Difference between revisions of "Tamerlane"

Revision as of 15:14, 5 May 2011

The Tamerlane tribe was founded by Tamerlane the Eternal, a skilled Barbarian warrior who lived approximately 3000 BI. The stories tell that Tamerlane united four previously rival barbarian tribes in vanquishing a great evil. The tribes then reformed as one under his leadership and took his name. It is one of the oldest surviving tribes in the Ulan. Despite, or perhaps because of, their historical prominence and prestige, the Tamerlane are generally mistrusted by the rest of the Ulan folk. By many barbarians, they are seen as "soft" and "citified" on account of their comprehensive written legal codes, adoption of Alexandrian healdric traditions, close relations and frequent intermarriage with the Alexandrian nations of the mainland, and relatively complex and largely hereditary social hierarchy.

Tamerlane banner with mascot animal.

Quick Facts

The mascot animal for the tribe is the timberwolf and the banner features a stylized wolf on a gray background, created by Tamerlane's first wife Edina. The colors of the tribe change with every Chief.

The tribe's motto is United by Courage, Fortified by Victory. In the indigenous Tamerlane tongue, it is Cesaret ile Birlesmis, Qelebe ile Istekham The motto has been translated into Ubrekti and Gnomish.

The Tamerlane are ruled by a Reis or Chief and the chief is advised by the Council of Elders. The chief is a direct descendent of Tamerlane.

As of 1400 FI, the current Chief of the Tamerlane is Bullstrode the Uniting. He assumed the Chiefdom in 1389 FI from his parents, Sumer the Stalwart and Odenia the Mindful, who are now both retired and elders.

The official languages of the Tamerlane tribe are the Kohne Dil (old tongue or indigenous Tamerlane language), Ubrekti, and Gnomish. All Tamerlane children are instructed in all three languages.

Government & Culture

While the Tamerlane tribe has been historically staunchly patriarchal, the assumption of tribal chief duties by Ariadne the Motherly in 1172 lead her son, Teinrop the Invincible to revise the Old Code and allow women to assume Chiefdom as long as they were directly within the Tamerlane heir line. This allowed Cannedy the Clearminded to assume Chiefdom in 1224 and the last chief and father of the current chief, Sumer the Stalwart, had his wife rule alongside him as Ekiz Reis or co-Chief.

Old Code

The Old Code is the code of laws and traditions that were passed verbally down the tribe until chief Cantor the Worldly insisted on their translation and transcription around 500 FI. The Old Code was inscribed on metal tablets in a phonetic version of the Tamerlane language in Ubrekti characters by a scribe Cantor had brought with him from Ubrekt City. As only Cantor and the scribe could read the tablets, the Old Code continued to be passed down verbally by the elders.

Dre the Solemn translated the Old Code from these tablets into Ubrekti in 1051 himself and also formed the official Council of Elders, which was included as an addendum to the Old Code.

The Old Code received major revisions in 1172, and minor revisions in 1349 by Sumer the Stalwart. Only the current Chief is allowed to revise the Old Code and as of the 1172 revision, all future revisions also must be unanimously approved by the Council of Elders.

The main tenants of the Old Code are as follows:

• A Reis (chief) may only be of Tamerlane's blood as to keep the spirit of the tribe intact. The Reis heir shall be the firstborn son of the current Reis. If the Reis should pass before producing an heir, the Reis' next male kin shall take his place. (1051 revision) If there is no male kin, the Council of Elders shall appoint an heir based on closest blood lineage of Tamerlane. If a Reis is at an age before the Age of Reckoning, the Reis' parents will assume all duties of the Reis until his Age of Reckoning. If the parents should pass, the Council of Elders will appoint an adviser or advisers. (1172 revision) The Reis her shall be the firstborn child of the current Reis, be it male or female. If the Reis should be before the Age of Reckoning, the Council of Elders or parents of the Reis shall assume all duties of the Reis until the Age of Reckoning. Should the Reis pass before producing an heir, the Reis' closest relative shall take his or her place. (1349 revision) A Reis or the advisers of the Reis may also appoint an Ekiz Reis to assume the roles of the Reis equally.

• The (Old) Code may only be changed by current Reis (1172 revision) and these changes must be approved unanimously by the Council of Elders before passing into The Code. (1349 revision) If there is an Ekiz Reis, the Ekiz Reis must approve entirely of the changes before the changes are presented to the Council of Elders.

• The tribe shall be ruled by the Reis (1349 revision) and Ekiz Reis equally if one is appointed. (1051 revision) The Reis shall have a group of trusted advisers known as the Council of Elders. This Council consists of any former living but retired Reis as well as tribesmen (1172 revision) or tribeswomen (1051 revision) who have currently retired and volunteer. Members of the Council are bound to serve and protect the Reis (1349 revision) and Ekiz Reis if one is present (1051 revision) as well as uphold the culture, people, and traditions of the Tamerlane.

• Each member of the Tamerlane shall perform to the best of his (1172 revision) or her (original) abilities in order to benefit the whole of the Tamerlane clan. (1051 revision) Betrayal such as that observed by Francine the Traitor is punishable by immediate death once it has been accurately determined by the Reis and Council of Elders that betrayal has indeed occurred. A tribunal will be held for the accused with the Reis and Council coming to a final, unanimous opinion regarding the fate of the accused. This holds for any person, Tamerlane or not, accused of a wrongful deed.

