Post by Harkovast on Jun 18, 2017 14:53:03 GMT
Far to the south, where the winds blow cold and harsh amongst the trees of vast forests, dwell the Onrapa.
The Onrapa exist in villages amongst the tree tops, only easily accessible to the Onrapa themselves and their tremendous climbing skills.
These villages consist of various extended families, and are very informal arrangements, like much of Onrapa society. Onrapa have few firmly laid down laws and rules, instead operating things on a local level around personal honour and tribal loyalty, with social stigma discouraging misbehaviour.
To outsiders Onrapa can seem a very quarrelsome people, always arguing and scuffling with each other, especially their young men who seem to be fighting each other as often as not. However, though Onrapa are quick to anger, they are just as quick to forgive, with furious disagreements being forgotten minutes later. Onrapa can go from wrestling each other to laughing and singing together so quickly as to baffle outsiders who take their angry words too seriously.
The Onrapa drink great quantities of fruit based cider, which is many none Onrapa consider a foul and toxic concoction. When celebrating and downing their cider, or even stronger spirits, the Onrapa's tendencies towards squabbling just get worse. Soon it can become hard to work out where hateful fights end and heartfelt signs of affection begin, as the two can blur together very confusingly when drunken Onrapa are involved.
Onrapa are extremely communal, sharing property and with all members of a tribe or family expected to look out for and help each other. A selfish Onrapa would soon find themselves ostracised from society as a bad element. Onrapa have no formal systme of money, as in their simple communities it would be unneccessary.
Onrapa have no concept of marriage, with most of them struggling to even understand the idea. The thought of some sort of formal contract being required to have sex makes no sense to the free loving Onrapa, who choose their lovers as they see fit. Whatever lovers an adult Onrapa wants is completely up to them and carries no stigma. Even formal sexual orientations are lost on the Onrapa. If a man wants to have sex with a man, then that is just what he is doing at that time, if he then has sex with a woman, than that's what he's doing now. For the Onrapa there is never a formal declaration. This is not to say Onrapa cannot fall in love and commit to one partner, it is just that there is no particular expectation or requirement that they do so.
Onrapa have access to birth control made from the plants of the forest and children are raised communally by the village, so women are not at a disadvantage by this casual relationship attitude.
Onrapa consider their forest home sacred, believing the trees to be inhabited by spirits that watch over the Onrapa people. The Onrapa believe that they hold within them the spirits of the trees, and when they die their spirits return to the forest to rejoin their fellows. This is a cycle of death and rebirth like the seasons of the forest itself, where life cannot be destroyed, only changed to a new form.
The religious authorities of the Onrapa are druids, who are held in great esteem and called on for moral guidance and to mediate disputes. The Druid order transcends tribe or territory and their authority is respected across all Onrapa society.
Historically the chief druid held the title "Harvester" as they were considered chief of the Harvest, the most important of all the seasons, carrying a scythe as a badge of office.
Onrapa are well adapted to their forest homes. Though their farming and fruit gathering may seem simplistic to people from more advanced cultures, they know their homeland very well and this combined with their nature magic ensures they are usually well fed. Onrapa are entirely vegetarian, eating meat makes them unwell. Onrapa consider eating "rotting flesh" to be a disgusting pracitice and clearly unhealthy.
Onrapa religious beliefs also include many tales of Mc'Doon, the "Holy Archer" or "Divine Archer", a legendary figure who performed amazing and impossible feats, such as shooting stars out of the sky. These stories are often heroic tales, but also take the form of extended jokes or moral tales, often with Ano-Chee being outwitted or humiliated by the Mc'Doons cleverness, besting them in combat, seducing their spouses and generally getting the better of them.
Mc'Doon is not worshipped, but is considered a national hero and an idealised vision of Onrapa manhood.
To outsiders, Onrapa are most famous for their long bowmen, who are widely considered the greatest foot archers in all of Harkovast by those that have encountered them. Their bows are made from a combination of woods found only in their homelands, with strings spun from the fibres of specific plants. Standing taller than a man, they require a life time of training to use correctly, firing rapid volleys of arrows that can punch through men and armour.
The bow is considered the ultimate symbol of Onrapa manhood, and a source of great national pride. A woman would generally lack the upper body strength to use one of these weapons, though this issue does not usually come up. Though the Onrapa normally make little distinction between genders, when it comes to archery, this is a job for men only. To accuse on Onrapa woman of using a bow would be considered a deep insult, as would to tell to a man that his woman strings his bow for him. For the Onrapa, a woman using a bow would be seen as some kind of bizarre and deviant behaviour, such is its significance in their culture. It should be noted, Onrapa have many female warriors, but they arm themselves for melee or with slings or javelins and are mixed in with the armies male close combat troops.
