The Garshallan Tribes

Divinity: Many warring Divinities, each a force of nature and a style of war
Adherents: The tribes of Garshalla, on the island of Zingare
Doctrine: The Beautiful Struggle
Leadership: Warchief Zurath, held to be the last true line to the Divinities
Succession: Each warchief selects and trains his successor
Tribes: One per Divinity. Eight paths are named; the ninth is not spoken of

The tribes of Garshalla occupy the northern island of Zingare, and their beliefs developed in near-isolation from the rest of the continent.

They hold that many Divinities once lived on the island, each embodying a force of nature and each having evolved a style of warfare to match. Those Divinities fought a great war for the island, taught the people their ways of war, and ended in a draw. The tribes have contested it ever since, each following one Divinity and taking its teaching as a guide to living.

The Beautiful Struggle

The doctrine is called the Beautiful Struggle, and it treats warfare as an ordinary part of life rather than a breakdown of it. Garshallan morals read as foreign to the mainland in consequence: killing another sentient being does not carry the weight there that it does elsewhere.

Warchief Zurath

Zurath is considered the last true line to the Divinities, and is held to speak for them. He lives in seclusion in the island's central forests and addresses the Garshalla only when he judges that the tribes must act together. The office passes by selection: each warchief chooses and trains the next.

In their own words

Virgil Shelton

A Culture of War

The Garshallan Tribes of the northern Island of Zingare have remained one of the most diverse and often problematic regions of the Continent. Their culture emerged far away and disconnected from the other developing nations, and because of this, they have maintained a much simpler view of the world. The inhabitants of Garshalla believe that long ago many warring Divinities lived on their island and showed them the Beautiful Struggle. These Divinities each represented a force of nature and evolved their particular style of warfare around these. The various tribes of Garshalla have each selected one of the Divinities to follow and used its teachings to guide the manner in which they approach the world.

The Garshalla count nine Divinities and name eight. The ninth is not spoken aloud, and its tribe is not spoken of at all. They believe these Divinities fought a great war for the island and taught the people their ways of war, each unique in its own right. The war ended in a draw and the tribes still vie for control of the island. The great Warchief Zurath is considered the last true line to the Divinities and it is believed that they speak through him. He lives in seclusion in the central forests of the island, only speaking out to the people of Garshalla in times that he believes the tribes must take swift action together. This tradition dates back generations, with the current warchief selecting and training his successor.

The morals of the tribes of the Garshalla would look quite foreign to those of the mainland. They do not look on the killing of another sentient lifeform the same way we do. To them warfare is a part of life, and they would not hesitate to kill those of another tribe or of the mainland for material gains. In spite of this disparity they have, for the most part, a strict code of conduct they adhere to: Never harm another for no reason, Never harm women or children unless absolutely necessary, and never fail to defend your tribe.

The various Divinities, as I understand them, break down as follows:

Divine Figures

Lord of the Soil - The tribes that follow the path of earth are particularly skilled at metallurgy and the forging of weapons. They rely on a variety of swords, spears and axes to wage war. They have also developed unique mason techniques, and have built some of the only stone structures on the island.

Wind Lord - The people who worship the god of the air are looked on by the other tribes as almost whimsical in nature. They are mainly nomadic and are scattered around the continent. Their actions fit this whimsical description and they will sometimes stop and simply contemplate the clouds or formations of rocks they find interesting. These warriors specialize in stealth tactics, and they can rob a town of its food stocks before anyone even knows they’re there.

Master of Tides - Talented sailors and boat wrights, those that follow the path of the sea look to the waves to make their living. Although all of the Garshalla engage in sailing on some level, mainly to raid the nearby trade routes or to plunder villages along the northern coast, these peoples use the sea as their primary source of livelihood with fish and seafood making up the majority of their diet.

Mistress of Light- These are skilled artisans and crafters. They are nomadic and do not build permanent shelters, instead roaming from one part of the island to the other. They also have some of the best medicine men on the island.

Master of the Night - The people that follow the way of the moon are considered contemplative in comparison to the other Garshalla. They are the most skilled tacticians and planners, preferring to defeat their enemies through cunning and deceit rather than brute force.

Followers of the Trees - The only people on the island that rely on agriculture for sustenance. They have developed the means to tame the unique vegetation of the island and bend it to their will. They have some of the most stable villages on the Island.

Lord of the Flame - Those who follow the path of fire may be few in number but they are uniquely feared, even among the other Garshalla. They do not build or create anything of their own, but seek only to take what they can from other tribes and villages. They will take over a village through force, stay there and use up any resources before moving on to the next village.

Frost Mistress - Those following the path of ice are the most robust amongst the Garshalla. They believe that their Divinity grants them the power to overcome any force, whether from the elements or other mortals. They live in the most isolated areas of the island, and are the most skilled survivalists.

Tribal Customs

Each tribe of the Garshalla has selected one main Divinity to follow and base their lives around, though they have some knowledge and reverence for each of the Divinities. The followers of a single Divinity find a connection to one another through their faith. Those worshiping a single divinity mainly collect their settlements within traveling distance of each other on the island, save for those who worship the Wind Lord and the Lord of the Flame as these are nomadic tribes; they will visit tribes of the same divinity for their yearly celebration, which falls on a different day of the year for each divinity.

One interesting oddity of the Garshalla is the practice of tattooing symbols that represent major accomplishments across their back. Most members of the Garshalla have at least one of these, a minor token symbolizing they have been accepted by the tribe. Most receive this tattoo as soon as they come of age. A few have tattoos much more elaborate that symbolize great achievements. Some symbolize becoming a master in a certain craft or deeds that protect the village. The most elaborate and coveted tattoos are the ones gained for heroic acts in battle. To protect the person from pride the tattoos are always placed on the back so that others may view his deeds but he does not become too satisfied with his own accomplishments. Only the shaman is permitted to adorn another with the tattoos and the various secrets are handed down from one shaman to the next. Some of the most skilled shamans are able to imbue their tattoos with congruence, granting the tattooed person a new special ability. However these new abilities always come at a cost. Where one skill is strengthened another is weakened. This could mean a warrior gains strength but loses his sense of smell, or gains intelligence but loses some of his assurance. Many see this magic as a way to shape themselves closer to their true self.

When a new Warchief ascends to hold the title each of the tribes sends a delegation to the central forests, where the Chief traditionally lives, to acknowledge the new spiritual leader. The tribes will also assemble here at the behest of the Warchief if he feels that they must work together to combat a threat to the Island. These are the only times that all the tribes come together in peace.