Abanir

Abanir
Capital	None
Ruler	Many
Government	Tribal monarchies
Demonym	Abaniri
Adjective	Abanir
Languages	Targai, Orcish, Elven
Religions	Abanir pantheon; Orcish pantheon; Elven pantheon

Abanir (pronounced ah-bahn-EER) is a seemingly endless expanse of the steppe inhabited by many peoples. Nomadic clans and tribes, renowned as the some of the finest equestrians in the world, follow their herds between far-distant grazing lands. Well-fortified independent cities dot the landscape, especially along the Hundred Days Road, an important trade route that crosses the steppe.

Geography, flora, and fauna

Geography and climate

Abanir is a loosely defined region, simply the lands inhabited by the people of the Aban Steppe. The steppe itself stretches from near the Phiora Sea in the west to the more hilly lands of Rovakhit in the east, and from the foothills of the Zakros Range in the south to the Kuzal Mountains and alpine tundra in the north. Nearly the entire steppe is treeless, as instead it is covered by a vast expanse of grasslands and, in the semi-arid regions of the southeast, shrublands. Small forests can be found in the more northerly and westerly reaches of Abanir but elsewhere trees are limited to isolated small groves around local depressions where water collects.

Abanir is broadly quite flat, though with several major areas of uplands, notably the rolling terrain of the Arbuk Hills and the elevated plateau of the Wildsun Rise. Permanent rivers are uncommon in the region. Several begin in the Kuzal Mountains before flowing into the Iron Lake in the northwest, but elsewhere rivers, streams, and lakes are more ephemeral, carrying water only during the uncommon times of heavy rains.

Temperatures on the steppe can vary greatly, both seasonally and over the course of a day. Summers are usually quite hot, for the latitude at least, while winters are bitterly frigid.

Fauna

No animal is more closely associated with the Aban Steppe than the horse. Herds of the creatures wander the landscape, some tame and others wild. Other animals that can be commonly found in Abanir include eagles, kestrels, bears, foxes, giant aurochs, antelopes, and, in the more arid regions, camels.

Though far from the only dangerous creature to be found, wyverns are a particular threat on the open plains of the Aban Steppe. These aggressive draconic beasts have a particular fondness for hunting the livestock the peoples of the steppe rely upon, striking at herds kept by nomadic groups and city-dwellers alike. Most nest in the hilly regions of the steppe, potentially flying for quite a distance from their dens in search of prey. The wyverns are a persistent menace that all who live on the steppe know to always be on guard against.

History

The history of Abanir is that of multiple peoples coming into contact with each other, peacefully or otherwise, as they cross the steppe, some doing so as part of their constant migrations and others simply traveling to more populated lands to the east or west. The nomadic clans of the steppe have lived on the endless grasslands for as long as their oral and written histories recount, certainly for many thousands of years, though the various fortified cities that now dot the landscape are considerably newer. Primarily found along the major trade routes across the Aban, these cities were established within the last two milleniums to take advantage of increased mercantile traffic making the journey between Rovakhit and the nations to the west.

Elves and orcs have both had long histories in the region. After multiple aeroliths made landfall to the north, in the area now known as Yurukan, their elven populations began to travel and spread out, many joining the nomadic clans or what were at the time fledgling cities. Orcish history in Abanir, not only peaceful trade but also raiding and the laying of sieges to important cities, began somewhat more recently, only after their mass exodus out of Thadria in the ninth millennium.

Demographics

The inhabitants of Abanir are largely but not entirely human. Many orcs and half-orcs can be found amongst them, especially in the nomadic clans, while elves are not uncommon in the cities and their outlying villages. Kobolds, goblins, and ratfolk included in the population of the region as well.

Culture

Religion

Most people of the steppe worship the gods of the Abanir pantheon, though prayer to Orcish and Elven deities is common as well, especially amongst their respective ancestries. Veneration of gods often comes second to the worship of ancestor or nature spirits, however, who are frequently of more direct concern to the Abaniri. As is typical with those that follow the Abanir pantheon, the Abaniri generally view religion as a matter of personal relationships with spirits and divinities, and therefore eschew great temples, of which there are few in the region.

Considerably smaller religious movements in Abanir include the dead moon cults and remote villages near Baurastana that worship the Hellean pantheon.

