The Southwest Frontier

Sylila and the South West frontier are home to a wide variety of peoples.

The Storm Barbarians

The hills are full of storm-worshipping barbarians. Those that still rebel against the Empire worship  Orlanthus, the Rebel God who slew the Sun and brought the Darkness. He is married to Arnelda, a handmaiden of the Sun who was seduced by Orlanthus, and left the Solar Court to breed with him in squalor and filth. Their sons are Odayla the Star Bear, Barntar the Farmer, and Desemborth the thief.

They are also home to the Strangler cult of Umact, which preaches the death and destruction of the world. They use cloth garrotes called rumels to deprive their victims of live-giving air, then ceremonially bury them in “Mother Earth”. This cult is outlawed even by the barbarians. They claim to be the only ones to see the Truth, and use trickery and disguise to travel with their intended victims, slaying them late at night.

Some barbarians take the Emperor’s salt and serve in his army, but commanders must always beware of the oath that the barbarian takes – it must be sworn “on the hilt and the blade”, or the barbarian will feel no need to keep his word. The Barbarians are divided into numerous clans and tribes, always at feud with each other as well as the Empire. 

Dara Ni

Both Alkoth and Darjiin have claims on this fertile land. The creation of the Sylilan Satrapy in 2/25 upset both polities. The peoples of Dara Ni are civilized, and the Lunar way, though very much a minority, is spreading in the city of Thubana.  Thubana is petitioning to become an Imperial City. The people of Dara Ni provide the Satrapy with its educated castes. 

The Jajaloring dog-worshippers live here. They are a hardy breed, smaller than average, but fiercely attached to their hounds, who return the attention. They are eager mercenaries in the service of the Emperor. 

Lakrene

Semi-civilized Storm Worshippers. They have four “cities” (mud and rock-walled towns, with a citadel for their “king”). They are resistant to the word of the Goddess.

Rist

Rist was an aldryami forest, but it’s alliance to Dara Ni doomed it to a Moonburn. In 1/49, the forested lands were seared by the fires of the Moon. Once cleared of it’s troublesome elves, the land was given to Imperial veterans. It is heavily Lunarised, and provides many soldiers to the Empire.

The Talastari Tribes

Storm barbarians, they also worship the mystical power of Tarumath, the Primal Storm. Monks of Tarumath wear distinctive orange robes.

Bilini

The Bilini live on the borders of chaos-ravaged Doraster. They are experienced and fearsome fighters of Chaos, and must be convinced that the Lunar Empire does not pose a threat to them. All theirs gods are crippled in one way or another, though, of course, they claim that these scars and infirmities were gained against chaos, and tell of how each god or goddess reclaimed or stole powers in retaliation.

Aggar

The highlands of this area are populated by Storm barbarians.

Telmori werewolves can be found in the Billiz hills; a fearsome tribe that fortunately rarely comes to the lowlands. 

The City of 10,000 magicians claims that it will stand “until 10,000 magicians have past the portals of the city”. It is a remnant of the Empire of Wyrms Friends.

Beyond Aggar are the Skanthi tribes, and then the haunted land of Doraster, cursed by Arkat the Deceiver.

Holay

Recently conquered by Hwarin Dalthippa. Women have a surprisingly strong presence here, and many welcomed the advent of the Goddess and Her Granddaughter. Mirin’s Cross has been declared an Imperial Depot, and is the center of the Provincial Pacification efforts.

Vanch

A nation of Storm-worshipping thieves. They can steal a horse out from under a man without him noticing, or a city from the Empire. They are the worst at swearing “on Hilt and Blade” – a common trick is to smear garlic or onion juice on the knife or sword before the ceremony, then smell the man’s fingers to make sure that he did, indeed, touch both as he swore. 

Dog Plains and Balazar.

These lands are peopled by dog-loving primitives. The opening of the Holay area to the Lunars has opened up these areas to the slavers. Bostok is the primary center for the dog plains slave trade. The slaves are useless for any higher tasks – even farming is beyond them. Some make reasonable gladiators, but most men are used for heavy lifting, and most women for the sex-pots of the Heartland.