The Kaaer'dár'shín Half-Orcs

First Revision colored Yellow

Overview - Re-written with much of the old bits placed under the People section and also re-written.

Appearance - Edited and added bits and pieces to further give detail to the appearance of the women and clothing. Also changed the height.

Coat of Arms - Small addition.

People - Re-wrote the old overview and added to this section giving some more history of the tribe and their development. Added some bits of the Beastlord faith.

Housing - Change Temejin Tartar's name to Temuuj Tartaan to better fall into my new nomenclature concept in development. Also changed the name in further instances in the entry.

Diet - Per Judy's suggestion, I've added a new starch plant that can be used to make flaky bread.

Occupations - Gave Kaaer names to the Craftsman, Hunter and Fisherman.

Religion - Added a small overview on the Beastlord faith to define it.

Festivals - Per Judy's suggestion, two of the festivals are revised to be a bit more consistent.

Myth/Lore - Added a huge section integrating the Fylja fur-folk into the tribe's culture giving the senior, devoted members of the tribe the divine ability to shape shift into animals.

Overview:

Born of war and bred to survive in some of the harshest lands of Northern Sarvonia, the half-orcs of the Kaaer'dár'shín tribe are known as the "Silent Savages" among the orcen tribes of the Caaehl'heroth peninsula. The name "Kaaer'dár'shín" has come to be translated as "The Beast Born Hunters" from a bastardization of orcen and Styrash words. The half-orcs of the Kaaer'dár'shín are as mysterious as they are barbaric. Their culture is steeped in ancient nature-centric lore and the myths surrounding these people are as frightening as they are deeply personal.

Appearance:

The tribe's human and orcen ancestry has given the Kaaer'dár'shín powerfully lean bodies, with wiry muscles and long arms and legs. They possess wide girths, as typical of their orcen bloodlines. They are also shorter than most men, with both sexes standing an average of 1 ped, 2 fores, 8 nailsbreadths . Their average weight is typically between 1 pygge, 5 hebs to 2 pygges, 1 heb.

The Kaaer'dár'shín's lean, agile bodies are well suited for stealthy movement and are swift runners capable of tirelessly running long distances. They have lean legs and wide feet well suited for agile movement. The Kaaer'dár'shín also possess large, nimble hands with long dexterous fingers. Their grip is strong and they wield their weapons with extraordinary agility. The Kaaer'dár'shín women possess similar body types, slightly shorter than the men, but no less strong or tough.

The Kaaer'dár'shín facial structure is what first betrays their orcen ancestry. Although due the various amounts of orcen blood within a particular individual, each person can possess a wide range of human and orcen-like facial features. Generally, both sexes possess wide and flat faces with a high brow and widely spaced eyes. They have slightly wider noses with larger nostrils than most other human tribes and also possess a high cheekbone structure. Their chins are strong with a pronounced jaw line. Their teeth are larger than most other human tribes, and are square and blocked shaped. Their ears are wide, with long lobes which the women often decorate with fish scales or metal studs. The variation of pointed ears varies among the tribe as well. It is estimated that perhaps one in ten Kaaer'dár'shín children are born with slightly pointed ears. The rest have curved, human looking ears. They have short, thick necks that extend down between wide shoulders.

Typical Kaaer'dár'shín skin color can range from a light tan to a deep brown. Varying shades of gray or green skin color are not uncommon.

When going to battle, the warriors partake in a blessing ritual meant to grant success on the battle field. They paint their faces with white or red colors, usually lines formed by dipping a forefinger into the paint and drawing it down or across the forehead, cheeks and chin. Leather leggings and the thick hide armor of the Tsor-Shota lizard function as protection for the chest and shoulders.

Clothing made of animal hides constitutes the majority of the tribe's wardrobe. Robes, cloaks and vests made of the hides of the Tsor-Shotak lizard, the uncil cat, the wolf and the bear are all common. The colder climate of the tribe's homeland means most clothing is heavy furs in the winter and lighter hides in the warmer months. Footwear is typically hide boots or sandals crafted by the women clothiers. During the warmer months, most of the tribe prefers little clothing with the men typically having no shirt on at all or a simple vest and pants. The women also wear midriff pants and wraps around their chests.

Hairstyles among the tribal members are plain and ordinary. The warrior men typically wear their hair long, approximately shoulder length, tied back with leather cords. A scalp with several long braids tied off with cords is another typical hairstyle. Some men prefer to have no hair at all and instead choose to paint their scalps with black or red paint. Still other men shave part of their hair off around the sides leaving a braided length along the top and back.

Most Kaaer’dár’shín women usually wear plain clothing, with many preferring simple, functional hairstyles. The women are functional and practical with very little to distinguish themselves between their various roles. Often, the wives of the warriors will wear ear decorations such as bands of leather hanging from their lobes attached to a tiny steel stud. Most Kaaer'dár'shín women are workers of the home, caretakers of the elderly and young children, and provide clothing and prepare food for their families.

A small percentage of Kaaer’dár’shín women become warriors and adopt the wild hairstyles and paint their skin in various colors as the men do. These women are viewed as rebels and outcasts by the more conservative females but they are welcomed heartily by the male warriors. No one doubts that the warrior women can perform their duties as well as the men. Many warrior women throughout the tribe's history has distinguished themselves in battle, as proven by their decorated t'lark war bucklers, and command just as much respect as the men.

Coat of Arms/Sign:

The Kaaer'dár'shín coat of arms is depicted as a buckler wrapped in the hide of the Tsor-Shotak with three feathers along the top and two daggers crossed in front of it. This is a typical T’lark, or Blood Defender, and it is a holy and revered shield of great significance among the warriors as each one is tasked with making and using one throughout their lives.

