Hursug-ulu

The Hursug-ulu, literally meaning the *People of the Hills* in the Hursug tongue, is a migratory group of humans that hail from the mountains they call "God's Teeth". They have no form of written language, but their oral traditions state that the God ***DIĜIR*** willed that his subjects have voice on the surface of *Alatra,* the Hursug word for the Earth.

Religion is extremely important to the Hursug people. Legend dictates that ***DIĜIR*** saw the sorry state of humanity upon *Alatra,* and consequently gave the Hursug people legitimacy to execute his will to protect his *lesser-kin,* or flock of yet-unknowing followers. The faith is collectively called *Dagirianism*.

Dagirianism is to be noted for its aggressive policy of Human Supremacy. In the Hursug tongue, this is the important tenent of *Ulu-ghuisey*. According to Hursug legend, in the far-ancient past, humanity was at the mercy of so-called 'beastial creatures' that resembled many facets of humanity but did not 'share the same human capacity for compassion, logic, and reason.' Hursug people call those who mate with non-humans *ckyeong-hul,* or 'Mixed Blood'.

Hursug society and religion is led by a *Wong,* literally meaning 'King'. Though the society is patriarchical and titles are passed down from son-to-son, Hursug political theory dictates that whoever can secure the will of ***DIĜIR*** is the rightful *Wong* of the Hursug-ulu. In other words, whoever manages to secure enough power amongst the *Ulu* is the legitimate successor to the one who came before. This makes Hursug-ulu society adept at change, though often times chaotic, as whoever manages to become ***DIĜIR's*** next servant on *Alatra* has to 'fulfill his will'. In other words, the *Ulu* must be satisified.

The Hursug-ulu have gone through many waves of migrations before, crossing the Teeth of God many times in search of the local fauna and evading much outside interaction. However, recently the prey have started to move out of the mountains. Additionally, the Hursug-ulu's neighbors, few in number as they may be, have started to seriously outcompete the Hursug-ulu's ability to reasonbly expect to throw them off if an attack was to come. Subsequently, just ten years ago, a new Wong ascended to power after deposing the previous King in a short but bloody coup in an attempt to remove conservatives from the Council of Elders and promote a movement of the people far grander than attempted in the past - towards a brighter horizon, and potentially a new homeland.

## History

It is said that before the Hursug-ulu existed, there was one Kingdom called *Gomaki* under the wise rule of the *Chotang*, the First King. For centuries, he ruled the people of *Atara* with a fair hand, giving prosperity to the masses, and through his supernatural powers, instigating ethnogenisis to create different types of people across the Earth.

However, the Chotang was conspired against by a figure known only in the traditions of the Hursug-ulu as the *Nabsin.* The Nabsin was once a man, but jealous of the Chotang's powers, conspired with an entity known as the *Hulngal.* Not much is known about this entity other than that it was a power that was outside the bounds of the immortal Chotang's ability to control. The *Nabsin* mated with the *Hulngal,* creating the first of *Ckyeong-hul.* Angry at this, the Chotang demanded Nabsin's head, but the Nabsin fled to the edges of the earth with the *Hulngal,* growing their power and waiting for the perfect time to strike against the Chotang.

As it would seem, the Chotang was not immortal after all. After the creation of the first *Ckyeong-hul,* the King appeared to weaken in health day by day. It is said that for one hundred days and one hundred nights the Kingdom's finest doctors and healers spent time with him, desperately trying to help him recover. Their efforts would prove to be futile. On the one-hundreth night, the King passed away, his spirit ascending to the Sky above Atara, turning into the God ***DIĜIR.***

The Nabsin pounced on the opportunity, and together with the Hulngal bred hundreds of different *Ckyeong-hul* into an army to terrorize the Kingdom which had fallen into chaos. It is in this period where the Hursug-ulu enter the picture.

Legend says that the Hursug-ulu descend from a noble family related to the Chotang. During the King's thousand-year reign they were his most trusted advisors and closest companions. Several wives were chosen from the Hursug-ulu's ancestors.

However, the Hursug-ulu were unprepared to face such a catastrophe wreaked by the Nabsin. Still rocked with grief from the King's passing, the Hursug-ulu's ancestors fled their homeland of *Gomaki* into the hills now known as the God's Teeth. From their mountain respites, they could only watch as all they knew burned around them. The period of the *Nabsin*'s rule is colloqiually known as the Great Suffering, which according to the Hursug-ulu, lasted for several thousand years. It wasn't until the re-appearance of the Chotang, now known as ***DIĜIR,*** that the evil reign of the Nabsin was put to an end, and humanity was freed from the shackles of the Nabsin's tyranny. The Hursug-ulu's history states that the effects of his reign still pollute Alata and that his influence and his breed must be wiped from the Earth, and so many within Hursug society still claim that the era of Great Suffering is still upon the world. Those who believe this are a conservative faction within the Hursug-ulu called *Zalagists*.

For the past one-hundred years, the Zalagists have ruled the Hursug-ulu with relative political security, but their unrivalled influence has come to an end. Ten years ago, a young man named Ghalasu from the *Jina* family rose in fame and popularity among the clans through his firey speeches at monthly Moon Festivals, telling of the technological superiority of the neighboring Kingdoms, their wealth and riches. He told the leaders of several clans of the power of Bronze, and of the recent rise of several neighboring realms. His speeches were at once gravitating and horrifying for the Hursug-ulu, who were attracted to his clairvoyant view of the future of the Hursug-ulu if they were to continue stagnating under the rule of the Zalagists.

