Olira is made of up 11 small kingdoms on 6 islands who act as a vassal to one larger central kingdom, Talnoc, the King of Talnoc also bearing the title of High King of Olira. The throne of Talnoc is passed down from father to son, the Ardri dynasty ruling from their capital of Rilik. The other kingdoms have varying levels of autonomy. The current king of Talnoc is High King Had.
Geography
Olira has a varied climate and terrain, from the lush forests and palms of Khasibuil to the green hills of Talnoc, from the sandy beaches of Sahil to the rocky beaches of the Seobaghs. Olira is made up of six islands; the Seobaghs (Deach, Anaghyr, Easif, and Janeas), Khasibuil, and the main island of Kamor. Khasibuil and Kamor and separated by the mighty Ulain river, on which lies Rilik, the capital and by far the largest city in Olira. Other major cities include the southern seaport of Minhu (though Rilik still functions as a port) and the Formorian capital of Malakh.
Culture
Descendants of both the peoples of Freishann and Khandarai, the humans of Olira are a mixture of ethnicity and culture which take from both lands, these ethnic divisions forming the basis of the kingdoms. Gabhar and Sahil are primarily descended from Khandarai, with the people of Gabhar known for their shepherding and those of Sahil known for sailing. The Seobaghs, Rokai, Trabahr, and Adhmadh are primarily of Freishannese descent, respectively known as fishermen, Karkadanh riders, a mixture of fishermen and shepherds, and woodsmen. Laghad, Sciadire, Khasibuil, Talnoc, and the humans of Shasur are a mixture of both, with Laghad being known for its clergy and cathedrals, as well as being home to the Order of Laghad, a Serenist missionary group. Sciadire is home of many human warriors, but is economically stalled. Khasibuil is extremely fertile, exporting dates, figs, olives, and many other agricultural goods. Talnoc being by far the largest kingdom has a very mixed economy, while Shasur is an industrial hub, with mines dotting its landscapes and blacksmiths filling its towns. Sheepherding something that all the groups of Olirians have in common to some degree, which is why the ram is the symbol of Olira.
Formor is home to the Formorrin; Grogars originally from Tarkima who migrated to Olira two and a half centuries ago. Formor is the most impoverished kingdom in Olira, largely due to the economic influence of the Serenist Church, which is absent from Formor. It's also to do with an Olirian mistrust of Formorians, populations of whom are prevalent all over Olira and are often discriminated against. Shasur is home to a significant Formorian population, but Formorians are completely segregated, being forced to live in separate parts of towns and cities, while Sciadire has specific laws preventing Formorians from even living there. Significant Formorian populations have also found their way to Talnoc (especially Rilik), where despite a lack of actual discriminatory laws, Formorians still often live in poverty and crime, the Seobaghs and Sahil, where due to their historic maritime prowess Formorians are actually often welcomed, Formorian sailors making up a significant proportion of the pirates and privateers of Sahil. Only in the Seobaghs do Formorians live side by side with humans without poverty or poor reputation. Even lower in society than the Formorians are the children of humans and Formorians, who, with no real place, often resort to crime, banditry, piratry, and mercenary work.
Existing in Olira since before the arrival of humans, the Yara Ma are an indigenous people in Olira who live in the remotest regions, especially on the island of Anaghyr. Yara Ma often disappear as humans populate a region, relying on a balanced ecosystem, and even if they do not disappear, they have, in the past, been exterminated, due to their consumption of human livestock. Not much is currently known about Yara Ma society, as the only place where Yara live freely without hinderence, the island of Anaghyr, is also extremely hostile to outsiders, often killing them onsite. While the vast majority of Yara Ma encountered are male, females do exist, as do infants. Yara Ma do not fight with weapons, aside from rocks which they throw with a strange expertise, instead relying on magic and their disproportate strength for their small bodies. Yara Ma are arboreal, spending most of their lives in trees, and are thought to be carnivorous. They also have octopus-like suction on their hands, and can easily crush a human throat, which tends to be their preferred method of execution.
Military
It is the responsibility of each vassal kingdom to create their own armies, though the High King's army will protect its vassals if attacked by an outside force. Vassal kingdoms are also allowed to go to war with each other, and small conflicts occur often. Conquests, however, are rare, the last one taking place twenty years ago. Standing armies do not exist in Olira, and instead, Kings rely on various methods to raise armies when the occasion arises.
Qurns are Olirian hunters who are recruited into a Kingdom's armies as light infantry, skirmishers, scouts, and raiders or simply just to hunt for the army's food during a campaign. Qurns carry ranged weapons such as bows, javelins, and darts, as well as a melee weapon, weather it be a dagger, an axe, a sword, or a sqian; a long, traditional knife in Olira. Qurns can also be recruited from bandits, with Kings sometimes offering amnesty to Qurns who join their army.
The backbone of a poor king's army, when a king needs to fill the ranks of his army, he simply enlists them from his peasantry. With each kingdom having a different structure in administration, the costs and effectiveness of the levy vary from kingdom to kingdom, with the more feudal kingdoms being able to create much larger levys at a much cheaper costs. Levys tend to be armed very simply and utilize their "strength in numbers" mentality. Levy troops are either armed with spears and shields or with bows and arrows, to be fired en masse towards the enemy army.
Taisafirin are the true symbol of Olirian warfare. Mercenaries, Taisafirin learn war as a profession, and wield heavy weapons such as greatswords and battleaxes, in addition to simple sword and shield combos, and wear heavy armor. They don't work year-round (in most cases); instead, in times of war, mercenary captains will be hired to go from town to town recruiting Taisafirin, who can also be employed for small-scale conflicts, brawls, and guard duties. Some are employed year-round to act as bodyguards, and most retire as they age, usually using their money from adventuring and fighting to buy a homestead. Many Taisafirin are Formorian or half Formorian, and even some human Taisafirin use Formorian weapons.
Horses never really caught on in Olira. That's because of the Karkadanh; carnivorous unicorns native to Olira. While Karkadanhs are used by civilians as both guard dogs and pack animals, they also compose the entirety of Olirian cavalry. Though Karkadanhs are much faster and far more dangerous than horses, their backs aren't quite as strong, and require much more skilled rider. That's why outside of Rokai, though Karkadanh riders are used, they never quite make or break a battle. In Rokai, however, Karkadanhs are an emblem of war, with riding societies exist around the kingdom.
While mages are used in combat in Olira, only healers are recruited by Kings, combat mages being far too expensive. Instead, most mages who end up on a battlefield are volunteers. The Serene Church will also sometimes send deacons to fight if an enemy strays too far from order.
Founded by Gultar the Stick around 35 years ago, The Black Band is made up of perhaps the most elite Taisafarin in Olira. Based out of Svawad Castle in Talnoc, the Black Band, unlike most groups of Taisafarin, exist year round, and can be marked by their black banner. The Black Band is made up of a few hundred members, with new applicants piling up around Svawad everyday, although hardly any making it in. What makes the Black Band so effective as a force is not only the skill of the individual mercenaries, but the cohesiveness and solidarity of the units, this being a major part of Black Band training. Aside from acting on a battlefield, the Black Band can also be contracted to destroy bandits, act as bodyguards, train forces, recruit groups of Taisafarin, kill dangerous wildlife, and advise generals.
Heroes
The head of the Black Band, Gultar has a taste for war, and has boiled down battle to a primary sense. For the first few years of the Black Band, Gultar lived in squalor, all of his money going to paying for his men, his only payment being in food. His big break came 20 years ago. For years, Laghad had been paying Rokai for protection, but the King of Laghad, a notorious gambler, was short on money. Sahil took advantage of this, and launched a full scale invasion, seeking to conquer Laghad, and cornering the King into his castle, besieging it. All seemed lost, when Gultar snuck into the castle and offered his aid in exchange for monetary compensation. The King of Laghad agreed, giving him the last of his funds, and miraculously, Gultar and the Black Band broke the siege, crushing the Sahili forces. Gultar and the Black Band became famous around Olira, and the construction of Svawad Castle began, with new applicants, funds and resources. The fame of the Black Band reached international levels eight years ago during the war between Olira and Freishann, when Gultar took charge of the Olirian forces and destroyed the Freishannese army. Gultar uses a variety of weapons in combat, but usually relies on a simple arming sword.
Sailor, privateer, and captain of the Liba, Captain Bahar is a well known seaman who first rose to prominence in the conflict against Freishann. A young captain of only 20 at the time, not only was he an effective privateer against Freishann immediately before the war, but his was the only ship that managed to break past Freishann's royal navy at the Battle of Minhu, and he personally opened the gate for the Olirian forces to enter the city. Now, he still works as a privateer, but performs less shady work, and has a much higher price. He can usually be found with his Formorian first mate in Minhu, and prefers to fight with a scian.
Not much is known about him, but the legends of Unna Forest have persisted for hundreds of years. It's surprising, since Yara Ma are completely extinct in the areas around him, but he's used constantly to frighten children into behaving. He's also been told to have a rare fluency in the Olirian language.
Born on the saddle to the King of Rokai, Yanna was recently named her father's successor, the first time a woman has been named heir in Rokai's history. This came as a shock to many, as she was already controversial for her interest in riding and combat. Yanna is skilled with swords, bows, and lances, and is very young to have such skill, only 19, but she has a long road ahead of her to gain her father's throne.
History
It's not quite known when humans arrived in Olira, but the displacement of the Yara Ma began almost immediately. As the human migrants to Olira began to settle, different ethnic groups began to form, which formed into clans, which formed into small kingdoms, who remained isolated, warring against each other for hundreds of years. The world of the early Olirians was shook 250 years ago, when Grogar supremecists from Tarkima, seeking to form a true Grogar homeland, invaded Olira, and thus began half a century of war. Eventually, the different kingdoms began allying each other to form larger ones, when two families from two large central kingdoms married to form the Ardri dynasty and the Kingdom of Talnoc. Talnoc sought support from the Serene Church, who sent them funds, and soon the other kingdoms bowed down to Talnoc to lead them, thus creating the title of High King of Olira. Talnoc soon drove the Formorians, or 'Outlanders' back to the seat of their invasion, planning to force them from Olira for good, when the King of the Formorians also swore loyalty to Talnoc, thus ending the war, and bringing Formor into the fold of Olira.
