Might of the Abzan

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The Abzan Houses

Clan Overview

The Abzan emulate the endurance of the dragon and their symbol is the scale. They are a clan that understands that the world is a brutal place, and that to survive in it, they must be able to rely on and trust the people around them. Duty and family have consequently become the mainstays of Abzan society. So has the resolve to destroy those who would destroy them. The Abzan see themselves as the millstone, moving slowly, always with purpose, crushing all before them.

Clan Values

Abzan culture is built around surviving the hardship of living in the arid, rocky desert.

Family.
Above all, the Abzan value family. Family is the institution that has allowed them to persist and even thrive. The level of trust that members of the clan have for one another is typically linked to closeness of blood. Betrayals of such trust can result in a ritual disowning, where both parties shed blood into a fire. By contrast, if a clan member refers to another clan member as sister or brother, it is a mark of high esteem.

Trust of ainok.
The Abzan have become very insular and distrusting of those outside the clan. The only exception to this general rule is the status of ainok, a race of canid humanoids. It has been many generations since the ainok nomads helped the Abzan survive. They are still tolerated in Abzan cities, although they typically live on the fringes of the human-dominated society.

Family tree and ancestral spirits.
Due to the scarcity of resources even in the oases, each Abzan family is responsible for caring for a particular fruit-bearing tree, called a kin tree. The firstborn child becomes a tree warden, or caretaker, while the other children may become soldiers, merchants, or artisans, and will plant trees of their own with the seeds of their parents' tree when they start families. When family members die, they are laid to rest beneath their family tree without a casket. Their bodies provide nutrients for the tree, which in turn bear fruit for future generations. Instead of headstones, family names are carved directly into the kin tree. This concept reflects the Abzan ideal of duty to the family. In fact, the spirits of the dead are closely connected to their trees, and can be called upon in times of war.

War strategists.
The Abzan are known as adept war strategists. They believe that most of a battle is fought before the armies engage in the field. Disciplined soldiers, high walls, and ample supplies will win the day. The Abzan value the ability to choose the site of a battle to optimize their strengths, and will often forego pursuit of the enemy after victory in favor of holding strategic ground. However, they have learned to turn losing situations to their advantage and are known for using the harsh desert terrain as a weapon. Many Abzan generals have led an enemy army into the Shifting Wastes, where the desert ultimately claimed victory.

Clan Structure

The Abzan clan is made up of a web of interconnected families, each of which is ruled by its oldest member. To an outsider, the clan may look like a unified entity. In reality, the organization of the Abzan is dynamic, with families maneuvering politically to form bonds with some families while trying to isolate others. That being said, the Abzan are all too aware that disunity can allow them to fall prey to other clans. They select a khan to organize the clan's defenses and lead the army in times of war. Each family is responsible for providing soldiers for the greater Abzan army.

Familial relationships:

Blood-Kin. Family members who are directly related by blood, no matter how distantly.

Bond-Kin. Family members linked by oaths ( "You are like a sister to me" ). Krumar (see below) fall into this category.

Clan orphans. Abzan members who have no family but are still part of the clan. Orphans can be adopted by families.

Disowned. These are individuals who have been ritually disowned. By law, they cannot be adopted. There are colonies of disowned outside Abzan settlements. Some disowned become wanderers, adventurers, or mercenaries.

Krumar. As the Abzan wage war, they create many orphans among their enemies. Krumar are the orphaned children of enemy clans taken by the Abzan to be raised as soldiers. The taking of krumar is a tradition that dates back to the days when the Abzan were raiders, and it remains a strong institution to this day. Krumar taken by an Abzan must by law be treated as bond-kin, and many krumar have been adopted by the families they are bound to protect. Many orcs have joined the Abzan as krumar.

Clan Magic

Spirit speaking.
Abzan human magic revolves around ancestor worship, which is connected to the Abzan reverence for trees. Each family kin tree is a hub for its ancestors' spirits. Some among the Abzan have learned to communicate with these spirits, and even call them forth to either protect their descendants or harm their enemies. The Abzan have discovered that amber, tree resin, and sap aid in spirit magic. Amber wards are found in Abzan homes and Abzan soldiers carry amber with them to war. Spirit speakers consume distilled tree resin to help them connect to spirits. Weapons made from the wood of fallen kin trees are said to be blessed.

Malevolent spirits.
When disowned Abzan die, their spirits have no place to go. Some Abzan mages seek out these lost spirits. This is a taxing feat because these spirits are vengeful and malicious. However, in times of war, the malevolent spirits are channeled by Abzan mages to be unleashed against the enemy.

Ainok sandcalling.
The Abzan includes members of the canine race known as the ainok. The ainok of the Abzan Houses are deeply connected to the desert. They can always find their way to water, and they rarely become disoriented in the ever-changing landscape of the Shifting Wastes. In fact, some ainok have mastery over the sand itself. These sand shamans excel at obscuring their movements, scouring their enemies with sandstorms, or simply getting their enemies hopelessly lost. Some humans have been taught this magic, relying on the instruction of their ainok kin.

Clan roles:

Dragonscale are heavy infantry who make up the bulk of the Abzan army. These are troop levies pulled from Abzan families. They carry dragonscale shields.

Ibex cavalry are the heavy cavalry, or cataphracts, of the Abzan. They wield both lance and bow, and they ride on war ibexes.

Krumar orcs were taken from orc families and raised to be house guards for the Abzan. They are treated as family, and many orc families live in Abzan settlements. In times of war, they serve as shock troops.

Scouts are adept information gatherers and are often deployed to harass enemy troop movements.

Tree wardens are perhaps the most skilled warriors. It is their singular task to protect their family's kin tree at all costs.

Spirit speakers summon and channel ancestral spirits.

Important Clan Figures

Anafenza, the khan of the Abzan, rides into battle atop a heavy chariot pulled by her two prized ibex. She directs battle from the front lines, her soldiers always able to see her leading the charge, and her elite guard of aven warriors always at her side.

Anafenza rules from Mer-Ek Fortress, which protects the city of Arashin at the heart of Abzan territory. She wages war not to conquer, but to maintain the trade routes that allow her clan to function, and to protect her people and her land from the encroaching Sultai and Mardu war parties.

"We do not pile the skulls of our enemies, nor make them into ornaments. We grind them into dust. We leave nothing for their families to weep over, nothing for their descendants to honor."

- Anafenza, the Foremost

Gvar Barzeel is the commander of the krumar, and there is no orc more respected among the Abzan. He leads the krumar in battle, and he is always found where the fighting is fiercest. He is shorter than most orcs, but stout. He wields the mighty Axe of Ancients, a gift given to him by the family he was bound to on the day they formally adopted him. He can trace his roots to the Mardu, but he is proud of his adopted clan. Gvar Barzeel believes the Mardu to be savages, and he knows his destiny is to one day meet Zurgo, the orc khan of the Mardu, on the battlefield.