Taltas
The Taltas are an ethnic group present along the north-western coast of Ærellion. The Taltas are a Qabalic culture, and are more closely related to the Orentesh, Enctör, and Baxstir peoples of Telgren than any other group on Ærellion. A people originating in the open steppe, the Quabalic would come to straddle the Tögsgöldyu and Khŭlmozhi region, eradicating the trolls of this region and warring with giants over the mountains and hills, with the proto-Taltas being those who remained on the steppe. During this time, the [tbd] people populated most of Khŭlmozhi, with Baxstir in the northern and western reaches. The proto-Taltas of the steppe were a key part in the centaur slave trade which began with centaurs captured in inter-tribal warfare and ended in Telgren's Empire of Oleandron. However, with the rise of orcish and centaur tribes to prominance, the proto-Taltas began migrating west, slowly at first, but in rising numbers each year. This migration began in the 600s, and began disrupting the [tbd], with proto-Taltan tribal federations coming to control most of Khŭlmozhi, sans the Baxstir, by the early 800s. Soon after this, the Baxstir would fall apart, allowing the Taltas to expand their territory once more, although the Baxstir were never totally defeated by the Taltas, with small principalities surviving up until the 16th century SC. Only with the arrival of the Telrai would these final holdouts be taken over. The Telrai quickly become close trading partners with the Taltas, and a number of coastal and island concessions, especially those more recently conquered from the Baxstir, came to be ruled by Telrai. The Taltas, while still holding lands on the steppe, were increasingly relegated to Khŭlmozhi. These final few Taltas tribes would migrate into Khŭlmozhi in the 1670s and 80s, following the rise of the Teltars. Thus, the Taltas were entirely within Khŭlmozhi by 1700. Over time, their culture had developed from proto-Taltas; a warlike, migratory, and tribal people of the steppe- into the modern Taltas; a centralized and civilized people group integrating the Baxstir and [tbd] populations they came to rule over. By the 1600s, this transition was mostly complete, although the tribes which arrived late in that century took until the 1800s to integrate with their fellows, and still retain their tribal ways in the modern day.
However, while the Khŭlmozhi region is much more defensible than the open steppe, there were new challenges for the Taltas to face, from the first settlers to the most recent arrivals. As alluded to above, the original inhabitants of Khŭlmozhi were giants and mountain trolls. These mighty foes, by the time the Taltas arrived at least, had been mostly relegated to the badlands and mountains, though this was spotty and many of the forests and hills still hosted trolls or giantish tribes. The south, widely settled by the militarily powerful [tbd] was largely free, while the north, settled more by the seafaring Baxstir, was less safe. As the Baxstir power had declined greatly, the giants saw a major resurgence, while the trolls faded further into obscurity. Moving through the mountain passes, the Taltas would introduce new conflict to the region, allowing the giants to gain even more land. The conquest of the southern plains came at the cost of the giants claiming swaths of land and forcing the Taltas to pay tribute. Although later technological advances made the Taltas stronger, even plate armor can be crushed by a giant's fist, leaving them unable to defend themselves. Although the giants were never unified enough to truly subjugate humanity, their constant presence has led to the Taltas developing a very distinct style of warfare. Focused on speed and mobility, those who live in the more flat parts of Khŭlmozhi have long sought to distract and confuse their foes, fighting on horseback most of the time. In contrast, those who live in hilly areas utilize traps, such as large boulders, to kill giants, while retreating to caves when times get tough. Though they also use mounts to escape giants, their horsemanship is not as renowned as the flatlanders.
The giants would prove to be a lesser threat than humanity itself, however, as the rise of the Jafarid Empire of the Holy Successor meant new foes from the south. Religiously motivated in conquest, they saw the Taltas as barbaric and weak, noting their inability to fight off the giants. Skirmishes between border kingdoms and the Successorship Empires escalated following the rise of the Uthmarid Empire of the Holy Successor, and the southern plains were completely conquered. This powerful Empire would take the fight to the giants, and though unable to fully defeat them, had totally removed their influence from the plains. Still, the Uthmarids were not stable, and their nation collapsed in 1483. The new Fatimi Empire of the Holy Successor was not able to regain control over the Khŭlmozhi possessions, which led to the rise of an independent kingdom in their place. This new kingdom would spread the faith to the other Taltan nations, and soon all were following the Al'shahri sect, although followers of the old ways proved troublesome. Eventually, even these holdouts converted, but the presence of the powerful Fatimi just to the south led to some Taltans convering to that sect instead, and so religious strife continued for many years as the giants lurked in the background.
