Those who travel through the lands of Dix find themselves sullied and stained red. From the crimson skies above, to the rust covering stone and steel, to the blood seeped in the earth. A red tint develops in the eyes of those who stay too long and the red haze of rage slowly envelops their sight.
Deep in the valleys of Dix, amidst the ruined edifices of red brick, live the Sons of Nalil. The totems each tribe has erected rusted monoliths to victory in war. There are no women among the Nalil, only men. None are born in these lands, instead youths at the end of their frailty spill forth from the fog and are embraced by the Nalil. There is no youth, no old age either. The oldest of the Nalil having lived 20 years after being found from the fog. Nude and nameless, each is fully formed with capacity for speech and song in their shared tongue and knowing only one fact as truth, that he is a Son of Nalil. They stumble through the valleys until they find a tribe and taught their future fate. To sing songs of glory as they race till to death.
Most are fair-skinned with brown hair, but their coloration varies from pitch black, to a coward's yellow, to the amber hues of dusk. Their build varies from that of obese giants to gaunt dwarfs. In memory to their past victories, many etch their skin with the rusted iron which spills from the earth. Their flags are colored gray and red. They skulk around in boots of black leather and girded loins of white cloth. They show their teeth to all, each one etched with threats, symbols, and names with golden ink.
They are to men as locusts are to ants. Unorganized, swarming, with a thirst for consumption that leaves land barren. Many form bands of mercenaries that travel to foreign lands to spill their own blood upon foreign soils. Returning with coffers filled not with silver, but instead with hedonistic means. Few settle down becoming merchants selling packaged mirth to dispel sobriety for the victory feasts of those who wage war in the valleys of Dix still.
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They probably look like this, note the posse's faces behind him
(Couldn't find the artist) |
Ask any Nalil what is best in life and he will easily tell you the celebration of victory. It is not enough to kill a man, one must sing songs of glory at his death. Wars waged among the Nalil echo and reverberate through the valleys. The screams of death are deafened by the bellows of victory and tribes learn of outcomes of battles by the echoing war songs of their neighbors.
Though Dix falls underneath the rule of the Empire of the Alabaster Crown, the Nalil are free from their rule. They have no throne to plunder and do not spill forth from their valleys often. Tax collectors are scarce to enter the valleys and often simply seek that most powerful tribe to extort the others for them.
Noteworthy tribes:
Hyo-Gje-Gan (The Sacred Brotherhood):
In ages past the leader of the Hyo-Gje-Gan was the king of the Nalil. The tribe claimed that it knew Nalil himself and could converse with the still living ogres residing in those lands. The ogres won them wars waged against the other tribes and as such their victory was seen as favor by Nalil. Time passed and the Hyo-Gje-Gan grew old, their numbers shrank and their ogres, once their allies faded into extinction. Their symbol is a series of triangles.
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| A Nalil returning home. Art by Simon Bisley |
It-Ji-Ma (The Doom of Boots):
The current ruling tribe of the Nalil resides in the deepest valley. From their black cauldrons they pour libations of mirth and restoration. Once subservient to the Hyo-Gje-Gan they rebelled after being forced to leave behind corpses of their tribe. The Hyo-Gje-Gan fell in one night their numbers being reduced to less than a dozen even before the attack. All were spared and instead their totems were crushed underneath the boots of the It-Ji-Ma. The It-Ji-Ma drink from their boots and are notorious within the Nalil for consuming enough hedonistic means to kill a man. It is said that many in their tribe have never seen battle sober. Their symbol is a black boot.
Heu-Gin (The Black):
Considered savages even among the Nalil, The Heu-Gin live for war. Their victoroes are recounted from the trophies they take of the dead. Thought to be poor allies by other tribes, they often are absent from conflict and instead simply choose to aid one tribe over another. The Nalil who have left for lands outside of Dix, have almost all been of the Heu-Gin. Once a Commander of the Empire of the Alabaster Crown invaded the valleys of Dix in order to subordinate the Nalil. While the rest of Nalil deliberated in a great conclave, the Heu-Gin slaughtered the invading forces save for one man. The lone survivor was sent back with neither hands nor teeth. They do not grant mercy to those they face. The other tribes seem them cursed, and offer them more pity than hatred. Their symbol is the a splash of white.
Joh-Deh-Han (The Sweating Bear):
Though the ogres are now extinct, their legacy lives on in the girth of the Joh-Deh-Han. Towering over other Nalil and weighing as much as four, they lead lethargic lives until finally roused to action. It is said they have the strength of 4 men and have been known to rip trees from the ground. Their symbol is a pair of concentric circles and many act as mediators to other tribes in times of conflict.
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| A Son of Nalil serving as a mercenary far from home. Art: Frank Frazzeta |
Pal-Gan-Sae (The Red Bird):
A tribe which has since left the valleys of Dix for permanent employment as a mercenary company elsewhere, the Pal-Gan-Sae were once a great ally to the Hyo-Gje-Gan. Their departure marked the beginning of the erosion of the Hyo-Gje-Gan's rule. They have now taken to the customs of their employer in dress and decorum, but still sing their songs in battle. Upon their banner now flies a red griffon and their number slowly dwindle with each campaign.
There are numerous other tribes, each with their own customs and lore. The Nalil meet in great number once every few years to elect a true king, who then rules over the valley as a whole. Each tribe solves their own conflict, but for great tragedies the king is sought out. Explorers into the valleys of Dix and even the Nalil themselves know not who or what Nalil is. Some view it as the valley itself which spawns the Nalil from the fog. Others instead hold Nalil to be the redness so pervasive through out the valley, for why else do the Nalil bleed red?
