[center][color=9e0b0f][h1]The Khergit Horde[/h1][h3][i]"And all the Khan's men and all the Khan's horses will tear you to pieces!"[/i][/h3][/color] [IMG]http://i65.tinypic.com/2hqsze0.png[/IMG] [/center] [color=9e0b0f][center][u][h2]Geo-Politics[/h2][/u][/center] [b]Legal Name:[/b] [/color] The Grand Khergit Khannate [color=9e0b0f][b]Political Party:[/b][/color] Royal Khanate Family [color=9e0b0f][b]Type of Government:[/b][/color] Feudal Despotic Monarchy - Lead by the Great Khan Tohgon Atilla, the Great Khan rules with absolute authority over his domain. He is assisted by the Elder Council of Hodilurn, consisting of a dozen wisemen and sages who give advice on how best to rule over the kingdom and deal with issue to the Great Khan. Together, the Great Khan and the Elder Council are known as the "Thra-Dorian". Under the Thra-Dorian is the Unde-Dorian that consists of the regular Khans who lead certain areas assigned to them. Swearing fealty to the Great Khan, they are expected to follow his every word. In essence, they are his vassals but do not pay tribute to the Great Khan. The Great Khan takes all of their taxes which they collect and redistribute portions of it back; this is one of the methods used to ensure the Khans stay loyal. Heirs are chosen by the royal bloodline with the sons going through the "Trials of Heaven and Hell". In the Trial of Heaven, they must demonstrate their knowledge and wit before the Elder Council while in the Trial of Hell, they are too best the best warriors in combat. Other Khans can challenge the Great Khan to take his title but must slay him in single combat during the Trial of Hell. Needless to say, Great Khans do not often die of in Trials for good reason. [color=9e0b0f][b]Date Out of Bunker:[/b][/color] N/A [color=9e0b0f][b]Land Claims:[/b][/color] [center][IMG]http://i67.tinypic.com/650b3b.png[/IMG][/center] While the Khergits are nomadic tribes with no real "borders" (most Khans just wonder their tribes where ever the fuck they want), the Horde does have more settled areas due to recent Great Khans's ordering places that give the benefit of being in one place (or Khans who just got lazy and didn't want to always be on the move) called "Karaks". These settlements can be thought of villages or well-developed tribal camps. The vast majority of Karaks are located in the Central Asian steppes but Khans who either accidentally or purposely settle their tribes into a Karak in other lands beyond the "borders" are not unheard of. [color=9e0b0f][center][h2]Economy & Demographics[/h2][/center][/color] [color=9e0b0f][b]Economic System:[/b][/color] Like many things in the Khergit horde, the economic system differs from tribe to tribe. Some use communal free will which people openly take what they want and give what the can in hopes of good will. Others use simple bartering with prices determined by local merchants and Khans. Some exclusively use the Umol, the "official currency" of the horde. Use mostly in the larger tribes and Kazaks, the Umol is accepted in all Khergit lands and strongholds but isn't always used in. External trade is somewhat uncommon as more often than not, the Khergit just raid villages and caravans and the like for materials or demand it in tribute from weaker foes. Exporting is also just used as a sign of good will more often than not. That said, there are tribes that act as oversized caravans and Karaks with large market places that can be seen as trade hubs. [color=9e0b0f][b]Products:[/b][/color] [list][*][b]Food Crops[/b] - (Wheat, Barely, Cabbage, Potatoes, Yam, Onion, Garlic, Herbs and Medicinal Plants) [*][b]Animals and Animal Products[/b] - (Horses, Sheep, Cattle, Goat, Pig, Milk, Meats, Wool, Hides/Leather, Koumiss) [*][b]Military Equipment[/b] - (Semi-Auto/Automatic Rifles, Bows & Arrows, Metal/Leather Armor, Armored Cars, Jeeps, Light Tanks, Simple Propeller Aircraft, Machine Guns, Mortars, Melee Weapons of all kinds, Traps, Bombs and Explosives and Incendiary Weapons) [*][b]Industrial and Electronic Goods[/b] - (Steel, Iron, Coal, Charcoal, Various Minerals, Clay, Gas & Oil, Basic Electronics, Early Radios, Simple Batteries, Simple Chemicals, Some Modern Medicinal Items) [*][b]Consumer Goods[/b] - (Rugs, Clothing, Textiles, Pottery, Some Degree of Literature, Saddles, Decorative Items & Trinkets, Carvings of Wood, Stone and Bone, Bags & Storage Containers, Artwork) [/list] [color=9e0b0f][b]Demographics:[/b][/color] Actual knowledge of the demographics of the horde is unknown due to the vast number of tribes and peoples living under the Khergit banner. It can be said that the number of different races is great and mutant Ungors who were the "original" Khergits make up a good portion of the population. [hider=Ungors] Ungors are humans who live in the Asian steppes have been tainted by generations of radiation-induced mutations. While they do not look anything all to different from humans, they do have some different physiological traits which have put them into two different social classes known as Earth Ungors and Sky Ungors respectively and differentiates them from normal humans. [u][b]Earth Ungors[/b] [/u] Eath Ungors are taller and stronger than the average normal human. Their skin is rougher and harder and tend to have frizzier hair. Most people will think of Earth Ungors when the term Khergit Khanate is spoke as they serve mostly as military members due to their additional strength and perceived savagery. They are often seen as savage, hostile, aggressive barbarians but in an ironic twist, they're actually the more respectful and humbled of the Ungors, even more so than the sassy, prideful Sky Ungors. [u][b]Sky Ungors[/b][/u] Sky Ungors are more