Hello Yeld fans! Every now and then we release a new short story set in the magical land of Yeld. You can read these stories for free, right here on YeldStuff.com! Each of these stories reveals a bit more about the kingdom of Yeld, the lands beyond and the people who live there. We hope you enjoy them!
Our newest short story, by Sally Hsu, provides a glimpse of the complicated rules determining who can eat who practiced by the Animal Tribes of Yeld.
Food for Foxes & Serpents
By Sally Hsu
The following is a transcription of the oldest known 'Food Treaty' between two animal tribes (Foxes and Serpents) in the Land of Yeld. This treaty is thought to have been dated several hundred years before the first Fairy invasion, and the territory of the tribes detailed in the treaty seems to be several hundred hectares of land to the southeast of Boulder Town. I have done my best to translate the document into the more modern tongue given both the archaic language used and the overall decayed state of the document. Notations (such as this paragraph) will be done in italics.
Food Treaty Between the Great Southern Fox Tribe and the Serpent Tribe of the Great Plains.
Section I - Introduction
This document signed on (The dating system they used is unknown. Best guess is several thousand years before the first Fairy invasion) details rights and responsibilities of both the Great Southern Fox Tribe and the Serpent Tribe of the Great Plains, in regards to who is allowed to eat whom, when, and compensations and punishments when needed. Both tribes agree that failure to follow the rules detailed in this document will constitute an act of war on the other tribe.
Section II - Rights of the Great Southern Fox Tribe
1. The Great Southern Fox Tribe is entitled to half of the total number of serpent corpses from the Serpent Tribe of the Great Plains that have passed due to natural causes (disease or old age) for consumption by the Great Southern Fox Tribe.
2. These bodies will be delivered at a place and time agreed upon by the two tribes.
3. Bodies will be delivered no later than three days after the individual's passing.
4. The Great Southern Fox Tribe shall inspect the bodies upon delivery. Any deemed unfit for consumption shall be removed from the total number of corpses.
5. The Serpent Tribe of the Great Plains shall not hunt any members of the Great Southern Fox Tribe within 500 meters (this is an estimate. Like their dating the tribes in question used an archaic form of measurement we are still deciphering) of the center of a settlement controlled by the Great Southern Fox Tribe. (More modern treaties seem to extend this clause to any of the more common trade routes)
6. Foxes less than- (The remainder of Section II of this treaty has been lost to time, as well as most of what is presumed to be sections III and IV. My transcription will continue with what we assume to be Section V, responsibilities of the Serpent Tribe of the Great Plains).
22. (assumed) - in recompense for any members of the Great Southern Fox Tribe hunted.
23. The Serpent Tribe of the Great Plains shall not hunt any members of the Great Southern Fox Tribe during winter.
24. Any members of the Great Southern Fox Tribe found dead of natural causes by the Serpent Tribe of the Great Plains must be reported to the Great Southern Fox Tribe before consumption by the Serpent Tribe of the Great Plains.
Section VI - Conclusions
Both the Great Southern Fox Tribe and the Serpent Tribe of the Great Plains agree to uphold the rights, rules, and regulations set forth by this treaty. Disagreements shall be arbitrated by the Spiders of the Clockwerk Forest (no other reference to this forest has been found in any known document) whom shall be paid (again, there's no equivalent to the currency listed. The actual wording is "35 K-gints" which we suspect is lots of coins). This treaty shall hold in perpetuity.
Personal Analysis
Even in this mostly incomplete form we can conclude much from this particular treaty. For one, it seems obvious that the Great Southern Fox Tribe was the dominate tribe in this treaty, given all the rights they had compared to the responsibilities the Serpent Tribe of the Great Plains had. Less obvious is that serpents, though lesser in power, still wielded enough military might that the Foxes found it better to make a treaty with them, rather than just hunting them to extinction. We can also assume that both of those tribes must have had similar treaties with most of the other tribes in the area. My personal opinion is that this formed a needlessly complex web of rules, laws, alliances, and counter alliances that ultimately led to the fall of those specific tribes when more unified forces moved in (the Fairies, and later the First Kings).
Still, we can see the effect of these treaties even to this day. Foxes and serpents, and many other animals live alongside each other happily under the rule of Prince Dragul. In many areas it's common when a loved one passes to gift their body to close friends for consumption. There are even reports from the further reaches of Yeld indicating that it's becoming more common for the family of the passed to be invited to a feast where their loved one is the main course.
While most tribes will still send out members to hunt in unprotected areas, they do so with the understanding that they will also be hunted by members of other tribes, and that there is no ill will towards any members hunted in those areas. If you don't want to become food, stay on the protected paths (mostly trade routes). While it's obvious that Prince Dragul's stabilizing influence is the main reason we enjoy the peace we have beyond these treaties, we can't deny that these treaties paved the way for him to stabilize the peoples of Yeld.
Fifth Day of Fall, Year of the Fruit Bat, Under the Stewardship The Vampire Prince
Kelden Khoren, Junior Scribe, 3rd Rank
Royal Academy
In the Service of Prince Dragul
About the Author
Sally Hsu has been friends with Story and Nick since moving to Portland, OR back in 2011, but only recently joined the Yeld team in 2024. If you like her work you can find her (now finished) webcomics Dubious Company and Licensed Heroes with artist Elaine Tipping.