Äbädä and the land of Ebren

Äbädä and the land of Ebren

Äbädä, also called Äbädäian, are Halflings known in eastern Domhanda who inhabit the land of Ebren northeast of Chevalionne and due west of Aurune, where the lush temperate forests meet the icy planes of the north. They have inhabited the area since time immemorial, they began as tribes competeing with each other until the time of great changes also known as the time of the Tzar.

Unified under a single ruler, the self proclaim Tzar Tombe Kubrat, the Äbädäs constituted a powerful entity known to the others as Great Äbädäia, with the Kuban River as its southern frontier. After Kurbrat’s death his five sons ruled as a council and successfully made the Äbädä a force to be reckoned with. Where in other lands the halflings live under the rule of others, this halflings nation grew strong, its people have a clearly defined sense of unity as a nation and the pride that goes with it and strong military traditions.

Kurt’s son Kotrag avoided the Dars keeping away from the mountians and moving the people to the north, the halflings where able to survive on the limited resources and had brokered good relations with Chevalionne and maintained itself in prosperity. The key to their success however was the councils refusal to let the culture be swallowed by that of others. Rules were put in place as regards clothing, food, religion and these rules are adherred to still today.

Social structure
The Äbädäs have well-developed clan and military administrative system of "inner" and "outer" tribes, governed by the ruling clan. They have many titles nd the distinction between titles which represented offices and mere ornamental dignities was somewhat vague. The Äbädäs do not have an easily defined nobility apart from the council members and as such their leaders and common men became noblemen on the battle field, indicating social mobility. Tribute-paying sedentary vassals, dwarves, lesser outcast Dar tribes, even Chevalionne peasantry living nearby made up a great deal of the Äbädäs coinage

The ruler title in Äbädä was Tzar however since the five sons formed a council the title has fall out of use for the time being. The kavhan was the second most important title in the realm, seemingly chief official this was the title of the head of the council. Members of the upper social class and military bore the title Boila. The nobility was divided onto small and great boilas. The great boilas occupied military and administrative offices in the state as well the council where they gathered for decisions on important matters of state. Small Boilas were the lesser class of the nobility, and also a military class the equivalent of a captain.

Military and the Kilij
The Äbädäs military is based of fluid adaptive strategy and the use of feints. They never fight a battle on ground the enemy dictates if possible. They make use of animals , driving packs of war-wolves trained for battle, spear carrying bear Calvary, archers mounted on the backs of giant domesticate owls. They specialize in breaking up enemy lines and formations to live them vulnerable to their special soldiers known as the Kilij. The Kilij universally carry curved swords called Kilij from which they get their name with a Kukri in the other hand. They do not engage the enemy openly as rule and instead spring from ambush, they are trained to target enemy leaders to cause maximum confusion and fight as a unit taking each target down as a group.

They also act as scouts, recon and assassins, the Kilij are not however regarded as heroes, each of them has nothing to live for, each having a tragedy that has taken their family from them or a criminal given the choice between service as a Kilij. Each is a dead man walking, joining the Kilij is service forever until death. No honors are given until one of them has died if appropriate. They are excluded from main society with the exception of whoever is chosen to lead them and are often given nigh impossible tasks that often leads to their death.

Society

Äbädäs have a non-typical nomadic society in which the males migrated seasonally in pursuit of good pastures with the herds of goats and elk, while the women managed economic and cultural interaction within the sedentary settlements
They have mastered the crafts of blacksmithing, pottery, and carpentry. In their society the tribes and families were political organizations based on kinship, with diffused power. Tribes developed according the relation with sedentary states. In a nomadic state the nomad and sedentary integration was limited, and usually had vassal tribute system this was to prevent the occurrence of raiding and risking open war.

When the Äbädäs arrived in the Domhanda centuries ago, their first generations probably still lived a nomadic life in tents mounted to carts, but they began to build sunken-featured building of rectangular plan and sedentary or seasonal lifestyle they are now known for.

They dress in heavy woolen clothes made from the wool of a time of large wooly goat that inhabits the land. They wear drab colored clothes made for wear and tear and favor the Kukri as their weapon of choice. They have a great deal of affection for dogs and breed several types some even used as light cavalry. The men grow large thick breads and the women braid their hair in a number of exquisite not easily replicated styles. They are a fierce determined people, quick to word and quicker to action.

Their love of animals is a key part of their society and animal husbandry is a skill each of them has knowledge in, people come from other lands to purchase their hunting dogs and herds for food. The Äbädäs have an uncanny knack and are known as veterinarians beyond reproach. Some make a healthy living as trainers of wild beasts and the knights of Chevalionne often approach the Äbädäs for expert advice on breeding warhorses.

Religion.
Shamanism and Druidism are the main systems of belief among them and worship of non-Äbädäs deities is forbidden by the council. The coastal communities worship Acionna or Mitauetus and the inland communities tend to strictly stay within the confines of the old ways. Preservation of their culture is paramount to them and this is the reason for the laws forbidding the worship of "foreign" beings.

The Black Sun
The Äbädäs suffered terribly during this time, without the stores to call upon and the death of many herds starvation became common, many fled their homeland to the Ruarstead some to Chevalionne and others to the sea where they managed to scrape by as fishermen. It has taken them a long time to recover as a people with several prominent tribes dying out and the predations of the cult of the Black Sun rife.