The Howlers
A Harsh Land and Harsher People
The Howlers are the name of a mountain range protecting the northern passage into the Garden. It is also the name of the variety of tribes that inhabit the mountain peaks. Harsh winds and storms make passage via airship nearly impossible, so the people are largely reclusive, possessing scrap technology, like the occasional pistol but having no means to produce such things. Icy winds rip at the rocky crags, forbidding much access to the mountains that isn’t on foot. Settlements of Howlers dot the mountains and are normally unwelcome to visitors. What they lack in modern weapons, they make up for in knowledge of the land and hardiness. They are also skilled hunters, climbers and swordsmen. On their own turf, Howlers are typically considered more trouble than they are worth, possessing almost nothing of value and being able to fight to the death for it. Outside the mountains, they are an odd sight, wearing furs, carrying crude swords, and possessing a primitive grasp of the modern world.
The Tribes
Howlers are organized into tribes of about 50-100. Each tribe typically has a chieftain and some kind of mystic as a spiritual advisor. All members are inducted with facial tattoos of their tribe as a rite of passage and undergo rigorous spiritual and physical upbringing to survive in the harsh mountains. All tribes are rather distrusting of outsiders but have shown a willingness to trade. Thus many tribes have access to a few guns, but consider them loud and costly to maintain. Occasionally tribes will send members out into the world either as a means of bringing back information or goods or on some kind of vision quest. Howlers dress mainly in furs and carry crude metal weapons.
Howler Religion
Howlers rarely agree on anything but they all believe in the “Trizahkra,” a Howler word meaning “Three Givers.” They are the elemental spirits of the Howlers, whose divine temperaments define the natural world. Harakka, or Auntie wind, is the embodiment of storms, cold, wind, ice and rain. She is considered a temperamental giver and provides water but whose violent rages will sweep you off the mountain tops. Asha, Mother Stone, is the spirit of earth, the mountain itself, and all the things that grow from it. She is considered stable and slow to anger, but devastating when roused in earthquakes or avalanches. Finally, Ohark, Father Sun and Moon, is considered the spirit of time, dualities, and most importantly, the sun itself, along with the warmth it provides. He is considered even handed and just, but completely without passion. These Trizahrka are worshipped as a whole and placated with offerings at crude shrines, placed in locations where the gods are likely to notice, such as the nearest summit or in a large outcropping of stones.
Customs
Howler customs are obscure and developed in isolation, even during the Era Duellum. Hair is typically chopped short, for both men and women, with long hair being a luxury and considered a sign of rulership or exemption from labor. Beads and other jewelry is worn to exhibit wealth and social standing within a tribe. A wealthy Howler, will wear rows of necklaces and bracelets. Metal is hard to work in the mountains, so many Howlers have weapons that use wood hafted weapons. A sword is considered another sign of wealth, to be able to have a weapon that is purely dedicated to combat rather than an axe which is good for both gathering and fighting. Tribes are communal and aside from a few personal affects, tools, food and other resources are all shared. The tribes generally don’t accept currency and still operate on a bartering system.
Hooks
- A rival tribe has declared war, citing attacks and infractions of which your tribe is innocent of.
- An airship has crashed in the Howlers, in a desperate bid of escape. Rival tribes with various intentions head to the crash site.
- The tribe shaman has had a vision and urges you on a pilgrimage to an old tomb on a mountain top to retrieve a sacred relic.
- You encounter a runner, declaring that Valta soldiers have seized a peaceful tribe near the base of the mountains.
- Missionaries from the Valta Empire are preaching word of the Seven Holies and some tribes have converted, putting pressure on others to smash their shrines.
Themes - Tribes, Arctic Survival, Edge of Civilization, Honor, Dying Culture