Khadagarian

The barbaric, nomadic people of the land of Khadagar and its Wild Steppes

Description

The harsh and feared people who dwell in the lands of Khadagar to the east of the Great Gyatsoshin Desert and North of the lands of Cheolt, Khadagarians are a people demonized in the rumors and legends spoken of them by others - rumors which speak of them as canniablistic barbarians who eat humans and other creatures whole in mere minutes - who conquer and crush all in their path as brutal, unwashed savages. Whatever the rumors may say, however, the truth remains - these fur-wearing brutal nomads are some of the most violent and roughshod people in all the world. Their great tribes tend to be consisted of many different bloodlines and families, and though in ancient times they were all disparate and fought against one another, they have since united into massive hordes, which are made up of countless tribes that form together into one collective whole.

Appearance

Khadagarian dress has changed little since their most ancient roots, because it is supremely well-adapted to the conditions of life on the steppes of Khadagar and the daily activities of nomads - their traditional garb is a long, loose gown cut in one piece with the sleeves, with a high collar and that widely overlaps at the front, typically also girdled with a sash. Their skin can range from fair-skinned to dark, but tends to land somewhere in the middle or lean towards fair-skinned.
Their hair is typically braided - even that of the men and women alike - while men typically shave the tops and sides of their heads and leave only a short 'forelock' in front and the long hair behind - the first haircut is typically seen as the first celebration for a child, typically around age three to five. These garments are sacred to their people, and are typically worn with loose trousers beneath or in some cases skirts(Men and women can wear either). Specific ethnic groups living in Khadagar distinguish itself by the unique cut, color, and trimming on these traditional garments.

History

Perhaps one of the most ancient of all the ethnicities on Zheng-Kitar, Khadagarians trace their roots back hundreds and even thousands of years to the first nomadic tribes of the Khadagarian Steppes, who first pioneered modern Khadagarian culture and were legendary for their conquests, battles, and heroism - Khadagarians have a lot of epic heroes and tales of heroism from this ancient time, as well as many songs and cultural stories and tales.
Chiefmost of these tales is the legend of Khaasin Baatar - the great Khadagarian Warlord who united the nomadic tribes of the steppes and founded the commonwealth so long ago - conquering the entire region beneath the trampling hooves of his nomadic legions, he ushered in a new era for Khadagar and brought unity and clarity of purpose to them one and all, though he is universally vilified as a sadistic warlord by non-Khadagarians. Their history has endured for thousands of years in the songs of the Khadagarian Skalds and Songmakers, who pass down their history through word of mouth, tales, songs, and the like - their history is a timeless one they hold in extremely high regard, and to vilify it or speak bad of it is practically an invitation for violence.

Culture

Khadagarian culture is a thing simultaneously steeped deeply in tradition yet rooted in the modern era - the people of Khadagar have changed little in many ways from the distant days of of Khaasin Baatar - horses are an integral part of their culture, as to the nomadic Khadagarians much of their lives is often spent on horseback, Horses thusly have always played an important role in their daily lives as well as in the arts, from the raising of the horses of the Khadagarian Steppes to the breeding and riding of them, all are treasured equally and have led to Khadagarian Horses being considered some of the best in the world. Khadagarians have traditional families, and tend to live together in the same tribe or area - their families are typically one husband and one wife, with their children often staying near their parents after birth and sometimes leaving to make their own way in the world later in life. Blood matters inherently to them, and one's family is often seen as one's most prized possession - to be protected and cherished above most all other things.
Songs and Music play an incredibly vital part of Khadagarian Culture as well - they are a medium to express one's deepest feelings, from love for parents and homesickness to righteous anger - and thus muscians, skalds, and bards are treated with reverence moreso in Khadagar than anywhere else, for to the Khadagarians music and word of mouth is their people's entire history. Hospitality is also incredibly important to the Khadagarians - so much so that it is typically taken for granted in their homeland. It is considered common and normal to accept strangers into one's tent or home should they need shelther, to put others up in times of need, to provide food and drinks to visitors, to be kind to others, and more - Hospitality is the norm in their nomadic culture. They are very in-tune with the land and are often avid hunters, especially on horseback, and live free, nomadic lives preferring meat-based diets with heavy and rich spices and seasonings - Khadagarian Cooking is best described as "Barbarian Food" - most hearty and delicious, but perhaps lacking in social decorum. Feasts are great celebrations and events to them as well, and mealtime to a Khadagarian is a time for consumption and relish - no place for manners or decorum. Hence, they tend to eat the loudest, chew noisily, belch, and drive others away while they eat due to their lack of manners.
Because of this, Khadagarian 'Barbarism' can best be likened to a complete lack of awareness or care to social constructs - they generally care nothing for decorum, pretense, or most norms of a civilization - they are a people with no filter, who belch, laugh, run, kill, and love as they wish - and likewise, this can be seen as the cause of their questionable hygiene, as the common Khadagarian belief holds that 'Better a Battlefield than a Bath': saying that hygiene matters little in the end, when more useful ways to use one's time exist. So rather than malice(Though in many, it might be present), for many Khadagarians their barbarism is the result of their simple, uncaring lifestyles - lived with no regards to norms or standards in the slightest.
They have somewhat of a reputation for being averse to bathing - and while the truth of the matter is not as extreme as many outsiders would like others to believe, it is true that many Khadagarians either are too nomadic and care nothing for hygiene, or sometimes outright avoid good hygiene out of tribal superstition - which does them no favors in being known as cannibalistic savages. Finally, they are above all a deeply spiritual people, who have no qualms about embracing freedom of worship - simple shamanism is most common amongst the Khadagarians, though many other religions can be found among their numbers as well.

