The Shunna

In the South, on the plains between great Drassfell and the vast Dune Seas, live the riders of the Shunna. Nomadic horsemen, they live in tribes that cross from Xarahad all the way to Illion, never staying in one place for too long.

## History

Other than the Eastlands, where the grass is lush, green and long, the Steppes of the Shunna are covered in short, tough, brown-yellow stalks of grass, only an occasional tree every once in a while. Few resources make living here quite tough, but the Shunna have adapted their lifestyle. They have, somewhere in their past, domesticated the dominant species of the area: the long-eared goat, capable of chewing the coarse grass. The Shunna took to the task of herding them and protecting them from the large cats that prey on them. They use the goats for milk and meat. Shunna goat cheese is quite nice.

Shunna goatherds learned soon enough that their livestock could not survive in one place for too long, as the grass got eaten too fast for it to grow back. So the Shunna domesticated another animal native to the steppes. One that proved to be far more influential to their culture than the goats ever were. They domesticated the horse. The Shunna learned riding, and turned into a nomadic people, driving the goats along with them on their magnificent mounts.

## Culture

Their horses are their entire culture. Shunna children learn to ride from the youngest ages, even before they can walk according to a popular myth among city-folk. Deals between families can go for fortunes where it concerns breeding the best horses.

Their horses share their family names, and breeding them is more than just good business. Ability to breed horses determines social standing among the tribes. A noble, strong-legged horse can pass a family into legend, while a limping horse with bad teeth will make them the objects of ridicule for years to come. This practice makes Shunna steeds the best in all of Aenín, being sought after by lords and kings across the lands.

## Politics

Even though the lands they roam are part of Thanebrand’s kingdom, they themselves are not. Their hierarchy consist of a tiered system: your loyalty lies first with your family, then with your tribe, then with the gods above and below, and only then with any lord or lady.

The tribes they live in consist of a couple (mostly two or three) of families traveling together. Their leader is yet again determined by their horses, and is he who possesses the most magnificent one. He (or she, but that is not likely) has the title Despar, followed by the tribe’s name. Accordingly, a formal greeting might go as such: “Nar hêze, Despar Hedarth!” (This means literally: “Many luck, Leader of the Hedar tribe!”)

Leadership can change easily, as it is, yet again, determined by horses. One simply has to challenge the current Despar to a Dessalar, or a game of horses. This can mostly be understood as a race. Whichever horse wins is proven the best and strongest, and leadership moves accordingly.

## Religion

The Shunna share a polytheistic religion. A family usually has one god chosen from the multitude of deities in the Shunna pantheon. It is this Patron that most of that family's offerings go to, but never will they neglect to pay homage to the other gods.