Territory:

The Kaaer'dár'shín occupy a relatively small territory in Northern Sarvonia. They have made their main colony in the Themed'lon forest in the southeastern part of Caael'eroth along a bridge of land going up into the Heaths of Eph'denn, Cartash and the Shadow Coast. The colony, named Torik, meaning "Home" in the Kuglimz tongue, is a large encampment composed of bromer and wooden style structures. The colony lies mostly along the eastern and northern borders of the forest as well as within the forest.

Their territory is mainly forest and plains areas and they maintain a sizeable presence in the Imlith mountains for hunting the Tsor-Shotak lizard that resides there. Along the northwestern base of the Imlith mountains begins the Kaaer'dár'shín's main occupation. Small villages and camps lie scattered throughout this area that serve as bases for nomadic hunting and war parties. Once the forest borders begin, the villages and encampments grow larger, especially towards the center of the Themed'lon. It is here, between two rivers and two gulfs, is where the Kaaer'dár'shín thrive on the fishing and woolly boar that inhabit the area. The Kaaer'dár'shín can safely call the Themed'lon their own as no other Sarvonian tribe lives within the forest.

Extending northwest out of the Themed'lon forest borders is the plains areas. The Kaaer'dár'shín maintain smaller villages and encampments here in a similar fashion as they do to the south. Nomadic war and hunting parties move all through this plains area in constant battle with other nomadic Osther-Oc or dark elf war parties. The Kaaer'dár'shín and the Osther-Oc have maintained a long war of raids and skirmishes among the Heaths of Eph'denn for hunting and living rights.

People:

The Kaaer'dár'shín are one of the younger tribes in Caelereth having been birthed less than 2000 years ago. They originated shortly before the Third Sarvonian War in 318 b.S. when a large group of Kuglimz outcasts migrated from the barbarian homeland to the north western Sarvonian region of Caael'heroth in the Themed'lon forest, northwest of the Imlith Mountains along the southwest coast of the Gulf of Oh'Cant'aelwyn. Unbeknownst to the humans, the dark and corrupt tribes of northern Caaehl'heroth were spreading south, intent on conquering Southern Sarvonia. Tragically, these Kuglimz immigrants fell victim to the harsh brutality of the Osther-Oc orcs, and the humans soon fell into corruption and forsook the noble Kuglimz ways and were forced to embrace much of the orcen culture. Throughout the war, the humans were subjugated and raped of their identities and old traditions. Most notably, inter-breeding occurred between the humans and orcs producing many half-orc children. The humans were treated harshly, to be sure, but not so much as to completely destroy their resolve to survive.

Over time, the decendants of the orcs and Kuglimz came to become what is now known as the Kaaer'dár'shín. They won their independence from the orcs in 1055 a.S. and have come to adopt several aspects of the Osther-Oc and Kuglimz cultures. They have also developed their own unique way of life centered around the wilds of nature. Their religion, the Beastlord faith, is a mysterious belief in the power of nature and beasts and well known lore among the Osther-oc tell of the Kaaer'dár'shín's frightening ability to change the shape of their bodies to become as wolves, boars, wild cats and even eagles. They've developed a stealthy and quick art of warfare that give even their old subjugators pause. The Kaaer'dár'shín are reclusive, honorable and take no mercy upon their enemies.

The Kaaer'dár'shín live to survive in the isolated and harsh environment from which they found themselves many years ago. They are isolated from other human tribes and their inter-breeding with the Osther-Oc over the many years of the tribe's existence has culminated in a culture of corruption, war, and barbarism. The tribe lives a simple lifestyle and have no extraordinary cities or man-made landmarks to their credit. The men (and sometimes women) are trained to hunt and fight while the majority of the women are schooled in taking care of the home and crafting clothing and preparing food.

The half-orcs are lovers of nature and the wilds and work to preserve the gifts that their god, the Beastlord, gave them. They see themselves as having a deep connection with the earth, sky, water and the beasts of the wilds as siblings would. The half-orcs follow a loose way of life in the way of the Beastlord. They live free and encourage each other to please the Beastlord by partaking in worthy and successful hunts or by supporting those who do.

The people of the tribe are wise to the ways of nature and excel in the areas of tracking and reading the natural signs of flora and fauna alike. They enjoy crafts and are an extraordinarily creative people. Their detailed carved to'avatars are a sight to behold and the few rare carvings seen by those outside the tribe marvel at the exquisite craftsmanship. They are a practical people, living off the land, and preserving their natural resources. They are quick learners and easily adaptable.

As a whole, the Kaaer'dár'shín keep to themselves and have little interaction with other Sarvonian tribes. Obviously, contact with their ancestors, the Kuglimz, was lost during the Third Sarvonian War and both tribes deny the shared ancestry of the other (in fact, the mere mention of their past shared heritage will likely get you killed). Typically, violent interactions are the norm with the Osther-Oc and the Ashz-Oc. The tribe does not favour outsiders and the few who have ventured into Kaaer'dár'shín territory are typically not welcome and must prove themselves as someone not associated with their traditional enemies, the main Kuglimz tribe or the orcs.

Relations with the dark elves of Caael'heroth are rare, and always have been, even during the Third Sarvonian War. The dark elves were known to use the Osther-Oc as mercenaries and frontline troops and it was the orcs who subjugated and enslaved the Kaaer'dár'shín. The dark elves most likely never cared to bother with the band of human exiles and left the "care" of the humans to the orcs. Still, through the years of the tribe's existence, an occasional Kaaer'dár'shín war party encounters a dark elven party and along the Heaths of Ephdenn and fierce fighting breaks out. The Kaaer'dár'shín know all too well who commanded their orcen cousins so long ago and the hatred between the two is intense.

