Misei: Grass at the Center

**Mechalich** · 2019-12-17, 10:43 PM (ISO 8601)

Basic Introduction

The following is a very lengthy piece of world-building I produced, clocking in at over 40,000 words and describing only a single large geographic region and briefly its neighbors (this should give others some idea at what I consider ‘detailed’ in terms of world-building). Very importantly, this piece is intended for a series of novels I’m setting out to write, not for an RPG setting. As such there is no mention of rules and the setting is not designed to provide an adventure-friendly world. However, I’m putting it out because I think some people might be interested and because I’m desirous of having others review it.

The setting in question is broadly a fantasy setting, in that it’s set in a pre-industrial world with a roughly 1200s CE tech level. However, it is non-traditional in several ways. First, it’s not intended to be a hypothetical alternative world, but rather a post-apocalyptic Earth several million years in the future that was repopulated following the complete obliteration of the biosphere by a grey goo event. Secondly, there’s no magic. None, zero, nada. Various people may claim to have magical abilities, but it’s all smoke and mirrors. However, there is sufficiently advanced technology in the form of lingering nanotech in some places. The primary form are localities called Arxs where the biosphere and ecology has been modified to present a prehistoric environment. That means you can be walking through the forest somewhere and have the trees suddenly change and instead of a wolves, there’s suddenly a T-rex stalking you. The utilization of the unusual biotic resources presented by these arxs, limited though it is, represents the primarily fantastical element of this setting.

The following setting document is written from an in-character, in-universe perspective. However, the author is part of an order of scholars and is doing his best to be as accurate and impartial as possible. He doesn’t know everything, but he’s fairly well informed and qualifies as reliable. It describes a large grassland/steppe region intended to present an alternative version of Central Asia with a high degree of fidelity, though a number of tweaks have been made.

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this is my own production and is being made available for review purposes only. Unauthorized duplication, reuse, or alternative publication is strictly prohibited. Copyright Daniel C Kinicki

Map

Table of Contents
I. Geography
1. Climate
2. Flora
3. Fauna
A. Mammals
B. Birds
C. Fish
D. Other Creatures
4. Arxs
II.Kieps
1. Basic Steppe Life
A. Societal Organization
B. Marriage in Society
2. Appearance
A. Physical Traits
B. Dress
3. Dwellings
A. Gers
B. Carts
C. Other Structures
D. Religious Monuments
4. Food & Drink
A. Domestic Animal Meat
B. Dairy
C. Wild Game
D. Meat Preparation
E. Koumiss
F. Grain
H. Vegetables
I. Fruits
J. Tea
K. Eating Habits
5. Everyday Life
A. Life Events
B.Holidays
C. Children
D. Migration
E. Summer Gatherings
6. Religion
A. The Gods
B. Spirits
C. Shamans
D. Sacred Sites
E. Life After Death
F. Divination
G. Views of Foreign Faiths
7. Law
A. Property and Inheritance
B. Outcasts
8. Warfare
A. Equipment
B. Weapons
C. Organization
D. Strategy and Tactics
E. Raiding
F. Succession Struggles
G. Hunts
9. Neighbors
III. History
1. Misei before the Kieps
2. The Arrival of the Kieps
3. The First Khan
4. The Khanate Wars
5. The Plague Years
6. The Zacrets
7. The Years of Ice
8. Recent Events
IV: Appendix I: Timelines
1. Outline of Misei History (CCC)
2. Imperial History (CCC)
V. Appendix II – Background Material
1. Arxs, a Primer
2. Calendars
3. The Palaeos Order

**Mechalich** · 2019-12-17, 11:01 PM (ISO 8601)

Misei: Grass at the Center

It has often been suggested to me, both by those I respect and a number who I believe seek only to humiliate me that I should compose an account regarding the land commonly known as Misei. Despite having lived there for a considerable length of time, something few not born in the land can claim, I long retreated from this idea, thinking such a work arrogant and presumptuous. It is only after receiving the same appeal from those among the Kieps, the native people of Misei, who I count trusted friends that I was convinced this project held real worth. Having embarked upon the endeavor I can only hope that my prose, usually turned only to technical purposes, shall prove the equal of the task.

Nevertheless, I caution all who read this that they are greeting Misei through the eyes of an outsider. I can never know Misei in the fashion of one who is born beneath its endless winds and who rides across its vast grasslands all the days of their life. Further, though I have striven to be impartial and cast aside preconception to relate only the substance of the region, I cannot claim to have fully succeeded. I should also caution those seeking wondrous imagery evoking the mystery and grandeur of this distant and exotic land that I have always been a scholar, not a poet, and have contented myself to relate material observations and avoid resonant pondering. To truly seek the experience of Misei the land must be visited. The skeleton of words can only ever fail to capture its essence.

- Samed of Carcettour, Journeyman Palaeos

Geography

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The land of Misei is a grassland region in the central portion of the great landmass known most often as Noricia. It is the grassland identity, more than any other aspect that defines the region and unifies it together. These grasses range from tall and lush to ragged and scraggly and are in some places displaced by forest or marsh, but no matter how it is envisioned they are the overriding commonality. Such other forms of vegetation, and even barren landscapes seemingly devoid of life, appear as mere patchy specks in the great expanse of stems.

When drawn upon a map by a cartographer, the overall dimensions of Misei may be roughly calculated. The region occupies a total space of nearly one and a half million square kilometers, in a roughly square presentation. Each side measures slightly more than twelve hundred kilometers. However, such bland numbers are a poor form of definition. More useful, in terms of broad geography, is that with the exception of fringing border sections, all of Misei is confined within a single vast watershed. That is to say that all water that falls up the land within Misei, whether rain or snow, eventually flows in the direction of the mighty Sei River.

Sei, I should mention, is the root of the word for ‘river’ in the Kiep language. Mi, in turn, is a portion of the world for land, and therefore the name of the region can be interpreted as Riverland. This appellation may seem somewhat strange, considering that this is a dry land, and its rivers are few and intermittent, with many basins isolated from all others. I do not myself disagree with such assessments and believe the name is tied to the origins of the Kiep people, but I shall forebear such speculations until discussing historical matters.

Physically, the land of Misei is best thought of as a single vast upland plateau. It rises in elevation, in fits and starts over ragged terrain that are often barely perceptible, as one proceeds inward toward the region’s center upon the north-south axis, and as one proceeds westward on the east-west axis. The land is generally flat and open, with clear views presented across vast distances of grass, but patches of tall hills and small ranges of isolated peaks break this up with some regularity. Swamplands are also common, found in every slight drop, gully, or sink, for water settles into them and moves away only slowly. These are usually small, disjointed holes that occupy no more than one part in one hundred of the land as a whole. True lakes of any size are very rare, and usually quite shallow.

The Sei River carves a lengthy, meandering path through a great portion of Misei. Drawn out upon a map its course resembles a broad, bent L-shape. It begins in the northwest, travels almost directly south for nearly eight hundred kilometers, then turns and flows east and ever-so-gradually bends northward for at least a thousand kilometers before finally leaving the region behind in the central-eastern region where it then turns southward sharply once more and joins its flow to the immense Kacloc River that comes from the north, still thousands of kilometers from the ocean. The Sei’s great eastward turn has carved out a truly spectacular geographic formation known as Patni Gorge. This massive canyon stretches for several hundred kilometers and at some points descends to over half a kilometer in depth.

Misei cannot be said to have at any point stark borders, and none who cross out of the region could easily find any point upon the ground corresponding to the turnover from one to the next. Only by following the flow of tiny rivulets or carefully watching the meltwaters in spring can such things be charted. There is nothing to mark the change in the form of structures or vegetation. Instead the grasslands of Misei simply fade into new states near its edges across a wide band that may be dozens of kilometers in depth.

In the east the grassland gradually gives way to a mixed savannah and then to true forest as rain becomes more common. This forest is known as Unneth and extends across a vastness at least comparable to Misei’s own. The north is occupied by another grassland region, this drier and colder still, called Lehka, which stretches for hundreds of kilometers until it breaches upon the great northern forests. The western border is the starkest, as the land rises into the foothills of the Pnarlen Mountains and eventually into the sheer and snowcapped peaks of that range. Forbidding and treacherous, they form a barrier that is extremely challenging to traverse, a difficulty I can attest to personally, having made that journey on my own. In the south the land grows hotter and drier, beyond even the capacity of hardy grasses to endure. This is the Kexanit Desert, scrubby and hostile.

Most of these border regions are sparsely inhabited at best. Only scattered tribes inhabit the vast dark forest or the hostile mountains. The northern grasslands harbor a pastoral people similar to the Kiep, but they are extremely scattered. The desert features a small number of city-states in regions where there is water to allow agriculture, but their confined nature means they host only limited numbers. Instead, it is only to the south-east, along the course of the mighty Kacloc River, where lush lands holding settled peoples exist in any abundance. Otherwise Misei stands as a harsh land surrounded by those of even greater harshness. The central portions of Noricia are generally little friend to human presence.

Climate

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Misei is a hard land. It is a dry place with tough, thirsty soil. Though not a desert, rain is rare and tends to fall in hard and unforgiving storms that batter over the land only to carry away moisture swiftly thereafter. Snow is more common than rain, and tends to linger all the way to spring. This accumulation is blown about by the endless wind, and it is those places that catch these drifts that manage to host trees and marshes. Otherwise only the grasses endure.

Winters are long and bitterly cold, though the southern portion of the region is less hostile than the north, marginally. Fully half the year might be considered winter. Spring and autumn are pleasant times, but they are short, for the cold turns to a hot and dry summer in little time. Spring may also bring flooding from the snowmelt, a key hazard in certain areas. This pattern is particularly potent along the lower reaches of the Sei, for the sheltering depths of the Patni Gorge keep the sun from swiftly melting the ice there, triggering a massive buildup of water that finally breaks free in late spring each year. This immense and powerful annual flood makes it very difficult to build homes or other permanent structures along the otherwise extremely fertile floodplain.

In general, the eastern regions of Misei are wetter than the western ones. This shift in moisture is a smooth one across the course of the region, easily observed in the gradual decrease in the height of the grass. Eastern grasses may reach as high as a horse’s back, while in the west they rarely overtop boots.

The sky is impressive over Misei. Vast and open, it is usually bright and clear, even in the chill of winter. Gray days of cloud are rare, and bring wind and often storms. In the summer, the days become very long, especially in the north, while they are conversely very short in winter. These long summer days can set the land to baking, for these is little shelter from the lingering sun, while the weak illumination of winters fails to melt all but the least crust of snow and ice.

Wind, perhaps more than any other motion of the heavens, is nearly a continual presence in Misei. It ripples the grass and often fills the sky with dust. This wind is a cold presence, drawn from some source in the far north. This is welcome in summer, but brings killing caresses in winter.

The soils of Misei are often thick and rich. Clay and silt abound in some places. They are also rough and crumbly, not the smooth loam of wetter lands save upon floodplains. While rivers do flow, including the mighty Sei, the majority of wet spots are isolated and stagnant, and many smaller streams dry up completely in the summer, leaving only bare rocks upon the plain.

Flora

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Grassland dominates Misei. Upwards of four parts in five of the landscape is covered in the compacted stems. The rest is a mixture of forests, mostly either on slopes or in riparian regions, and of barren semi-desert, the latter most common in the west and south where there is little soil cover.

The grassland is greatly diverse. Dozens of different grasses grow side by side with hundreds of herbaceous plants and shrubs. It is the feather grasses, Stipa sp., that hold the most common place, in several species. Another notable group are the fescues, Festuca sp., which dominate the eastern regions where they grow very tall. Grasses that can serve to provide high quality forage are often locally dominant, especially in areas where they may be indirectly cultivated by sowing on land cleared by fire or flood. These includes bromes, oat and rye grasses, several varieties of millet, and in the north barley. All of these occur in Misei on their own, but do not become intensely abundant without human assistance. Certain forbs have also become very widespread in this way, in particular certain mustards, Brassica sp., and clovers, Trifolium sp. Variety is generally high even in small areas. One might find a dozen grasses and a hundred or more forbs in the range of a single bowshot.

The grassland has a tendency to appear seamless and unbroken across vast distances, but this is largely an illusion of perspective. Shrubby vegetation is quite common, usually a sign of localized moisture capture, and greater wetland patches with their own varieties of grass and forbs hide in crevices, bends, and bottoms. Thin lines of trees form on slopes and along the boundaries of seasonal streams. Dominant shrubs include many varieties of Rhododendron sp., which blossom brightly in red and pink shades and bring a splash of color to the usually green and brown expanse each year. Small trees of Prunus and Ulmus species are often found scattered among the shrubs and in wetter soils. Wetland areas are dominated by countless forms of sedges and rushes, but aside from the large bulrushes, Schoenoplectus sp., these are largely beyond my knowledge to distinguish.

Forest is mostly found in alpine regions, along sheltered slopes, and in the protected cuts of riparian terrain. This is a result of a general dependence upon seasonal moisture, particularly the spring snow melt and resulting floods, to provide them with the moisture needed to survive. Conifers predominate, particularly larch and cedar, with somewhat less but still considerable amounts of fur, pine, and spruce. These trees grow slowly, but may become quite tall and stately, particularly the mountain dominating larch, Larix gmelinii. Some few deciduous trees complement their needle-bearing brethren, mostly birch, aspen, and poplar, quick to grow and quick to fall in the turning of fire and flood. More durable but less common are a particular form of oak, Quercus mongolica, and two small maples, Acer sp. The older the forest the more conifers will dominate the terrain, for they much better endure the ice and wind that cracks the branches and topples many trees each year. Misei's forests are spotty things, with trees spread widely, for grass fires regularly spread into the forests and burn out the understory, leaving only the mature trunks still standing. Forests along rivers are much bushier by contrast, and host numerous water loving plants not found elsewhere, including a number of species of brilliantly flowering Iris.

Barren areas, by contrast, host few plants, mostly scattered bits of feather grass and a few hardy, weedy herbs. The spiny thistles, which trace many origins, are among the most numerous residents of such bleak soils. Rugged shrubs, better able to send down thick roots and anchor themselves, are common. These include a juniper that is an important source of livestock fodder and a curious shrub tree called Haloxylon. This plant grows extremely slowly and may live for centuries. Its berries, though not palatable to humans, feed many birds. Further, its wood is incredibly dense, to the point of sinking in water. This means it is sometimes used in specialized crafts.

A considerable number of the plants of Misei are used in food and medicine. I shall discuss these at the appropriate point.

Fauna

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The animal life of Misei is overwhelming dominated by birds and mammals. Regrettably, amphibians are limited to a mere handful of forms, and only a pair of speckled-patterned toads are ever found outside of wetlands. I do not believe there are any salamanders in the region at all. Scaled forms are more numerous but are generally confined to small lizards of rocky crevices and quick running grassland snakes of similarly modest stature. Most snakes are harmless and prey only on small rodents, but I would be remiss if I did note the presence of a pair of poisonous forms. One, the adder, Vipera berus, is a widespread creature that will be well known to many. Found generally upon the edge of forests and wetlands it is not a common creature in Misei, nor is it aggressive and generally avoids people. The other poisonous serpent, Glaydius halys, known in Misei as the stone viper, is considerably more dangerous. A grassland hunter, it is active only at night. Riders who travel about under the moon and stars, especially when seeking to avoid the brutal summer heat, may encounter this animal. Bites are uncommon, for it retreats from the hooves of horses, but when they do occur are very serious and perhaps one in four who are bitten perish.

Mammals

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Mammals are arguably the dominant group of Misei residents, for many of the great flocks of birds are migrants who may be found only in one season of the year. I shall expound briefly on each of the greater divisions of these in order to form an overall picture of the life found in the region.

Rodents, as is true almost everywhere, possess the greatest diversity of forms, but this is particularly pronounced in the grasslands. Mice, voles, and similar small animals of burrows or undergrowth feed upon roots and seeds and are present everywhere. Notable among these is the long-tailed ground squirrel, Spermophilus ungulatus, which forms large burrowing colonies that may be a hazard to riders. Marmots, which occur in two varieties, are found in great numbers in the hills and mountains where they feed in the high meadows. Larger-bodied than most rodents, these form an important food source for the Kieps. I believe, though I cannot be certain, that these animals are also the source of deadly illnesses. I recommend that any who feed upon this flesh insure it is cooked thoroughly, as this seems to mitigate the risk.

Misei's only true rabbit is the mountain hare, Lepus timidus, found only in the far north, but their smaller relatives the pikas are found all across the grassland. These animals form communal dens in heaps of vegetation and may be locally extremely abundant. Their numbers seem to grow and fall across the years following a regular pattern, which results in widely scattered presence.

Two forms of the curious little mammals known as hedgehogs are found in Misei. To those unfamiliar with them, these are small creatures with rounded, flabby bodies that easily fit within one's hand. They have a smallish face mixing the features of a rabbit and a fox, but their most notable feature is the thick covering of long and sharp spines upon their backs. When frightened, which is often for they are slow-moving and awkward creatures, they curl up into a ball so that only the spines are exposed. Kieps consider this animal a friend to humans, for hedgehogs eat only of arthropods and annelids, and are known to feast upon otherwise dangerous scorpions. As a result it is taboo to hunt them, and if they are caught in snares or traps meant for other creatures their flesh may not be consumed but is given to hunting birds instead.

A number of the mouse-like insect eaters known as shrews are found in Misei. Their numbers increase greatly in years when the grasshoppers surge across the land. Perhaps curiously, I have not been able to find any of their relatives the moles burrowing beneath the land and believe they are truly absent.

Bats are found in Misei, sometimes in great number, but they are limited to particular spaces. The flat and smooth nature of the grasslands provides few places for them to roost, but should they acquire a suitable colony site they grow thick in the night sky preying upon the insects of the plains. The Patni Gorge, which hides many caves and massive protected crevices, hosts bats by the millions, enough to darken the sky at dusk beneath their wings. Kieps are not especially fond of bats, considering them to be ill-omened and sometimes messengers on behalf of cruel spirits. They will not consume bat flesh and they avoid hawking in areas where bats are common to keep their birds from doing so.

Of the carnivorous mammals, Misei hosts a wide range of forms, large and small. Many of these are small creatures, such as foxes, martens, stoats, and weasels. They also include two species of wildcat. One is ordinary enough, but the other, the mountain dwelling Manul, Felis manul, is an astonishingly fluffy creature of notable beauty. All of these animals are hunted for their fur, with the sable, Martes zibellina, being the most valuable. This may be done by various means, including trapping, but the preferred approach is falconry.

Larger hunters include two forms of lynx, primarily confined to mountainous areas. The environs of the Patni Gorge host a hidden realm of brown bears, Ursus arctos, smaller than their cousins elsewhere due to confinement, and perhaps no more than a hundred exist in all. The nearest other bears are found some hundreds of kilometers to the west in the Pnarlen Mountains, making this animal a peculiar sight indeed. Misei's mountains also hide a small number of the elusive snow leopards, Panthera uncia, though I was never lucky enough to see one myself. Their fur has immense value, but even the best hunters struggle to locate these cagey beasts. In similar measure I have been told that Misei hosts a small number of resident tigers. For a long time I did not believe this, until I was permitted to study a preserved skin in Seipna. I remain uncertain if any of these animals truly reside in Misei or if they simply occasionally wander out of the Pnarlen Mountains or Unneth Forest. The mountains and hills of Misei, especially in the central highlands, harbor small populations of dholes, Cuon alpinus. These animals gather into loose clans and hunt the highland browsers. They are not numerous.

