Elitan-i-Pan Confederation
As the Campacha of the south have gathered together the surviving clans into a single confederacy, so have the Shattered Folk of the Elitan-i-pan region drawn together for mutual defense. More religious and mystically-minded than the Campacha, the Elitan-i-pan folk have continued and expanded the old traditions of divination, soothsaying, and the analysis of omens. Castorhagi explorers and merchants contacted the confederation in 3262 I.R. and maintained steady and largely friendly trade with them since then.
History and People
For several years after the raising of the Wizard’s Wall, the Shattered Folk of the Elitan region of the Ethtuwate-cala-Tun (Gods’ Ride) basin struggled against the humanoid tribes left on the steppes after the banishment of the Shadow. Each clan faced the threat alone, and some clans were annihilated when they were overwhelmed by the orcish or goblin tribes.
In 2955 I.R., Khan Elanghus of the Elun-koro (Thunder Rider) clan called upon the other khans, suggesting that they would all be better served to set aside the old hatreds and band together for mutual defense and benefit. A few clans rejected the proposal and struck out on their own, but a core of a dozen clans agreed and swore common cause. An attack on one would be an attack on all, and the allied clans swore to never fight or shed each other’s blood again, submitting to a council of chiefs to mediate disputes. Clans would be strengthened by arranged intermarriage, and priests would likewise move from clan to clan to share their specific wisdom and spiritual guidance, further joining the clans into a single entity.
The omens for the alliance were good, for within a few years the clans that had rejected Elanghus’ proposal were either wiped out or reconsidered their refusal and joined their fellows. Within three generations, the confederacy was well established and while its member clans retained their independence, they all thought of themselves as a single related people.
The new confederacy was tested over the following years as waves of humanoid migration and invasion swept through the Ethtuwate basin. Had they not declared common cause, many clans would surely have been annihilated, and the wise counsel of Elanghus was fully recognized by his descendants. The worst of these invasions came in 3130 I.R. when the orcish warlord Hazhgol Swordhand united several orc clans, conquered several goblin clans and turned them into slave warriors, and began a crusade to claim the entire Gods’ Ride River basin and its rich lands. Hazhgol’s deadly worg-chariots swept into the river lands and descended on the Elitani-i-pani.
Over generations, the Elitan-i-pan had grown into a highly religious people devoted to the Ethtuwate faith and its pantheon. While the confederation’s warriors rode out to face the warlord, their priests remained behind to seek guidance and wisdom and to read the omens and cast their various objects of divination. Even powerful spells brought mixed and ambiguous results, and initial engagements with the orcs and goblins proved unsuccessful. The old Hundaei mobile tactics of hit, run, withdraw, then attack from a different direction were frustrated by goblin wolf-riders and ended, at best, in bloody draws with casualties on both sides. Still, Hazhgol’s horde advanced despite the Elitans’ best efforts to resist him.
Consensus came to the meditating priests when a common thread developed in their visions and omen readings. All signs pointed to the old ruins at Pan-ni-Rikam-Po (the Cursed Ruins of Stone), the remains of the only great city ever built by the Hundaei, the place that had served as the capital of the Great Khans in the glory days of the Invincible Horde and the endless wars with Hyperborea. Dreams revealed that a great weapon lay there, one sufficient to defeat Hazhgol and shatter his horde. It seemed imperative that some hero venture to the old city, brave its dangers, and retrieve the weapon, whatever it was.
There was one problem — after the city had been devastated in the great Hundaei civil war, it was declared cursed by the surviving khans. Entry was absolutely forbidden on pain of death to both Hundaei and outsiders. This prohibition remained even so many long generations after, and all knew that anyone who ventured into the ruin would do so at the cost of his or her life.
Nevertheless, it seemed that the only answer to the crisis lay at the heart of the forbidden city, and a call went out to the warriors of Elitan to volunteer.
Despite the tolerant nature of the Ethtuwate faith, breaking ancient tribal taboos was a difficult, if not impossible, task for even the boldest warrior. Only a handful responded, and of these, the omens and divinations favored only one — a young man named Tahtona from the Mua-chae clan. When the council of priests announced that he had been chosen, Tahtona spent the next day fasting and meditating upon what lay ahead. He was not an experienced warrior and had fought in only a few skirmishes, but he had felt a compulsion to answer the priests’ call and now faced his fate with stoic resolve.
