Varkhaarak

The Varkhaarak

The Black-Maned Mountain Clans The Varkhaarak—often called Black-Fur Khaarak or Mountain Lions by outsiders—are a distinct cultural group of the Khaarak who inhabit the northern and north-western reaches of Rhaakhor, where the Dry Bone Mountains (Ssaar-Kor) rise into steep valleys, narrow passes, and stone-walled highlands. More than any other Khaarak culture, the Varkhaarak are shaped by isolation, scarcity, and vertical terrain. They are not numerous, but their land is deadly to traverse, and their reputation far outweighs their numbers.

Land and Way of Life

The core lands of the Varkhaarak lie within and along the northern Dry Bone Mountains, extending into some eastern foothills and, in smaller numbers, toward the far west where they gradually blur into the most extreme nomadic groups. Their territory is defined less by borders and more by control of springs, valleys, and passes. Unlike the settled Khaarak, the Varkhaarak do not build cities or large towns. Instead, they live in small prides, moving between:

permanent or semi-permanent cave dwellings,

seasonal camps near springs,

and herding grounds for goats and mountain antelopes.

Their lives are shaped by altitude, stone, and silence. In these lands, loud speech carries far, avalanches can be triggered by carelessness, and a single mistake can doom an entire herd.

Appearance and Aesthetic

The Varkhaarak are known for their dark fur, often deep brown or black. Within their culture, darker coloration is considered beautiful and prestigious, and individuals with black fur often rise more easily within clan hierarchies. Manes are worn long and wild, never trimmed or shaped. Rather than oils or perfumes, many Varkhaarak dust their fur with stone powder, giving them a grey or ghost-like appearance that blends into rock and scree. This practice is practical, symbolic, and intimidating.

Clothing is sparse and functional:

thick leather,

heavy fur layers,

wraps designed for cold nights and sharp stone.

Surprisingly to outsiders, many Varkhaarak use mountain herbs and flowers to scent their manes when not actively herding or hunting, resulting in subtle, clean, herbal scents that contrast with their harsh image.

Speech and Conduct

The Varkhaarak speak quietly. Their dialect is rough and clipped, closer to the speech of western nomads than to the polished High Khaaraki of Kaar, yet still understandable to most Khaarak. Shouting is rare and reserved strictly for immediate danger. To raise one’s voice without cause—especially if it startles a goat herd into dangerous terrain—is considered a serious offense, sometimes even a crime. Silence, attentiveness, and restraint are virtues. A Varkhaarak who speaks little but acts decisively is respected far more than one who boasts.

Belief and Sacred Duty

The Varkhaarak believe the mountains themselves are a divine wall, raised by the Eternal Lion to protect the holy savannah. In this worldview, the Varkhaarak are not merely inhabitants but guardians of the edge of the world. Their most sacred site is Ssaar-Korath, the Sacred Cave of the Spear. They hold its priest-guardians in the highest respect and strictly protect the marked pilgrimage routes leading to it. Even enemy clans are allowed safe passage if they carry the proper pilgrim markings—most notably red stone amulets called Ghavarr. However, abuse of this protection is unforgivable. Any traveler found using pilgrim markings as deception is punished with absolute severity. Unlike Kaarash culture, the Sun Temple of Kaar holds little importance to the Varkhaarak. They acknowledge its existence but see it as distant and irrelevant to their lives. A key coming-of-age ritual among the Varkhaarak involves climbing sacred cliffs and carving one’s personal mark into the stone at a chosen height. The higher the mark, the greater the honor—and the risk.

Economy and Survival

The Varkhaarak herd goats and small mountain antelopes, animals capable of surviving narrow paths and sparse grazing. They also hunt predators such as hyenas that threaten their herds. Trade is minimal. Their primary external interactions involve:

guarding or ambushing mountain passes,

raiding travelers who stray from permitted paths,

and extracting tribute or goods through force when necessary.

They do not see this as banditry, but as using the mountain’s gift. Wealth accumulation holds little meaning beyond survival.

Warfare and Defense

In battle, the Varkhaarak are terrifying specialists. They favor:

ambushes in narrow passes,

rockfalls triggered from above,

blocking exits to trap enemies,

and fighting in terrain where numbers and heavy armor are useless.

They rarely engage in open battle and do not field large warbands. Instead, they erase enemies through attrition and terrain mastery. Iron armor, cavalry, and formation warfare—favored by some settled clans—are nearly useless in Varkhaarak lands.

Relations with Others

The Varkhaarak distrust nearly everyone.

Kaarash (High Khaarak) are viewed as arrogant stone-bound lions who have forgotten the true ways.

Western Wild Nomads are respected for strength but often seen as dangerously uncontrolled.

Other Khaarak may travel Varkhaarak lands only along marked routes and with proper conduct.

Outsiders—humans and other non-Khaarak—are not tolerated at all.

To the Varkhaarak, xenophobia is not ideology but survival instinct.

Reputation

Among other Khaarak, the Varkhaarak are seen in conflicting ways:

as grim but honorable guardians of sacred ground,

as backward isolationists,

or as dangerous mountain beasts best avoided.

Outsiders who know of them at all usually know only one truth:

Entering Varkhaarak lands without invitation, guidance, or respect is a fatal mistake.