Misei's most important predator, by far, is of course the wolf. Misei's wolves are similar to those found elsewhere, but has a few unique traits. It is intermediate in size between the larger forest wolves and the smaller desert wolves. It has rather short legs and pale tawny hair, enabling it to blend in well with the grass and turn very quickly during the chase. Powerful hunters that may form packs of up to two dozen, though usually no more than ten, they will attack any other creature found in Misei save for humans, which they deeply fear.

The Kiep relationship with wolves is complex. They admire these hunters and feel a sense of kinship with them, but at the same time wolves regularly attack livestock and therefore men kill them to protect their herds. Wolf fur is also valuable for its insulating properties and general prestige. The rule, set in place by the shamans is that wolves may be killed to defend the herd, but never hunted for flesh or fur. I confess that I believe the threat from wolves is regularly exaggerated as a result in order to allow greater taking.

Another carnivore of spiritual significance is the river otter, Lutra lutra. Found in small numbers in the upper reaches of the Sei River and a few others, it is forbidden for Kieps to wear otter fur as this is considered an act of corruption against the sacred nature of flowing waterways. However, it is not prohibited to sell those furs. Otter trapping is often conducted by outcasts and then the skins are traded beyond Misei.

Ungulates are the dominant mammals of the grasslands, forming vast herds that move about and graze with great intensity. These herds may be millions strong and make the earth shake as they move. The odd-toed forms are few, limited to a few herds of wild horse and wild ass lingering in remote areas. Competition from the herds of the Kieps has driven them out of most of Misei, a common fate of wild creatures that must compete with domestic counterparts.

The even-toed ungulates are more diverse and have retained greater success. However, they too have been greatly reduced in the open grasslands and are more prevalent in alpine areas and forests. This group includes several species of antelope, including the curiously formed Saiga tatarica, which has an extraordinarily elongated tubular nose. There are also several forms of deer, the horned sheep known as the Argali, Ovis ammon, an ibex, and even the occasional wild boar. The second largest ungulate is the wapiti, Cervus canadensis, sometimes called elk. Bull wapiti may reach over three hundred and fifty kilos, making them formidable indeed. Many of these animals are important sources of fur, meat, and horn. The latter is of critical importance for the production of bows.

Wide-ranging but reduced to limited numbers is the wild form of the double-humped camel. This is the largest of Misei's ungulates, with males occasionally reaching a massive thousand kilos. Restricted to the western and southern regions where it is mostly found wandering the barrens, these camels form small herds that travel across large distances and are sure-footed enough to cross the Patni Gorge. They are sometimes hunted for hair and meat, but being large and powerful animals this is a risky affair and the domestic source is greatly preferred.

Domestic Mammals

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Among larger mammals, the domestic forms in Misei vastly outnumber the wild ones due to the extensive herds of the Kieps. The Kieps, being a pastoralist people, are vastly outnumbered by their herds, likely thirty-five to one or even more.

Of these the horse is the most important animal by a wide margin. Horses are essential in order to traverse the vastness of the grasslands, and riding is far more prevalent than walking. Horses are also used in hauling and provide milk, hair, hides, and meat. The horse of Misei, known as the Kiep Horse, is a distinct breed not found elsewhere. Smaller than most horses but very hardy, it is a shaggy animal with a long mane and tail and also cunning enough to dig for grass beneath snow unprompted. The Kiep herds are primarily comprised of mares. Stallions are few and used only for breeding. They do not keep geldings, and male colts have short lives that usually lead to the cook pot. These horses are not shod, but remain capable of running about on tough soil and stone without difficulty.

Sheep are the primary food animal, but are at least as important as a source of hides, milk – used mostly for cheese and yogurt, and wool. This wool is mostly used to make felt, which is the principle fiber among the Kieps and provides both clothing and housing. Every family, even the poorest, keeps at least some sheep. Ten per person, including infants and the elderly, is considered a minimum, with at least double that preferred for commoner families and many more in the vast herds of the nobility. Misei sheep are shaggy creatures with stubby legs that expose little skin in order to survive the brutal winters. Goats are kept alongside sheep but in significantly lesser numbers. Willful animals, they require considerably greater handling, and if not moved regularly can damage the soil.

The Kiep keep three different forms of cattle. The first is the traditional Bos taurus, that is found almost everywhere people are. The second is the stubby legged and long-horned yak, Bos grunniens, mostly known in mountainous regions. The third is a hybrid bred between the two. This hybrid is fertile in females but infertile in males. Cattle of all varieties are used primarily for labor, especially large oxen trained to pulled heavy loads. These animals are not common, and are mostly found in the herds of the nobility where they serve as a sign of wealth.

Camels are also used for labor, principally for transport. They are capable of carrying shockingly heavy loads. These are not kept in particularly large numbers, with only noble families owning more than a pair. This is mostly a matter of temperament, for camels are also valuable sources of meat, milk, and hair, but they are difficult to manage. Camel breeders tend to be specialists, an unusual circumstance among the Kieps.

Of somewhat lesser importance are donkeys and the mules they sometimes breed. These are not prestigious animals but they are kept in regions with steep terrain as they can be used to gather firewood and in mining. Pigs are kept in the south, where they take advantage of the spring growth in the Sei River floodplain. These hogs are cared for loosely at best and interbreed with wild boar. The may be considered semi-feral and have a vicious temperament that leads them to sometimes attack humans.

Dogs are an important aid to the herding life and kept by almost all families. However, these must be closely monitored and marked, for gregarious mongrels and feral dogs are considered a threat to livestock and swiftly killed and eaten. Traditional wolf-like shepherd dogs are the most familiar form, but there is also a large, shaggy mastiff breed used as guard dogs. These are raised among the sheep herds and defend them from wild predators. This animal has long black shaggy fur and tawny legs. It is an appealing breed I have not seen elsewhere.

Unlike dogs, domestic cats are a very rare presence among the Kieps. As they do not store any significant quantities of grain, rodent problems are minimal compared to those of settled peoples. As such cats are kept only for companionship and are seen as an extravagance and also a threat to valued hunting birds. The few cats I have seen among the Kieps all belonged to wealthy noblewomen and were extraordinarily pampered.

Birds

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The variety of birds found in Misei is truly astonishing. During the brief spring and autumn seasons the land explodes with migrating birds, and throughout the summer the countless little scattered wetlands host a great many breeding couples. Numerous waterbirds are particularly prevalent, taking advantage of pools too small in size to host the dangerous predators that prey upon their chicks elsewhere.

Types of waterbirds range from grebes to pelicans to ducks to sandpipers and more. Many favor distinct forms of wetland, whether there is no open water or flowing water or even certain depths. Some of these birds reach impressive sizes, most notably the several species of cranes that gather to Misei in vast flocks. Their raucous mating dances resounded across the grassland at a great distance. Whether waders, dabblers, divers, or otherwise all of these varied waterbirds face hunting by the Kieps. This is considered to be fine archery practice and is broadly encouraged.

Grassland birds, notably pheasant, quail, partridge, and several forms of bustard, dove, and pigeon, fly across Misei in immense numbers. While these serve as a valuable food source at times, their ability to denude great areas of all valuable forage makes them a threat to herders at times. Smoke is sometimes used as a method to drive away large flocks that threaten rich pasture.

The various perching forms of birds are common, numerous, and diverse. They are, however, not particularly unique, differing little from those found in grasslands and forests beyond Misei so I will say little on that subject. A few notable cases are worthy of remark, however. The Rook, Corvus frugilegus, a large white-faced crow, is notable for gathering in flocks of hundreds or even thousands in isolated grassland trees. Kiep belief holds that these birds carry messages between the spiritual realms of the sky and the underworld and therefore it is forbidden to hunt them or to cut down the trees in which they roost. Another curious tale of Misei's perching birds concerns the shrikes. Several of these butcher birds are found in the region, but it is the Sandy Shrike, Lanius isabellinus, that is noteworthy. The Kieps have tamed this bird, a trait that I do not believe has been duplicated in any other shrike in any other land. This bird is flown in a peculiar form of hunting that is not quite falconry, the shrike is launched from a standing perch rather than a gauntlet, primarily by children and older ladies who lack the strength to hold a true raptor. These shrikes are too small to take any legitimate game and so this is merely a sport.

As for the raptors themselves, as might be expected these are important birds in Misei. There are a great may varieties. A half-dozen or more of each count the buzzards, eagles, harriers, and falcons, while a miscellanea of other birds including the black kite, lammergeier, shikra, griffon, and more fill out the role. Their distant relations the owls account for another dozen or so winged predators, these flying at night. As one travels beneath Misei's vast open skies it is rare to fail to see at least one set of soaring wings high above. Nests are common upon any cliff face or standing tree suited to the purpose.

Kieps positively adore falconry, something that becomes clear upon spending any significant amount of time among them. They claimed to have tamed every one of the raptorial birds found in Misei within living memory, including the notably ornery owls, at least once. While chicks are taken for captive rearing in falconry with regularity to actually hunt and kill such a bird is considered a gross violation and faces severe punishment.

Domestic Birds

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Compared to their mammalian livestock the Kieps keep few birds. Small numbers of chickens and quail are kept in boxes and bred for eggs, but these birds dislike migration and struggle to find proper forage upon the grasslands which prohibits large-scale breeding. Ducks are kept in some places along rivers and lakes near semi-permanent gathering points, but they cannot compare to wild numbers.

Instead the most common use of birds is in falconry. This is a great passion among the Kieps and any family with the resources to do so will possess at least one bird. Raptors are not breed in captivity and must be recruited from the wild. To prevent this practice from crippling their numbers birds are often released again into the wild after a set period of service, often five or seven years.

A wide range of birds are kept for falconry. True falcons, genus Falco, are the most common, with the gyrfalcon, merlin, peregrine falcon, and saker falcon the most favored. These are mostly used to hunt other birds. Larger raptors are used in ground hunting and the common buzzard, goshawks, and sparrow hawks are the typical birds. Among eagles only the golden eagle is used as a hunter with any regularity. This large and powerful hunter is used to take fur bearing animals, primarily in mountainous regions where heavy snow drifts prevent the use of traps.

Fish

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Most of Misei's rivers and lakes are small and shallow. The majority of these basins freeze solid in the harsh winters, slaughtering any fish they may contain. As a result, only the small fish that can survive in shallow streams are found in any number. The Kieps have never developed much interest in fishing as a consequence.

The Sei River, by contrast, hosts a wide community of fish, including several of considerable size. Greyling, pike, and the peculiar salmon relative known as the taimen are all found within its reaches. These tend to congregate in the deep holes that form at bends in the course of the river, and older men sometimes make a sport of trying to haul them in on long lines. This may occur even through ice holes in the winter. The Sei River is also noteworthy for hosting a form of Sturgeon, Huso dauricus, which is not to my knowledge found in any other basin. This fish can attain truly immense size, with believable estimates of up to one thousand kilos. It is found mostly in the lower reaches of the Sei, almost never above Patni Gorge. The Loc people of the southeast consider the roe of this sturgeon an extraordinary delicacy, fit only for the tables of kings and emperors, making it extremely valuable in trade, but catching this fish is no easy task. It will tear lines, attack boats, and even leap bodily out of the water to slam fishermen upon the shoreline. Usually only the truly desperate will attempt to catch it.

Other Creatures

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I feel it necessary to make some small reference to the many boneless creatures of Misei. These differ little, in general, from those found elsewhere, and I lack the specialized knowledge to differentiate them further. I will make note, however, of the scorpions. These frightful creatures are quite common, especially in the southern portion of Misei. Though there are many varieties, the most significant are the pale yellow variety known as 'deathstalkers.' Though not usually aggressive they may creep into refuse, piled clothes, hides, or other dark crevices, and will sting repeatedly when startled. They bear a deadly venom, one capable of striking down even the young and strong.

More pleasantly, I wish to note the small communities of unusual creatures that are found in the ephemeral pools that form on rocky ground in the spring. These include several strange shrimp-like creatures unlike anything I have seen elsewhere. Rarely seen even by the Kieps, these little slow-swimmers draw the eye when found. I suspect the pools harbor many secrets, but have not had the chance to study them in detail.

Arxs

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The land of Misei is well known for its large number of arxs. It was for this reason that I originally traveled there, and I am certain I shall not be the last of my order to make the journey, difficult though it was. Arxs here tend to be particularly undisturbed, for the Kieps have long held to a policy that entry into one is deeply taboo, never to be undertaken deliberately, and requiring considerable purging for forgiveness in case of accidental entry, such as during a blizzard. As a result the ancient landscapes within are almost completely untouched, and each offers considerable insight.

Most arxs in Misei are positioned within the grasslands, and one would naturally expect them to feature grassland environments accordingly. While this is certainly the case for many, it is also regularly not so. It appears that grasslands, as we know them, are a rather recent phenomenon. Earlier landscapes yield instead vast expanses on coniferous scrubland or wide fern prairies instead. Arxs in wetlands, woodlands, or even deserts, are more likely to match the current state of vegetation.

Many arxs in Misei are also significantly warmer than the surrounding landscape, especially during winter. This observation suggests our current era represents a relatively chill moment in the history of life, particularly when far from the sea. Moisture levels tend to be about the same, mirroring local contours.
These arxs, rendering open habitats as they do, often are home to a number of large-bodied animals, including grazers and browsers as well as fearsome predators. Many of these animals are considerably larger than any creature of contemporary Misei, or for that matter, Noricia as a whole. I do not know why this should be so, though the writings of my order suggest it is not uncommon elsewhere.

Ultimately every arx is unique, and it is not the purpose of this account to duplicate the descriptions of my researches. As the Kieps avoid them and do not exploit them as a resource, the unique environments of the arxs have never held much impact on Misei.

**Mechalich** · 2019-12-17, 11:11 PM (ISO 8601)

Kieps
The Kieps are the people of Misei. It is a curious case in some ways, given the vast nature of the region, to find only a single people here. Yet it is so, and any divisions among the Kieps are far less than the ties which unite them. I suspect the general uniformity of the landscape is responsible. The skills needed to survive in one portion of Misei are much the same throughout. No matter how far one of the Kieps travels across Misei, they remain at home.

And travel they do. Constant motion leads to regular interchange, and this prevents divisions from widening. All Kieps share the same language, they herd the same animals using much the same methods, they honor the same shamans and major spirits, and they live in rounded tents walled using felt. These traits define them as a people and bind them to Misei.

As the story of the Kieps is broadly the story of Misei, I shall speak on each aspect of their lives and its impact on the land in turn. It will be necessary to say something of their history and politics at various points, but I have no intention of engaging with the often bloody and drearily repetitive record of internal conflict among the Kieps in any great detail. The great history of their people is not mine to write in any case.

Basic Steppe Life

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To my knowledge, the grasslands of Misei have never been plowed. My training, though imperfect in matters geological, suggests that their current state was sculpted by great motions of ice and rock, and later the slow process of wind scraping the land for thousands of years following the return of plant life. In that great expanse of time the sod has built up year after year to great thickness, been trampled repeatedly by massive grazing herds, and flooded many times, but it has never been cut by blades. Truthfully, the thickly matted roots found beneath the surface in most of Misei are beyond the ability of available plows to till, blunting and breaking blades in short order should the attempt be made. As a result, even the rich floodplain of the lower Sei River hosts no cropland.

The Kieps, therefore, do not farm. This is not a matter of ignorance. When land is cleared by fire or flood they will sow seed and plant vegetables for future use, but they do not remain in place to cultivate. Instead, they make their lives from the resources Misei provides without need for tillage. The most significant of these, beyond any doubt, is grass.

Of course grass cannot feed human mouths, but it feeds livestock that do, and this is the basis of Kiep existence. They guide their animals from one pasture to the next and take meat, milk, and more in return. Their existence represents perhaps the purest pastoralist lifestyle of any I have ever seen or heard described.

The demands of this lifestyle are considerable. Herds rapidly eat through available forage and must be moved to new pastures with regularity. No Kiep possesses a permanent home, and they must live forever ready to travel upon short notice. Neither terrible summer heat nor brutal winter cold can be allowed to override the need to supply their animals, and though they know the rhythm of their land the weather deflects any strict scheduling. Readiness is therefore a constant struggle.

Societal Organization

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Kieps live in modestly sized family units. Generally a single couple and their children alongside their animals. Each family keeps their own herd, though they may also assist with the livestock of others. Closely related families often associate together, which is merely a matter of pitching their gers – the distinctive felt-walled tents – within visual distance. These groups, which range in size from a few dozen to perhaps one hundred and fifty individuals, are largely informal and center on kinship bonds. Each tends to be tied together about a single noble family, which means a prominent household distinguished by their far larger herds. The associated families usually represent descendants from outside the central lineage of the noble household, and will help to manage the noble’s herd in return for recompense in the form of gifts. There is no obligation to remain in one of these informal units, and a family may join or leave an association of this nature through the simple expedient of pitching their ger somewhere else.

Beyond this basic level of loose groupings of tents, the Kieps are organized into a system of tribes. The tribe is the primary unit of organization among them and by far the most formal. Tribes range in size from roughly six hundred to six thousands individuals, but the majority maintain at around four thousand during stable periods. This number is of considerable importance because a tribe of four thousand can field one thousand riders for the purpose of warfare. This is a status of both practical and symbolic importance, as that is the primary size for an independent unit with control of its own plunder. Smaller tribes face conglomeration into multi-tribal units for warfare and reduced opportunity for advancement.

Tribes are not necessarily permanent entities. They can disintegrate or form anew, usually as a result of severe warfare and succession struggles, but also occasionally a consequence of plague. The overall number seems to remain stable at close to two hundred throughout Misei. No one has ever conducted any sort of census of the Kieps, but I consider an estimate of roughly eight hundred thousand to be a fair one.

The tribe plays an important role in the lives of its members. Each tribe has chieftain, a leadership council of nobles, and at least one shaman. Tribes all have specific iconography, which is most often displayed in the form of symbols on clothing, shields, and livestock brands – Kiep brands are two part, one for the tribe and one for the family. Tribes are usually named after animals, most commonly birds, using a color+name combination. Some current examples drawn from extant tribes are the White Owls, Blue Crows, and Red Hawks. Law, such as there is, is principally adjudicated at the tribal level. Any trials will be conducted before the nobles and punishment will be meted out by the chieftain, though summary judgement is more common. A trial before the nobles has the authority to render a person outcast, a status considered totally without honor.

Each tribes has traditional lands used for pasture during each of the seasons. These are not marked on any map of course, and much of Misei remains wilderness unclaimed by any tribe. Valuable areas, particularly those with abundant water sources, are often the subject of violent contest. Most tribes also have semi-permanent winter encampments that house a small number of industrial structures.

Above the level of the tribes are the khanates. These are four in number and each one nominally controls a vast measure of territory. The khanate lands are mostly divided east to west, with each khanate occupying a north-south band far longer than wide. The westernmost khanate is Mietpip, which extends to the foothills of the Pnarlen Mountains and also contains the entirety of the Patni Gorge. Next is Kisiptikiep which stretches from the northern edge of Misei all the way to the south, roughly the same width at all points. Mietpiesie is the smallest khanate and the only one that holds no territory to the south of the Sei River. Despite the smaller size the khanate holds rich pastures and the Kieps beneath its flag are no less numerous than any other’s. The final khanate, Nietipappuk, controls the largest territory by far, including the entirety of the northeast. A truly immense expanse, it contains many regions that no human has visited for decades.

