Thareoc
Thareoc was a confederation of a dozen tribes of frost goblins, joined in the common cause of self defense. Named for the chief of the tribe who rallied the other tribes of the tundra, Thareoc started as an alliance of necessity but grew into a decent power in it's corner of the world. This was all thanks to their best known power: enslaved yetis. Yetis once attacked Thareoc, but they not only drove them back but they managed to strap harnesses to the survivors and "tame" them. The collective action of goblins is already quite a force, but give those goblins giant hulking brutes to do their bidding and they become very dangerous. They used the yetis manly as muscle to do manual labor and as powerful soldiers, with armored yetis being found on the frontline of nearly every battle Thareoc fought. However, while this confederation had an impressive run, eventually they were split by a civil war. Decades of exposure to yetis started to replace hatred with pity in the hearts of some goblins. They started to see them not as bloodthirsty monsters who would squish them given half a chance, but as poor, mistreated creatures who they built their society on the broken backs of. The ethics of yetis was a hotly debated topic, eventually boiling over into a civil war that split the nation in two. The new nations of Seramor and Glasioc still hate each other to this day, with Seramor trying to liberate yetis from the militaristic Glasioc, who still subjugate yetis to their benefit.
Culture
Thareoc had a deep culture of endurance. They endured the harsh tundra as tribes, they came together and endured an army of yetis, then when Alentheas rose to power, they endured one of the strongest empires Savinaru has ever seen. This pride at their strength seeped into their culture, giving their people confidence that no matter what happened, they would be fine. This endurance could also manifest as stubbornness, as why should they change when they can just deal with it? Yetis also played a big part in Thareocan society, both as grunt labor and as symbols. Monsters stormed down from the mountains, set on destroying us all, but not only did we defeat them but they now serve us. Yetis found their way into Thareoc's art as emblems of the nations' strength, with yeti statues decorating the centers of government to a stylized yeti on the nation's flag.
History
The goblins who lived in the frozen north of Virisal lived in many small tribes, living out harsh but enduring lives in the tundra as tribes. However, this all changed with the rise of the yeti warlord Urukal. Gifted with great intelligence and greater malice, the powerful yeti rallied dozens of other yetis into a rampaging horde, then descended from the mountains to begin conquering the land below. Several tribes were wiped out before the goblins of the various remaining tribes banded together to defend themselves from these invading monsters. Thus began a war between goblins and yetis. The climax of this battle came when Urukal was finally slain by several of the goblin's greatest champions. With the heart of their army dead, the yetis descended into chaos. Some retreated back to the mountains, others fought to the bitter end, but many of them were captured. Now with the tribes united and the might of yetis under their control, Thareoc began to thrive. They expanded and advanced, spreading to all corners of their frozen home. Even when Alentheas came, Thareoc managed to stand their ground. Through a combination of using their icy home to their advantage and the sheer power of domesticated yetis, Thareoc became one of the few nations that the empire did not defeat, though they were certainly battered by the elves. Skirmishes on both sides broke out, both the elves trying to push into goblin lands and the goblins raiding border settlements.
Disbandment
While little could touch Thareoc from without, there was a crack forming within. While the yetis has been demonized early on in Thareoc's history, as time went on some of the goblins felt sympathy for the beasts. Other in the meantime felt no such empathy, seeing the yetis as savage monsters who would kill them all if not tamed. While the empire was an easy villain to unite their people, once they had no more big enemies, these two factions began butting heads, with tension escalating into a full on civil war. Thareoc was no more, with the yeti sympathizers forming Seramor and the yeti enslavers founding Glasioc.
Comments