After the Great War, the country began to modernize rapidly with both the unified government and the new support of the Serene Church. Meanwhile, the old prophets who guided to Formorians to Olira clung tightly to their traditions, forming the Grogar Circle to lead the Formorians religiously. While Talnoc remained in peace amongst the island kingdoms, the other kingdoms still waged wars against each other, though those diminished with time and increased adhearance to the Serene Church.
After the war between Laghad and Sahil twenty years ago, the King of Laghad became extremely religious, building a new cathedral and founding the Order of Laghad, a missionary group. These missionaries soon began preaching in Freishann, and gained much support in one coastal city. After riots ensued, some of the missionaries were executed, the rest imprisoned, and a privateer war was waged against Freishannese shipping. Freishann, who's military was thought to be vastly superior to Olira, invaded, and while the navy saw success, their army was crushed by the new strength of the Black Band. After this war, Olira began modernizing their navy, and was brought in as an associate to Freishann and the Emerald Empire's trade league.
Relations
Serene Kingdoms: Devout in Serenity, Olira maintains ties, economically and militarily, with the Serenist States. Freishann: Though the two went to war eight years ago, relations have since cooled, and are actually somewhat close, with Olira now being an associate of Freishann's trade league, Freishann helping to modernize the Olirian navy, and the Black Band assisting the militaries of some parts of Freishann. Emerald Empire: The Emerald Empire being a trade partner that Olira had long craved for, victory in the Freishannese war allowed a dream to come true. Currenlty, Olira is in talks with the Emerald Empire to sell the island of Anaghyr.
Awesome! I was thinking of a tribal, Celtic-like people on that island north of Freishann and the Empire of Khandarai, if that hasn't already been claimed.
Population: 15 million total Kingdom-7 million Emirate-4 million Hajiri-2.5 million Ibexi-1 million Condors-500 thousand Daggers-Thousands of Members Faction: Yuwanist Capital: Emirate-Dawakah Daggers-al-Ghamuz Kingdom-Aihtifakhur Condors-Migratory Ibexi-No Centarlized Capital Hajiri-Itzk'ehk Government Type: Regional Confederation Kingdom-Elective Monarchy voted upon by semi-hereditary plutocratic aristocracy Emirate-Tribal Feudalism led by hereditary Emir Daggers-Assassin Order with leader appointed by Rey'alam Ibexi-Isolationist disunified tribes Hajiri-Matriarchial Oligarchy Condors-Allied migratory bands Government Descriptions: The Midbari Desert is a region defined by a loose confederation of allied states, with the greatest cooperation existing in military and economics. The most powerful of these states is the Midbari Kingdom, which exists around the eastern rivers of the desert. The territories of the Kingdom are divided into numerous emirates, each governed by an Emir who decides upon their successor, which is often based hereditarily but is not necessarily so. Emirs may also decide to not have lifetime appointments and to appoint successors in a similar fashion as the Malik, but most do not do so. Those who do do so because anyone who has been an Emir at some point in the Kingdom is given a vote for who should be the next Malik, or King. The more living Emirs a certain Emirate has, the more votes. Voting power is also given to certain influential merchants, as well as the leader of the Kingdom Dagger Base and the King of Gushawar, who is given three votes. The Malik is given complete executive control and universal control of the capital of Aihtifakhur for a decade, after which they return to their previous position. The Midbari Kingdom wished for all humans in the desert to be unified under one government. The Emirate of Nur'alam disagreed.
The Emirate of Nur'alam has been under the control of the Sharaqim dynasty since its creation. The Sharaqi Emir has nearly complete control of the area from his capital of Dawakah. Governance, however, outside of major cities still lies in the hands of the various sheiks and tribal chieftains of the desert, the power of whom is greatly respected by the Emirate, who contrarily completely disregards the power of the Midbari kingdom.
The Daggers are an order of assassins who operate from their mountain bases, the head of which is al-Ghamuz, atop the desert's largest mountain of Satir. They are led by a Mentor appointed by Rey'alam herself, though each fortress also has its own leader who oversees that branch of Daggers, still respecting the Mentor's leadership. The Mentor of the Daggers also oversees the various Dagger Temples located around the world.
The Condors are large, sentient birds who have organized and coordinated their migratory flight patterns. Though disorganized, high levels of communication still exist between the various flocks.
The Ibexi lands are isolationist, and also not unified, with each Ibexi tribe completely autonomous. That said, the Ibexi still agree to patrol their borders if a tribe is close to them, and there isn't any conflict between tribes.
The Hajiri operate under a Matriarchy, led by an elder female oligarchy. A single head matriarch exists, who then appoints the matriarchs of the various regions and tunnels. After the head matriarch dies, the lower matriarchs she appointed decide upon which of them should be her successor. The matriarchs usually delegate military leadership to various male warriors and mages.
Head of State: Kingdom-Saeidam al-Dahir Emirate-Altaram al-Sharaqim Daggers-al-Lahash (The Whisper) Ibexi-None, Emissary is Muh'aman Hajiri-R'kaane Condors-None Currency: Quartz Coin, Kawar
Languages: Midbari spoken universally, Hajiri and Condors have their own languages. Edhelywlin Elvish and Gushawari languages are spoken by some merchants and by the Kingdom's aristocracy.
History
In the time of the last Pantheon, the god Midbar created the Midbari desert, and populated it with the Midbarites, a goat-like people of his creation, and his human followers. The sentient Condors of the region had already existed there, but in small numbers. He gave them the Midbari language to communicate with each other, and by the Midbarites was loved. When Justinian was created, he killed Midbar, and many of the human sheiks began worshipping Justinian, and took over the desert. The Midbarites, enraged by the death of their creator, waged war against the Justinian worshippers, refusing to cease their worship of a dead god. Unceasing in their devotion to Midbar, they were nearly driven to extinction. At the same time, a human resistance began to form, led by a divine champion of Yuwan named Mala al-Tafub, who utilized the desert to her advantage by controlling the sand, used to supplement her skill with a dagger, her followers, fighting in the same fashion, being known as the Daggers. She became greatly renowned as the years of her resistance went on, and she began to be known as Rey'alam, or the Queen of Sand.
289 years ago, the armies and avatars of Yuwan and Justinian clashed in the Midbari Desert, a battle where Rey'alam and her Daggers were of course participants. It was also the battle in which Rey'alam died, and ascended as a celestial servant of Yuwan. She used her newfound power to completely take her native desert as Yuwanist land, and created the ant-like Hajiri to defend the region's hostile borders. She became revered among the people of the deserts, and people began to worship her directly, often in conjuction with Yuwan, all but the Midbarites, who she allowed to only worship Midbar, so long as they would serve her militarily, and provide one great warrior she would imbue with power, known as the Emissary. They became known as the Aiba'ecksi, or Children of a Dead God, otherwise known as Ibexi. Her Daggers became an order of assassins, who act to this day as her personal hand.
Though she began overseeing the Midbari Desert, she did not rule it directly, and 200 years ago, in the eastern desert, around the rivers where the population was at its densest and Yuwan still was worshipped supremely, the Emirs of the region wished for Midbari Human unification, stripping the sheiks and chiefs of the their power and founding the Midbari Kingdom. The only Emir who disagreed with their dismantling of the traditions was Taqmua al-Sharaqim, the Emir of Dawakah, a newly founded city far in the west, out in the desert. He refused to be a part of the new Kingdom, and all the sheiks and nomads of the desert pledged their support for him. He, a worshipper of Rey'alam, also believed the name of the Midbari Desert was outdated, and named his Emirate the Emirate of Nur'alam, or the Land of Sand.
Meanwhile, in the far west, the Hajiri began to dig their subterranean dwellings. Around a century ago, the Hajiri found large gem deposits deep underground in their territories. Because they couldn't pay to start major mining operations, human prospectors began coming to their lands to invest in building mines. Over time, a system developed where the Hajiri would mine the ores, caravans from the Emirate would transport them, and they would usually be sold in the Midbari Kingdom. One family began to prosper from this far more than others; the Dahir of the Kingdom. The Dahir family became major bankers, placing members of their family in courts all around the Yuwanist world. The head of the Dahir family was given a vote for King, and they began marrying into various powerful families around the Kingdom, or influencing them in other ways, and recently, a Dahir was elected king.
Another historical event of note is that during the Ourobosian-Gushawari war, the Kingdom and the Ibexi sent an army to fight for Gushawar.
Attributes
One of the obvious attributes of the Midbari Desert is that it is disunified, something that acts as both an advantage and disadvantage. While disunity can harm coordination and development, it also allows for a greater military variety, and were any of the Midbari Polities to fall, it wouldn't spell disaster for any of the other ones. A major military advantage of the desert is the desert itself, which causes great attrition to foreign invaders. The most glaring military disadvantage is the lack of military technology. Gunpowder weapons amongst the Midbari are largely nonexistent, with the exception being the Kingdom's bombards. The Kingdom is also responsible for feeding practically the entire desert. All in all, the Midbari Desert's biggest weakness is how much power is concentrated in the Kingdom.
Magically, sacrifices derive from a few things. One of them is the Daggers; if they can, all killings the Daggers could possibly do are done through sacrifice to Rey'alam. Aside from that, in both the Emirate and the Kingdom, sacrifice is a punishment for many crimes, including murder, Justinian or Red God worship, rape, and others depending on the region. Animal sacrifice is the most common sacrifice day to day, with Kingdom farmers sacrifices at least some of their livestock to Yuwan, Condors often picking off random desert creatures to sacrifice, and other such sacrifices occurring regularly. Ibexi also perform animal sacrifice, although this is purely ceremonial, the sacrifices being directed towards a god that is now dead. Because of this, Ibexi, aside from the Emissary, can use no magic, although compensate with their size and strength.
The magic invented by Rey'alam, and the main type of magic used by the Daggers, is the control of sand. When concentrated, Sand Magic can cause massive sandstorms, but usually is small and just used for combat, with Daggers carrying a jar of sand on them during missions. Some more powerful Daggers, especially the Mentor, can also utilize illusion magic, which they use to disguise both Dagger members and bases. While sand magic being used for combat outside of the Daggers is uncommon, sand gardens for use of art and meditation are common among magic users throughout the Midbari Desert. A handful of members of the Daggers, mostly Divine Champions, can also teleport from one Dagger Base to another using a combination of Sand and Yuwanist magic.
