The Collected Clans of Galvar

Warlords bound in strength. Clans united in blood. A nation carved by axe and oath.   Region: Southern jagged steppes of the southern backbone, South of Dwalinstad
Government Style: Martial Confederacy (Warchief-Council Model)
Dominant Culture: The Galvaric Code – A rigid system of honor, conquest, and personal glory
Population Estimate: 130,000 (mostly orcs and half-orcs, some Goliaths)
Common Titles: Gorehand, Redfang, Brandbrother, Clanmender, Skull-taker, Woundfather
 

Cultural Principles:

  Strength Above All
The Collected Clans believe that physical, spiritual, and martial strength are the only true measures of worth. Orcs prove themselves through battle, endurance, and brutal rite-of-passage challenges. Weakness is not pitied; it is culled.   The Galvaric Code
Passed down from Galvar himself, the Code governs all behavior. It teaches that betrayal of your bloodline, refusal of a challenge, or cowardice in war is cause for iron-marking (branding and banishment). Those who follow the Code are rewarded with status, land, and legend. It is both a religious doctrine and a legal code.   The Right of Seizing
Land, weapons, names, and even slaves can be claimed through ritual combat or feat-of-strength contests. These duels are sacred and may not be interrupted. Even leadership may change hands this way, as any clan may challenge another during the Moon of Proving each cycle.   Glory Through Conquest
War is sacred. Fighting foreign enemies is not just permitted, it is encouraged. Raids, frontier expansion, and dueling enemy champions is the highest honor. Every clan holds tales of battlefield victories and fallen war-kin in great oral epics called Bloodsongs.  

Government Structure:

  The Warchief of the Clans
The supreme leader is the Warchief, elected through Blood Claim, a combat trial fought by nominated champions of the major clans. The Warchief rules by right of dominance, and may only be deposed by direct challenge. The title is not hereditary.   The Ring of Iron
Each major clan sends a representative to this war-council. They convene once per moon cycle to settle disputes, declare raids, or address internal fractures. Each voice carries weight proportional to the clan’s recent victories and offerings of tribute.   Clans and Broods
The society is organized into dozens of Clans, each with their own Broods (extended family lines or martial lodges). Loyalty to one's brood is absolute, but each clan swears to the Collected in public ceremony during Ashfire Season.   Law of the Forge
There are few laws, but those that exist are enforced with terrifying efficiency. Theft from your own clan is punished by blood debt. Killing a clan-kin outside of a sanctioned duel is met with bone-picking, a ritual that strips the killer of all their earned glories.  

Notable Practices:

  Blood-bonding
Marriage or political unity between clans is done via blood bonding, a ritual where warriors smear one another with sacred blood and exchange heirloom blades. Betraying an blood bond results in immediate exile or death.   The Black Tongue
A secret orcish cant used by warpriests and elite raiders. It combines brutal poetry with strategic code, often spoken only during raids or funerary rites.   The Maw of Galvar
A volcano-temple dedicated to the mythic war-leader Galvar, now deified by many orcs. Sacrifices of weapons and foes are cast into the crater during the yearly Warwake Festival.