SteppeNomad

I for one firmly believe wonks should be allowed. Even if it is on a limited run basis, anything at all. But I believe in a hard Wonk. Let them encompass several bodymorphs of amphibians. Such as salamanders Bring about Wonkage

Ay'Haelun'or! Ay the senate! Eternal may our beautiful island be championed by great heads of state!

-Sulianpoli The First, an 'Aheral Colony in warm Akritian seas In the times of my youth, as a young Mali'aheral of the citystate, I benefited much from the laws and privileges afforded to a citizen. Benefits seen carried to all colonies of beautiful Mali'aheral upon distant isles. To which, journey is made easy when one is not bound by limits of lesser sailors, freely we travel over Silver Seas to distant waters, warm and cold. The bounty of the Blue, She grants us much for little. Oh, Haelun'cihi, To return after great Odyssey! To these beautiful lands of my youth, I am always awed to witness the splendors of our beautiful motherland. Always I am awed to stand at the mast of my ship as our glimmering silver cliffs crest the waves, welcoming me to and from the bay. Upon her slopes we live easy lives of content bounty. Our swift ships laden with the catch of the day, we know no time, but the small shadows creeping over the isle from the boughs of our trees, heavy with olives and nuts, and the sun in the sky are signals for when we cast our nets. We pull as we need, living for ourselves and for the benefit of our brothers and sisters. Greeted are we by song and dance, and beautiful music, as even the air dances about you, warm and welcoming. Oh great Motherland! Our beautiful Citystate! Our sublime island, it is because of you our labor is not labor, our lives are blessed, we soak the rays of the sun, all the art of the world before us -Words of an ancient explorer from "The Ultimate Isle" , a classical Akritian tale The Bronze Sunlight, The Silver Sea, and The Sublime Islands To be apart from one of these is like to be apart from what has nursed you all your life, your gracious mother who provides all you need Oh to be at ease, a life lived well so as to focus on life's great challenges, and her deepest mysteries. To take from her vine and savor her sweetest beets kaean ito lin'Mali narnae kento? Leyuan valein Haelun'cihi! For you I raise my bronze spike! For you I strike to take great privilege! May all who stand before your silver walls, know greatly. -Pamphilos Callidora Hyptos ((Come check out Hyptos! A fun part of beautiful island life to explore! We are bronze aged heroes who take what we need!))

A barbarian man inhales deeply of sacred smoke upon his throne of mammoth bones and skulls of puny men. He ponders upon what it is like to live freely, taking what you need when you need, may those who oppose you, are driven before you "Mi ahm Hyperborean man." He grins. To once again establish cimmerean presence upon the Hyperborean north

Ignoring the dwarven revisionism towards the affair with the free and sovereign Du-Loc, Bakir 'Girly-voiced' Ireheart brings up good dwarven points that only apply to the higher rung of the dwarven caste system. Dwarves. Let the short men argue about how their laws apply to themselves. As long as they do not impose their will upon the other citystates not already their own.

Classic revisionism. "Ten barrels of salt, the woes oh, the woes."

Breathing deeply upon reading the missive, a tanned Sailor 'Aheral smiles. "The laws of our great Citystate are there for the benefit of all of her 'Aheral citizenry. We are afforded much privilege, and barbarious Mali of the rival Citystates tear up at the sight of our laws. I wonder why?" He returns to enjoying a life of fishing and freedom at the benefit of his many high elven privileges

The Wizard responded, "At LAST. Yet again did Charlotte show herself. This yet adds to PROOF she is intelligent and has a motive. I feel she acts as shepherd guardian to Nu-Loc, and in such, The Wizard's Fellowship', accompanied by a beautiful "willing" princess on "voluntary" Mighty Quest! Communication, and then secure the favor of the Dragon, may she turn her "Ire" upon those who dare curse Great Nu-Loc, oh how everything I do is for YOU"

A mounted horse nomad and an 'Aheral hoplite are stopped by the sight of a screaming lector running down the street while on fire, screaming about the end. Together, despite their differences, the Hoplite and the Horse Archer together stride forward to add pledge themselves to the army of Lord Brae, a king by his own hand would reward warriors of his cause with a worthy prize, fit for any warrior of Krugmenistan. A farm, and the slaves to tend it

