Thurkasia

THURKASIA

Capital: Chellon

Population: 403,400; human (95%), gnome (2%), dwarf (2%)

Government: Republic (with token monarchy)

Religions: Durann (dwarves), Eanius, Soggelos,

Tephaneron, Uhanam (gnomes)

Imports: Cheese, sweets, rice

Exports: Horses, wine, grain, lumber

Alignment: NG, CG, N, CN

Thurkasia is a land consisting of grasslands and a young, tangled forest. Declining herds of krenshars and other predators hunt small game animals here, and the human residents follow suit, although some communities have settled and cultivate crops of the natural wheatlike plains grasses and ferment wines from wild berries. Famous for their large, strong horses, the people of this land elect “barons” for their tribes, who decide laws for the country as a whole. Frequently attacked by strange monsters from the mountains and forests, the Thurka rely upon their equestrian and archery skills to harry the larger creatures, moving in with powerful greatswords to finish the job. The Thurka have a culture that is rapidly evolving due to outside influence, and unlike in other nations, the people as a whole embrace change, possibly a trait necessary for their nomadic lifestyle. Arcane magic is uncommon in Thurkasia, with most arcane spellcasters being bards or rare sorcerers (probably due to infrequent intermingling with the people of Bazareene).

Major Geographical Features

Defined by the peaks of the Varlin range to the north and a rocky badland of gorges and mesas to the south,

Thurkasia is a strip of land roughly 100 miles wide and 500 miles long, ending at the Durhan Coast.

Chenurall Forest: This forest has a small marsh in its center, possibly caused by an underground spring.

Unlike Sura-Khiri, no elves or fey live here, and it is instead home to strange and bizarre creatures that sometimes leave the forest to hunt humans. The

Thurka cut lumber here without fear of reprisal from elves, but they have to change locations frequently as the local monsters become aware of their presence. Some small pools and springs in the forest are reputed to have magical powers. Dunn River: This river is swift and cool. A small group of Thurka nomads pilot cargo rafts down the river to Valarn, towing them back upriver with the help of strong horses. The river is a hunting ground for crocodiles and dire crocodiles, including one half-dragon dire crocodile that is thought to be the offspring of Saurivadartak the Green in SuraKhiri. Small colonies of shocker lizards gather in parts of the shore, and the humans have learned to avoid provoking these creatures. Varlin Mountains: The southern slopes of this mountain range are more sparse in terms of vegetation but densely populated by humanoids such as bugbears, hobgoblins, and orcs, as well as ogres. Hidden among them are several small colonies of dwarves (unrelated to the Deathwardens of Manifest or Grumnyr of Tereppek) and gnomes who occasionally trade with the humans. The dwarves and gnomes are dug in deep to prevent attacks from evil humanoids and the dragons and wyverns that fly over the peaks from the northern sides. The dwarves and gnomes became citizens of Thurkasia after a treaty was signed by their leaders and the barons.

Durhan Coast: This entire coastline is rocky, with dangerous cliffs and hidden reefs. The only safe place to make port is at the mouth of the Dunn River, which has been smoothed by its cool waters and dredged by industrious Salkirian traders. The rough waters are the site of frequent attacks by aquatic monsters such as scrags, but the cliffs usually prevent any of these things from coming to shore. Tribes of territorial lizardfolk live in the many cliffside caves, rarely interacting with humans.

Life and Society

The Thurka are of the same racial stock as the Salkirians, although they tend to be somewhat taller. Tan, with black straight or curly hair, the Thurka usually keep their hair short. Their faces are usually broad, with strong cheekbones, and facial hair is very rare.

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They speak a dialect of Salak, and most know at least a few dozen words in the Trade Tongue. Horses are very important to the nomads, both in terms of daily living and lore. A wise Thurka of either gender can gain great esteem in the eyes of his or her future in-laws with a gift of a fine horse.

