The Nomads of the North

> *"They call us poor. Less civil. Little do they know, we are truly free."*
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Roaming in the Lightning country, there are various nomadic clans. Even though some of their settled countrymen don't consider them as wealthy, mighty or influential as the other settled clans, the nomads of the Lightning are far from being helpless. They are much like their settled counterparts split into various clans and groups.

## History

The common history of the nomads in the Lightning country is quite unknown. It is speculated by scholars and historians that various nomads once roamed into the Lightning country, marking a certain area of the present day country as their home. Another group debates that they are originating from people who didn't see much use in agriculture and preferred to continue the ancient traditions of their forefathers; roaming the land and embodying what they believe is true freedom - not to be shackled by a home that can't be taken with you.

There are some clans who have kept their own history well recorded. While many of the nomads don't know how to read or write, nor find it a particularly useful skill to survive and maintain their lifestyle, many of them have oral ways to remember and pass on their history. The Sato clan, are a great example.

Of course, there has been quite some interest for the nomadic clans. There have been various people that studied and wrote about them. Historians, scholars and even a poet or two, that was charmed by the idea of 'absolute freedom'. One must realise, however, that these sources aren't always trustworthy. Not all the settled clans in the north have a great and budding relationship with all the nomadic clans. And not all nomadic clans are the same. Various conflicts have been sparked in the past between the nomadic and settled clans over resources, land, distrust and other reasons. Some of those conflicts have given rise for grudges and feuds that the nomadic clans have with each other and the other (settled) clans in the Lightning country.

## Nomadic Clans

To think that one nomadic clan leads all the others is a common misconception among those who aren't entirely familiar with the nomadic clans. There are several nomadic clans that roam the Lightning country. Their leaders are expected to swear fealty to the daimyo and to obey his laws. Some of these nomadic clans are in practice the vassals of other clans - usually nomadic clans.

Much like their settled counterparts, the nomadic clans can differ greatly. A great example is to take the Sato and Kusanagi clan. Whereas the Kusanagi consider themselves to be great warriors, the people of the Sato seem to be less militant minded. It is as bad of an idea to think that two nomadic clans are entirely the same, much like how big of a mistake it is to think that the Hojo and Alaricus clans are alike.

### The Nomad Clan Meeting

Every two years, on the third week of August, the nomad clans meet on the fields in the south where there is a bit more space than in the mountainous area. This is a meeting to exchange goods, to meet people, gossip, arrange marriages and mix cattle. It is also a time where the leaders talk about new happenings in the past years. The event takes about a week because the clans never arrive at the same time. The meeting is to breed cohesion and settle disputes between the clans in a peaceful way - instead of resorting to violence. The judges are usually the most respect as oldest men and women, forming a temporary council to oversee that the disputes are settled according to tradition. The origin of this particular gathering is unknown, for many clans have claimed that they have founded this tradition.

### Known Clans

Here follows a list of known nomadic clans that roam the lands of the Lightning Country:

* The **Arulat Clan**, led by the chieftain Muge;

The Arulate clan is a relatively small nomadic clan that roams mostly the southern part of the Lightning Country. Their clan is in practice loyal and fealty to the Tariat clan. The Arulate clan exist out of around 800 people.

* **The Bayads Clan**, led by the chieftain Tebengri;

The Bayads clan is a relatively small nomadic clan that roams the western sphere of the Lightning country. Their clan is in practice loyal and fealty to the Uvas clan. The Bayads clan exist out of around 1000 people.

* **The Bishi'ut Clan**, led by the clan leader Nariuji;

The Bishi'ut clan is a decent sized nomadic clan that roams the southern half and parts of the Frost Country. They are considered an independent nomadic clan, though having some very old feuds with the Tariat clan. The Bishi'ut clan exist out of around 2000 people.

* **The Khaad Clan**, led by the chieftain Toghon;

The Khaad clan is a relatively small nomadic clan that roams the western sphere of the Lightning Country, usually ranging south during autumn and winter. Their clan is in practice loyal and fealty to the Uvas clan. The Khaad clan exist out of around 700 people.