A wizard transcribed the words of an Ashlander Mali'ker Sadhu. "There is no word in our Common which can take us to a place in our mind where this can be imagined. Indeed, imagination does itself imply visual recollection. What occurs within this Cappelam is solely a spiritual experience, something of a transcendent dimension." the word that describes this state cannot be found in the writing of the common tongue, but this concept, and this line of thought and state of jubilance described is known to the Ashlands as Badragandra. I hope to have much discussion some day, please find your way to Krugmenistan if you seek to speak on deep abstraction!

Lup Flame Pharoah! Wagh be upon him eternal!, By Krug, the Firelands will become Krugmenistani!

The nomads laugh around their fireplaces hearing of the news from the Southlands. "The people of the citystates are eager to show themselves as strong, yet they hide their actions through Mafia and bandits" The discussion often tells about how they cannot fight for themselves and they hire warriors or go with their faces covered by masks and hoods to try to terrorize others. "The cursed men of the south have a problem with their own egos. Being crushed and defeated by incredible defense, their chieftain himself had to negotiate for the freedom of his warriors! Bending the knee to free them. It was only a couple years ago they attempted a full rally and faced their humiliation. The soft men with their fragile egos must try to bare their fangs to gain notice among contemporaries." But the Crux of the thing remained. These were cursed men who scorn the gifts of their skyfather. "They hide their faces, curse their cattle, and warhound just to show the power of a suppressed and cuckholdic people who are not free to serve themselves. Just toil to bring kingdom to their lord. Instead of erecting stones to please the skyfather, or conducting sacrifices to increase their herds, they seek blood which was already claimed, and will find themselves unsure when the truths of their being are revealed. A trapped people bound by many chains. Most of the chains, invisible"

Not bad for the nomad camps... considering well.... 🏇

At last, the forces of the earth move again under our feet. Maybe that will spur the roots into growing, or the settled man into watching where they step. Horsemen of all kinds ride the great fields of the Urguanic steppe, and though it's borders are invisible to them, a call for battle is always answered by those noble men who seek to take what they need, earning it by tip of their spike and shield

A nomad chieftain is read a missive by his warrior. Laughing with a bright smile, speaks while lining up an arrow to his target from the back of a horse. "Ahh... It brings me great joy that my mother's people understand their position. Their prince may be a snake, after betraying the words of the horsetribes, but his ambition is true. Elves deserve to raise their position under the Sky!" An arrow finds his target, and a low throatsong is uttered. "Even after his betrayals, the Scydri will still raise their horde for the people of the Truesky."

A nomadic herdsman reads a missive in his travels. A long time seeing the cruelties of the men of the south. Not only is it unlike man, who is a reflection and refraction of the Skyfather, but it is also unlike beast. As every tiger, wolf, hunter and herdsman knows, the best death is a quick death. To be wounded and slowly die, displayed, brutalized, and horrored before the infinite sky is worse than simply death... Where the skyfather and all your ancestors can see your pain. Truly ungodly, to wound your prey and leave it to die.

