Riptide Falls

Riptide Falls is one of the eight core starting villages in The Old World, located in the western part of the continent. The town's eco designation is red, symbolized in the powerful waters that cross through the village. Despite being near the water, it is not a popular town for fishermen, as the waters are not easily traversed by man or fish. Instead of having a large fishing trade, there are many Shadowers that got their start here.

Appearance
Riptide Falls is a small township, named for the falls that cross through the village. The area is teeming with life, with grass and trees visible, as well as the western mountain range. Riptide Falls is carefully tucked among the mountains so it is not very easy to get to, but safe nonetheless. The status it has for producing skilled shadowers comes from the fact that Riptide itself is shrouded in the shadow of the mountains surrounding it, creating almost-constant shade in some areas of the village. Buildings here are not very wide, but are rather long and separated by half-walls on the inside. There are usually two levels, with the lower level being used to store things in most homes.

Culture
The people of Riptide, known for a rich history of producing known Shadowers, most like to pride themselves on their strength of body, mind, and spirit. Having an eco designation of red, it empowers builders, miners, and (of course) shadowers. Houses were built exclusively by the builders of Riptide, who prided themselves on their unique architectural structures, which are hardy and stable. From the houses, red lanterns are hung to symbolize their eco designation, as Riptide's people take pride in being associated with the eco of strength. Free-spirited and fun, Riptide's people can be seen going down the smaller falls in the village on hardy canoes.

Most people in Riptide grow to have the same views as those they were raised around, becoming free-spirited, fun, wild, and confident. As Riptide has three attribute-powers, a hero hailing from Riptide can unlock superhuman strength if they're from a line of builders, temporal deceleration if their ancestors were miners, or invisibility if they hail from a line of shadowers.

Riptide's people are often too busy to celebrate many elaborate ceremonies, but they do celebrate the eclipse of the planet's two moons, as well as the eclipse of the sun. These events are mostly celebrated with the villagers draping black cloth over their porches and balconies. They are even placed in doorways on these days in the stead of their usual bamboo curtains. Villagers dress entirely in black, so they can hide in the shadow of the eclipse.

History
Riptide Falls began out of necessity for a town safe for shadowers to live in, as shadowing had become a common occupation. The Kage Clan, known for being the family that shadowing originiated from, headed into the untouched Riptide Mountain Range, finding ample space among the mountains to begin their own village. As people who specialized in the use of red-eco were drawn to the village, the Kage Clan had no problem attracting builders into the village, constructing homes and a communal town hall.

As time wore on, Riptide Falls became almost like other villages but still retained a strong shadower culture, with shadowers being the most respectable members of the community. The village reached out first to Masa Village near the eco silos and shared their culture, discovering tea in the process. Riptide Falls soon became not only a well-known place for the strongest to dwell, but also became known for their Riptide Milk Tea, a special recipe hailed throughout the land.

After Rock Village's destruction at the hands of Klaww and the other Lurkers, builders from both Riptide Falls and Magma City arrived to help repair the village and help it ease back into security. Descendants of the Kage Clan met with the new heir of the Ryōshi clan and were thoroughly impressed when they saw the heir (fourteen at the time) ward off a lurker shark with a spear. Ever since then, Riptide Falls' people have held great respect for the fishermen of Rock Village, seeing their similar strength and resilience.

Additional information
Estimated population: 52

System: Riptide Falls is run by a chief from one of the higher-status Shadower families. If the current chief is not to the village's satisfaction, he is replaced.

Cuisine: Riptide Falls consumes lots of meats and milk, often having a lot of these supplies imported from Sandover Village by their own expert deliverymen. After connecting with Masa Village in the past and learning of their love for tea, the village developed its own famous Riptide Milk Tea.

Main exports: Hand-crafted goods are the major export of Riptide Falls, as the creative builders have been known to be the best at whittling instruments and creating statues, vases, and even cutlery.