Name

The Gravorri tribes (aka the Gravorri Empire)

Motto

“No Gods, No Kings”

Introduction

The Gravorri inhabit the wide swaths of plains between the tall pine forests to the south and the high mountain range to the north. These plains stretch almost from the more civilized cities in the east to the coast itself, although the tribes are scarce to the west.

Once a proud and technology-driven society, some prior apocalypse caused the original Gravorri empire to collapse from within, with the survivors foreswearing the advanced technologies and magics that had built it. Instead, a new philosophy centered on primal and nomadic living took hold.

The Gravorri people are known for two things: the bright and beautiful bits of artifice scrap they use as armor and the utterly fanatical focus on rejecting both formal government and any suggestion of god worship. For the Gravorri, placing your faith in anything with a name is to enslave yourself to it, and that they will not do.

History

Gravorri verbal tradition tells very little about their origins. The chieftain/storytellers describe the people’s origin as a great technological empire whose ruins continuously dot the landscape. They say that the empire was ruled by kings who had made themselves gods and were destroyed in turn. While the tribes don’t agree on who or what destroyed the empire, the most common story is that the Gravorri people —i.e., the non-noble classes —rose up and cast down the new ‘gods’ for their hubris.

Surprisingly, archaeological evidence seems to support this narrative to a degree. The Gravorri Empire certainly existed, a vast empire that created homes, golems, and vehicles that all shared a common motif of gilded metal coverings studded with artificially created gemstones. No complete example of Gravorri artifice has survived, but the local tribesmen often cut and shape the original guilded plate to create armor for the warriors. Internal components of those same machines are often melted to make weapons, and the Gravorri tribes are one of the few barbaric tribes known for their ready availability of steel blades and lances.

Whether the Gravorri themselves or some other force destroyed the empire is not known, but the resulting apocalyptic period seems to have been short-lived. Within fifty years of the fall of the Gravorri empire, local accounts tell of the appearance of the Gravorri tribesmen. These tribesmen appear to have been survivors of the event, who had embraced a new philosophy that rejected both organized magic and organized governance. Instead, they had a carefully constructed society meant to keep leadership local and to prevent the rise of any high chieftain as might happen with other tribes.

Since then, the Gravorri have only gathered across tribes once - to resist an attempted orc colonization effort from the coast. Even with nearly three-fourths of all the tribes contributing troops, resulting in a several-thousand-strong mob, no commanders or high chieftains were appointed. Instead, a grand council was held, and the only decision was to announce the day of the counterattack and a rough location for the army to gather. While this might be a disaster for many societies, the Gravorri struck the colonizers in a large military rush that then split into hundreds of independent raider units. The war then proceeded in a highly chaotic manner, with the Gravvori running amok where Orc garrisons couldn’t reach, and any attempt to take the field seemed to naturally collect a large number of Gravvori tribesmen who would eventually attack in a fearless rush when their numbers were large enough. Casualties on both sides were extremely high, but the survivors were held in high regard upon their return, and the Orcs were forced to rebuild their dismantled ships and leave for other shores.

Beyond this, the Gravorri's history is mainly local and small-scale. The Gravorri fiercely defend their former imperial lands but do not attempt to conquer their neighbors or engage in more than occasional raids. Their neighbors understand the implied point: Do not mess with the Gravorri, and they will not mess with you.

The Gravorri have a deep culture focused around their shared historical origin from the empire and the telling of stories. While the tribe's warriors rank high in society, much like other tribes, the rulership is split between a religious and storyteller class that is tightly intertwined.

Gravorri chiefs are appointed from the children of the last chief based on a community’s blind vote on their ability to tell the stories of the tribe, with the runner up often ceremoniously ‘promoted’ or exiled to serve as a wandering storyteller that shares the tribe’s story with other tribes and provides some level of diplomatic presence between them.