The Kaaer'dár'shín in the past have had some small contact with the dwarves and elves of the Imlith mountains to the southeast of the Themed'lon. Generally, however, the contact is short and under a tense and distrustful atmosphere. Sometimes trade among the races occurs where fur pelts and tools exchange hands before the groups disappear to their homelands. The elves and dwarves of the Imlith know well the Kaaer'dár'shín's ancestry and distrust the orcen bloodline within the former Kuglimz peoples, but on those rare occasions, the groups come together for small periods. No violence has ever occurred during these short trade meetings.

The Kaaer'dár'shín have not solely adopted all orcen customs and still maintain some of the customs of their very distant Kuglimz cousins. They live in close-knit families and every member of the family has a function of some kind. Every family is expected to contribute to the welfare of the tribe, be it physically or spiritually.

During courtship, males with status or accomplishments are seen as worthy mates. Kaaer'dár'shín women make no distinction between fighters or craftsmen or fishermen. If the man is shown to be worthy and adept in his skill area, he is deemed fit for marriage. Girls are born and trained from childhood to respect and manage their homes and husbands. They have great influence among the family, but little say within the tribal government as a whole as they do not partake in leadership roles. Occasionally, when the need is great, a female is allowed to become a warrior if they demonstrate talent in wielding the blade and proficiency in horse riding. More often now than in the past, depending on the current chief's views, are females allowed to train and join a war party. Many girls, however, are still strongly encouraged to follow traditional paths.

All males, and some females, receive basic training in weapons and fighting tactics from the age of five to the age of manhood, at age 13. All boys are assumed to become warriors, as fighting is a way of life for the Kaaer'dár'shín. But, the tribe does recognize that not every man is a fighter and that men are often needed in other roles such as craftsmen, fisherman, horse breeder or as a simple labourer.

Kaaer'dár'shín warriors are masters of the hit and run style tactics and swift and deadly skirmishes. A band of Kaaer'dár'shín raiders upon their swift Landesh ponies with spears held high, dark red body paint, and their well renowned bucklers is an intimidating sight. The Kaaer'dár'shín warrior begins his training at the age of manhood and is taught horsemanship, archery and how to wield light weapons such as daggers, short spears, hand axes and throwing knives. Warriors are expected to be in good physical shape and to be strong and agile. Often, skirmishes consist of ambushes and hit and run style raids either upon horseback or on foot and a warrior is taught to think fast and strike and retreat quickly.

A typical war party is composed of ten warriors, sometimes more or less, depending on the type of skirmish planned. Each warrior takes a steed, the Landesh pony, specifically bred and trained for speed and stealth, and is decorated with paint and feathers. A warrior’s pony is prized and revered and highly valuable to a warrior. Sometimes, the pony is saddled with a simple seat and reins, and sometimes not, depending on the warrior. The warriors then mount their steeds, each person wearing Tsor-Shotak hide armor, leather breeches and thick, soft soled boots. Each warrior, depending on their skill, carries a spear, axe or bow and the party departs after a blessing from the shamut.

Non-warrior men among the Kaaer'dár'shín function in very important roles. Chief among them are the weaponsmith and shamut. The weaponsmith is responsible for crafting the many light weapons used by the warriors. A skilled weaponsmith can produce finely honed daggers of steel that are very light in weight and easy to carry. The weaponsmith also produces short spears made of heavy wood from the trees of the Themed'lon forest with a point of steel at the tip. Some weaponsmiths specialize in metal weapons while others craft the bows and arrows of wood. While the bows and arrows are typical of those made elsewhere in Sarvonia, the Kaaer'dár'shín's skill in making lightweight metal weapons are renowned throughout Santharia - if you can find a genuine Kaaer'dár'shín piece. Rarely are these fine Kaaer'dár'shín weapons seen outside of their secluded borders.

It is rare that a Kaaer'dár'shín ever leave the tribe, but it does happen from time to time. The tribe never encourages anyone to leave as the need is always great for warriors and labourers. The danger from the orcs is always present and the tribe can rarely afford to lose even a single member. Nevertheless, sometimes a man or woman decides to leave and venture out on their own. Usually, they leave with an outsider who may have come to visit the tribe or sometimes a member is exiled or killed for committing a crime. Journeying over land is always difficult as that entails traveling through the Ashz-Oc territory. The Kaaer'dár'shín have no modern means of ship travel so that makes water travel difficult.

However the means a Kaaer'dár'shín finds their way out of the tribe, they often possess valuable and desirable skills wherever they happen to be. A warrior typically finds work as a ranger or tracker. Some become mercenaries (although they typically would never work with any orc or dark elven people). The occupation of an assassin often fits well with the Kaaer'dár'shín's natural affinity for speed and agility as well as their skill with the light weapons. Also, the rare woman who finds her way outside the tribe can find work as a weaponsmith, horsebreeder, cook or seamstress.

Housing:

The famous Kaaer'dár'shín raider, Temuuj Tartaan (1000 a.S. - 1055 a.S.), introduced the Bromer, a hovel type dwelling, that still exists today. These Bromers are built in a dome shape, and covered with the thick fur pelts of the mountain wison, also providing them with an excellent source of food.

The Bromer functions as a single dwelling home for a family. They are easily built using up to five tree logs standing upright and tied together at the tips. The fur pelts of the mountain wison are wrapped around it and usually a fire is made in the center while the family members sleep comfortably around it. The bromer is lightweight and can be torn down and moved if needed using a simple wagon pulled by a horse.

