Still obviously a major WIP. I'll get the rest down later.

[center][hider=Ryderia]
[b]Nation Name:[/b]
Ryderia
[b]Culture/Beliefs:[/b]
The Ryders are a large group of nomads that inhabit a portion of the southwestern Great Plains, which has become known as Ryderia after the name of its inhabitants. The Ryders are completely nomadic in nature, not having even a single permanent settlement; they instead travel with their herds of horses and migrate across the length of their territory, preferring the northern regions in the summer and the south during the winter. There are also certain times of the year when numerous Ryder bands will gather together, and these occasions are a time for celebration among the Ryders. Their horses are the lifeblood of the Ryders, acting as both lifestock and beasts of burden. Every Ryder is taught from a young age how to ride, and as a rule of thumb the only Ryders who do not ride are those who are physically incapable of doing so. In addition while the Ryders may not be exceptionally hostile they are fiercely territorial and will respond violently to any attempts to settle what they view as their lands. And they have also been known to ride out on raids on smaller neighbouring settlements, though this is not particularly common. In fact, Ryders are more likely to trade with neighbours than kill them; their horses may provide them with transport, meat, leather, and milk but there is plenty that they cannot get themselves. And they are more than happy to trade anything excess they may have, or anything they salvage from the Dead Cities within their territory.
[b]Place on map: [/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/EQkrE8k.gif[/img]
[b]Old World Connection:[/b]
The Ryders have no actual connection to the Old World, but they did adopt what they thought of as some aspects of Native American culture. They refer to their warriors as Braves, use feathers in their hair to denote accomplishments, refer to their leaders as Chiefs, etc. But it should be noted that very few Ryders actually have any Native American ancestry.
[b]Populations:[/b]
~32,000
[b]Government type:[/b]
The Ryders live in nomadic bands of up to about 150 individuals, and each band is a direct democracy. Though they elect a Chief to deal with day-to-day ruling, all adults in the band will gather and vote on important issues. Justice is dispensed in a similar way; the one charging someone with a crime and the one being charged present their cases to all the adults of the tribe, who then decide on a verdict. However, when it comes to matters that involve numerous bands or even the entirety of Ryderia such a manner of decision-making is not feasible. So the Chiefs will gather when the bands meet and discuss the issue before making a decision.
[b]Spoken language:[/b]
English
[b]Economic System:[/b]
The Ryders do not have any form of money, and instead trade and barter among themselves and outsiders for what they require.
[b]Food/Water Sources:[/b]
The main source of food for the Ryders are their horses; they consume their meat and milk for sustenance. However, they cannot survive alone on horse and often trade for fruits and vegetables. The horses themselves survive on the grasses of Ryderia, though the grasses are shorter and more stunted than they were during the time of the Old World. As for water, they collect water from the rains that come as well as from the rivers that criss-cross Ryderia. Though the rivers are the more dangerous prospect due to both radiation in the water and the mutant monsters that dwell within the murky waters.
[b]Pros:[/b]
[b]Cons:[/b]
[b]Mutants/Major hazards in Area:[/b]
[b]Backstory:[/b]
[/hider][/center]