Lokuruk

"The first of the Lokuruk fled Adon millenia ago. They followed their hearts away from civilization and the dividing up of land by kingship, by birthright, by abstract reasoning of the gods. They found a god who wanted nothing to do with the aspirations of many of his kin. We know these ancestors as Loku, which at that time meant "One who has left". That as all we were at one time. Ones who left. For the first of us knew the truth, and passed down to us the essence of who we are "Edu Na'ta taiwa koto" - The Earth/Land Belongs to No One. 
The Lokuruk have largely isolated themselves from the rest of the civilized world. Of all the cultures in the world, they are the least understood. Much of their territory has been untouched by non-natives.
The Lokuruk value martial prowess above all. They live deep in the forest area in the south and populate the mountains as well.
Despite being isolated, current Lokuruk culture has drawn on a number of different cultural influences. Although they are a suspicious, protective, and distrusting people, once you have gained the truth of the Lokuruk, they are friends for life. Unknown to much of the world, they have taken in outsiders who have proven their strength. For example, a number of expelled Guhrics were incorporated into the Lokoruk for their martial prowess, teaching them hand to hand combat and becoming one of the Lokoruk arts.
Centralized rule for most of the Lokuruk history did not exist, as they followed the direction of Ursu, who after some time lived among them in human form. The Lokoruk are the only culture in the world that was directly ruled by their god, Ursu the Bear/Warlord. As the god of courage, Ursu kept his human form at all times, despite the risk of being killed (gods taking human form are just as vulnerable to death as any human, despite their god strength/abilities). The highest leader of a tribe is called the Arka
Before Eoragidd, rulers were appointed with the blessing of Ursu, who bestowed upon that ruler great power and the ability to live a long life. This concept, known internally in their culture as mana, was a power that could be harnessed from within and unlocked by Ursu. Rulers were determined by being the best hunters and fighters. In order to rule, a bear must be killed and a warrior, male or female, must prove themselves willing to sacrifice for their people. This practice has been maintained for thousands of years as an homage to Ursu taking human form and being willing to sacrifice his own for that man and that the spirit and strength of that bear is imparted on him.
Religion
The Lokoruk recognize only one god, Ursu.
Ancestor worship is a common theme among the Lokuruk. Revered warriors are believed to have joined Ursu’s clan in the afterlife. Ritual warfare is a part of their culture.
Lokoruk warriors take annual pilgrimages toward the place of Ursu's resting in order to pay their respect.
Values and Behavior
Lokuruk are often viewed as volatile and strange, though in truth they have very little crime and adherence to their own rules, even among rival tribes. The Lokoruk respect each others territory and independence, with those violating another man’s belongings as a terrible sin. Disputes are settled more often than not from combat. Corporal punishment is encouraged and citizens who are excessively troublesome are often expelled from their tribe or killed. The Lokoruk also hold to a principle of balance, where acts of unkindness or violence must be balanced with kindness. In addition to the punishment, the offender or his family must also meet the eyes of the offended, offering gifts and apologies.
Combat, pain, bloodshed, and death are viewed in a much different way among the Lokuruk than they are among many other cultures. The highest honor among the Lokoruk is death by combat and sacrificing oneself for their family, friends, tribe, people, or innocents. Combat and hunting have different elements of respect. Combat is a religious practice, a ritual practice, and a practice of sport. Outsiders see the ways of the Lokuruk as a sign of disorder, their ways savage and antithetical to life, but to those within their culture they would say they have little disorder. Longstanding feuds and disputes were largely rare, instead they are brutally honest with each other. This expression of emotion often has a healthy aspect. Although unknown to much of the outside world, the Lokoruk have the most consistent, stable culture of any of them, with their ability to maintain order internally second to none.
That being said, prudence and restraint are considered disrespectful, with risk being encouraged. Anger is regarded as source of strength. Despite being stereotyped as volatile and unrestrained (Which can be true at times), many of the best warriors have remarkable control over their emotions and our taught from a young age how to regulate themselves.
Lokuruk have more words for emotion, such as anger, than any others, and have a remarkably sophisticaed understanding of human behavior. They believe to shed tears and embrace pain is to be brave, while holding back emotion is considered the way of the coward. A warrior is trained to identify an emotion and use it at the right moment.
After Eoragidd, lines of succession became brutal. The Lokoruk no longer had the mediating influence of Ursu and instead resorted to following the strongest among them. Although the Lokoruk practice ancestor worship, they do not value lineage or lines of succession. A great man’s son is not given any more clout or authority than a “lowly” man’s son, instead respected by their merits. Despite the lines of succession, good rulers often groom a ruler to take their place and there are periods of time where kings are accepted peacefully.
Geography
The Lokuruk reside in the Southwestern area of the Eastern continent. It is a large, sprawing area of forest, mountains, and rocky tundra. The area is large enough to have a wide range of climates from warm to bitter cold.
History
At some point in time, 3 separate large scale clans emerged with each being ruled by a ruler appointed by Ursu and his people. These rulers became known as the White, Black, and Brown/Grey clans.
Written history within their lands and especially outside is scant to non-existent. The only known rulers of these clans in the modern outside world come from Aetherean poems that were written about Eoragidd.
During Eoragidd, Ursu adopted Kara the huntress. She lived among Ursu’s children : Ibjorn the White, Honan the Brown/Gray, and Draerk the Black. Ibjorn ruled the winter lands in the mountains, Honan oversaw the lower mountains, and Draerk guarded the forest. Some believe Kara to be a bad omen who brought pain to their lands, splitting the brothers.
During Eoragidd, Kara joined Augnir and his forces, demanding the Lokuruk unify and join her. Instead, many of the Lokuruk refused and only one grop joined her. They had never involved themselves in the affairs of the world. Ursu had a strained relationship with the Beoth, his younger brother. He respected his older brother Rai.
Little is known about the current state of affairs among the Lokoruk, although they have recently begun making more and more appearances to the outside world. The 3 large tribes still exist, though they are fractured. They meet annually in a place they call Ursu’s den where the conduct a religious ceremony in honor their god who died protecting them during Eoragidd.
Enmities
The Lokuruk frequently fought the Tanach, but have their most brutal rivalries with the Drogic to the west. Most fighting involved disputes over territory or simply the Lokoruk looking for a good fight. This ended after Eoragidd, when the two lands were severed. Legends speak of Ursu’s “little brother” Beoth, who Ursu fought with frequently.