Society

The people of Abanir generally consider themselves to fall into one of three broad groups:

• The Targai (pronounced TAR-guy) are the nomadic peoples of the Aban Steppe, traditionally pastoralists and skilled equestrians. To the broader world they are perhaps the best known of Abanir's inhabitants, renowned and sometimes feared for their skills on horseback.
• The Gatai (pronounced GAH-tie) are the descendants of Targai clans that have settled in one of the cities that dot the steppe. Gatai may be those whose families have lived in the cities for centuries, or those who only recently left their nomadic ways behind - the term is used to refer to all settled Targai.
• The Arvai (pronounced AR-vai) are a loosely defined group, perhaps better described by who they are not than by who they are. Any inhabitants of the steppe who are not Targai or Gatai are generally considered to be Arvai. The term is mostly used to refer to travelers or those who settled in the region from elsewhere. Arvai who adopt the lifestyles and culture of the Targai or Gatai usually find themselves relatively quickly considered to be one of these groups instead.

Languages

Targai is by far the most widely spoken language in Abanir. Ancestral tongues, particularly Orcish and Elven, can also be heard, but the use of other regional languages are uncommon. Many in the cities can speak Common, important for engaging in trade with those crossing the steppe, but proficiency in the language is significantly less common amongst the nomadic Targai.

Art

Renowned Abaniri warriors and mercenaries often wear a style of highly decorated, plumed helmet that features molded face plates that are carefully shaped into realistic depictions of their bearers. Equally important for their practical and artistic aspects, these helmets require quite a bit of skill to make well, especially as they are often plated in precious metals. Though they are primarily symbols of social status and prestige, the helmets are worn in combat along with their flexible lamellar armor.

The smiths of the steppes are also renowned for their skill in making intricate gold and bronze works, many of which bear animalistic designs. These are widely worn as jewelry by high-status individuals, especially the leaders of clans and tribes, or as part of elaborate body piercings.

Migration

Targai clans and tribes rarely keep their encampments in one location for long. Not only do they need to constantly seek new grazing lands for their herds, but they are well aware that sedentary lives bring danger, whether from the raiding parties of other clans or the wild creatures of the steppe. Though some tribes consider themselves to control certain territories, most do not, and instead wander wherever is beneficial at the moment.

Traditionally Targai tribes do not approach cities or their outlying villages and farms en masse, as to do so is seen as a threat to the urbanized Gatai tribes. When they wish to trade or visit they instead send out smaller parties, leaving the rest of the tribe away on the steppe, though even these smaller groups are often required by the city guards to relinquish all weapons for the duration of their stay.

The Targai occasionally wander into lands claimed by Rovakhit, but most avoid these parts of the steppe due to ongoing tensions and conflicts over control of the eastern grazelands.

Architecture and urbanization

Though there are relatively few cities in Abanir, each one tends to be quite densely urbanized, with most of its population living behind tall stone walls. In earlier periods in the region's history these defenses were important in protecting against hostile Targai raiders as well as siege engine-carrying orcish clans from the west, but today they largely serve as barriers against the swarms of wyverns that sometimes descend on the cities. Each city is heavily reliant on the farms of peripheral villages for food, and therefore often maintain large contingents of guards at these settlements.

TODO: architecture

Water is relatively uncommon on the steppe, as there are exceptionally few standing bodies of water and the region receives relatively little rainfall. Certain cities, particularly those of the southeast where the underground aquifers are confined and deep enough to pose a problem for the construction of wells, are built around large stone water towers that collect and store rainfall to be dispensed in drier periods of the year. Control of these water towers nearly always becomes a critical focus to the rulers of these cities, as it provides a great deal of leverage over the citizenry. They often serve dual purposes, particularly as guard towers.

Food and cuisine

TODO: food and cuisine

Travel and trade

The Hundred Days Road, a trade route the passes across the breadth of the steppe, is the most important and frequently traveled of the routes that connect Rovakhit and the nations of the Phiora and Chaska seas. The wealth that passes through the Aban poses many opportunities for the Targai and Gatai. Some nomadic clans make their livings either raiding caravans or as mercenaries protecting the merchants, while the city-dwellers sell supplies and services to those making the journey.

Horses

Over the centuries the Targai have bred their horses to be fast and hardy, well adapted to life on the open steppe. They train with their horses from a young age, as many spend significant parts of their lives on horseback, whether while on the road, hunting, or simply watching over their herds. Races, horseback archery competitions, and other sporting events are extremely popular, not only for entertainment but also as they present opportunities to gain prestige and fame for one's skills. These events bring together disparate tribes, even sometimes those in conflict with each other - any disputes are set aside during these inter-tribal gatherings to focus purely on sport.

