The Uhlmor

A body of an Uhlmor tells the tale of a life well lived. -Aefir Lenesh, chancellor of the University of Silvenora

The Uhlmor are a remote and nomadic people who live within the bounds of the Il'An Meadow. Surviving off of the land is not only a traditional lifestyle but a lifestyle bred out of necessity. The Uhlmor choose to live nomadic lifestyles and separate themselves from the ever evolving technological world. While the I'll Dorei makes life changing advances, the Uhlmor simply ride with the herds of the Tiksi Gulf. As such, they are within the bounds of the Magocracy, striking an unspoken deal where they allow the Magocracy to claim their lands as territory as long as the Uhlmor are allowed to self-govern.

Life as a Nomad

Life within the I'l An Meadow is closely linked to the mounts on which the Uhlmor ride. Regardless of whether or not the stallion or the Uhlmor came first, it is agreed that the relationship between rider and mount is sacred. The Uhlmor use the seasons to guide them to their next home, food source or hunt.

Migration

During the spring month of Ghara, the Uhlmor make their home on the Northern shores of the Igar Ka River. This is the period of the year where the tribe's diet will contain a higher amount of fresh meat and plants. As Eldrais enters her cycle of warmer weather, the animal herds, particularly the Elk migrate North. The Uhlmor take advantage of the migration patterns throughout the spring, gathering meat to smoke and store for colder months. The berries and wild vegetables which bloom on the hills of the I'l An are also harvested and smoked by the Uhlmor. At the end of the month of Ghara, the Al'Acke takes place, followed by the traditional Ani' Acke. This is known in common as the "painting ritual."
During the summer month of Krusmera the Uhlmor stay stationed in the cooler northern portion of the Igar Ka, hunting the native wild life and beginning to preserve more meat. The preservation, or smoking, of the meat is more important during Krusmera than any other month. Not only does the taste and smell of smoke work to hide the rot of the summer sun on meat, but adds flavor to an otherwise spiceless culture. The Uhlmor dig holes in the ground to use as a type refrigeration for the smoked meat until they are ready to be eaten.
As the world becomes colder and the natural cycle moves into the month of Izmus, the Uhlmor move south. The Uhlmor will eventually reach the shores of the Tiksi Gulf, where they will set up their winter shelters before the first snowfall. During the fall months, the diets of the Uhlmor stray further from fresh fruit and grasses to a diet heavy with iron. The fish found in the Tiksi Gulf are a result of the northern fish from the Garris Depths meeting with the Lestal Ocean. The combination produces cold water fish which are rich in iron and omega-3, which would otherwise be difficult to come by. The winter months are much the same, except now the fishing is done further out on the ice. The Uhlmor will crack holes in the ice to spear fish with. This becomes the main source of food as the occasional small rodent is found wandering throughout the snow.

Warfare

Those who have crossed the Uhlmor know too well of their Voracity and Cunning. Feared on horseback, the tattooed warriors have kept invaders out of their homelands for as long as oral tradition extends. Armed with bows and slings, the tribesmen have gained a reputation even amongst the elves for their ranged accuracy.

Culture and Heritage

On the 42nd of Ghara, the tribe hosts a grand festival known in common as the "Day of the Soul." During the festival, the Uhlmor partake in singing, dancing, feasting and telling stories of the great warrior known as Igar Ka.
The Uhlmor tend to dress in long and flowing bright colors and often wrap their heads, regardless of gender or age. The bright colors are a reflection of the meadow itself and are dyed with the extract of the native flowers. During the summer months the Uhlmor wear head wraps that are light and airy to allow for air flow while still protecting the wearer from the sun. Wide birthed pants and tunics which cover the knees are typical.
As the land becomes colder, the clothes become more white, and thick with the fur of elk and bear. The light head wraps are exchanged for rabbit shielding the wearer from the reflective snow. Thick boots are often worn made of similar furs and stitched together with grass reed.

Uhlmor Circle of Life

The Uhlmor believe in a renewed cycle of life and the continual rebirth of the soul and worship the Goddess Igthys.As all Elves, Dwarves and Halfling's on Eldrais were created by the divine, so too are the Uhlmor. The Uhlmor believe themselves to be the direct creation of he Goddess Igthy's herself; A culture perfectly embodying the hunt.
A birth of a soul can be compared to a seedling. The original souls were created with the hands of The Goddess and sent to float through the air. The seedlings drift upon the wayward winds until eventually finding purchase within the I'l An Meadow. The first seedlings started the cycle by taking root in the bodies of deceased animals - the children of Ghara. The seedlings then spread their roots, eventually growing into plants which blossomed and gave birth to the first physical Uhlmor. Now, when a body dies, their soul seeps through the dirt of the meadow, creating new plant life. A pregnant woman will then eat as many plants as possible as to consume the soul of the child. The soul will then enter the empty body of the fetus, which will eventually come to be an Uhlmor child.

