Urdaggar Tribes of Ruin

In the far, hostile, cold lands of the northern continent dwell the mighty Urdaggar tribes. Death quickly finds those unsuited to these natural environs where the people are just as wild as the lands around them.
The Urdaggar people once roamed freely across the Northern Continent. They lived freely, hunting and gathering on their Tribal lands. They warred with each other and with the Symker people to the east.
Their whole world changed when the Krai Jan Empire landed on Isarshael and began to claim the land as their own. The Urdaggar were a scattered and tribal people, unable or unwilling to join forces with enough power to dislodge the Chalers once they had established a foothold on the Northern Continent. The Krai Jan pushed the Urdaggar north as they went until the Urdaggar lands were sandwiched between the Northern Mountains domain of the Kuzaarik Confederacy and the Moonshadow Mountains and Dorsang Danar to the south.
The Krai Jan and the Traazorites who replaced them tried to claim more Urdaggar land, but the tribes were so saturated in their shrunken territories that the incursions were repulsed. For many years there was a seasonal cycle where the Urdaggar would raid the Traazorites to the south, and the Traazorites would launch crusades north to capture yet more Urdaggar land and bring the “barbarians” to heel.
While migrations south have resulted in three civilized Faeler kingdoms, the Tribes today still thrive despite a never-ending battle for mere survival. Long before men began to record their histories in scrolls and books, the Men of True Blood, the Urdaggar as they call themselves, fought, hunted, survived, and most importantly, lived free in the world. The Urdaggar believe to their core that freedom is every person’s destiny.
The Tribes of Ruin are the tribes of the Spider, Bat, Jackal, Vulture, Mammoth, and Shark. These tribes have taken as their totems the aspects of the Gaal that rebelled against the others, the Kehinnin. Their worship of these totems makes them cruel, relentless, and implacable.
They believe themselves superior to the rest of the Urdaggar. In their eyes, they alone have remained faithful to the calling of the Men of True Blood; only they have kept their freedom. They take from those weaker. They believe it is only a matter of time before they make the other tribes, and subsequently, the rest of the world, submit to their will.
They are relentless and cruel in combat, seeking to win through intimidation and brute force. They are hungry for power and never satisfied with any conquest.
Governance Government is a loose term when applied to the Urdaggar, especially the Tribes of Ruin. Urdaggar are not prone to be ordered around and value their freedom above all other things in their culture. However, family-based ties still link the groups to a Totem god, and the family obligations that hold these groups together are substantial. The Tribes of Ruin will take suggestions from a person who is strong and brings victory but will not tolerate the weak of will or strength.
Like the other Urdaggar Tribes, Ruin has a Tribal-Clan structure. Each tribe is composed of family-based clans. Although most of the Ruin Tribes do not have an established leader, one often steps forward during wars involving more than one Clan. These leaders materialize and die away quickly, for to be a person of power in such a chaotic and anarchist environment is to single yourself out for glory and early death.
Clans are led by Chieftains, who are usually selected by martial contests. Might makes right in the cold and desperate world of the Tribes of Ruin. The life of a Clan Chieftain is often brutally short. Those chieftains who live long and cause their clans to prosper are also relentless and cruel, keeping their families in line with brutality and sheer force of will. If any weakness is perceived, it is not long before the old Chieftain will be killed and a new one takes their place.
Chieftains, especially in Ruin Clans, are war leaders; their permanence is nominally guided by the victories they bring their Clan and the spoils of war that go with them. An unsuccessful war leader who brings no prisoners or stolen goods to the Clan will only last for a while. They will be challenged to ritualistic combat for the right to lead the Clan, or the Mystic will take it upon themselves to kill them in the name of their Totem god and name a suitable replacement.
The only semblance of order and permanence found in the Tribes of Ruin is where a strong Sagla Vola, or council of mystics, advises the Chieftain and guides the Clan. Where the mystics and the Chieftains work together, the people of the Clan will prosper. They will win victories, glorify their Tir - Totem god, and the spoils of war will make the Clan wealthy and notorious.
Each Chieftain is advised and supported by a Bes Vola - High Mystic. The High Mystic may have other mystics in the Clan. In healthy clans, there are multiple mystics at every level of training and practice. These Clans usually have a Sagla Vola - a “Circle of Mystics” to combine their powers and provide spiritual leadership to the Clan.
Territories The Urdaggar Tribes of Ruin claim territories above the Dorsang Danar north of Haradel. The Mammoth Tribe claims most of the cold northern plains just south of the old Kuzaarik Confederation from Vinyahbah Gohrahd westward. The Shark Tribe is detached from the rest of its spiritual kin and inhabits the western coastlines and inner rivers from the Fel Shas south.
Like the rest of the Urdaggar, the Tribes of Ruin are nomadic; most Clans claim a large swath of territory and will roam it to hunt, herd, and gather. The Jackal Tribes are less migratory than their kin, tied to their places of power known as Mirat Ker Egan - Place of Bones.
