Barbarian
Tribes
The various barbarian groups of Ir Patria are organized into clans that are a collection of related families settled around a hamlet sized clan hearth. The clans are organized into tribes that are centered on a slightly larger clan hearth that acts as the tribal hearth. Tribes are organized into nations that are somewhat ephemeral, as there is no real "national" level organization, except for recognition of the animal that acts as that nation's totem. Once per year the various tribal leaders will meet to discuss issues facing the tribes of the nation, however these are rarely productive.
The barbarians are only able to smelt bronze on their own; this limits their agriculture in all but the softest soils. Iron tools and weapons are highly prized by the barbarians and are one of the main reasons for making alliances with city dwellers. The cultural predisposition to hunting keeps the limitations of their agriculture from being a large concern.
The various barbarian tribes of Ir Patria are all named for their individual totem animal. This totem animal is worshipped in addition to Pathretute and is considered his equal. This is often a source of friction between the civilized portions of the population and the barbarian tribes. The builders of the first city relegated the totemic animal to a secondary or even tertiary position in their pantheon, concentrating, instead on Pathretute. This is why Reone Theramike has been reduced to Pathretute's companion rather than his equal.
The Wolf People (Ir Rupeyi)
The Wolf People are one of the largest of the barbarian tribes. They control land from the east to the southwest edges of Ir Patria. Their woodcraft is second-to-none in Ir Patria and they are fearsome opponents while in their home forests. The Wolf People are divided into three main tribes, which are further divided into clans. Clans are the basic unit of society, though individual family kinship is recognized. The Wolf People seek to emulate the wolf's hardiness and hunting ability. They are masters of tracking and camouflage, and many are excellent archers. The Rupeyi keep to themselves on the whole and try to avoid conflict with their neighbors, rarely getting involved with the machinations of the civilized nations.
The Fox People (Ir Vorpeyi)
The Fox People are one of the smallest and weakest of the tribal nations. The Reoneyi keep them in check to the east and the south and Regne thi Totue to the west. Like their totem they are shy and prefer cunning to brute force. They have limited relations with Regne thi Totue and trade furs and non-aggression for iron tools. Relations with the Reoneyi are not as cordial and sporadic conflict keeps the frontier dangerous.
The Lion People (Ir Reoneyi)
During the long civil war, 2910 - 2970, the Lion People fought against the Empire, hoping to free themselves from the crushing tribute payments the Empire extracted. After several demoralizing defeats early on in the war the Lion People fought a long and bitter guerilla campaign against the Imperial forces. After the destruction of Yeranthe the Lion People extracted a harsh vengeance on the outlying Imperial towns and the refugees from Yeranthe. Because of this bloody end to the war the trade route from Yeranthe to the Regne thi Totue is now called the Foyete Yangue (Place of Blood) and is devoid of any large settlements. Any surviving settlements in these areas were obliged to swear fealty to the local clan of the Lion People and most were made serfs, called vergognoye (which means "shamefaced"). The eighty years since the war ended have seen the Lion People grow more powerful due to the large agricultural base that the other tribes do not share. The original farming villages have grown and now the farmers outnumber the traditional Lion People by four to one.
The Reoneyi are proud of being the original nation that began worshipping Pathretute. They are also still feeling aggrieved that their totem is now relegated to a companion, rather than a co-ruler. Worship of Pathretute is now secondary to worship of Reone, and Pathretute has no dedicated shrines in his name. The use of agriculture has caused internal friction amongst the leaders of the clans and many feel that the nation will split into two halves eventually. The northernmost tribe tends to be less dependent on agriculture and members of many of the northern clans will not accept descendents of the vergognoye as citizens, treating them as chattel.
The Dog People (Ir Kagnayi)
The Kagnayi are the least powerful of the tribal nations. They eke out a meager subsistence in the rain shadow of the mountains, staying mainly in the scrubland that borders the Terraverute. Their totem is the wild dog that roams the Terraverute, and unlike other nations they have domesticated their totem animal. Kagnayi clans live with their own "clan" of dogs that are treated as members of the clan. Few truly wild dogs remain outside the Terraverute itself, which does not support a large population. The Kagnayi do not have very much contact with any of the other barbarian nations or any of the civilized areas. They are the most primitive culture in Ir Patria, relying mostly on stone and bone tools and only practicing haphazard agriculture.
The Bear People (Ir Oryeyi)
The Oryeyi are one of the most martial nations and at the same time one of the most reclusive. When they are not raiding their neighbors they tend to keep to themselves in their mountains. The Bear People's difficult environment toughens them and they are inured to all but the harshest weather. The Oryeyi avoid any entangling alliances with any other nations or weak city folk.
The Crane People (Ir Kikogneyi)
The Crane People are the most civilized of all the barbarian nations. They practice agriculture and live in permanent villages, and have close trading ties with the surrounding cities. The Crane People have shifted from being primarily fishermen to being farmers with little societal upheaval. Constant contact with the cities that have long surrounded the Rage Yarata have acclimated the Kikogneyi to the trappings of civilization. Unfortunately this has led to their becoming intricately involved in the politics of the squabbling kingdoms. The Oveyet (West) tribe is currently trying to distance themselves from the Regne thi Rage who they are supposedly allied with. The Regne thi Rage correctly feels that the Kikogneyi are getting too cozy with the Regne thi Vare who are pushing the Oveyet to break their ties with the Regne thi Rage. The other two tribes are trying to remain somewhat neutral in the hopes that they can avoid getting destroyed by the Regne thi Rage if it decides to attack. Ironically the Kikogneyi are the least warlike of the nations and the least suited to a protracted war with their neighbors.
The Cat People (Ir Ferinoyi)
The Ferinoyi, like their neighbors the Kagnayi are reclusive and rarely have contact with other people. They subside on solely on foraging, hunting and fishing, using no agriculture. They do not regularly trade with any other nations except near holy days when they will occasionally trade with the Moenoieyi for horses, which are considered a delicacy. Their totem is the lynx, which is very common around the Rage Thorke and its numerous feeder streams.
The Horse People (Ir Moenoieyi)
The Horse People are not a tribe in the sense that the other tribes are. While each of the other tribes reveres their tribal animal as a totem, the Horse People merely use their tribal animal for transportation. Horses are considered important to the tribe but they are thought of as an extension of the rider and a valued member of the clan. The Moenoieyi worship Pathretute as their primary deity, however they do recognize a horse spirit named Quavare (archaic version of "horse") as the personification of horse-dom. The Horse People are what remains of the influx of horse nomads, the Teyeteyeheyetaeyeye, many centuries ago. The idea of a nomadic lifestyle revolving around the horse has lived on with the Horse People and they are the only true nomads in Ir Patria. The Horse People generally have good relations with the cities in their area as they have developed in each other's presence. Ethnically they are primarily of Ir Patrian stock, the blood of the original Teyeteyeheyetaeyeye has long since been distilled out of the gene pool. Many place names and words are leftovers from the Teyeteyeheyetaeyeye and these are their only memorials.