• When a Tamerlane dies, he shall be given one of three burials: a martyr's burial, a tribal burial, or a traitor's burial. A Reis will receive a tribal burial unless the current Reis (1051 revision) or Council of Elders (original) agrees to another type. A martyr's burial is reserved for exceptional Tamerlane members who sacrifice their lives willingly for the good of the tribe. In a martyr's burial, the lost member will be mourned for an entire week and the Reis will fast for 2 days. The funeral pyre will consist of the finest wood available and each tribe member shall sacrifice a personal item to the fires as a tribute to the martyr's sacrifice. The rest of the burial proceeds the same as the tribal burial. For a tribal burial, a funeral pyre is constructed the bonfire arena in the center of the village. The body is laid on the pyre and the tribal members will pay their respects. When the moon is at the highest point, the pyre is lit and all tribal members shall watch the body burn and the soul rise with the smoke. When there is naught but ash, the ashes will be buried in the food fields so that it may enrich and bless the next harvest. A traitor's burial is not a burial at all. The traitor's body will be taken outside of the Tamerlane lands and dumped without ceremony, a feast for the carrion and scavengers.

• When a Tamerlane has witnessed the passing of no less than 60 changes of the sky (seasons), the Tamerlane has entered the Age of Reckoning. At this time, the Tamerlane may assume all benefits and duties of full adult membership, (1051 revision) rise from apprentice to master, and choose to take a mate if it is desired. After the Age of Reckoning, a Reis may assume full control of the office.

• Even in battle, a Tamerlane is honorable. Children of the enemies are never killed but are integrated and shown the ways of the Tribe. Those who flee are not killed, but are left to fend for their own cowardice. Women with child are never killed but should they not be grateful for mercy will be bound and sold to the next passing trader. All others will receive the honor of a quick death.

Notable History

• Simein the Pure:

During a bloody war with another tribe, Frent sent his infant son off with his Fresian wife to his wife's hometown where he lived until his early teenage years. He received training as a cleric in the Alexandrian church. When word was sent and Daniella returned with Simein, Simein was immediately married off to the daughter of a mercenary who had taken control of the rival tribe during the war. Simein was not pleased with this union as Francine was as ugly both inside and outside. Despite this, Simein fulfilled his duties as both a husband and later as Chief when his father retired. Francine had been carrying on an affair with her half-brother, Arthur, and when Simein's sister Meinte caught them, Francine slew her in the center of the village just as she began to speak. Francine counted on Simein's loyalty to prevent retribution, but Simein flew into a rage, denounced Francine as a heretic and beheaded her then and there. Arthur emerged semi-clothed from the forest and Simein beheaded him as well. Francine and Arthur's bodies were tossed into the forest while Meinte received a martyr's burial.

Simein went on a pilgrimage to purify his conscience. He returned to the church where he had originally began his training as a cleric. His mentor, the aged priest, bestowed upon him the title of paladin and honored him for his diligent work in the true way of Alexandria in the Ulan as most of the Ulan tribes were of a heretic offshoot of the Alexandrian church. Also while in town, he met up with his childhood friend Lahze Hatter and took her as his bride. He returned to the tribe a new man and lead them into a time of renewed prosperity which continued for the next 3 generations.

Of his two heirs, Kent died after contracting lycanthropy and passed the the title of Chief to his younger brother, Birry. Incidentally, Birry was also the only one whose paternity could be proven as Francine was bedridden and thus stuck in the town throughout his conception and pregnancy while Kent looked little like Simein (and thus some secretly doubted his paternity).

• Anderly the Wanderer:

Anderly the Wanderer had a fetish for morbidly obese halfling women. When he was 16, he left the village with his sister Ramia to seek a bride. Ramia ended up marrying the head of the Arabelle town guard, Cid Stormblade, and the two adventured together. Anderly stayed in Arabelle and blew his father's money on drugs and alcohol. When his father summoned him back, the scout returned with news that Anderly had left town with a group of traveling halflings. Anderly returned to the village a few years later with his "wives"- 6 morbidly obese halfling women. The village was shocked and outraged as they did not believe Anderly's "pups" (as his children were snidely called) were fit to carry on the tribal line. As was the custom, Birry the Tenacious retired as town chief and handed the tribe over to Anderly. Anderly nearly drove the tribe into complete ruin as he, his wives, and his hoard of children consumed the tribe's resources with reckless abandon.

When Ramia returned with her husband and son to visit, she was mortified. With her husband's help, they removed Anderly from power and drove his clan out of town. Neither Cid nor Ramia could assume the role of Chief but their son, Tomas, could. As Tomas was still a child, Cid and Ramia served as his advisers and essentially ran the tribe and restored it. Well-trained and courageous like his parents, Tomas took control as Chief on his 18th birthday. His parents remained in the village and served as his trusted advisers until their deaths.

Tomas married the daughter of a fur trader and thus established the booming fur trade that continues to support the Tamerlane tribe.

• Ramia, Cid & Tomas Stormblade

Cid Stormblade served as the captain of the Arabelle town guard from