Clan Atarka

The Atarka live at the pleasure of a dragonlord whose moods are as violent and changeable as their environment, but they do not falter. They have accepted and even embraced their lot in life, and they pride themselves on their ability to adapt to the harsh realities around them. Floods caused by rapidly melting ice are frequent in the clan's mountain ranges; thus, the hunters face sudden and unpredictable shortages of suitable game to feed Atarka. This has driven them to become increasingly nomadic. But the Atarka prefer it that way; they are fiercely independent, and the greatest pleasure they get from a hunt is the knowledge that the kill was theirs alone.

Unprompted, the clan would most likely drift apart, as they feel no innate need to convene. However, Atarka demands that the clan assemble at regular intervals to honor her and proffer a lavish feast, which she accepts appreciatively—at least until she has devoured it. The Atarka do their dragonlord's bidding, for they know that if they were to leave her hungry they would soon become her prey. At their gatherings, the Atarka entertain themselves with songs sung around a fire. The lyrics tell of the glory and thrill of the hunt—a hunt to which they long to return.

Structure

Clan Roles

Dragons. None of Atarka's brood are intellectual giants, but some of them are cleverer than others. They spend most of their time hunting or fighting among themselves. Hunt Caller. This an honored role within the clan and refers to Atarka's chief feeder. The Hunt Caller leads the hunts or raids, but only after Atarka has specified the goal, be it a particular sort of beast to eat or a given treasure to be stolen from a rival clan. She assigns a favored broodling to accompany and keep tabs on the hunters. Within those strictures, the Hunt Caller still has some autonomy. Claw-Bearers. This class of warriors facilitates the hunts by protecting hunting parties and Atarka borders from invaders. These migratory warriors stay on the outer edges of the dragonlord's realms, ready to move their families at a moment's notice to keep Atarka's wilds safe.

Culture

Clan Values

Survival at All Costs. These humans are much diminished from the proudly independent survivors of the onetime Temur clan. Now, the Atarka warriors live at the pleasure of the dragon. A situation like this would leave most people beaten down and fatalistic, but the descendants of the Temur are made of tougher stuff than most. They did what their folk have always done: adapted for survival. They take steps to ensure they are less desirable as potential food sources. Each human is alive because he or she is worth more thus to Atarka than if dead, usually by providing his or her weight or more in food over the course of a year. Only the finest hunters and warriors remain alive. Hunt to Feed. The dragonlord's endless hunger means that an area is emptied of suitable game in short order, forcing the entire group to keep moving. The dragon requires the clan to assemble at regular intervals, to honor her and to provide sumptuous feasts. If they do not satisfy her, they become the feast. When the clan members are not praising the dragon, their traditional tales and songs deal mainly with the thrill of the hunt. The dragon does not generally approve of the clan using any sort of concealment. However, she tolerates camouflage in the service of the hunt. The hunters' fur boots, coats, and gloves now feature quantities of brush and dried grass to help them blend more effectively into the new, snowless landscape.

Territories

Qal Sisma Mountains. The massive mountain range where the nomadic Atarka spend much of the year hunting.
Ayagor, the Dragon's Bowl. A narrow valley in the mountains where Dragonlord Atarka is fed by her subjects.
Dragon's Throat. A high, winding valley deep within the mountains. Winds blowing through this valley create a continuous wail that is known as the Voice of Dragons. The shamans come here to whisper to very powerful spirits.
Qadat, the Fire Rim. A volcanic mountain range that serves as the home of the efreet.
Staircase of Bones. A rounded hilltop that functions as the meeting place for the various family hunting groups.

Tenets of Faith

Hidden Traditions

Atarka quickly devoured most of the shamans of the former Temur clan, partly because those beings were not useful for obtaining food, but mainly out of fear of their elemental magic. The few who survive are quietly keeping the ancient traditions alive. They no longer paint the cave walls of communal gatherings but instead use a sort of scrimshaw to record the clan's history and important events. Hunters take a small trophy from the body of an animal before feeding it to Atarka: a claw, a fang, a point from an antler, or a toe bone. The shamans secretly inscribe these items and add them to the hidden "library" of the clan's deeds.

Secret Elementalism

Atarka feared the shamans' elemental power, but she did not know about their Wide Whisper—a trance communion with all other shamans. As the dragon's purge began, the shamans warned each other secretly, and the youngest of them survived by hiding their true nature. The shamans dare not call on elementals in battle. Instead, they have been locating areas of elemental power within the mountains and secretly marking them, sharing the knowledge within the Wide Whisper.

Priesthood

Hidden Shamans

Those shamans who evaded the dragon's purge do not wear the concealing headgear that marked their status before. The bone trinkets that adorned the elders' headdresses have been secreted away. The shamans now serve as scouts, guiding the hunters and thus making themselves useful to the endlessly hungry Atarka. They use their elemental connections to locate game but hide this from the dragon. They no longer use the elemental power of ice to create ice doubles.