Still, there was no reprieve to be had for the Taltas, as the 1800s brought new challenges. Huge migrations of Edemalik orcs from the steppe, paralleling those the Taltas once undertook, began threatening their lands. The fall of the Fatimi to these orcs foreshadowed the led to the subjugation of much of the difficult-to-defend southern plains as well as the eastern hills. These conquests were extremely violent, with major cities burned and streams of refugees fleeting north. This allowed the giants to retake lands in the east as well, closing the eastern passages and greatly disrupting trade. The more recently-arrived tribes took the brunt of this, with many being enslaved by their new overlords. Despite the rising hatred of orcs and the violence being committed on both sides, reconciliation would soon occur. This is because the Edemalik began adopting the was of the Al'fatim, as the Al'fatim would recognize urukai rulers as legitimate if they had the blood of the Jafarids. The Al'shari feared and hated this, as orcs are considered subhuman by their sect, and between the two groups erupted, with the Al'faimi humans being defiled evil and consorts of orcs, giants, and even demons. The very real rise of Taşünök subgroup of Edemalik as the local urukai was enough proof the remaining rulers needed (despite most early Taşünök being born of violence), and many Al'fatimi were massacred as enemies, with only a few communities surviving. Ironically, this led to exactly the relationship between the Al'fatimi humans and orcs as the Al'shari feared, as huge numbers of refugees fled to orcish controlled lands and began to rely on the for protection and soon saw them as neighbors rather than conquerors. Luckily, since this time of strife, the demographics of the Taltas have remained rather stable and generally recovered. New threats by the Great Maw, however, seem set to challenge the uneasy peace between the Taltas and their various foes.
The Taltas reside in a rather wide range throughout Khŭlmozhi. Indeed, they populate so much of it that it would be simpler to describe the parts they do not dwell in. These lands consist of the various Baxstir/Telrai settled islands just off the west coast, the tip of the Khŭlmozhi peninsula (settled by Telrai and Tritons), and the badlands at the heart of the region, which no humans have ever conquered. Although in the east no human authority persists, the populace remains. There are still some Taltas living in bondage within the giant kingdoms of this area, and the orcish tribes also count a number of humans as their subjects. Due to their large region of settlement as well as the constant wars and displacements they have suffered, the Taltas are a very diverse people group, with no less than 8 different subgroups: the Bozlaki, Chardolier, Endoğua, Düzarailier, Hafzaki, Karilidinik, Ağhbiyecil, and Ormolier.
The Bozlaki are defined as Taltas who belonged to one of the tribes which only left the steppe after conquest by the Teltars and who then crossed the mountain passes into southern Khŭlmozhi. They have been conquered by orcs since the 1850s, which led to a sharp decline in their population initially, although they have mostly recovered. The Bozlaki are fierce soldiers and often work as mercenaries for other Taltas. They are not very religious, with their faith being a mix of the Illahic faiths, traditional shamanism, or even following oricsh gods. The Bozlaki are the only group which has not been divided along religious lines, with the various religious groups coexisting. They are a pastoral people who generally herd sheep if they aren't mercenaries.
West of the Bozlaki, the Düzarailier populate the southern region of Khŭlmozhi as well, although they claim the flatlands. The Düzarailier are a curious case as they are really a mix of several different Taltan ethnities which have only coalesced over the last century. They have a large portion of ancestry from the various Al'fatimi refugees who fled persecution during the late 1800s, but also from former Al'shari who converted after the orcish conquest of the land. They also incorporate a small amount of Al'salaani heritage as well, which can be traced back to when the Uthmarids controlled the region. Their culture is a mix of all different Taltans, Al'salaani, and even orcish traditions, and is very cosmopolitan in the largest cities, though the majority of Düzarailier are a rural and agrarian people.