In the Kingdom, soon after its creation, a notion arose that the Midbari Kingdom must become the "Flame of Yuwan". Many magic users began taking this literally, and fire magic is extremely common among magic users throughout the Kingdom. With the Kingdom being heavily Yuwanist, divination and Yuwanist visions are more common than anywhere else in the region, with the Dahir using these fortune tellers for investment. While illegal everywhere else, slavery is common in the Kingdom, being the backbone of labor, though slavery in the Kingdom is not quite as widespread and integral as other parts of the world.
The Condors almost universally are talented magicians, and will combine all magic applications from all regions in combat. They also will use magic to enhance their eyesight even more, or to increase their strength to carry off opponents.
The magic used by the Hajiri is far different than that used in other parts of the region. Residing in dark, humid caves, the Hajiri needed a source of light, and fire couldn't be used. Because of this, the Hajiri started using magical lights. Upon discovering a species of edible bioluminescent mushrooms, the Hajiri began farming these throughout the caves, and used them as a source of light, but their magic light was still used. Eventually, it was found that were more energy to be put into these magic lights, they were a major source of heat, and so the magic lights started to be used to heat their food, light blasting powder, and in combat. Female Hajiri mages, from which the Matriarchs are pulled, are also expert healers, while Male Hajiri mages are experts in combat, and will also use magic to increase their balance and stamina, and combine regular weapons with Hajiri light magic.
Despite the Hajiri being the source of most Midbari economic power, and protecting the region's borders from hostile neighbors, there is massive discrimination against the Hajiri in all other parts of the region, to a point where the only area where humans and Hajiri both cohabitate are along the Hajiri-Emirate border. Hajiri are perceived as repulsive and primitive by human standards, though the Emirate and and Daggers cooperate with the Hajiri militarily, while the Kingdom doesn't care for them at all.
Geography
The Kingdom's capital of Aihtifakhur is the located in the center of the river island of Aizdira. At around 400,000 people, Aihtifakhur is the largest city in the region.
To northeast of Aihtifakhur, at the tip of Aizdira, is Jamina, the largest port in the Midbari Desert and the third largest city at 50,000 people.
In the center of the desert lies the Emirate's capital of Dawakah, based around an oasis and the second largest city at around 150,000.
The Hajiri capital of Itzk'ehk isn't a city, but rather the center of a large and extensive system of tunnels. While the Emirate is largely defined by desert, there are also a number of semi-forested mountain ranges all around the area.
Racial Information
Majority Race: Humans at 73% are the ruling race of the Daggers, the Kingdom, and the Emirate. They also largely economically control the Hajiri lands. Midbari humans have dark, tan skin, darkened by the desert sun, and curly dark hair. Minority Races: The Hajiri are the second largest racial group in the region, at 17%. They rule over the Western Hajiri Lands, and are an arthropodic, ant-like people. They burrow in tunnels underground, and are largely resistant to the desert heat. Despite their difference from the average being, Hajiri are as emotionally and intellectually advanced as humans, though are rarely treated as such.
After the Hajiri are the Ibexi at 7% of the population, and maintain complete control over the Ibexi lands throughout the region. Ibexi populations also exist in the Emirate and Kingdom, where they serve as warriors and guards. Cynics and isolationists, Ibexi are far, far stronger than humans, standing on average of 10 feet for a male and 8 feet for a female, and live longer, but use no magic.
The smallest race percentage wise in the Midbari Desert are the Condors; giant, sentient vultures with magical affinity who are also completely carnivorous. Usually migratory, Condors also are used as aerial cavalry, messengers, and lookouts, and make up 3% of the population.
Religious Information
State Religion: Yuwanism, syncretic with the worship of Rey'alam. Ibexi solely worship the dead god Midbar. Patron Deity: Yuwan and Rey'alam Religious Demographics: 25% worship solely Yuwan, but still respect the power and authority of Rey'alam. This population is concentrated almost entirely in the Kingdom. 40% worship Yuwan and Rey'alam equally. This is spread around the entire region, though this religious faction makes up the majority up the Hajiri, and the entirety of the Condors. 28% worship Rey'alam primarily, though with the understanding that she is less powerful than Yuwan. These are the majority of the Emirate and the entirety of the Daggers. The remaining 7% are the Ibexi, who worship Midbar solely and without exception. A number of bandits also worship the Turquoise Lord, though their numbers aren't significant, and they don't do so zealously. Artifacts and Relics: The most famous Masterless Artifact in the Midbari Desert is the Mace of Midbar, the weapon of the now dead god Midbar. This weapon is now used as the weapon of the Emissary, and is the main source of the Emissary's magic. It imbues them with incredible strength and speed, and thick, armored skin. It also can be thrown and returned by its user, and is designed to be handled by an Ibexi.
The Dagger of Rey'alam is a bound artefact, originally the weapon used by Rey'alam as a mortal. Typically carried by the Dagger Mentor, the Dagger, aside from being a powerful weapon in melee, gives the user great magical strength, and allows them to create powerful sandstorms and illusions.
The final bound artefact of the region is the Kaqani Staff. The Kaqani tree was a large tree that had miraculously grown in the middle of the desert, and was believed to be the remnants of the forests that made up the region before the arrival of Midbar. The tree was sacred to the Condors, who saw it as the remnants of their past, and soon became a favorite pilgrimage stop among all races in the region. When the Justinians took over, they had the tree destroyed, with only one large chunk of wood being salvaged from it. When Rey'alam ascended, she fashioned it into a staff, imbuing it with great power, said to mirror the spirit of the Kaqani tree; it will always oppose the nature of whatever it's being used against. For example, if being cast at the desert itself, the staff would create a storm. If being cast at a wall, it would create an explosion. Rey'alam didn't realize how much magical energy existed in the tree, and couldn't predict the outcome of any spell. Because of this, she had the staff locked away in al-Yidam, only to be used in case of emergency. The Hajiri claim that they should be able to use it, their mages being masters with staffs, and believing the Kaqani staff would help them greatly in defending the borders. The Condors also wish to use it, or at least be able to keep it, the staff being the last remnants of their homeland, and Condors being the most able magic users in the region.
Holy Site: Ayuuf is a village located in the heart of what is now the Emirate. Right next to it was the location of the Battle of Ayuuf, where Rey'alam and a small force of Daggers destroyed a massive Midbari Justinian army, who had been on its way to fight the Yuwanists in the East. This battle was a major turning point in the future alignment of the Midbari Desert, and, by some perspectives, in the Justinian-Yuwan war as a whole, since it allowed Yuwanist forces to enter the region. It was after this defeat that the al-Jadim family, who had led the Justinian forces, departed for Archonnen, and became known as Amantus.
Notable Magic Institutions: The Daggers themselves are a magical institution, with all its members being at least somewhat proficient in Sand Magic. The Dagger Temples also are home to a much more peaceful variety of Sand Magic. These temples, in cities and towns all around the Yuwanist world, preach the tranquil side of Dagger philosophy, and offer courses in meditation and various aerobic exercises.
The Kingdom is also home to the Dahir Alchemical Academy. This prestigious alchemical school was founded fairly recently, owned and founded by the Dahir family, offering scholarships to bright young human students all over the region. Though some see this as altruism, it's more so the Dahir family's investments are always at the cutting edge of technology. It is currently headed by Musbara al-Dahir, Jamal al-Dahir's brother who abdicated his right to head the family so that he could focus on science and the arts.
The Condors, though without and official magical institute, also are constantly studying magic and various ways it could be manipulated. The Hajiri do the same with light magic.
Religious Interpretations/Culture: With Rey'alam being far more admired and worshipped than most Yuwanist Celestial Servants, Midbari religious culture is very unique. There are some, especially among the Daggers, who view Rey'alam as greater than Yuwan, and should be an actual god. Others, though still believing that Yuwan is the rightful head of the Pantheon, still believe that Rey'alam should become a part of it, rather than remain a celestial servant. Many in the Kingdom, especially among the wealthy, believe that, while Rey'alam is respectable, is not someone who should be worshipped, and instead should simply remain a tool of Yuwan. Among the Condors, there exists some significant discontent with the state of existence in general, believing that the problems of the world, such as the destruction of the pre-Midbari forest, is primarily caused by the gods. Because of this, a much higher percentage of Condors are Misotheist than practically any other race, though they will still worship gods simply for the magic.
Hajiri tend to worship Yuwan and Rey'alam equally, though there are some who worship Rey'alam more. Because they were created by Rey'alam through sand, sculpting and glassmaking are considered religious pursuits by the Hajiri, and Hajiri glassware would be highly valuable if people weren't racist.
In the village of Ayuuf, the Battle Day festival is a major event that brings in thousands of pilgrims every year. Ritual bathing in the Ayuuf oasis and the sacrificing of various animals to Rey'alam define many of the festivities, as well as the usual music and dancing. Among the Condors, pilgrimages to the former site of the Kaqani tree still occur every year, with practically every condor making the pilgrimage at some point that year. They are meant to bring a twig or seed with them, hoping that the tree somehow finds a way to become whole again. The Ibexi worship of Midbar is incredibly complicated and intricate, the traditions of which have been passed down orally though the generations. A small, small number of Ibexi wish for their people to accept the new gods, but will hardly ever say anything, knowing they would face expulsion. Sacrifices to Rey'alam are done through slitting the sacrifice's throat and allowing the blood to seep into a sand altar.
