It is said that the first Scythanians started in the remote region of the inner Ghobi, just north of the Chientzu region. The harsh landscape and conditions forced most of them to migrate, some went West and eventually settled and slowly became known as the Chunoi, while the main bulk of the horse tribes rode North and occupied most of the region that is now known as Boyarska. The ones that remained, harder folk, accustomed to the harsh life conditions, became known as the Ulnucs.
These tribes wear heavy pelts to survive the cold nights of central Ghobi. Their skin is darker from the pockets of snow that cover the land half of the time and their eyes usually very slated.
While they are mainly a horse tribe, Ulnucs have survived in the mountainous terrain of the central Ghobi, thriving in both landscapes.
The Ulnucs have been a scourge for the Boyarska and Chientzu regions. Their tribal warfare is brutal and fearsome to behold, every citizen a true survivor in their homeland. While the Chunoi have their share plundering mostly the west, the Ulnucs prefer the northern realms. The Chientzu was a bountiful place in the past, but the construction of the Endless Wall made it harder for them to benefit from it.
The Ulnucs like their Scythanian cousins love their horses and to do hit and run attacks, though while their Northern cousins prefer to mostly fight on horse, the Ulnucs have since adapted to fight in any situation, even employing siege engines if needed to topple some petty city walls. This makes them in an easy position to demand tribute from the Minzao Empire, more than happy to avoid conflict with them, but also with some of the northern kingdoms.
The tribes work under a single rulership, known as the Khan. The Khan is the lord of army and it's inner council helps him prepare for the next onslaught.
The khans of the Ulnucs have always been fascinated by these human realms that build foundations and settle with stone. They see the architecture of it with envy and awe. Indeed what defines the Ulnucs from the other horse tribes is their openness for culture. The Khans (and smaller warlords) openly allowing bards and traders to their courts, to let share stories of how societies live elsewhere.
This makes the Ulnucs an interesting group, since they love pillaging but they also value immensely the knowledge of the world outside. It is common for a Khan to hold a caravan in the territory for several years, just to retrieve from them, as hospitable guests, tales from afar.
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Karkoru
Resting near a river, the capital of the Khanate is an interesting sight to those allowed to enter.
The city gets it's water by multiple canals built to provide water to the populace. Showing a high level of craftsmanship that most horse tribes lack. Unfortunately, the land is poor, making farming impossible to feed the population. Making it a mandatory stop for trade caravans.
Religiously, besides the temples of their local gods, they have twelve pagodas for monks, a temple of Klaar and two temples of Haddan spread throughout the city.
Meanwhile the city has the oddity of a moat and a set of walls protecting it from potential invaders, something most horse tribes would laugh at the notion, with four gates controlling it's passage. Outside the city walls live most of the folk, pitching their yurts around the city.
The city (and it's surroundings) has several workshops scattered, with it's artisans focusing mainly on ore working ( bronze, copper, gold and iron) and ceramic, but also bone carving, glass works, jewel crafters, birch wood working, and yarn production. Indeed this folk are more industrious than they look.