The plains of Chardolon, just north of the Düzarailier, is the homeland of the Chardolier. The Chardolier have lived in this region since the retreat of the giants due to the Uthmarids. Since then, they have formed into an insular ethnicity, only borrowing slightly from the refugees that entered their lands. They are followers of the Al'fatimi sect, which was enforced harshly during the strife of the 1800s as a way to concentrate royal power. A militaristic group with a hefty contingent of mages due to the magical plains, the Chardolier also have a haughty attitude and see themselves as superior to the other Taltas, especially those who lost to mere orcs.
West of the Chardolier, and just up the coastline from the Düzarailier, the Hafzaki are a staunchly Al'shari ethnicity. They hold a major grudge against the Chardolier, who recently defeated them in battle, though friction between the two has lasted many years. This is because the tribes which make up the Hafzaki nations have long seen everything west of the plains of Chardolon as their rightful lands, following the hill/mountain line. In contrast, the Chardolier claim the mountains as a core part of their demense and that the plains on both sides are rightfully theirs. The Hafzaki and Chardolier also despise one another on the basis of religion, with Hafzaki being the first to start the rumor that Chardolon's royal family is part giant and therefore illegitimate. The Hafzaki have also subsumed some Karilidinik settlements in the north, as they purged this region during the religious conflicts.
The Karilidinik persist in a small region of the forests, which is well defended as they only have a narrow border with the Hafzaki, with the rest of their boundaries defined by mountains. Their lands are temperate and ideal for settlement, so their population remains rather high despite much of the land being hilly. Generally, communties are formed around forest clearings and slowly expanded outwards over time, connected via paths. Although once populated by trolls, these lands have long been free from their menace.
To their north, the mountains are populated by the Ağhbiyecil, whose homeland is almost entirely high peaks. Their few valleys and the coastline are densely settled, leaving the mountains much sparser. When the Taltas first arrived, these mountains were populated entirely by trolls, while the coastal portions were in Baxstir hands. Over time, Taltas settlers ventured into the mountains and exterminated the trolls claiming the rich valleys for themselves. The people later came to control the poor Baxstir fishing villages along the coast before eventually becoming the Ağhbiyecil of today.
East of the Ağhbiyecil, the Ormolier are the largest Taltas by area. Insulated from most threats due to their location, they have been able to dedicate their time to fighting the giants and trolls which once permeated the region. They would assimilate the local Baxstir, and fight against the giants for many years, doing from the north what the Uthmarids did from the south. They have been able to make large amounts of money trading with Telrai, and are the wealthiest of Taltas. One day, they hope to eliminate the remaining giants and claim the baslands for themselves.
Finall, the Endoğua are defined as the Taltas who belonged to one of the tribes which only left the steppe after conquest by the Teltars, but settled in the hills just outside the steppe the and didn't cross the mountains. Largely herders like their cousins to the south, the Endoğua served as de facto guardians of the passages from the centaurs during the 1700s and early 1800s. The Endoğua were invaded by orcs and largely converted to the Al'fatimi sect, while the southern parts of their land came under giantish rule and became slaves. Conflict between the Endoğua and Taşünök against the giants to reclaim the enslaved human population have been inconclusive, though new technology could potentially help them reclaim their lands. They have also been in many conflicts with the Ormolier, who follow the Al'shari sect and therefore dislike them and their urukai ruling class.
However, while the Khŭlmozhi region is much more defensible than the open steppe, there were new challenges for the Taltas to face, from the first settlers to the most recent arrivals. As alluded to above, the original inhabitants of Khŭlmozhi were giants and mountain trolls. These mighty foes, by the time the Taltas arrived at least, had been mostly relegated to the badlands and mountains, though this was spotty and many of the forests and hills still hosted trolls or giantish tribes. The south, widely settled by the militarily powerful [tbd] was largely free, while the north, settled more by the seafaring Baxstir, was less safe. As the Baxstir power had declined greatly, the giants saw a major resurgence, while the trolls faded further into obscurity. Moving through the mountain passes, the Taltas would introduce new conflict to the region, allowing the giants to gain even more land. The conquest of the southern plains came at the cost of the giants claiming swaths of land and forcing the Taltas to pay tribute. Although later technological advances made the Taltas stronger, even plate armor can be crushed by a giant's fist, leaving them unable to defend themselves. Although the giants were never unified enough to truly subjugate humanity, their constant presence has led to the Taltas developing a very distinct style of warfare. Focused on speed and mobility, those who live in the more flat parts of Khŭlmozhi have long sought to distract and confuse their foes, fighting on horseback most of the time. In contrast, those who live in hilly areas utilize traps, such as large boulders, to kill giants, while retreating to caves when times get tough. Though they also use mounts to escape giants, their horsemanship is not as renowned as the flatlanders.