Ghalasu led a coup against the Zalagists in Winter, establishing himself and his followers as the *Isatists,* progressives within the Hursug Kingdom, throwing off a balance that had kept society relatively in-order for many decades. With the conservative Zalagists gone, Ghalasu now looked at the outside world with a new outlook, ready to face its challenges head-on.

## Religion

Hursug-ulu religion is heavily centered around the concept of Human exceptionalism, proven through complex rituals of self-sacrifice and tenacity that, according to the Hursug-ulu, 'can only be accomplished by men of pure soul and flesh'. This is the central idea of Dagirianism.

Dagirianism is monotheistic, and accepts no other Gods. Unlike other religions, Dagirianism does not give clear explanations of the reasons behind natural phenomena, the origin of humanity, or a clear meaning in the world other than to purify it of non-human elements. There are no priests, however, those who have succeeded in aging past the age of seventy are typically awarded the honor of being those who lead ceremony and rituals that are designed to worship ***DIĜIR***.

***DIĜIR*** is the most important figure in Hursug society. According to many, He set first the laws by which men must behave according to. More than anything else, he acts as a unifying figure in Hursug-ulu, which has many dividing elements between clans, families, and neighbors. One of the most important elements of Dagirianism is strict adherence to the elder-youngling relationship, with those being older having higher status than others.

There are two religious festivals associated with Dagirianism: the Moon Festival, and the yearly Sun Festival.

The Moon Festival is a celebration of the passing of the phases of the Moon. Typically this is used for setting political agendas in individual clans, declaring marriages, and announcing other important things.

The Sun Festival is held in the darkest month of the year, despite its name. It is a celebration of ***DIĜIR***'s ascent to the Sky, as well as an appreciation for the light and warmth in the world. Massive feasts are prepared by the Clans in their individual *sietchjoks* and many make the trek to the current resting place of the Wong and his Council of Elders to pay homage to the King and prepare for the *Digirchuekaltam.*

### Zalag versus Isat

Dagirianism has one major religious divide among its followers, that being over the question of "Is the World still in the age of the Great Suffering (gal-hudim)". The answer to this question leaks over into Hursug politics as well, with those saying that the world still is in the *Gal-hudim* being of the Zalag (lit. "the Light") being against outward movements, and those of the Isat (lit. "the Fire") being for the movement of the people.

## Government

The head of the Hursug-ulu is the Wong. A Council of Elders, appointed by the Wong himself, serves as advisory help and religious assistance. Those who serve on the council are first appointed by their local villages/*sietchjok* (clan). In total there are thirty notable clans, and every year a maximum of twelve elders are allowed to be selected.

Sietchjoks usually govern themselves as permitted by ***DIĜIR's*** specific oral laws. Because they are oral traditions, sometimes disagreements can happen between clans or even within clans themselves. These disagreements are settled usually by the Council, but if the issue is particuarily bad, the complaint can be submitted to the Wong himself.

Every year the Wong is required to display his capacity to rule in a ritual called the *'Digirchuekaltam'.* In front of all the clans and the Council of Elders, the Wong proves his ability to channel the will of God by recounting his accomplishments for the past year, his failures, and his predictions for next year. Once this is done, the ritual ends by all the Clans submitting their yearly accomplishments and giving tribute to the Wong for his continued work.

## Economy

Hursug-ulu's economy relies primarily on hunting, fishing, trapping, and the raiding of smaller human and non-human communities that surround or inhabit the God's Teeth. As a result, they have little knowledge of metallurgy themselves and rely on bartering or stealing for bronze tools.

The Hursug-ulu have domestic a short but stocky breed of Horse that they call *Malranse*. The Malranse Horse is very good at climbing mountains, similar to goats, and has a mean and short temper, making them difficult for those with no knowledge of their behavior to contain them in pens, let alone try and tame it. However, in Hursug-ulu society, Malranse grow up alongside their human companions and become life-long friends. Those who ride the Malranse are called *Umtaghisu,* who are considered to have been bestowed with a great honor when being selected for the position by their local tribal council. Usually, the position goes to the fittest male child of a family, or sometimes just the eldest son. Families who have been selected many generations in a row for Umtaghisu-hoodship are called *Myanghyeumtaghisu*, or 'the Honored Riders'.

## Military

The men of the Hursug-ulu are extremely hardy due to living in harsh conditions in the mountains for many hundreds of generations. Their close connection with the land gives their soldiers unrivaled ability to scout, forage for food, and lay ambushes. Their organization, however, is extremely lacking, and in any open battle they would likely crumble to a more organized and sophisticated army.

The Umtaghishu, or Riders, number in the few hundred. These men are considered to be the elite of the Hursug-ulu. Masters of bow and spear on bare horse-back, they train their entire life in service for their sietchjok.

The rest of the army can be generally labelled as nomadic spearmen, as that is their primary weapon of choice. Some from older and richer clans that are able to afford bronze weaponry taken from abroad like to do so when they can. Each soldier is expected to pay for his own equipment, forage for his own food with some exceptions, and so on. The Wong is the sole commander of the army, though historically he would give sub-command positions to close political allies or other prestigious clans when the army was large enough to require it.