Nalil War Party
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| Bunch of these. |
HD 1d4 +5
Def:2
Dam: grappling/brawling with swords 1d8+2 or 1d8+2 bows
Move: 10 + 1d4
Save: 6 +1 per Nalil singing
Morale:8 +1 per Nalil singing
# encountered: 1d6+2
Song of Glory: Every time the PC's fail to hit, take damage, or the Nalil makes a save (or really anytime where it is evident that the Nalil is better than a PC) he begins singing a song of glory. Nalil warsongs terrify many, any time a Nalil begins singing or joins into song any followers or hirelings are to make a morale save or flee. Nalil will not chase fleeing enemies.
Mercy: If the Nalil are asked for mercy they will spare the life of anyone asking, mercy can be asked on behalf of party members that gain fatal wounds. If the Nalil are attacked first, there is only a 1 +1 per Nalil singing in 6 of mercy, with a penalty of 2 for any Nalil killed in combat. (the Heu-Gin don't do this)
Carousing among the Nalil:
Male or male appearing characters get a -2 to their charisma check to carouse with an additional -1 for each point of strength above 14.
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| Nalil war party returning victorious. Art: Clemente Allesandro |
Nalil Victory Feasts
Often when the Nalil wage war among themselves only few die. Death is rare and is often an outcome of circumstance rather than intent. To a Nalil if you slay your foe, there is one less person who must accept your glory and worth. Because of this many wage war unarmed, like great apes culling another tribe. To outsiders their wars may first seem like a series of wild duels, each tribesman finding his opposite and confronting them by themselves. When their foe falls unconscious, they turn to assist their brothers and sing their song of victory.
Their war songs and victory songs are one and the same. Nalil sing of past victories as they charge another. As victories mount, their song lengthens turning into an oral history. Songs are simple and often bear a repeated refrain which identify the singer's tribe. The repeated refrain of the It-Ji-Ma is below.
It-Ji-Ma!
Arrows shall fly
This our homicide
Mothers will cry
This our lullaby
It's about us
Not about I
It's about trust
Not about lies
Returning from war, the Nalil return to their halls bruised and singing. They gather means to dispel sobriety and feast till unconsciousness. During festivals, which each tribe has per season, they invite allies and friends. Not of the tribe itself, but of it's members and festivals are often mistaken for wars for this very reason. Shared songs of the Nalil are sung, each glorifying the exploits of their exploits outside the valley of Dix. The cauldrons are sloshed fulled of the accumulated alcohol beverage and secret herbs grown deep in the valleys are added. A frothing mix of pink and black liquid bubbles and is ladled out for consumption in drinking horns.
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| Accurate Depiction of Nalil Drink. Art: Eric Deschamps |
Maidens of Dix often steal away from their homes and run into these valleys on nights of such festivals. Their parents and the nobles of Dix are rather opposed to this. On nights of Nalil festivals knights patrol around the valleys searching for maidens wishing to sneak in. Recently, some of the more prominent families have been funding mercenaries to go into the valleys to penetrate the festivals of the Nalil and to return any maidens found. The Nalil rarely see conflict with such parties and often usher the girls out, the Heu-Gin are noteworthy in that they refused to honor such mercenaries and slaughtered the first such party. The maidens seeing such bloodshed then ran off, much to the Heu-Gin's dismay.
Nalil Carousing Mishap Table 1d8
1: In your drunken state you punched a hole in a wall. The Nalil take retribution, save or take 1d6 damage (if carousing with the Heu-Gin Save vs Death).
2: The Nalil thought that your drunken state was a wonder to see. They kept plying you with drink tll you passed out. -1 to all rolls for 1 day (if carousing with the It-Ji-Ma -2 to all rolls for 1d4+1 days).
3: You somehow prevented one of the Nalil from getting laid. Roll charisma, if successful all of the other tribesmen think this was hilarious and think you a friend of the tribe.
4: The last potion/medicene/ect you imbibed had an adverse effect on the drink of the Nalil, you passed out after your first drink and get no XP.
5: You got into a fist fight with the drunkest member of the tribe and won. He now plots revenge, not your demise, just mass embarrassment.
6: You awaken with a new tattoo and a new friend. A Nalil who bears a matching tattoo.
7: You confess your love to one of the maidens of Dix who stole away from her parents to mingle with the Nalil. She confesses her love to you in turn and one of the Nalil declares you wed as a joke, hastily penning a letter to this girls parents. In the morning you awaken and realize that you hate her.
8: You were convinced by the tribe to follow them into battle in their next war. The next war is in 1d6+1 days. If you don't follow them into battle the tribe will think you a coward, if you do then have the character fight with a Warband of the Nalil alongside 1d4+1 Nalil Members of the tribe they were carousing with. If victorious, your character will be made an honorary member of the tribe.
Closing notes
The main source of inspiration for the Sons of Nalil were my experiences playing rugby during college. Referees can make their own tribes by drawing from their own experiences playing team sports in high school or college. Three major cultural aspects to emphasize for the Nalil outside of what's listed above would be the following. First, constant comradery even in insulting each other. Second, their lack of an identity and even concept of a life outside of wars, celebration, and songs of victory. Lastly, an emphasis on lack of structure and general tumultuous, ideally a party encountering the Nalil would be overwhelmed by a whirlwind of events happening.