Military Information
Total Military Size: 230,000 Total Daggers-5,000 Hajiri-50,000 Emirate-75,000 Kingdom-100,000 Listed Heroes: (bolded are most powerful) Ibexi Muh'aman Condors Blackfeather Hajiri K'naan Emirate Afus al-Sharaqi Eadiina al-Harbil Shawdin al-Dhaer Nafir al-Haris Kingdom Qawia al-Dahir Malghat al-Risa Ghazish al-Mameluke Narbira al-Taqim Daggers al-Lahash (The Whisper) al-Ram (The Hand) al-Falanhl (The Clever) al-Qasiun (The Vengeance) Military Doctrine: Hajiri The Hajiri rely on stealth and hit and run tactics, as well as their knowledge of the desert, in battle, due to the lack of professionalism amongst Hajiri warriors. In combat, Hajiri rely on their speed and skill rather than strength, wearing hardly any armor, and being born with a natural exoskeleton. In combat, Hajiri warriors carry long, double sided spears and scythes, as well as clubs and knives, which they can carry simultaneously with the polearms due to an extra pair of limbs. Hajiri men participate in the army through a cyclical conscription, excepting the male Hajiri mages, who are the elite of the Hajiri army and fight full time. Emirate The Emirate's military is somewhat disorganized, but at the same time versatile. With the ability to fight in both pitch battle and guerrilla strikes, the Emirate army is composed of Archers, Cavalry, Infantry, and Mages, with a negligible amount of artillery. Like the Hajiri, the Emirate prefers maneuverability to heavy armor, though still gives its non exoskeleton-having human warriors light armor. While recruitment is largely the responsibility of the Sheiks, who are also military leaders, the Emir does maintain a personal standing army. Kingdom The only true professional military in the region, the Kingdom's army is largely defensive, with heavy plated infantry and cavalry. The Kingdom also uses bombards. The Kingdom and the Emirate are both renowned for their archers, with the Emirate using archers to pick off specific targets while the Kingdom prefers mass volleys. The Kingdom also makes use of hand cannons to an extent, though is not too overwhelmed by their performance. The Kingdom's navy, the only one in the Desert, while somewhat competent, is severely lacking, and could only be relied upon in taking the infrequent river pirates. The Malik maintains complete control over the Kingdom's military, and the generals he appoints are also given votes for the next king. Daggers The Daggers originated as an irregular force of guerrillas under Rey'alam, but have since transformed into an order of assassins. The true hand of Rey'alam, the Daggers try to prevent wars before they happen, starting covert operations all over hostile territory. That said, the Daggers will defend their bases when needed, and can and have performed as part of an actual army. Condors The Condors do not maintain an army of their own, instead joining the armies of the Emirate and Kingdom, where they perform as air cavalry and mages, and help the Daggers to defend their bases in exchange for roosting rights. In combat, Condors prefer not to fight in any sort of melee, instead making use of their magical ability. Ibexi Like the Condors, the Ibexi do not maintain their own army, and join the armies of the Emirate and Kingdom, where they are used for their size and strength. Ibexi traditionally fight with maces and shields, and in the Kingdom are used defensively, helping to strengthen their lines, while the Emirate allows their Ibexi warriors (which do not exist in nearly the same quantity) to maintain their preferred nudity, and are used to break enemy lines. Military Units
Emirate Infantry Mainly drawn from the Mountains and Oasis villages, the Emirate's standard infantry arms itself with spears and shields, as well as a short sword for when the shield is lost. Emirate Infantry, unlike other components of the Emirate's army, try to form tight formations, used to box in enemies as a means of allowing better opportunities for the more offensive elements of the Emirate army. Emirate Cavalry Emirate Cavalry is, as a rule, light. In fact, the individual pictured is armored quite heavily for a Emirate Cavalryman. Armed with a sword, shield, and some ranged weapon, whether those be javelins or a bow, the Emirate's cavalry is used to skirmish with enemy forces from the flanks of an enemy army, and to chase down broken units. Cavalry is drawn from nomads and other desert populations of the Emirate, with horses provided by both the Sheiks and the Emir. In pitch battle, condors are used in a similar capacity from the sky, using magic instead of projectiles. Emirate Archers One of the driving forces of the Emirate army, Emirate archers are highly skilled with their bows, being drawn from all elements of Emirate society. Archers in the Emirate are used to wittle down enemy formations, usually finding some sort of elevated advantage to create specific targets rather than simply volley their arrows. Though archers are given daggers or short swords to protect themselves, the Emirate tries to keep their archers out of harm's way. Nomadic Camel Riders Camels are quite a common site in the Emirate, being the primary mode of transportation for Nomads across the desert. That said, their use is primarily limited to domestic use, seeing as dead camels make for a dead caravan. The only people who use Camels in a militant role are bandits and nomads when fighting said bandits. Were camels to be used in combat on a large scale, it would likely be in a defensive capacity. Emirate Lancers The heaviest unit in the Emirate army, the Lancers are used to completely destroy enemy lines. The finest horsemen in the Emirate, Lancers are recruited for the Emir's personal army, with only the Emir capable of paying for their armor, and are given the strongest horses in all Nur'alam. Acting as shock cavalry, once the light cavalry and archers have weakened the enemy army, and the infantry has properly maneuvered them into place, the Lancers are the final piece of the puzzle, breaking enemy moral by strategically targeting their charges to the weakest spots of an enemy formation. Ibexi are also used for a similar role, though due to their lessened speed are more likely to attack alongside the infantry. Muzaiin Fervently religious and dangerously zealous, Muzaiin follow a radical philosophy based on that of the Daggers, but with much...creative liberty. While the Daggers seek to protect life through the use of death, the Muzaiin seek to use death to protect life they view as worthy; more specifically, Yuwanist life, as well as those who worship the celestial servants of Yuwan. Muzaiin bands form around the Emirate, with their bases ranging from a house in a village to an isolated camp set up in some mountain cave, spending their days praying, sacrificing, and training. They tend to have a hatred of Ibexi, viewing them as backwards pagans holding onto a nonexistent past, and in the past, radical Muzaiin have snuck into Ibexi lands and sacrificed one of these perceived pagans. When these sacrificed have been made to Rey'alam, justice was handed out appropriately. Moderate Yuwanists with a pacifistic outlook towards Justinian have also been targeted. Muzaiin have also destroyed bandit groups worshipping the Turquoise lord. Muzaiin are lightly armored, and, following their interpretation of Dagger philosophy, refuse to use shields, usually only armed with a sword, and use both fire and sand magic. While Muzaiin are powerful and skilled, with a nearly impenetrable morale, and volunteer readily to fight in combat, the Emir must be careful in accepting these offers, with Muzaiin being unpredictable and tending to only follow the orders of their band's leader, rather than military officials, and often charging the enemy at the wrong time. al-Hurrasin Loosely translating to "The Rangers", Hurrasin are some of the most elite fighters in the Emirate. In an army, Hurrasin are used as trackers, as well as irregular skirmishers who in pitch battle fight alongside the archers, or perhaps move even closer, while otherwise harassing enemy armies and disrupting supply lines in other situations. Hurrasin are not organized by Sheiks or Emirs, but instead are independent fraternities operating all over the desert, hired out to police certain areas, take down groups of bandits, guard caravans, track lost people, and other such jobs in which their skills would be useful. The Emir, especially during wartimes, will also hire Hurrasin fraternities to join his army, other armies, and scout around for enemies, giving them the license to carry out Guerrilla campaigns against enemy forces in case of invasion. In combat, Hurrasin carry swords, shields, and bows, being some of the most skilled men in the Emirate with each. Hurrasin typically fight on foot, but tend to travel via camel.
Kingdom Infantry The Kingdom's infantry is very heavily armored, forming tight defensive formations, though with a capability to attack offensively if needed. The Infantry goes into battle with heavy plate armor, along with a scimitar, plated shield, and a couple of javelins, which are thrown either before a charge, or as the enemy is charging. Like with the rest of the army, recruitment of the infantry is the responsibility of the Malik, typically drawn from the urban cities of the Kingdom. Armored Ibexi help the infantry to reinforce their lines. Kingdom Archers Drawn from the rural farmlands and the sparse desert population of the Kingdom, the Kingdom's archers are usually deployed behind infantry lines, used to volley arrows over a long distance and weaken enemy formations. With the prevalence of fire magic in the Kingdom, Kingdom archers also make a good use of flaming arrows, especially in a siege. Kingdom Cavalry Kingdom Cavalry is heavily armored in plates, using lance and saber to charge through the enemy. The Cavalry is usually drawn from wealthier elements of society, though lower class cavalrymen exist as well. Standard Cavalry in the Kingdom is somewhat similar to the Lancers of the Emirate, though with different armor, larger shields, and existing in a much larger quantity. Fire Magi Following the philosophy of being the 'flames of Yuwan', Yuwanist Fire Magi in the Kingdom cannot be recruited by the King himself, but many volunteer to join the army, largely with fanatic, militant, Yuwanist zealotry. Fire magi also typically stay behind infantry lines, and cooperate with each other to spew large flames at the enemy, or to light whole volleys of arrows ablaze. Because of their cooperative nature in combat, as well as the complex rituals involved in maximizing the power of each spell, the frequency of spells in battle used by the Fire Magi is quite low, although when it is used, it hits hard. Some younger fire magi are skilled in hand to hand combat, and fight alongside the infantry, using their magic at a short range. A large quantity of Fire Magi volunteered for the Kingdom's expeditionary force during the Gushawari-Ouroborasia war. Other military magi include the Condors, used as an aerial cavalry. Hand Cannons While the use of hand cannons in the Kingdom is relatively low, they still exist, with hand cannon users typically lining up with the infantry to weaken enemy charges or defensive lines, then retreating behind infantry lines to reload, or when the infantry is engaged in melee. Bombards The mainstay of Kingdom artillery, Bombards range in size, with the one pictured being quite large for a Kingdom Bombard. Bombards in the Kingdom are usually used in siege, though smaller varieties can and have been useful in pitch battle as well. Bombards are both manufactured domestically and imported from other Yuwanist powers. Mamelukes The Elite of the Kingdom's Army, Mamelukes are slaves, handpicked from birth to fight for the Kingdom, and from childhood trained in combat. Once they reach adulthood, Mamelukes are put into the King's army, and are proficient in all weapons, from sword, to lance, to bow. While Mamelukes are most famously used as heavy cavalry, Mamelukes are also used as infantry, archers, and even light cavalry. While Mamelukes are hit during training to instill discipline, beatings on Mameluke children are much less than with most slaves, and cease completely once a Mameluke enters the military. Mamelukes are also better fed than other slaves, and even other soldiers, although are completely unpaid. Mamelukes are emancipated once their service is complete, formally at the age of 40, though freedom can come earlier if a Mameluke is injured to a point where they cannot fight. When freed, they are given a large sum of money, even larger if they saw combat. Most former Mamelukes invest this sum into the Dahir bank, and due to these investments, as well as using their military connections, a large number of former Mamelukes have become quite wealthy, with others becoming military commanders, and a few even becoming nobles. Recently, the Malik Saeidam al-Dahir has lowered the age of emancipation for Mamelukes to 35, with an option for an additional 5 years service for a larger monetary sum.
