Factions of Teredahar: The Wind People

The Wind People are a tribe of Human nomads who live at high elevations along The Torran Spine Mountains in central and eastern Teredahar. They're reclusive and don't seek out other groups except for a little bit of trade they do along Kurudar's northern border. They have left numerous walls, stairs, and simple bridges throughout the mountains but don't control any fixed territory except for a string of tiny mountain holdfasts they only use during winter. Like most nomadic peoples, they herd animals rather than farming. Many get around simply by walking but some families have salvaged or been gifted retired airships which they have learned to maintain and operate as a much faster means of getting around in the lower mountain passes.

Description

For this group's subrace stats, see Races of Teredahar - Humans. 

Wind People and their descendents are often shorter than average; most are less than five and a half feet tall. They have copper-coloured skin and black hair. Their eyes are often very dark brown, almost black in colour. A hard life of travel gives most wind people a lean, athletic build rather than muscular.

Wind people often shave their heads and have elaborate tattoos on their scalp, face, and elsewhere. These tattoos often incorporate geometric designs or abstract animal forms and include writing in the Wind People's own secret language. Psionic Wind People often weave power tattoos (Pathfinder SRD) into these designs to hide them from casual observers. Such tattoos require a special ink which they are skilled at making.

To better operate in the often-extremely-windy environments they live in, Wind People often wear tight, form-fitting clothes with little or no adornments that would flap or come loose in the wind. Often these clothes are made from animal hides and lined with fur for warmth.

Interaction

Travelers in Teredahar may encounter lone descendents of the Wind People among the crew of large airships, sailing vessels, or desert caravans. Wanderlust runs very strong and they are unlikely to settle down in cities or towns.

One particularly large family of Wind People operate a traveling trading post in an old Drakoni assault carrier called the "Enduring Dominion" (Drakoni: Eskavok Taldeéthun). The Dominion visits each of the major cities of Teredahar twice per year bringing loads of exotic goods for trade. For many common folk this is the only time they can see Wind People and the ships' arrival is often integrated into a local carnival or festivity.

The Wind People are the only community of psionic Humans on Teredahar. This unique way of manipulating magic is a closely-guarded secret. They do not overtly use this power or demonstrate it for anyone. They have been known to adopt and train psionically-gifted individuals (even of other races) into their culture if such an individual is exiled from his or her own culture. Joining the Wind People means fully accepting their culture, traditions, and lifestyle for life.

Next Week

Next week will be a Cities article going into some of the details of the largest, most influential, and second-most-populous city in Teredahar: Sylridian, Syldar.

Factions of Teredahar: The Ashram Academy

The Ashram Academy was founded in TR 9500 during the waning years of Tan'Rar's dominion over the world. It was founded by the Azan, one of the Hebdomad as a school to train Warmages to fight the armies of other Hebdomad (Zero in particular) in their war. The institution has existed for nearly 600 years in present day, continuing to follow the orders of its eternal Headmaster but also branching out into other areas of education after the Headmaster's departure from Prime.

Today's Ashram Academy has two faces: The Warmage academy, which remains true to the institution's original purpose; and the more-generally-purposed "civilian" academy which trains mages, historians, and engineers of all sorts.

The banner of the Ashram Academy is Azan's personal banner, "The Triflame," with a golden chief added. It is flown at all Academy facilities and on their airships.

The "Warmage Academy"

The centre of Warmage training is the Academy's original campus: a mountainside fortress at the south end of the Ashram Vale perched above where the vale's river plunges dramatically into the Sea of Rime. It is a virtually-impregnable fortress unwelcoming to any visitors. Within its walls Warmage initiates undergo intensive military training in addition to magical studies. What magic they do study is narrowly focused on skills useful on the battlefield: evocation, abjuration, and conjuration. The finest evokers in the world, possibly in all the planes, are Ashram Academy graduates.

Into the fire!

- Warmage battle cry

Warmage basic training takes six years. Graduates of the Warmage Academy are guaranteed a place in the Warmage Corps within Azan's army. While not mandatory, refusing this posting carries a stigma of being ungrateful and not giving back to the Academy. Each year's graduating class is led by portal to Azan's headquarters on the shard-plane Gran Transit to join forces heading to front lines on any of a dozen Shards.

Veterans too old or wounded to fight anymore are often invited into teaching positions within the Academy (both as warmage instructors and civilian instructors). Many choose to retire in nearby Sylridian.

On Prime itself, the Warmage Corps function as a paramilitary force who answer to the Headmaster but are usually in the service of the Lords Masisters (the ruling council of the nation of Syldar, where the Academy is located). They serve as a reserve force when national military forces need extra firepower or magical expertise.