Contests of archery, with different events testing accuracy, firing on the move and speed with which arrows can be launched are very popular with Onrapa. At celebrations such contests are looked forward to with great excitement.
Onrapa armies lack organisation, heavy armour and have limited cavalry, so in open battle they would be vulnerable to a more sophisticated army. Though their massed archers would be a fearsome prospect for any enemy, their forces could be out manoeuvred and destroyed.
Onrapa forces are better suited to ambushes, especially in their forests where they can fire arrows down on their enemies from the tree tops.
Onrapa territory boarders the Ano-Chee and the two peoples have been engaged in feuds and conflicts for generations.
Onrapa consider Ano-Chee uptight, repressed and obnoxious, especially with their fixation on marriage, which the Onrapa consider perverse. It is often said by the Onrapa that you would need to sign a contract to want to spend time in an ano-Chee's company. The Onrapa They often refer to Ano-Chee as "pointers", mocking their pointed snouts.
With the tribal nature of both societies, their conflicts take the form of raids and skirmishes, with pitched battles being rare. Both consider the other faction is be aggressive barbarians, though some trade does occur between the two groups, especially with the Red Earth tribe, who have reasonable relations with some Onrapa tribes.
The Onrapa are a cheerful, enthusiastic people, filled with brash courage and over confidence, but in recent years, a great darkness has fallen over their lands.
Some 40 years ago, Harvester Mac'Kavil travelled to the West, following a great hero in the hopes of ending the demon plague that had brought such misery upon all of Harkovast.
When the evil of the demons subsided the Onrapa were thankful, but assumed that The Harvester had been gone too long and would never return, so the druids elected her replacement.
To their shock, nearly twenty years after departing she returned, but utterly changed.
She was now a fearsome monster, part Onrapa and part plant, a perversion of the forest filled with power and bitterness in equal measure. She demanded the loyalty of all the Druids. Many declared her a living goddess, an embodiment of the forest spirits made flesh. Those who would not accept her authority were forced to flee.
Onrapa society contains no death penalty, and the Onrapa consider such an idea barbaric, so those who were now considered heretics to the new order were banished, though many disappeared, their faces unknown.
The druids magic was corrupted by The Harvester, causing many of them to develop strange sicknesses and deformities. The Druids view these as blessings from the Harvester, bringing them closer to her divine perfection.
The councils of elders and chiefs that had once ruled the tribes were swept aside and The Harvesters acolytes took complete control of society, demanding absolute loyalty to their new ruler.
The Harvester's true loyalties were no longer to the Onrapa, she now served the King in the West, and had promised to rally her people to his cause.
She made good on this, gathering a vast Onrapa army to march to his banner.
However, her plans were foiled as rebel Onrapa leaked her plans to the Nymus, who had recently joined the war effort.
The sent an army of their own, aided by Ano-Chee scouts, ambushing the Harvesters forces.
Even with her troops fleeing, The Haverster was such a terrible enemy that it seemed she might be able to turn the tide of the battle alone, slaughtering any warriors that came close to her, her branches entangling her opponents, crushing their bones and draining their life force to restore herself.
Fortunately magic from priests of Korvetor and Yalang, combined with Ano-Chee Shaman's ecomancy weakened her enough that the flying guards of Nylana were able to wound her with javelins.
But one of the Fourteen Evils was not so easily destroyed.
Her followers carried her body back to their home land, entombing it in an ancient tree, that turned blackened with her sinister power. Since then she has communicated with her followers only infrequently, slowly rebuilding her power until she hears the call from her master in the West once more.
Ever since, The Onrapa have been viewed with suspicion and hostility by other nations, who consider them all allies of the west, working against the rest of Vellastrom.
However, there are those Onrapa that still defy the will of The Harvester, with bands of rebels acting to undermine the druids efforts throughout the forest. Such a dispersed and informally organised people are hard to control, even with the great brutality the druids are willing to employ.
Most famous of all these rebels is O'Kyle, the Strongbow, renown as perhaps the greatest of all living archers. When he was captured and shipped away to Rhoadiran slavers, it was assumed that the will of the rebels would be crushed. But now there are rumours that O'Kyle has escaped and prowls the woods once more, a living symbol of defiance to the will of the West's cruel ruler, giving the Onrapa hope that their homeland will be free once more.