Long, long ago, the Egerrakh and the Lycans lived in peace in what is now exclusively the Lycan's land. To the west lied an untamed land, filled only with giant beasts. Around 1500 years ago, the Lycans pushed the Egerrakh out of their land, and forced them west, into this untamed land, expecting them to perish there. But instead, the Egerrakh formed a new school of magic, Beast Magic, used to tame these wild beasts, and they adapted to this new land.
A hundred years later, the Egerrakh had created a beast army, spearheaded by the Be'emot; the three species of massive beasts, and attacked the Lycans. The Lycans were nearly defeated, when the Egerrakh became disunified, and the Be'emot were used to turn against eachother, with their masters hungry for power. The Lycans used this to their advantage, and unified momentarily to push the Egerrakh back to their land. Because of this, a new rule was created among the Egerrakh, that only one of each type of Be'emot could be tamed at a time.
Now, the human-like Egerrakh still live in their land of Hashkorrakh (called Ascor by foreigners), unified only in the face of a foreign threat. Their primary tool, both in combat and in practicality, is the Shokhma, a machete like utensil, with each part of the weapon for a different use, such woodcutting, butchering, or carving. Egerrakh society is based around the animals and beasts which inhabit Hashkorrakh, with each tribe having a different set of animals they're traditionally allowed to hunt and tame. These animals make up their tribal totem, which, contrary to foreign belief, have nothing to do with how that tribe worships, except for in their burial ceremony. The exception to this, of course, is the Orok kingdom, which denies tribalism in favor of a semi-autonomous monarchy.
Government
The Egerrakh are largely disunified, with most of the population seemingly independent tribes. That said, ever since the great Lycan war 1400 years ago, there has been one central warlord who maintains an army to defend Haskhorrakh from foreign threats (mainly Lycans). Who exactly the Warlord is is decided simply by who has the most support and the largest army. If a Warlord refuses to give up his position to someone with more support, they will fight a war.
Once someone becomes the Warlord, they will create a hold, the only true town or fortification in Hashkorrakh (besides the new Orok capital). From this hold, they will control their army, mainly through the use of their warchiefs, who are usually either their close personal friends or well known individuals and warriors. If the previous warlord had abdicated his position voluntarily, he will often be made a warchief by the new warlord. The warlord also has direct control of the three Be'emot.
Again, the exception to all of this is the Orok kingdom, which is a unified entity under one king, rather than many disunified tribes. That said, the Orok King still respects the power of the Warlord, and has been made a warchief, in charge of the somewhat sizeable Orok army.
Economy
Industry is largely nonexistent in Haskhorrakh, with no monetary system present. The economy, as with everything, is based on the animals of Hashkorrakh, with trade facilitated by the Marrmbakh, the mammoth riding nomads who travel the Mammoth Trails. The Mammoth Trails are the only sort of infrastructure present in Haskhorrakh, with the location of Holds and villages usually based around them. The Marrmbakh are another non-tribal group, who carry the goods of each tribe around and trade via a barter system, with they themselves creating mammoth products. They also trade with the Orok, and facilitate practically all trade with outsiders.
The main exports of Hashkorrakh are fur, meat, leather, and ivory. A capacity for a lumber industry is also existant, but at the moment is unexploited. Iron also exists in a quantity, though is not developed enough for exportation, only for domestic use. Fish and other seafood is also in abundance. While other commodities may be available, the lack of development and infrastructure in Hashkorrakh limit the amount of recources that can be utilized, although a lack of precious minerals is a known fact, as is tenable land. While the warlord has little to no control over economic activities, he does collect food from the tribes to maintain his army, though doing so is usually the responsibility of the warchiefs. As for the Orok, their livelihoods are based around the Aurochs, which they have domesticated.
Religion
There never has been nothing; there never will be everything.
The first world was far too small, and The Land was cracked and crushed, so she left. The second world was too large, and The Land became thinned and brittle, so again she left. When she came to the third world, she found that it was perfect, and so The Land became content there. But The Land grew lonely. She saw ahead to the fourth world, where the Ocean lived, and she wished to talk to him, but he could not hear her. So she called again, louder, and created the Wind. The Ocean heard her, and they began to speak. Soon, they fell in love, and created three sons; the Forest, the Wolf, and Ege. Satisfied in her company, she allowed the Ocean to return to the Fourth World, and raised their sons.
Her children, born of a father from an imperfect world, marveled at the perfection of the third world, except for the forest, who was far closer to the Land than the Ocean. He remained neutral on the perfection. Meanwhile, Ege marveled at the perfection, and simply seeked to bask in it. Unfortunately, the Wolf did not share his wisdom, and seeked to control the perfection of the Third World for himself. The Land, seeking to protect her other two sons, cut off her hair and gave it to them, then sent them to live with their father in the Fourth World. Their father allowed them to stay, where he took the hair of the Land and placed it upon himself, allowing his sons to walk upon him. The Land, meanwhile, trained one of her eyes, Moon, upon the Fourth World, which she used to pull back the ocean further, and to inspect her sons.
But the Wolf was enraged by the special attention given to his brothers, which he saw as treachery. He followed the Wind to the Fourth World, where he confronted Ege. Ege took a sharpened stone and stabbed the Wolf three times, and from the blood that poured from each wound, the Beast, the Bird, and the Fish were created. Embarrassed by his defeat, the Wolf chased after them, to destroy the proof of his loss, but as his blood poured out, more beasts, birds, and fish were created, and they gnawed at the Forest, causing him great pain.
Horrified by the blood shed between brothers, the Land cried out, and the wails were so horrific and full of despair that the winds they created took away whatever perfection Ege had been given by the Third World. This made him hungry and cold, and the Forest gave him a spear to remedy both their problems, so Ege began hunting the beasts, birds, and fish, using their meat to feed himself and their furs to warm himself, and hunted so much better than the Wolf that he became known as Ege the Hunter. But the more blood was shed, the more imperfect the Fourth World became, and out of this imperfection Sun was created.
Sun was powerful, and blocked the Land's eye, but Land was powerful too, and could block away Sun for half the time. The time when Sun blocked the Land's eye became known as day. During this time, Ege the Hunter remained attentive, since he did not have his mother's protection. But when the Land's eye was out, which became known as night, Ege would rest. Sun came to sympathize with the Wolf, who would cry pitifully at the Land's eye during the night, hoping to create a wind powerful enough to carry him back to the perfection of the Third World, and so Sun shot flames down at Ege. But Ege was smart, and used to flames to warm himself and cool his meats. His father too wished to protect him from Sun, and created clouds to help block him. Some of these clouds would shoot down great sparks, which the Ocean used to teach Ege how to create fire of his own, and drops of water to cool the thirst created by Sun's beams.
But as Ege became more powerful, the imperfection of the Fourth World became even greater, and this imperfection became a Shadow of the Fourth World, or Hashkorrakh, where many small shadows of Ege, Egerrakh, do battle with the shadows of the Wolf, Kalorrakh. If one of these Egerrakh properly follow the spirit of Ege, they are allowed to return to the perfection of the third world upon their death.
Above is the belief of practically all Egerrakh, although the Orok have also incorporated some of the beliefs of their foreign neighbors. Because of the cyclical nature of this belief system, Egerrakh burial rituals are far different from any other. When an Egerrakh dies, their body is fed to a predatory animal of their tribe's totem, with mud painted over the parts of their body which should not be eaten, which are usually the genitals, hands, feet, eyes, and nipples on a woman. The Orok, who, unlike all other Egerrakh, believe in land ownership, bury their dead in a style similar to most foreign entities.
The professors of this belief system are the Shamans, who also are the main practitioners and teachers of beast magic. Shamans, though not officially organized, are who keep all tribes to their traditions, and who are centered in Khu'ege, the highest mountain in Hashkorrakh, which is seen as the place where the boundaries between the Shadow of the Fourth World and the Fourth World are at their thinnest. Shamans also coordinate the taming of the three Be'emot.
Geography
A cold land, the geography of Hashkorrakh is defined by mountains, forests, and Mammoth steppes. The southern borders of the Orok kingdom and much of the borders of the Ashberr region are defined by the Berrnar mountains, and the Ashberr region is covered with mountains indepent of the Berrnar range. The current Warlord's hold is placed on a hill in between the Berrnar range and one of the independent mountains.
The Orok Kingdom is mostly forest and plains, the grasses of which are not quite as high as the southern mammoth steppes. There are many small rivers which run throughout the Kingdom, creating an ideal environment for the Aurochs they herd.
To their northeast is the region of Yoklawo, which is mostly a Taiga forest. The very north of Yoklawo contains an ancient Ogre port city, which has since been abandoned and is now used as a Kraken hunting base. Yoklawo also contains some mountains.
South of Yoklawo is Veshan, which is varied terrain, defined by mountain, forest, and, at the southeast, Mammoth Steppe. Veshan also contains the highest mountain in Hashkorrakh, Khu'ege, which carries much religious significance.
South of Veshan is Marrmekhlon, which has the highest concentration of Mammoth in the land. The Mammoth of Marrmekhlon are a different species than those tamed by the Marrmbakh. While the Marrmbakh use the highly migratory Forest Mammoth, the Mammoths in Marrmekhlon are Plains Mammoth, which are much larger, and whose migrations are significantly shorter. South of the Berrnar mountains, Marrmekhlon also has the Tzurrek springs, a group of hot springs that are a favorite getaway for lords and warchiefs.
