Abzan Houses

The Abzan emulated the endurance of the dragon and their symbol was the scale. They were a clan that understood that the world is a brutal place, and that to survive in it, they must be able to rely on and trust the people around them. Duty and family consequently were the mainstays of Abzan society. So, too, did they have the resolve to destroy those who would destroy them.

Structure

The Abzan clan is made up of a web of interconnected families, each of which is ruled by its oldest member. To an outsider, the clan may look like a unified entity. In reality, the organization of the Abzan is dynamic, with families maneuvering politically to form bonds with some families while trying to isolate others. That being said, the Abzan are all too aware that disunity can allow them to fall prey to other clans. They select a khan to organize the clan's defenses and lead the army in times of war. Each family is responsible for providing soldiers for the greater Abzan army.

Clan Roles

Dragonscale. Heavy infantry who made up the bulk of the Abzan army. These were troop levies pulled from Abzan families. They carried dragonscale shields.
Ibex cavalry. Heavy cavalry, or cataphracts, of the Abzan. They wielded both lance and bow, and they rode on war ibexes.
Krumar. Orc war orphans were taken from orc families and raised to be house guards for the Abzan. They were treated as family, and many orc families lived in Abzan settlements. In times of war, they served as shock troops.
Scouts. Adept information gatherers and were often deployed to harass enemy troop movements.
Tree wardens. Perhaps the most skilled warriors. Their singular task was to protect their family's kin tree at all costs. Spirit speakers summoned and channeled ancestral spirits.

Culture

Family. Family bonds were the core of Abzan society, and the clan fought anyone who would threaten those bonds. The Abzan honored the spirits of their ancestors and valued their lineage above all else. But they would also take in orphans of war from other clans, integrating them into their ranks as "krumar." The greatest fear of a member of Abzan society was to become dishonored and exiled to the sands. Familial relationships:

Blood-Kin. Family members who were directly related by blood, no matter how distantly.
Bond-Kin. Family members linked by oaths ("You are like a sister to me"). Krumar (see below) fall into this category.
Clan orphans. Abzan members who had no family but were still part of the clan. Orphans can be adopted by families.
Disowned. These were individuals who had been ritually disowned. By law, they could not be adopted. There were colonies of disowned outside of Abzan settlements were they would become wanderers, adventurers, or mercenaries.
Krumar. As the Abzan waged war, they would create many orphans among their enemies. Krumar were the orphaned children of enemy clans taken by the Abzan to be raised as soldiers. Krumar taken by Abzan were required by law to be treated as bond-kin, and many krumar were adopted by families they were bound to protect. Many orcs joined the Abzan as krumar.

Family tree and ancestral spirits. Due to the scarcity of resources even in the oases, each Abzan family was responsible for caring for a particular fruit-bearing tree, called a kin tree. The firstborn child became a tree warden, or caretaker, while the other children would become soldiers, merchants, or artisans, and would plant trees of their own with the seeds of their parents' tree when they started families. When family members died, they were laid to rest beneath their family tree without a casket. Their bodies provided nutrients for the tree, which in turn bore fruit for future generations. Instead of headstones, family names were carved directly into the kin tree. The concept reflected the Abzan ideal of duty to the family. In fact, the spirits of the dead were so closely connected to their trees, and could be called upon in times of war. War strategists. The Abzan were adept war strategists. Believing that most of a battle was fought before the armies engaged in the field. Disciplined soldiers, high walls, and ample supplies would win the day. The Abzan valued the ability to choose the site of a battle to optimize their strengths, and would often forego pursuit of the enemy after victory in favor of holding strategic ground. They were known for using the harsh desert terrain as a weapon, leading enemy armies into the Shifting Wastes, where the desert ultimately claimed victory.

Disbandment

The Abzan Khan, Daghatar, surrendered to Dromoka at the end of a long and costly war for survival against the dragon. Learning that Dromoka would not stop her assault on the Abzan so long as they practiced their ancestor worship, Daghatar ordered the end of all kin-trees and spirit ancestor practices as a means of safeguarding the existence of his people.

Religion

Abzan spiritually revolved around the worship of ancestors, which was connected to the Abzan reverence for trees. Each family cared for a unique fruit-bearing tree, called a kin tree. This kin tree served as a hub for its ancestors' spirits. Some among the Abzan learned to communicate with these spirits, and even called them forth to either protect their descendants or harm their enemies. The amber from the kin tree, the hardened tree resin, and sap aided in the practice of spirit magic. Amber wards were found in Abzan homes and Abzan soldiers carried amber with them to war. Spirit speakers consumed distilled tree resin to help them connect to spirits. Weapons crafted from the wood of fallen kin trees were said to be blessed.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED