Duvairon

Duvarion is an island nation south of Fyador. It is home to several tribes of reptillian warriors, as well as a pawful of other vermin settlers/explorers who've dared to venture there and live among its people. The island is mainly desert, with some jungle landscape along the easter coast and rivers. The people are a tribal, hunter-gatherer culture that is centered on the values of victory in battle, defending territory, and finding good krickets to munch on.

Tribes[]

Seperated by years of conflict, many of the tribes of Duvairon remain hostile to one another, warring over territories for both hunting and nesting grounds. Only one place on the island is held sacred by most all tribes, Hoc'Volszan (Heart of the Sun). This sacred ground is the believed burial place of one of the Duvaironite's greatest legends, and ancestral origin of all of the island's inhabitats.

Krientah[]

is the largest tribe of Duvairon. Their camps spread across the southern side of the island. Ven Krientahs are among the strongest bred warriors of the island, and considered the superiors by many of the smaller tribes. Krientahs believe they are direct descendants of the ancient warrior Hoc'Krien, who was told to have slain half the island's chieftans and began to unite all of the Duvaironites to his own tribe. Though their are other tribes on Duvairon, who believe the Krientahs' claim to their heritage is a lump of Bruuc'nyeh, a phrase in their tongue that roughly translates as "pile of turds left out in the sun too long". Hoc'Krientah (The Dawn brings Doom) is also a war cry, popular among most of the warriors even outside Krientah, the war cry itself was first used by Hoc'Krien, who's name translated that same.

Koirrundi[]

are held as the most skilled medicine beasts on the island, likely due to the fact that many of their camps exist within the northern jungles of Duvairon. They have knowledge of many plants, fruits, and poisons found in the jungle, which makes them very lethal when warring against other tribes, and very resourceful when being invaded. Also, with Koirrundi territory being the most northern and closest to the land across the sea, the Koirrundi have been known to encounter invaders many times before. Most often. they've repelled the invaders, but some occasions have lead to negotiations, and even members of the Koirrundi tribe leaving with the explorers as ambassadors to Duvairon.

Cultural Trivia[]

Below are some of the elements of the disntinct and rich Duvaironite culture.

Hoc'Volszan[]

Velrick — A sketch of a Duvaironite, by Brek Larks

Located near the center of the Duvairon desert, near the heart of Krientah territory, lies the sacred landmark of Hoc'Volszan (Rage of the Sun). A canyon-like bowl in the sand, marked by pillars of wood and stone, the place is scatered by relics such as totem poles, fire pits, and shrines crafted by the Duvaironite claws of many generations. Hoc'Volszan is believed by the Duvaironites to be the origin of lizard kind, and that the great bowl was formed by the giant shell their ancestor first hatched from.

Each year at the summer solstice, when the climate is at its hottest, the many tribes of Duvairon gather to celebrate at Hoc'Volszan. The festivities range from eating, drinking, dancing, games to challenge brawn, staring at another's mate for too long, passing of death threats, and the inevitable brawl here and there. Remarkably, the festivities are considered to be a success if the tribes only go to war the following morning. Though countless of years have passed where half of the island's population had died in a battle that enseud mid-celebration. But no matter what losses the tribes have had during the post-festival events, the people of Durvairon have never had trouble repopulating.

Gyurienoth[]

Gyurienoth (Death Herald), is the god of Death and Victory in Duvaironite culture. Taking the embodiment of a giant crow, Gyurienoth's wings symbolize death's dark embrace, its call a trumpet to herlad a warrior's end as well as a lament, and its eyes to see into the future of each mortal's doom.

The hunting of crows is popular for this reason, as a crow killed is believed to prolong the life of the hunter. The skulls and beaks are often kept as trophies, mostly used as ornament for armor and spears, and often decorated with black feathers. It is also believed that with the eyes of a crow, a shaman could look and see his enemy's demise. To prevent a shaman collecting the eyes, it is then customary for the hunter to eat them. Stealing crow eggs forbiddon, as death must be faced when it has reached adulthood.

Serpents[]

In Duvairon culture, serpents are regarded as cousins to lizardkind. According to legend, Sluuvien, the father snakes, was challenged by Hoc'Krien to a duel for their tribes. Sluuvien lost shamefully, using cowardly devices by trying to poison Hoc'Krien before their duel. Hoc'Krien overpowered the effects of the poison, and defeated Sluuvien still. Sluuvien was then punish by having his limbs torn off, leaving only his head, body, and tail. Sluuvien was forced to crawl the earth on his belly for all of eternity, and his poisons were put into his fangs. It is believed that all serpent kind are the children of Sluuvien. Most Duvairons consider snakes as worthy and dangerous foes, but did not have the mind nor prowess for battle, and would never become as grand as their Duvaironites relatives.