Baiqiang Union

Peace from unity

It's only been a decade, but there's something peculiar going on in Zentland. The previously squabbling tribes in the salt plains seem have had an unusual time of peace. They've become much more organized, and are aggressively expanding under the same mulberry-colored banners into the Salt Range. This is something we've never seen before.

– Archived Report from Outrider Drone

Organized by the sage-archer Nora, the Baiqiang Union or Kalian (/ˈkɑːlien/) League was the first major alliance of the tribes of the salt marshes. It was established thousands of years ago, mainly to protect the tribes of Kalia against enemies to the east. Their expansion through the salt marshes into the Salt Range worried much of the tribes and city-states in the eastern bays, who organized themselves into an opposing alliance to counter the powerful league.

Center of Culture

There may be totalitarians out on the steppe, but there will always be freedom in the Kalian League. There may be nations who hoard their gold, but the doors of trade will always be open in the Salt Plains. There may be those intolerant of religions other than their own, but all religions are welcome here.

— 15th Head Elder of Baiqiang, Collin of Linsent

Formed around the Pestrib tribe, the Kalian League is at the center of a cultural amalgam. In the west, the former tribes of Nong, Hausi, and Zent speak their own heavily inflected dialect of Pestribian. In the northeast, the egalitarian Yan talk in tongues of Collisian. Together, the alliance is a melting pot of citizens hailing from all walks of life.

Structure

Ah! Gate! How sweet it sounds! That is the translation of the word "tribe" from your language?

– Linguist Bai, conversing with some halorin

The organization is headed by a council of "independent gatemasters," the equivalent of the many chieftains of the tribes that are part of the alliance. The gatemasters, together, decide the overall course of the union's strategy and expansion.
The gatemasters then pass responsibility down to their "perchmasters" (gate commanders), who are equivalent to perhaps a mayor or a cabinet position. These perchmasters are responsible for the overall execution of the master plan within their own gate, using whatever means necessary and whatever materials necessary to complete the plan.

Public Agenda

People of the civilized tribes assembled! Tell me, when can you remember where you weren't fighting amongst yourselves? We have our differences, true, but we are civilized states. We shouldn't fight like so. And why?
As we squabble, we make ourselves weak, weak against who? Against the hordes of barbarians that crowd our frontiers! So let us make a civilized alliance, and drive this enemy from our borderland! Pacify the frontier!

– Nora's speech before the ratification of the alliance

The tribal union was formed thousands of years ago after the intensification of raids from other tribes to the east. When the Salt Range tribes launched an organized assault meant to wipe out the tribe of Yan, the tribes in the Plains decided to unite around a common core to fight off the barbarians suddenly invading their lands.
The alliance treaty itself can be contained on just a few rods of kava, with the marks of all the tribes that were present at the meeting. Long thought lost, it was recovered by a recent archaeological expedition, a copy preserved in perfect condition buried with a presumed gatemaster. A literal translation of the text follows.

People of the civilized gates assembled! We, the gatemasters, representing the assorted gates of the salt marsh, have agreed on your behalf to a union of all states, for the common benefit of every man, and for the common defense against the barbarian hordes! We have decided:

• To provide gatekeepers [warriors] in case of assault
• To open the trade of goods between gates
• To end all active wars and disputes diplomatically between gates

This is all for our common goal: To protect the lives and livelihoods of our common men. Ratified by the unanimous consent of the gatemasters assembled.

Pax unitatis per

Type

Alliance, Generic

Alternative Names

East Range Alliance
Salt Range Alliance
Salt Range Gate Alliance
Kalian League
Kalia

Demonym

Kalian

Government System

Tribalism

Power Structure

Autonomous area

Subsidiary Organizations

• Aestajian Gate

Location

Port Nora

Related Ranks & Titles

• Ajrora
• Swarm Combat Medic

Controlled Territories

• Salt Plains
• Salt Range

Related Items

• Axe of Ten-Thousand Strokes

Organization Vehicles

• Tengeren

Notable Members

• Nora

Related Ethnicities

• Pestrib

Related Myths

• Legion Cygniere