More elabourate housing exists within the main Kaaer'dár'shín colony around and within the Themed'lon forest. These housings are composed of a wood frame of logs, usually two to three rooms in size. Higher ranking leaders of the Kaaer'dár'shín live and worship within these homes and are more permanent than the bromer. It is mostly craftsmen, shamuts and horsebreeders who live within the main colony and these larger buildings.

Clothing:

The North can be a quite cold with an unforgiving climate. As such, the Kaaer'dár'shín dress for warmth as well as light weight movement. Typical clothing is composed of thick leather leggings made from the hide of the woolly boar or the mountain wison. The hide of the woolly boar make excellent overcoats and provide adequate protection from the winds that blow from the north icelands or from the gulfs.

Clothing does not vary much between the genders. Warriors typically wear clothing that allows them maximum range of movement and agility when fighting in hand to hand combat or when riding upon a horse. The Kaaer'dár'shín favour darker colored apparel with a dark green or brown mantle and dark-brown leather sole pads for stealth with the hide of the Tsor-Shota as armor for the warriors.

Clothing made from the hide of the wolverine is probably the most favoured and most valued. A Kaaer'dár'shín warrior who finds victory in slaying a ferocious wolverine is fortunate to be able to have a cloak or vest made from the soft, durable and water-resistant hide.

The Kaaer'dár'shín are a deeply superstitious folk and believe in wearing charms upon their bodies. Woolly boar tusk, the teeth of the Tsor-Shotak lizard and, among the shamuts, the bones of fallen enemies. They believe these charms provide everything from protection in battle, to good crops to favourable weather.

Diet:

The Kaaer'dár'shín are primarily meat eaters. Their main staple diet consists of the dried and cured meat of three beasts native to the Northern lands: the woolly boar, the mountain wison and the Tsor-Shotak lizard. Fish are also a means of meat. The tribe also grows small amounts of crops such as berries and vegetables.

The Kaaer'dár'shín are simple cooks. They believe in using most every part of the animal for food, clothing, shelter and charms. The woolly boar is hunted year round and can be prepared in several ways, depending on the cut of the meat. The boar is favoured during the Feast of Horkcha, when up to fifty boar are caught and roasted over a massive open fire pit. The meat is prepared using fruit juices to give it a tangy flavor and portioned off in large chunks.

The mountain wison is usually cured in the sun and dried before eating. The meat provides a long term food source as it can be stored for long periods or taken on hunting parties and eaten as needed. Wild male wison are important in the Festival of the Pit Horn, where a wild wison is loosed in a fenced off arena and pitted against warriors who attempt to kill the animal with their bare hands. Once the wison is killed, it is slaughtered, cooked for two days over a pit and eaten by the victorious warrior's clan.

The Tsor-Shotak lizard's meat is also cured and used for long term feasting. The animal is revered and is never killed for anything except for food and armor. The meat of the lizard has a stringy and tough consistency, and is usually cut in strips and dried before eating.

Living so close to two main bodies of water provides the tribe with a substantial supply of fish. There is typically no special means of preparing the fish other than stripping off the scales and cooking it over an open fire. Not all of the Kaaer'dár'shín eat fish. Only the clans and families living close to the coastal areas consume fish as a primary food source. The Kaaer'dár'shín living in the plains and mountain areas are boar, wison and lizard eaters.

The tribe has also developed a type of bread-like wafer from the bulbous roots of the maizet plant. The hardy stalks of brown plant grow in abundance along the heaths and the tribe has even cultivated the plant in fields to the east of the Themed'lon. The roots are pulled during the late summer and ground up in a mixture of flavored dried moss and water producing a sticky paste. The paste is then baked in a domed oven to form flat, flaky bread. The tribe call this starchy food "tor'mata".

Also, the tribe eats another staple food in the form of the althz'onn bean plant that grows along the southern and eastern sides of the heaths. The bean is a favourite side dish as it can be boiled in water until it becomes soft and then smashed into a pasty substance and served with meat.

Weapons:

Kaaer'dár'shín warriors are adept at light range combat on foot and upon a horse. They are skirmishers, ambushers and primarily use hit and run tactics against their main enemies, the orcs.

The tribal warriors are experts in the use of the bow and arrow. All males are provided with basic training in the bow as a means of fighting and hunting. Warriors are given additional training to be able to shoot while riding a swiftly moving horse and to hit targets far away. The skill of the bow and arrow cannot be understated as it provides a means of hunting and fighting.

Typical Kaaer'dár'shín bows are made from the trees of the Themed'lon forest. The bows come in long and short forms, and can be decorated with feathers, paint or strips of animal hide. The tribe's bowyers are a clan to themselves and are revered for their bow making skills.

The spear is another weapon of the Kaaer'dár'shín warrior. The spear can be thrown or used as a hand to hand weapon. The wooden shaft of the spear is made from the forest trees of the Themed'lon with steel or sharpened stone. A few spears have barbed tips or curved blades, but those are not used for hunting, but more for ritual purposes.

The Kaaer'dár'shín are excellent trackers and assassins and use light weight, hand held weapons that can be held easily when running or riding. The few Kaaer'dár'shín daggers and hand axes that have been seen outside of the tribes borders command respect and awe. The dagger is intricately designed with a curved or barbed blade and a handle wrapped with thin strips of Tsor-Shota hide. The blade is light and designed and balanced according to each warrior's hand. It is said that the half-orc assassin Uruk Blackscar uses two Kaaer'dár'shín daggers in his grisly work but no one that has seen his daggers up close have lived to provide first hand knowledge of the rumour.

Short swords are also a favourite weapon among the warriors. The short sword is typically used with the Blood Defender and in the hands of a skilled warrior, the combination of the two provides more than adequate defensive and offensive capabilities. Since the Kaaer'dár'shín prefer swift, agile fighting, the short sword compliments their style of combat and is easily wielded.

Hand axes and special, smaller daggers are used as ranged weapons for throwing and in hand to hand combat. The axes are also made and balanced accordingly so as to be handled easily when dual wielded or thrown. The tribes warriors are trained to have extraordinary accuracy when throwing the axe and some veteran warriors can hit a moving target over twenty peds away with an axe or a target up to ten peds away with a dagger.

The T'lark (lit. Blood Defender)

Among the most sacred and revered possessions among the Kaaer'dár'shín warriors is the T'lark, or the Blood Defender. This is a special holy buckler made by a coming of age warrior after his first kill. The buckler is made of heavy hide from the Tsor-Shotak lizard and is an effective defense against sword or mace strikes. Also, the Defender is small and easily carried by a fast moving skirmisher.

A T'lark is often decorated with small symbols or pictures depicting each battle a warrior has won (or lived through) and other kinds of decorations vary depending on the warrior's preferences. Some have boar tusk or hide attached. Some have feathers while others are plain with simple markings. The T'lark is sacred and always carried into battle. A warrior who returns home with a broken or lost buckler is allowed to make a new one, but only if the Defender was lost in battle with an enemy.

Occupations:

The Kaaer'dár'shín fight for survival amongst enemies on all sides, namely the various orc tribes that surround the Kaaer'dár'shín borders. As a result, the tribe's main occupations are centered towards warfare and most family clans understand that their role within the clan is to support the warriors both physically and spiritually.

Uck (Warrior) - The warrior is the chief occupation in the Kaaer'dár'shín tribe. All male children are born with the assumption that they will join the ranks of the defenders of the tribe and become a warrior. Perhaps six out of ten children born become warriors of some kind. From the time a male child can walk, they are taught the histories and behaviors of the enemy. They are given training weapons and learn to guide and track and hunt. When a male reaches the age of manhood, typically around the age of thirteen, the boy joins a war party and learns to live among the wilds of the nomadic camps of the warriors. Warriors are taught horsemanship, tactics, how to move with stealth and guile and weapons skills.

Olot'uuk (Craftsman) - Men and women of the tribe were capable of serving as craftsmen, and were schooled in weaponsmithing, bow making, fletcher (arrow making), tool making and trap making. These men and women are second only to the warrior in importance as they provide the means for a warrior, and tribe, to carry out their duties and the tools with which to kill the enemy. A typical craftsman takes a life long vow to serve the tribe using his or her skills and begins in childhood under the tutelage of a master, usually the child's closest relative, or if no relatives are craftsmen, the child is apprenticed under another master. By using the readily available material around them, such as wood, stone and steel (the steel typically taken from fallen enemies), the craftsmen creates extraordinary weapons, tools and traps for the tribe.

Uon'kh'al'on (Shamut) - The third most important occupation within the Kaaer'dár'shín is the holy man, or shamut. The shamut is viewed as the embodiment of the spirits of life and protection and the tribe sees the shamut as the most wise person in the tribe. The shamut advises the chief warrior in all manner of subjects - warfare, management, spiritual matters, politics and laws. The shamut is typically an older warrior who has proven himself in battle and is chosen on the basis of his victories. It is said that an esteemed warrior is chosen with a vision from the spirits and becomes the holy man by a vote from the council.

Kaaer'kun and Fashaal (Hunter and Fisherman) - Hunting and fishing are done by both the men and women of the tribe and these occupations serve an important purpose, obviously, to keep the tribe fed and nourished. Hunters are trained with the bow, spear and dagger and join a group of warriors on hunts for wison, woolly boar or Tsor-Shota. Every spring, summer and fall, the tribe would gather at the Themed'lon forest and hunt for days at a time during the Festival of the Hunt. All able hunters would join small groups of warriors and journey north and south from the Themed'lon and hunt wison, woolly boar and Tsor-Shota and bring back the spoils to the tribe where they were dispersed to the families.

Government:

The Kaaer'dár'shín have a loose system of government where a single shamut and a single warrior of great renown are charged with governing the tribe. The shamut is responsible for the spiritual welfare of the tribe while the warrior is responsible for the physical welfare of the tribe. The two elder leaders are responsible for all major decisions that the tribe has to make such as laws, warfare and hunting.

The elder shamut is the spiritual head of the tribe and thus is charged with interpreting all of his visions and others' visions. He leads in prayer and all religious ceremonies and rituals. He blesses all festivals, hunts and prays for victory over the war parties. The elder shamut is seen as the embodiment of the Great Spirit and is revered, respected and obeyed without question.

The elder warrior is responsible for all leadership in war, craft and hunting. He oversees all tactical decisions during warfare and, along with the elder shamut, determines the best method of fighting the tribe's enemies. He is also charged with making sure the warriors have their tools and weapons by governing the craftsmen and weaponsmiths and making sure there are enough workers to function properly. Lastly, the elder warrior is responsible for making sure the tribe has adequate food and that the tribe knows where the good hunting grounds are during the year.

The elder shamut and elder warrior are chosen from a select few revered and veteran men (or, in the case of the shamut, sometimes a woman has filled this role) and typically voted by on by the all of the heads of the families of the tribe. Each family is led by a man (or, if the man is dead or no longer able to fulfill the role of leader of the house) or a woman. The meet and decide from a group of capable leaders and vote.

To become an elder leader, one must show extraordinary skills in leadership ability. This usually means for the elder warrior, he must be gifted in war and have had many victories in battle and be a proven leader of men. For the elder shamut, the process is similar. Usually a wise and worldly person is chosen for this role. One who is blessed with visions and one who can bestow confidence and courage to the people. The typical elder shamut is someone gifted in speaking, interpreting and decision making.

