Editing Autia (section)

====Maritime Khurultai====

People: Mostly human, a few permanent residents of other species but less than a single percent.

Religion: In a word- complicated. Studies into folklore suggest a hundred goddesses and gods in a singular pantheon, but none have names. Titles exist, but they may or may not be distinct aspects of collective spirit clusters. There appear to be no defining set of scripture or doctrine, simply individual interpretation of the relationship between the divine and the mortal. While not concise by any means, it allows the society some comfort in accepting attitudes that are not their own.

Magic: The use of magic is highly limited to lifestyle magic rather than the typical uses of war or healing- to use them for anything more than small instances is considered an insult to the spirits which allow magic to occur. For instance, Magic might be used to create another pair of hands to work a loom while the caster dyes the thread the loom creates. There are workarounds: rather than creating massive fireballs to lob on ones enemies, a small flame might be produced to light a pitch-covered boulder prior to it being lobbed via catapult, and the ingredients of several dozen healing droughts might be magically combined while the droughts themselves are expected to heal the sick and wounded.

History: Unrecorded, save for third hand accounts. Oral tradition is considered unreliable in these matters. Few who have made contact with them have noted them with more than a historical footnote, though we know that they are attributed to the dissappearences of a few coastal cities over the last century.

Economy: Unimpressive in terms of scale. All indication of an agrarian society- focuses on textiles and aquaculture. However, this might be a front for external actors in order to give an illusion of poverty- for instance, we know their crossbows are among some of the most sophisticated non-firearm ranged weapons on the island, and are far, far quieter.

The Maritime Khurultai does extensive trade throughout the world, primarily with human-dominated nations, but most of its products are not recognized as coming from it. Instead, they are often mistaken for things coming from elsewhere. while many coastal nations have traded with them in the past, few recognize that they've dealt directly with their citizens until after they have left.

The Maritime Khurultai deals mainly in intricately patterned textiles, clothing, jewelry and leather goods in dozens of styles. silken lace is among their best known product, but that is comparatively rare on the open market. additionally, they will sometimes let a series of complicated puzzles out into the world, to better gauge the adaptability of the people who would buy such things in an effort to determine the character of fellow human nations. these puzzles are, by contrast, easily recognized and leads to the notion that the nation only produces silly baubles for trade that are not worth people's money.

These same traders also tend to purchase large amounts of local art, sculpture, literature, musical instruments and the raw materials to make such things. they claim they are in need of diversions...but who is to say if that isn't another carefully construed lie to cover up their real goals.

Miscellaneous:

one of the very few but well known things the Maritime Khurultai does export to other nations is their silk, which uses highly detailed patterns woven by hand, with each textile house using a style unique to their traditions. This silk is highly durable, absorbs dye easily and is soft enough to make people forget they're wearing it.

Available in spools, sheets and custom order items (with ever increasing amounts of production time), the silk is wore by the people who make it in a layered fashion, often to the point that any gaps in the pattern are covered by more silk. However, due to the cost in both time to produce and to secure a trade visa with the Khurultai, foreigners can rarely afford much bulk silk, so it is regulated to accessories or accents on other pieces.

surprisingly, it can often be found paired with leather jackets, gloves or boots as a liner.

'''Story 1:'''

There are few who dare to cross the northern seas in summer, for that is when the ice melts and monsters roam south. Once, people believed this to be a metaphor, a warning about tides and ocean currents. A myth to warn precocious children and reckless traders alike.

But all myths have a kernel of truth to them, and reality is a harsh mistress.

Isolated behind impenetrable mountain chains and their lava filled fjords, and seasonally trapped by a ruthless arctic wind that manages to freeze even the mighty ocean itself, the humans of the Maritime Khurultai would be no threat to anyone, if it wasn't for the local fauna they have managed to tame.

Using all the knowledge at their disposal, they use the resources on hand to bend the monstrous Dire Tigers to their will. Apex predators adapted to extreme temperatures and perfectly at home in the water, the people of the Maritime Khurultai know that they are the key to getting the one thing they have always wanted.

More land.

With each generation of tigers getting larger and larger, they know their dreams will become reality. Soon.

There are many who doubt the idea, upon seeing a Dire Tiger in the wild, that lowly humans are even capable of taming a single one, let alone enough to be a threat to other nations.

