Isbar Nomad Confederacies

A catch-all term for "barbarian" tribes living on the lifeless debris of the Pontic Shell (see Topographical History of the Sector, the Nomad Confederacies of the Isbarim are an ancient race of steppe nomads turned independent horde of nimble fighters known as warrior junks.

While most of their physical history was lost following the destruction of the god planet Karoj-Menos. According to the travels of Herodrion among these nomads, these societies of nomads have an oral tradition older than the Pantheon itself.

Back during Karoj-Meons, the original Isbar steppe nomads were the first ones to foster and breed Mycestians (more accurately Wybaquts) as war mounts, sources of wealth, and companions who helped each other survive on the barren steppes of the god planet.

These faster, stalky, and dumber Wybaquts would be valued nearly as much (sometimes more) than their own families. Wildly diverging from their sibling Mycestians who became the Pantheon's regent Stable Lords over Karoj-Menos.

The Isbars would eat by-products (milk, cheese, yogurt, fermented milk, meat, etc.) from their Wybaqut herds. Over time of consuming these products, Isbars gaining the ability to generate Ichor; including near telepathic control of their mounts.

Used like a plague of locusts, the Pantheon would send these horse mounted against irreverent and rebellious settlements. Raiding, pillaging, and murdering those allowed by the Pantheon.

If left alone, most (if not all) of the Isbars would've died following the Helio-Apollan Binary Supernovae.

However, the Hellecian progenitors brought the steppe warriors and their mounts in as cavalry to harass settlements and to bolster the Ichor output of their Star-Decks.

Following the Invasion of the Progenitors and the destruction of their homes, the steppe nomads killed or captured their Hellecian commanders.

Commanding their newly stolen ships, these nomads and other opportunistic Hellecians ushered in the Age of Anarchy.

Linking up with other sibling tribes, these raiding parties turned into massive confederacies of ships following one powerful Khan'rk. Defining the political borders of the newly-created Hellecian Sector into what they are today.

Only after the Perxis-Sadem invaded the sector, did the Age come to an end.

Where the organized navies of the Patrokonoi-Hellecia pushed the nomads into their current home cluster: Isbarbous Spout - a veritable "Wild West" of nomadic confederacies fighting each other for grazing lands for their flocks and settlements to raid.  

Nomadic Navies:

Following the destruction of Karoj-Menos, these nomadic tribes who stole their Hellecian Star-Decks found how unwieldy and resource intensive maintaining these bulky ships cost.

So many resorted to kidnapping Hellecians to either repair their ship or to bleed their captives of their Ichor to run their new ships.

Hellecian technicians and shipwrights were some of the highest sought after resources among the confederacies. Going between 2-3 Wybaquat mares for a kidnapped technician from the Ionite Flotilla of Space-Faring Colonists or a Aggrivate shipwright from the Professional Guilds of Aeonite Craftspeople. 

However, this gave opportunities to out-of-luck Hellecians to become Khan'rk of their own Confederacy.

If it wasn't for the invention of the Steppe Junk by either a Hellecian defector or a clever Khan'rk. The Age of Anarchy would've ended at least two years earlier. 

The main reason the Isbar Nomads are so feared is their mobility, fire power & coordination.

While typical Hellecian naval combat is designed around Star-Decks peppering each other with Ichorized plasma shots from their COAG rowing chutes, ramming each other with their prows and/or fencing large ships in with Webweave energy shields.

Isbarian Steppe Junks are small fighters, powered by their Wybaqut mount's vast Ichor reserves (becoming the forerunners for the Hellecian Hamariot). Giving them fast ships that can outmaneuver and cripple them with continual volleys on their vital systems.

Once a ship is disabled, the horde descends on the enemy ship and picks off parts/prisoners/movable wealth back to their home ships.

What's remarkable about these raids is what little is left behind after an Isbar engagement. Given their experience of living off so little, Isbar nomads are scrupulous when it comes to scavenging wrecks of all their material & practical value.

Relevance to the Series:

While being a constant nuisance to The Psygorellius and the settlements that call for the Psygonauts' assistance.

The Isbars are the ones who have possession of the Lost Aurora Crown of Ilocanos-7 deep in the Isbarbous Spout.

Possessed by the emerging Colcion Confederacy, a group of nomadic sorcerers and witches who use the Cosmic Aurora from the crown to conquer their enemies and unite smaller coalitions to destroy the Azov Confederacy ruling the Spout's capital planet Crizmograd.