Wolf Nomads

Ruled by The Fearless Wolf Leader, Tarkhana of all the Wegwiur, Commander of the Relentless Horde, Bargru

The portion of the steppes controlled by the Wolf Nomads is bounded by the Fler river to the west, and the Burneal Forest to the north. To the south, their territory ends at the shores of Lake Quag, and pushes up against the Sepia Uplands and the northern borders of the Vesve. In the east, however, lies the uncertain border with the lands of Iuz. The relationship between Iuz and the nomads has never been friendly, and a state of open warfare has prevailed for most of the last decade. The capital city, Eru Tovar, stands ready to endure siege, while the war bands continue to harry the forces of Iuz, though seldom engaging in protracted combats.

The war bands of the tarkhana are gathered from among the many tribes of the steppe, each led by its own noyone. They fight with bow and lance, and are only lightly armored. Sometimes, they will serve as guards for caravans or expeditions crossing the plains to Blackmoor or seeking trade with the Tiger Nomads to the west. These nomads are loyal to their word, much more so than the Tiger Nomads, but they are very easily offended. This often happens when a caravan is in the middle of the steppe, and it usually requires many gifts and payments to atone for such a transgression. The experienced traveler will certainly plan for such a predicament.

A larger trading town of nomads exists on the shores of Lake Quag, called Ungra Balan, in the territory of the Guchek tribe of the Wolf Nomads. It is more populous, and more prosperous, than Eru Tovar, but its inhabitants are not truly representative of the Wolf Nomads. Many townsfolk are not nomads at all, but some are former nomads who were exiled for some offense. Goods and horses can be obtained here that would otherwise be unavailable to anyone unwilling to travel the plains, so the town continues to grow. Many nomad bands have taken to wintering in the region as well, despite the disapproval of their tarkhana.

History

The Wolf Nomads consider themselves the true heirs of the great Relentless Horde that once challenged all the nations of the northern Flanaess. Led by the mighty Seerkana Ogobanuki, the host encompassed both the Wolf and Tiger nations until 345 CY. All the lands west of the Griff Mountains were under their sway, though by the end of the Seeress's lifetime the territory east of the Fellreev Forest was already lost. After Ogobanuki was laid to rest in the Howling Hills, the Wolf and Tiger Nomads became separate nations, though still bound by language and tradition. Both the ilkhan and tarkhana have followed the Seerkana's decree and studied the art of beguilement, for any ruler who cannot deceive her enemies is not clever enough to lead a free people.

The first ruling tarkhana chose for her camp a hill near the source of the Blackwater River. Around it she built a wooden stockade that was rebuilt each autumn. Eventually, the site became the city of Eru Tovar, with walls and buildings of brick, as well as wood. A copy of the Great Yassa of Ogobanuki was housed there, to be perused only by the tarkhana and her heirs, though it was rumored that the ilkhan of the Chakyik possessed a copy as well. The arts of beguilement and leadership were set forth in the Yassa, and the traditions by which the nomads should live. Thus, while the nomads were a free people, they still maintained a standard of virtue.

For many years, the nomads remained the most powerful force in the north. When Iuz the Old came to power in the Northern Reaches of Furyondy, that changed. He claimed the territory between the Wolf Nomads and the Rovers of the Barrens, and sought with his nonhuman armies to bring the nomads under his sway. To them, he was yet another enemy, but one whose evil far surpassed any they had known before. They learned to avoid his lands east of the Black Water, though never forgetting their honored dead in the Howling Hills. Iuz menaced the nomads for a generation, but with his imprisonment, they returned to their former ways, battling the Rovers once more on the Dulsi plain.

Iuz returned to the north in the years prior to the Greyhawk Wars, and after a period of rebuilding, he attacked his neighbors once again. His first major offensive against the Wolf Nomads was a siege of Eru Tovar. The tarkhana herself led two full tumans of nomads against Iuz, breaking the siege and trapping the Old One's northern army at the great north bend of the Black Water River. The Battle of Black Water Bend, as it was called, was a great victory for the Wolf Nomads, though Iuz continued to make progress in the Howling Hills

Following the wars, the Wolf Nomads were incited to attack Iuz in the Howling Hills by a mercenary Paynim named Tang the Horrific. Appearing before a gathering of tribal warlords, the charismatic Tang stirred even the aging tarkhana with his words, and a horde was gathered to invade the territory of Iuz. The victory was by no means as decisive as the Battle of Black Water Bend, nearly a decade earlier, but many of Iuz's nonhuman troops were slain in the invasion. Tang was separated from the horde, fleeing eastward through the Land of Iuz and beyond. The Wolf Nomads returned home to the steppes and continue to raid the realm of Iuz with newfound daring and boldness.

Religion

The nomads have a matriarchal society served by a circle of powerful Druids that venerate the Wolf Mother. Initiates are chosen mostly along hereditary lines, although may be chosen by the Circle from the greater population. At age 14 the girls are sent into the wild to live among wolves for a year. The pack, members and characteristics are well known to the druids, and vice versa. At the end of the first month, the druids light large signal fires to mark the location of the Ceremony of the First Moon. The initiates gather around the various locations for a final ceremony before they set off for 11 moons of trial with their extended wolf family. Experience has shown that upon returning, the initiates have fared better than their peers that were subjected to the corrupting influence of civilization.

Government: Numerous loosely allied nomadic tribes; Matriarch of the ruling clan has limited authority over other Matriarchs

Capital: Eru Tovar

Major Towns: Eru Tovar (pop. 4,200), Ungra Balan (pop. 8,300)

Provinces: Two settled towns but no provincial structure

Resources: Furs and hides, copper, horses

Coinage: None; Perrenland coinage used in Ungra Balan, barter used everywhere else

Population: 120,000—Human 96% (Bf), Halfling 2%, Elf 1%, Other 1%

Languages: Ordai, Ancient Baklunish, Common

Alignments: CN*, N

Religions: Geshtai, Istus, ancestor worship, Telchur (from long-ago Oeridian contact)

Allies: Rovers

Enemies: Iuz, Tiger Nomads (sometimes), nonhumans and bandits from Blackmoor and Cold Marshes