The khanates are not nations in the manner of settled realms, nor is a khan a king or emperor. A khan claims no lands beyond those that belong to his own tribe, over which he serves as chieftain. Nor do they, or any other Kiep, collect taxes. The principle force of the khan’s authority is to raise the khanate banner and call their riders to raid or war. Loot and tribute taken in battle belong to the khan and is subsequently redistributed to his followers, which provides immense leverage.

Khans are also the masters of the annual summer gatherings and hold responsibility for the maintenance of the traditional meeting grounds where they are held. They are likewise responsible for the distribution of crafted items produced at such gatherings and the support of such specialists, another major lever to control the wealth of the tribes. This control extends to the Sei River, and any other navigable watercourses, as well. Though the Kieps do not, as a rule, build more than the simplest of boats, foreigners often trade up the Sei River in the summer, and the khans impose duties in accord with their views upon such trade. All of this means that the khans tend to be fabulously wealthy compared even to other tribal leaders, and both display and distribution of this treasure is essential to maintain loyalty.
The borders of the khanates are somewhat fluid. Individual tribes raid each other both within and without their respective khanates, and defections of entire tribes are not unknown. Major shifts are rare, however, as the Kieps perfect to direct their martial effort to lands beyond Misei in order to acquire the goods it cannot easily provide, and internal raiding is mostly a means to redistribute such spoils to tribes which lack easy access to foreign sources. Allegiance to the khan is based in capability, not bloodline or sacred charge. Power struggles between the khan and strong tribal chieftains are common, and succession struggles nearly universal.

Marriage in Society

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Though I will expound upon the nature of Kiep marriages and family life elsewhere, it is necessary to speak on the institution itself at this stage, for the structure of marriages has importance consequences for the broader arrangement of Kiep society. Marriage is an important institution for the Kieps. It is intended to be for life. Adultery and fornication are prohibited, nominally, though of course they occur, and harsh punishments are handed out for known violations.

Kiep society is polygynous, and marriage is to a considerable degree a transaction. A bride is purchased from the household of her father for a price set in livestock. This comes with the obligation that the husband must provide for his wife and any children that result from the marriage, goods that become the wife’s property. Failure to provide a suitable home in this way is grounds for divorce, and the wife may take her belongings and return to live with her male relatives.

As a result of this structure, the number of women any man might marry is directly tied to personal wealth, which is measured strictly through an assessment of the herd. Commoners, who represent roughly nineteen in twenty families, will almost always have only one wife, and only remarry following the death of a spouse. Nobles, being more prosperous, will generally have two to five wives, depending on their prosperity. Tribal chieftains may have as many as eight. All khans have at least a dozen wives, but only a fool will acquire more than twenty. This restraint is not a matter of resources, the vast resources of a khan could likely support up to one hundred spouses, but instead it is a matter of organizational logistics and control within the household.

The mathematically inclined may note at this point that this accumulation of wives by the wealthy should correspondingly produce a group of impoverished unmarried men. While this applies in some limited degree to the outcasts, who are predominantly male, the overall imbalance is minimal. The reason is simple, the destructive violence of life in Misei falls far more heavily upon young men than young women, so there are simply more woman of marriageable age than men. As age increases this imbalance corrects through the loss of female lives in childbirth, so the few Kieps who may be called elderly are split evenly between men and women.

The principle consequence of polygyny in this fashion is that it all but ensures that any high-ranking Kieps will have both many offspring and many siblings. While the rules of inheritance, which I shall explain in due course, dictate the disposition of livestock and household possessions, including widows, they make no provision for leadership positions. Chieftains and khans are decided according to a principle known as tanistry, which calls for the most competent candidate to take the post. Misei’s harsh nature mandates such a system, as the blood spilled in struggles for power is considered far less than the potentially catastrophic devastation that might unfold should a coward, fool, or madman inherit a khanate.

Ruling households have a great advantage in claiming leadership due to their considerable assets with which to build support, but no individual within those houses has any priority of claim. Therefore some measure of conflict is all but inevitable save in the rare case where a prospective heir has an unassailable record of accomplishment. My estimation, based on a basic examination of Kiep history, is that conflict breaks out in at least half the cases where a tribal chief dies, and almost always when a khan perishes. Such conflicts tends to be resolved through bloody battle, but they are also swiftly concluded as potential candidates perish or surrender. It is not the Kiep way to fight on in support of the dead or defeated.

Appearance
Physical Traits

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In many ways the Kieps are very similar in appearance to their neighbors. It is only those peoples who reside to the west of the Pnarlen Mountains, such as my own, or very great distances to the east and south, who truly difference in substance. These shared traits include ruddy, brownish skin, straight black hair, narrow dark eyes angled in a fashion often described as slanted, and rounded flattened faces with small noses. Kieps differ from their kindred peoples in having particularly high cheekbones and somewhat broader mouths. They are not, generally, a very tall people and tend to be lightly built overall.

Women wear their black hair long, often woven into elaborate braids which may be tied with ribbons or, among nobility, jewels. Men wear their hair short by contrast, not extended below the ears, and commonly shave the back of their skulls. Beards are very rare, as most Kiep men cannot manage more than a few errant hairs on the chin. Slender mustaches, kept within the bounds of the upper lip, are by contrast very common and almost all young men endeavor to grow one prior to marriage.

Elsewhere there is little hair, and such body hair as there may be is often shaved away in an effort to limit exposure to lice, ticks, and other parasites, especially in summer. The limited availability of water for washing and constant proximity to livestock mean that flesh-seekers of this kind are a distressingly constant problem. In winter, Kieps will regularly expose themselves to bitter cold in order to freeze off these pests, a tactic also utilized with clothing. Despite such measures, parasitic afflictions remain common, and scars and other marks on the skin from such attacks are a common sight.

Parasites are only one difficult the environment of Misei presses upon the Kieps. Constant exposure to sun and wind tans and hardens the skin, especially among men who spend almost all daylight hours outdoors. They often look much older than the proper accounting of their years as a result. Additionally, the harsh nature of the land means lean years of nearly constant hunger are a regular danger. Many, especially those who lived through difficult times as children, display such marks throughout life. Commoners are consequently almost universally lean, and heavy Kieps are rare. It is most elderly nobles, particularly women past the age of child-bearing, who have the opportunity to gain excess weight. I once chanced to meet three elderly wives of the Kisiptikiep Khan, who was himself of great age. I have not seen such rounded creatures before or since.

Dress

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The principle worn garment of the Kieps is the robe. This is usually made from felt in a single piece. It extends just past the elbows and down to the ankles. The breast is doubled over and held in place with a clasp or button. This basic outfit is worn by both genders and all social classes, though nobles may have access to robes of cotton, linen, or silk that are valued for additional comfort. These are rare as they cannot generally be produced in Misei. Trousers, usually made of leather, are worn under the robe in men, while women are more likely to wear felt or linen skirts, though they too will wear trousers when riding. Light undershirts of felt, or preferably cotton or silk when available, are worn and extend down to the wrists. In the winter the forearms will also be wrapped in felt and long gloves or mittens will be worn over them.

Footwear consists of leather boots, for riding, or felt buskins for work at home. These are without heels but the soles are very thick. Felt or fur socks will be worn for warmth in winter. Hats are very common. These are usually felt, sometimes lined with fur and treated with pitch. They have a wide, flexible brim that can be pinned up or down according to the weather. Ceremonial caps are often produced for formal occasions, and may be considerably more complex and decorative.

Misei’s harsh winters demand extra layering. Generally the summer costume is maintained in full, but furs are added. These include capes, hoods, breaches, and boots. The common insulating design is double-lined, with fur facing both out and in at once. Liners may be worn beneath this, usually of cotton or linen. Fur quality is highly varied. Carnivores are the most prized, especially fox and wolf, but commoners will use whatever is available, including dog or goat. The most valuable furs, such as lynx and sable, are reserved for the nobility or used in trade.

All Kieps wear belts, more or less perpetually, ostensibly to fasten their robes in place. These are preferentially fashioned out of fur, but sometimes camel hair is used. Belts are important in ceremonial context. The removal of the belt indicates submission, both on the battlefield and during the ascension of tribal chiefs and khans. One who is proclaimed outcast will have their belt stripped from them and publically burned. Shamans regularly order their charges to replace one form of belt with another as a means of rectifying spiritual imbalances. During the sacrament of marriage, the husband presents his new bride with a belt, preferably the finest piece he can obtain and ideally featuring the fur of an animal he personally hunted, and secures it about her waist.

Ceremonial Garb

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Kiep ceremonies are necessarily outdoor affairs. Even the massive gers owned by the khans are insufficient to host large gatherings and they lack the materials and knowledge to build vast halls using other means. Due to the general hostility of the climate this imposes considerable limitations on the variety of ceremonial fashions. As such, these outfits are generally merely more elaborate versions of every day dress, supplemented by highly ornate decorations and accessories. Despite this, there are some specialized pieces.

Headgear is the principle focus of ceremonial ostentation. The wide-brimmed caps of herding are replaced by elaborate skullcaps, often designed with complex folds, twists, and offering considerable elevation above the head in a softly conical form. The largest devices may be built around birch bark frames and often feature bells, tassels, antlers, claws, teeth, and of course jewelry. Chiefs wear particularly elaborate headdresses of this nature that incorporate a ring of bronze, always a silver-shaded composition, or silver discs around the rim. The use of actual coins is preferred for this purpose but they are not always available. A khan will wear discs of gold.

Shamans are notable for their distinctive dress for ceremonial purposes. They will wear their hair bare, and also loose and wild, whether man, woman, or neither. Rather than a hat, they don masks when performing ceremonies to represent their ability to serve as intercessors with the spirits. The most common mask is a simple clay disc with slits cut out for the eyes, nose, and mouth. This is painted black and represents Nakiet, the sky god. Other masks often represent the earth goddess, Tipapku, made using green wood, or fearsome animal visages. The most terrible of these masks is a pure white disc with no holes that proxies Ukit, the lord of the underworld.

Shamans will also wear elaborate flowing cloaks sewn from a patchwork of furs. The greater the number of distinct animals the better. Bone ties made from jawbones are added alongside wooden wedges, so that the shaman clatters as they walk or dance and the spirits are aware of their coming. These cloaks are often very heavy. Theft of shamanic garments is grounds for a particularly gruesome execution.

Decorations

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Among commoners clothing is usually plain in color and cut, maximizing functionality. Decoration is largely limited to the use of the finest furs they can acquire and embroidery marking out familial and tribal symbols. Every Kiep family has its own symbol, used in their brands.

For the nobility, however, decoration is universal, and as prosperity increases so does the elaboration of the panoply, particularly among women. An insatiable hunger for silk is a key part of this, but it is also tied to a desire to flaunt and display. Kieps are quite fond of colorful dyes, elaborate embroidery, and especially brocade fabric. In the latter case it is silver strands that are the most prized.

Jewelry is likewise important. It is often set into fabrics in pieces such as sashes, scarves, sleeves, and headbands. This includes bronze and silver plates and silver chains used as settings for semiprecious stones, particularly azurite and malachite. Precious gems are attached to belts, necklaces, and earrings, or set in hair and hat pins. They are also appended to settings on bow cases, quivers, and sword sheaths. Kieps do not wear bracelets or traditional rings as a rule, considering it too easy to lose such goods while riding. They do, however, wear thumb rings for use in archery, usually on both hands and donned by men and women alike. These are never set with stones, but may be elaborately carved with fine designs in extraordinary detail. Commoners may wear such rings of bone, stone, or wood, but nobles prefer bronze, ivory, or silver.

Clothing, being light and easy to transport, is a major store of wealth among the Kieps. Though not as important as livestock it is easily as significant as the tools of war or cooking. Extra clothing can also be used in harsh time to patch holes in ger coverings or serve as additional blankets and therefore is something acceptable to possess in excess in a fashion that would be considered greedy and miserly for bows or steel articles.

Gifts of Clothing

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Clothing is the primary form of gifting among the Kieps. Livestock are given away only as bride price, while weapons are distributed only following battle. Clothes, or the raw fabrics, gems, precious metals, and other ornaments used in their production, are awarded at all ceremonies and summer gatherings. Small items may be gifted between family members, with larger pieces given by nobles and chieftains to reward their subjects. Fine cloth, usually linen or silk, is commonly awarded at birth, while ceremonial robes with extensive brocade are offered when making alliances. Jewelry is often given to brides during marriages.

Commoners will often give back valuable clothing to their noble patrons when times are hard in return for meat and other critical supplies. It is considered uncouth to wear clothing returned in this way, but the problem is eliminated if it is traded to another tribe and this practice fuels inter-tribal commerce as a result.

Funeral Dress

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I feel it important to note the specific funeral dress used by the Kieps, as it differs greatly from their other articles. Upon death, a section of felt will be cut from the covering of the deceased’s ger. This is then treated so that it is bleached pure white using powdered bone. It is then made into a simple wrapping in which the deceased is dressed by the shaman. There are no hats or boots that they might see the sky and know the earth. This robe is bound with a simple belt of twined horsehair, and this is the only garment ever made from horsehair by the Kieps. Use of horsehair in clothing for any other purpose is taboo, and Kieps will view foreigners who wear such articles with extreme suspicion.

No other clothing is interred with the dead, though the armor and weapons of those who fall in battle may be. The clothes of the dead are considered property of the household and are passed on according to the laws of inheritance. However, in the case of those who die of illness, especially plague, a shaman many order all offending clothes burned. Those who are severely ill often order their clothes to be frozen or smoked and lie only in their blankets in order to preserve their garments from this fate.

Dwellings

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It is not the Kiep way to build permanent dwellings. That is not to say they do not construct some permanent structures, but these are used only for work and none sleep within them. Many Kieps will refuse to sleep even in the permanent structures fashioned by foreign peoples should they take possession of them during raids. Instead they live in structures designed for mobility, as all families will move at least twice per year from winter to summer pasture, and often several times should they seek widely dispersed forage or attend major gatherings.

Gers

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The principle Kiep residence is a circular tent with felt walls known as a ger. This is built atop a surprisingly delicate-looking frame of branches and a small number poles used to support the roof. The branches are lashed together such that they form a lattice that can be folded and expanded at need, allowing it to be loaded onto a camel or cart. These sections are erected together in a circle upon bare ground and then support poles are added atop them to form a shallowly conical roof joined to a small central ring that will be used in provisioning a ventilation hole. This form also serves to compress the structure and offers much greater stability. A small wooden doorframe, often elaborately painted in floral patterns, is added on the south side. The Kieps always orient the door to the south. They claim this position was ordained by the heavens, but for my part I simply note that this position reflects the direction from which the wind is least likely to blow.

The frame is then draped with felt covering. There are usually two layers, a thick insulating inner layer and a thin protective outer layer. This felt is often treated with powder in order to make it white during the summer and black during the winter. Gers are generally erected on bare ground, but felted carpet is used for additional insulation in winter.

Ger size is somewhat variable. Most commoners possess gers of roughly the same size for use by a single family. Prosperous nobles with have a somewhat larger main household ger, but they will also have slightly smaller designs for use by secondary wives. Each wife will possess her own ger, for this is part of the provender husbands are obligated to provide. Wives therefore live separately, not under the same roof. The resulting relations between the wives for nobles and chieftains may entwine with greater complexity than a ball of yarn, and makes one such as myself grateful for the proscription to remain unmarried.

Truly massive gers sized to entertain guests are used by tribal chiefs and khans. These require additional support poles to hold the roof and are not easily assembled or disassembled and the great felt coverings they require are too heavy for even the strongest of camels. Instead, these mighty tents are placed upon wide carts and transported fully assembled. Teams of stout oxen are needed to pull such burdens and move very slowly. Gers of this size are never moved more than twice each year and rarely travel more than one hundred and fifty kilometers between well-established locations.

Even larger gers are used by the khans at the annual summer gatherings. These are too large even for wagons and do not travel. However, they are put up and taken down each year and therefore may be considered impermanent. It may take over a week for a team of specialists to set up one of these structures, which may reach two stories high with the roof supported by stout poles. Unable to endure the weight of winter blizzards, they are securely stored among the other items of the gathering grounds when not in use.

Carts

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While Kieps like to claim they can load their entire lives on the backs of their pack animals, in practice this is something of an exaggeration and applies only to a household stripped down to bare essentials. Items of considerable bulk, such as bedding and wooden furniture, along with delicate possessions, such as birdcages and ceramics, are not easily loaded onto the back of a camel or yak. These are instead transported using carts.

The Kiep cart is a two-wheeled vehicle combining a single axle and a flat bed. The wheels are formed of extremely thick wood, with rims as broad as grown man's thigh. They are not wheel-spoke, but instead utilize a two-and-one setup of thick crossbeams. The single axle is cut from the trunk of a tree, and very thick. This high-wheeled design allows easy crossing of shallow rivers and streams without difficulty.

Carts are often loose-packed with goods simply tied down on the frame, but they may also be mounted with a felt-covered lattice of wood in a raised-semicircle design. These vaguely chest-like structures remain in place even in camp. They are used to store valuable goods, transport hunting birds, and hold a wife's private things. These carts may be brightly painted or exquisitely carved on the upper surface, but the actual frame is always kept bare in acknowledgment of the power of weather to strip wood with ease.

Depending on the harness used these carts may be pulled by either oxen or camels. They travel slowly but consistently, preferring to avoid slopes. In flat lands they are threaded together such that one person, usually a young woman, can guide as a many as twenty at once. Specially modified lead carts with a seat and a raised frame to shade the driver are made for this purpose. They are also used by elderly woman and shamans if they are too old to ride. Men do not do this. A man who has been temporarily rendered too infirm to ride will be strapped directly to the bed of a cart.

Those permanently disabled or constrained by age so they can no longer ride usually kill themselves, preferably through the act of riding. The common method used by elderly Kiep men is to have their descendants plant them on a horse, spur the animal to gallop and fall at full speed in rocky ground. This is considered perfectly honorable. Truthfully this tradition is surprisingly rare, Kieps are such skilled horsemen that I have seen one-handed and one-legged men ride with little enough trouble so long as they are tied to the saddle. Moves are also rare enough that those elders who reach their terminal struggle will usually die peaceablely enough in camp.

Other Structures

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Though a ger is truly remarkable in its ability to provide comforting shelter in the vast grasslands of Misei and serves as a far more welcoming home than one suspects at first glimpse, it is not without limitations. Pitched on open ground, they are unsuited to activities that require solid foundations or significant bracing. Likewise, their ventilation is limited, and the fires they may reasonable contain must be kept small. When needing a space to conduct such functions the Kieps build solid immovable buildings.

There are several structures commonly produced in this way. All are dedicated to some form of industry, with three predominant. These are metal work, pottery, and weaving. Smelters, smithies, kilns, and looms all require sturdy foundations beneath them and extensive protection from the elements to make the working environment palatable.

Usually each tribe has a small cluster of structures for these functions, commonly near the permanent winter pastures of the chieftain and close to a source of water. They are often accompanied by unfinished structures, often a pair of joined walls used as a wind-break to provide comfort for the large-scale production of felt or group food processing.

These buildings are usually constructed of dried mud brick, a simple but functional method that requires regular maintenance. They are without proper roofs, but are instead topped by a layer of beams that can be covered with straw or hides. As implements of labor they are not designed with comfort in mind and spend most of the year empty. Their use is limited by the availability of supplies and the needs of the tribe. The specialists needed to conduct the crafts these buildings provide are usually trained from any excess children produced by the chieftain, as this is considered a useful means to prevent raging succession struggles and reduces conflict among rival siblings.