Shamans of the tribe are actually widely respected priests of a religion that is careful to only refer to ‘spirits’ of earth, water, air, and mana. No formal names are given to these spirits, and the spirits are seen as unpredictable and capricious as the beasts of the field. Shamans are often those who share the most magically aptitude in the tribe, and children with unusual talent might be adopted by the current shaman to ensure this. Likewise, the family of the storyteller-chief and the shaman are often closely intertwined, with marriages between the two families being common every few generations. The two also serve as a balancing force against each other. The chief doesn’t dare put ambitions beyond the tribe lest the shaman decry this heresy, and the shaman is careful to obey the laws lest the storyteller-chief call him out.

Other positions within the tribe are usually obtained because of ceremonial contests designed to demonstrate who has the most natural talent for a given trade or position. The most coveted class is that of ‘rider’, the warrior class. Position of ‘Rider’ and the right to wear a full chest plate of the scavenged metal is only earned after a four-day period in which all children of the applicable age (the contest is held roughly every five years), are placed a series of grand melees and individual duels until the existing warriors of the tribe select the number of candidates they believe have performed best. While the Gravorri warriors rarely go to war, the casualties from hunting the local megafauna and from raiding ensure there are always a few slots for the upcoming children to try and earn.

The runners and trash-diggers are the least ranked on the cultural scale. Runners are often orphaned children whom no one would claim, or a child who may perform extremely poorly during professional trials. Their job is to run messages between their home tribe and other tribes. Runners are often unescorted, and the casualty rate can be ugly, even worse than for the warrior caste. Still some rare individuals have found a sort of infamy, and traveling with a runner is considered lucky for the traveling storytellers, who know what it like to be told to leave the tribe.

Trash-diggers are those who cannot find a position in the tribe doing anything else. Their job is to dig the long trash pits/latrines that the tribe uses in its temporary camping sites, which is seen as thankless, dirty work.

Finally, naming among the Gravorri is a generational affair. The child is given a first name by their mother, often that of a favored relative or a heroic person from the stories. The second, or last name, is instead given by their peers when the tribesman is accepted as a full member of their profession or caste based on some story about the apprentice’s time amongst the veterans. Some examples:

• Calan Redshanker
• Torv Deerjumper
• Sana Greenglint
• Toba of the Three Drums

Magic use among the Gravorri is a carefully cultivated affair. Only the most primal of magics are permitted by the Shamans, and all forms of artifice are outlawed. This means that most shamans rely on innate sorcerous talent to summon their magic, as formal structures such as runic circles and diagrams are considered heretical. Likewise, making deals for magical power is strictly outlawed, since this falls too close to god-worship. Some shamans serve as clerics, but only for the raw elemental forces, not for any named god.

The relationship between the Gravorri and their neighbors is essentially one of warily ignoring each other. The Gravorri largely leave their neighbors alone except for the occasional trading expedition, some of which they prefer not to do since there is always the risk that some of the tribe’s Gavorri artifacts might be lost to their neighbors, and the shamans always worry that even the smallest piece of Gavorri technology outside their borders might lead to another evil empire being created. Despite this, some chieftains still swing by the borders for an annual trading event, exchanging rare pelts and handcrafted metal items for little items that make life easier without appearing to be artificial.

Major Locations:

There are no major Gavorri cities, but the former capital of the empire is guarded by the Sun and Moon tribes, who travel a circuit around the site in opposite directions. It is said that the heresies of the former empire live on in the deserted streets, but no living non-Gavvorri has been able to verify these rumors.

The tribes of Setting Sun and Star Followers are also well known; the first is a wide-ranging tribe that often patrols near the coastline and is surprisingly peaceable toward all but treasure hunters. The other, the Star Followers, has been in a longer-standing feud with the Gravorri’s southern neighbors and often raids across the border due to an unfortunate incident a decade ago that cost him his eldest daughter.

Recommended Classes:

Gavorri adventurers are most likely to be Barbarians, Sorcerers, or Bards. Wizards and Artificers are likely to be seen as heretical by their Gavorri peers.