The Clans will move outside their territories to make war, raid, and attempt to wrestle lands or goods from other clans. The Tribes of Ruin are incredibly unabashed about taking the land of neighboring Clans.
Demography and Population
Marriage Rituals The Urdaggar are serial monogamists. Though some Urdaggar partner for life, divorce is standard and provides an acceptable resolution of marital disagreements. Divorce is as easy as marriage in Urdaggar society, which simply requires a public statement of the fact. Obviously, for a marriage to be recognized, both partners must publicly state their intention to be married, and for divorce, only one needs to communicate. At the basis of Urdaggar marital beliefs is the same undying belief in freedom and that all people are by right free to choose their own destiny.
Entertainment The primary entertainments for the Urdaggar are contests of physical prowess, which vary with each tribe. For the Ruin Tribes, contests of physical prowess often come in the form of raids and war against the neighboring clans or against the “civilized” kingdoms to the south.
What is valued by this society? Above all else, Urdaggar value freedom. They take the Faeler predilection for not being able to be told what to do by anyone else to an extreme.
The Ruin Tribes take that further and believe no one else deserves freedom. The Ruin Tribes take prisoners when they can and make thralls of them or use them in their dark rituals. They have no problem denying freedom to lesser people as long as theirs is assured.
Tribes of Ruin Tattoos While the Tribes of Valor will use tattoos primarily to mark achievements, the Ruin Tribes consider tattoos part of their identity. Their various markings have religious meanings, Clan and Tribe identifiers, and symbolize achievements.
The use of Tattoos varies from Tribe to Tribe and from Clan to Clan. It is not uncommon for Ruin warriors to be covered head to toe in horrifying tattoos that represent their totem god and the individual warrior’s prowess. Bat Tribe warriors are well known to have so many black tattoos that, at a distance, can be construed as war paint.
Each Clan traditionally has at least one trained tattoo artist. The ink is etched into the skin using small animal bones or sharpened sticks. Religious tattoos are usually done with ritual implements used for no other purpose. These implements are traditionally made of bone or some other consecrated object, such as a spider’s fang in the Spider Tribe.
Ruin tattoos tend to be shades of red and black, though some white is seen, primarily when representing bones and death.
Military The Ruin Tribes have no organized military, though they sometimes work together to fight off an outsider or form alliances to fight differing factions within the tribes. In times of war, the armies are led by a great chieftain or hero who has proved themselves in battle.
Though it does not often occur, war bands of Urdaggar have been known to rally around a particularly powerful Mystic. One of the most successful counter-incursions against the invading Traazorites was led by the famed Mystic Merkalathar, a Vola of the Serpent Tribe, who successfully united many of the southernmost tribes under his leadership to halt a Traazorite incursion into Urdaggar lands.
All men, and many women, begin learning to use weapons the day they are first able to hold them. The Urdaggar way of life demands it. Everyone is expected to contribute to the welfare of the tribe in times of war and peace in whatever ways they are best able, and everyone must be ready to take up arms to defend their tribe’s rights to survival at a moment’s notice. Even Vola are sometimes called upon to fight to protect the tribes, though they often support combat and add valuable spiritual support to the tribe’s efforts in more potent magical ways.
Ruin warriors employ a variety of weapons based on the tribe’s Totem god. Their riders are capable and use shock and skirmish tactics, although they are no match in direct combat with knights of the Faeler kingdoms. Their mounts, however, are horrifying, from giant spiders to massive mammoths.
Tribespeople are not drilled, paid soldiers. They do not use the formations other Kingdoms have adopted, where victory in combat often relies on these formations being held. Instead, combat for an Urdaggar warrior is often brutally individualistic. A warrior’s prowess usually decides the outcome. The Pillowsleepers have learned to fear the charge of the Urdaggar, for it can be ferocious. All able-bodied people are warriors when called upon.
Religion The Tribes of Ruin worship a Tir - a Totem God. Not only do they worship it, but they pattern their life and customs around it. The Clans’ go-between to their Tir is the Vola - the Mystic - that communes with the Tir and spiritually guides the Clan and its Chieftain.
The Mystic is a shaman and is an intermediary between the Clan and the unseen world around them. They alone can discern the will of their Totem god to heal Clan members of both physical and spiritual ailments and even predict the future of events for the Clan and its individual members.
Most mystics are identified before they are ten, though some are found as late as their Shukla when latent abilities come to the fore as the young ones try to survive in the wilderness independently. Once identified, they are taken to the Bes Vola of the Clan, where their powers and connection to the Totem are tested.
If their abilities and position are confirmed, they will undergo the Thuv Ayadlish. In this Vola-led ritual, the young Mystic metaphorically dies so their soul may go on a spiritual journey to find and establish a strong connection with their Totem. When their spirit achieves this, they are metaphysically resurrected with their new title - Torek Vola - Initiate Mystic.
The process of Thuv Ayadlish is relatively harmless in the Valar and Omen Tribes and, in fact, has been known to heal the Mystic Candidate. In the Ruin Tribes, however, it can be mentally and physically torturous. The Totems that the Ruin Tribe worships are cruel and evil beings with ill intentions for the world. It is no wonder that establishing a connection with them is painful and said to drive the initiate a bit mad.
