and markings will reflect themselves and their clan accurately, and not be confused with any other former Gargant.
The great fields of the Faces link the Gargant people to their past, anchoring their clans and tribes. Whilst Feuds are uncommon among the Gargant, competition in life is encouraged. The veneration of ancestors, and even great adversaries, is what brings generations of Gargants to the Valley.
As a place of veneration of individuals and their competitions, the Valley is also home to the Storykeepers, holy priests and historians of the Gargant people.
Those born to the Gargant with Witchblood are encouraged to apprentice to a Storykeeper to keep the traditions and history of the Gargant people alive.
Some travel between the clans resolving conflicts and learning current tales, while others remain sedentary and allow their people to come to them.
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