The Herds and Factions of Hireath

## Aodh, the Fire Herd

The Aodh herd live in Eithne, and their patron deity is Ignacio.

Famously hedonistic and devoted to individualism, Aodhians are proud, innovative, and fiercely passionate. Traditionally classist, recent years have seen the ladder to success grow more accessible but the line between nobility, commoners, and slaves remains distinct and nearly impossible to cross. Aodhians consider themselves the ideal and dismiss other herd horses as uncultured, barbaric entities, a belief that absolves the them of any immediate guilt when participating in the slave trade. Materialism is a cultural virtue and being performative with both your appearance and actions is not uncommon nor unexpected, especially among the higher ranking classes. Most Aodhians live in the grand city of Valore, the largest metropolis in Hireath.

## War-Forged, the Earth Herd

The War-Forged live in Onea, and their patron deity is Kaia.

Gruff, pugnacious and self-sufficient, the Forged are currently united as one herd under War Lord Hira, after centuries existing in segregated familial clans of varying sizes and influence. Although the Forged have a reputation in other herds as being uneducated, simplistic brutes, intellectual prowess is lauded, and complex, strategy-based games are a staple in households over the long winter months. There is no class system, but every equine is expected to pull their own weight, for the continent of Onea is brutal, and the herd has little use for those who do not contribute. Centuries of rigid patriarchy have been smashed with the ascension of a female War Lord and the herd is divided between the past and the future, while enemies old and new nip at their flanks.

## Talori, the Water Herd

The Talori herd live in Aquore, and their patron deity is Cascade.

Proud, loyal, and cunning, the Talori are a nation shrouded in mystery. While often misunderstood, they  have a rich history and culture that defines them. It is said that after theGod’s War, Cascade sheltered her children away from the rest of Hireath, surrounding them by the deep, thick jungles of the Aquorian peninsula. The Talori had been secretive and isolated ever since, content to hide away in their lost cities that most outsiders will never see. Deeply spiritual and fixated on purity both inside and out, the Talori ways are mystical and rooted in thier religion. Clerics, Entertainers, and Philosophers are held in high societal regard, but none are as revered as the Emperor and his Officials.

## Breim, the Arcane Herd

The Breim (link to Breim Hub)  herd live in Sirith, and their patron deity is Argus.

Long thought of as a nation of quiet intellects; The Breim are a distrusting herd that remained sealed beneath the surface of Sirith for generations. Only recently brought to the surface, Most know very little about the isolated society (with fewer having even seen the capital,) and those that do are often shocked by the depth of culture and conflict they find. At odds for centuries, the Umare and the Kawaru have been dividing the herd down the middle, their views and goals strikingly different from what was once a united force.

### The Umare (Link to Umare lore)

The Umare are widely known as the main body of the **Breim Herd** and often confused as the whole of the herd itself. As such, the terms are often used interchangeably. The Umare are known for their dedication, intellect, traditions and values, the mining of gemstones, and distrust of outsiders. They are one of six playable main factions in Starborn Alignment.

### The Kawaru (Link to Kawaru Lore)

The Kawaru are sub-faction of the Breim Herd. The Kawaru are the outcasts of Breimian society who strive for progress and ingenuity, willing to go to extreme lengths and do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. They also worship Argus as their patron deity and revere the Arcane as their favored element.

## Serora, the Air Herd

The Serora herd live in Sedo, and their patron deity is Alya.

Serorans are hardy survivors, a family of mostly nomadic individuals joined together by their mutual love and respect for every member of their nation. Humble, accepting, and naive, these gentle horses are trusting of others to a sometimes dangerous fault. Though they make up the smallest population, they are not to be trifled with: every member has received some form of combat training, and their desert home is a frightful place to wage war. Their government is the only true democracy found in Hireath. The traditional Seroran would die for their virtues and the safety of another.

## The Vagabonds

The Vagabonds are unaffiliated horses, living outside of the herds.

A diverse group of equines, the Vagabonds live outside of Hireath's normal societies. Bound by nothing except for a rejection of (or possibly an ejection from) herd life, the Vagabond name is given to a wide variety of horses. Romantic bards, outlaw sellswords, mysterious nomads, revolutionaries, and more fall under the Vagabond umbrella. Though Vagabonds may have no home, these peculiar equines see the world in a way that the herds never could, and have freedom few can afford.