The giants would prove to be a lesser threat than humanity itself, however, as the rise of the Jafarid Empire of the Holy Successor meant new foes from the south. Religiously motivated in conquest, they saw the Taltas as barbaric and weak, noting their inability to fight off the giants. Skirmishes between border kingdoms and the Successorship Empires escalated following the rise of the Uthmarid Empire of the Holy Successor, and the southern plains were completely conquered. This powerful Empire would take the fight to the giants, and though unable to fully defeat them, had totally removed their influence from the plains. Still, the Uthmarids were not stable, and their nation collapsed in 1483. The new Fatimi Empire of the Holy Successor was not able to regain control over the Khŭlmozhi possessions, which led to the rise of an independent kingdom in their place. This new kingdom would spread the faith to the other Taltan nations, and soon all were following the Al'shahri sect, although followers of the old ways proved troublesome. Eventually, even these holdouts converted, but the presence of the powerful Fatimi just to the south led to some Taltans convering to that sect instead, and so religious strife continued for many years as the giants lurked in the background.
Still, there was no reprieve to be had for the Taltas, as the 1800s brought new challenges. Huge migrations of Edemalik orcs from the steppe, paralleling those the Taltas once undertook, began threatening their lands. The fall of the Fatimi to these orcs foreshadowed the led to the subjugation of much of the difficult-to-defend southern plains as well as the eastern hills. These conquests were extremely violent, with major cities burned and streams of refugees fleeting north. This allowed the giants to retake lands in the east as well, closing the eastern passages and greatly disrupting trade. The more recently-arrived tribes took the brunt of this, with many being enslaved by their new overlords. Despite the rising hatred of orcs and the violence being committed on both sides, reconciliation would soon occur. This is because the Edemalik began adopting the was of the Al'fatim, as the Al'fatim would recognize urukai rulers as legitimate if they had the blood of the Jafarids. The Al'shari feared and hated this, as orcs are considered subhuman by their sect, and between the two groups erupted, with the Al'faimi humans being defiled evil and consorts of orcs, giants, and even demons. The very real rise of Taşünök subgroup of Edemalik as the local urukai was enough proof the remaining rulers needed (despite most early Taşünök being born of violence), and many Al'fatimi were massacred as enemies, with only a few communities surviving. Ironically, this led to exactly the relationship between the Al'fatimi humans and orcs as the Al'shari feared, as huge numbers of refugees fled to orcish controlled lands and began to rely on the for protection and soon saw them as neighbors rather than conquerors. Luckily, since this time of strife, the demographics of the Taltas have remained rather stable and generally recovered. New threats by the Great Maw, however, seem set to challenge the uneasy peace between the Taltas and their various foes.
The Taltas reside in a rather wide range throughout Khŭlmozhi. Indeed, they populate so much of it that it would be simpler to describe the parts they do not dwell in. These lands consist of the various Baxstir/Telrai settled islands just off the west coast, the tip of the Khŭlmozhi peninsula (settled by Telrai and Tritons), and the badlands at the heart of the region, which no humans have ever conquered. Although in the east no human authority persists, the populace remains. There are still some Taltas living in bondage within the giant kingdoms of this area, and the orcish tribes also count a number of humans as their subjects. Due to their large region of settlement as well as the constant wars and displacements they have suffered, the Taltas are a very diverse people group, with no less than 8 different subgroups: the Bozlaki, Chardolier, Endoğua, Düzarailier, Hafzaki, Karilidinik, Ağhbiyecil, and Ormolier.
The Bozlaki are defined as Taltas who belonged to one of the tribes which only left the steppe after conquest by the Teltars and who then crossed the mountain passes into southern Khŭlmozhi. They have been conquered by orcs since the 1850s, which led to a sharp decline in their population initially, although they have mostly recovered. The Bozlaki are fierce soldiers and often work as mercenaries for other Taltas. They are not very religious, with their faith being a mix of the Illahic faiths, traditional shamanism, or even following oricsh gods. The Bozlaki are the only group which has not been divided along religious lines, with the various religious groups coexisting. They are a pastoral people who generally herd sheep if they aren't mercenaries.