Each family within the tribe is headed by the male who is responsible for leading his family in the ways of the tribe and is given the order to train his children and to determine his children's gifts.

Religion

The Hunt. The stealth. The swift kill. These are the basic tenants of the beliefs of the Kaaer’dár’shín people. Their religion is known as the "Vahk shu Durgho" (lit. Hunt of the Beastlord). The oneness with nature, the zest for living and savagery of the wilds form the whole basis of the half-orc culture. The Kaaer’dár’shín have long ago cast aside the worship of distant, immoral deities. They shun philosophical ethics and arcane magics.

For the half-orc tribe of the Kaaer’dár’shín, the wilds of nature form their world and all within it are revered and respected from the lowly snake to the mighty dragon, from the warm sun to the bleak, cold moon. From the wind and rain to the night's embrace. The half-orcs live for the hunt, the destruction of their enemies, and believe themselves the masters of the wild.

The tribe holds the Uon'kh'al'on, or shamut, as head of all spiritual matters in the tribe. The shamut alone speaks to the spirits and receives from them "visions" and interprets them for the tribe's other leader, the elder warrior, to follow.

Like their Osther-Oc occupiers, the Kaaer'dár'shín do not follow a pantheon of gods. That practice was abandoned not long after the tribes subjugation. The tribe became bitter at having first been exiled and then enslaved to orcs and decided that their old gods had abandoned them and were no longer deserving of worship. They adopted the Orcen belief in that they must owe respect to the spirits indwelled within each person and that the spirit lives on and is reborn after death.

Despite the abandonment of the All-Father and the All-Mother, the tribe reveres a single deity known as the Durgho (lit: "Leader of beasts" or the Beastlord) in honor. This Beastlord maintains the balance in life and death and only communicates with the shamut. It is thought by outsiders that the visions received from the Great Spirit are simply hallucinations as a result of the Ghun'tlor disease, but this has never been truly verified. Nevertheless, the shamut claims great and wondrous visions were told to him and interprets them as a sign of blessing or curse upon the tribe's future.

Production/Trade:

The Kaaer'dár'shín are gifted weaponsmiths and the tribe's craftsmen produce some of the finest small hand weapons in the North. The skill of iron working was a skill that the Kaaer'dár'shín brought with them when they broke from the Kuglimz. Most of their iron comes from the fallen weapons of the tribes enemies, the orcs, and the metal is re-processed in weaponsmithy enclaves. Most of the weaponsmiths are located in the main Themed'lon colony of Torik.

The tribe's warriors rely on stealth and speed when they fight and have a need to carry lightweight, smaller weapons. Among the weapons produced by the Kaaer'dár'shín are the dagger, throwing knife, hand axe and short spear. Each weapon is crafted to fit the warrior wielding it and the warrior is charged with keeping his weapon in excellent condition. While fully encouraged to use their weapons against the tribe's enemies, each warrior proudly displays their weapons and usually a weapon is passed down through generations. In the case of the throwing daggers and throwing axes, this is not always the case, nevertheless, each throwing weapon is still a finely crafted piece of work.

Kaaer'dár'shín weapons are uncommon outside of their homeland as the tribe is isolated between two seas and various orc tribal lands so rarely does a Kaaer'dár'shín dagger or axe appear outside of the North. Even if it did, very few people would know the difference anyway other than the Kaaer'dár'shín weapon is of excellent craftsmanship.

The Kaaer'dár'shín have a talent for producing exceptional items from animal hides that are sometimes traded with the neighboring Imlith dwarves or, under special circumstances, with the occasional wandering orc exile. The skin of the Tsor-Shotak lizard makes an excellent light armor and is highly valued by the few non-Kaaer'dár'shín who have traded for it. The Kaaer'dár'shín make excellent blankets and clothing from wison and woolly boar hide. In the cold north, having good, warm clothing is paramount to survival.

Natural Resources:

The area surrounding the Themed'lon forest hosts many natural resources used by the tribe. The Themed'lon is a large forest, and with the unique distinction of having the Kaaer'dár'shín as the sole humanoid tribe living in and around it. The tribe uses the forests trees for a host of tools, weapons and items. Bows, tents, homes and shields are all made from the Themed'lon's woods.

The tribe lives between two large gulfs and thus the Themed'lon colony has an abundant supply of fresh fish for food. The tribe does not have any kind of large fishing vessels and fish close to the shore but the seas are abundant with fish of all kinds.

Horses provide a large service to the Kaaer'dár'shín. The tribe catches and breeds the Landesh pony chiefly because this animal is small in relation to the larger horses of the North and strong in build. The Kaaer'dár'shín favour stealth and speed when fighting and the Landesh provides both due to its size and strength. The Kaaer'dár'shín people are shorter than an average man of other tribes and a large horse would prove a disadvantage to them.

The Landesh are caught along the Heaths to the north and south of the Themed'lon. A group of warriors will form a hunting party and catch a group of male and female ponies to bring back to the tribe's breeding stockades for domestication and training. The Kaaer'dár'shín have kept the long tradition and skill of the Kuglimz horse training skills and are also exceptional horse breeders and trainers. Unlike their orcen cousins, the Kaaer'dár'shín do not eat horse meat.

Festivals:

Feast of Horkcha - This feast is an annual feast celebrated in the spring by the entire tribe. A massive fire pit is constructed near the Themed'lon colony and the women and children spend many days constructing spits for roasting entire boar. Fifty warriors gather on horseback and with the blessing of the shamut, they go forth into the plains and hunt woolly boar. Each of the fifty warriors is expected to bring back one woolly boar within five days for the feast. Not all of the warriors return, as hunting woolly boar can be dangerous. Those that do return with a boar are honored and the feast begins with as many of the boar they have. The feast celebrates the hunt and if all fifty warriors return, it is a sign of an especially blessed year to come.