or less the opposite of Earth Ungors. They have larger brain capacities and look more beautiful than what most people will assume to be a Khergit Ungor. Within the Khergit society, they serve as the more intellectual roles like civil servants, engineers, diplomats and scholars. Outside of the Horde, they are often mistaken for beautiful men and women who have been kidnapped by the Horde which some [s]delusional idiot[/s] chivalrous hero has to go and rescue. They are ironically sassier and more prideful than the larger Earth Ungors and are much more rowdier when drunk. There is one trait shared between both subspecies of Ungors however: an apparent total lack of safety standards and sometimes logic and common sense. While they make solid and dependable things, its unadvised for anyone who is not nearly as jackass'd as a Ungor or a Khergit to use them. Through a myraid number of reasoning, explanations, explanations and sometimes flat out lies, they justify on why they seemingly lack safety concerns which mostly boil down to "because we can do this and fuck you". Of course, they don't ever say it [i]quite[/i] like that. [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][center][h2]Religion & Culture[/h2][/center] [b]Religion:[/b][/color] The Khergits's main belief is called "Tengeriinkhusel" meaning "the Will of the Heavens" and is often shortened to just "Tengri". It tells of a Sky Maiden and an Earth Warden who created the world and their children and grandchildren who control various other elements of life. It is a polytheistic faith with no concept of prophets or holy text. It is exclusively told by various sages, oracles and shamans of the various tribes however due to the nature of oral tradition, some parts of it have been skewed a little leading to different quasi-sects but in all have enough similarities to still be called the same religion. Recently there have been attempts of writing it down however to keep the faith in a more permeant, uniformed manner. A unique part of the religion is the idea of "Monitegel" or "Syncretic Faith" where different tribes will adopt certain aspect of the local religion of the area they're in. While this does make record keeping hard as some tribes will switch between their Monitegels quite often, it does make assimilating new people into the fold a much smoother process. This also means that Tengri is also a surprisingly accepting faith to outsiders. White trees, often just called "Tengri Trees" are considered a holy plant/symbol in Tengri as they are seen as an unborn child of the Sky Maiden and the Earth Warden. So much so that many are converted to holy sites where the trees have grown massive in size and even have dedicated guards. Chopping down these trees or harming them in anyway is seen as a major offense and a personal attack on the two major pantheons. Trees simply painted white is also seen offensive as its thought to be an attempt to trick the gods. However, white-painted lumber not from trees known not to be Tengri Trees are accepted and seen as a sign of power. Many Khans and nobles have white-painted furniture because of this and one can fetch a good price in Khergit lands when selling white-painted timber. [color=9e0b0f][b]Perceived Culture:[/b][/color] To outsiders, the life of a Khergit is hard, savage and often barbaric. Many see them as raiders and glorified bandits who come into lands for no purpose than to rape, pillage and burn. Some hold them in the highest disscontempt as mounted cavemen who either are overly attached to their horses or roll around in the dirt, praying to shamanistic gods and idols. Military men who have fought them say that they are a savage and annoying bunch who use annoying, dishonorable tactics in war that force the people they brutally conquer to fight for them as cannon fodder. They will admit they have come up with some pretty ingenious creations and approaches to war, but that's all the respect they'll offer. Many say they are demon spawns or monsters, others propagate they are much, much worse. [color=9e0b0f][b]Actual Culture:[/b][/color] What most people say about the Khergits are actually more true to what their predecessors, the Kharrigands, where. However, they keep the appearance of savagery up as its a good facade that stops people from thinking they're too soft and it gives enemies a good moral shock when in battle. Although the life of a Khergit is hard, its never as bad as its thought of by others. Khergit society is rigidly structured but its engineered in a way that doesn't seem oppressive; and with help from some propaganda, many see it as the "natural order of things". Everyone knows what to do and doesn't question it. The horde also has a very diverse of people, leading its culture being variety and many and have proven themselves to be an accepting bunch. Khergit engineering, while unknown to many, is surprisingly durable and can handle a lot of punishment, even if its lacking in some other parts. The people eat more than raw animal intestines and flowers, there is actually industry in the Karaks and not everything is based on military and raiding. That said, the Khergits do raid other lands. One major surprise that the Khergits have that many don't expect is the concept of mercy. They refuse to kill a dying man without first trying to save him and any captured prisoners are given a change to be accepted into Khergit society. Even when going into a land to conquer, they give the people a chance to surrender. That said, some tribes are more aggressive than others and sometimes "forget" about the rule of mercy. [color=9e0b0f][center][h2]History:[/h2][/center][/color] The Khergits were never actually