Zvaal
The Semi-Cooperative, Semi-Nomadic Tribes of the Barghast Arakh
Zvaal is the third-largest island of the Broken Empire, after Gondara and the Lorent. It is populated by the semi-cooperative, semi-nomadic arakh, mostly of the Barghast Tribes. Rival tribes of the Barghast have either been killed, expelled or absorbed over the past few centuries; only tiny populations of these defeated tribes' modern relatives can be found on smaller islands nearer to Rhosgobel or the Howling Fantods.
The Zvaalites famously divide their Cycles between migratory and sedentary modes. Though not immediately hostile to visitors, the Barghast tribes cannot be considered welcoming either, and travelers must work hard to ingratiate themselves.Geography
Description
See also: Image Gallery: Fashion & Scenery of Zvaal (External)Zvaal is the third largest continent in the archipelago, after Gondara and the Lorent. It is a mostly arid land of steppes, savannahs and deserts, with a crescent of jungles lining the Voidward coasts. The Barghest spend about half a Cycle encamped in the great patchwork city of Make-No-Quarrel, a fascinating combination of Zvaalite architecture atop ancient, likely Alanthian ruins. (The Barghest never enter the Voidward jungles; they can hear the ghosts and shadow-things that live there, and maintain a tense peace with them.)
The other half-Cycle is spent on the road, on which there are a few "waypoint" townships: what are essentially huge encampments, but each with their individual regional and historical character, whose Rites of Peace can be drastically different depending on their past Peacewalkers. Such towns include:
- Etiin-Vuh, Where-the-Path-Twines
- Sutkagan-Dor, The-Jackal-Laid-Down-to-Rest
- Shaka, When-the-Walls-Fell
- Shelum-Jah, The-Yawning-Ghost-Appeared
Society
As the Barghast have either defeated or absorbed their historical enemy tribes, Zvaal is relatively peaceful, though the arakh love of argumentation shines through, and certain subtribes have taken over the role of bickering rivals. Nor is it uncommon for young arakh to break free of the tedium of strict Zvaalite society and explore the complexity of human-elven civilization.Migration
Zvaalite life can be most broadly divided into a cycle of two parts: the Gathering Seasons and the Sitting Seasons. During the Gathering Seasons, almost the entire populace sets out on their ski-mounted yurts, pulled by domesticated aspid thunderlizards. Each subtribe follows its own circuitous route around the continent, redetermined each cycle during the Sitting Season.
As the months or years of Winter give way to Spring, the families all return to Make-No-Quarrel for the Sitting Season. Resources are collected and divided, celebrations are held as each family trickles back in, and the arakh settle into the myriad huts and warrens of the great city to bide the Spring and Summer months, allowing the continent's bounties to regrow and providing much-needed shade during the sweltering Zvaalite Summers. To be sure, these months are not completely spent sitting: builders and craftspeople set about maintaining and adding to the great city, shaded farms are tended to for additional food, children are educated and new travel routes are planned by the Skywatchers for the following Gathering Season.Diplomacy
Foreign visitors are tolerated on Zvaal but not warmly welcomed. The Barghast have little interest in what they see as a shallow, frenetic human-eladrin society intruding on the "measured gait" of their proven ways. They were largely neutral during the Wars of Juran Aggression: they made it clear the Juran Empire would regret setting foot on Zvaal, but were not anxious to assist their neighbours in countering Juran hegemony as a whole. This was partly because of the Barghast's aloofness to other cultures, but also because they were still mired in their own wars with the remnant armies of the Amarok and Greyrabbit clans.Fashion
Perhaps the most magically adept per capita of the Broken Empire’s many cultures, particularly at life & healing magicks, the Zvaalite arakh prefer their flesh to be scarred (“storied”) rather than protected, confident in their vital lifeforces to make up the difference. Any armour on their persons tend to be more for backup weaponry than protection, for example gauntlets for backhanding, or pauldrons for shoulder tackles.
Banner art: Right: The ancient fortress-city of Make-No-Quarrel, where the Barghast Arakh spend their Sitting Seasons. The design is distinctly Alanthian
Left: The sacred resting place of Sutkagan-Dor, The-Jackal-Laid-Down-to-Rest. It is the most Voidward of the major sacred resting sites during Gathering Seasons.
Zvaal
Quadrant
Gamma
Region
Voidward of Nurin, Broken Empire peripheries
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