Yet humanity has proven resourceful in other ways before, and there are rumors of a journal that outlines the exacting process. Combining animal husbandry, aquaculture, herbalism, perfumery, hypnosis, even clothing patterns, music and dance, the species is lulled into believing humans are not a threat, merely a provider. Instead, through this process, the journal allegedly claims that those who threaten their caretakers become the enemy of the Dire Tigers.

But as of yet, such claims are unverified. If only observers could be placed in the City of Three Rivers, or Kyr'jtlan'isoune in the local tongue. if it even exists at all.

Nobody has ever returned from looking for it, as you well know.

have you ever seen one, the humans from the Maritime Khurultai? consider yourself lucky if you have, there aren't that many who can boast the same claim. I've only heard the description of them third hand, from a drunken sailor no less, but it was fascinating to hear about.

They cover themselves from head to toe, with no skin exposed to the sun, even their faces. But it is no simple robe or armor they wear, for they combine silk and leather, metal and fur, feather and bone, and more, all at once.

The silk is said to be comfort, dyed in wild and bold colors, yet it is almost entirely covered by leather stitched in intricate patterns. the furs of great animals make up their cloaks, but those aren't worn for the cold- they are used to obscure their heavily engraved armor segments. great plums of feathers adorn their helmets in times of anger, and bones rattle from their limbs in symbolic totems tied fast with woven reeds.

Yet it is their carved wooden masks with polished, inlaid glass eyes that remain their most memorable features. you can never follow their eyes, not really- even when you think you can see what they're looking at, they glow from within, obscuring the truth. is it a reflexive movement, a trick of the light? he didn't know, nobody knows.

There is just too much we don't know. the layers of clothing supposedly hide a lattice work of tattoos, scars and brands, but even the old sailor couldn't say for sure if that was true or an embellishment from somewhere down the chain. if it is true, what do they all mean? why obtain them at all if they are to be covered up when in public?

Just what else are they hiding, behind those masked eyes of theirs? or should we be grateful we don't know.

'''Story 2:'''
Yes ma'am, what I have here is a genuine scent puzzle ball, straight from the Maritime Khurultai. My contact has authenticated it as having come straight from the capital city!

That's right, just spin the inner segments around and the scent becomes stronger or weaker depending on how the holes line up. and you can replace the incense inside once you make it through all seven layers, like this. like this....dangit, it was easier to do last time- AH THERE WE GO. see? just a tiny amount of the stuff produces a smell this strong.

and yes, i know, its a tiny sphere, less than 20 centimeters across, but just think of the envy your friends will have when you present one of the few items used in the modern Martitime Khuruldai. not some ancient relic with no purpose, but a functional piece of their culture! your reputation around here will skyrocket!

No, of course it's not real Dire Tiger fang. Do you think they'd let those out of the country? No, this is the commoner's version, made from ox bone powder and resin, but still, the fact they even allowed it to escape their borders is a minor miracle.

Wait, how did you know they make the larger ones out of tiger fang? huh? customs enforcement? I've never...wait, where did you get that spear from?

'''Story 3:'''

Look, we've tried to give you an accurate count of their military capabilities, multiple times. And all, all my agents who've even managed to come back are dead. The ones who were left behind? We don't even know. All we have are rumors and hearsay, and the confessions of dying men.

If we can trust such sources, and that's a big if, then we know the military is mostly occupied by women, and they are terrifyingly efficient. Highly skilled, tactically well organized, proficient in mid-ranged and melee combat. They prefer high-powered crossbows that fire spear sized bolts, and whips that change into spears with the twist of a handle. While they seem to lack siege capabilities, their mounts speed and agility more than make up for such shortfalls.

From what we can estimate, roughly 40 percent of their population serves in the military. Its not hereditary, but there are legacy houses of martial prowess, and entire schools dedicated to the study and training of future war leaders. I couldn't begin to tell you about the locations, tactics or strategies behind such organization because, again, all my agents died trying to find out. That's how good their security is against foreigners.

But here's the real kicker. I'm virtually positive that even these rumors and hearsay and deathbed confessions are only known to us because they want us to know. They want us to have just a taste of that kind of information, probably so they can mislead us with it and then change directions at the last second, when it really counts.

