Evermore
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The contents of this document are available to characters in the game world of Tyrra and can be known by your NERO character if it would make sense for them to have read this document.
Written by: Chris Colland (Truesephiroth13@yahoo.com) and Brittney Perry(havehorsewillride1028@gmail.com)
Edited by: Scott Bennett (deadkid@gmail.com) and Brittney Perry(havehorsewillride1028@gmail.com)
Layout by: Scott Bennett
Licensed Under Creative Commons: Attribution you are free to:
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book_block: PDF Affinity Publisher
Cover: Front Cover PDF Back Cover PDF Cover Affinity Publisher
Mixam Printlink: Evermore Mixam Printlink
The Bear Tribe
The Bear Tribe is a large group of barbarians devoted primarily to the Bear Totem. They roam the ranges of northern Greyhorn following their whim, as bears are wont to do. They are primarily hunter/gatherers and excel at fishing and finding useful herbs and natural components. The generally consider themselves the masters of their domain and are strongly independent and territorial. The Bear Tribe seldom rallies unless specifically threatened or given direct orders from the Evermore Clan, but once roused they sally forth with irrepressible strength. Many take this reluctance for action as laziness, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Its simply that the Bears feel comfortable and unthreatened whilst in their natural environs at all times and do not feel the need to exert themselves unnecessarily.
Those of the Bear who took to Lasadar and the Evermore Clan’s teachings of settlement and agrarianism tend to be even more territorial than their nomadic brethren. Bear Tribe settlements are comprised of homesteads that have been passed down from family to family for generations. The homes give eachother a very wide berth and each family takes care of their own area, making it a matter of pride to do so. The head of each household generally has reign over his holdings to manage as he sees fit, and the only major leadership position of importance is the Chief himself. The Chief of the Bear Tribe is appointed his position from the reigning ruler of the Evermore Clan. By tradition, the primarch of the Evermores ascends to leadership of the Bear and fights a duel with the chieftain of the Wolf for leadership of the Evermore Tribe. For twelve generations, Lasadar Evermore of the Bear and the Wolf has won this duel and taken the mantle of leadership. He then appoints one of the Bear to sit in his stead as leader of the Bear Tribe’s affairs. He is the most honored and respected amongst the Bears and is almost always a fearsome warrior and proud champion of the tribe, second in the Bears’ eyes only to Lasadar himself.
The Wolf Tribe
The Wolf Tribe is a very nomadic and tight-knit group of barbarians who primarily follow the teachings of the Wolf Totem. The Wolf Tribe is unified in that they follow a common Chieftain and believe in the same philosophy, though it is really quite spread out and comprised of many small-to-medium sized family units. While the Bear Tribe revels in personal glory and edification, the life of the Wolf Tribe revolves around this fundamental family unit. While fiercely protective of their own, they are not as bound to specific plots of land as they are constantly on the move.
Decisions that impact the entire Wolf Tribe are decided on by the High Council, which meets once at the apex of each season to discuss tribal matters. It is comprised of two members of each major House. The number of Houses that are considered part of the Wolf Tribe vary from time to time, as new houses spring up and old ones die out. The adding or removing of a House from the tribal scrolls is decided at the great Mid-Winter Meet. The Wolf Tribe’s most revered and respected leader is the High Wolf Shaman. The High Wolf Shaman is the head of the Wolf Shaman sect, and though each House has a representative High Wolf Shaman, the title used is the same. The official leader is of course the Chieftain, but he rules in matters of the here and now, and of matters dealing with other tribes and the kingdom of men. The Shaman deals with the forever after, and guides and protects the tribe from the world of the Spirits. History, legends, tribal rites and ceremonies, magic and the supernatural are the realms governed by the Shaman, and to the Wolf Tribe those matters are of utmost importance.
The Evermore Clan
The Evermore Clan is the largest single Clan of the united Wolf and Bear Tribes and makes its residence in a fortified city in Northern Greyhorn. The Evermore Clan is the primary mover of the united tribes and all of those who are counted in the numbers of Evermores take their cues from this Clan. They are able to enforce their rule over such a disparate and varied group by means of their large number of well-traveled and experienced members, their industrious Dwarven allies, and the fact that the primarchs are favored by ‘the spirits’ and have been well known to manifest supernatural powers when the tribe is threatened. The Evermore Clan in its current state consists of The Seven Great Families who trace their lineage back to Lasadar X and his six brothers. Among their number is the greatest amount of trained adventurers. Their tendency to travel abroad and bring home modern concepts for the tribe to take advantage of has kept the Clan constantly advancing and improving itself, and while still firmly rooted in ‘barbarism,’ they make good use of many conventions of the civilized world.
The Wolf Totem
The Wolf Totem teaches that the matters of the whole are far more important than the matters of the part or the one. The way of the wolf is one of communal cooperation and banding together against all adversity. By joining their efforts they all are made stronger by each other member. The family unit is the most intrinsic aspect of followers of the Wolf. A leader, or alpha, is always clearly defined and it is his or her duty to guide the family in their endeavors. If that leader shows weakness or incompetence the next most powerful and/or ambitious member will immediately challenge the leader for his or her position, so that the leader of the family is always the most able. While very caring and nurturing of the sick and weak, they have no tolerance for weakness in their designated Alpha.