To the east of Veshan and Marrmekhlon is the final region of Hashkorrakh, Narbarrakh. Though it is also a Mammoth Steppe, their animal population is much smaller due to the constant state of war that exists there. Narbarrakh is home to much of the conflict between the Egerrakh and the Lycans, due to its low defensibility. The tribesmen there are war hardened, and, though the Warlord's Hold is rarely in Narbarrakh, there is usually at least one war chief there to coordinate battle against the Lycans.
As far as ecology goes, each of the biomes of Hashkorrakh contain far different animals. The megafauna of the steppes include massive herds of bison, the Plain Mammoths, rhinoceroses, cave lions, dire wolves, ground sloths, various types of oxen, and giant warthogs. Meanwhile, the megafauna of the forest include bush antlered deer, moose, saber tooth cats, regular wolves, Forest Mammoths, and giant bears. The mountains contain similar animals as the forest, in addition to the elusive Saskwakh; large, bipedal apes, who are nearly impossible to tame due to their intelligence, but can be befriended with magical assistance, and have been used in battle before. Lions, sloths, and rhinos also exist in the forests and mountains, but like the mammoth, are much smaller than their grassland counterparts. In utilizing animals for his army, a warlord has to carefully coordinate with the tribes and his warchiefs to achieve the balance of these fauna that he desires. Other animals of economic and societal importance include giant beavers and salmon of the rivers, as well as the completely untamable kraken which inhabit the oceans.
Demographics
Population: 2,600,000
The sentient population of Hashkorrakh is entirely composed of the Egerrakh (Ascorians to foreigners), a nearly human people who stand a few inches shorter than the average human, and are somewhat wider and stockier. Because of this, Egerrakh are significantly stronger than the average human, and are better at sprinting, but have far less endurance. Intellectually, they are equivalent, although most humans would contend otherwise due to the seemingly primitive nature of the Ascorian lifestyle. Another major difference between humans and Egerrakh are their diet. While 80% of a human diet is plant based and 20% animal, the opposite is true for Egerrakh, who are far more carnivorous, though still consume plant matter.
Around 78% of Egerrakh hail from tribal villages which cover all of Hashkorrakh besides the Orok Kingdom, which makes up around 20% of the population. The last two percent are either Marrmbakh nomads or Kraken hunters. Surprisingly, there is a common Egerrakh language, spoken by the entire populace.
Personalities of Note
Khabar Greathand is the current Warlord protecting Hashkorrakh. As technology advances all around him, Khabar wishes the same to happen in Hashkorrakh, something which tries to keep secret from his fanatically traditional society. Khabar was a Warchief ten years ago under the last Warlord. After the Orok Kingdom and Army was formed, the last warlord refused to accept any authority that the Orok might have. Khabar then approached the Orok King and told him that were he the Warlord, he would make the King a warchief, and a war ensued, in which Khabar was victorious. Because of this, and some knowledge of his wishes for modernization, opinions on Khabar are split, with his saving graces being his intelligence, the respect paid to his choices of Warchiefs, and his army's success in fighting Lycans.
Murrmon was a warrior during the reign of the last Warlord, and one of great renown and skill, killing many Lycans, and felling many beasts as a hunter. When there were reports of a force of a few dozen Lycans heading into Ascorian land, Murrmon and a small group of elite warriors with their beasts were sent to kill them. Nobody heard from anybody in that group of warriors for a while. At the same time, that group of Lycans was never heard from again. Some people reported seeing Murrmon travelling with a group of Marrmbakh nomads, but since they wear masks nobody was certain. Finally, around the time of Khabar's ascension as Warlord, Murrmon appeared at a village in his home region of Veshan. He simply wished to live with them, but after a couple of months, he was made chief. After hearing he had become a chief, Khabar asked him to be a Warchief, but he declined, and started a family.
Pala was born in a small village in the Taiga of Yoklawo. From a young age, she showed a great aptitude for magic, taming rabbits and other small animals in her free time. She had dreams of becoming a Shaman, but, while this was not prohibited, was uncommon. A couple years ago when she was 16, the hunters of her village, of which her brothers and father were included, had discovered that a Taiton, the land Be'emot, was coming dangerously close to their village. Seeing as their village shaman was at Khu'ege at the moment and their was already a Taiton currently tame, they had no choice but to kill it, something incredibly dangerous. Pala knew that their was no chance the hunters would defeat it, and worried for her father and brothers. After it had been a week since the hunters left to kill the Taiton, Pala departed, and, using beast magic, found the Taiton before the hunters did. Then she did something that had never been done before; she tamed it alone. When she came back to the village, the people were shocked as the massive beast followed behind the small girl. The hunters returned, no idea as to what would come next. When the village shaman returned from Khe'ege, he was even more mystified, and informed the villagers that he had gotten word while on his trip that the previous tamed Taiton had died. Pala was quickly made a shaman, and is now the controller of the land Be'emot.
A childhood friend of Khabar, Nakhse is a well respected warrior and tamer, perhaps only surpassed in skill as a warrior by Murrmon. Nakhse is also a skilled weaponscrafter, his polearm a large deviation from the usual Egerrakh spear. He is named for the albino rhinoceroses he rides, and has been made one of Khabar's warchiefs.
The first King of the Orok, Pulo is behind the Orok unification, and is loved and respected by virtually all Orok. He is marked by his ambition and cunning, as well as by the authority with which he carries himself. Some believe that he wishes to become Warlord. Others believe he wants more than that; that what he desires is for all of Hashkorrakh to come under the authority of the Orok kingdom. But for now, he still maintains his loyalty as Warchief to Khabar.
Institutions
Marrmbakh: Though not an organization, the Marrmbakh carry significant authority in Ascor. People are rarely Marrmbakh their whole lives, rather, people who feel lost, rejected, or are fleeing some kind of threat, will often join a Marrmbakh band for some time, where they may maintain complete anonymity for as long as they like. Mammoth herders and nomads, the Marrmbakh, though seeming to lead them, actually follow the mammoths on their migration, meaning the Marrmbakh paths are based completely on migratory mammoth trails. While the Marrmbakh collect milk from the mammoths, the vast majority of ivory come from the plains mammoths of the steppes. Due to their frequent trade with foreigners, the Marrmbakh are more technologically advanced than most of their fellow Egerrakh, and use metal armor.
Krakaba: The most depraved and thrill seeking members of Egerrakh society, Krakaba live in bases along the Ascorian coast, and, as a livelihood, hunt Krakens. While their meat is somewhat valuable, most agree that the Krakaba simply do this for the thrill, and simply to say they did. Their, of course, is a high mortality rate among the Krakaba, and like the Marrmbakh, there are hardly any Krakaba who are such for their whole lives. Known by their massive barbed harpoons and their special canoes, the most famous and largest Krakaba base is the old Ogre port up north.
Orok Kingdom: Around a hundred and fifty years ago, many Egerrakh became displeased in the disunity and simplicity of Ascorian life. Believing that they, as sentient beings, have a right to own the land, they gathered in the west of the country, and domesticated wild oxen to create the Aurochs, which they named after themselves, the Orok, meaning "Third System", since three is seen as the number of perfection in the Egerrakh religion. They also domesticated wolves, creating a new breed of dog, something especially controversial with wolves being symbolic of evil. Turning away from traditional spear and rhino warfare that the Egerrakh usually fought, the Orok villages started maintaining specific people as warriors, armed with shields, whatever armor they could get, and a new type of axe-like machete. They would also use their dogs, known as 'Balto', in warfare.
A decade or two ago, the Orok villages, led by an Orok chief named Palo, decided that, to be truly unified, the Orok must form a kingdom. The warriors of all the villages were put together, and a new Orok capital started to be built, designated to be the first Egerrakh city, known as Ornishken. Due to the removal of all intertribal warfare, as well as a constant food source, the Orok population began growing fast, and now make up 20% of the whole population. Now, Palo seeks to form new relationships, and end the previous isolation of Hashkorrakh.
Military
Organization: The warlord leads the army of Hashkorrakh, and does so from his hold. The recruitment and management of this army is coordinated by his warchiefs, the number of which is his decision. Money doesn't exist, so the main benefits of joining the Warlord's army are fulfilling a traditional sense of duty and food. Egerrakh warriors prefer to avoid pitch battle, and rely on ambush tactics using spears and the Shokhma, the traditional machete. Meanwhile, the Orok army prefers to use shieldwalls.
Troop Total: 10,000 tribesmen, 3,000 Orok, around 4,000-5,000 tame beasts
Army: In addition to the Warlord's Egerrakh warriors, the driving force behind the Ascorian army are the tame beasts, which are either tamed by tamers employed by the warlords and warchiefs or traded for in exchange for food and other commodities.
Navy: Little to no navy exists in Hashkorrakh. The water Be'emot, the Krakumal, is the only thing that could be used to combat foreign navies. Aside from that, the Krakaba kraken hunters are the closest thing that could be seen as any sort of navy.
Other: An extremely important part of the Ascorian military are the three Be'emot. One Be'emot lives on land, one in the ocean, and one in the sky.
The Flying Be'emot, native to the southern Berrnar mountains, is the Rok. These massive eagles will travel miles from their mountainous homes to hunt suitable megafauna, and have been known to even hunt mammoths in the past, being about twice the size of one.
The Water Be'emot, living off the coast of Hashkorrakh, is known as the Krakumal, or Kraken Whale. Though they are best known for eating krakens, which are a mainstay of their diet, they will eat practically any sea creature they can get their jaws around.
Finally, the Land Be'emot, native to the forests of Yoklawo, is known as the Taiton, or, to foreigners, the Tree-eating Rhino-Sloth. As their name implies, the mainstay of these surprisingly herbivorous creatures' diet is trees, which they crush with their powerful jaws. Because of the obvious difficulties in uprooting trees, Taitons have also been known to consume wooden structures, something which has caused conflict in the past between them and Ege'rrakh. Due to their size and thickness of skin, trees will sometimes grow on their backs, which they usually remain unaware of.
Magic is used to enhance tame Be'emot's strength, speed, durability, and whatever other traits would be helpful in combat.
Additional Strengths and Weaknesses
One of the major strengths of the Egerrakh are their hunters. In addition to the Warlord's army, the Egerrakh hunting tradition allows for hunter militias to form if invaded, who craft their own weapons.
