The Ahmanians

From the Journal of Vibris Ceza

I, Vibris Ceza, have drawn the image above as I saw it in a forgotten cave, populated only by the remains of a long-dead warrior.
Let me tell you what I saw...

On my way to Wintershire, in Banern Province, I had stopped for the night and chose a campsite away from the road. I stamped down a flat area in the snow, more to keep my feet warm than out of any need for a large clearing, and made a bed of boughs. A cliff face on the opposite side bounced my fire's warmth back to me. I ate smoked fish from my shrinking food supply, curled up in my blankets, and slept as best I could in the cold. Which wasn't very well. I woke up often, too cold to sleep. All the wood in the forest could not have built a fire enough to keep me warm. I have never been so cold.
At first light, I stopped trying to sleep and huddled miserably wrapped around a tin cup of Vanasoom tea. With renewed determination to reach Wintershire before evening fell, I gazed across the clearing, praying the snow would hold off until I reached the village. Then something caught my eye.
Something across the clearing. 
The cliff face had been carved into shapes not made by the Gods. I set my cup down and plucked a small log from the fire's edge to serve as a torch. As I drew closer, I could see the cliff face had been sculpted into a kind of entryway for a dwelling, but parts of it had eroded and crumbled. But not more than five paces away, an opening had been cut into the base of the cliff. I had to lie on the cold ground to peer in, but of course, it was dark inside. I thrust the torch in as far as my arm would reach and peered in once more. I was astounded at what I saw!

It was a cave, whose walls had been decorated with paintings such as I have reproduced above. There were rudimentary figures, suns, images of animals, and more that I could not see. I moved the torch about to get some idea of what more was down there. Finally, I decided to investigate. I have never seen anything quite like what I saw that day.
I squirmed my way into the cave entrance, never wondering how I might get back out. Thankfully, it was not a big drop to the cave floor.
The walls held more images than I had seen from the entrance. A hunting scene that depicted stick figures with bows following creatures with antlers - deer I supposed. There was a sun above the hunters. The next set of images showed the animal on the ground with straight lines bristling from it. Arrows I would guess. All of these images seemed to tell the tale of a successful hunt.
I turned away from the wall and saw a low stone bench on the other side of the small cave. But it was what was on the bench that astounded me most of all.
A figure lay there.
I stepped closer and raised my torch for a little more light.
The figure lay covered by a long metal shield that had tarnished with the years. A warrior most likely. He had been well-preserved in the cold, and it was impossible to tell how long he had been there in his final rest. His skin had shrunken and pulled tight over his bones, but he still bore facial hair, and the hair attached to his skull was the shade of dark wood. A bow and a quiver of arrows had been tucked close to his side. He seemed to have been tall. Although the shield was long, it covered the warrior from his chest to just past his knees. His boots remained intact and on his feet, and from what I could see he had worn a leather tunic and pants, and a long wool coat when he had been interred here.
On the floor nearest his head were small unlidded pots containing a few coins. I've heard of various groups in Uclandia that did this as well. The coins are meant to pay for the spirit's entrance into the afterlife. I assumed these coins were meant for the same purpose. I dug into my bag and removed an Imperial Penny. Not much, but I intended respect with my small donation. I examined the cave a little more and concluded the art on the walls must have been a recounting of one of the warrior's successful hunts. I left soon after, although the small leap up to the opening and slithering back out was no easy feat!
Once outside, I rolled a nearby boulder into the cave's opening to provide the warrior inside with more privacy and security than he'd had. The boulder was not a tight fit, but it was the best I could do. Shortly thereafter, I extinguished my fire and made my way to Wintershire.

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Additional Note

Once I reached Wintershire, I sought out one who knew the history of the area best and was directed to the local inn.
One of the village Elders, Aetus, sat by the fire draining a mug. I bought her a mug of mulled cider and some sausage rolls, and introduced myself. I explained that I was an explorer mapping Uclandia, and asked her if she knew anything about Warrior-cultures in this region. She looked at me with a curious expression, and I told her of my discovery in the cave. After a few sausage rolls, she told me that as far as she knew, there were only a handful of Ahmanians left. She was the Eldest of them. There was a young lady of childbearing age in Wintershire that was their people's last hope. When prompted by another mug of cider, Aetus told me that they had been a proud people. Strong hunters and attractive women. The men were all given strong names that ended in "os", while the women's names ended in "is". It was just their way. They held fast to their loyalty to their Gods & Goddesses, their belief in an afterlife and in their legends.
It was her job, she said, to pass on their ways to that young woman.
When she grew silent, and her chin sank to her chest, I thanked her for her time and company, and went to arrange a room for myself.

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I have recorded here all that I have learned as it was related to me.
(many thanks to Cato for the cover image!)