Tribal Confederation of Daxinia (Dak-see-nee-ah)

Introduction

  The Daxinian Confederation is a rising force in the Boyarskan region, forged from once-scattered mountain tribes into a single federation under the leadership of the young and ambitious Burebista. Once dismissed as brutish hill folk living in the dark mountains, the Daxinians now stand united beneath one banner, their ferocity and resilience making them a power that even empires hesitate to confront.   Though the Zancian Empire once tried to subjugate them, the unforgiving landscape and the brutal strength of the mountain clans proved too much to overcome. Since then, the Daxinians have embraced a renewed sense of purpose, expanding their defenses and forging alliances to ensure their survival. Fierce, proud, and unyielding, they see themselves as the wolves of the mountains, ever ready to strike.  

Key Characteristics

  The Daxinians are renowned for their formidable warriors, especially their infantry, who wield the sica and the falx. These sickle-like weapons are devastating in close quarters, able to shear through shields and armor, giving their warriors a fearsome reputation. Their armies fight with raw aggression, guided by Burebista’s reforms that brought greater discipline and cohesion to their martial traditions.   Their spiritual life is deeply tied to their god Daxus, whom they revere as protector of their people. Wolves are sacred to the Daxinians, and their armies and shamans alike incorporate them into their traditions — from warriors riding large mountain wolves into battle to druids who take on lupine forms. This connection to the wild reinforces their identity as children of the mountains, closer to nature’s raw power than to civilization’s trappings.   The Daxinians maintain an oral culture, prizing memory, storytelling, and tradition over written records. Their leaders and elders preserve history and law through spoken word, emphasizing community bonds and the importance of collective memory. Though seen as primitive by outsiders, this oral tradition gives them a resilience and adaptability often underestimated by their foes.  

Regional Dynamics

  The Confederation’s rise has dramatically shifted the balance of power in Boyarska. Their mountain strongholds and difficult terrain make invasion costly, deterring neighboring empires like Zancia from further attempts at conquest. Burebista’s reforms, including improved communications and defensive alliances, ensure that the Confederation can call upon both internal and external strength in times of need.   While still considered “barbaric” by southern states, the Daxinians are increasingly respected as a military power, their ferocity tempered by cunning strategy. Their rivalry with Zancia remains fierce, but other kingdoms watch carefully, weighing whether to treat the Confederation as an enemy or as a valuable ally against larger threats like the Violet Empire.  

Main Hub

Sarmis

  Deep in the shadowed mountains of Daxis lies the fortress-city of Sarmis, the capital of the Confederation. Surrounded by jagged terrain and layered defenses of thick, dark stone walls, it is considered nearly impregnable. The city serves both as the seat of Burebista’s power and the unifying heart of the once-fractured tribes.   Sarmis is a place of grim resilience and stark beauty, with smoke curling from hearth-fires, wolf howls echoing in the distance, and its streets bustling with traders and warriors alike. For the first time in their history, the Daxinians have a central hub of governance and trade, one that represents their new identity as a people united, proud, and unbroken.