The Headhunters

The Headhunters (Vrâghadz) were a loose conglomeration of Nadûra-speaking Vreigardt tribes who inhabited the central Danderillon from the late fifteenth century onwards. They were aggressive and warlike, practiced ritual cannibalism, and engaged in headhunting, hence their name given by Lusken settlers. 
== Names and Language ==
In their Nadûra dialect, most Headhunters referred to themselves with their own clan names - for example khrûrshkhen (blood-drinking) , kârnanvren (forest-dwelling), khrovse (faithless)...
However, they differentiated themselves from other broad groups with the endonym Vrâghadz, which was cognate with the name of the Vreigardts, the broader ranging natives of the Danderillon - both mean free people or middle people (from free/middle - vrâ/vrei and people -ghadz/gardts). Calling themselves the 'free people' reinforced and implied their resistance to the Lusken colonialism. 
== Rituals and Practices ==
The main religious practices amongst the Headhunter clans were driven by the understanding that the brain was the source of power.
=== Vâra - the mana of the head ===
The tribes held a core belief that a creature's brain was the source of its power, being, essence, and magic (collectively akin to mana, varâ). This belief was so deeply held that in the dialect of Nadûra they spoke, the word for head and for strength/power was the same, varâ.
=== Varâthren - headhunting ===
The practice of varâthren, from varâ (mana) and thren (gerund of 'gather') refers to the practice of taking the heads of defeated enemies and hunted prey as trophies. The very term in Nadûra was translateable with 'essence-gathering'. Some members of the clans would display heads, scalps, ears, etc on their belts and cloaks, hanging from their horses, weapons, or homes. Fresh heads could be traded as commodities. The heads of great foes were used as war trophies or to intimidate foes. 
=== Ânînshkhen - ritual cannibalism ===
The practices surrounding the varâ went even deeper. Since mana essence was concentrated within the head, some (but not all) of the clans practiced ritual cannibalism. It was often deeply ingrained in their beliefs of how power was to be gained. This practice was known in Nadûra as ânînshkhen, from ânîn (soul) + shkhen (gerund of 'drink'). Soul-drinking involved eating the brain matter of a slain foe. This practice was believed to steal the power of the deceased, making the drinker more powerful. 
Some clans, including but not all of the ones who practiced cannibalism of enemies, also carried out funerary cannibalism, eating their dead friends or relatives' brains as a mark of respect after their passing and to carry their emotions and knowledge. This was known as mhôshkhen, from mhô meaning familial love or companionship. 
=== Zhu-ghâsh-kuru - skullfire ===
The terrible weakness of the Headhunter people came from their religious practices for great strength. It was known as Zhu-ghâsh-kuru, from the words zhu ʼ(agony), ghâsh (fire) and kuru (skullbone), and also known as 'Skullfire' to the Euluskans. Skullfire was a fatal, incurable, neurodegenerative prion disease, a form of TSE (transmissible spongiform encephalopathy). 
Skullfire was dormant for at least a few years to as many as fifty years, at which point it began taking hold and never went away until death. Its main symptom was cerebellar ataxia - loss of motor control, involuntary muscle contractions, and tremors. Kuru had a 100% fatality rate - the life expectance among Headhunter clans who practiced cannibalism was significantly lower.
Headhunter clans who practiced ânînshkhen of their enemies had low to medium occurrences and intensities of Skullfire disease, depending on if they often fought and ate other Headhunter cannibal clans. The clans that practiced mhôshkhen on their relatives and friends had much higher rates of Skullfire, because it would be rapidly propagated horizontally (among generations) and vertically (to the next generation if the elders suffered from it). Clans that practiced both ânînshkhen and mhôshkhen often lived short and afflicted lives, with life expectancies around 30 to 40 years, incredibly low. 
== History, Geography and Demography ==
The Headhunters were a collection of tribes formed of a multitude of orcs, orogs, ogres, trolls, goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears. They were quite un-unified, and there was often infighting amongst clans to get ahead. They migrated south into the Danderillon from the regions of Gildegra and the Yuren around 5,000 years before 0TE. They settled in the northern Anok basin, with rugged adaptations to the cold climate and harsh weather. Over the next few thousand years their tribes moved across the continent, settling all around the Anok marshes and up the east and west borders of the Forest of Firth by the present day (1900TE). 
By the year 300TE they were partway through that expansion, occupying the land along the east of Firth when the Lusken Empire began colonising the continent. The Headhunter Vreigardts offered the strongest resistance to this and were the stuff of infamous legend. Lusken soldiers were terrified of their perceived savagery and aggressiveness, and the Headhunters held on to the Anok Marshes through this time. After the fall of the Empire, the Headhunters occupied more land around Firth and its westerly border, and conglomerated/interbred with some of the Sword Vreigardt tribes around Erőd Warad, the fort they later invaded and took over in about 150PGW(1800TE) and renamed Headhunter itself.