Alone, Tahtona ventured into the forbidden ruins. What took place in Pan-ni-Rikam-Po is not known, for he did not share his story with anyone. All that is known is that after nearly a fortnight Tahtona emerged clad in the lacquered armor of a chieftain, polished and gleaming, backed with fine silk, looking new and untouched. He bore a black horn bow, a quiver of arrows that seemed to radiate dark energy, and a pair of lances with heads of strange glassy material. He spoke little but assured his friends that he was still the young and vital Tahtona. He had, however, seen his destiny, and he emphasized that the ruins were still forbidden.
The young warrior, now somehow transformed into a mighty war chief, gathered the clans to him and called upon them to meet Hazhgol in battle. Soon the entire Elitan-i-Pan Confederation rode forth to seek out the orcish horde. Hazhgol seemed drawn to them and eagerly responded, his chariots in the lead, supported by hordes of screaming goblin archers.
The battle that came to be called Bloody Grass was the greatest since the coming of the Shadow Horde. At first, the orcs had the upper hand as their chariots cut through the Elitani riders and the goblins held them at bay with volleys of small but deadly red-feathered arrows. But soon the tide began to turn. The chariots were stopped and cut to pieces, and the goblins fled, leaving Hazhgol and his worg cavalry to advance for the final confrontation. Cunningly, the orcish warlord sent his swift goblin wolf-riders around the flanks in an attempt to envelop the Elitani, but the Shattered Folks’ own light cavalry countered, and the battle began to sprawl over the vast plains.
It was then that Tahtona advanced alone against the horde. Those who saw him claimed that as he rode, he grew in stature, and that the spirits of ancient Hundaei warriors rode with him, mounted on the shades of the old Hu-Soncala, the legendary horses of the old days. It was said that Tahtona’s lance impaled dozens with each strike and that his black arrows slew hundreds with each shot. The Spirit Host, as it came to be called in legend, cut through their enemies. Mighty orcish warriors, renowned for their morale and fanaticism, fled in terror until only Hazhgol and his bodyguard remained. Tahtona rode at the orcish chieftain.
The battle that followed is said to have gone on for hours. Some stories say that the sun itself stood motionless in the sky as the two battled. Neither gave ground and neither asked for quarter, for they both knew that the outcome of the great battle hinged on this single fight. Swords and lances clashed, armor was battered, and blood was shed.
In the end, the two warriors stood dismounted, near exhaustion, weapons still clashing. Then it is said that a strange thing happened. Both combatants paused, their gazes locked, their rage transforming into an expression of acceptance, recognition, and — strangely — respect. As if by mutual agreement, the warriors raced at each other, simultaneously piercing each other’s hearts and dying together, locked in eternal combat. The orcish warlord was overthrown, and the brave Tahtona paid the price for his violation of ancient taboo.
As expected, the loss of their leader disheartened the horde as subordinate chieftains began to fight for control and dominance. By the time the sun set, the orcs and goblins had been driven from the field of battle and, though they had suffered terribly, the Elitan-i-pan emerged victorious.
The confederacy recovered from their losses at Bloody Grass and slowly rebuilt its numbers and kept The Plains relatively secure. As always, the steppes were never fully at peace, for raids and territorial conflicts continued. The ghosts and undead who trouble the rest of the region are present here as well, including shades and vengeful spirits called forth from the old battlefield at Bloody Grass, and clan priests or warriors must often be dispatched to deal with them. All the same, the union of the various folk prove successful, and the Elitani forged a secure and relatively stable nation.
Then in the year 3262 I.R., Elitani scouts reported making contact with foreigners on the shores of the Devil’s Tail. It was the Castorhagi trader Provision on a mission to contact the indigenous peoples of the steppes to possibly establish trade relations. To the Castorhagi captain’s infinite relief, these descendants of the fearsome Hundaei proved friendly, open, and willing to talk. Within a few years, Castorhagi trade settlements were established, and mercantile traffic began to flow.