So again, I implore you, do not trust what we have without firsthand, verifiable intelligence on them. I will, eventually, be forced assemble another team of agents and see if they can convert some of the locals into aiding us, but don't count on it. I don't want to send people to their deaths over mere speculation. And remember, if anyone asks, this conversation didn't happen.

'''Story 4:'''

Esteemed Ladies, Gentlemen.

As you well know, the origins of the Maritime Khurultai beyond the 400 years we have known of their existence, have not been committed to publication, nor are there written records of any kind on the subject. However, there is, within the extensive and robustly worded oral tradition of the people, an origin myth.

To repeat the myth in its entirely would require several hours of your precious time, as well as an understanding of the local language that I am not qualified to relay with sufficient enough skill. In summary translation, we can say they believe they came from a convoy of refugees of a ruined homeland far to the south, one which persecuted them for their beliefs that slavery was unjust and should be abolished. That any who could work the land should be free, regardless of other factors. They feared for their lives and fled across the ocean in thirteen ships.

Most sank, and while some of their crews and passengers were saved, in the end, only four made it to their new land. When they arrived, they found the land plentiful in rich fruits, grain, vegetables, spices and materials for making homes, textiles, medicine and even tools for mining and metallurgy. Which, even I admit, seems implausible, but then how else are we to explain their alternatives to modern firearms?

But it seems that while they found an abundant paradise, the animals of the land were rare, and often dangerous. Even the fish along the coastal waters were quite deadly, almost as if they had adapted to be as deadly as possible in order to ward off some threat or another with their every waking moment. Mammals, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians, they all seemed hostile to human presence, and hunting these creatures was an exercise in folly, for it killed more of their people with each attempt than their bodies could feed.

That is, until they discovered their Tiger God.

Pardon my interruption. A little wine always clears the coughing.

We don't know if they are referring to some predecessor species to the actual Dire Tigers they use today or if they met someone who merely impersonated a deity, regardless, this indivdiual didn't consider them a threat. If anything, it was amused by their attempts to change the nature of the land, and let them go about their business, occasionally following them as a curious neighbor might observe the habits of your pets.

The Tiger God watched their struggles, but didn't offer aid directly, merely leaving hints on occasion so they might discover the truths for themselves. As thanks, they would offer gifts of tribute, which, while quite elegant by our standards, simply served to make the god bored.

However, when the humans finally began breeding fish in their aquacultural gardens and preparing them for meals, the Tiger God took notice and began asking for offerings. The humans relented, and the Tiger God was pleased, offering the services of their children in exchange for regular meals. This bargain appears to lay the foundation for their domestication today.

Now, when most settlers or refugees arrive at a distant landmass, unless they have sufficient materials for housing secured, it isn't uncommon for people to cannibalize their ships for raw materials. This didn't happen in this tale, as the refugees had feared they would be followed, and thus kept their ships in order to evacuate should the land prove too formidable for them to live on.

However, as the people were beginning to discuss what to do with the vessels, the Tiger God was intrigued by these ships and their sturdiness, and they asked that their children be able to use them to play on as part of their arrangement. The people agreed, knowing they would also be useful for trade should they come into contact with others, as well as to find more marine life to hunt and eventually tame for domesticated food sources.

Again, my apologies. This damned cough.

But that is the tale, as told to me by my contacts from the Maritime Khurultai, have laid out. As you well know, the structure of the narrative is typical of a myth whose basis in reality has been lost to time. Not uncommon in particularly ancient civilizations without a readily available source of writing materials.

However, we have plenty of evidence that they do indeed have a writing system. The Litany of Poets even has three examples of their writing system within its text, though the translation is what most people care to read. So why then do they only chronicle their history in oral tradition?

I believe the key to this inclination stems from an axiom they use, away from open ears and in darkened corners. "Still words lie, moving words reflect the soul." In order to trust the words of a person, they must see the person say it, to follow their eyes, the movement of their hands and gauge the emotions of their voice, to carry a greater context with the words- a mass produced writing would be meaningless to such an attitude.

...I must say I am somewhat astonished that there hasn't been a single question about any of this thus far. Does anyone have a...Carl, have you even been looking for raised hands or...

My word. My assistant is dead. How...when...Someone, please call for a coroner.

Why is...no one is moving? What...what is going on...here...

Oh.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

If it's not to much to ask, may I have a final sip of wine first?