Difference between revisions of "Tamerlane"

Revision as of 20:27, 5 May 2011

Tamerlane lands on a map.

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.

Quick Facts

The tribe's motto is United by Courage, Fortified by Victory. In Yarnich, 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 descendant of Tamerlane.

Tamerlane banner with mascot animal.

The official languages of the Tamerlane tribe are the Kohne Dil/Yarnich (Kohne Dil is "old tongue" in Yarnich), Ubrekti, and Gnomish. All Tamerlane children are instructed in all three languages.

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.

Government & Culture

While the Tamerlane tribe has been historically staunchly patriarchal, the assumption of tribal chief duties by Ariadne the Motherly in 772 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 824.

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 Yarnich by a scribe Cantor had brought with him from Fresia. 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 772, and minor revisions in 1051. Only the current Chief is allowed to revise the Old Code and as of the 1051 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. (772 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.

• The (Old) Code may only be changed by current Reis (1051 revision) and these changes must be approved unanimously by the Council of Elders before passing into The Code.

• The tribe shall be ruled by the Reis. (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 or tribeswomen who have currently retired and volunteer. Members of the Council are bound to serve and protect the Reis as well as uphold the culture, people, and traditions of the Tamerlane.

• Each member of the Tamerlane shall perform to the best of his (772 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.

Religion

With the exception of the chiefdom of Simien the Pure and his eventual predecessor, Birry the Prophet, the tribe largely follows Zupanist Alexandrianism since the exile to and subsequent evangelism of the Ulan by Mikos Lygit. Before the introduction of Zupanist Alexandrianism, the tribe largest followed shamanistic and pagan practices associated with the Demi-Pantheon. The tribe had particular fondness for Reth but when a Gnomish priest of Snibrnuth joined the tribe, it surged in popularity as well.

When Alexandria ascended and the clerics of the Demi-Pantheon lost their powers, the tribe reverted back to largely shamanistic and agnostic practices. To this day, there is a general ambivalence towards religion in general though Tamerlanes generally say they believe in Alexandria (much in the way the average American claims to have a vague belief in God).

Education

With the formation of the job system by Einar the Defender in 919 FI, the formal trade of teaching was established. With this came the Scholar Initiative whereby all Tamerlane children were required to attend daily lessons until the Age of Reckoning. Before completing their Age of Reckoning transition, all Tamerlane children were required to have a functional knowledge of Ubrekti, Gnomish, and Yarnich as well as being able to read and write both Yarnich and Zupan Alphabet. Children who choose to go into trapping or trade relations are required to read, write, and speak all above languages fluently. By the time of Dre the Solemn, nearly all children regardless of trade were fluent in all three languages as well as the Zupan Alphabet.

Ethnic Relations

• Gnomes: As Tamerlane himself took a gnomish woman as one of his wives (though she did not produce an heir), the Tamerlane tribe has always had a strong association with Gnomes. As the Tamerlane lands stretch to the Hakan border, the tribe has continued to enjoy a positive relationship with Gnomes.

• Elves: The Tamerlane traditionally have always been on positive terms with Elves given their respect for the earth, but have not seen any since their exile. There is a story regarding the Tamerlane hunter who struck up a close friendship with an elf and this is the rumored source of the Bracers of Defense.

• Halflings: The Tamerlane have had little dealings with halflings except in regards to river trade. The exception to this was when Anderly the Wanderer returned with his halfling brides. Since that disastrous situation, the tribe in general tends to think very poorly of halflings in general and deals with them only when forced. The assassination of Cid and Ramia Stormblade by a halfling furthered this racial prejudice.

• Mainland Humans: Due to the proximity of their lands with the borders of the Ulan, the Tamerlane are generally welcoming and accepting of mainland humans. Tamerlane tribes members will frequently intermarry with mainland humans and heirs to the Reis are sometimes purposely sent to cities to find a potential spouse. This has generated scorn from other Ulan barbarians.

• Ulan Barbarians: As mentioned previously, the Tamerlane tribe is often at odds with other Ulan barbarians. The other barbarians see them as weak and "citified" while the Tamerlanes see the other barbarians as savage and almost sub-human. Just as the other barbarians look down on them, they look down on other barbarians.

History

Much of the history of the Tamerlane is told through stories and there is a rich verbal legacy of storytelling within the tribe. Few records have been kept save for lineage and a few verbal histories transcripted for posterity.

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 though Birry died soon afterwards. 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. Ramia did not want to assume the role of the Reis but their son, Tomas, was the next legitimate heir after Ramia. As Tomas was still a child, Cid and Ramia served as his advisers and assisted the remaining Council of Elders in restoring the tribe. Well-trained and courageous like his parents, Tomas took control as Reis after his Age of Reckoning celebration. His parents remained in the village and served as his trusted advisers and on the Council of Elders 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.

The Stormblades

Cid Stormblade was born in the summer of 838 in Arabelle to the son of the town clerk named Fren Stormblade and a talented calligrapher, Stevia Stormblade (nee Souce). He was the middle child of a family of three boys. His older brother Jakob joined the town guard as soon as he was able while his younger brother Drew opened his own restaurant. While the boys were growing up, they heard numerous tales of their ancestors who served proudly in the town guard. Fren had a weak heart and thus was never able to join but hoped one of his sons would and was overjoyed when Jakob did. Cid, however, opted for a different path entirely. He loved nature and would often roam about it. While Jakob took up the sword, Cid found himself better suited to archery. He also enjoyed calligraphy and his mother taught him the craft. While both of his brothers jumped into their desired professions, Cid found himself at a loss.

