Pagaelin
Dishonorable, brutal, treacherous, underhanded and cowardly, these are the Pagaelin’s finest qualities.
They use poison and every dirty or creative trick to win in a conflict, and if defeat is imminent they without hesitation run away, happily sacrificing their wounded.
However their most feared fighters are called Raunir, berserkers who paint their faces to look like skulls are immune to pain and are dangerous foes. They are unpredictable and strongly addicted to drugs, which are supplied by their priests, the mysterious Augurs.
The nation has around 120 tribes that vary from 60 to 240 members. They are nomadic, moving among historic tribal camps after they have exhausted local resources.
They are mostly semi-nomadic, moving from one location to another within their range either seasonally or every few years. Some are hunter-gatherers who do not practice more than rudimentary agriculture. Each tribal nation is divided into several dozen tribes of 30 to 1,200 persons, although few tribes would exceed 200 in size.
Structure
Leadership of each tribe is despotic, based on domination, intimidation, bluff, bribery, and power. Combat, subterfuge, poison, and murder decide who will be the Chief and he remains in power only as long as he can fend off or outsmart rivals. The chief will decide the movement of the tribe, composition of war parties and the division of spoils. Even though he has absolute power if he cannot keep his warriors happy, they will quickly kill him. Under him are the strong and experienced warriors, then the weaker or younger warriors. These train the young warriors when they reach fighting or hunting age. Below them are male children, then women and the elderly, who raise the children and finally the slaves. Pagaelin have no concept of marriage, the most dominate claim the best women and they have no regard for parentage or the concept of the family. No tribesmen can name their father. They treat their elders brutally and often rob and kill them, or worse sell them as food for to a nearby Orc tribe. Pagaelin were originally a hard and brutal fishing people on the northwestern shores of Lythia who migrated to Harn around 50 TR. Over the centuries they established what is now their tribal ranges, raiding and trading with the nearby Kingdoms of Kaldor and Chybisa. Around 50 years ago the mysterious Augurs, Priests of the Walker on the Heath arrived, and have quickly intimidated the tribes into submission. They supply the tribes drugs and poisons.Territories
The tribes range from the western Setha Heath to the Kingdom Chybisa, north to the upper and lower Osel river and the north to Tontury Lake. Their tribal ranges overlaps territory claimed by both Kaldor and Chybisa.Military
Around one-third of a given tribe are warriors with around one in ten of these being Raunir. Warriors are equipped typically with spears, clubs, javelins, short bows, throwing knives and daggers. They wear leather or hide armor and some have small shields. Many warriors make use of Orc made weaponry such as the Mang, Mankar and Gudjag Mang. Elite warriors, leaders and the Raunir wield occasionally looted swords and always have better armor. Chieftains have the best weaponry, usually a good quality sword or axe and at least chain or ring mail amour. All Pagaelin warriors are equipped with poison, sometimes very potent and most have herbal drug potions which boost their aggression, strength, and reflexes. Tactically the Pagaelin favor ambush and night attacks. They usually prefer to stay at range as long as possible, pelleting the foes with poison weaponry, then closing in for the kill with melee weapons once their opponents have been weakened.Technological Level
Pagaelin have little agriculture, occasionally growing some grains but are mostly a hunter-gatherer and raiding society. They have no metal crafting and rely on stealing, looting or trading with Orcs for metal items. Many of the older women make themselves valuable by having good herbalist and natural healing skills. Woodcraft is good and coastal tribes have good small boat building skills.Religion
Traditionally the Pagaelin have worshiped Saraen which appears to be a primitive version of the Ivinian God Sarajin, however this religion begun to fade, with only around a quarter, mostly coastal tribes still faithful. Over 50 years ago a powerful new religion arrived, the much more dangerous Walker on the Heath Cult whose priests are the mysterious Augurs. The walker is a terrible spectral herald of death and bringer of nightmares. The mysterious Augurs supply the tribes with intoxicants, drugs, and poisons. Most tribesmen are now addicted and follow the decrees of the Augurs without question. At every new moon, the Augurs hold feasts at their Lodges and all nearby tribes attend. These include the sacrifice of animals and sometimes slaves. They gorge on drugged food and ale with the event being mostly peaceful, the only deaths are usually due to an overdose of drugs, which the Augurs claim is the will of the walker. These feasts serve the dual purposes of placing the tribes more under control of the Augurs and allow some degree of inter-tribal coordination. During the feasts, the Augurs may allow some of the strongest warriors to take the Akan-shri, an ordeal said to allow the participant to be admitted to the presence of the Walker on the Heath. This involves imbibing a potent herbal mix called Akana-sor and spending a night in a Raun, a Pagaelin sweat lodge. If the Pagaelin survives, and some don’t, they describe strange visions and sometimes see the mysterious Walker. The survivors are called Raunir (“one who touches the Walker’s cloak”) and are treated with much respect. The Raunir seem untouched by pain and fear but their personality has changed, they are more violent and unpredictable. They are first into combat and are especially savage. Raunir are never allowed to be chieftains.Blackfang
As dreaded and revered as the Augurs are, there is one entity which instills even more fear. Pagaelin have a legend of the great Dragon of Setha Heath, known in their language as Svart Tann or the dreaded Blackfang. It is said when the Blackfang wakes from his decades-long periods of sleep he wakes hungry and angry.Foreign Relations
Kingdom of Evael - The tribes avoid the Elves thinking them Wood Demons. Kingdom Chybisa - Over the last few decades the tribes have avoided antagonizing the Chybisians and have remained relatively peaceful apart from a few unfortunate incidences of drug-crazed raids. Kingdom of Kaldor - Seen as the enemy and tribes raid periodically. Chelni Barbarians - The dangerous Cheni are avoided, they are too mobile and hard to ambush. Kath Barbarians - Pagaelin find the Kath Warrior women terrifying and avoid unless they have superiority in numbers. Bujoc Barbarians - Good source of slaves and plunder, but very evasive. Pagaelin attack whenever practical.Jarin Tribal Nation
Hârn contains 18 Jarin nations, whose total population exceeds 100,000. Each of these nations has fairly well-defined homelands in the wilderness areas of Harn.They are mostly semi-nomadic, moving from one location to another within their range either seasonally or every few years. Some are hunter-gatherers who do not practice more than rudimentary agriculture. Each tribal nation is divided into several dozen tribes of 30 to 1,200 persons, although few tribes would exceed 200 in size.
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