Horse Lords

Originating on the harsh steppes of central Yazhea, the resurgent Horse Lords now threaten Zanatium, Russka, and Onogur. Their vanguard force, the Golden Horde, led by their terrifying new leader, Genghis Khanom, already presses at Zanatium’s borders. Following her stunning victory over rival hordes and the determined Roma defenders at the Battle of Tarsos, this woman has begun uniting enemies and allies alike among her people. Her next move is a mystery, even to her closest advisors.

As a people, the Horse Lords have not strong concept of collective identity. Although they are among the fiercest warriors in the world individually, they typically lack direction and are just as happy to fight among themselves as they are to battle foreigners. Only when the winters are especially harsh, or when they are united behind a strong leader, do they put aside inter-tribal disputes and expand outward. This is always a dark time for those unfortunate enough to lie in the Horse Lords' path.

Horse Lords primarily identify with their tribes. A tribe is a collection of clans united by intermarriage. Tribes come and go. The clans that make up a tribe change over time, too. Clans can be destroyed and absorbed into one another. New clans form when an extended family splits off to make a go of it on their own.

Clan and tribal leadership is determined by ritual combat. Most leadership fights are non-lethal, however, by a tradition known as the Blood Call, a challenger may request a lethal confrontation. Blood Calls are more common in challenges for tribal supremacy, where rivals are less likely to know each other well or be connected by familial bonds. The lord of a tribe, called the kral, is also be chieftain of his clan and head of his family.

In rare times a leader may rise up to unite tribes. Such a leader is called the Khan, or Khanom if female. These leaders provide the Horse Lords with a rarely seen common identity and a singular purpose. Setting aside or resolving inter-tribal disputes, the Khan wields the Horse Lords as a single terrifying weapon. Now is such a time.

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