A weakness is the lack of any sort of monetary system. This prohibits major advancement in technology and industry. Another weakness that is tied to this is the lack of infrastructure, with the mammoth trails being the only true infrastructure that exists.
Something that acts as both a strength and a weakness are the krakens which live off the coast. While this inhibits naval invasion, it also blocks off trade, and the development of a proper navy.
Long, long ago, the Egerrakh and the Lycans lived in peace in what is now exclusively the Lycan's land. To the west lied an untamed land, filled only with giant beasts. Around 1500 years ago, the Lycans pushed the Egerrakh out of their land, and forced them west, into this untamed land, expecting them to perish there. But instead, the Egerrakh formed a new school of magic, Beast Magic, used to tame these wild beasts, and they adapted to this new land.
A hundred years later, the Egerrakh had created a beast army, spearheaded by the Be'emot; the three species of massive beasts, and attacked the Lycans. The Lycans were nearly defeated, when the Egerrakh became disunified, and the Be'emot were used to turn against eachother, with their masters hungry for power. The Lycans used this to their advantage, and unified momentarily to push the Egerrakh back to their land. Because of this, a new rule was created among the Egerrakh, that only one of each type of Be'emot could be tamed at a time.
Now, the human-like Egerrakh still live in their land of Hashkorrakh (called Ascor by foreigners), unified only in the face of a foreign threat. Their primary tool, both in combat and in practicality, is the Shokhma, a machete like utensil, with each part of the weapon for a different use, such woodcutting, butchering, or carving. Egerrakh society is based around the animals and beasts which inhabit Hashkorrakh, with each tribe having a different set of animals they're traditionally allowed to hunt and tame. These animals make up their tribal totem, which, contrary to foreign belief, have nothing to do with how that tribe worships, except for in their burial ceremony. The exception to this, of course, is the Orok kingdom, which denies tribalism in favor of a semi-autonomous monarchy.
Government
The Egerrakh are largely disunified, with most of the population seemingly independent tribes. That said, ever since the great Lycan war 1400 years ago, there has been one central warlord who maintains an army to defend Haskhorrakh from foreign threats (mainly Lycans). Who exactly the Warlord is is decided simply by who has the most support and the largest army. If a Warlord refuses to give up his position to someone with more support, they will fight a war.
Once someone becomes the Warlord, they will create a hold, the only true town or fortification in Hashkorrakh (besides the new Orok capital). From this hold, they will control their army, mainly through the use of their warchiefs, who are usually either their close personal friends or well known individuals and warriors. If the previous warlord had abdicated his position voluntarily, he will often be made a warchief by the new warlord. The warlord also has direct control of the three Be'emot.
Again, the exception to all of this is the Orok kingdom, which is a unified entity under one king, rather than many disunified tribes. That said, the Orok King still respects the power of the Warlord, and has been made a warchief, in charge of the somewhat sizeable Orok army.
Economy
Industry is largely nonexistent in Haskhorrakh, with no monetary system present. The economy, as with everything, is based on the animals of Hashkorrakh, with trade facilitated by the Marrmbakh, the mammoth riding nomads who travel the Mammoth Trails. The Mammoth Trails are the only sort of infrastructure present in Haskhorrakh, with the location of Holds and villages usually based around them. The Marrmbakh are another non-tribal group, who carry the goods of each tribe around and trade via a barter system, with they themselves creating mammoth products. They also trade with the Orok, and facilitate practically all trade with outsiders.
The main exports of Hashkorrakh are fur, meat, leather, and ivory. A capacity for a lumber industry is also existant, but at the moment is unexploited. Iron also exists in a quantity, though is not developed enough for exportation, only for domestic use. Fish and other seafood is also in abundance. While other commodities may be available, the lack of development and infrastructure in Hashkorrakh limit the amount of recources that can be utilized, although a lack of precious minerals is a known fact, as is tenable land. While the warlord has little to no control over economic activities, he does collect food from the tribes to maintain his army, though doing so is usually the responsibility of the warchiefs. As for the Orok, their livelihoods are based around the Aurochs, which they have domesticated.
Religion
There never has been nothing; there never will be everything.
The first world was far too small, and The Land was cracked and crushed, so she left. The second world was too large, and The Land became thinned and brittle, so again she left. When she came to the third world, she found that it was perfect, and so The Land became content there. But The Land grew lonely. She saw ahead to the fourth world, where the Ocean lived, and she wished to talk to him, but he could not hear her. So she called again, louder, and created the Wind. The Ocean heard her, and they began to speak. Soon, they fell in love, and created three sons; the Forest, the Wolf, and Ege. Satisfied in her company, she allowed the Ocean to return to the Fourth World, and raised their sons.
Her children, born of a father from an imperfect world, marveled at the perfection of the third world, except for the forest, who was far closer to the Land than the Ocean. He remained neutral on the perfection. Meanwhile, Ege marveled at the perfection, and simply seeked to bask in it. Unfortunately, the Wolf did not share his wisdom, and seeked to control the perfection of the Third World for himself. The Land, seeking to protect her other two sons, cut off her hair and gave it to them, then sent them to live with their father in the Fourth World. Their father allowed them to stay, where he took the hair of the Land and placed it upon himself, allowing his sons to walk upon him. The Land, meanwhile, trained one of her eyes, Moon, upon the Fourth World, which she used to pull back the ocean further, and to inspect her sons.
But the Wolf was enraged by the special attention given to his brothers, which he saw as treachery. He followed the Wind to the Fourth World, where he confronted Ege. Ege took a sharpened stone and stabbed the Wolf three times, and from the blood that poured from each wound, the Beast, the Bird, and the Fish were created. Embarrassed by his defeat, the Wolf chased after them, to destroy the proof of his loss, but as his blood poured out, more beasts, birds, and fish were created, and they gnawed at the Forest, causing him great pain.
Horrified by the blood shed between brothers, the Land cried out, and the wails were so horrific and full of despair that the winds they created took away whatever perfection Ege had been given by the Third World. This made him hungry and cold, and the Forest gave him a spear to remedy both their problems, so Ege began hunting the beasts, birds, and fish, using their meat to feed himself and their furs to warm himself, and hunted so much better than the Wolf that he became known as Ege the Hunter. But the more blood was shed, the more imperfect the Fourth World became, and out of this imperfection Sun was created.
Sun was powerful, and blocked the Land's eye, but Land was powerful too, and could block away Sun for half the time. The time when Sun blocked the Land's eye became known as day. During this time, Ege the Hunter remained attentive, since he did not have his mother's protection. But when the Land's eye was out, which became known as night, Ege would rest. Sun came to sympathize with the Wolf, who would cry pitifully at the Land's eye during the night, hoping to create a wind powerful enough to carry him back to the perfection of the Third World, and so Sun shot flames down at Ege. But Ege was smart, and used to flames to warm himself and cool his meats. His father too wished to protect him from Sun, and created clouds to help block him. Some of these clouds would shoot down great sparks, which the Ocean used to teach Ege how to create fire of his own, and drops of water to cool the thirst created by Sun's beams.
But as Ege became more powerful, the imperfection of the Fourth World became even greater, and this imperfection became a Shadow of the Fourth World, or Hashkorrakh, where many small shadows of Ege, Egerrakh, do battle with the shadows of the Wolf, Kalorrakh. If one of these Egerrakh properly follow the spirit of Ege, they are allowed to return to the perfection of the third world upon their death.
Above is the belief of practically all Egerrakh, although the Orok have also incorporated some of the beliefs of their foreign neighbors. Because of the cyclical nature of this belief system, Egerrakh burial rituals are far different from any other. When an Egerrakh dies, their body is fed to a predatory animal of their tribe's totem, with mud painted over the parts of their body which should not be eaten, which are usually the genitals, hands, feet, eyes, and nipples on a woman. The Orok, who, unlike all other Egerrakh, believe in land ownership, bury their dead in a style similar to most foreign entities.
The professors of this belief system are the Shamans, who also are the main practitioners and teachers of beast magic. Shamans, though not officially organized, are who keep all tribes to their traditions, and who are centered in Khu'ege, the highest mountain in Hashkorrakh, which is seen as the place where the boundaries between the Shadow of the Fourth World and the Fourth World are at their thinnest. Shamans also coordinate the taming of the three Be'emot.
Geography
A cold land, the geography of Hashkorrakh is defined by mountains, forests, and Mammoth steppes. The southern borders of the Orok kingdom and much of the borders of the Ashberr region are defined by the Berrnar mountains, and the Ashberr region is covered with mountains indepent of the Berrnar range. The current Warlord's hold is placed on a hill in between the Berrnar range and one of the independent mountains.
The Orok Kingdom is mostly forest and plains, the grasses of which are not quite as high as the southern mammoth steppes. There are many small rivers which run throughout the Kingdom, creating an ideal environment for the Aurochs they herd.
To their northeast is the region of Yoklawo, which is mostly a Taiga forest. The very north of Yoklawo contains an ancient Ogre port city, which has since been abandoned and is now used as a Kraken hunting base. Yoklawo also contains some mountains.
South of Yoklawo is Veshan, which is varied terrain, defined by mountain, forest, and, at the southeast, Mammoth Steppe. Veshan also contains the highest mountain in Hashkorrakh, Khu'ege, which carries much religious significance.
South of Veshan is Marrmekhlon, which has the highest concentration of Mammoth in the land. The Mammoth of Marrmekhlon are a different species than those tamed by the Marrmbakh. While the Marrmbakh use the highly migratory Forest Mammoth, the Mammoths in Marrmekhlon are Plains Mammoth, which are much larger, and whose migrations are significantly shorter. South of the Berrnar mountains, Marrmekhlon also has the Tzurrek springs, a group of hot springs that are a favorite getaway for lords and warchiefs.
To the east of Veshan and Marrmekhlon is the final region of Hashkorrakh, Narbarrakh. Though it is also a Mammoth Steppe, their animal population is much smaller due to the constant state of war that exists there. Narbarrakh is home to much of the conflict between the Egerrakh and the Lycans, due to its low defensibility. The tribesmen there are war hardened, and, though the Warlord's Hold is rarely in Narbarrakh, there is usually at least one war chief there to coordinate battle against the Lycans.
