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Pavayar Tribe
Tribe, Beredin
| Evolution |
The Pavayar are a "native" tribe of Saleen, descended from a pre-historic Bjaki settlement. Their tribal lore says that
the founders of the original settlement attempted to build their society on
the Bjaki standards of true, participating democracy in which each
citizen had an equal and on-going say in the running of things. Their legends speak of brutal times, of a
growing society unable to react and adapt quickly enough
to the harsh, changing environment of Saleen. While the Bjaki were busy voting and creating task groups, Saleen was busy eating them and
destroying their settlements. A legendary hero named Pavay
arose and taught the settlers to reprioritize their thinking: the Pavayar
learned quickly the importance of having a leader and
letting the leader lead.
The Pavayar appear similar their Bjaki progenitors but are slightly taller, thought to be because of Saleen's slightly lower gravity,
and more tightly muscled, supposed to be a result of a more rigorous and physical lifestyle.
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| Pavayar Nation |
The Pavayar Nation is comprised of a confederacy of tribes, all descended from their Bjaki ancestors. Pavayar was the first village established
by the hero Pavay, in the Highland Valley of Beredin, tucked into the shelter at the base of the Red Mountains. The town of Pavayar was and is the core
of the Nation, the seat of Pavayar government and defense. Most of the buildings are stone and solid, forming a fairly dense town at the center
at the base of the mountains, spreading out to thinly spread farms and ranches at the fringes. Pavayar is a diverse town, full of craftsmen and farmers,
tribal leaders and healers, and the warriors that defend their culture and hunt much of their food. The village of Pavayar is
primarily occupied by members of the tribe; trade with other cultures is generally carried out in the satellite villages of
Silov and Gorym. The town of Pavayar is home to the Yokki, Enovi, Kajka, Niyoli, and Volduben tribes.
Kheprok is perhaps the second best known Pavayar village, though it is known more for its romance and legend as opposed to its size. Kheprok
is a village carved into the side of mountain, high and unassailable. To even reach it is a bit of a feat. While the average Pavayar tribesman
extolls simplicity and aspires to be an exceptional warrior, the members of Kheprok's tribes aspire to what can only be called a harsh,
unyielding life dedicated to physical excellence and mental discipline. Kheprok is founded on a natural ledge on the mountainside, where three
smaller waterfalls hit the rocky ledge and form into a small lake that drains off the side of the mountain in a large, wide torrent. Much of the
local culture revolves around the wisdom of the waterfalls. The Pakoot tribe calls their warriors "Mudfeet". They study the falling of the water,
whose stubborness will gradually carve and wear away the solid and unyielding stone. The Torobrian tribe aspires to create "Stone Soldiers",
who embrace the solid and unyielding nature of the stone that catches and redirects smaller falls into a life sustaining lake and one mighty,
united falls. The mightiest warriors of the other Pavayar tribes often undertake pilgrimages to Kheprok to study the arts of war and philosophy
with the local masters.
The village of Silov is a peaceful little village on the plains on the Highland Valley. It has perhaps the least aggressive culture in the Pavayar nation.
It's primary focuses are farming and the breeding of wyins. They are also perhaps the prime trader in the Pavayar Nation, aggressively
exchanging goods and knowledge with the Carmissi Empire.
Gorym is a small village in the foothills of the Red Mountains. The rocky terrain being somewhat difficult to farm, the tribes of Gorym tend
to be master hunters and husbanders, raising wyins and kaikis. The town's location makes it the main terminal for the Pavayar Nation's trade with
Junim and Kanduambet.
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| Social Structure |
Culture
The Pavayar culture is based on strong leadership and simplicity. They are primarily a warrior culture, focused on improvement of the individual to support
the tribe and nation. Their primary activities include simple survival: farming, hunting, and the raising of animals. The Pavayar are divided into tribes,
each of which is focused around a particular city.
From the society as a whole to hunting groups, one individual will function as decision maker in order to maintain an active, effective, and organized
response to danger. Whether leader or led, the Pavayar accept and thrive upon their role within the group. Individuals may suggest and debate but would
never consider going against a leader’s final decision. There is pride and survival in accepting the decisions of a leader.
