Name of Nation: Alnata Confederacy
Capital City: none given their nomadic nature but the sacred grove of Bannar serves as the gathering point for the tribes.
Population: 436.000 across the entire great Alnat region though only 114.000 are ethnic Alnata of whom only 53.000 are from tribes of the confederacy.
Government Style: electoral monarchy
Primary Religion: natural spiritism
Map Location: steppe and grassland regions
History: The Alnan people started out as simple nomadic herdsmen but soon discovered they had an exceptional talent for warfare, using their exceptional horsemanship and great talent with the bow and lance. The various Alnan tribes quickly adopted a new way of gathering wealth and food using agressive means and subjugated the farming communities in the lands around their steppe homelands. Instead of wiping the farmers off the map however, the Alnan offered them protection against future attacks in exchange for food and later metalworking talents.
It was from this practice of making vassals out of farmers that the Alnata Confederacy was first born. Uniting several tribes under one banner meant a greater strength that could be projected over the subordinate farmers as well as towards any rival tribes that would seek to steal vassals from under them. While this tactic proved very effective, it quickly raised the question of who was to lead this great assembly of tribes and make the descisions that would affect all members. All the tribes within the confederacy considered themselves equals and so no single tribe could claim superiority over the others. Because of this the neutral priests of the grove determined a single leader would be chosen from among the tribes who would remain king until 'he could no longer sit his horse or draw his bow'. Only the greatest warriors from within the confederacy have a chance of becoming king after passing the three tests of the body and the three tests of the spirit and then attain the blessings of at least half of the leading chieftains and priests.
Culturally, the ethnic Alnan consider themselves superior to anyone from a different background though surprinsingly they do not consider this superiority a genetic trait, rather a way of life that can be taught to anyone young and strong enough. For instance, a slave woman captured after a battle is considered inferior and will never be held among true Alnan but her child by an Alnan warrior can achieve this if he or she is raised to live and die by the ancient tribal ways. Alnan couples who remain childless will even adopt orphans or young slave children provided they are still young enough to be taught the ways of the tribe.
Alnan women hold a very special place in their society and are seen as the undisputed masters within the tribe's camp and even the chieftain must obey his wife when he resides there. Young girls are taught to use bows alongside their brothers so they can defend their families if they are attacked and unmarried women and widows with no children younger than 12 can even ride alongside the men into battle.
Vassal farmers, while not considered equals by true Alnan, hold a special place in society and can climb very high provided they prove their worth. Especially metalworkers can attain high status.