Birth

Foggy river mountain by Yura Lytkin

The birth of an Uhlmor is marked not through the tribe but of the gods themselves. After a child is born they undertake their first The 'Ani. An "ani" is the Uhlm name for tattoo and the "Doth'ani" is the birth ani of the child.
A day after the baby is born, the parents will wash the child within the Igar Ka where the shaman of the village will use special tools to mark the child. The Doth'ani is a simple line upon the right leg of the child. For every calendar year thereon after, the person will receive a line, parallel to the first. The Uhlm continue to get these lines placed on them for ever year they are alive. The only exception to the lines would be much older corpses who were found preserved in bogs with dotted scarification.

Ra'en Ith

The Ra'en Ith, called the "middle years" is all of the time in between the moment of birth and moment of death in an Uhlmor Life. Between the extremes of life and death exists the middle years. During these years, the Uhlm will experience a multitude of memorable achievements and moments. With the exception of the face, the right leg and the upper half of the back, the Uhlmor will tattoo these memories upon their skin. These tattoos can include things such as the death or birth of a loved one, traveling for the first time and especially upon the completion of life milestones.
The 17th year of a Uhlmor child's life is one dedicated to the steed. The rite itself is called Shaath, named directly after the Uhlm word for "herd tamer." Considering the tribe itself is nomadic, hunting and equestrianism are crucial parts of everyday life. Every Uhlmor is expected to complete Shaath.
The hunt begins with the migration of the hunters into the fields of I'l An where those initiating their adulthood must perform the mundane tasks of setting up camp, starting fires, finding provisions, etc. The significance of even the most monotonous and boring of details aims to mold the young into the future of the tribe. The sense of community on which the Uhlmor rely is built upon years of trust and lifetimes of culture and tradition.
Those who successfully complete the Shaath receive their Shaath 'ani; A tattooed Elk on the upper back of the tribesman. The tattoo itself is the skull of an Elk, with the antler racks extending onto the arms. The skull extends to the mid back portion of the lumbar, often decorated with flower, leaves, water or other small animals to fill the "blank space."

Death

By the end of an Uhlmor life, they will have a diaspora of different tattoos which will tell the story of their current cycle. The Uhlm will receive their last and final tattoo where the face of the person will be decorated by the family with a skull. After this, the body will be place upon a funeral pyre made of stone. The community will take turns placing rocks upon the pile until the stones cover the body. The story of their life will then be read out to the community, including the good they did for the world. A dinner celebration will commence, congratulating the soul upon finishing another cycle of life. One cycle of hundreds.

Character Creation

When creating an Uhlmor, think about why they chose to part with their nomadic lifestyle. The tribe they come from has close ties with their family and the land. How does this affect why they left? When did they leave? What were their first impressions of the outside world? Do they dream of one day returning?

Ability Score Increase

Two ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Skills

You gain proficiency in the skills of Animal Handling and Nature.

Feat

You gain the feat "Mounted Combatant."
You are a dangerous foe to face while mounted. While you are mounted and aren't incapacitated, you gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount.
• You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
• If your mount is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
  
  

Age

Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Size

Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. The average height of the Uhlmor, however, is 5'8" for men and 5'4" for women. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages

You can speak, read and write Common and Uhlm.

Tattoos

All Uhlmor have tattoos which represent their cycle of life and death as well as important moments in their life. The Uhlmor tattoos are known as "ani." When you are deciding on which tattoos represent your character and who they are, remember that these will be visible to the world around them. How will other's that you encounter react to these tattoos? Will stranger think highly of you or will they find you dangerous for the feats tattooed upon your skin?

A single leaf may hide the greatest of champions. - Igar Ka, ≈-16,984 BE

The Map

Languages spoken

• Uhlm

The Music

Mixed with the sounds of the guitar like instrument known as the ka'ap, the Uhlmor stress their laryngeal cavity to produce stress on certain vowels. The Uhlm language inherently has this to some degree, but when the person focuses purely on the vowels they are able to produce a sound deep and guttural. This form of singing is common throughout the steppe and echoes fantastically across the meadow.

The Calendar