The Onrapa exist in villages amongst the tree tops, only easily accessible to the Onrapa themselves and their tremendous climbing skills.
These villages consist of various extended families, and are very informal arrangements, like much of Onrapa society. Onrapa have few firmly laid down laws and rules, instead operating things on a local level around personal honour and tribal loyalty, with social stigma discouraging misbehaviour.
To outsiders Onrapa can seem a very quarrelsome people, always arguing and scuffling with each other, especially their young men who seem to be fighting each other as often as not. However, though Onrapa are quick to anger, they are just as quick to forgive, with furious disagreements being forgotten minutes later. Onrapa can go from wrestling each other to laughing and singing together so quickly as to baffle outsiders who take their angry words too seriously.
The Onrapa drink great quantities of fruit based cider, which is many none Onrapa consider a foul and toxic concoction. When celebrating and downing their cider, or even stronger spirits, the Onrapa's tendencies towards squabbling just get worse. Soon it can become hard to work out where hateful fights end and heartfelt signs of affection begin, as the two can blur together very confusingly when drunken Onrapa are involved.
Onrapa are extremely communal, sharing property and with all members of a tribe or family expected to look out for and help each other. A selfish Onrapa would soon find themselves ostracised from society as a bad element. Onrapa have no formal systme of money, as in their simple communities it would be unneccessary.
Onrapa have no concept of marriage, with most of them struggling to even understand the idea. The thought of some sort of formal contract being required to have sex makes no sense to the free loving Onrapa, who choose their lovers as they see fit. Whatever lovers an adult Onrapa wants is completely up to them and carries no stigma. Even formal sexual orientations are lost on the Onrapa. If a man wants to have sex with a man, then that is just what he is doing at that time, if he then has sex with a woman, than that's what he's doing now. For the Onrapa there is never a formal declaration. This is not to say Onrapa cannot fall in love and commit to one partner, it is just that there is no particular expectation or requirement that they do so.
Onrapa have access to birth control made from the plants of the forest and children are raised communally by the village, so women are not at a disadvantage by this casual relationship attitude.
Onrapa consider their forest home sacred, believing the trees to be inhabited by spirits that watch over the Onrapa people. The Onrapa believe that they hold within them the spirits of the trees, and when they die their spirits return to the forest to rejoin their fellows. This is a cycle of death and rebirth like the seasons of the forest itself, where life cannot be destroyed, only changed to a new form.
The religious authorities of the Onrapa are druids, who are held in great esteem and called on for moral guidance and to mediate disputes. The Druid order transcends tribe or territory and their authority is respected across all Onrapa society.
Historically the chief druid held the title "Harvester" as they were considered chief of the Harvest, the most important of all the seasons, carrying a scythe as a badge of office.
Onrapa are well adapted to their forest homes. Though their farming and fruit gathering may seem simplistic to people from more advanced cultures, they know their homeland very well and this combined with their nature magic ensures they are usually well fed. Onrapa are entirely vegetarian, eating meat makes them unwell. Onrapa consider eating "rotting flesh" to be a disgusting pracitice and clearly unhealthy.
Onrapa religious beliefs also include many tales of Mc'Doon, the "Holy Archer" or "Divine Archer", a legendary figure who performed amazing and impossible feats, such as shooting stars out of the sky. These stories are often heroic tales, but also take the form of extended jokes or moral tales, often with Ano-Chee being outwitted or humiliated by the Mc'Doons cleverness, besting them in combat, seducing their spouses and generally getting the better of them.
Mc'Doon is not worshipped, but is considered a national hero and an idealised vision of Onrapa manhood.
To outsiders, Onrapa are most famous for their long bowmen, who are widely considered the greatest foot archers in all of Harkovast by those that have encountered them. Their bows are made from a combination of woods found only in their homelands, with strings spun from the fibres of specific plants. Standing taller than a man, they require a life time of training to use correctly, firing rapid volleys of arrows that can punch through men and armour.
The bow is considered the ultimate symbol of Onrapa manhood, and a source of great national pride. A woman would generally lack the upper body strength to use one of these weapons, though this issue does not usually come up. Though the Onrapa normally make little distinction between genders, when it comes to archery, this is a job for men only. To accuse on Onrapa woman of using a bow would be considered a deep insult, as would to tell to a man that his woman strings his bow for him. For the Onrapa, a woman using a bow would be seen as some kind of bizarre and deviant behaviour, such is its significance in their culture. It should be noted, Onrapa have many female warriors, but they arm themselves for melee or with slings or javelins and are mixed in with the armies male close combat troops.
