Tribal Name: Ethicar
Demonym: The Ethicar, Ethicarians
Population: Approx. 550
Government Style: Cognatic Elective (Elected Chief or Chieftess) Advised by Selected Officials (Officials of Their Choosing).
Religious Beliefs: Agnostic
Location on the Map: The Ethicarians are a tightknit tribe of a few hundred people clinging to a sprawling central village that they know and love. They call this village Imara, named for the last mystic that advised the people.
History before the Collapse: The Ethicarians were a people that led simple lives before being pulled into the confederation led by the Ascahara. The Ascahara promised them equality among men and protection from old rivals. The Ethicar took this opportunity in order to secure a lasting existence in the chaotic world they lived in. They served the Ascahara loyally, sending their strongest over the age of eighteen years to fight on their leader’s behalf. At the start of the relationship between Ethicar and Ascahara, the Ethicar were rewarded for their loyalty with gifts of gold and stipends of food to further increase their population.
Through these gifts and favors, the Ethicarian population once held nearly two thousand people, this, however, changed with the Collapse of the confederation and failed attack on the Far Men.
Survival Legend: The Exile was an island never before heard of. Their head mystic, Imara, told them of the islands location as the waves crashed upon their island shores. Their central village was in a panic, people were leaving and droves and none seemed to be going the right way. The Chieftess at the time, Tyri, gathered her loyal followers, her remaining army, family, and mounts and took to the remaining ships. They sailed off with a heavy heart, propelled by even heavier waves.
The journey was long and arduous, the ship that held the Ethicarite mounts sank leaving them with little choice but of travel but on foot when this new island was to be found – if it was to be found. Tyri held her now small tribe of men and women together by sheer will and determination, not allowing hope to waver as long as she stayed vigilant. Frequently she’d cross from one ship to another to check in on her people, she’d offer them words of encouragement and tell them that salvation was only a few more days away when she ignorant of that fact herself.
When the Exile’s shores happened upon their sights, Tyri grew ill but refused to let up until her people were safe. Her vigilant rule continued until their people were settled on the east side of the island, occupying a cove of their own and rebuilding the village they left behind on their old island. When the largest hut was finished, the hut deemed to be hers, she finally succumb to her illness, dying within the arms of those very villagers she encouraged to keep going. She was succeeded by her first daughter, Aisha, the Benevolent.
History Since: Years following the death of her mother, Aisha watched on as her trusted mystic Imara was taken by the gods. With Imara went the Ethicarite faith in the gods. If the gods were so benevolent, then why had their forsaken their tribe so? This feeling was not only possessed by Aisha, but soon rippled outward into her followers. They now knew that there were gods, but without proof they wouold rather not believe in smoke in mirrors. With this, the mystics were disbanded and Aisha was risen up as the people’s new spiritual leader. Aisha still searches for proof of the gods, but without that proof she’d rather not believe such beings exist only to bring Ethicar misfortune.
While the religious shift was happening, the unnamed village grew in size and the territory that Ethicar possessed grew with it. Though their military might was small, they grew without opposition and staked a claim on a chunk of the eastern coast of the Exile. Here they grew in culture and number. The survivors numbered at 300 when they arrived but in time they grew to 500 and now 550 with the practiced use of a census to keep their numbers monitored.
Aisha’s early rule proved to be a prosperous time and eventually the village without a name was named after the last mystic, Imara. Imara stands as a new beginning for Ethicar and they hold the village and surrounding outposts in high accord, willing to defend their claim tooth and nail.
Other: The Ethicar hold women on a pedestal, recognizing them as givers of life and thus deemed important. Due to this equality is a quality that the Ethicarians seek to maintain. Women make up a decent portion of the army, not only as nurses and doctors but as soldiers.
Ethicar’s army boasts prowess with spears. Their spear troopers are some of their best soldiers and are thus deemed as their elite, only making up a small portion of their army (50) and are called the Watchful. This elite force mostly protects the village of Imara and Aisha herself, always there when needed.
The Ethicar have tamed new mounts now.
These giant lizards serve as their military mounts and are utilized as a small cavalry unit. They were once vicious things but now serve as a domestic service animal much like the horses the Ethicar possessed on their old island. Now though, these beings hold a strength slightly greater than horses and can defend themselves more effectively.