The "Civilian Academy"

The Ashram Academy operates a "satellite campus" (in truth larger than its original mountain campus) within the city of Sylridian, Syldar. This urban campus comprises several large lecture buildings, libraries, dormitories, and research offices sprawling over almost 1/8 of the city's extent. Students of the Ashram Academy are a large, visible part of Sylridian's population. They come from all walks of life and train in all of the fields of magic except martial forms of magic deemed too dangerous to practice in an urban environment.

Initiate-level non-Warmage training takes four years. Many wizards stay on and continue their education for several years more. The academy in Sylridian also trains officers for non-magical military forces in Syldar, its neighbours, and other planes connected via portals.

Gameplay Notes

• Warmages
• Warmage graduates will have any Lawful alignment, though Lawful Evil personalities are usually weeded out in the first few years.
• Warmages have military ranks, modeled off of real-world army ranks. 
• Warmages often have a fraternal attitude towards each other, and a massive superiority complex over other martial types. 
• Non-Warmages
• Graduates can be of any alignment, though again Evil personalities tend to filter out early.
• Non-warmage Ashram students and graduates often see the Warmages as "violent assholes with overblown egos," neither to be messed with nor taken too seriously.
• The civilian Ashram Academy trains non-mages as well in fields including Alchemy, various crafting trades, and engineering.
• The Ashram Academy has tremendous influence across Teredahar. 
• One of the 5 seats among Lords Magisters who rule the nation of Syldar is reserved for the currently-sitting mortal headmaster of the Academy (Azan's title as Headmaster is traditional). 
• If you're a Wizard on Teredahar, you've heard of the Ashram Academy, and either know someone who trained there or trained there yourself.

Next Time

Next week's article will be on a piece of tech the Elves invented that plays an important role in the magical-technological environment of Teredahar: Powerstones.

Factions of Teredahar - Drakoni Castes

New article series! Each Factions of Teredahar will article will provide details on one or more related factions that characters might take as allies or enemies. Because this is Dragon Month, this first article will cover the four castes of modern Drakoni society.

Four Equal Castes

Most Drakoni are divided into four castes: Growers (KasKhenda), Smiths (KasShenéth), Scholars (Nalethséth), and Keepers (KasNókrasharRhokar Sendar). Each caste has its own internal politics and laws (Caste Law) that are superseded by Council Law.

Castes are expected to take care of their own. Grievances and disputes between members of the same caste are expected to be dealt with by that caste's leaders. Conflict between castes is rare but not unheard of. Causing inter-caste strife is a serious crime in Drakoni society.

Each caste also contributes its own warriors to Drakonia's military force, the Legion Drakoni. 

Caste Membership

A newly-hatched Drakoni is a member of his or her mother's caste throughout childhood. During this time they are taught by caste members but no caste-specific education happens. Upon reaching adulthood at 90 years of age all Drakoni undergo a ceremony ritual Life-Choosing (Khanalvarnketh).

At the Khanalvarnketh ritual a Drakoni chooses either to stay with his or her mother caste or join a different one. Often all Drakoni of an age within a settlement undergo this ritual together. During the ritual representatives from each caste attempt to recruit new members. Everyone is taught about all of the castes from a young age, but this is the only time and place that overt recruiting is permitted. Once the ritual is complete, whatever caste a Drakoni chooses is his for life. Switching caste afterwards is not permitted.

The Four Castes

A Female Drakoni of the Nalethséth

Growers

KasKhenda

Farmers, herders, gardeners, and trackers are some of the roles this caste encompasses. Generally speaking this caste deals with the wilds and things that live and grow. Most of the Legion's infantry come from the Grower Caste.

Sniths

KasShenéth

This castes' members are mostly artisans and craftsmen. This caste's role in society revolves around artifice. As you might expect, of all the castes this caste has the most followers of The Way of the Forge. Members of the Smith Caste make up much of the Legion's logistical and equipment support.

Scholars

Nalethséth

Drakoni mages are almost exclusively members of the Scholar Caste. Members of this caste are academics, authors, and explorers concerned with new discoveries and creating new ideas for the advancement of Drakonia. The Scholar Caste also trains and equips war-mages to serve in the Legion.

Keepers

KasNókrashar

The Caste of Keepers are the defenders of Drakonia's history, monuments, and relics. The Keepers provide guards for important cultural sites and maintain large archives where records and historical artifacts are kept. During times of war the Keepers provide maps, intelligence, and aid in communication between Legion forces.

Next Time

Next week's article will be a mythology article on The Dragonblight, an affliction that has severely reduced the number of dragons in the world.