Larger versions of this setup are found on the summer gathering grounds along the Sei River, great brick long halls painted in vibrant colors by enterprising children. These are worked around the clock during those gatherings by the khan's specialist craftsmen. These may be Kieps, but are often foreigners hired to produce essential items for the people.

The Sei River is itself a critical source of resources for artisans. Iron is mined in some abundance from the riverbank and its southern tributaries, especially on the exposed faces of Patni Gorge. Elsewhere the Kieps are dependent upon spotty deposits of bog iron. Likewise the lower reaches of the Sei offers significant supplies of clay for use by potters. Even for weavers, such limited quantities of cotton, flax, hemp, and ramie that grow in Misei are nearly exclusive to the floodplain of the river below the gorge. Buildings used to allow these plants to dry properly prior to weaving are maintained and guarded.

Religious Monuments

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The Kieps do not construct temples or any other houses of worship, nor to they build ostentatious tombs, but rather bury their leaders in secret. Instead, they lay their mark upon the land by assembling mounds of stones known as ovoo. These are circular, and sometimes multi-level in the fashion of a step-pyramid. They may or may not host a wooden pillar in the center, strung with flags. These structures are meant to honor the spirits, and seem to represent a slightly more complex form of the stone cairns I have encountered elsewhere, including in the Pnarlen Mountains. Small versions of these mounds are often placed to demarcate the external boundary of a arx.

I have noted that many of these structures are thick with lichen, growth suggestive of thousands of years. Such a length of time predates the Kieps entirely, and I can only wonder who might have placed them on the grass.

**Mechalich** · 2019-12-17, 11:23 PM (ISO 8601)

Food & Drink
As a herding people, the Kiep diet is necessarily heavy on meat and dairy products, but it contains more variety than is initially apparent. The primary food supply is the herd animals, with meat and milk both serving as significant contributors. Wild game supplements this resource whenever possible, but it cannot be relied upon, especially in the winter when animals are difficult to find. Wild plants are also an important part of the diet, though they are not prestigious and I have found that the Kiep avoid talking about them and tend to conceal their presence in sauce, soup, stews, and stuffing. Semi-cultivated grain also makes up a noticeable portion of the diet, especially during travel, and is a common part of military rations.

Domestic Animal Meat

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Sheep are the most common source of meat consumed by the Kiep, with mutton and lamb treated nearly interchangeably and serving as a component of nearly every meal. Every viable part of the animal is utilized for food, including bones cracked open for their marrow and the boiling of bones directly to infuse broth. Rich organ meats are particularly prized.

The flesh of sheep is broadly associated with commoners, and though it will find its way onto even the elevated plates of the khans due to shear abundance, other meats are considerably greater in prestige. Horsemeat is prized above all others, yet at the same time is a relatively common presence in the diet. This occurs as a consequence of the abundance of these animals, and the regular slaughter of colts in their first autumn. A similar practice is conducted with goats, but they are both considerably fewer in number and individually smaller, so they are less common.

Cattle, camels, dogs, donkeys, yaks, and other labor animals will be eaten when available, but they are not raised for their meat. They find their way into the cook pot only due to advanced age or injuries that prevent their use in work. Likewise the small numbers of chickens, ducks, and quail are consumed when their egg-laying days are over. Pigs are slaughtered for meat in the south, especially for great feasts on the gathering grounds. These animals are semi-feral at best, and often resemble the wild hogs with which they interbreed. Their taste resembles wild boar accordingly.

Dairy

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Sheep, goats, camels, cattle, yaks, and horses are all used as a source for milk, which is then made into an astonishing variety of dairy products. Sheep and goats are the most important source, as cattle and yaks are relatively few in number, camels have low individual output due to the considerable demands of their calves, and mare’s milk is used for fermentation. Milk is only produced seasonally following calving, which is why the durable dairy products are such an important process.

Fresh milk, especially goat and cow’s milk, is drunk when available, but the majority of output is immediately set aside for processing. Hundreds of different products are made from milk, the Kieps know them all, but I have never managed to learn more than the broad categories. Hard cheese and dried yogurt are the most common general forms, with variations according to source animal, straining method, and additives. The basic process is to mix water with milk inside a goatskin bag. This is then suspended and churned until it separates into layers. These are then removed, boiled, and dried. This can be then made into dried balls or cakes that are eaten alone or into a paste-like substance that is generally mixed with boiled grains to form porridge.

Thick butters are a byproduct of this process. This butter is then added to a great many meals and beverages, particularly milk tea with herbs, which tends to taste overpoweringly of butter. Butter is also added to most broth, making it greasy but masking the naturally gamey taste of the mutton.

Hardened dairy products serve as a critical travel food. They are often eaten on the march very slowly, held in the mouth for hours as they gradually soften to a chewable consistency. Taking meals in this way is a miserable business, but saves considerable time while on the move. Combined with similarly stony jerky, it allows riders to remain in the saddle for days without suffering a lack of nourishment.

Wild Game

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Hunting is a significant source of additional meat in the diet. Kieps will consume almost any animal they can catch, and do not hesitate to cook animals taken primarily for furs. Among small game, marmot is by far the most important and this large rodent forms a significant portion of the diet of herdsmen in the high-altitude pastures of summer. The sight of a band of shepherds gathered about the cook fire while one boils in its own skin is a classic image of Misei.

Antelope and deer are the most important large animals and may be hunted extensively. Kieps preferentially target bucks, in order that the herds remain numerous for future years. Argali sheep and wild boar are less common, but face aggressive pressure as their meat is highly valued. These animals are preferred fare for feasting, but are also preserved for later consumption. Game meat is broadly preferred over mutton, and great effort is made to have it available at gatherings.

Birds are also taken, sometimes in great numbers. Archery is used, as are falcons. Pheasant is perhaps the most important due to its combination of large size and widespread range. Water birds, especially the sizable cranes, represent a significant source during their seasonal migrations. The eggs of wild birds may also be harvested.

Meat Preparation

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A considerable quantity of meat is eaten fresh, or thawed from frozen. In the frigid winter meat left outside will freeze rather than putrefy and keeps quite well wrapped on carts. Animals may be spitted and cooked over open flame, boiled in skin, or stewed in pots, with the last being the most common. Meat broth serves as a basis for most preparations and is used to produce soups and stews that stretch across many meals.

Considerable quantities of meat are also preserved for long term storage. Drying and smoking are the typical methods, with the former predominant. Drying using salt or heat is used to make jerky at times, especially when salt deposits are found, but most meat is air dried. Traditionally the Kieps do this by cutting meat into thin strips, each roughly the size of finger, and then hanging them by strings from the ceiling support poles of a ger. This method of drying is quite slow and may take weeks or even months, but the resulting strips of compact meat keep for years. This is often broken into bite sized chunks and slowly sucked during long rides. It is also ground into a fine powder and used in soup.

Traditional curing methods using salt are a rare art among the Kieps, mostly because Misei produces little salt and it is not a priority in trade or raiding. They will produce various forms of forcemeat and sausage that preserve well. This is particularly common with irregularly available meat sources such as water birds, quail, or wild boar. It is also done with prestigious meats valued for their flavor, such as wapiti or wolf, as drying tends to render the resultant strips rather tasteless.

Koumiss

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No discussion of animal products consumed by the Kieps could be complete without mention of this beverage, perhaps regrettably. Koumiss is produced by fermenting mare’s milk in a specialize bag formed of horsehide. This requires extensive churning, preferably with a specialized paddle designed explicitly for this purpose, though when labor is limited the bag may be strapped to a saddle while riding in order to achieve a similar affect. This method is said to produce koumiss of inferior quality, but I myself have not been able to notice any difference.

Koumiss is essentially the only purpose to which mare’s milk is put, though a more refined version that involves freezing and skimming through many repetitions to produce a clear, highly potent form also exists. Such steps are extremely labor intensive and only undertaken for feasts by the khans. The general exclusivity of koumiss production from mare’s milk is a simple reason. Alcoholic once fermented, koumiss is essentially the only intoxicant available to the Kieps of any kind. Compared to other forms of alcohol such as wine or beer it is a curiously weak beverage. It cannot compare to even light fruit wines, and the grain liquors of my homeland dwarf its capacity to induce inebriation. To achieve any sort of drunkenness from koumiss, even among small-bodied Kiep women, requires imbibing very substantial quantities. Drinking parties are therefore prolonged affairs that stretch out into the seemingly endless summer evenings of Misei.

Common families struggle to drink to excess even if that should be their intention. With limited quantities of koumiss available due to the needs of the colts and the results shared among all adults in the family it is usually only on feast days when they can drink enough to reach the point of impairment on the following day. Even that requires they neglect the intake of all other foods that might offset the impact. The inability to easily store koumiss confines bouts of drinking to four months of the year at most.

Wealthier Kieps own considerably more mares and consequently have sufficient surplus of Koumiss to indulge quite massively. Drunkenness is not considerable shameful among them, as long as no violence results. Surprisingly, such incidents are very rare, unusual among drunken persons and those with a history of overindulgence. I suspect koumiss induces a measure of lethargy when drunk, or perhaps it is simply that the consumption of so much thick liquid precludes any desire towards sudden exertion. While drunkenness, even to the point of being publicly sick, carries no shame, failure to be ready to ride the next day is a great disgrace. All Kieps are forbidden from drinking while on military campaign.

The shamans have universally forbidden the consumption of foreign sources of alcohol, the result of an incident I shall relate in time. They claim they are weapons of dark spirits and must not be touched. This prohibition is not followed with great vigor, for I have myself witnessed some violations of the rule, but it has been effective in limiting the impact of more potent beverages upon the Kieps due to severe punishments.

Grain

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As I mentioned previously, though the Kieps do not directly cultivate grain, they may sow it in areas that have open soil in order to foster both a food source and excellent forage. Over time growth may build up in some areas, allowing for a harvest that would not shame a farmer in good years. This is most commonly done with millets, especially Panicum miliaceum, and Saturna viridis, as these grow wild in many places in Misei. A small number of other grasses and forbs, including Echinochloa and Amaranthus, grow wild in sufficient abundance to sustain a regular harvest.

These grains are usually boiled and then mixed with meat broth or yogurt as porridge or soup. While such foods are low in prestige, they are hearty and important to riders on journeys or campaign.

Vegetables

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The vegetable output of Misei’s grasslands is surprisingly high, in some places it resembles a veritable garden once one learns the edible forms. Leaves, bulbs, stems, and the grounded stems called rhizomes are all harvested, often in significant quantities. These are often cooked together with meat in soup or stew, or mixed together with cream or cheese. Gathering is traditionally considered woman’s work, but in fact men out guiding the herds on the step regularly stop to gather up vegetables they pass by during the long hours. This simply is not much mentioned. Kieps like to claim they can live solely off meat and milk, but vegetables may be an equal contributor to their diet during the warmer months.

The most important vegetables are forms of onion, Allium sp. In particular a certain vegetable that resembles chives, A. ramosum, grows abundantly throughout Misei and may be gathered in great bundles. Most other vegetables are more localized and I must confess to a lack of familiarity with their forms.

Fruits

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Fruits found on the grasslands are mostly small and only available for a short period each year. Despite this, their output may be impressive in select areas, especially surrounding seasonal water sources. The Kieps harvest fruits from Cyranchum, Polygonatum, Prunus, Rubus, Ribes, Solanum, and Ulmus species. These are primarily shrubs or small trees, often growing in dense stands. When eaten these fruits are mostly mixed with yogurts and cheeses. They are sometimes mashed and added to these for long term preservation as well. Care must be taken to avoiding gorging on these fruits, especially smaller berries, as human stomachs struggle with them in abundance and serious stomach pain and sickness may result from overindulgence.

As number of fruits that are not edible or only marginally so are collected for use as dyes. Notable among these is the buckthorn, Rhamnus sp.

A special mention should be made of Morus mongolica, a variety of mulberry found in mountainous areas of Misei, especially in the central regions. This tree produces edible fruit, which is collected and eaten, but it is more important as a food source for the wild silk moth, Bombix mandarina. The cocoons of these moths can be harvested for silk production. This is routinely done, and families carefully mark out the location of these trees and return year after year.

The scale of productivity enabled by this limited gathering is minimal. A wild mulberry tree has only a mere fraction of the output of those grown explicitly for silk, and the fiber extracted from the wild moths is low quality compared to their domestic cousins in the south. Overall, Misei produces no more than one hundred garments in total each year, mostly simple undershirts for use in warfare. Silk is durable and long-lasting, however, and consequently these garments do hold a modest overall presence among the Kieps. The handful of Kieps, almost exclusively women, who practice the art of silk production are highly valued. They afford a very high price as wives.

Tea

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Kiep preference is for koumiss first, and milk thereafter, but tea is favored above water. It is particularly common as a beverage in winter, when there is little milk and much drinking water is derived from melted snow. Kiep tea is always a milk tea made using butter, and has a thick consistency. Plants are often added to tea. This is usually done by grinding leaves and small branches.

Three plants are preferred in tea. A small pink-flowered shrub, Lespodeza sp., a peculiar plant with no green parts at all called broomrape, Orobranche sp., and a little clinging vine, Clematis sp. Each of these is proclaimed to have a specific function in support of health, and also a distinct taste. For my part, I confess that all Kiep tea tastes the same, even when the butter differs, and I cannot discern any flavor variation at all.

Eating Habits

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I fear I approach this topic with a certain measure of embarrassment and a lack of impartiality. The Kieps, it must be said, are not an especially clean people. Life in Misei makes this inevitable, given the pervasive dust and lack of regular opportunities for washing, but their manner at table comes as a shock to those unfamiliar with them. Of course, they do not eat at tables, or even benches. Instead they gather together around the cook fire or grill and pot, sitting on cushions indoors or saddles outside.

Larger animal cuts will be cooked using spits, but this is uncommon. Most cooking is done over hot coals, atop hot stones, or most commonly boiled in pots. The latter method is especially prevalent given that the principle fuel available for cooking is not wood but dried dung chips and this befouls a meal directly exposed to its vapors. The limited available water supply tends toward thick broths and stews with a high grease content.

Meat is usually boiled in the great pots with whatever greens are available and some quantity of butter or cheese all mixed together. This is then poured into bowls for eating. Kieps utilize only knife and spoon, and know no other utensils but do not hesitate to utilize their fingers at need. Spoons are carved from wood, while the eating knives are small, finger-length implements. Bowls may be ceramic or wood, though the former is prized. These tools are at no point washed, but are instead briefly submerged in boiling broth prior to eating. After meals they will be scraped clean and often given to dogs to lick free of remnants before being swiftly passed through the flames. Yogurt and cheese are often eaten directly from storage bags or jars and may be passed through many hands.

Kieps prefer to eat meals together, but this is not always possible. The evening meal is considered the most important and great effort is taken to eat together, and herders in the high pastures of summer will gather together for this even when far from home. The morning meal will also be taken together if it can be arranged, which during milking months is common, but otherwise unusual. It is widely accepted that the midday meal will be eaten during the workday without any significant pause, and is almost always of preserved foods. Milk, tea, and water may be taken with all meals, but koumiss is drunk only in the evening.

Major feasts are, if anything, particularly gruesome. Large open cooking stations are set up, with great quantities of meat on spits and skewers. Food is grabbed and carried about with little care, and dogs scramble for scraps that strike the ground. Drinking prevails at these events, and vomit is spread across the ground.

Over time in Misei I came to understand these practices, for my commitment to always washing my utensils was at times extremely burdensome. I was ever grateful for my pewter plate and bowl, which could be scrubbed with sand and grass stems, but the Kieps lack for metals and cannot spare it for dishes in this fashion.

Everyday Life

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With the exception of high-ranking leaders, most Kieps live one day just like the last. Variation in their routine is a matter of season and weather. This changes only when the occasion comes to join the annual summer gathering once every four years or if the chief or khan sets for the call for war or a great hunt.

The principle daily task for men is herding. Livestock must be driven out to pasture in the morning and pulled back in among the gers at night for safety. During the day watch must be kept, both to ward off predators and prevent accidents. This does not require particularly intense observation, and a single rider can usually watch the herds of several families at once. This frees up others to hunt, gather wild plants, chop wood, break horses, train dogs, and complete various other tasks undertaken in the field.

Women spend their days maintaining the camp. The major daily task is to cook and process food. This does not usually take the whole day as meat may spend a considerable time simply simmering over the fire and spare time will be used to maintain garments, carve wooden tools, gather dung or plants, and anything else that might be done at the homestead.

During specific portions of the year other activities take up much of this otherwise unscheduled time. All Kieps in a family work together during calving, milking, branding, and shearing. These efforts take up much of the mornings in spring and summer months. In the winter, women work together in groups to produce felt in large sheets, while men fashion furs and conduct fletching and bowmaking. The high summer period also has its own specialized labor. During gathering years that is the all-consuming project, while during other years men work together to mine, smelt, and forge iron, while women dig for clay and gather fibers to produce pottery and textiles.

The division of tasks into male and female spheres is traditional and has long been practiced. However, children learn both roles, that they not be unprepared in case of need. This commonly occurs during warfare, which denudes the encampments of men and forces women to take up essential herding tasks.

Life Events

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The Kiep demarcate relatively few milestones in the course of life. They do not track birthdays, anniversaries, or any sort of professional progression. Birth, adulthood, marriage, and death, are the only occasions to which considerable significance is attached. These ceremonies are all designed to be short, in order to minimize disruption to daily needs, and are usually limited to a single day save in the case of a khan’s family, who might support multi-day feasts.

At births a lamb is killed and a cup of warm blood passed around among all family members, with a dab spread on the child’s head by the shaman at the end. The mother will convalesce following the birth for one or two months before returning to work, but she will remain close to the gers until the child is weaned.

Adulthood is celebrated between the ages of sixteen and twenty. This occurs as part of the great summer gatherings, which each tribe will only attend one year in four. I shall forebear a detailed discussion until I treat these events in turn. Achievement of adulthood means a Kiep man is allowed to own livestock in his own right, and a woman may marry and bear children. I must note that pregnancy prior to the achievement of this milestone is considered a very grave offense to the Earth Goddess and both involved parties will face severe punishment. Additionally, in an act I cannot by any means condone, the shaman will forcibly terminate any such pregnancy. I have had the reasoning behind this practice explained to me, and though I can comprehend the Kiep perspective, I cannot find this anything but a horror.

Marriage usually occurs within a short time of reaching adulthood. Kiep marriages are almost universally arranged. This is necessary because wives must be purchased and young men usually lack the necessary livestock of their own to bear such an expense, so they are provided by their father or other male relatives, with the expectation that this gift shall be paid back in time. Young men are expected to gather up the necessary wood and felt in order to construct their first ger prior to marriage, as a household must be ready for the bride.

Kieps practice strict exogamy, marrying only outside the tribe. Consequently marriages are usually arranged at the summer gatherings where youths transition into adulthood, though the actual ceremony is generally delayed for two to three years until the young man has managed to assemble the basis of his own household. The actual ceremony begins with the groom herding together the livestock that serves as the bride price and then leading them alone to the encampment where his bride-to-be resides. Upon arrival the animals are handed over and a meal is shared with the bride’s family. The groom then lifts the bride onto his horse and they ride double on the way home. Once returned the shaman binds the wrists of the couple together with a horsehair cord before the door of the ger. A mixture of water and clay is poured over their heads and the cord is cut in half and exchanged while the groom’s family looks on. The shaman then pronounces the couple as wed and they walk together into the ger for the first time. A feast is held afterwards, usually with members of the bride’s family riding over to join in assuming good relations have been maintained.