Naming Conventions

Khadagarian names are unique, typically following Mongolian Naming Conventions, and usually consist of just two adjectives or nouns which, in their own language, forms a single word. These combinations are supposed to represent qualities of the child. Sometimes, children recieve negative names - this is typically done to mislead evil spirits who may have taken a previous child's life, such as Khünbish(Not alive) or Enebish(Not this one). Their surnames are tyically patronymic - meaning the father's name tends to be used as a surname.

Male Names

Khünbish, Taragai, Suyiketu, Jetei, Okin Barkhagh, Khaidu

Female Names

Enebish, Yesui, Alan Ghoa, Maral, Bayarma, Sechen

Surnames

Not listed here. Surnames tend to just be Male Names, so see above.

Encompassed species

• Dragonborn
• Guīmogoa
• Hobgoblin
• Orc
• Tortle

Related Organizations

• Khadagan Commonwealth

Related Myths

• Drowning Damara
• The Bagbeasts

Curses/Expletives

"Lavshkhoi" - The most famous curse word in Khadagarian culture that has no Common equivalent. It's actual, true meaning is "Oversleeping", but is often used as a curse word so often it has lost all actual meaning. Each Khadagarian would likely give you a different 'meaning'.
"Khurzdi" - Another popular Khadagarian curse widely used. Similar to "fuck" or "shit", has a literal meaning of pussy/vagina.
"Khaasin's Wall!" - An expletive phrase best likened to "Son of a bitch" or "God damn". Also spoken as "Reaper's Wall!".

Compliments

"Noisy" - A very common compliment in Khadagarian culture that, when given, means something is nice, awesome, cool, or just plain good.
"Straight Flappin'" - A compliment used to refer to someone generous and open with their house, home, and belongings. If someone is "Straight Flappin", they're generous or just did something nice or selfless. When used to refer to an event, oneself, or an object, it can mean an unexpected windfall of luck or fortune.
"A true rider" - An enormous compliment to Khadagarians used to refer to one who embodies Khadagarian virtues. Also used to refer to a truly good person, or a best friend. If someone calls you a True Rider, they trust you completely and consider you very close to them.
"Tablebasher" - A compliment used to refer to someone who's just great fun to be around. Someone or something that's riotously fun, probably full of alcohol or other narcotics. A life of the party, or a really fun event. If someone or something's a real tablebasher, that speaker is enjoying them immensely or thinks they'll be real fun.
"Hoofhead" - A compliment used to refer to someone good with animals, or someone who is a fantastic horseback rider.
"Spiced" - A generic compliment used to refer something that's simple yet beautiful or desirable. A term of endearment for beauty or attractiveness when used for people, but depending on context can also mean platonically cool-looking or slick.

Insults

"Free-lipper" - An insult unique to Khadagarian culture that implies someone is too generous with their compliments, or has ulterior motives behind what they say. A manipulator or schemer. Born out of a Khadagarian tradition of offering up a belonging a visitor compliments in exchange for a gift of their own.
"Leadfoot" - An insult used to refer to a stick in the mud. A boring person, or someone behind the times. Also used to someone who wants to or has escaped "the life" - AKA Nomadic Culture, or those who want to settle down.
"Polished" - An enormous insult to Khadagarians that insinuates that one is too cultured and/or too caring of societal norms. Implies one is not cut out for the rough and tumble barbaric life of Khadagarians, and would be better suited to a nice, calm city free of danger and barbarism. Will get you punched or stabbed if thrown around willy-nilly.
"Mongrel" - An insult used to refer to someone too concerned with honor, or someone who is too uptight. Can also mean someone who is disillusioned or deluding themselves. Can be used as an affectionate insult to friends.
"Shaved" - Another huge insult that insinuates that one has been tamed somehow - that they have lose the barbaric, wild spark inherent to Khadagarians. A term for city-slickers or outsiders, as well.
"Tenthopper" - An insult used to refer to one who sleeps around, and/or who is unfaithful to their family or spouse. One who cannot stay loyal or faithful to a cause or person for too long, or an indecisive person.

Turns of Phrase

"Better a battlefield than a bath" - A common Khadagarian saying emphasizing the merits of battle and war over hygiene, strictly speaking. Has also come to colloquially mean "Better to do something you enjoy that's dangerous than something that's safe or that you don't enjoy".
"The spice went to his head" - A Khadagarian way of saying someone's doing something stupid or that they're just plain dumb.
"Ride with wind" - A common Khadagarian farewell.
"Riding the long road" - A saying commonly used to refer to the dead. "The Long Road" is a Khadagarian way of referring to the afterlife.
"A true river raider" - A saying used to refer to someone with an inflated ego or sense of importance.
"Might as well scale the wall while you're at it" - A common Khadagarian saying meaning something's impossible, unobtainable, or just plain ridiculous a notion.