Festival of the Pit Horn - Another festival celebrating the warriors is the Festival of the Pit Horn. During this festival, held in the winter months, all able bodied warriors gather and up to three warriors on horseback are placed in a fenced off arena. A single, large male wison is loosed in the arena and the warriors are given the challenge of subduing and killing the wison with a short sword or spear. The warriors must work together if they are to be successful. They are given up to one hour's time to accomplish the feat. It is deemed a success if the wison is killed, and the surviving warriors are celebrated for their bravery. Should the warriors fail to kill the wison within the time limit, they are dishonored and lowered in rank.

Dance of the Tusk - This festival is celebrated by the women of the clan. It is held twice a year, in the summer and winter, when all of the clans women and girls create beautiful dresses and cloaks in honor of the wild spirits. The cloaks are decorated with beads, bones, animal tusks, feathers and paint. The women gather for six days and, accompanied by a group of up to twelve drummers, the women dance in celebration of their role in the tribe and are honored by the men and boys. A feast accompanies this dance, usually fish and Tsor-Shotak lizard is eaten.

Myth/Lore:

The half-orcs and the mythical Fylja fur-folk share a unique connection that is only whispered about among the tribes of the North. The legends among the Kuglimz tell that the Fylja are shapeshifters, people gifted (or some say cursed) with the ability to change their bodies to that of a beast. While no one among the Kuglimz knows what became of their lost exiles so long ago after they were banished, some have heard through orc reports that the exiles were lost to the wilds and overcome with bestial urges and ate each other to survive. Others correctly assume that they exiles were subjugated by orcs and turned to slavery. Still, a few rumors have come from brave adventurers through the years that say that the Kuglimz exiles not only survived their exile, and survived their orcen occupation, but actually live as beasts in the Themed'lon forests. The whispered tales persist that the lost Kuglimz are a race of shapeshifting beasts, capable of changing into wolves, bears and even eagles.

The truth about the half-orc's , perhaps, can never be known. A single testimony survives to this day from an orcen child who lived among the Kaaer’dár’shín since he was an infant. When he was of the age of ten seasons, in approximately Changing Winds, 1400 a.S., he was lost in the woods south of the Themed'lon. He wandered alone, frightened and sick, for many days until he was found by a Kuglimz caravan. The child was brought to the village of Salmador, along the Ulaenoth river. The orcen child told a fantastic story of his life among the Kaaer’dár’shín (as told by a Kuglimz translator).

The story raised even more questions about the mysterious half-orcs. The child spoke of trees in the shape of beasts, swift warriors on ponies wielding deadly spears. Archers who could strike the sky with their arrows and even trees who could walk on their own. He spoke of a man wearing a tree mask who spoke so powerfully that even the very winds ceased in their blowing and the animals sat and listened to his words.

But even more extraordinary, the boy spoke of some in the tribe who ran as fast as the wolves themselves. He described how the shamut with the tree mask would sit in his bromer for hours at a time. Bestial growls and snarling could be heard within the bromer. Then, as the night would come upon the land, the shamut emerged secretly from his home and would race away across the heaths. His form was as a beastman, no longer standing upright, covered in thick fur with paws for hands and a wolf-like face. The shamut would return days later, in the stillness of the night, in his beast form and would not be seen for many more hours when he would then appear as a man again. The boy thought others in the tribe were as beasts, too, yet he only claimed to have witnessed the shamut as a beastman.

The orc boy's tale was quickly spread, but just as quickly, they were dismissed as the silly dreamings of a stupid orc child. Yet, the tale persists to be told among the more scholarly folk of the North. It is surmised that the mythical Feylja fur-folk are indeed the Kaaer’dár’shín half-orcs. However, the tribe is so isolated and they are a secretive people who do not readily welcome visitors, so definite proof of a shapeshifter tribe does not exist.

Most of the stories and rumors say that the half-orc shapeshifter is capable of one of several beast forms, each one being a revered animal of the Beastlord. The wolf is a common animal form and the one that is frequently seen and heard in most tales. The uncil cat is another common beast form, as is the woolly boar and the toran eagle. Even the bear is whispered to be a potential beast form, and probably the most dangerous, given the size and strength of a single bear.

Another question arose during Azhira's research into the supposed half-orc's shapeshifting powers: does the shifter's sense of self-awareness and intelligence remain with them as an animal? How potentially powerful a shifter must be if he keeps his human intelligence and knowledge when in animal form! Or, when a shifter changes, does he take on the mere basic instincts of the animal he becomes? Does he have any knowledge of his actions as an animal when in human form? Such questions cannot definitively be answered as no one within the tribe will speak of this secretive power, let alone the shamut, who is rumored to be a shifter himself. However, the few outsiders who have visited the tribe have sworn that wolves, eagles and the occasional uncil cat and bear can be seen in and around the half-orc settlements, tamed and calm. But could these be shifters amidst their own? Or perhaps they are simply tamed familiars?

None of the legends can explain how a half-orc shapes themselves into the beast forms. With such a drastic differences in physical shapes and sizes between a man and animal, it is hard to imagine how horrific, let alone painful, a change must be. Some say dark magic is the source of the shifting while others say a shifter undergoes a painful process where the bones and skin literally reshape themselves in unimaginable ways.

