Rukhkh
Rukhkh, also spelled Ruk, are Highland Dwarvish-speaking humans inhabiting mainly Thullurn and the adjacent parts of the autonomous region of the Wingspan Mountain Range. The Rukhkh are the second most numerous Dwarvish-speaking people in Astoria after the Azer dwarves.
Their black canvas tents—made from the pelts of displacer beasts—are dark spots in a landscape of ice and rock. They travel by the whims of the wind, riding mountain horses and hunting alongside their partnered dire eagles. They wear distinctive fox pelt hats.
Structure
The Rukhkh have inhabited the Wingspan Mountains for countless generations. Seasonal variation coupled with conflicts with neighboring Urdunnir dwarves and Haegan monks cause the people of the Wingspan to be often on the move. Near the beginning of the Common Age Urdunnir dwarves conquered large parts of the western highland Wingspan, narrowing the scope of the Rukhkh territory. Shortly thereafter, the three main tribes of Rukhkh nomads banded together under one chiefdom and declared their independent nation.
The Rukhkh have a tribal government led by a chieftain who overseers the chiefs of the individual tribes of the Rukhkh Nation. The chieftain is chosen by a casting of stones from all eligible adults in the community. The chief with the highest pile of stones becomes chieftain in a ceremonial ritual and is gifted a cloak of shells resembling the wings of an eagle. The current leader of the Rukhkh is Tal'at Junuzak (long day). He was born sick and grew blind from the piercing arctic light, but survived his rite into adulthood and proved himself a stalwart leader, breaking peace and trade with the Jawen Monks.
Public Agenda
The Rukhkh want to maintain independence from the kingdom of Thullurn and stay out of their war with Surntra. They will defend their homeland with body and spirit.
Assets
The Rukhkh are most known for their horses as well as herds of cattle and sheep. Having fat and healthy cattle is seen as a status symbol. Yaks are used for the transportation of tents and other belongings across the mountains. Horses are seen as part of the Rukhkh person; they call them their "wings" which let them fly across the landscape like their guardian spirit, the roc. Rukhkh children learn at a young age how to ride and care for their horses.
Kumis, fermented mare's milk, is the traditional alcoholic drink of the Rukhkh. Their primary source of food is mutton.
The Rukhkh sometimes trade in pelts and fur coats harvested by trappers and furriers. Additionally, some Rukhkh weave embroidered coats and carpets with rare blue pigments made from mountain cobalt. One of the Rukhkh's most iconic assets is the dire eagles the austringers use as partners in hunting rabbits and foxes, a skill for which the Rukhkh are renowned.
History
The Rukhkh believe themselves to be descended from a progenitor who had three children—a son, daughter, and third-gender child—who formed the three great tribes: the Great, Middle, and Little tribes that occupied the eastern, central, and western parts, respectively, of what became the Rukhkh Nation. These tribes were subdivided into smaller groups; the basic unit was the extended family, embracing not only parents and unmarried children but married sons and their families, who camped together.
Early Rukhkh shamans discovered necromancy and began to ritually cast Astral Projection to speak with their dead. Thullurn tried to repress the practice, killing or abducting their shamans, but Rukhkh cavalry fought them back. Many Rukhkh were killed in repressions or fell victim to famine. Yet the Rukhkh still refused to be dominated by either the Urdunnir dwarves or the high elves of Spire.
Demography and Population
The Rukhkh are ethnically descended from the intermarrying of human and dwarven tribes who lived consecutively in the area. They are shorter and stockier than humans but have keener night vision and eyeshine. Their hair color ranges from brown to black.
Mythology & Lore
The Rukhkh's patron is the Roc for which their people are named. Although the Roc is well known for its tendency to cause terror, many believe that it acts as a protector to the Rukhkh's vast secret valley. Because the Rukhkh have fought long and hard to protect their homeland, the Roc has become a symbol of freedom and cultural heritage. Rukhkh often call upon the Roc in their hymns. During the ritual many shamans played a melody which supposedly was performed for the first time by the Roc itself.
"Almost too big to be believed, rocs are huge birds of prey that dwell in warm mountainous regions and are known for carrying off large animals (cattle, horses, even elephants). Rocs resemble large eagles, with plumage either dark brown or golden from head to tail. In a few rare instances, red, black, or white rocs are sighted, but they are often considered bad omens. These enourmous creatures are 60 feet long from beak to tailfeathers, with wingspans as wide as 120 feet." -Monster ManualThe Rukhkh also venerate and worship their ancestors and the spirits of their horses. When a Rukhkh is buried alongside their horse, they are believed to gain wings for their spirit to fly to the stars. Rukhkh who die separated from their horses are bound to the ground as remnant spirits. The Rukhkh view death as transient; one who dies may be visited in the Astral Plane through a shaman using Astral Projection. Their ancestors are consulted, guiding the future of the chiefdoms. The spirits’ help was explained by the ability to treat people, to tell a fortune and to find missing things and cattle. Power over the phenomena of nature and the ability to perform miracles was attributed to shamans. In difficult moments Rukhkh call upon the name of their ancestors. In their honor, sacrifice animals, go to worship to their graves. Events—such as the kind of separation into two independent, making peaceful position between two rival clans, the victory over the enemy, etc.—were marked by the Rukhkh's sacrifice to ancestral spirits a white mare or even white stallion. To the Rukhkh, ravens are seen as a bad omen. To them, the Raven Queen is a god who steals spirits after death, reaping them from the starry fields of the Astral Plane.
The End is Never the End
Type
Geopolitical, Tribe
Alternative Names
The Black Tents
Demonym
Rukhkh, Rukhkhani
Government System
Tribalism
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Gift economy
Currency
Barter system
Legislative Body
Committee meetings of three elders decide on rules and choices which might affect all Rukhkh clans in the chiefdom. The committee members are chosen by each of the three largest tribes and are elected every five years. Although women can become committee members, few do. All members are expected to voice an opinion until they all agree. Every meeting is started by the sacrificing of a sheep, representative of the sacrifice of chiefs in leading their tribes.
Location
Neighboring Nations
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