Marriages are usually held in early autumn, and ideally on the equinox. Families may temporarily relocate for this purpose so that the shaman can conduct a number of marriages in short order. This tends to lead to rather extravagant festivities.

Technically the bride and groom are supposed to consummate the marriage on the wedding night. Assuredly this happens, especially when the bride and groom are part of tribes that rarely cross paths, but clandestine trysts are quite common during the years of engagement, since it is not difficult for the prospective couple to simply ride out into the grasslands at night. I suspect this is in some ways encouraged, as a means of testing compatibility in the marriage bed. No shame is attached when an engagement is rescinded. Kiep practice is to avoid forcing a woman into an undesired marriage, for she is fully within her rights to a nearly immediate divorce, in which case both the bride price and the provided household goods are lost to the groom’s family. Spurious divorce will start feuds, but men who beat or mistreat their wives are marked as fools. After all, there are always rich men seeking additional spouses.

Kiep funeral rites are likewise simple. As I wrote regarding dress, the dead are wrapped in a robe created from the covering of their ger. This usually takes a day to arrange, during which time the deceased is placed beneath a rug or blanket for viewing within their ger. Those who died violently, such as from a fall or animal attack, will have their faces covered.

In the morning following preparation the family and any other mourners gather around the body and collectively lift it onto a cart. The shaman will then lead this group in the hymn for the dead, an eerie wordless dirge I lack the proper poetry to describe effectively. Throughout this process the shaman wears the fearful blank underworld mask. A sheep is then slaughtered and choice cuts cooked over an open flame out of doors, regardless of weather. All eat their fill and the shaman concludes by taking three bites from the heart to represent the acknowledgment of this sacrifice by the gods. When this is finished the shaman hitches their white horse to the cart. This, I should note, is the only purpose for which the Kieps will set a horse to haul. The procession to the gravesite begins, with mourners and those selected to serve as gravediggers following.

Kieps are generally buried in the mountains, usually those near where they expired, though important leaders may be taken in a procession of some distance in order to allow as many as possible a chance to pay their respects. Once close to the chosen site the shaman will dismiss all but the diggers, usually restricted to close relatives, and lead the body to a secret place where the grave is then dug and the body interned. The diggers may bring with them grave goods for the burial if they wish. Armor, weapons, and artisan’s tools are the most common choices. Traditionally the surviving spouse or eldest surviving child will carry the deceased’s bow. Neither animals nor people are allowed as grave goods, though any hunting birds the deceased possessed will usually be freed in the coming days. The uneaten portions of the sacrificed sheep are scattered about and left for the wolves.

Battlefield deaths, and any mass deaths from disease though the latter is rare, require a slightly altered process. Shrouds will in this case be made from horse hide and horsemeat eaten. This is readily available, for any Kiep battlefield will include numerous dead horses. Rather than being hidden in remote places, the dead are buried in long rows in communal trenches without any distinction for rank, and their position is therefore obscured. These tasks will be performed by a burial unit the army leaves behind, for Kiep forces regularly move vast distances following both victory and defeat, with most of the work conducted by lightly wounded men who struggle to ride. All of these men will sign the dirge for the fallen. Kieps will allow a similar group from non-Kiep enemies to conduct burials, and should one fail to appear will do their best to mimic the practices of foreigners.

Holidays

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The Kiep approach to holidays is fairly straightforward. They utilized the equinoxes and solstices as holy days and consider that sufficient. The winter solstice marks the end of the year, a trait common throughout Noricia. Each of these days is assigned to one of the principle deities, while the autumnal equinox is given over to all other spirits.

In much of Misei is remains quite cold and often frozen over during the vernal equinox, so the ceremony associated with the earth goddess is quite modest. The day is taken for rest and traditionally the eldest horse will be slaughtered for the meal. Afterwards each family takes a tooth from the animal and hacks down through ice and frozen ground far enough to plant the tooth as an offering for hope of good growth in the coming year.

The summer solstice, dedicated to Nakiet, is the most celebratory holiday. It centers on sporting contests and artistic displays followed by a great feast. Individual tribes will hold their own modest events, but far larger and more prestigious are the massive gatherings held on the traditional sites along the Sei River. The khan holds these every year, but other tribes will attend only one year in four. It is at one of these ceremonies that every Kiep graduates from childhood into adulthood. Names are made in the sporting contests, and the feasts surmount anything offered during the rest of the year.

The autumnal equinox, sacred to the varied spirits, is the most informal of the holidays. According to tradition this is the most auspicious day for weddings and that is the principle event associated with this day. Prior to or in the absence of a wedding feast it is a rather private holiday and many Kieps spend the time alone in the wilderness searching for a connection with spirits of personal importance. It is common to carry stones to ovoos on this day. Many Kieps seek a spiritual connection through hunting, and falconry is common, but it is explicitly forbidden to kill a wolf on this day, no matter the circumstances. Violation of this prohibition is punishable by death.

The winter solstice, as the final and darkest day of the year, is granted to Ukit. By tradition all Kieps stay indoors and fast while the sun is down, and do not venture beyond their gers until dawn the next morning. No blood is to be shed on the solstice, when that of man or animal. Instead Kieps gather in tightly packed groups in the largest gers and listen to the tales of their heroes from the past. At midnight the shaman ventures outside alone to stand a silent vigil until dawn, of which nothing is ever spoken.

It is considered the absolutely worst of omens for a child to be born on the solstice, and it is not unknown for the shamans to hurry delivery by cutting free a baby from the mother to prevent this. I have not been able to confirm, but I suspect any child unlucky enough to be born on this date will be abandoned in the snow. A legend from the north suggests this is the method, but I have not encountered a case. Of course I find such a practice hideous and devoid of reason, but the Kieps do not heed the council of such as me. I should note that they do make a significant attempt to avoid tempting fate by timing births far from this date, and few children are born in the first and last months of the year as a consequence.

Children

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The Kieps have great love for their children, but the demands of Misei force them to grow up quickly. A child, once weaned, must move about with the motions of everyday living. They are usually tied to the saddle of a trustworthy horse for this purpose. Once able to walk they join in small chores and games, often watched over by older children. By the age of five they are expected to be able to ride on their own without supervision and to have begun to practice archery. Appropriately sized bows with which they may target small creatures are made expressly for this purpose.

Children from five to ten will spend much of their time assisting teenagers or parents in a combination of light chores and observation. A particularly common task is to ride the watch when herds are moved. Those ten and above will generally be assigned adult tasks, though almost never alone and with understanding of the limitations of their strength and endurance. It also at this time that those chosen for such specialized crafts as smithing or weaving will be marked out by the chieftain to begin training. Candidates to become shamans will also be marked out following puberty.

Intriguingly, no real differentiation is made in the work assigned to male or female children. Until adulthood is achieved all Kieps are expected to practice both roles in life in order to master all essential tasks. Boys and girls do tend to gravitate toward the tasks they will prioritize as adults, but general preparedness is the rule. This is not surprising, given the need of men to take up traditionally female tasks while on campaign and women to sustain the herds at the same time.

Migration

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All Kieps move at least twice a year, from winter pasture to summer and then back again. Some groups may move more often, usually once each season. Migration is also necessary in response to unexpected events, particularly grass fires. Further, every four years each tribe gathers together and drives to the Sei for the summer gathering, a major undertaking.

The process is less complex than it initially seems. First all household goods are removed from the gers and placed on carts, camels, or cattle. Then the ger itself is disassembled and mounted for travel in turn. Depending on weather this can be achieved in half a day or even less. Subsequently the remaining animals are gathered together and the line of march is joined. Lead position will be taken by the principle wife, either riding or driving the front cart. Herd animals follow in the center, with the heavily laden camels and oxen at the rear. While the men drive their livestock children serve as outriders on the watch for predators or, less often, raiders.

When the time comes to stop for the night, the animals are unloaded but the ger is usually not assembled. Instead the family sleeps in small tents, the same as used on campaign, or simply in the open among their animals. The exception is the possibility of a major storm, in which case the ger will be swiftly erected to serve as shelter.

Despite the slow speed of their carts, these journeys rarely last more than a few days. It is very rare for a typical migration to cover even two hundred kilometers of overland distance. Only the great journeys to the summer gathering, which for tribes based in the distant north might well take a month or more, are prolonged. This journey is generally accomplished in great columns containing the entire tribe along well-established routes that both speed progress and reduce vulnerability. Tribes not making the journey are often active during this time, for with the khan far away individual tribes can raid each other for advantage.

Summer Gatherings

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The most important event in the Kiep social calendar is the Summer Gathering. This event has no special name, simply because the Kiep word for ‘gathering’ is never used in association with any lesser occurrence. Each Khanate holds its own gathering, led by the Khan, during the height of summer. It is a two week event, not including the time it takes many tribes to travel often great distances to reach the location, beginning one week before the summer solstice and ending a week after.

While the Khan’s tribe attends every year, all other tribes attend only one year in four. This is a regular cycle that is changed only when a tribe dissolves or a new tribe forms. This limit is a concession to logistical realities. Not only is it burdensome on many tribes to make the long journey, nearly one thousand kilometers in some cases, to reach the grounds, it is only possible to gather so many families of Kieps in one place. Fifty thousand Kieps might not be a particularly high number on their own, but as each family travels with its herd this represents well over a million head of livestock. Such immense concentrations strain even the highly fertile floodplain of the Sei River to the breaking point. More would risk starvation, hardly the goal of a festive event. Even as it is, many of the tribes traveling great distances from the north do not endure the entirety of the event and leave almost immediately after the solstice in order to hurry back to their traditional homelands.

The gathering is split into two largely distinct components. The days prior to the solstice are spent in contests, while the days after are spent feasting and celebrating the arts. Throughout the event there is a frenzy of trading and crafting, as the specialist craftsmen take advantage of the facilities supplied by the gathering grounds to maximize output. Forges run night and day, and the rattle of looms is heard at all hours. Distant Kiep tribes also take advantage of their proximity to the navigable river. Foreign merchants do great business at these events, trading metal and silk for rare furs from the north, desert woods from the south, and the musk of a variety of animals. Many of the same merchants attend a specific gathering each year, a sign of having earned the trust of the khan that they will not cheat the Kieps.

Each khanate utilizes the same traditional gathering ground each year. Milanosolu, Seipno, Plumiekkiep, and Niepu are their names, in order from west to east. Though they see only limited use outside of the gatherings, they are not abandoned when the festivities end. They are considered held in the trust of the khans, and small groups of specialist craftsmen and laborers may remain in residence throughout much of the year, abandoning the sites only to avoid the spring floods. A small dispatch from the honor guard of each khan is always present as a garrison. This is considered a great honor, but is usually given to older warriors who struggle to ride the long campaign distances.

During the gatherings the Kieps hold a great variety of contests using every form of sport known among them. This includes seemingly endless variations and classifications assembled into a bewildering array of events both formal and spontaneous. However, four broad categories predominate. These are archery, falconry, riding, and wrestling. Both men and women compete, but they do so in separate events. This is an informal distinction, it is simply that it would be considered absurd for a man to compete against women, and while women can and occasionally do compete against men, this is considered unnecessarily challenging. Usually members of the khan’s family lead each event according to their personal taste, but other luminaries such as noted military leaders or artists will also fill this role.

Archery events occur both mounted and on foot, use fixed targets and live game, and measure distance, accuracy, and speed. Falconry events are mostly divided by the species of bird used, and include display, ground and air hunting, and mastery in bird handling. The greatest number of events is associated with riding, including contests of speed, distance, endurance, herding using the lasso and other tools, and even polo. Most riding events are on horseback, but races using camels, mules, or yaks are not unknown. Wrestling is of a general form common to much of Noricia, and is conducted standing with a loss registered when any body part other than the foot contacts the ground. Bouts are one on one, but held tournament style, single elimination. There are smaller tournaments differentiated by age, sex, and size, but also a single grand tournament.

Prizes are awarded at all of these many events, usually with the top three contestants recognized. These are not grand gifts, but are mostly small, utilitarian rewards. Knives, ceramic bowls, finely made arrows, and buckles or whistles are all common. These awards merely serve as recognition of victory; it is the prestige that is the primary value. Many hope to do well in order to impress spectators and chiefs in the hope of influencing military rank or marriage prospects. Being named champion in a major event is of substantial value in this way.

For youths attending the gathering on the transition to adulthood, these events are a matter of life and death importance. They must record some achievement of distinction prior to the solstice. The simplest means to do this is to earn a prize in any recognized event. This is not especially difficult given the great many events on offer so long as the youth in question is good at some task. Most train relentlessly for much of the year prior to the gathering in order to insure success in one or two areas. Should they fail to meet this mark, they must convince a sponsor to stand for them as having displayed capability worthy of a Kiep man or woman. This sponsor can be a tribal chief, the principal wife of a chief, or a shaman, but they must always be from another tribe. Those who demonstrate skill in the specialized crafts, or those who failed valiantly due to some significantly injury such as one of the many broken limbs the gathering inevitably incurs, usually have little difficulty finding such a sponsor. Those who truly lack in talent or have a reputation for laziness may have much great difficulties.

For a youth who fails at this task there are no second chances. Those who have not achieved merit prior to the solstice will be declared outcast and driven from the gathering. This, it should be noted, is a rare event, and several years may pass before it happens. Kiep youth are fully aware of the importance of this event and train hard, and Misei’s brutal environment tends to kill layabouts and wastrels well before their late teens. However, some youths who are otherwise worthy may find themselves facing sabotage. A child who faces the enmity of their chief or shaman may find securing a sponsor all but impossible and must depend upon victory for deliverance. No effort is made to prevent such rumor-mongering from afflicting a youth. Apparently earning the hatred of one’s superiors is considered a failure all its own.

The coming of age ceremony is held at sunset on the solstice. It is fairly dramatic by Kiep standards. The khan and his principle wife will stand before the great ger, flanked by all attending shamans. Opposite them, across a modest gap no more than a good spear-throw in width, the assembled host of the attending tribes will form ranks and wait. The candidates form a line to the east. There is some jockeying for precedence, as it is considered preferable to be near the end but the formula for who is to be honored most follows some unspoken rule I do not quite grasp.

Each candidate then rides westward toward the setting sun through the gap and stops before the khan. They dismount and remove their belt in submission. Their shaman will call out their name from behind the khan, and their parent or advocate will declare their achievement from the front of the host. The khan then bids that they rise, takes their belt in his hands, and fashions it about their waist, declaring them a rider in the host. Their parent or advocate them presents them with their first adult bow, and the khan’s principal wife offers them a single arrow.

When the final ascension is complete the shamans begin a prayer in unison. A horse, always a stallion, is then brought forward and its throat cut in full view by the khan. When the animal’s struggles cease the shamans falls silent and the khan declares the feast begun.

Feasting occurs surrounding innumerable spits and pots scattered across the grounds. Families are encouraged to mix together across tribal boundaries and to sample the vast quantities of mutton, horsemeat, pork, and wild game on offer. Massive quantities of koumiss are drunk. On this night only, all things are given over to excess.

The following week is one extensive, unending, feast. Neither cooking nor consumption ever truly pauses. Hunting continues throughout, an activity that serves to control the wild boar population of the Sei River floodplain, but sporting activities cease. Instead the remaining time is given over to the arts.

Kiep artistic performance includes both gregarious communal activities including numerous simple drinking songs and dances, but also a number of considerably more formalized practices. There are multiple forms of specialized singing, including a two-toned technique and one involving extremely slowly drawn out notes. These are not unique to the Kieps, but are found across central Noricia with some regional variations. Songs are usually centered on themes of nature, romance, or spirits. Historical themes are largely reserved for poetic recitation.

Complex dances are usually performed by women in groups wearing brightly colored and heavily jewel-encrusted ceremonial dress. These are slow-moving, almost processional patterns, set to simple percussive arrangements. Women seek to show their skill and beauty in dance as a means to secure an advantageous marriage.

Beyond singing, music is also produced using instruments. Kiep instruments can be grouped into three common classes. Stringed instruments are the most prestigious. These are usually long-necked devices with two or three strings with variation for those that are plucked versus those played with a bow. More common, but usually cast in a supportive role are a wide range of end-blown flutes and clarinets that provide their wind instruments. These are usually crafted from wood, but bone and horn variants are not without their particular adherents. Percussion implements are primarily kettle drums. These range from small handheld instruments to massive units carried by camels and utilized for signaling during battle. The Kieps have no formalized tradition or musical composition and their usual songs are simple sets repeated many times with harmonies later blended in.

Poetic recitation is a practice utilized to relate historical events for a people lacking in written records. Unlike their northern neighbors, the Kieps do not memorize vast epics. Instead they relate much shorter stories, no more than a few hundred lines, centered upon singular events. These are often related with great dramatic emphasis and considerable physical motion, especially by female poets in full ceremonial costume. As part of my study of Kiep history I at one point attempted to transcribe a sampling of these tales, but my reproductions were utterly unworthy of the format and lacked any proper impact.

Beyond the performing arts much time is spent at gatherings exchanging instruction in the various methods of craftsmanship. Women share and practice decorative styles for garments, while men practice armor-making, bow-making, and fletching. Many bows are in fact assembled during gatherings, as the prospective bowyer can be assured of the guidance of a master. It takes these many months to dry afterwards. Foreign craftsmen have been known to demonstrate their techniques at gatherings, suitably sponsored by the khan of course.

Of course, all of this is in many ways secondary to the generalized social interaction that flows continually through these events. Games and performances are an excuse for discussions between families regarding marriages, rivalries, and hunting grounds. Sheep anklebones are used by the Kieps as dice or tokens and form the core of a wide variety of games of chance. Gambling is technically prohibited, but this is mostly applied to goods of significant value. Shamans will turn a blind eye to play for small stakes.

The khan formally ends the gathering on the final sunset by ordering all fires extinguished. Those who have no yet withdrawn begin their return journey the next day. The khan’s tribe disperses last, allowing for cleanup of the grounds.

**Mechalich** · 2019-12-17, 11:34 PM (ISO 8601)

Religion

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The Kieps are a shamanistic people, which should be apparent by this point as I have referred to shamans and their duties repeatedly. This is a common form of faith among peoples who do not live in fixed settlements or do not form large towns. As a faith it requires no fixed place of worship and has no religious hierarchy. Kiep shamanism shares many characteristics with that of their northern and eastern neighbors, but it is clearly a unique faith. In particular, while they believe in the typical vast array of spirits associated with living species, landscape features, and natural phenomena, they also acknowledge a set of three principle gods they believe stand as paramount spirits above the rest.

Kiep religion is largely informal. While observance plays a large role in major holidays and life events and the shaman is a regular presence in society there are no official services or scheduled prayers. Nor is shamanic intervention required to speak to the spirits and most Kieps are content to make their appeals on their own, traditionally from atop a mountain or some other high place. In times of difficulty they may call upon shamanic aid to lead appeals for deliverance or to divine the proper course of action going forward. Sacrifice of animals is a common feature of such requests.

The Kieps are not unaware of other faiths, but demonstrate little interest in them. Misei is a wild land and exposure to the stark power of natural forces is a constant feature of life there. To deny the existence of spirits behind such activity seems absurd to them.