put into a bunker when the world ended, their descendants having mostly been evacuated to secure camps in the steppes. Due to the unremarkable location which otherwise had no great resources, they were spared being nuked into non-existence as no nation targeted the steppes and wastelands in favor of more populated areas. However, the radiation still spread to the camps causing mutations in the inhabitants which lead them to becoming what is known today as "Ungors". Over the many years, these "preservation camps" had devolved into something of a tribal clan with the one the Khergits came from known as Camp UGR-40 "Kharrigand" which is what had created the name of Khergit. The camps themselves did not live very long as overcrowding soon became an issue forcing them to actually build shelters beyond the walls of the camps, Camp URG-40 was no exception. Things soon got very tribal and savage indeed as notable members of the camps built themselves up as Chieftans or Kings or Khans or any other variety of names used and began attacking each other. The inhabitants of Camp URG-40 however, was one of the peaceful tribes, still calling themselves what the camp was named, the Kharrigands. However, despite their attempts at diplomacy and the like, they were forced out of their camp after a savage raid by neighboring tribes. Now forced into a nomadic lifestyle, the Kharrigands still tried to remain with their peaceful ways, accepting refugees from other tribes who had been raided until disaster struck again. The tribe known as the Onrebaj, a tribe who was part of the attack that forced the Kharrigands out of their home attacked the new nomads once more. In the aftermath, a man named Khalli Olar rose to power, promising that he would protect the Kharrigands. And so, the Kharrigands once more rebuilt where they were defeated, the now Lord Olar telling everyone they should abandon the ways of the nomad. The peaceful tribe that had once been victim to endless attacks was suddenly the attackers, counter-raiding and conquring the lands of their enemies and repressing them with an iron foot. However, Olar's brutal policies did not sit well with many people who were only kept in line by fear. Many critics and opposition leaders where silenced. One of said people was Zhimas Chanchukua, an Earth Ungor of great strength and even greater nerve who preached about returning to a nomadic life style akin to that of the Huns and less repressive than Olar's rule. Understandably, the Lord Olar had him silenced at once and had Zhimas executed in public to make a show. However, with that act Olar had began the construction of his own coffin as Zhimas's son, Shuukh was in the crowd and started to plot to kill his father's killer. The Chanchukua family was never one to support Olar, hating how he flaunted his wealth and power like toys, but Suukh was the one who brought it to light and frutation. Once of age, he overthrew Olar with an army of supporters and executed him in public view like his father had been killed. But before the axe fell, Olar revealed he wasn't from and preservation camp at all and that his real name wasn't even Olar, but in fact from elsewhere the Kharrigands never heard of. Unfortunately the axe fell before Olar could spill anything more than his blood, prompting Suukh to imdiately search for the lands that Olar claimed he hailed from in vengance. Outside of his hunt for the homelands of Olar, the new Great Khan Suukh went to reorganizing soceity in his own image, loosening the grip on the tribes that the Kharrigands had conquered, setting up a new social hierarchy and reforming the military, all based on knowledge of what the Huns were like from his father, going so far as to rename his lineage "Attila" and renaming his people, the Khergits to try and cleanse the memory of the now infamous Kharrigands. Now, years later with Suukh's bloodline still in power, the Khergit horde is still on the move, gaining more and more territory and searching for the homeland of Olar (now referred to as Olarland or Olarhold). And despite discovering all sorts of new goodies and tech, the Horde is no closer to finding the mystical land but the land under there control has grown. And show no sign of stopping. [color=9e0b0f][center][h2]Other:[/h2][/center][/color] [list] [*] Despite having access to some forms of modern medicine, Khergits still mostly use traditional folk remedies. [*] The Khergit military is based on speed and lots of it with safety taking a sideline. [*] The Khergit army does not discriminate genders and even has women amongst its top ranks and legends. Huzzah for progressive policies! :D [*] Some of the the things the Khergits do/make run on nonsenolium, logic fails of the Khergit include: [list][*] Stealth technologies based on painting things neon hot pink reasons because "no one has ever seen a hot pink tank" [*] Painting vehicles red because "the red ones go faster" [*] Eating bioluminescent mushroom to recharge battery-powered/electricity-powered equipment [*] Using moldy jam sandwiches to counteract radar jamming, because the mold in the bread absorbs jam. [/list] [*] The Khergits will act very differently between people who they see as friends and who they do not see as friends. [list][*] People on good terms with them do not have to suffer through all the things the Khergits are infamous for [*] The Khergits still encourage their friends to spread wild rumors of how horrible they are for appearances and for shits and giggles.[/list] [*]The Khergits are scared as hell of balloons. Not like zeppelin balloons and that stuff, colored party balloons will make even the bravest of Khergit warriors shit his pants. [/list]