* **The Khorulas Clan**, led by the chieftain Tagadhur;

The Khorulas clan is a decent sized nomadic clan that roams the center and southern parts of the Lightning Country. They are considered an independent nomadic clan, having some good ties with the Sato clan. The Khorulas clan exist around of 2000 people.

* **The Kusanagi Clan,** led by the clan leader Romi;

The Kusanagi clan is a relatively small sized nomad clan that roams in the eastern sphere of the Lightning country. They are the subjects of the Hojo clan and exist around 800 people.

* **The Sato Clan**, led by the clan leader Masanori;

The Sato clan is a large sized nomadic clan that roams the northern and central parts of the Lightning Country, though they have been known to roam the southern parts as well. They are considered an independent nomadic clan, having good relations with most of the other nomadic clans. The Sato clan exist out of around 3000 people.

* **The Tariat Clan**, led by the clan leader Kagenori;

The Tariat clan is a large sized nomadic clan that roams the southern parts of the Lightning and sometimes range into the Frost Country. They are considered an independent nomadic clan, having some feuds with the Uvas as Bishi'ut clans. The Tariat is the largest nomadic clan, existing out of around 4000 people.

* **The Uvas Clan**, led by the clan leader Jungshoi;

The Uvas clan is a large sized nomadic clan that roams the western parts of the Lightning country, sometimes ranging into the center as southern parts. They are considered an independent nomadic clan, having some feuds with the Tariat clan. The Uvas clan exist out of around 3000 people.

### Known Feuds

Many feuds have arisen and also have been solved among the nomadic clans. There are some grudges and feuds that the nomadic clans have towards one another or to some of the settled clans. Usually resolving into that the nomadic clans avoid contact or refuse to trade with those parties.

* It is common that all nomadic clans are wary or worse towards the Alaricus clan, for their crude slavery and treatment of nomads. No nomadic clan in the north dares to stain their pride and name to engage into a deal with the Alaricus.
* The Kusanagi Clan has a certain dislike towards the Akenian Empire. This has likely to do with them being expelled from the Empire, back into the north.
* The Tariat clan is the largest nomadic clan. They have several feuds still ongoing with the Uvas and Bishi'ut clans. These are all small and haven't resulted in any armed conflict, usually just the clans avoiding each other or slandering one behind each other's back.

## Lifestyle

As one might have guessed correctly, the nomadic clans roam the northern lands of the Frost and Lightning countries. They don't settle for long but do tend to interact as trade with the locals. It has always been in the best interest of the nomadic clans to uphold a good relation with some settled clans to trade some services or resources with, to maintain their nomadic lifestyle. This nomadic lifestyle has earned them some mockery but also some praise, for the nomadic people of the north are known to be one of the best horsemen on the western continent. Their lifestyle further involves them having knowledge on the fauna and flora of the northern lands, surviving in the cold of winter as herding cattle and horses.

## Religion

Nature worship seems to be a common theme of the religious traditions and beliefs of the nomadic clans. However, there are various differences among the nomadic people on how to practice worship.  Some of the nomadic clans have a nature worship; believing that everything in nature around them carries a form of life force/energy. Others have a mixed nature worship as well worshipping to the pantheon of Akemi.

## Their Role

The nomadic clans have sworn an oath of fealty towards the daimyo of the Lightning country, as any other of the country's clan. However, it is a tad hard to establish how much taxation each nomadic clan owes to the crown due to their lifestyle. This isn't because nomadic clans don't have any wealth but because early on the daimyo as Raikages have seen other uses for the nomadic clans, to pay a certain taxation to the crown.

Known to be experts at horsemanship, some clans pay tribute by sending people to train matters as horsemanship. Some of the country's military cavalry are taught tricks and how to maintain their mounts from these nomadic trainers. Other clans go a step further by offering certain military services, going from messengers that ride with haste to actually serving as cavalry for the crown or the Raikage.

An important notice about these services or nomads that enlist into the military or any organisation is that they are sometimes not paid in wealth but earning their clan some resources to sustain their lifestyle and people.