The Gods

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The Kieps acknowledge a trio of supreme spirits. They do not precisely use the term ‘god,’ as there is no such word in the Kiep language, but it is clear these beings are a different class of entity in their belief. Nakiet is the supreme being, lord of the sky and maker of all who stands above others. Kiep myth has it that he, being lonely within the darkness of his being, cried endless tears from which the stars were born. From one such starry tear he extracted the salt and formed of it the earth and the moons and even the fragments of stone that occasionally fall from the sky. I have told certain Kieps that the sun is made of endless flame and the earth is built around a core of molten iron and to my surprise they take this in stride. If anything, the idea that their god cried tears of endless flame and that the salt within them was in fact molten iron is naught but an appealing enhancement of his prowess. I confess that I fear this tale has propagated and as a result I have unintentionally influenced their beliefs in this fashion.

The myth continues that Nakiet looked down upon all he had made and was surprised when he found empty stones had turned green and blossomed with the first living things. In this way he discerned the existence of Tipapku and almost immediately fell madly in love with the earth goddess who made this possible. Tipapku, however, spurned Nakiet’s initially attempt to woo her, demanding suitable tribute in return for her hand. The lord of the sky therefore gathered together vast waters from within the dark of his being and poured them down upon the earth to spur life to new heights. Pleased by this offering, Tipapku sanctioned the union and from this joining all plants and animals, along with their spirits, came to be, including, in due time, humans.

However, the existence of life mandated the existence of death, for though the supreme ones were eternal; their creations could not be lest the world be destroyed by the burden they imposed. Nakiet and Tipapku, in their mercy, instituted a great cycle then, one of life, death, and rebirth. This removed the strain, but the association with life-taking upset the gods. They had no desire to spend all their days drenched in blood. Seeking an alternative, Nakiet searched the great depths of all he had wrought and in the darkest shadows discovered a spirit there that lived, yet was like him beyond death. This being was unfeeling and impartial, for it cared nothing for anything. Seeing an opportunity to further balance the cycle, Nakiet and Tipapku offered it dominion over death. It accepted, for it understood what the first two gods had failed to grasp, that in time all things would come to an end, but with death as its domain it alone would endure. In this way Ukit rose up and took its place among the three.

The Kieps honor both Nakiet and Tipapku, but fear Ukit. No offerings are made to the lord of death, in the hopes of avoiding malevolent attention. In the same vein the dirge offered on behalf of the dead has no words, to keep all secrets from the ears of Ukit. While the Kiep do not generally draw their gods in art, Nakiet and Tipapku are occasionally pictured as abstracted male and female forms, but Ukit is never portrayed.

Spirits

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Beyond the gods, the Kieps understand the world to contain many spirits. These belong to animals, plants, landforms, and weather patterns for the most part. All of these are tangible, physical things. Spirits representing abstract ideas might well exist, at least shamans have not denied the possibility when I presented it to them, but the Kieps have no interest in such entities.

Instead they focus their attention on spirits of those things with direct relevance to their lives. Offerings are given to spirits of domestic animals and edible plants in order to increase prosperity, while predators and diseases are fought with injunctions to bar their presence. Spirits associated with superlative traits will receive prayers that they might share these traits with those in need. In general it is animal spirits that receive the most attention, since Kiep culture is so focused upon animals.

Shamans

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Among the Kieps the sole religious figure is the shaman. There is no hierarchy or any sort of formal church structure, simply a collection of individuals with similar training and mindset. Shamans hold an outsize role in Kiep society, and possess a wide mandate along with multifaceted responsibilities. These include their primary duty as spiritual intercessors, but they also preside at ceremonies, heal the sick, divine the future, administer punishments, and serve as a generalized councilors. Despite being kept rather busy by these many tasks many shamans also meddle in politics, for a shaman can rule against a course of action proposed by a chief or khan in the name of the gods. However, the constant mobility demanded by their duties makes it difficult for them to retain a solid grasp on the levers of power in Kiep society. Additionally, because shamans are significantly more numerous than chiefs at perhaps one in every thousand Kieps, those leaders can usually play competing shamans against each other in order to preserve their agendas.

Officially the call to become a shaman is not felt until later in life, after adulthood has been achieved. However, most shamans extensively groom prospective candidates long before this, usually beginning around puberty, beginning with instruction in the use of medicinal plants and the many groups of spirits. It is considered a great honor to be chosen as a shaman, but the burden of this role is a heavy one. Shamans are honored by all other Kieps, but in many ways stand outside the rest of their society and live a lonely existence without a true home.

It is for this reason that I believe most prospective shamans are chosen from those already in many ways isolated from the rest of Kiep society. Persons who identify as 'third sex,' a term used for those who believe the physical nature of their body does not match their being, are almost always chosen to become shamans. Only a shaman can be physically identifiable as a woman yet freely identify as a man, and vice versa, without suffering immense stigma. Such individuals, though rare, fill a large plurality of the shaman roles among the Kieps. Others are drawn from the portion of the population that is principally attracted to members of their own sex, as these persons often struggle with the demands of traditional marriage, specifically reproduction. Shamans, being prohibited marriage, avoid this difficulty entirely.

All shamans apprentice beneath another shaman for four years before they begin work on their own. They are considered free to travel as they will, but mostly remain close to their tribal homelands, for though they are considered welcome anywhere in Misei, their reception tends to be the most positive among those who know them well. Shamans have few possessions, but upon assumption of their staves they will be gifted a white horse from the chieftain. White horses are very rare among the Kieps and the khans keep special breeding stock to serve the needs of the shamans.

For all other needs shamans must depend upon the largess of others. They may never possess a ger of their own, or any livestock beyond their singular horse. Instead they live a life of continual guest status, though the most highly honored of visitors. Many shamans prefer to sleep outdoors whenever possible as a result, lying only in their great coats and saddle blankets. Only in the harshness of winter will they impose their presence within a ger. They prefer to lodge with elderly folk rather than vibrant young families.

Shamanism is a fairly grim business. Continual sacrifice of animals, service as confessor and purifier in case of misdeeds, and mandatory attendance at funerals gives many a haunted expression while still in their youth. Many shamans spend time in the summer digging graves in lonely places in the mountains, knowing that the frozen ground would resist shovels when the winter begins to claim lives. While such preparation is a clear display of wisdom, it must be a truly melancholy endeavor.

I shall make no comment regarding claims of spiritual communion. I do note that the ceremonial showmanship of most Kiep shamans is quite masterful. As healers, rather, I can present observations of somewhat greater validity. Kiep medicine is a fairly primitive affair, but shamans are not without knowledge. Their training involves extensive dissections of sheep and their understanding of anatomical structure is quite good as a result. Likewise they observe pregnancies and have a practical knowledge of potential complications, including those amenable to resolution and those beyond their means. I have seen them identify and set bone fractures and dislocations with some skill. They know enough to clean their knives and needles and to heat them to prevent putrefaction following simple surgical procedures.

Use of medicinal herbs, especially in tea, is an extensive practice, both to heal and to purge out foul spirits. The efficacy of such ministrations is no more or less dubious than I have observed among any other culture, though the plants might be different. A more curious practice is the proscription that certain wounds should be soaked in boiling blood or immersed in the spilled entrails of a freshly killed animal. I believe they do this as a means of attempting to confuse Ukit by coating the threatened life with the essence of one already lost, though I have not noted any concrete effects.

Kiep shamans live under many restrictive taboos. They are forbidden marriage, and adultery is no more allowed to them than other Kieps. Sexual congress is not prohibited and many shamans engage in relations with each other. Widows and widowers may also enter into prolonged relations with a shaman if these feel they are past the point of remarrying.

Shamans are likewise prohibited military service. Though they will usually travel with the army to act as healers and conduct funerals following battle, they are not to raise bow or blade against other Kieps save in the defense of their own lives. Deliberate attacks on a shaman are almost unknown however. The penalty is a particularly brutal death, involving being tied to a post and slathered with maggot-filled remains. Even outcasts, who might be said to have cause to hate shamans, almost never attempt such acts. Just as a shaman controls no wealth, they are not to control other Kieps directly and may not become chiefs or khans. Kiep history does suggest that a number of leaders have been little more than the puppets of powerful, charismatic shamans, but this is not usual.

Upon death a shaman, unlike other Kieps, is not buried. Instead they are wrapped in their many-furred coats and carried to a high place. The body is then exposed in the open, that the vultures might consume all that has been left behind. I asked the reason behind this several times, but only once was even a partial explanation granted. There was some extremely convoluted point involving the nature of the lord of death Ukit, the position of essences, and the spiritual bonds shamans hold with the creatures of the world involved, but I was unable to take notes for some time thereafter and confess I have no clear memory for the particulars. Attempts to clarify the issue have not been well received.

A shaman's ceremonial equipment includes the aforementioned white horse and patch-fur coat, several knives including a hooked blade and at least one made with no metals, a long wooden staff at least equal to their own height usually of oak, and a small horsehide drum. All of these items save the knives the shaman fashions with their own hands and replaces as they are worn down. Should their horse die they go to the chief and request a new one, often giving the new animal the same name.

Sacred Sites

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The life of a shaman is extremely taxing. The travel thousands of kilometers every year between widely scattered encampments. They conduct exhaustive ceremonial duties, including spending the night of the winter solstice outdoors no matter the weather conditions; an act that can very easily kill the unprepared. These demands press on their bodies and many shamans struggle to retain the physical strength and endurance to keep up with extensive duties as they age. Unlike other Kieps, however, they do not ride out to die. Instead they simply retire to one of four sacred locations.

These sites are scattered across Misei, one in each khanate, and each one hosts between five and ten elderly shamans at any time. The shamans live in small campaign tents rather than gers in close proximity to each sacred location. They may also store historically important artifacts on site beneath stone mounds. All of these sacred locations lie upon the Sei River, highlighting the importance of that waterway in Misei.

Seipna is the only one of these sites located in the north. It is a small, spring-fed, shallow lake that marks the headwaters of the Sei River. The waters here are clear and cold for the rush of spring snow-melt prevents in-growth on the lake edges. The shamans keep their camp in the lee of a small hill just to the west. They have dug out small portions of this mound to use as storage for sacred artifacts, including the remains of a number of rare animals taken by khans in great hunts such as the tiger skin one showed me. It is forbidden to venture into the headwaters of the Sei, but the shamans will throw buckets and extract water from the lake to pour over supplicants seeking purification. Due to the spring-fed nature of the lake this water remains extremely cold even in the height of summer.

Patniemau is located in the far west at the heart of the Patni Gorge. The site itself occupies a single crevice about half the way up the gorge wall. Water flows out from this cavern continually, even in the worst drought conditions. This liquid is tainted a strange pale green-blue shade by some process I do not entirely understand but I suspect has to do with metals in the rocks of the caverns where the water originates. This cavern system is apparently deep and vast, and the entrance is sufficiently wide that a person could squeeze through, however the space beyond is completely unknown for the Kieps believe that the awareness of Ukit falls upon any who pass this threshold and to do so is expressly forbidden. I am told that several outcasts have tried, but none have returned.

The shamans here live on the opposite side of the gorge and move their camp up and down in response to changes in water level. They have dug out vaults along the upper slopes to store sacred items, mostly ancient weapons from the early days of the Kieps. Patniemau has a unique place in Kiep society for this is where an outcast seeking redemption must come. One who drinks three bottles worth of the green water and survives, which I am told is far from assured, probably due to some dangerous metals it contains, will be considered dedicated to the proper path and assigned a suitably suicidal task that they might be cleansed of their status in death.

Leipu is a peculiar feature sited on a bend in the Sei’s lower course. On the bluffs here one finds numerous partially exposed stumps and trunks that were very clearly once trees, but are now solid stone. I could not possibly say how this process occurs, even though I am aware that lost forests of this peculiar nature are found elsewhere. Significantly the growth patterns and preserved bark are suggestive of species not found in Misei, but that are prominent in the nearby arxs. This location is therefore of incredible value to my order, and I would advise any others who come this way to seek it out. The shamans who camp in the shelter of the river’s bend do not mind visitors so long as they do not try to dig up or strip away the stone trees they consider sacred to the earth goddess. Much driftwood collects on the long low sandbars that accrete in this great bow of the Sei and the shamans collect and carve this material for use in trade.

Napunienie is the last of the sacred sites and perhaps the most spectacular. It is a massive monolith, a great broad arrowhead of stone that rises fully two hundred meters upwards from the center of the river. The stone is darkly ferrous and therefore sacred to Nakiet. The sides are incredibly steep and smooth, and the stone is seemingly hard as steel. As a result the great rock looms almost completely lifeless above the plain.

Kieps will take boats out to this great rock and stand up one of a handful of accessible points about the base in order to honor Nakiet. They do not attempt to climb it. Legend has it that the great shaman hero Pukutim once attempted the ascent, but reached no higher than a solid spear throw upwards before he heard the voice of Nakiet upon the wind and was told that this passage to the sky was not for humans to walk. He was then hurled into the water, but landed at sufficient depth to survive. A series of attempts by reckless foreigners to reach the summit across the centuries have yet to even see a climber reach halfway, and many deaths have resulted, which the Kieps take as justification of the prohibition. Any climber who manages to survive the descent after giving up faces the death sentence if caught by the Kieps.

The shamans at Napunienie camp on the bank, moving in the spring to avoid the flood. They sometimes find stranded sturgeon, which they harvest for scales and bony plates. Their artifacts are stored in fish-bladder bags, mostly weapons associated with great warriors and the masks of legendary shamans.

Life After Death

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Kieps believe that following death the fallen pass into the underworld, interpreted as some vast expanse of caverns far below the surface, to be purified. Once cleansed, they return anew through birth to live a new life. This cycle repeats endlessly. The purification process is not considered to be instantaneous or equal. The faceless and formless deity Ukit, a being without any proper physical presence, presides over death and can prolong the process nearly indefinitely. The deceased must win free of Ukit’s grasp in order to return to life. Interpretations of how this precisely occurs are rather varied, ranging from a literal battle between shade and spirit to a more dispassionate judgment that reviews the past life in extraordinary detail and beyond. All interpretations stress that an honorable life, lived with valor, observance, and proper care in all things reduces the time required to gain rebirth, while excesses, cowardice, or disrespect of the spirits will prolong it. Outcasts, notably, are singled out for a particularly lengthy period below, for it is believed that they will not return until after all Kieps have gone from Misei.

Kiep thoughts on this process do not extend to foreigners. They expect that they will be looked after by their own spirits. For this reason they try to send off enemy fallen according to their own traditions rather than the Kiep way.

Divination

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The Kieps believe that shamans can offer guidance in times of difficult choices by communing with the spirits. This is done by taking the shoulder bone of a sheep, heating it an open fire, and examining the cracks that form. Divinations of this nature form a key part of shamanic duties.

Precision is not expected. Khans do not consult the shamans on battle tactics or herdsmen on where to graze their flocks. Rather they look for generalized guidance such as whether to go to war at all, when the tribe should shift locations, the general region where the winter hunts should be held, and similar broad courses of action. The greater portion of these questions hinge on anticipating weather patterns across large areas of Misei. Ideally the shaman’s guidance will prevent the herds from stumbling into a crisis.

While I would not venture a judgment regarding the efficacy of the process itself, the shamans have a surprisingly good record with regard to weather-based predictions. I believe that they utilize their wide wanderings to study the sky and vegetation and therefore have a strong baseline informing their predictions. In the wide open sky of Misei even my own limited weather lore has proven useful, so I do not doubt that the shamans are quite skilled in the detailed study of movement of clouds and stars.

Views of Foreign Faiths

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The Kiep approach to religious devotion is ultimately a simple and straightforward one that spares little time on complex ideas of doctrine. Therefore they are not inclined to interrogate the views of others. Most of their neighbors hold to shamanistic practices of their own that, though they may differ in the particulars of which spirits are honored, remain quite familiar overall. They find the dominant faith of the scattered oasis states to the south, Engmarism, with its strictures of moral self-improvement perfectly respectable if rather pointless. Achanism, the belief that the Ancients were merely honored ancestors whose fellowship the dead join if they live suitably pious lives, confuses them. This faith is dominant among the settled peoples of the southeast and the majority of Noricia’s population as a whole, and no doubt many of the readers of this document are adherents. Kieps consider all humans born of the gods, and therefore the Ancients, if they were indeed human, were no different, regardless of their ability to create arxs.

These viewpoints are ultimately rather neutral and do not lead to hostility on the basis of faith. Kieps are perfectly content to let outsiders believe whatever they wish, including those persons such as myself who profess to supernatural devotion of any kind. When I questioned a shaman on this he told me ‘Ukit shall assign the dead their proper places, why would we do the work of the underworld?’ I found this answer to be very much in keeping with the general tenor of Kiep spirituality.

Law

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There is no distinct Kiep legal code. This is not surprising given that the Kieps are an essentially illiterate people. They have no written language or even an alphabet, only the symbols they use for brands, trail markers, and numerals for calculation. Their oral histories deal with heroes, not legal rulings or criminal punishments.

Instead Kiep law is built upon an informal tradition of customs and religious prohibitions with considerable leeway provided to the chieftain, khan, or shaman who makes the pronouncements. This system is harsh, simple, and swift, as might be expected among a nomadic people.

Crimes of a non-spiritual nature are adjudicated by the tribal chief or, in particularly serious cases, by the khan. Most basic crimes are punished by some number of strikes from the whip, a handful for assault or theft coupled with the return of all stolen goods and a fine, many for violation of military discipline or the infliction of serious injury. Killing another’s livestock is considered a very serious crime and is punished by branding. Adultery is punished by up to one hundred lashes, determined between the chieftain and the aggrieved party. Women are usually lashed over their clothes to prevent scarring. The only punishment for murder is death.

Chiefs and khans generally have rather limited authority over other Kieps, but the call to military service is one absolute order they may compel. Failure to answer this call will result in declaration of the coward as outcast, and all their assets will be forfeited and redistributed. On campaign discipline is very strict. Severe punishments are meted out for loss or hoarding of any equipment. Desertion, or flight in battle before the retreat is called, is punishable by death.

There are no formal courts. Charges of a crime may be adjudicated by a respected noble or a shaman for minor matters or by a chief for serious ones. The khan holds court to address military crimes. The accused may speak on their own behalf, or find another to serve as their advocate if they are willing. The accuser is expected to give their complaint in person, but the judge may have an agent gather evidence and present it as well. Decisions are made swiftly and are always final. While time may be taken to gather evidence, I have not heard of any Kiep judgment taking more than a day.

Spiritual crimes are adjudicated by shamans. The list of prohibitions is rather eclectic but not especially lengthy. All spiritual transgressions are punished corporally; there are no fines or forfeitures. The typical punishment is to tie the offender to a post and administer some number of strikes from the shaman’s heavy wooden stave. Alternatively they may simply be left out exposed for some time in order to properly appreciate ‘the wrath of Misei.’

In addition to various seemingly inexplicable prohibitions such as no trespassing in arxs and no killing of a wolf on the autumnal equinox, one of the more notable rules concerns water sources. Water is precious in Misei, especially drinkable water not overly silted or otherwise contaminated. It is considered a great crime to foul any water source. Kieps therefore do not wash their clothes in streams or ponds, but instead pull water out using buckets and carry it sufficiently far away that the grime will filter through soil rather than run back into the reservoir. They site latrines carefully for the same reason, and take such measures as they can to prevent their livestock from defecation in water sources. Should they swim, which is a rare occurrence, they will only do so naked and after scraping themselves clean.

