Work in Progress
In progress right now—this is just a rough draft, which may change significantly. However, the core vibe should remain: these are nomads with a distinct barbarian culture that emphasizes ancestor worship, strict traditions, body markings, and extensive craftsmanship with bones.
In DnD terms, if we consider the typical inclinations of the people, Arydars make excellent material for barbarians, rangers, and sorcerers.
Arydars—free nomads of Verda—are resilient, proud, and strong people, accustomed to life on the arid plains of Malkona. Born riders, they view the Ocean’s salty waters with distrust and a hint of fear. They avoid sea travel and prefer to stay away from the coast, remaining within the grassy seas. Most Arydars spend their entire lives roaming freely, migrating across the copper-hued plains, hunting, and herding livestock.
Dark-skinned and narrow-eyed, they look at the world with unwavering determination and self-assurance. Arydars are lean, with high cheekbones and sharp facial features. They are natural riders, skilled hunters, and archers, possessing an intricate understanding of human and animal anatomy.
Different Arydar tribes inhabit various parts of the Verda plains, but certain cultural traits are common among them all.
Material Culture
First and foremost, like other peoples of Verda, Arydars have no free access to metals and possess little knowledge of metalworking. Their primary materials are specially treated bones and animal hides.
For example, their long knives, spearheads, and other tools are crafted from the bones of tauroks and talard-antelopes. The bones are cleaned, shaped, soaked in oil extracted from the roots of the talgaris shrub, coated in a mixture of animal fat and ash, and then hardened over several hours of heat treatment. The primary weapon of any Arydar—the bow—is made from the resilient horns of talards, with glue boiled from their cartilage and talgaris resin.
Traditional nomadic armor consists of hide-based protection, while their shields are woven from talgaris branches, reinforced with multiple layers of talard leather.
Arydars live in warm yurts, their frames made from horns and ribs, covered externally with leather, felt, and hides. A totem animal’s skull is often placed atop the yurt, and it is customary to replace it every one or two years; otherwise, the restless spirit of the beast may grow angry and wrathful instead of offering protection.
Customs and Beliefs
NSFW: Warning—some customs and traditions of the Arydars may seem shocking. Read at your own risk.
The foundation of Arydar society is the cult of ancestor worship and their achievements. During their lifetime, every Arydar immortalizes their accomplishments on their own skin (the method of marking depends on the tribe). This is a sacred ritual that requires the blessing of the eldest family member, and in some cases, even the council of elders.
After death, the Arydars respectfully cut out sections of skin displaying the most significant achievements and preserve them through a special treatment process. The resulting piece is sewn onto the clan’s ancestral banner, forever tying the deceased’s deeds to the glorious history of their lineage. Additionally, separately treated strips of skin, taken from honored enemies, are attached to the same banners.
Arydars place no less importance on the bones of their ancestors. The nomads believe that a person’s or animal’s spirit remains in its skull after death, only leaving once it is properly buried—though a fraction of their strength lingers in other bones as well. One of the most striking expressions of this belief is the “ancestral chain”—a series of vertebrae from forebears, strung together on a talard’s sinew. Such a guardian chain is worn as a bracelet or belt, depending on its length.
Other customs exist as well. For example, the Tondrantar tribe of the Coppergrass region takes the finger phalanges of fallen enemies. These bones are fashioned into wind chimes and attached to their bodies and talards—when they move, the bones clatter and whistle, and the Tondrantars say that the voices of the defeated sing their praises.
As for skulls—whether human or beast—they must always be buried. If not, the spirit remains tethered to the earth. A burned skull signifies the final death of the spirit—an ultimate sacrilege and an insult to all traditions.