Guwaaru
The Guwaaru are a people whose population once stretched across much of the central steppes, spanning from the southern coast of Balöndör to Tötsöl Ikhal and Bakatyeong, as well as a minor presence in Khoitaldyu. During this time, the borders of the various races and cultures were not as rigid as they are today, and their settlements were interspersed with those of centaurs and hobgoblins, as well as being infested with trolls. Over time, however, the adaptations of the centaur to life on the plains led to the Guwaaru people slowly being pushed south and east, until their zone of habitation was nearly entirely within the region of Bakatyeong. This process was later exacerbated by the rise of the Tögsgölgüi Ord due to their practice of forced migration of minorities. At the same time as this eastwards migration, the Guwaaru came under pressure from the Jungyu, a settled agrarian population which did not have the threat of the centaurs to keep them weak and divided. The Jungyu would conquer a much of the Guwaaru, leaving them split between centaur and Jungyu control, with only a few tribes left as a buffer between the two. After the collapse of the second Tögsgölgüi Ord, some Guwaaru were able to gain their independence, leaving the population divided in three as opposed to two. Despite their division into three population groups, the various tribes of Guwaaru have five distinct ethnic subgroups, all of whom are greatly divided in language, religious practices, and even in appearance. However, as the last remnant of [tbd name, but north asian] features, they can easily recognize and identify with one another. These five groups are known as the Nyalma, Morit, Hanhan, Duinah, and Ilunorin.
The Nyalma are those who have long lived in close prximity to the Jungyu, since at least the era of the Chiefdom of Yeongwan. They are closely integrated into Jungyu society and can be found scattered across the land, though msotly within Bakatyeong or the area immediately surrounding the imperial capital, which is located close to the original capital of Yeongwan. The Nyalma follow many different religions, with a minority practicing Guwaaric shamanism but the majority following either the Sindauli or Adhavāda faiths. It's also not unheard of for some to follow the Hymarian pantheon instead.
The Ilunorin have also been conquered by the Jungyu, though this is much more recent. Before this, they were a very isolated people group, living in the swamps to the north of Jungyu lands but never really interacting with them. However, during the Wanyun of Syeoban, the land finally started to be conquered and settled by Jungyu, being completed due to the events of the Three Brothers War and te subsequent fleeting of Dae to the marshes. Although the population has already begun to mix, creating the Jyeongmin, a Jungyu subgroup with a strong minority of Ilunorin blood, the Ilunorin are often seen as savages in need of civilization. Their marshy terrain and longstanding hunter-gatherer lifestyle has begun to change as Jungyu migrants drain the swamps and bring land under cultivation.
Unlike the Ilunorin, the Duinah tribes are the only Guwaaric people to have never been conquered. Living in the borderlands between the cenataurs and Jungyu, both sides were content to leave them alone as they were little to no threat but provided a buffer state. These tribes have thus continued their traditional lifestyle and shamanistic faith, though over the centuries the pressure of the Jungyu settlements has led to a slow shrinking of their lands and more competition for limited resources, leading to growing conflicts between them.
To the west of the Duinah, one can find the Hanhan. A group of Guwaaric peoples forcefully settled by the Ord, they would escape Ordian control after the collapse of the Second Ord, and went on to forge ther own centralized state. As with the Nyalma, they follow a mix of religions, with Adhavāda being adopted by the court but shamanism being present in most rural areas. Some have begun to fuse the tenants of these two syncretically, which seems quite similar to the Bāla faith, attracting scholars of this faith as well. Though not religiously united, the Hanhan are generally tolerant, seeing religion as secondary to the state, which sees itself as a rival to the mighty Syeoban. This is a sentiment Syeoban's officials do not share, seeing the Hanhan as just another buffer between them and the centaurs.
The final group of Guwaaru are the Morit, who live under the dominion of the Tögsgölgüi Ord. Interspersed through their lands, they are purposely kept from settling, with their people being used as irregulars in the centaur armies. Though they are shamanistic, the Morit have, over time, adopted many tenants from centaur religions and culture, leading them to be warlike and polygamous. They are seen as weird by the other Guwaaru. Though scattered throughout Ordian lands, the largest contingent of Morit are currently living quite close to the border with the Hanhan, suggesting an attack may be imminent. Many Morit seem to be hoping they will be allowed to form a united Guwaaric state, sacking their settlements and returning them to their migratory ways, which they see as their holy duty.
The Nyalma are those who have long lived in close prximity to the Jungyu, since at least the era of the Chiefdom of Yeongwan. They are closely integrated into Jungyu society and can be found scattered across the land, though msotly within Bakatyeong or the area immediately surrounding the imperial capital, which is located close to the original capital of Yeongwan. The Nyalma follow many different religions, with a minority practicing Guwaaric shamanism but the majority following either the Sindauli or Adhavāda faiths. It's also not unheard of for some to follow the Hymarian pantheon instead.
The Ilunorin have also been conquered by the Jungyu, though this is much more recent. Before this, they were a very isolated people group, living in the swamps to the north of Jungyu lands but never really interacting with them. However, during the Wanyun of Syeoban, the land finally started to be conquered and settled by Jungyu, being completed due to the events of the Three Brothers War and te subsequent fleeting of Dae to the marshes. Although the population has already begun to mix, creating the Jyeongmin, a Jungyu subgroup with a strong minority of Ilunorin blood, the Ilunorin are often seen as savages in need of civilization. Their marshy terrain and longstanding hunter-gatherer lifestyle has begun to change as Jungyu migrants drain the swamps and bring land under cultivation.
Unlike the Ilunorin, the Duinah tribes are the only Guwaaric people to have never been conquered. Living in the borderlands between the cenataurs and Jungyu, both sides were content to leave them alone as they were little to no threat but provided a buffer state. These tribes have thus continued their traditional lifestyle and shamanistic faith, though over the centuries the pressure of the Jungyu settlements has led to a slow shrinking of their lands and more competition for limited resources, leading to growing conflicts between them.
To the west of the Duinah, one can find the Hanhan. A group of Guwaaric peoples forcefully settled by the Ord, they would escape Ordian control after the collapse of the Second Ord, and went on to forge ther own centralized state. As with the Nyalma, they follow a mix of religions, with Adhavāda being adopted by the court but shamanism being present in most rural areas. Some have begun to fuse the tenants of these two syncretically, which seems quite similar to the Bāla faith, attracting scholars of this faith as well. Though not religiously united, the Hanhan are generally tolerant, seeing religion as secondary to the state, which sees itself as a rival to the mighty Syeoban. This is a sentiment Syeoban's officials do not share, seeing the Hanhan as just another buffer between them and the centaurs.
The final group of Guwaaru are the Morit, who live under the dominion of the Tögsgölgüi Ord. Interspersed through their lands, they are purposely kept from settling, with their people being used as irregulars in the centaur armies. Though they are shamanistic, the Morit have, over time, adopted many tenants from centaur religions and culture, leading them to be warlike and polygamous. They are seen as weird by the other Guwaaru. Though scattered throughout Ordian lands, the largest contingent of Morit are currently living quite close to the border with the Hanhan, suggesting an attack may be imminent. Many Morit seem to be hoping they will be allowed to form a united Guwaaric state, sacking their settlements and returning them to their migratory ways, which they see as their holy duty.
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