Spiritual customs also covers most sexual matters, though curiously not adultery, which is considered a violation of property law due to the nature of Kiep marriage. As I mentioned previously, fornication between Kiep children is prohibited, though the punishment is generally extremely mild unless pregnancy occurs. Sexual congress between a Kiep adult and a child, by contrast, is punished most seriously, with the adult in particular usually beaten until senseless. Accusations of rape are presented to the shaman and taken most seriously. Should one party be found guilty, the punishment is to be made outcast. Such trials are rare. Women raped by their husbands simply leave, and unmarried women or widows usually go to their relatives and beg vengeance instead of seeking justice. Officially such feuding is forbidden, but chiefs are liable to turn a blind eye to these events if they understand the cause.

This generally respectful law with regard to the sanctity of the body does not, I must admit, hold on campaign. Kiep warriors will readily indulge in the rape of both foreigners and Kieps of other tribes once the foe has broken before them. In general there are few if any rules regarding the conduct of Kieps toward their enemies, though the person of an emissary is considered sacrosanct.

Property and Inheritance

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Kieps, being a nomadic people, do not apply ownership to land. Each tribe claims such pastures as it can defend, but otherwise all of Misei belongs to all. Anyone, Kiep or otherwise, may travel as they will, and travelers are not to be accosted and in fact may expect warm hospitality from all, though no one will lift a hand to protect them from outcasts. Such few buildings as the Kieps possess are held in common by the tribes. All forms of owned property are therefore physical goods.

Property ownership is divided by sex. Men and women do not own the same items. Men own livestock and the implements of herding, saddles, tack, rope, bows, and other essential outdoor gear as well as their own clothes and any military weapons and armor they may possess. Women own essentially everything else. Gers and all they contain, cooking pots and utensils, rugs, furniture, bedding, carts, and the rest. However, it is only widows who truly own these things in their own right, for wives are considered in some sense property of their husbands. This becomes quite clear regarding the question of inheritance. Should a wife die before her husband her possessions revert to his custody. If he is young enough these will be used to provide for a new wife, otherwise they will generally be passed on to a son or some other related youth seeking to acquire the means to marry. Elderly widowers who do this then go and live in the households of younger brothers or sons.

If, as is more common, the husband dies first, these goods pass to the youngest son, including the wives themselves, who the son is strongly encouraged to marry. The exception is his natural mother, who retains her possessions in her own right as a widow. Such women usually move their gers to live with male relatives, though if they have not yet borne children and remain of child-bearing again they will face strong pressure to remarry.

The remaining possessions of the father will be inherited by the eldest son, however this is rarely all they own save in cases of unexpected violent death, for elderly men usually gradually spread their goods across their descendants through extensive gifts. This does not include any titles or military ranks. Such positions instead stand open and must be claimed. The immediate family generally has priority by virtue of prestige and usually greater wealth, but no specific brother or son has any stronger claim than another. Regrettably, when a khan dies his family usually swiftly draws blades upon each other.

Outcasts

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I have mentioned outcasts several times up to this point, but I feel this point appropriate to treat the subject in detail. All Kieps are considered to be equal before the gods. They keep no slaves and even the poorest among them without a single horse of their own may stand before the greatest of khans and be heard. The only exceptions are those who have been outcast.

Outcast is a formal status applied only as a punishment. Those so afflicted are branded upon both cheeks that they might never hide their nature. In Misei they have no rights. Any may rob them or kill them as they wish, and they will receive no burial upon death. They are usually turned out from their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs and generally do not survive for long without the clandestine aid of relatives.

The life of an outcast is wretched. Most do not survive for long, for even if Misei does not kill them their fellow Kieps eventually will. Some few try to flee Misei, but they are unlikely to find a welcome elsewhere. Those who repent seriously may travel to Patniemau and seek a suicidal task that will serve to cleanse their status upon death, but perhaps unsurprisingly this is not a common choice.

It is important to recognize that outcasts are hardly numerous. No more than a handful of persons will incur this particular punishment in any given year. Most will be rapists, for the willful violation of other strictures that impose this punishment is easily avoided and only a madman would make such a choice deliberately.

**Mechalich** · 2019-12-17, 11:35 PM (ISO 8601)

Warfare
For all that I have witnessed war ravage the endless grassland of Misei firsthand, and even played an inappropriately large part in a great military conflict; I am not myself a warrior and have never been. I have fought, and even killed, other men, but I have never served as a soldier. Perhaps I made the Death Eagle, but I was no rider in her horde. As such the following description of Kiep warfare might not be impartial, but it remains the description of an outsider.

Equipment

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Among the Kieps military dress does not truly differ from everyday clothing. They wear their usual belted robes and carry their bows while riding. From afar a Kiep herdsman and a military scout appear wholly identical. The only real difference is that warriors expecting combat will make certain to wear a thick undershirt, of silk if at all possible, to mitigate the impact of arrow wounds.

Standard military gear is quite routine, with every soldier expected to carry the same items. The standard list is roughly: one cooking pot, two leather bottles, one lasso, rope, a waterproof bag, and a repair kit including needle and thread, awl, and file. Compact tents, similar in style to the traditional ger but much smaller and lower topped, are shared by squads of ten men. These are often not actually erected and the soldiers simply sleep wrapped in the felt covering. Spare horses are also required, with a minimum or four and a maximum of six for each man, and at least two saddles and full sets of tack.

All soldiers will carry simple round shields. These are usually of osier, wicker, or light wood and covered in a crude lacquer made from pitch. These hang from the shoulder by a leather strap so they do not interfere with the ability to fire the bow in both directions. Other armor is relatively rare, though nobles and the elite retinues of chieftains and khans will usually possess it. This is almost always a form of lamellar armor with multiple tied points, six being most common, between each piece. The plates are usually hardened leather, and the nature of the design is such that when the body bends in the saddle the layers ride up and doubles over. They also wear shaped conical helmets of similar material with neck guards. These are occasionally reinforced with iron plates. I have seen lamellar made with metal scales upon khans and their family members, but this is very rare. There are also some rare suits of mail appropriated from other peoples. Nobles and elite cavalry also use lamellar and padding to armor their horses.

Weapons

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The principle Kiep weapon is the bow. For purposes of war they carry at least two and ideally three. Two will be cavalry bows, the spare allowing one to remain strung at all times, and the other a slightly stronger bow for use dismounted. There are some variations in the precise nature of the designs according to different styles favored by master bowyers, but all are composite bows made using wood, horn, and sinew. These weapons have a very powerful draw of nearly seventy-five kilos, with the infantry version regularly over eighty. To draw these with the swiftness demanded by Kiep cavalry operations requires constant practice in the relevant motions, which utilize the full strength of the body. Kieps begin training as young as four on simple bows for children and gradually work their way up to bows of military strength. All carry a quiver with sixty arrows, divided in strength and point type, to supply their missiles. The baggage train will carry endless spare arrows.

All other weapons are very much secondary. There are elderly Kiep warriors who have been in dozens of battles but never so much as raised any weapon other than their bows.

Kieps are masters of mounted archery, and vastly prefer this approach to fighting dismounted. This is their principle method of attack, a constant storm of arrow barrages while in continual motion. Such maneuvering includes deadly bowshots while galloping both toward and away from the enemy. Other weapons are utilized only in two specific circumstances, when called to the charge and when pursuing routed opponents.

In addition to their bows, most Kieps carry a long knife and a one-handed axe into battle and sometimes a mace. Most also carry a spear, or in the case of heavy cavalry a reinforced lance. That latter is the key weapon of the main charge. The elite will also usually carry sabers. The Kiep saber is a broad-bladed single-edged one-handed weapon with a slight curve near the point. This is a cavalry weapon, one used to slash at other riders or vulnerable infantry in great sweeps. It is poorly suited to any complex forms of blade-work. Such sabers, even those carried by the khan and his family, are usually plain. It is the bows, and especially bow cases, that with be luxuriantly embellished.

Organization

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Kiep armies are setup in a very simple decimal fashion. Ten riders form a squad, led by a sergeant. This unit shares one tent and usually a single cook fire. Ten squads form a company, led by a lieutenant. Ten companies form a battalion. This thousand man unit is usually led by a tribal chieftain, but units cobbled together from multiple tribes may have a captain appointed by the khan. The thousand man battalion is the core army unit and is expected to be wholly capable of independent operations, with a supporting baggage train. When an individual tribe rides to raid or hunt this will be the active unit. The khan most often simply commands a group of these units directly through their chieftains, usually no more than a dozen or so as it is rare for the entire khanate to ride to war. This procedure likewise comes into play during succession struggles when individual tribes declare their allegiance various candidates within the khanate.

In the event that the khan does call up every tribal banner, then units of ten thousand will be formed beneath generals chosen directly by the khan, usually brothers or sons. Even then, such a massive unit is more of a logistical framework than a functional field formation. Ten thousand men might not seem oversized compared to some armies, but Kiep forces are entirely cavalry and as every man has multiple horses this greatly increases their operational size.

Strategy and Tactics

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The basic Kiep approach is to take the enemy unawares. They march in divided columns surrounded by scouts and communicating by rapidly riding messengers. When the enemy is located they join together with great swiftness. They are fond of attacking late in the day after opponents are tired from the march. It is always preferred to attack an enemy not fully assembled and they will often decline battle when face with a prepared opponent. Instead they will send out raiders to attack some nearby vulnerable target in an attempt to force retaliatory assaults.

Once in battle they seek to envelop the foe by throwing the flanks forward. If able to achieve this they will be able to unleash a nearly constant arrow barrage from all sides in the hopes of disrupting enemy formations. Once the foe loses cohesion and wavers they will launch the heavy cavalry charge to break it. If the foe does not waver, or counters to bring the Kieps into melee then they will withdraw. Such retreats are generally made in good order, and every opportunity is taken to turn about and fall upon pursuers who have lost formation in the course of pursuit. Feigned retreats of this nature are often used as a deliberate tactic, and may last for days.

I should note that the Kieps do not fight as conquerors. Warfare, to them, is simply raiding on a larger scale or a means to determine dominance among their own. They seek to defeat opposing armies not out of any desire for glory, but to remove them as an obstacle to free plundering. If they gain valuable gear or prisoners to ransom in the process so much the better. Taking and holding territory is simply not among their goals. As such, when they overwhelm enemy strong points they do not invest them, but tear them down instead.

Raiding

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Most Kiep military activity is actually raiding. The Kiep goal in warfare is the acquisition of goods, and every soldier seeks the chance to gain more than he would have by staying at home. The khan demands loyalty, but must earn such support by rewarding the service of his soldiers. This is particularly necessary as the service of soldiers is otherwise completely unpaid.

The most common target for Kiep raiding is other Kieps, usually from a neighboring tribe, but often from other khanates. Livestock is the primary target, since they are easily driven off by mounted riders in a rush compared to heavier household goods. Raiding occurs during the window associated with the summer gathering and is a matter of tribal affairs.

Intertribal raiding is mostly a matter of maneuver. Warbands scattered across the grassland attempt to bypass scouts and defenders to find undefended herds and drive them back to home pastures before reprisal can reach them. Battle, should it occur, is a wild scrum of bowshots in which the first side to strike is likely to be victorious. This is simply a result of the initial barrage inevitably injuring or slaying many horses, rendering continued competition into hopeless attrition neither side is willing to countenance for long. The result are savage and swift battles.

Khans call up larger raids, which is how most other societies experience Kiep military action. These army-scale operations occur in winter in lieu of a hunt. While these might be directed at another khanate they are far more often directed outwards at neighboring civilizations. However, the threat to the home herds and pastures means that in general the khan only calls for those tribes that attended the summer gathering to join the raiding force in a given year. The most preferred targets are the oasis states to the south or the southeastern kingdoms. Raids to the east are less common but do occur, as though the forest dwellers lack wealth they produce many fine wooden goods. North is the least likely direction to be raided, but is known to happen in years of drought, for the weather dynamics of the two grassland regions vary and it possible for one region to have thick grass in a year the other has naught but ragged stems. The Kieps do not raid to the west due to a lack of viable targets there.

Though it may seem odd in comparison to the tendency of settled armies to prefer winter months for raiding, especially in the frigid environment of Misei, there are solid reasons for this. For one, the work of herding is lessened in the cold months as there is no milking to conduct and no young to watch over so the manpower can be more easily spared. Additionally, the grasslands rarely buildup especially thick snow in flat regions, so riding is little hindered, and in fact the ability to ride across frozen rivers removes many obstacles from a Kiep army’s path. Finally, the Kiep are hardy folk and are well equipped to endure cold, while enemy armies often break after days of continual harassment and forced marches in the midst of winter.

Plunder is the primary goal of all raids, regardless of scale. Consequently, it is usually possible to buy a Kiep army off by proffering tribute rather than mustering opposition. So long as the offer is sufficiently valuable that the khan can consider it appropriate to his dignity, which seems to translate into a quantity that will satisfy the greed of the individual riders, tribute will almost always be accepted. The Kieps have a fairly frank appreciation for the losses suffered in warfare and the chance to trade away all losses for lesser gains is one they grasp tightly.

Succession Struggles

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Kiep battles to decide a new chieftain or khan unfold somewhat differently from other military contests they undertake. The purpose of such a struggle is to determine the strongest candidate for the new role, a criterion that precludes wholesale butchery. A numerically hopeless cause will be abandoned by its followers, and a would-be leader who wastes the lives of his riders is likely to have a lance struck through his back. Instead, the various candidates take time to gather, often coercively, as many warriors as possible to their banner before attempting to engage their rivals. Those with greater numbers seek out weaker opponents in sequence, gradually reducing the factions to two before a final clash.

Actual battles in this sort of conflict utilize the typical envelopment tactics. This is a maneuver heavy approach, with each side engaging on the wings in mounted archery and skirmishing in a prolonged struggle to gain position to allow a three-sided attack. Battle is generally decided when one side sees that they have gained sufficient advantage in this positional conflict to order a heavy charge. Assuming this judgement is correct the opposition will not stand against the charge, but will melt away instead. If the judgement is in error and the opposition remains determined to seek victory they will counter-charge. The flanks will broadly disengage in the case of dueling charges, allowing the sharp central clash to decide matters.

If at any point one of the candidates falls their followers will withdraw immediately. Usually they scatter, with each rider deciding where to stand thereafter. Sometimes a powerful relative or subordinate can hold together a sufficient core to either back a different candidate or even declare their own claim, but this is rare. Victory is considered its own justification.

This makes the elimination of the enemy commander a priority goal in all such battles, which combines with the need of these commanders to prove their prowess through direct participation to induce a staggeringly high casualty rate. A very large proportion of all those who would lead perish on the battlefield.

These methods lead to short, sharp, succession struggles. Often there is only a single battle necessary, as the victor will likely absorb sufficient force to overawe any remaining opponents. I am not aware of any internal conflict that included more than four engagements or took longer than a full year. This rapid resolution, along with the focus on archery and maneuver in battle, works to preserve Kiep lives in these otherwise very frequent conflicts.

Hunts

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A given khan may go many years between callings for a major raid. This is not a matter of mercy, but awareness that it takes time for regions to recover after having been plundered. They see no sense in attacking the impoverished. Instead, the winter raiding window will be used for a hunt. Very different from individual stalking, this is a massive joint enterprise that is in every sense a military operation. It is simply that the target to be plundered is animals rather than people. Participation in the hunt is just as mandatory to the call to arms, and considered essential training.

Prior to calling the hunt the khan consults with the shaman and a region is picked out to serve as the target. Outriders are sent to mark the starting and ending lines with flags. The host then assembles along a vast starting line in a great arc. From this beginning they advance slowly in unison, beating the grassland and making a great deal of noise all the while to drive all animals in the landscape forward. As the movement progresses the wings will gradually advance further and further forward to insure no game can escape to the side. Riders swap in and out of the line in shifts and sleep in the saddle as needed. The process continues through the night and even snow, though a true blizzard will halt it. This continues for several days until the encirclement completes at the pre-determined endpoint. They may progress as much as a hundred kilometers over the course of a hunt.

Once the end is reached the circle gradually compresses inward, great care being taken to drive the utterly panicked game together and insure nothing escapes. When at last gathered together tightly the khan signals the beginning of the slaughter by launching a whistling arrow. Thousands of shots follow, and later blades and maces may be used to finish the process. Prestige is attached to the more dangerous targets, identified by the signature fletching on the arrows. The entire process demands discipline, and failures to hold one’s place in the line or to engage before the khan’s signal invoke severe punishment.

No meat is wasted from a hunt of this nature. Winter aids in this regard, since on the frozen grassland there is little risk of spoilage. The rewards of a hunt are significant and may form a considerable supplement to the winter diet of many families. Unfortunately, the fortunes of livestock and wild game on the steppe are linked, and they share both bad and good years in dependence upon the grass. A wise khan calls the hunt in good years in the hopes of building up surplus and sends out raids in bad years that the horses might at least forage elsewhere.

Neighbors

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Though Misei is a relatively self-contained region, the Kieps are a travel ready people and they are both an influence upon and influenced by their neighbors. As such, it is necessary to speak at least lightly upon the neighboring peoples and their general relationship with the Kieps to complete any discussion of Misei.

The west represents the least significant relationship. The Pnarlen Mountains, while in some ways less hostile than the vast open grasslands, are full of high peaks and steep slopes that simply cannot sustain human residence. The region as a whole is barely inhabited and incredibly isolated. The few people who do reside there are confined to a limit set of isolated villages in high valleys with travel restricted to narrow passes regularly closed by snow. Though rich in yaks, the land is poor in everything else. The native people are known as Arrl. Unusually bronzed and shortened due to the rarefied air of their homeland they bear no close resemblance to any nearby people. I believe their origins most likely trace to the western coast peoples from whence my own heritage comes, but it has clearly been a long time since their blood mixed significantly with outsiders. Arrl contact with the Kieps is practically non-existent, to the point that most Kieps believe no one lives in the mountains at all and they have absolutely no idea what lands lie beyond them.

Grassland continues to dominate the land north of Misei for at least a thousand kilometers; more in some places before it gradually blends into the great northern forests. The chill of this region is truly bitter on the open plains, but in the sheltered lee of the mountains or at the forest boundary it grows much milder. Rivers flow northward here, seeking out some distant polar sea beyond the endless woodlands. In many ways a land even harder than Misei, it is nonetheless inhabited. The resident people, the Kakets, are also principally herders, but they do not migrate. Instead they build log houses in forest edges or on lakeshores and drive their herds in great circles throughout the year. Their horses and sheep are particularly furry and they build shelters to protect them during the worst weather.

The Kaket homeland is extraordinarily boggy, with some marshes of truly massive size that it takes weeks for a rider to circle. They have exploited this resource to provide extensive bog iron. This abundance of metal serves as a primary source of trade with the Kieps. Physically, both peoples have considerable similarity and even dress in much the same fashion aside from variances in preferred colors and motifs. Their languages are also quite similar and clearly have a shared origin. Having already become fluent in Kiep, it was only a matter of a few short weeks before I was reasonably conversant in Kaket when I was at last able to visit the northern steppe.

Kiep belief holds that the Kakets are descendants of a great army that, lost in a blizzard, tried to make their way by following a river for many days but did not know it led north rather than to the Sei. The Kakets, for their part, claim they came from even further north, across endless ice. While I have no idea as to the value of the later claim, it is my belief that the Kieps may have the story in reverse, in some sense. It seems quite probable that the Kiep people originated from the Kakets. I shall explain this in more detail with regard to the history of Misei.

