Raylah

Somewhere Over The Mountains

@Garet It's fine, I don't mean anything wrong, I just have a cat and can't imagine a way she would be useful in any situation involving other people, let alone in a combat situation XD

Somewhere Over The Mountains

After introducing herself to the king, Yarri stepped aside and finally calmed down a bit. She still couldn’t believe it. ‘The king! I spoke to the king!’ She looked around excited, finally paying attention to the other adventurers.
Most of them didn’t look like they could be much useful in the fight, but Yarri decided not to judge them by first sight – they might have some useful hidden talents. Two or three of them did seem very young though. Only one man seemed like a true warrior, most of his body covered in shining armor, with a big sword at his waist.
One other man seemed to be equipped for fight, but Yarri wasn’t exactly sure she would want to fight by his side. Despite wearing priest robes, he didn’t look friendly or even trustworthy. There was something weird in his eyes and Yarri shivered when she noticed him studying her.
But no matter where she looked, her eyes always seemed to end up on the naga. She just couldn’t help it – up until a few minutes ago she thought these creatures were just a myth, a fairytale to scare children. Truth be told, Yarri thought the girl was very likeable, she just couldn’t stop staring at her tail.
Finally, the king spoke, addressing all of them. Yarri nodded as he spoke about the danger of the journey – some of the people didn’t seem to realize this wasn’t going to be a short trip from one inn to another. As the guardswoman spoke about monsters, Yarri realized one thing the king said. He said, ‘the Knight Captain or I’. She almost gasped for air. ‘Does this mean what I think it means? Am I going to spend the next few weeks with the king himself?’
Yarri frowned slightly at the mention of the possible exposure to the plague. Hopefully it won’t come to that. When the king finished his speech, the girl with a guitar stepped forward. She didn’t seem to be taking the matter very seriously.
Yarri stood next to the bard, Luna following her quietly. “I will gladly pledge my life to protecting the kingdom and its people,” she said with a slight bow.

Somewhere Over The Mountains

@Garet By the way, how exactly is a tiny cat useful in combat?

Time of Fire and Stone (Early Tribal NRPG)

Just making a few minor tweaks now, otherwise should be finished.

Ai’dallani, the children of Nizsi

Ai’dallani, the children of Nizsi

Totem/Fetish/Guardiangod/Spirit

Nizsi, the great river
All life that ever was, is, and will be is a gift from Nizsi. During spring, Nizsi spreads to the country, removing the old life and seeding new life in its place. During late autumn and winter, Nizsi is weak, gathering strength for the beginning of the new cycle.

Pact: Nizsi grants her children with all they need for life – food, water and protection. In exchange, all she asks is that all that came from her is returned back to her when it is no longer needed. For a child of Nizsi when their time comes, returning to her welcoming arms isn’t just a great honor – it is a necessity, the only way to be reborn again.

When Ai’dallani feel that the great river is angry, they pick several people amongst the volunteers, which then sacrifice themselves to Nizsi. During this self-sacrifice the person takes the largest stone they can lift, and jump into the water, holding the stone in their arms. It is considered the greatest honor amongst the tribe.

Minor Spirits

Lankushna, the crocodile spirit
Lankushna and his mate Ailinia were the first children of Nizsi. All life descends from their connection.
Pact: Lankushna is the spirit of fighting and protecting. He grants Ai’dallani warriors strength and resilience, but only when they fight nearby the great river’s waters.

Ailinia, the ibis spirit
Pact: Ailinia is the spirit of family and continuation. She helps to heal wounds and cure sickness, if one is submerged into Nizsi’s waters. Every newborn child in the tribe must be bathed in the great river right after birth, so that the first thing in his life is receiving Ailinia’s blessing.

Leadership

Ai’dallani have two levels of leadership – a ruling couple representing the guardian spirits and the council.

Each spring, at the start of a new lifecycle, the tribe performs a ritual to celebrate. During this ritual one man and one woman are chosen through divination as Lan’Nizsi and Aila’Nizsi – the human representatives of Lankushna and Ailinia spirits. They then live as a couple for the following year, ruling over the spiritual aspects of the tribe.

The council consists of chieftains of the seven poap’ki – the floating villages that shelter most of the tribe’s population. The chieftains are chosen from the most skilled people in the tribe, they can be the bravest warriors, the most successful hunters or fishermen, the most revered seers or healers. The council rules over the material aspects of the tribe.

Organization

Nomads travelling the river in their floating villages

Warriors

Ai’dallani are rather peaceful people, the only true warriors in their tribe are Kushini – the crocodile warriors. These are the most elite fighters from the tribe, sworn to protect the people and to serve as bodyguards for the Lan’Nizsi and Aila’Nizsi. The crocodile warriors fight with two weapons – long and short with sharp spikes on one side, resembling the jaws of a crocodile. Mauls are usually made of bone or wood, with sharp stones or real animal teeth.

If need be, hunters and fishermen can be useful in a fight as well.

Important People

Kiala – current Aila’Nizsi
Kiala was first elected Aila’Nizsi at the young age of thirteen and now it is her third year in row leading her people. While being young, innocent and perhaps a bit naive, she has strong connection with the spiritual world and great experience with interpreting the will of the spirits. She and Ruvvi are currently expecting a child. It is considered a great blessing for the tribe when the leading couple conceives a child during their cycle together.

Ruvvi – current Lan’Nizsi
Ruvvi is twenty-six and it is his first cycle as Lan’Nizsi. His election was a surprise – he wasn’t a great warrior or a seer like his predecessors, but rather a simple fisherman. Despite that, he is quite smart while having a calm mind, not easily provoked to violence. While most leading couples throughout the history were just formal tradition, Ruvvi and Kiala truly love each other and plan to stay together.