Most Thurka are born in mobile tent villages, learn to ride and tend horses at an early age, and grow up seeing much of their homeland. Only a relative few come from a permanent settlement, but because the Thurka often foster children from other villages, even the town-born can gain a wider perspective of their world. Women are considered to be better riders than men, and men better archers, but other than that the two genders are treated equally, and a village is as likely to have a male baron as a female one. The Thurka are a spiritual people and believe in making prayers to Eanius before meals and at sunrise.

The Thurka tend to have large families, and because they foster children, they might have siblings in three or more distant villages. Reunions are times to tell stories and compare what has been learned. Part of the ritual of adulthood (at age sixteen) is the drinking of strong berry wine, and most travelers from Thurkasia carry a bottle of this wine with them as a departing gift from their family, both to be used as a libation to Eanius and as a trading item with the northerners, for Thurka wines are popular in nearby lands.

The two dwarf and two gnome colonies of the mountains are part of Thurkasia, and the dwarf and gnome royalty of each colony carry the title of baron, even though they are strict monarchists who do not elect their successors. In fact, because of the lifespans of these nonhumans, the barons ruling the four colonies today are the same ones who agreed to the friendship treaty ninety-one years ago. While the difference in maturity rates means that few Thurka foster their children into one of the colonies (or vice versa), a few exceptional gnome children have asked to learn to become horseriders, and a few dwarf smiths have fostered their children to human settlements to teach metalcraft. These arrangements strengthen the bonds between the dwarves, gnomes, and humans, and despite their differences they have few disagreements.

A typical Thurka warrior is mounted, wears a Thurkasian breastplate (see the Equipment section of Chapter 1), and carries a greatsword and longbow or (if he can afford it) composite longbow. The Thurka typically use standard saddles instead of military saddles.

The Arts

Thurka song and dance are strongly tied together, with traditional songs each having a corresponding dance. The two most important dances are the

Song of the Old and the Song of the New. Both songs tell stories, and their dances are reenactments of those events.

The Song of the Old is passed down through the generations by community singing. It tells the history of the tribes and the people of Thurkasia, and incorporates elements of the Trade Tongue so that even the most ignorant child of the tribe can communicate in a limited fashion with outlanders. The Song of the Old ends with the arrival of the Salkirian delegation that changed the country from a collection of allied tribes to a loose group of baronies.

The Song of the New begins with that event and proceeds forward to the modern day, incorporating important historical events since that time. New verses are written by the master bards of the tribes and must meet certain criteria set forth by the elders. The

Song of the New is considered to be unfinished, although some great world-changing event in the future might start a new song in the manner of the

Salkirian diplomats.

Roles for Character Classes

Barbarian: Some of the warriors of Thurkasia have learned to invoke their inner rage when combating the strange creatures that attack the tribesfolk, but it is considered cowardly to use this ability against anything other than monsters (essentially any creature that is not a humanoid). Because of this, most Thurka barbarians multiclass as fighters or rangers on the off chance they have to fight “civilized” creatures.

Bard: Thurka bards are expected to know both of the great Songs, and it is tradition that any uses of bardic music rely upon parts of these songs rather than the songs of outlanders. Bards are preservers of the heritage of the tribes and a living record of their history and culture. Their magic is considered different from sorcerer or wizard magic and does not have the same stigma. Cleric: Far less common than druids in Thurkasia, clerics of Tephaneron have held their place in this society by filling the need for battle clergy. They prefer healing magic or that which enhances their combat skill, for destructive spells are seen as aspects of arcane magic and are therefore distrusted. Druid: The druids of Eanius are the backbone of the Thurka religion, for they still make peace with the spirits of animals they hunt and examine natural omens

for guidance in daily matters. Druids present an air of being mysterious and wise, and they view clerics as rivals and upstarts drawing on outlander practices.

Fighter: Thurka fighters practice the use of the greatsword and mounted archery. They prize strength and success in battle, and a fighter with many victories under his belt is considered a better candidate for leadership than someone with similar ideals but less combat experience.

Monk: Monks are unheard of among the Thurka, for the rigorous training needed for this career is unavailable there and impractical in the Thurka’s mostly nomadic culture.

