The Southern Lands

## History

There were three barbarian tribes at war with each other for many centuries. They have all fought over a "sacred" plateau which is near the center of their ancestral lands.

Over 400 years ago there was a great barbarian warrior named Dhu that was so feared; he managed to unite all the tribes. Not for peace though. He united them and began to conquer, rape, and pillage the more civilized surrounding kingdoms. He tried to reach too far however, and the nation now known as Reylis attacked back. they managed to push him back to this plateau where he made his last stand.  Before they came and killed him, he wrote in pictograph language on a large stone tablet his last commands to his forces. They weren’t battle orders; they were more philosophy and ways of living. He was by no means a good person, or even that intelligent, but he was seen as fairly wise.

Roughly translated the scripture said:

1. Never admit defeat.
2. There is always something worth fighting for.
3. Life is pain, embrace it.
4. Serve only yourself and your family. (The symbol for tribe, family, and people are all the same.)
5. Honor those who fell in battle.

Unfortunately, the only commandment that all of the tribes follow truthfully is the first one. The three original tribes also follow the second commandment religiously, but they interpret it that they *must* always fight. So they often fight even when it is unnecessary. Recently a new tribe has form and taken it's own land in the southern lands.

## The Tribes

### The Dhuraasi (The Western Tribe:Sons of Dhu)

These barbarians are mighty warriors, but even more than that, they have many holy men with divine power.  They believe in following what he wrote to the letter. Dhu was powerful enough to grant them minor divine magic (level 1 cleric). They correctly interpreted his third command, and enjoy their lives (embrace life), but they interpreted 4 as serve only yourself and your tribe.  And they interpreted 5 as honor specifically Dhu. This is why they fight for control over the plateau. This tribe actually has good ale, and their major advantage in combat is divine magic. Their leader is always renamed to Dhusiraasi (Son of the sons of Dhu)

### The Kiratuo (The Southern Tribe:Men Without Pain)

To most civilized people, the Kiratuo are the most terrifying. They interpreted the third command as embrace pain. They have conditioned themselves to not acknowledge pain in the slightest. They interpreted 1, 2, 4 correctly. They are the strongest and best fighters. They literally live to fight. If you don’t die in combat you are a disgrace. Their major weakness however is they often fight among themselves. They only want the plateau because it is something to fight over. They only ever unite when attempting to fight for the plateau. Usually they are just a bunch of families warring against each other in the south. They never fight anyone in their own family however. Part of how they view serve your family, is reproduction. They often have many many children if they can. There is not really such a thing as consensual sex to them, though it is likely not rape by most standards. The women of this tribe are usually just as capable as the men, and sex is usually treated like a fight that just isn’t to the death. Once pregnant, is the only exception to the fighting rule. It is disgraceful to attack a pregnant woman, and as a pregnant woman, protecting the family comes first, so there is not much fighting.  Pregnant women are likely the only diplomats the group will be able to meet with. Their king is whoever is biggest and strongest, and that is always subject to change: you beat him you gain the title.

### The Kiraasi (The Eastern Tribe:Sons of the People)

This tribe is the most civilized. They are simply the traditionalists. They fight for control of the plateau simply because they always have. After their last leader left, and they broke off onto their own, they don’t even know why they fight. That’s just the way its always been done. They work together, and are the only tribe out of the original three that is likely to actually use strategy and tactics when attacking. Their leader is Brufarst.

### The Zoriraasi (The Central Tribe:Sons of No One)

This tribe casts aside their tradition, and is trying to become more civilized. They currently hold the plateau.  About 20 years ago, a king from the eastern tribe managed an assault on the plateau. Rather than defend it how the barbarians always have in the past, he actually set up fortifications, traps, and used it as a strategic advantage (kind of more like Dhu did). They too believe the plateau to be an important piece of their history, but feel like they aren’t making any progress. They are holding the plateau in hopes of eventually showing the other barbarians that they are correct, and that it is time to stop living in the past. They think it is time to move on from the past, but still remember it. However, they are still barbarians. They still fight, and don’t understand rules of normal civilization. They are starting to, but they are doing so from scratch. They have their own set of laws, and are trying to improve them.  Their leader is named Travark