((Welcome to the first of a few posts of the horse culture that is rising! Expect a fuller posts of explanation on ritualism, religion, and life soon!)) Smoke Rises From Round Tents Hooves thunder, Like Lighting They Strike The Steppe Man and Beast, Together they Ride, and Arrows Fly A boy asks his father the meaning of all the struggle; watching the scene from the top of a holy sky mountain, as his father's horse ascends the mountain trails in a well trained stride. Prodigious trainers and tamers of beasts, the horse focuses on comfort of the riders. The weathered but warm nomad, speaks while guiding his herd up to their summer pastures. “We live in a vertical world. Where every being, every spirit, from plant to stone, from prey to predator, all have their own tribes and clans. Each struggles to get over the other, to reach the sky.” Suddenly the path widens, and the father and his son arrive to meet mother and sister, already their Gyer is set, and they relax for the night. Sister, though a cub of six winters, has shot rabbits for dinner In the morning, Son, confused and inspired takes his horse further up the mountain. The night lead to the death of a sheep. Carried off in the night… Suddenly, he spies it. From another hillside opposite his. A grey wolf. Mouth still red with the blood of their sheep. Trying as he can, his arrows do not reach the other hill. He resigns to sit there, watching the predator finish the poor sheep it had carried off. Just like Brother... He found his thoughts drifting back to his father’s words. His gaze found the open, infinite sky, and like a flash of golden light, an eagle slew the wolf. Returning to the cliff above him and Feeding it’s chicks with its flesh. The boy understood what the struggle was… There was a time, before the light of the Skyfather, when man was below even beast tribe… Preparing himself for a climb to the eagle’s nest, he seeks to reach even higher into the sky History In their legends, the Azukazi consider their origin to be twofold. They say they lived as beasts, amongst the reindeer of the frozen north. Where in their ancient past, they feared the strength and nobility of the powerful deer. That only after the light of the Skyfather gave them the gift of consciousness, they quickly bent the animals of nature to their will. The noble deer and their allies now fought alongside the men, as equals, against their first enemies. It was after the predators were scattered from their primeval frozen forests, that the Deer gave the Scydrians a sacrifice. Bone, antler, and sinew. From where the unique construction of Scydrian bows are derived. Those Proto-Scydri that did not fight alongside the deer had a grand exodus from the north, into highlands and other regions where elements of ancient skyfatherist belief and ancient tradition were still held. It is still in the north that the primary culture of the Scydrians developed after the taming of horses by the first of their kind on the edges of that primal forest where it met the infinite grassy sea of the Steppe they would soon come to dominate. As time would come, peoples would diverge, though the ancient culture of the deermen would continue to be refined. Man and beast became one as humanities first centaur tribes were born. In recent times, conflict with the barechested Cimmerean tribal warriors lead to a resurfacing of the powerful tradition of mounted archery amongst the Scydri. After many victories over them for hunting rights over the entire north, the Cimmeareans defeated the horsemen in a great clash that lead to the slaughter of herds of countless sheep and horses alike. Great cattle raids, invoked by sacred rite drew the attention of other northern nomads which quickly grew to join the Scydri. Seeing the need to end the Cimmerean threat after an attack on their sacred skymountain which lead to the death of the chief’s half-brother, the Scydri began a war against a rival steppe nomad band, The Hongali, trampling their corrupt warriors on the open steppe after a fierce feigned retreat, taking their horses, women, and children as their own. This drew the attention of a nomad diaspora amongst Radaghastisn Highlander clans that remember their old ways. Who, seeing their ancestors freedom and ancient traditions still displayed proudly, quickly rode to join them! By this time, the clans of the Scydrian Tribe are strong and free. Just as the Skyfather intended. Highlanders rejoining their lost brothers. Returning home. Way of Life Herdsmen first and foremost, the Scydrian peoples are universally pastoral nomads. Though congregating in camps known as Ordus around fine pasturelands, blacksmitheries to replenish their arrows and reshape treasures to their whims, and fine hunting grounds. Blood and Milk. The warrior’s diet. Known and enjoyed by all Scydrians. Their cows, too valuable for simple slaughter are instead bled and milked while on the trail. It is said that it was this diet of powerful protein and fats that gave the first of the nomads the strength to defeat the many tribes and enemies in their path to steppe domination. The average member of Scydri society is an above average horseman and archer. Simply because of their upbringing. Even the girls are taught from the age of four or five to ride sheep and hunt small game with light bows. This means every member is self sufficient and can provide for