Magic

Witches are the most common type of arcane caster in Abanir. The religious beliefs of the people of the Abaniri de-emphasize the importance of clerics, and therefore most divine casters are shamans or oracles instead.

Burial practices

The Targai traditionally bury their esteemed dead in ancestral tombs, effectively caves carved into the steppe. Most are relatively small, though some can become quite large and sprawling underground complexes. While each clan may wander far from their tombs, they retain knowledge of their locations while simultaneously fiercely guarding such details from outsiders. The possessions of the deceased are interred alongside them, as are small figures portraying their family, allies, and enemies alike, so they they might recognize those they knew in life in the event they return as ghost-spirits. Sometimes horses are buried with the dead as well. The people of the Aban Steppe see ghosts as separate from undead, which they passionately despise. Remains of deceased warriors especially are often buried wrapped in magically warded and locked chains to prevent necromancers from raising them so easily, a practice adopted from orcish communities and tribes to the west.

Targai ancestral tombs serve a second, additional purpose as repositories of clan history. Written works are commonly left in the tombs when a burial is performed, recounting all major events in the clan since the last deceased was interred. These works and their preservation in the tombs are invaluable for recording knowledge that otherwise might be too easily lost to the generations.

Though some Gatai have shifted to the use of more typical cemeteries protected by outposts near their city walls, some Gatai clans still continue to use their ancestral tombs, traveling out into the steppe to the secret locations when the need arises.

Government

The Targai and Gatai govern themselves in ways that are both different and remarkably similar. Both nomadic and city-dwelling peoples place great emphasis on notions of kinship, which is reflected significantly in how they choose their rulers. To both, the clan is the smallest and arguably most important group to which they owe their loyalty. Above that is the tribe, consisting of multiple clans joined together. It is not common for tribes to break apart or form, but it is not unusual either. Somewhat more ephemeral than the clans and tribes are the confederations. These are alliances of several clans who typically form as a result of shared interests, often as a matter of mutual protection, an arrangement that may persist for only a short time or for generations. Clans are usually ruled somewhat informally by patriarchs or matriarchs, tribes by monarchs, and confederations by consensus within each constituent tribe's king or queen.

Like their people, Targai rulers never remain in one place for too long. Instead they hold itinerant courts, no less stately or grandiose than might be found elsewhere in the world, except that they could be found anywhere in the Aban Steppe as each nomadic king visits their subjects.

The clans, tribes, and confederations remain important to the Gatai, even if they may have left nomadic left behind - the social arrangements are the same, only the context in which they take place is different. Multiple clans may live in one city, which is itself considered a tribe. Confederations, then, are simply alliances of cities. Monarchs of the city-tribes typically rule from the highest and most fortified points within their settlement, in towers strategically placed to give a wide view of the surrounding landscape.

Amongst people of the Aban Steppe, certain clans are considered royal, usually those that descend from particularly famed individuals. When a tribe is in need of a new monarch, and especially when such leadership is heavily disputed between multiple claimants, individuals from these royal clans are sometimes invited to join the tribe as their ruler. Doing so not only brings the tribe legitimacy but also improves their prestige by allowing them to claim the spirits of past heroes, warriors, or witches favor them. Members of the royal clans, while they do enjoy many privileges as a matter of their birth, must be careful to always act in accordance with the spirits, as to do so otherwise not only causes the individual to lose approval but potentially also their entire clan, which would precipitate their collective fall from royalty.

Economy

The nomadic peoples of Abanir primarily make their livings as pastoralists, tending to large herds of sheep and horses. They do quite well for themselves as long as they are able to keep their animals safe from the many threats of the steppe, though a pack of opportunistic predators or sudden lightning storm, wildfire, or extreme cold weather can always spell hardship. Many Targai sell their horses to others, whether Gatai or Arvai, though they always keep their finest animals for themselves. Some raid the caravans that travel the Hundred Days Road, using either ambushes in the tall grasses or quick strikes on horseback before retreating with their loot.

The cities, meanwhile, are largely economically based around trade, especially those along the Hundred Days Road. Merchants sell supplies, entertainment, and protection to those crossing the steppe, with a particular eye for the inevitable few who attempt the journey under-prepared. Many cities are regional trade hubs in their own right, bringing together goods from nearby clans and outlying villages into their markets. The smaller cities of the north, which see fewer caravans crossing the steppes, instead base their economies more around agriculture.