Narsíans

The narsians are nomadic half-orcs who inhabit Narsía, a province of the Sikíron Empire encompassing the southwestern Meldon Plain. They enjoy relative autonomy within the empire in exchange for serving as a buffer zone against armies of the Kingdom of Núrak to the west.

History

Originally living along the banks of the river Rúk in Úrún, the narsians migrated southwards under the rule of chief Avúr during the chaos following the fall of the Paþarían Empire. For years they terrorized the people on the Meldon Plain until ultimately settling in the area they now call home, a stretch of land too arid for fields or flocks, but good for hunting hares and quails.
Narsians gained a reputation for ferocity and bravery in battle, but as mercenaries they proved rather unreliable as they would switch sides if given better offer or refuse to fight altogether due to alleged ill omens. A famous example is when the armies of Pérgal -one of the paþarían successor states- were devastated by the forces of Núrak in 774 a. Paþ, after their narsian mercenaries suddenly left when an eclipse occurred.
The narsians became a part of the Sikíronian Empire after emperor Núsas rewarded them with citizenship after aiding him in a battle against Pérgal.

Culture

Apparel

When the narsians first came to the Meldon Plain, they wore only hide clothing and furs, but since then many have adopted woolen clothes. Men usually wear little more than long trousers during summer along with large, thick cloaks during wintertime, while women wear wide tunics and tall leather boots.
Men and women sport long hair, with men tying it into a side knot (with minor differences between tribes) and women braiding their hair and tying the braids into elaborate knots on the back of their head. Mustaches are favored, preferably long enough to be braided.

Cuisine

Narsians on the Meldon Plain are known for their avoidance of bread and cereals in general, believing such food to cause hair loss. Much of their cuisine is characterized by the meat of hares, rabbits, pheasants and quails, along with occasional mutton bought from sikíronians from neighboring provinces.

Language

Narsian tongue is an isolate within the orcish languages. Sikíronian linguists have studied it for some time due to its complex structure; it has eight grammatical cases, a dual as well as more usual singular and plural, and special prefixes describing whether something is moving or not.

Religion

The main deities in narsian mythology are Arkó, god of the sky; Fúr, goddess of the night and poetry; Hríal, a fertility god; and Úsrú, god of war, hunting and sports (narsíans make little distinction between those three activities).