Paladin: A few paladins have been known to the Thurka, but all have been visitors from Salkiria intent on wiping out perceived evil influences (whether a member of one of the nastier tribes or a truly evil thing from the mountains or forest). The concept of a rigid warrior of law is completely foreign to the Thurka, and one who cultivates such ideas usually leaves the tribes upon reaching maturity.

Ranger: Many of the scarred veterans of monster battles are rangers, channeling their deep-seated loathing of the vile beasts that plague the tribes into lethal swordplay. Thurka rangers still prefer the greatsword and so rarely exercise the two-weapon fighting style common to rangers of other lands.

Rogue: While thieves and lockpicks have little place in nomadic Thurka society, some are finding uses for their skills in the settled communities. The nomadic ones use their gifted hands to craft weapons, lie in wait for game animals, and negotiate with outlanders who would otherwise try to trick or swindle the tribes.

Sorcerer: Arcane magic is mistrusted by the Thurka, and even innocent sorcerers who have the talent for magic through no fault of their own are often shunned. Some scar themselves in an attempt to purge themselves of magic, and when this fails they decorate themselves with more scarring and tattoos to enhance their power. Because of this, Thurka sorcerers are usually twisted individuals who do nothing to improve their tribe’s perception of them.

Wizard: Lacking any facilities to meet with other wizards or share spells, there have been no native wizards in Thurkasia for over a hundred years.

History

Until only three centuries ago, Thurkasia was a collection of nomadic horse tribes, too busy battling monsters from the Chenurall Forest and southern Varlin

Mountains to consider fighting each other. Mobile and free, they lived and died as their ancestors had done for hundreds of years before.

In the heat of summer 292 years ago, the Salkirian king sent an envoy of diplomats with gifts to the

Thurka leaders, offering them titles in the kingdom in exchange for their fealty and annual tribute. The leaders accepted, and Thurkasia was partitioned into a dozen baronies. However, when the barons eventually began to die of old age, the common folk chose to elect new barons in the same fashion as they did before, rather than allowing a direct inheritance as the Salkirian nobility used. The borders of the baronies became looser over time and were eventually abandoned.

In the following decades the Thurka adopted other aspects of the Salkirian culture, yet growing more independent all the while. The barons even convinced the leaders of the dwarf and gnome colonies to the north to join with them officially in peace and friendship, an act of which even the Salkirians were incapable. Eight years ago the Thurka petitioned for and were granted independence by the King of Salkiria. In the intervening time they have been adjusting to their political freedom and to other changes as their culture continues to shift from a completely nomadic one to a somewhat agrarian one.

Important Sites

Thurkasia’s few permanent settlements tend to be small and open, built to allow for tall people and a lot of horse traffic.

Chellon (Small City, 6,100): The original agreement with Salkiria named this village as the capital of

Thurkasia, and the Thurka have honored that agreement, if only to the letter. It is used as a meeting place for the barons every season, but other than that there are few indications that this town is any more important than the others. Fields of cultivated wheat and berries surround the eastern half of the town, but the western parts are left bare for stacks of lumber harvested from the Chenurall Forest. Every nomadic village of Thurka passes through Chellon at least once a season, leaving news and trade goods for relatives.

Ferrisin (Large Town, 2,900): This town is the trading center for the “hill tribes,” as the humans call the dwarf and gnome colonists. Only about 200 of the town’s residents aren’t human, but they produce most of the durable goods, particularly armor, weapons, and leatherwork. The town is encircled by an intermittent wall, helpful but not perfect at aiding the residents.

Jajin (Large Town, 2,600): Horses are the primary trade of Jajin, as all of the tribes bring their best here in hopes of fetching a fine price, while local breeders arrange trade caravans to Valarn and northward. It is said that Jajin is the best place to get Thurka horses, for the best ones are bought long before the caravans reach Salkiria.

Valarn (Large Town, 4,000): The Thurka call this city the “door to the world,” for nearly all contact with outlanders comes through this town. Most of the workers at the port are descended from the Salkirian traders who helped build it, for the Thurka dislike open bodies of water and have little interest in work-