Ozei – chieftain of one of the poap’ki
Ozei is a twenty-two-year-old female leader of one of the floating villages. She is friendly and outgoing, but also rather short-tempered – easily angered, easily excited. Despite her flaws, her people love her as a fair and responsible ruler. She is a fearsome fighter, although her duties as a chieftain do not allow her to join the Kushini. She at least gets to train with her mate Vug, who is one of the crocodile warriors. They have three children.

Story

At the beginning of time, there was only a barren wasteland, spreading over the world. In that wasteland, a small spring appeared, which would soon become a great river Nizsi. Nizsi spread into the land, seeding it with plants of all kinds. Then she gave birth to the first living creatures – her children Lankushna and Ailinia. They roamed and enjoyed the vast world, but as it seemed too empty, they decided to bring more life into it.

They joined together and their connection created ancestors of all living things – fish, birds, reptiles, insects, mammals and their final creation – humans. They taught humans about the world and about mother of everything – Nizsi. Humans decided to live as close to their mother as possible, at first creating feeble boats which, in time, were perfected into the shape of poap’ki – the floating villages.

Currently most of the tribe lives in one of the seven large poap’ki, although some decided to live on smaller vessels that accompany the villages on their journey. The villages usually travel in the same general direction, not completely together, but always nearby. There is dense traffic of smaller boats travelling between poap’ki at all times, transporting goods, news or people from one village to another.

Since the river’s current downstream is nearly non-existent, the villages can freely travel to wherever the council or the leading couple chooses, using many long staves to push the poap’ki around, or even small sails, if the wind is favorable.

Ai’dallani are friendly people, even to other tribes with different beliefs. They believe that all life, including the land-people came from Nizsi. Whether the others believe it or not doesn’t matter – they are just blind to the truth, because they have not been in contact with the mother for generations. Ai’dallani will gladly welcome guests from other cultures, provided the guests will be respectful to their traditions.

Somewhere Over The Mountains

Sooo, are we doing the "You have my bow, you have my sword,..." thing? :D

Time of Fire and Stone (Early Tribal NRPG)

Is there a big river/lake/sea nearby? I have been thinking about some nomadic tribe travelling on the water most of their lives.

Time of Fire and Stone (Early Tribal NRPG)

This seems awesome, very interested :)

Somewhere Over The Mountains

@vietmyke I do believe neither does Garret :P

Somewhere Over The Mountains

@Drinky I love it. Lets make some drama!

Somewhere Over The Mountains

Yarri had already spent more than a week on the road, trying to get to the capital of Caradia in time. Walking through the countryside with just Luna beside her made her happy. She was a little nervous when she realized that soon she will have to travel and eat and sleep and possibly fight with a bunch of complete strangers. But, as her father always said, ‘Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it.’

As she neared the capital, there were more and more people on the roads and most of them looked at Luna with fear. When she finally reached the city, she couldn’t help but stare with her mouth open. Never in her wildest dreams she could imagine such beautiful and huge structures being built. She realized that she was standing in a marketplace which was larger than her entire village. Most of the people have been dressed in beautiful and colorful clothes made of soft and no doubt expensive fabrics.

Yarri tried not to get into anyone’s way, but it was almost impossible. Luna wasn’t enjoying the crowd either. She growled quietly, overwhelmed by the noise and all the different scents. Unfortunately, one of the well-dressed ladies picked that very moment to look at them. When she heard Luna growl and saw her teeth, she just gasped for air. “A beast!” she mumbled and fainted.

Yarri stood there stunned by surprise, not having any idea what to do. ‘This was a bad idea,’ she thought as she tried to get out of the marketplace. When she finally reached a quieter alley, she opened her backpack and took a long piece of leather out of it. Luna growled louder. “I am sorry girl, I know you don’t like it, but these people are going to kick us out of the city, if they see you as a threat.” With those words, she tied the leather around Luna’s neck, creating sort of a leash. It was mainly for comfort of those around her; Yarri knew very well that if the wolf had decided to attack someone, there was a very little she could do to stop her.

Closer to the palace she got, the more buildings seemed crammed to each other, making Yarri feel extremely uncomfortable. She still had to stare at everything. Large glass windows, beautiful mirrors, tons of golden and silver jewelry, decorated by what appeared to be diamonds of all colors and shapes imaginable. Fabrics so soft it felt like a wind on her skin. In her old clothes, scratched and somewhat dirty from the road, she felt strongly that she didn't belong here. She pulled Luna closer and hurried towards the castle gates.

Yarri noticed a bunch of people already standing around. Some of them were dressed like she was – clothes for the road, not for showing off their wealth. Yarri froze when she noticed there were two people in a shining armor and one person in a beautiful white dress. ‘What the hell was I thinking coming here? That is the KING AND QUEEN!’ she thought, terrified. She knew the king planned this expedition, but she didn’t really think that he would come here to talk to the people himself. Not even speaking about the queen.

Yarri also noticed some strange, non-human looking figure amongst the others, but she couldn’t care less about it. There could be a dragon standing there and she would still be more terrified from talking to the king. ‘Once you've got a task to do…’ she mumbled and headed towards the group, trying to look as brave as she could. Once she got to the group, she bowed deeply before the king. “Sit,” she hissed at Luna so that no one else could hear it.

“My lord, your… majesty,” she started, realizing that she had no idea how to properly address a king. “I… My name is Yarri Anderly, I am a hunter and it would be an honor for me if I could join your group.”