Barbarian

Barbarians are a group of formerly nomadic peoples living in the Outlands in western Yaleakasardia. A number of Barbarians also live throughout Yaleakasardia in small communities called moras.

History

Before the Dragonreign

Barbarians are originally a nomadic central Yaleakasardian people, having lived in the Alteau Plains as far as can be told by recorded history. During this time, they lived traveling from place to find fresh pasture for livestock, as well as other food and water sources. In their travels, Barbarians are one of the first known groups in Yaleakasardia to have domesticated horses.

At some point during the Before the Barbarian king Yandal established the city of Yandasard in the Plains, making it one of the first sedentary Barbarian settlements on the continent. From Yandasard, Yandal established a Barbarian kingdom in the Alteau Plains that became one of the few to resist conquest by the Naderān Empire.

The Barbarian kingdom of Yandal reigned supreme over the Plains for a time before the Dragonreign was established, during which Yandal was executed by the great dragon Inver for resisting conquest. After this, Inver and his queen Areksa established the Dragon Order in Yandasard, and the city thereafter became known as the Dragon Capital.

The Dragonreign

The Barbarians of the Plains came to be the first members of the Dragon Order, likely out of fear, or out of respect for the creature that was strong enough to defeat their former king. During this time, a mass exodus of Barbarians occurred from the Alteau Plains to preach the word of the Dragon Order across the continent.

Near the conclusion of the Dragon War, the Areksan Loyalists waged a campaign inside of the Alteau Plains that scorched and destroyed the lands, resulting in many barbarians returning to the Plains to fight for one side or another, though many eventually turned their backs on the Dragon Order for this destruction, and joined with the Anti-Keepers.

The Slaughter

Upon the conclusion of the Dragon War, which resulted in the extinction of dragons, many groups of First Men across Yaleakasardia began a campaign of genocide against the Dragonkind, the result of unions between humanoids and dragons. The Barbarians, whose homeland was destroyed by the dragons, joined this Slaughter.

Once the Slaughter had concluded, it is theorized that either due to their homelands being destroyed, or due to their shame in participating in the Slaughter, the Barbarians entered a self-imposed exile in the Outlands.

The Outlands

Wildlands period

When the Barbarians arrived in the Outlands, they once again became a more nomadic people for some time and came to be known as fearsome tribal warriors. Prior to settlement by Barbarians, the Outlands were an unexplored and avoided region of the continent due to the harsh weather and conditions of its deserts and savannahs.

The harsh conditions and undesirability of the Outlands is what leads to the theory that ancient Barbarians chose this place of exile out of shame for their role in the Slaughter.

For thousands of years, Barbarians remained in the Outlands, occasionally trading with states outside of the Outlands, and eventually becoming a sedentary people once again, having essentially conquered the conditions of the Outlands. While feared as a warlike people, the Barbarian tribes of the Outlands during this time rarely fought and lived harmoniously, preferring only to fight when threatened by outside forces, and doing so viciously.

It was only during the Storm that the thousands of Barbarian tribes that had formed in the Outlands began to fight amongst themselves as a result of resource shortages and other numerous issues. The resultant Outland Wars lasted a little over two hundred years, and established eighteen Barbarian kingdoms that would thereafter conclude the long period deemed the "Wildlands period" by Phileus Destrophy in The King's Chronicles.

Kingdoms period

Beginning in the 208^th year of the Storm, the Kingdoms period was defined by the organization and peace of the eighteen Barbarian kingdoms. In comparison to other periods in Barbarian history, during the Kingdoms period Barbarian society was far more organized, peaceful, and sustainable.

Beginning in the 1,205^th year of the Storm, Barsoris of the Erderis was made king of the Kingdom of Erderis, and at once began efforts to unite the various tribes and kingdoms of the Outlands. His efforts were successful, and in the 1,245^th year of the Storm the Barbarian kingdoms (save for Tiesia), united under Barsoris as king, who styled the new state Barbaria.

Reign of Terror

After the formation of Barbaria, Barsoris launched massive invasions of Tiesia, the Golden Coast, Graris, Irilia, and the Grest Empire, beginning what has been called the "March of the Barbarians". The Barbarian invasion has struck fear into the people of the invaded states, as well as the wider continents.

Culture

Barbarian culture has been variously nomadic throughout Yaleakasardian history, and thus many communities and individuals often held vast social networks, both with other tribes in the area and non-Barbarian communities they traded with. Though they held many social connections with outside groups, no Barbarian communities are ever recorded to have welcomed outsiders into their tribes. While Barbarians prior to the 13^th century of the Storm scarcely interacted with outsiders, the rare incidents Barbarian communities did, the outsider group was brutally slaughtered or left maimed.

Barbarians usually violently resist integration into social communities outside of their own, although those outside of or disconnected from the Outlands usually have no trouble with social integration. These Barbarians are often social outcasts who left the Outlands against their will.

Barbarians have long been considered to be a warlike people because of their violence against outsiders, but Barbarian infighting is uncommon. There are only two recorded instances in history of this occurring, during the Outland Wars, and the invasion of Tiesia.

Practices

Ageism is a strong feature of Barbarian society, though the practice has fallen out of use in more recent times. Upon reaching the age of 60, Barbarian elders are often ritualistically sacrificed, and young able-bodied men are venerated.

Similarly, sexism is also common in Barbarian society. Women are expected to bear children for men and not do much else, though, many women are allowed and often do take up other roles than motherhood. Many hunt and gather food, and some women have even been known to march with Barbarian armies. Though, male warriors are more respected than their female counterparts.

Barbarians do not practice agriculture in many places as the land makes it impossible. Barbarian farmers have been rumored to have been spotted in newly-conquered lands from central Yaleakasardia where the land is more fertile.

Architecture

Barbarian society is not very technologically advanced. While Barbarian weaponry and strategy is mostly caught up with the rest of the continent, Barbarian architecture and other practices are mostly primitive.

While not unheard of, Barbarian stonemasons are not common, and most Barbarian architecture in permanent settlements is built with wood or other primitive materials. There are some exceptions to this, as there are various Barbarian castles built with stone or other materials.

Tribes and kingdoms

While hundreds or perhaps thousands of Barbarian tribes exist across Yaleakasardia, there are eighteen Barbarian kingdoms that serve as macro-tribes:

• Petty Kingdom of Alius
• Petty Kingdom of Bopri
• Petty Kingdom of Braubia
• Petty Kingdom of Chis
• Petty Kingdom of Diric
• Petty Kingdom of Erderis (whose king Barsoris serves as king of Barbaria)
• Petty Kingdom of Eri
• Petty Kingdom of Kymin
• Petty Kingdom of Pursin
• Petty Kingdom of Surista
• Petty Kingdom of Taurius
• Petty Kingdom of Tereia
• Petty Kingdom of Terzia
• Petty Kingdom of Thertyn
• Petty Kingdom of Thorosia
• Petty Kingdom of Thurion
• Kingdom of Tiesia (not a member of Barbaria)
• Petty Kingdom of Yunis