Contests of archery, with different events testing accuracy, firing on the move and speed with which arrows can be launched are very popular with Onrapa. At celebrations such contests are looked forward to with great excitement.
Onrapa armies lack organisation, heavy armour and have limited cavalry, so in open battle they would be vulnerable to a more sophisticated army. Though their massed archers would be a fearsome prospect for any enemy, their forces could be out manoeuvred and destroyed.
Onrapa forces are better suited to ambushes, especially in their forests where they can fire arrows down on their enemies from the tree tops.
Onrapa territory boarders the Ano-Chee and the two peoples have been engaged in feuds and conflicts for generations.
Onrapa consider Ano-Chee uptight, repressed and obnoxious, especially with their fixation on marriage, which the Onrapa consider perverse. It is often said by the Onrapa that you would need to sign a contract to want to spend time in an ano-Chee's company. The Onrapa They often refer to Ano-Chee as "pointers", mocking their pointed snouts.
With the tribal nature of both societies, their conflicts take the form of raids and skirmishes, with pitched battles being rare. Both consider the other faction is be aggressive barbarians, though some trade does occur between the two groups, especially with the Red Earth tribe, who have reasonable relations with some Onrapa tribes.
The Onrapa are a cheerful, enthusiastic people, filled with brash courage and over confidence, but in recent years, a great darkness has fallen over their lands.
Some 40 years ago, Harvester Mac'Kavil travelled to the West, following a great hero in the hopes of ending the demon plague that had brought such misery upon all of Harkovast.
When the evil of the demons subsided the Onrapa were thankful, but assumed that The Harvester had been gone too long and would never return, so the druids elected her replacement.
To their shock, nearly twenty years after departing she returned, but utterly changed.
She was now a fearsome monster, part Onrapa and part plant, a perversion of the forest filled with power and bitterness in equal measure. She demanded the loyalty of all the Druids. Many declared her a living goddess, an embodiment of the forest spirits made flesh. Those who would not accept her authority were forced to flee.
Onrapa society contains no death penalty, and the Onrapa consider such an idea barbaric, so those who were now considered heretics to the new order were banished, though many disappeared, their faces unknown.
The druids magic was corrupted by The Harvester, causing many of them to develop strange sicknesses and deformities. The Druids view these as blessings from the Harvester, bringing them closer to her divine perfection.
The councils of elders and chiefs that had once ruled the tribes were swept aside and The Harvesters acolytes took complete control of society, demanding absolute loyalty to their new ruler.
The Harvester's true loyalties were no longer to the Onrapa, she now served the King in the West, and had promised to rally her people to his cause.
She made good on this, gathering a vast Onrapa army to march to his banner.
However, her plans were foiled as rebel Onrapa leaked her plans to the Nymus, who had recently joined the war effort.
The sent an army of their own, aided by Ano-Chee scouts, ambushing the Harvesters forces.
Even with her troops fleeing, The Haverster was such a terrible enemy that it seemed she might be able to turn the tide of the battle alone, slaughtering any warriors that came close to her, her branches entangling her opponents, crushing their bones and draining their life force to restore herself.
Fortunately magic from priests of Korvetor and Yalang, combined with Ano-Chee Shaman's ecomancy weakened her enough that the flying guards of Nylana were able to wound her with javelins.
But one of the Fourteen Evils was not so easily destroyed.
Her followers carried her body back to their home land, entombing it in an ancient tree, that turned blackened with her sinister power. Since then she has communicated with her followers only infrequently, slowly rebuilding her power until she hears the call from her master in the West once more.
Ever since, The Onrapa have been viewed with suspicion and hostility by other nations, who consider them all allies of the west, working against the rest of Vellastrom.
However, there are those Onrapa that still defy the will of The Harvester, with bands of rebels acting to undermine the druids efforts throughout the forest. Such a dispersed and informally organised people are hard to control, even with the great brutality the druids are willing to employ.
Most famous of all these rebels is O'Kyle, the Strongbow, renown as perhaps the greatest of all living archers. When he was captured and shipped away to Rhoadiran slavers, it was assumed that the will of the rebels would be crushed. But now there are rumours that O'Kyle has escaped and prowls the woods once more, a living symbol of defiance to the will of the West's cruel ruler, giving the Onrapa hope that their homeland will be free once more.
