Avids

Avids are a fictional indigenous seafaring people described in world-building and speculative fiction. The name is derived from the Avidic word avi, meaning 'sea wind,' and is used to identify both the people and their language. In this context, the Avids are characterized by their close knowledge of marine environments and navigational prowess.

Geography and settlements: They inhabit the Avidic Archipelago, a chain of tropical to subtropical islands with coral reefs and shoaled lagoons. Settlements are built on stilts or raised platforms, connected by causeways and shallow-water routes. The monsoon cycle shapes seasonal movement and trading routes.

Society: Social structure centers on four matrilineal clans; leadership rests with a council of elder navigators and a chief chosen from among them. Social roles are flexible; women often lead in harvest, healing, and trade, while men and youths train as navigators or shipwrights. Storytelling and apprenticeship are central to education.

Language and culture: Avidic is an agglutinative language with a rich oral tradition. Rhythmic chants accompany long sea voyages. Artifacts include shell carvings, beadwork, and carved raft guides. Navigation lore passes through generations in songs and mnemonic devices.

Economy and technology: The economy combines small-scale fishing, aquaculture, and long-distance trade. They build seaworthy craft from light hardwoods and woven seagrass rope; navigation relies on star patterns, current knowledge, and birds. Trade goods include salt, pottery, and dried fish; barter with neighboring groups is common.

History and relations: Mythic origins describe migration along warm currents. Contact with outsiders intensifies in later periods, bringing new technologies and diseases. In contemporary portrayals, researchers sometimes fictionalize Avid culture, leading to ongoing debates about representation in speculative media.