The Wolf Totem following is very deep into ritual and ceremony. One of the most important rituals is that of the Challenge. First, the warriors lock gases and stare into each other’s eyes, showing to their opponent that they know no fear. Next, the challenger bares his teeth, usually in a malign grimace, followed by the challenged. Finally, the two combatants begin to circle eachother and when one starts forward the battle is joined.
The Bear Totem
The Warriors
The Warrior caste is the dominant occupation of the Evermore Tribe of the Wolf and the Bear. While not the most numerous, the warriors are generally the focal point of tribal activity. In the untamed lands of the North, nothing is ever given without a fight. Humanoid tribes (ie orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, trolls, etc.) often migrate in similar circles as the Wolf and Bear tribes, though they long ago abandoned the idea of assaulting the city itself. Sometimes bands of braver monsters and nare-do-wells will assault individual settlements and homesteads, but such attacks have grown somewhat rare as they are always met with swift and vengeful retribution. The Warriors patrol Evermore controlled lands and safeguard the settlements and tribal roaming grounds. They are also at the call of Lasadar and the Evermore Tribe in times of war, when either sallying forth for conquest or defending from an outside invasion. While it’s been nearly a year since the Evermore warriors went to battle against the minions of the Twin Overlords to aid their Evendarian neighbors, they maintain a constant state of readiness. The Evermore Tribe’s history is a bloody one and time has taught them, if nothing else, that to survive in their environment and maintain their lifestyle they must be ever vigilant for a fight.
The Shamans
The Shamans are the keepers of lore and the teachers of the tribe’s children. Though numerically the smallest group, they are one of the most influential. The history and traditions of the tribe are passed on by way of the Shaman caste, and in that, they make the Evermores what they are. The Shamans also keep the tribe safe from the spirit world, and deal in arcane matters that are usually beyond the comprehension of the general populace. Most Shamans are spellcasters themselves, and pass on the traditions of magic, though not all are. There are also Shamans whose responsibilities lie in the teaching of the warrior, apothecary, and craftsman rites as well. The Shamans other duties involve presiding over all formal ceremonies and celebrations of the Tribe, including holidays and marriages.
The Apothecaries
The Apothecaries are sometimes also referred to as Witch Doctors, though that term is misleading and is the cause of the unfounded belief amongst humans and other outsiders that the position of Apothecary and Shaman is the same. While the Shaman’s duties lie in the realms of the ancient battle songs and epics, in the far-flung history of the tribe and the cryptic world of the supernatural, the Apothecary deals with the natural world and the Tribe’s place in it. The Apothecaries read the signs of nature and advise the tribesmen in how best to cultivate the land, based off the portents of the seasons. They also go out and gather the components necessary to make herbal remedies for use by the tribe. The Evermores know that magical matters are to be tread upon with extreme care and only when necessary, so most maladies are cured with the Apothecary’s medicines, if possible. They are also intrinsic to the support of the Warrior and Deathbringer castes, as they create the lethal globes of poison used to great effect by those sent to battle for the tribe. Also, obviously, their herbal curatives are put to extremely potent use amongst those groups as well.
The Deathbringers
The Deathbringers are now a relatively small sect of the Evermore Tribe, and while at any given time there are a decent number of them in service, one does not usually take up this profession permanently. It is a custom passed down from the Blood Years that most Warriors set out for a few seasons, sometimes more, to hunt down the accursed enemies of the tribe, the bird-faced Biata. While out on a Blood Hunt, the Deathbringers shun contact with other tribesmen and members of all other races, focusing all of their energies into malice and hatred for the bastard sons of Gryphons and their ill-begotten kin. They are the most ruthless and feral of all Evermore warriors, and their sole mission while on the Hunt is the extermination of any living Biata found. Most Warriors go on the Blood Hunt and join the ranks of the Deathbringers for no more than three cycles of the seasons, though some become inundated with the bloodlust of the Hunt and take up that cause for the rest of their lives. Such warriors are seldom heard from again, although their gory exploits often times find their ways back to the tribelands and are sung in the epics of the Shamans.
The Craftsmen
The most numerous group of Evermore tribesmen are the Craftsmen. They are the ones who till the soil, gather berries and roots, hunt game, make pottery and other tools, and build homes. While the occupations described previously are generally only filled out by actual Barbarians, the ranks of the craftsmen are filled by members of all the races that are counted as part of the Evermore name. Though given the least amount of prestige and honors, they could be said to be the most important and fundamental group in the Tribe, for without them the Shamans and Warriors would have no food to eat, nor homes to sleep in. All manner of trades and crafts are undertaken by this caste, and while their products tend to be of a rougher cut than those found in human-dominated communities, they are no less efficient or effective in their intended uses.
Rites and Ceremonies
Certain rituals and ceremonies are specific to a Totem, as described above. However many are common to all members of the Evermore Tribe. Amongst the most important of them is the Rite of Manhood. Each member of the tribe, upon reaching his majority, is assigned a task to prove his worth. Often times the task is related to a portent foreseen by the Shamans, but in all cases it is decided upon by whatever Elders preside over the youth in question.