The northlands researcher, Azhira El'rosse, is known to have made many excursions to the Kaaer’dár’shín lands and is thought to be on friendly terms with the half-orcs. Whether or not she has proof that the half-orcs are shapeshifters is unknown. She has surmised, however, that given the tribe's deep connection with nature and their devotion to the Beastlord god has given them a unique bond with the animals. It would not be so extraordinary to say that a tribe who claims to be able to speak to trees can also have the touch of the Beastlord himself and can become one like him.

History:

THE AGE OF THE BLOOD
(YEARS 822 B.S. - 50 B.S.)

318 b.S. to 298 b.S. - The Migration of the Kuglimz Outcasts

The Kaeer’dár’shin are originally Kuglimz men who are exiled from the main tribe twenty years before the Third Sarvonian war of 298 b.S. These exiles are criminals, unlawful people who are sentenced to exile rather than death. Under the careful escort of a group of armed Kuglimz warriors, the exiles are led away from the ten tribes and are made to fend for themselves. They migrate northwest, eventually coming into the southeastern part of Caeel’heroth where they founded a settlement along the eastern edge of the Themed'lon Forest.

The Kuglimz outcasts have been settled for approximately twenty years and have produced many children (approximately a quarter of the exiles were the families of the outcasts, including several women and girls). The exiles still practice the Kuglimz traditions and could have easily become yet another clan of the Kuglimz, yet distant, if the orc invasion had not occurred.

298 b.S. to 288 b.S. - The Subjugation of the Kuglimz by the Osther-Oc and the Birth of the Kaaer'dás'shín

Coming from north Caeel'heroth, a wave of orcs descend from the plains during the initial years of the Third Sarvonian War. The orcs, surprised at having encountered humans within Caeel'heroth, fight several skirmishes with the Kuglimz exiles over a period of several months during the year 290 b.S. The dark elven masters of the Osther-Oc order the full destruction of the Kuglimz outcasts and the orcs comply. However, they are unprepared for the ferocious defense from the Kuglimz and are repelled.

The Osther-Oc are not finished. They know that they have the advantage of numbers and sweep south again, this time defeating the exiles in battle and subjugating the humans once and for all. Rather than destroy the remaining Kuglimz, the orcs instead force them into labour camps and are made to produce food and weapons for the dark armies during the war.

Despite the subjugation, the humans still thrive, and the group grows, but intermarriage does not always occur among the humans alone. The orcs force themselves on many of the human women and a large group of half-orc children begin to be born. These children, rejected by the orcs, are instead raised by their human mothers. This interbreeding continues regularly for ten years until the general orc retreat in 288 b.S.

288 b.S. to 1.000 - The Development of the Half-Orcen Culture of the Kaeer'dár'shín

During the time of the orcen occupation, many of the Kuglimz traditions are lost among the exiles that are now known as the Kaeer'dár'shín. The humans, bitter at having first been exiled by their people and then being subjugated under the orcs, abandon the gods Lier’tyan ("All-Mother") and Sur’tyan ("All-Father") and fall into the corrupt worship of the orcen god, even mixing the two religions in a perverted amalgamation of human and orcen faiths.

As the inter-breeding continues between the two races, the number of pure-blooded humans soon dwindles as the majority of the tribe members are now humans with orcen blood. These half-orcs intermarry with the remaining human pure-bloods and thus the orcen bloodline among the exiles continues to be passed down through the generations. Occasional inter-breeding still continues with the orcs, as sometimes a sympathetic Kaaer'dár'shín will take in an orcen exile and mate with them resulting in a child. Over the next three hundred years, the group grows large enough to form a tribe but are still yoked to the Osther-Oc having never truly been independent.

THE ERA OF THE SOUTHERN WARS
(YEARS 825 A.S. - 1.062 A.S.)

1.000 - The Beginning of the Fight for Kaaer'dár'shín Independence: Temuuj Tartaan

It isn't until approximately 1000 a.S. that a child is born that will later ignite a revolt against the Osther-Oc and finally win the half-orcs their freedom. Temuuj Tartaan, a charismatic and resourceful leader, is born in 1000 b.S. to two half-orc parents, both of whom work as weaponsmiths. Temuuj is well liked by the group and works as a weaponsmith and hunter for most of his young life until the age of 33 when he begins whisperings of a revolt against their orcen masters. Temuuj, already highly respected, ignites the people's hearts for another war and soon commands an large army of willing warriors willing to fight the orcs.

It was Temuuj Tartaan who introduces the concept of quick, stealthy warfare against the orcs and who devises methods of ambush and sneak attacks against the larger, brutish orcs. By using Landesh ponies for speed along the Hearths and the cover of the Themed'lon for ambushes, the orcs are faced with a new formidable people of their own creation fighting for indepedence.

1.033 to 1.055 - The Kaaer'dár'shín Revolution against the Osther-Ocs

The Kaaer'dár'shín revolutionist Temuuj Tartaan and his band of skirmishers win many victories against the Osther-Oc orcs and he passes his knowledge along to his younger brother, Terran and his son, Toroth. Temuuj dies at the age of 55 during a raid on an orcen camp to secure supplies, but his brother and son pickes up the cause and continued the fight.

1.055 - Freedom for the Kaaer'dár'shín

Soon after the Kaaer'dár'shín revolutionist Temuuj Tartaan, the Osther-oc retreat farther north into the Heaths and the half-orcs have finally won their right to live as they pleased. Although they will continue to battle their orcen cousins for many years to come, the tribe is now free to live for themselves. Although still holding fast to many orcen traditions, some semblance of the old Kuglimz ways remains in practice to this day. Unlike the Ash'mari, the Kaaer'dár'shín are not solely given over to the bloodthirsty ways of the barbarian culture, but in the eyes of the Kuglimz, the Kaaer'dár'shín have fallen a long way and are still considered barbaric and reviled due to their orcen heritage.