West of the Bozlaki, the Düzarailier populate the southern region of Khŭlmozhi as well, although they claim the flatlands. The Düzarailier are a curious case as they are really a mix of several different Taltan ethnities which have only coalesced over the last century. They have a large portion of ancestry from the various Al'fatimi refugees who fled persecution during the late 1800s, but also from former Al'shari who converted after the orcish conquest of the land. They also incorporate a small amount of Al'salaani heritage as well, which can be traced back to when the Uthmarids controlled the region. Their culture is a mix of all different Taltans, Al'salaani, and even orcish traditions, and is very cosmopolitan in the largest cities, though the majority of Düzarailier are a rural and agrarian people.
The plains of Chardolon, just north of the Düzarailier, is the homeland of the Chardolier. The Chardolier have lived in this region since the retreat of the giants due to the Uthmarids. Since then, they have formed into an insular ethnicity, only borrowing slightly from the refugees that entered their lands. They are followers of the Al'fatimi sect, which was enforced harshly during the strife of the 1800s as a way to concentrate royal power. A militaristic group with a hefty contingent of mages due to the magical plains, the Chardolier also have a haughty attitude and see themselves as superior to the other Taltas, especially those who lost to mere orcs.
West of the Chardolier, and just up the coastline from the Düzarailier, the Hafzaki are a staunchly Al'shari ethnicity. They hold a major grudge against the Chardolier, who recently defeated them in battle, though friction between the two has lasted many years. This is because the tribes which make up the Hafzaki nations have long seen everything west of the plains of Chardolon as their rightful lands, following the hill/mountain line. In contrast, the Chardolier claim the mountains as a core part of their demense and that the plains on both sides are rightfully theirs. The Hafzaki and Chardolier also despise one another on the basis of religion, with Hafzaki being the first to start the rumor that Chardolon's royal family is part giant and therefore illegitimate. The Hafzaki have also subsumed some Karilidinik settlements in the north, as they purged this region during the religious conflicts.
The Karilidinik persist in a small region of the forests, which is well defended as they only have a narrow border with the Hafzaki, with the rest of their boundaries defined by mountains. Their lands are temperate and ideal for settlement, so their population remains rather high despite much of the land being hilly. Generally, communties are formed around forest clearings and slowly expanded outwards over time, connected via paths. Although once populated by trolls, these lands have long been free from their menace.
To their north, the mountains are populated by the Ağhbiyecil, whose homeland is almost entirely high peaks. Their few valleys and the coastline are densely settled, leaving the mountains much sparser. When the Taltas first arrived, these mountains were populated entirely by trolls, while the coastal portions were in Baxstir hands. Over time, Taltas settlers ventured into the mountains and exterminated the trolls claiming the rich valleys for themselves. The people later came to control the poor Baxstir fishing villages along the coast before eventually becoming the Ağhbiyecil of today.
East of the Ağhbiyecil, the Ormolier are the largest Taltas by area. Insulated from most threats due to their location, they have been able to dedicate their time to fighting the giants and trolls which once permeated the region. They would assimilate the local Baxstir, and fight against the giants for many years, doing from the north what the Uthmarids did from the south. They have been able to make large amounts of money trading with Telrai, and are the wealthiest of Taltas. One day, they hope to eliminate the remaining giants and claim the baslands for themselves.
Finall, the Endoğua are defined as the Taltas who belonged to one of the tribes which only left the steppe after conquest by the Teltars, but settled in the hills just outside the steppe the and didn't cross the mountains. Largely herders like their cousins to the south, the Endoğua served as de facto guardians of the passages from the centaurs during the 1700s and early 1800s. The Endoğua were invaded by orcs and largely converted to the Al'fatimi sect, while the southern parts of their land came under giantish rule and became slaves. Conflict between the Endoğua and Taşünök against the giants to reclaim the enslaved human population have been inconclusive, though new technology could potentially help them reclaim their lands. They have also been in many conflicts with the Ormolier, who follow the Al'shari sect and therefore dislike them and their urukai ruling class.
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