Itzil - Technobarbarian Mountain Tribes

Basically they are techno-barbarian clans, degenerate leftovers from a far more advanced civilization, eking out a living on a blasted plain with mountains at their back and a deadly wasteland in front. They now brave the desert in hopes of scavenging spare parts, metal, artifacts and whatever technology they can find in the Irradiated Deserts to sustain their failing machinery and tech. Their trademark is their "gear armor" and automata, clockwork powersuits powered by windup mechanisms, used to safely traverse the blasted plain and do battle with the mimic menace as well as man the few remaining outposts at the wasteland's edge against various mutant horrors that try to breach through to the rest of the world. The weird technology they use has long since become obscure and revered as something magical rather than something exactly understood, it's workings preserved in the oral tradition and songs of their bards. Their main city is Izzil, a stronghold hidden somewhere deep in the mountains where their main "base" is located, with various caravans and nomadic camps constantly shifting across the plain. Few other settlements are more permanent, namely the underground cavern-city of Dhe, border town of Far Water, small harbor of Pirn, shining Giyasdo, city most reminiscent of their former glory and their "official" capital and hamlet of Terganon, a last refuge on the lonely island of Lyr. Their land is the purple colored area.

#### **History**

One thing which many could ask themselves, is "Why are there still Technobarbarians Millennia after the age of Dawn?". The answer comes in the fact, "where they are". The World Spine is the tallest mountain range in the world with Mount Setherest reaching 12 kilometers in height. This desolate location made the rich and powerful of the Age of Dawn create bunkers and safe-havens in the mountains. The modern Technobarbarians are also known as the Children of Itzil. The ancient Prophetess of the Wind. Trough use of wind magic, she managed to condense the air and lead many of the Mountain Tribes higher and higher up the mountains discovering those ancient vaults of technology. Said Vaults were inhabited by those they would only know as Molemen. Blind bald 1 meter tall human-like creatures revering some sort of Metallic Effigy. They would offer it gifts and would receive rewards in exchange.

This effigy, this ancient God was nothing more than an Universal Molecular Production Facility. It has bluprints for various things saved and if you provide it with raw materials it will make said things. Still for both the Molemen and Children of Itzil, this was a supernatural creature. Give it the right rocks and it will make magical weapons superior to anything they have ever seen.

As such for centuries the Technobarbarians have toiled in the service of these Moleman Effigies treating them as Divine creating an expansive religion no different to a Cargo Cult on modern earth copying the attire of the the people they see in framed pictures and holotapes. Memorizing component lists like prayers.

The biggest revolution in Technobarbarian society was when the 4th Prophetess Hetzla asked the Effigy an important question "Can you make another one which is you?" and the Divine being answered with a list of ingredients more expansive, esoteric and incomprehensible than anything ever seen before. These things listed there were not of this world! That's when the Technobarbarians first started launching raids on other parts of the world, making their tactics more aggressive, but only few places were promising. The World Scar and the Cursed Desert.

Due to it's curse no man can live in the desert, thus even after millennia it is still littered in ancient Artifacts. Thus Technobarbarians in clockwork power-suits made out of lead wander the Cursed Desert in their Divine quest for the components to have the Moleman Effigy make one more of itself. an Effigy for the Children of Itzil, an acknowledgement of their devotion.

The Technology the Divine Machines produce is far beyond the understanding of modern man as such they are treated as magic artifacts, with someone knowing as much as maintaining the devices being rare.

Many ancient bunkers were unveiled after. Tens or even hundreds, but the Moleman Effigy stands alone, a true remnant of Divinity on this cursed earth.