As far as ecology goes, each of the biomes of Hashkorrakh contain far different animals. The megafauna of the steppes include massive herds of bison, the Plain Mammoths, rhinoceroses, cave lions, dire wolves, ground sloths, various types of oxen, and giant warthogs. Meanwhile, the megafauna of the forest include bush antlered deer, moose, saber tooth cats, regular wolves, Forest Mammoths, and giant bears. The mountains contain similar animals as the forest, in addition to the elusive Saskwakh; large, bipedal apes, who are nearly impossible to tame due to their intelligence, but can be befriended with magical assistance, and have been used in battle before. Lions, sloths, and rhinos also exist in the forests and mountains, but like the mammoth, are much smaller than their grassland counterparts. In utilizing animals for his army, a warlord has to carefully coordinate with the tribes and his warchiefs to achieve the balance of these fauna that he desires. Other animals of economic and societal importance include giant beavers and salmon of the rivers, as well as the completely untamable kraken which inhabit the oceans.
Demographics
Population: 2,600,000
The sentient population of Hashkorrakh is entirely composed of the Egerrakh (Ascorians to foreigners), a nearly human people who stand a few inches shorter than the average human, and are somewhat wider and stockier. Because of this, Egerrakh are significantly stronger than the average human, and are better at sprinting, but have far less endurance. Intellectually, they are equivalent, although most humans would contend otherwise due to the seemingly primitive nature of the Ascorian lifestyle. Another major difference between humans and Egerrakh are their diet. While 80% of a human diet is plant based and 20% animal, the opposite is true for Egerrakh, who are far more carnivorous, though still consume plant matter.
Around 78% of Egerrakh hail from tribal villages which cover all of Hashkorrakh besides the Orok Kingdom, which makes up around 20% of the population. The last two percent are either Marrmbakh nomads or Kraken hunters. Surprisingly, there is a common Egerrakh language, spoken by the entire populace.
Personalities of Note
Khabar Greathand is the current Warlord protecting Hashkorrakh. As technology advances all around him, Khabar wishes the same to happen in Hashkorrakh, something which tries to keep secret from his fanatically traditional society. Khabar was a Warchief ten years ago under the last Warlord. After the Orok Kingdom and Army was formed, the last warlord refused to accept any authority that the Orok might have. Khabar then approached the Orok King and told him that were he the Warlord, he would make the King a warchief, and a war ensued, in which Khabar was victorious. Because of this, and some knowledge of his wishes for modernization, opinions on Khabar are split, with his saving graces being his intelligence, the respect paid to his choices of Warchiefs, and his army's success in fighting Lycans.
Murrmon was a warrior during the reign of the last Warlord, and one of great renown and skill, killing many Lycans, and felling many beasts as a hunter. When there were reports of a force of a few dozen Lycans heading into Ascorian land, Murrmon and a small group of elite warriors with their beasts were sent to kill them. Nobody heard from anybody in that group of warriors for a while. At the same time, that group of Lycans was never heard from again. Some people reported seeing Murrmon travelling with a group of Marrmbakh nomads, but since they wear masks nobody was certain. Finally, around the time of Khabar's ascension as Warlord, Murrmon appeared at a village in his home region of Veshan. He simply wished to live with them, but after a couple of months, he was made chief. After hearing he had become a chief, Khabar asked him to be a Warchief, but he declined, and started a family.
Pala was born in a small village in the Taiga of Yoklawo. From a young age, she showed a great aptitude for magic, taming rabbits and other small animals in her free time. She had dreams of becoming a Shaman, but, while this was not prohibited, was uncommon. A couple years ago when she was 16, the hunters of her village, of which her brothers and father were included, had discovered that a Taiton, the land Be'emot, was coming dangerously close to their village. Seeing as their village shaman was at Khu'ege at the moment and their was already a Taiton currently tame, they had no choice but to kill it, something incredibly dangerous. Pala knew that their was no chance the hunters would defeat it, and worried for her father and brothers. After it had been a week since the hunters left to kill the Taiton, Pala departed, and, using beast magic, found the Taiton before the hunters did. Then she did something that had never been done before; she tamed it alone. When she came back to the village, the people were shocked as the massive beast followed behind the small girl. The hunters returned, no idea as to what would come next. When the village shaman returned from Khe'ege, he was even more mystified, and informed the villagers that he had gotten word while on his trip that the previous tamed Taiton had died. Pala was quickly made a shaman, and is now the controller of the land Be'emot.
A childhood friend of Khabar, Nakhse is a well respected warrior and tamer, perhaps only surpassed in skill as a warrior by Murrmon. Nakhse is also a skilled weaponscrafter, his polearm a large deviation from the usual Egerrakh spear. He is named for the albino rhinoceroses he rides, and has been made one of Khabar's warchiefs.
The first King of the Orok, Pulo is behind the Orok unification, and is loved and respected by virtually all Orok. He is marked by his ambition and cunning, as well as by the authority with which he carries himself. Some believe that he wishes to become Warlord. Others believe he wants more than that; that what he desires is for all of Hashkorrakh to come under the authority of the Orok kingdom. But for now, he still maintains his loyalty as Warchief to Khabar.
Institutions
Marrmbakh: Though not an organization, the Marrmbakh carry significant authority in Ascor. People are rarely Marrmbakh their whole lives, rather, people who feel lost, rejected, or are fleeing some kind of threat, will often join a Marrmbakh band for some time, where they may maintain complete anonymity for as long as they like. Mammoth herders and nomads, the Marrmbakh, though seeming to lead them, actually follow the mammoths on their migration, meaning the Marrmbakh paths are based completely on migratory mammoth trails. While the Marrmbakh collect milk from the mammoths, the vast majority of ivory come from the plains mammoths of the steppes. Due to their frequent trade with foreigners, the Marrmbakh are more technologically advanced than most of their fellow Egerrakh, and use metal armor.
Krakaba: The most depraved and thrill seeking members of Egerrakh society, Krakaba live in bases along the Ascorian coast, and, as a livelihood, hunt Krakens. While their meat is somewhat valuable, most agree that the Krakaba simply do this for the thrill, and simply to say they did. Their, of course, is a high mortality rate among the Krakaba, and like the Marrmbakh, there are hardly any Krakaba who are such for their whole lives. Known by their massive barbed harpoons and their special canoes, the most famous and largest Krakaba base is the old Ogre port up north.
Orok Kingdom: Around a hundred and fifty years ago, many Egerrakh became displeased in the disunity and simplicity of Ascorian life. Believing that they, as sentient beings, have a right to own the land, they gathered in the west of the country, and domesticated wild oxen to create the Aurochs, which they named after themselves, the Orok, meaning "Third System", since three is seen as the number of perfection in the Egerrakh religion. They also domesticated wolves, creating a new breed of dog, something especially controversial with wolves being symbolic of evil. Turning away from traditional spear and rhino warfare that the Egerrakh usually fought, the Orok villages started maintaining specific people as warriors, armed with shields, whatever armor they could get, and a new type of axe-like machete. They would also use their dogs, known as 'Balto', in warfare.
A decade or two ago, the Orok villages, led by an Orok chief named Palo, decided that, to be truly unified, the Orok must form a kingdom. The warriors of all the villages were put together, and a new Orok capital started to be built, designated to be the first Egerrakh city, known as Ornishken. Due to the removal of all intertribal warfare, as well as a constant food source, the Orok population began growing fast, and now make up 20% of the whole population. Now, Palo seeks to form new relationships, and end the previous isolation of Hashkorrakh.
Military
Organization: The warlord leads the army of Hashkorrakh, and does so from his hold. The recruitment and management of this army is coordinated by his warchiefs, the number of which is his decision. Money doesn't exist, so the main benefits of joining the Warlord's army are fulfilling a traditional sense of duty and food. Egerrakh warriors prefer to avoid pitch battle, and rely on ambush tactics using spears and the Shokhma, the traditional machete. Meanwhile, the Orok army prefers to use shieldwalls.
Troop Total: 10,000 tribesmen, 3,000 Orok, around 4,000-5,000 tame beasts
Army: In addition to the Warlord's Egerrakh warriors, the driving force behind the Ascorian army are the tame beasts, which are either tamed by tamers employed by the warlords and warchiefs or traded for in exchange for food and other commodities.
Navy: Little to no navy exists in Hashkorrakh. The water Be'emot, the Krakumal, is the only thing that could be used to combat foreign navies. Aside from that, the Krakaba kraken hunters are the closest thing that could be seen as any sort of navy.
Other: An extremely important part of the Ascorian military are the three Be'emot. One Be'emot lives on land, one in the ocean, and one in the sky.
The Flying Be'emot, native to the southern Berrnar mountains, is the Rok. These massive eagles will travel miles from their mountainous homes to hunt suitable megafauna, and have been known to even hunt mammoths in the past, being about twice the size of one.
The Water Be'emot, living off the coast of Hashkorrakh, is known as the Krakumal, or Kraken Whale. Though they are best known for eating krakens, which are a mainstay of their diet, they will eat practically any sea creature they can get their jaws around.
Finally, the Land Be'emot, native to the forests of Yoklawo, is known as the Taiton, or, to foreigners, the Tree-eating Rhino-Sloth. As their name implies, the mainstay of these surprisingly herbivorous creatures' diet is trees, which they crush with their powerful jaws. Because of the obvious difficulties in uprooting trees, Taitons have also been known to consume wooden structures, something which has caused conflict in the past between them and Ege'rrakh. Due to their size and thickness of skin, trees will sometimes grow on their backs, which they usually remain unaware of.
Magic is used to enhance tame Be'emot's strength, speed, durability, and whatever other traits would be helpful in combat.
Additional Strengths and Weaknesses
One of the major strengths of the Egerrakh are their hunters. In addition to the Warlord's army, the Egerrakh hunting tradition allows for hunter militias to form if invaded, who craft their own weapons.
A weakness is the lack of any sort of monetary system. This prohibits major advancement in technology and industry. Another weakness that is tied to this is the lack of infrastructure, with the mammoth trails being the only true infrastructure that exists.
Something that acts as both a strength and a weakness are the krakens which live off the coast. While this inhibits naval invasion, it also blocks off trade, and the development of a proper navy.
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