The Pavayar hunt and do some farming around their little village. They raise animals for food, riding, and companionship. They are physical and relatively
primitive, relying on bows and arrows, blades, and some higher tech weapons acquired in trade. They are nimble and determined warriors, though not an
excessively aggressive people. They breed fast, hearty wyins and keep kaikis as pets, hunting animals, and symbols of power. Each tribe will maintain only
one or two families of kaiki, which are solitary and hostile to their own in numbers.
The Pavayar are great observers of nature, animals, and plants. Pavayar attempt to learn and model the behaviours observed in nature. The Saru, in particular,
observe and consider nature and coach the other classes on ways in which they can incorporate the lessons of nature into their lives. The Pavayar have a
fighting style called "arkhete", with tribal specialties and variations, which is based on animals and natural phenomena. The Pavayar admire the kaiki as
fast, proud, strong, independent, and loyal.
Whether they know it or not, the Pavayar are often Ataxial channellers, resistant to the disrupting effects while able to redirect the Ataxial energies
into personal abilites. These may include sensitivity to the thoughts or emotions of others, uncharacteristic dexterity and strength, sensitivity to
animals, the ability to speed healing or lessen pain, predisposition to visions in dreams or the ability to translocate during sleep.
Social Structure
Each tribe contains several classes of citizen: sustainers, warriors, and Saru, or shamans. The sustainer class will live permanently in the city, acting
as farmers, husbanders, and craftsmen. The warrior component of each tribe will spend part of its time living with its tribe in the city and part of the
time moving nomadically through the Pavayar Nation hunting, trading with other tribes, and patrolling against incursion. The Saru are the thinkers, healers
and herbalists, and historians and storytellers of the Pavayar, also often involved in the raising of animals. The Saru are often powerful Ataxial
channelers. There is equal pride in each class of the Pavayar citizenry, as all are critical to the success of the Nation. The Pavayar are culturally
suited to accepting the class they are best fit to, as well as respecting the abilities and necessity of the other classes.
From past experience they have learned that technology is transitory, that it can be smashed or taken by nature
or man. Over-reliance on it can leave one helpless. They are not afraid of technology, just aware of the dangers of relying on it too heavily. Local and
national leaders are generally responsible for evaluating technologies and determining which ones are to be used and which ones to be avoided.
Each tribe has an accepted Elder who functions as their ruler. A single leader, called the Bilal, is accepted by the Elders to lead the Pavayar. The Bilal
leads the entire Pavayar nation, giving up his own name and being only ever referred to as Bilal. As is their cultural inclination, Elders and the Bilal
are just kind of accepted and followed. There is no formal system of election, leadership just forms naturally. The title of Elder and Bilal are
semi-vacuous and change without pretense.
The Pavayar’s greatest young leaders and warriors are called Yaran and lead hunting and war parties. Exceptional of skill, endurance, tactics, and
leadership.
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| Relations |
The Pavayar have an ongoing and occasionally stormy relationship with the Ridgerunners who cross the Red Mountains to trade, raid, or co-mingle with them.
The Pavayar are wary of the Ridgerunners but have forged close friendships with some of them.
The Pavayar keep primarily to themselves but are currently at odds with Ayan-Ganya and the Cragsquall Army. Members of the RidgeRunners sometimes cross
the tips of the Red Mountains to interact with the Pavayar. Depending on the band of Ridgerunners, they sometimes trade or live with Pavayar hunting
parties and sometimes raid for resources. The Pavayar are wary of the Ridgerunners but have forged close friendships with some of them.
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| Tribes |
Of Pavayar
Enovi
hunters/scouts |
Kajka
horsemen-farmers |
Niyoli
warrior-herbalist/farmers |
Volduben
horsemen |
Yokki
Thought to be the original tribe, directly descended from the original Bjaki settlement on Saleen. A tribe that consistantly generates
great warriors and wise shamans, the Yokki have a history of assuming leadership and guiding the Nation. |
Of Gorym
Kysk
horsemen, traders, explorers, scouts. Founders of Gorym as forward camp. Small contingent moved to Silov for trade |
Toqua
farmers and hunters |
Of Silov
Numa
farmers |
Shikalana
warrior farmers |
Kysk
horsemen, traders, explorers, scouts. Small contingent moved from Gorym to maximize trade potential |
Of Kheprock
Pakoot
warrior-shamans, Mudfeet |
Torobri
warriors Stone Soldiers |
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