themselves with the tools of man. Horse and bow. Supplementing their diet with game, the Scydri clans are all prodigious hunters. From the monsterslaying Skarpefangar, to the primal ritual hunts of the Azukazi and Hongali, they can be seen eating meat, drinking and eating blood and milk (Sometimes both at once!) and crafting cheeses, butters, and fermented goods from the many varieties of milk of their stocks. Their lifestyle breeds strong people of fine stock, as it is well known that many of the Scydrians breed for beauty above all, and seek their cubs to number many. After all, with no walls to trap them, and their herds ever expanding, more sons and daughters mean more animals, and more sacrifice to honor the sky. They craft almost everything they use, from clothing to tools to their mobile tent homes. All using their ready materials and products from their herds. All love to wear bright colors, and see no shame in little or no clothing when necessary. Some warriors are known to go into battle completely nude, only their sacred tattoos as protection. Also given to all members of society. Summary of Religion and Mindset The Skyfather, Dyeus Pataer, Godan, Radaghast These are some of the names known by the Scydrians to signify the same deity, chief. HIGH chief of the gods In the most ancient. The time before time, when the spirit of the divine, the skyfather himself was nursed and protected by the divine cow. The source of all life. She guided him as a youth away from the troubles of the chaos of that godly age. As he grew in power from suckling the teet of the divine cow, he took himself consort in the form of The Deer Mother. A fertive earth goddess, who birthed all of beast and all that is moist and wet and alive in the earth. Seeing man as his sons, he gave them the ultimate gift, and sacrificed his mothercow. Giving man the power, and instigating the first sacrifice. A contract that still remains unbroken in the hearts of the Scydri peoples. Glorifying freedom and spirituality, the nomadic Scydri people see no problem with admitting your position to the Skyfather, to begging the ancestors for help, and pleasing the aspects and spirits of the nature and universe. In their minds, all is encompassed as the skyfather and personified as The Infinite Sky, with the sun as the Skyfather’s lantern eye. Carried by a progenitor hero. A bronze armored woman with a blazing sword, drawing the sun across the sky with her mount, a mythic Gryphon. The Azukazi A clan of traditionalists descending from their past as reindeer herdsmen, who among them it is most common to see white, blonde, and red hair and sky colored eyes.Though these features are most often seen on elves and highlanders, the Azukazi are definitive farfolk. They wear wool of sky blue patterns and tartans, each unique to the individual or family. The Azukazi praise beauty and strength as gifts of the gods and live the most simply of all of the clans while prizing skill and knowledge of myth. Dwelling primarily from horseback, each day blending into the next, as each day is an adventure. Influenced by their origins, the Azukazi take traditional names, from their own language, and or describing of mythic events that happened cosmologically, or in the natural world as omens of their birth. The Skarpefangar, Radaghastians A rugged group of northern pastoral nomads who breed hearty animals resistant to cold. They are known for their height and strength of both arms and will. They are known for their worship of a pantheon of gods, the Skyfather Radaghast at their head, and horseriding deities at his sides. Occasional fishermen and raiders, the Skarpefangar are known for their skill in trade (both forced and not) and how they farm only as a final resort, their honoring of women a famous virtue among the Scydri, and the bonds of clan and family make them a powerful, honorable people united in common goals and ideals. Clan Posts Language The Hongali The newest of the clans that currently make up the Scydri tribe, the Hongali are exceptional high mountain trackers. They are said to have perfected the use of birds for war, and their breeds of horses are stout and swift. Though decimated by the Azukazi in recent times, they remain firmly loyal to the strongest of the horsetribe, finding great pleasure in their rising positions in the world. Primarily farfolk in origin, their phenotype is dependant upon where the family they come from abandoned to the steppe. They venerate all manners of spiritualistic forces and routinely offer their sacrifice to the spirit of the winds War Tradition Hordes of horses thundering across the steppe, the cloudless sky, blotted over with a rain of arrows. Positions reinforced by armored Skarp warrior horsemen ready to attack with lance, Azukazi archers, pulling their bronze shortswords and warpicks, Hongali strategists, calling for split second timings to ensure hordes do not collide, and feigned retreat always possible. It is for these reasons, the complete cohesion of every facet of horsewar that the Scydrian tribes have maintained a firm power in the Steppe and even beyond. Their effective strategies and power of the mounted archer strategy employed by all Scydri make them valued fighters and mercenaries, they own very little, and need even less. Every glory won is something gained, and every story formed is a new myth to their peoples.