Cid's confusion did not last long. Jakob sustained fatal injuries after falling off a horse while learning how to ride. As Cid was teaching him, he felt responsible for his brother's death- a guilt he would carry with him for the rest of his life. On his deathbed, Jakob begged Cid to stand-in for him on the town guard while he recovered. Cid did so and felt obligated to continue to serve after Jakob's death. Cid poured himself into his job and soon rose amongst the ranks. He served as the captain of the Arabelle town guard from 864 FI until Harvest of 872 when he resigned his post.

Cid met Ramia Tamerlane in spring of 872. The slightly exotic looking and strikingly beautiful Ramia had accompanied her younger brother Anderly in order for him to find a bride. They rented a room at an inn when they arrived and it was that evening that Anderly had experienced drunkenness for the first time. When Ramia tried to lead her brother upstairs to prevent him from embarrassing himself (and her), Anderly struck her hard across the face. The other patrons were shocked and their attempts to restrain him from hitting her again started a brawl. The town guard was called and Cid responded. He arrested Anderly and restored order, only to find himself facing a furious Ramia.

Ramia demanded her brother be released, indignant and outraged by the implication that she would need to be saved after the hit from Anderly. Cid was immediately smitten with her as she was the first woman he had been attracted to since his youth. He listened to Ramia's explanation that they were heirs to the Tamerlane tribe and continued to engage Ramia in conversation. The next morning Anderly was released. While his sister slept, Anderly took the entirety of their money and left Ramia to fend for herself. Ramia woke when the chambermaid came to clean the room and was horrified to learn that Anderly had abandoned her, penniless, without even a roof over her head.

Cid stopped by the inn to check on Ramia and Anderly to find a crestfallen Ramia searching half-heartedly for his missing brother. Cid offered to mobilize the town guard but Ramia would have none of it- she didn't want to waste anyone's time or energy on her reckless brother. Cid offered Ramia a room at his house and was surprised when she agreed to the arrangement. Ramia offered to keep the place clean in exchange for room and board, but discovered that Cid kept doing things to keep her from having to do anything. The two fell in love and by the end of the summer, they were legally wed by Cid's father. The happy couple returned to the Tamerlane village for the "official" ceremony and blessing of the Reis.

During their honeymoon, they began a series of adventures that tested their skills, strength, and wits. They traveled across the region and returned to Arabelle when Ramia was pregnant. Their son, Tomas, was born in Heavenfall 879 FI. As the seasons changed to spring, they planned to visit the Tamerlane tribe with their new baby.

When Cid and Ramia arrived in the village, they were horrified: Anderly and his massive wives had nearly ruined the village. They lived in excess and squalor, and brought disease as well. Ramia discovered her beloved parents had both died soon after Anderly took power and Anderly had never bothered to send word to her. The Council of Elders were nearly wiped out by disease but it didn't seem to matter as Anderly refused to listen to them anyway.

They removed Anderly from power and Ramia once again refused to be the Reis of the tribe. As firstborn, it had been offered to her after her Age of Reckoning. Ramia had no desire to head the tribe as she loved to have the freedom to travel if she wished. Instead she recommended that her son be made the Reis and she along with Cid and the Council would take care of his affairs until he was able to take the position himself.

Cid and Ramia lived a happy life and died together when they were murdered in their sleep by an assassin. Tomas had suspected that the assassin was hired by his exiled uncle in revenge.

Reis Lineage

The Reis are direct descendants of Tamerlane, the founder of the tribe. As of 1000 FI, the Tamerlane tribe has yet to fail to produce an heir. The line of the Chiefs of the Tamerlane has remained within a single family since the tribe's reckoning. As the tribe is traditionally patriarchal, the line passes from father to child (traditionally son) or nearest relative. For "legal" purposes, the last name of the family would be the same as the clan, Tamerlane, but the tribe prefers to go by first name only with titles serving to denote a special honor. The Reis is always given a title which denotes a key element of his prowess or some other notable trait.

Name of Reis (approx. year of birth - approx. year of death)

Tamerlane the Eternal (~ 2930 FI - ~ 3060 BI)

Condor the Astitute (~3000 FI - ~3040 BI)

Donovon the Crafter (~3005 FI - ~3080 BI)

Clayben the Rampaging (~3040 FI - ~3100 BI)

(Verbal history fails to recall the names of Reis from ~3100 BI - ~20 BI)

Fanlay the Noble (~40 BI - ~25 BI)

Baryum the Revered (~35 BI - ~3 FI)

Sargem the Acclaimed (~6 BI - ~60 FI)

Fanlay the Lesser (~20 FI - ~100 FI)

(Verbal history fails to recall the names of Reis from ~100 FI - ~450 FI)

Cantor the Worldly (~450 FI - 521 FI)

Frent the Bashful (471 FI - 532 FI)

Simein the Pure (490 FI - 568 FI)

Kent the Gullible (508 FI - 527 FI)

Birry the Prophet (510 FI - 585 FI)

Chase the Eventmaster (531 FI - ~600 FI)

(History failed to record the names of Reis from ~600 FI - 751 FI)

Kowe the Incomprehensible (751 FI - 772 FI)

Ariadne the Motherly (753 FI - 827 FI)

Teinrop the Invincible (772 FI - 839 FI)

Cannedy the Clearminded (804 FI - 872 FI)

Birry the Tenacious (831 FI - 875 FI)

Anderly the Wanderer (856 FI - unknown)

Tomas Stormblade the Redeemer (879 FI - 917 FI)

Einar the Defender (906 FI -981 FI)

Conall the Brave (927 FI - 989 FI)

Cid-Kendrew the Victorious (965 FI - 1046 FI)

Dre the Solemn (992 FI - 1061 FI)

Connal the Completing (1011 FI - 1058 FI)