In the Ruin Tribes, the ritual is often more public and involves the entire Clan; Ruin Tribespeople especially will only believe something they have seen and will not tolerate or honor ceremonies held in secret. If they are to follow the advice of someone claiming to be a Mystic, they demand confirmation and must witness the Thuv Ayadlish themselves.
The Thuv Ayadlish may vary from Clan to Clan and certainly from Tribe to Tribe. They are held in reverence and awe by other Clan members who will often hold vigil and offer sacrifices to their Totem god while the rites are undergone.
For instance, in the Bat Tribes, a person who shows signs of being a mystic will retreat into one of their sacred caves with the High Mystic of the Clan. They do this at night, with no light from any campfires. The Clan holds vigil outside the cave, and the Clan’s Wildwings dance ritually as the Thuv Ayadlish is taken by the young person.
If the person emerges from the caves, they do so as a Torek Vola - an initiate Mystic and is taken under the wing of the High Mystic. What transpires in the caves is unknown to all but the mystics, and this is the only Tribe of Ruin where the Thuv Ayadlish is undergone away from the eyes of the Clan.
In the Jackal Clans, one of the War Jackals of the Clan is involved; the animal acts as a spirit guide for the young Mystic to take the inward journey that culminates in re-birth. The War Jackal and the Mystic Candidate enter an ecstatic trance during the ceremony. Both collapse and mumble during the ceremony and, at other times, can appear as though they have died. The War Jackals of the Clan are held in the highest regard by the clan members, this just being one of the reasons for that.
When the candidate awakens, the War Jackal does as well. They have completed the Thuv Ayadlish together and will often remain connected for the rest of their lives.
In the Mammoth Tribes, a young Mystic candidate is saddled onto a Giant Mammoth, a Shula’adat - little Thunderer. The candidate is covered in the smoke and ash from burning a collection of sacred herbs and is chanted over until they are in a trance state. At this point, the Mammoth is prodded until it runs off into the cold plains. The Initiate Mystic undergoes the Thuv Ayadlish as they are physically and spiritually guided by Shula’adat into the wilderness to “die” and then come back into the camp as a full-fledged Torek Vola.
A Shark Tribe Mystic is often called a Tul Nilshimat - a Shark Swimmer. The initiation rite of a Shark Tribe Mystic is to be able to swim in shark-infested waters at peace with the creatures. The sharks are believed to recognize one of their own and will not devour the Mystic as they do almost every other animal in the water. If the sharks accept the candidate as one of their own, the Clan recognizes them as Torek Vola.
The Vulture Tribe believes that only a near-death experience can bring the spiritual re-birth necessary to become a Vola in their tribe. Candidates are ritually brought near death with a collection of poisons while wearing the skull of a La’atur - the vulture - over their faces. If they awaken from the Jar Kashani - the death trance - they are considered Torek Vola.
The Spider Tribe’s Thuv Ayadlish is very similar to the Vulture Tribe’s, but it involves the venom of the Gir Adash - War Spider - that stands as a living embodiment of their totem god. Only a Torek Vola - as a spiritual Adash themselves - will be immune to the dangerous venom of the Gir Adash and live through the experience. However, the amounts administered to the candidate are likely to change the Vola permanently.

As mentioned above, Mystics begin training when they are identified and validated. This looks different in the Ruin Tribes than it does in others, and unlike in the Valor and Omen Tribes can be a harrowing experience for the Ruin Mystics.
One of the Mystics’ first tasks is to memorize the Gor Soram - Story Song - of their tribe while they are supporting their elder Mystics in more menial tasks. While remembering the Clan’s Gor Soram, the Mystic will learn herbal magics and concoctions under the guidance of the Mystic.
After they have successfully mastered the Gor Soram, the initiate is ready to begin proper training in the ways of the Totem, nature, and the earth and learns to gain mastery over the spiritual forces that connect everything, both living and dead.
Foreign Relations The Urdaggar view all outsiders as soft, but the Ruin Tribe takes it further and views anyone weak as deserving to be ruled by the strong. “Stonedwellers” and “Pillowsleepers” are some of the tamer epithets for the supposedly civilized.
The Tribes do not look at themselves as “barbarians”; they revel in the freedom their way of life brings. Its hardships are simply there to prove the value of their choices and weed out the weak from the strong, something the Ruin Tribes believe is essential to their survival.
Trade and Transport The Urdaggar have no currency of their own, and they use a barter system when they’re in the mood to trade and not outright take things from their owner. By force of necessity, they will often use the coin of the realms of Falkaar, Haradel, Varkraal, and the Kuzaarik to trade for essential staples, cloth, wine, and beer, which the Urdaggar much like, but do not make themselves.
However, when dealing with the Ruin, it is wise to understand that those coins were probably stolen in raids or taken by other violent means. The Tribes of Ruin barter livestock, milk, cheese, fur, hides, and unique natural remedies for manufactured goods.