While the years of isolation and persistent bitterness over the long war with Hyperborea hardened many of the Shattered Folk and reinforced their xenophobia, the Elitani had, in creating their confederacy, sown the seeds of forward-thinking diplomacy. While they retained many of the old traditions, the Elitan-i-pan were open to new ideas. In the years since contact, some clans have begun to transition to a more settled economy, building permanent or semi-permanent villages and farms in some of the more fertile regions of the God’s Ride basin, and the inflow of foreign goods, ideas, and faiths has affected some of these communities. Foreign missionaries have visited the region but, as with the Campacha of the south, the Elitan refuse to forsake their faith and instead incorporate other gods and religious traditions into their complex and highly adaptable religious life.
Religion
One of the unifying factors of the Elitan-i-pan Confederacy is its religious practices. They are far more devout and mystical than their Campacha cousin to the south and revere the Sky-God under the name Nah-ki-at. Omens, prophecies, and divination by a number of means (spells, casting of dice or stones, entrail-reading, and the like) are practiced with great reverence and given significant credence by all, even the most powerful local chieftains. Priests wield considerable influence in Elitan society, but usually act as advisors, mediators, and counselors, and rarely get involved in clan politics or rulership.
Trade and Commerce
The Elitan-i-pan’s primary exposure to the world beyond The Haunted Steppes is due to their trade relationship with the City-State of Castorhage. For nearly three centuries, goods have flowed from the two major Castorhage trade cities along the Elitani Coast, exchanged for local goods, foodstuffs, and especially horses. Over the years, the sturdy steppe horses bred by the Elitani for export have grown popular throughout eastern Akados and recently found their way into the Xha’en Hegemony through the Castorhagi trade missions on the Bream Islands.
Loyalties and Diplomacy
The confederacy maintains diplomatic relations with other clans and alliances of the Shattered Folk, including the southern alliance of the Campacha. Until the arrival of the Castorhagi, that was all that the Elitani needed. Today, they have taken tentative steps toward contact beyond the borders of the steppes, as a handful of Elitani have visited Reme, Castorhage, Foere, and the Xha’en Hegemony. So far, the Elitani maintain full relations with only the Castorhagi, but the other powers of the region have seen the city-state’s successes and have increased their efforts to establish diplomatic ties.
For their part, the Elitan welcome the attention. Most feel that the old xenophobic attitudes are part of the past, since most of their ancient enemies are long since extinct. A few holdouts resist the encroachment of the outside world, but they are a distinct minority.
Government
More than a dozen clans make up the Elitan-i-pan Confederacy, each led by its own khan, chieftain or, in the case of the Mora-tahn (Storm Hawk) clan, a trio of high priestesses. The many different clans represent different traditions and practices, a factor that the confederacy’s founder, Khan Elanghus, recognized when he first proposed the new alliance. Cultural and religious exchanges between the different clans helped lessen these differences, and though the various groups retained many differences, they also managed to forge a common identity.
Constructing a unified rulership was a challenge, for every clan felt it was best qualified to lead. In the end, the chiefs all came together and decided that the confederacy’s High Khan would be a rotating office chosen once every five years from among the leaders of the various clans. A single khan could not serve two consecutive terms, and a new khan would be chosen by vote of the other khans. The khan thus chosen would be the confederacy’s paramount leader, though in important matters that affect multiple clans, the khan’s decisions must be ratified by a majority vote of the other khans. This system has persisted, with various modifications and adjustments, over several centuries and continues to this day.
Military
The Elitani retain the traditional Hundaei values and, as with other clans, all are trained in the arts of war, and all able-bodied warriors are called up to serve should the region ever be threatened. Each clan has its own specialty — some are scouts, others are expert horse archers, while others serve as armored lancers capable of standing up even to the steel-clad knights of other nations. The High Khan traditionally commands the confederacy’s military, but unless the khan is especially capable, he or she generally appoints an experienced veteran as general.
Major Threats
Conflicts still rage on the steppes — with smaller, rival clans of the Shattered Folk, with humanoid tribes, and with the undead or unnatural creatures that continue to stalk The Plains in the wake of the raising of the Wizard’s Wall. As always, the greatest threat still slumbers in the far north in the form of the vanquished Shadow Horde. No one can say whether the horde will one day return, but anyone who is familiar with the history of Akados knows that evil is never truly defeated, and that it is usually only a matter of time before it rises again.
Region
Elitan-i-Pan Confederation
Type
Political, Confederation
Controlled Territories
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