In the east Misei’s grasslands turn slowly to savannah and then to the great forest known as Unneth which, at least in some places, stretches unbroken for thousands of kilometers to the distant coast. The immediate region adjoining with Misei is a mixed forest of deciduous and coniferous trees, many growing to considerable height. It is similar to Misei in having fairly short warm summers and long cold winters, but there is considerably more moisture. The upper course of the great Kacloc River serves as the defining feature of this region, with its countless tributaries snaking through the endless forest. It is home to the Uroneq people.

Uroneqs are a forest-dwelling population found primarily along the many rivers. They form small villages in flat-bottomed areas with good soil they can use to grow a modest harvest, which they supplement through hunting and fishing. Though their hunters may range across vast woodland distances, their homes are fixed log houses and their villages have lengthy histories. Widespread, their population lies lightly on the land and their overall numbers are small.

I should note that settlers are moving northward into the southern Unneth, though their progress is very slow. This development is mostly limited to the Kacloc floodplain, where channels of communication with the lands of the south remain open year round. The soil beneath the ancient forest adapts to the plow with greater ease than the grasslands of Misei, once stumps are burned out, which has spurred this movement. The Uroneqs resist this action, often violently, and the advance is extremely gradual and faces periodic retreats.

South-east of Misei the land is complex. A great inland plateau rises up along the western bank of the Kacloc only a short distance below the joining with the Sei. This upland barrier bends along a wide southwesterly arc to reach as far as the eastern corner of Misei’s southern edge. This uplifted region is extraordinarily wild, deeply forested along a series of endless ridges and canyons, and is known as the Dengen Hills. There are few human inhabitants, with the native Egdu people confined to isolated mountain villages accessible only by mule trains.

However, the Dengen Hills have a large gap in their center. Ride directly southeast from Neipu and one passes only a slow and gentle rise between the forested hills and through a wide highland plain of fertile soils. There are no major obstacles in this land between the hills all the way to the Kacloc River. I believe this gap was carved long ago by the Sei, before the Dengen Hills rose to their current heights and it shifted to its current northerly course. The land here is called Nen, a term which I believe merely means ‘gap’ in an archaic form of the Loc language.

Beyond Nen lies the vast alluvial plain of the Lower Kacloc. An elongate region placed between forested upland to the east and west, it remains a land at least as large as Misei and far more hospitable. Known as Nalon, it is home of the Loc people. They are physically similar to the Kieps, sharing the black hair and rounded faces, but they are not so stocky and possess softened cheekbones and more sharply angled eyes. A very numerous population, they fill every corner of Nalon and many other pocket sub-regions along its borders such as Nen. They are a farming people, principally growing millet, rice, and wheat on the astoundingly fertile soil of the alluvial plain. United by ancient blood ties, they have traditionally been gathered into a single empire that controls the whole of the plain and extends influence across tributary kingdoms in the border regions of lesser rivers and upland plateaus. This region has usually had only irregular contact contact with Misei, but those incidents have tended to be of great importance.

To the south of Misei lies the Kexenit Desert, a land of scattered, patchy shortgrass and stunted shrubs. This arid region is unable to sustain large animal herds on a permanent basis, though native animals are fairly numerous. The Kieps do not live here, nor do other nomads, though Kiep raids make careful use of available forage. Much of the land is uninhabited, though occasionally riders round up the wild herds and drive them to slaughter. Population is instead found in concentrated patches in discrete settlements known as oasis states that principally track the paths of two east-west rivers that sluggishly wind their way across the scrub to the Kacloc in the south. These are the Darguar in the north and the Bouliana in the south. The residents of these riverside walled cities are the Igura. These people trace their origins to lands far to the west, beyond the source of the rivers and high mountains. They are distant kin to my own source people with elongate and square faces compared to the other peoples of central Noricia. The Igura rely upon both natural lakes and reservoirs formed using dams to provide the necessary water for the underground irrigation canals needed to sustain intense crop production in this otherwise dry expanse. As appropriate sites are few and far apart they live in compact cities separated by several days ride at a minimum. Despite this limitation, the Igura are considerably more numerous than the Kieps. Boul, their greatest city, claims a population larger than that of all Kieps put together, and though I believe this is exaggerated, it is not by an unreasonable amount.

The independent cities of the Igura, especially those northern ones along the Darguar or isolated lake sites, are the primary target for Kiep raids. These are often prosperous due to mining and trade between the distant southwest and the lands of the Loc. An abundance of metals and gemstones are found to their west and traded for silk from the east. As prime targets of the wrath of the nomads of Misei they despise the Kieps as savage monsters, though they consider the Loc people heathens and love them not either. I do note that, as fairly strict Engmarists, various fundamentalist movements of their faiths have, over the centuries, caused them to brutally purge their region’s arxs, leaving them devastated and depleted of life due to repeated burnings, with many entirely destroyed. A great tragedy indeed.

**Mechalich** · 2019-12-17, 11:42 PM (ISO 8601)

History
The history of Misei is a difficult subject to address. The Kieps, as noted previously, are an illiterate people, and their oral tradition is more concerned with highlighting memorable events rather than establishing any sort of chronology. The epic sagas of their northern relatives the Kakets serve the purpose of ordering events better, but these too lack calibration against any established chronicle. Therefore it is necessary that any serious treatment of Misei’s history rely heavily on external sources. This means those written by the scholars of the oasis states and the various imperial chronologies produced in Nalon. Unfortunately, these records have their own incomplete nature and most treat Misei only tangentially, in terms of the impact of Kiep raids. I have done my best to search out historical accounts of Misei kept by merchants who traded there in the past, and these do provide useful glimpses into earlier periods but are far from comprehensive. As a result the following history will be quite generalized and at times rather speculative, with limited treatment of internal events with Misei. However, because Kiep life changes little over time, I suspect relatively little is lost in this fashion. A Kiep herdsman of five hundred years ago would be readily recognized by a contemporary, and would view the world in much the same way, something that could not be said for many other regions.

I have referenced such dates as I have available using the Celestial Calibration Calendar of my order, in which the current year is 2225. This is a highly accurate and functional calendar and lacks any of the difficult breaks and idiosyncrasies of the imperial Chronicle of Reigns or the mathematically dubious adjustments used to correct the lunar Engmarist Calendar. However, as I suspect many readers do not utilize this chronicle I have also chosen to refer to many events in terms of years before present in the hope of providing effective context.

Misei before the Kieps

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To the best of my knowledge, Misei has been inhabited all the way back to the days of the Ancients. The heavily lichen-encrusted stones at the base of the great ovoos suggest a human presence as old as that found in any other place. In some portions of the grassland it is also possible to observe large raised grave mounds covered with the accumulated soils of many centuries. The Kieps bury their dead in concealed graves that lie flat, not mounds, so these must be the remnant of some earlier culture. I have not excavated any of these myself, as I lack the proper training to truly undertake an assessment of such things, but I know merchants sometimes dig them up seeking riches. Similar mounds are found in portions of the Kexanit Desert, and I have seen items that merchants claim were found within them. These include golden figures of riders upon winged horses, a motif with no contemporary equivalent in Misei. Coupled to decayed horse bits and arrowheads, these suggest that like the Kieps this earlier culture also consisted of nomadic herdsmen.

The earliest historical records I have encountered with any sort of reliability are copies of Sonsoc Empire chronicles that begin around the year 700, or just over fifteen hundred years before the present. These contain scattered references to a people called the Eludui, who ‘rode in the grass beyond Nen.’ This may refer to the mound-building nomads, but there is no certainty. I have not found any artistic depictions, most likely because Nen was at this time still controlled by the Edegu people, the forerunners of the Egdu. It would only during the century beginning in 1300 that the Loc conquered and assimilated the region for the first time, subsuming the Edegu into their own much larger populace.

Regardless of the identity of these early residents they left little behind. They do not appear to have had any influence on the Kieps either, suggesting that they were largely gone by the time the latter appeared in Misei.

The Arrival of the Kieps

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Kiep belief is that they originated in Misei, formed of flesh from spirit by the actions of Nakiet and given the grasslands to be their homeland. They acknowledge the previous presence of the Ancients, of course, but they consider them to represent some earlier cycle of the world that was ended by Ukit, not direct ancestors. As a consequence their early history exists in a timeless, mythic realm involving a series of folktales about famous shamans and warriors such as Pukutim – the shaman hero of a number of folktales involving various important spirits – and does not map conclusively onto any actual events. Kiep history can only be said to take upon the least bit of chronological flavor beginning with the First Khan.

I have endeavored to find a more concrete explanation regarding the origin of the Kieps and to appropriately anchor it at least generally in the record. That starting point, I feel, must be the Kakets. Cultural similarity between Kiep and Kaket is far too great to be considered mere coincidence or convergence, and I believe the truth is that the Kieps represent an offshoot of an earlier Kaket culture. Specifically they are a group that migrated south into Misei from the Kaket homelands in Lehka.

Two central questions surround this hypothesis: when did the migration occur? And what triggered it? Additionally, there is the important corollary inquiry as to the fate of the previous inhabitants of Misei. The various Kiep tales hold no answer, though the absence from them of any mention of people in Misei prior to their emergence suggests that the region was, if not entirely empty, at least very sparsely inhabited when they arrived and they faced no significant opposition with regard to claiming control over it. Information gleaned from both the imperial chronicles and Kaket oral epics do tie together, however, and from these I have developed a general understanding of what seems the most likely set of events.

Firstly, I can note at least one hard boundary. In 1384 the first Wendolac Emperor dispatched a series of diplomatic missions across all of the central Noricia to announce his ascension, receive the traditional submission of subordinate border kingdoms, and commence negotiation of tributary arrangements. Several members of the mission dispatched to Nen chose to continue onward and eventually reached the Sei River. They encountered people there who were surely Kieps. The description of one of the bows used by the ‘savage riders’ by the former soldier who led this mission clearly describes a composite bow in an older Kiep style, similar to several I have seen preserved in sacred sites. So by this date, roughly eight hundred and fifty years ago, the Kieps were firmly established in Misei.

However, I would place their arrival at likely a full century earlier, almost certainly some point between 1250 and 1300. Though the exact date is unclear, I believe the cause is one upon which great confidence can be placed. This is largely because it was a prolonged event of massive significance, one ultimately linked to the disappearance of their predecessors and the downfall of the Zakinoc Empire in 1248.

Drought.

By this I am specifically referred to the so-called ‘Blasting Droughts’ that began in 1214 and lasted for decades, growing progressively worse year by year until by the end even great rivers threatened to dry up, before finally breaking in 1256 with the first truly wet year in a lifetime. Surviving Zakinoc records and the chronicles written by the Wenoldac with regard to the ‘Provincial Division Period’ that followed them document this climatic event in great detail. The Kakets, also, have an entire epic saga detailing the tale of ‘Uxerbak and the Red Dust’ that speaks to the long struggle to survive this time period and one shaman’s endless effort to bring rain. Other ancient histories also reference this event, but no Kiep tale or piece of folklore contains any mention of it, though later droughts are recalled with some frequency. This gap suggests that during this timeframe the Kieps, as an independent people, did not yet exist.

The overall impact of this great drought upon the life of 13th century Noricia cannot be overestimated. The Zakinoc Empire, less than a century old and to that point managed well, succumbed to an outbreak of famine and mass banditry and a new empire would not form for over a century. In the Kexanit Desert springs failed, rivers shifted, and oasis dried up. Whole cities were abandoned and later completely buried in sand. The Igura, then a small population living in the mountain foothills to the west, would later reclaim this depopulated land after the waters returned. Something similar appears to have happened in Misei. The residents, possibly already in decline, appear to have either perished or fled. There are suggestive bits of Arrl folklore indicating that they may have tried to head west, perhaps lured by the promise of snowpack on the high peaks. If so, it seems they did not survive the high desert that waits beyond the Pnarlen Mountains and their legacy came to complete extinction.

This ultimately meant that, when the Kieps finally did travel south, they found a land that despite its immense size was almost entirely empty of residents. The forces of nature had removed any need for conflict in taking possession. This seems a reasonable source of their belief that they have always existed in Misei.

As to exactly when the Kieps arrived I believe they did so while the drought was still in progress. The central reverence for water generally, and the Sei River specifically, in their culture suggests this. In particular, the Sei might well have been the only river still flowing in both Misei and Lehka at the time. I entertain the suspicion that the origin of the Kieps may actually be found in the Kiep belief regarding the origin of the Kakets, only in reverse. The Kakets clearly predate the Kieps, but the idea that out of a sense of superiority to their northern relatives the Kieps repurposed a tale regarding their own origins seems plausible. Specifically the idea of a desperate leader traveling far and wide in winter makes sense in a time of drought, with water and forage scarce, and one who traveled south as opposed to north might well have stumbled upon the Sei and with it the potential for salvation. That all Kiep sacred sites and gathering places are located along the river suggests they expanded rapidly down its course rather than openly across the countryside, a logical choice during drought. The presence of a number of extremely old artifacts at Seipna also suggests that the Kieps may have been there before arriving elsewhere in Misei.

Most likely these migrants originally intended to return north, but when the drought broke and Misei grew green and welcoming for herders again it appears they chose to remain and make their homes in the region.

The First Khan

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Kiep life, as mentioned, demonstrates little change with time. Bows become slightly more advanced, animals slightly better adapted to the environment, and styles of ornamentation gradually shift, but otherwise there is little variation. A Kiep of today would appear quite familiar to one of their ancestors from nearly one thousand years earlier. While the changes in cultural traits such as musical style, dress, and use of foreign products are not without interest I shall avoid detailing them much in this general account, especially as a proper treatment would require the exhumation of many Kiep graves, which I have no desire to conduct. However, there is one particular event that changed Kiep society that is quite fixed in time. That is the rise of Kienikipap, the warrior who became the First Khan.

Kienikipap is a figure of importance beyond Misei alone, for his actions had a significant influence upon several neighboring peoples. He seems to have been born approximately eight hundred years ago, at some point in the 1420s. At this time the Kieps were a wholly tribal people, engaged in continual squabbling among themselves and unable to muster any force in excess of fifteen hundred riders with even that quite rare. They were largely ignored by their neighbors, for even though they were as always fearsome fighters such small numbers could not threaten even the least of the oasis states.

Born into the White Eagle tribe – this probably refers to Halianctus albiarila, rare but very large bird occasionally found wintering near southern lakes – Kienikipap was of noble heritage but not closely related to the chieftain. He made a mark from a young age for his warrior prowess. In particular, he is referenced as the leader of a successful tiger hunt at the age of sixteen, with many veteran warriors following his guidance. Supposedly he killed the animal with a single shot, a rare feat indeed. By the age of twenty he had fought in at least three battles and been noted for his valor when he led a charge that saved his chieftain’s life. This particular achievement advanced him to the tribe’s leadership circle and proved of immense consequence later.

By the time of the year 1448 outside events impacted the Kieps in a substantial fashion for perhaps the first time. At this time the Wendolac Empire was Noricia’s greatest power, bar none. It stood at the absolute height of its strength, victorious in a prolonged campaign of conquests of the border regions. Andorul, the new Emperor, wished to expand his borders further and match the achievements of his predecessors. With the oasis states and many of the more accessible riverside Uroneq villages already sending tribute, Misei must have appeared as the next logical step. Revisionist chronicles have claimed that Andorul was an arrogant fool who sought to make the vast grasslands part of the empire, but I have some doubt regarding this. More likely he had some designs to tame the lower reaches of the Sei River floodplain, already regularly visited by Loc merchants, and to force many of the larger Kiep tribes to pay tribute. In any case, his empire was dependent upon a large military class, one that felt expansion was part of the natural purpose, and so he had to send the army somewhere. No doubt the open plains seemed a better destination than possessions across the mountains to the east.

Armies were therefore duly assembled and a veteran general named Cadacomd given overall command. They began the march in early spring of 1448. Estimates of the size of this army vary. Kiep tales seem inclined to exaggerate its size to as much as half a million, while the Loc chroniclers are inclined to underrate the number in the hopes of claiming they were outnumbered in the end. Several estimates from less partial observers in the oasis states suggests that the actual force contained anywhere from two hundred to two hundred and fifty thousand men.

Many incursions by settled land armies into Misei’s wild grasslands are defeated more by logistics than enemy action. Dozens of punitive expeditions from the oasis states have stumbled about searching in vain to bring the enemy to battle while their provisions fail and disease and hunger drive them to retreat. Cadacomd was fully aware of this danger, for he had served as the principle deputy when those desert fortresses were subdued a decade prior. He built up a massive wagon train and exhaustively drilled his cavalry divisions to protect them. He sent scouts ahead to insure sufficient water to support his movements and kept all elements of his force in close contact so they could not be scattered by enemy raids. In order to lure in the Kieps he offered up endless forms of bait in the form of seemingly isolated units, lost wagon trains, deserters, and more in order to draw the riders close enough for his troops to charge into the fray.

Throughout 1448 he advanced along the Sei, eventually reaching as far as Leipna. He fought easily a dozen engagements and countless skirmishes, and though he took significant casualties, especially among decoy forces, he smashed aside every tribe in his path.

Among the defeated tribes were the White Eagles. The chieftain died leading a charge against a vastly superior force, one whose front line executed a pre-planned break to entrap the riders. Kienikipap was one of those who managed to fight free and lead most of the survivors, no more than a few hundred, away. Subsequently he would become the next chieftain despite the survival of two of the former’s sons. One Ipnakik, submitted freely and later became a noted general. The other, Tietansin, was struck down in a duel said to last only two breaths.

Kienikipap felt the loss in battle, and the presence of foreign invaders, deeply. At least, so it is claimed, though given the connection many Kieps feel for Misei this does not seem unreasonable. That sentiment was common among Kiep leaders, what was not, by contrast, was his good head for numbers. This is sometimes attributed to his Chief Wife Taluikam, and she is regularly praised in the various tales of the First Khan at points that would otherwise make little sense if she were not a critically important adviser. Regardless of the source, Kienikipap understood that, even should the entire host of the Kieps be gathered Cadacomd’s two hundred thousand would still have the advantage of superior numbers. He realized then that in order to have even the chance of victory, that assembly must take place. Direct minded and undaunted by challenge, he set about to do just that.

First, he launched a lightning strike against one of Cadacomd’s many decoy forces. He attacked just long enough to claim a few heads and immediately ride away. The amount of damage was utterly negligible, but it allowed him to maintain the claim that he had won a victory over the invaders. This done, he set about acquiring the support of the other tribes, for it never occurred to Kienikipap that the banner uniting the Kieps should be any other than his own. As it happened he possessed both the tactical acumen and mastery in personal combat to actually make this happen.

Throughout the fall, winter, and much of spring the White Eagles rampaged across Misei. Via dozens of skirmishes and battles and twenty-two recorded duels Kienikipap won endless victories and through them extracted promises from one tribal leader after another to heed his call once winter came. His string of successes was such that, according to the Kiep tales, by the time of the spring flood other chiefs deliberately rode to find him and submit freely. I find such claims dubious, the tribal chiefs of that period would have been far too independent to willingly offer submission. However, it is likely that many chiefs tendered alliance freely through a combination of grievance against the invaders and a desire for plunder and this later became submission once the First Khan’s ascendancy made independence untenable.

Cadacomd, meanwhile, had endured the harsh Misei winter by building wooden winter quarters and fishing through the ice. Once the spring flood receded he was able to secure supplies by barge again and resume his westward march. He continued to win battles, for Kienikipap’s great horde was not yet complete and many scattered tribes, especially those based south of the river, continued to fight alone. However, the rest of the Kieps had learned to fear the invaders and the second year’s march faced comparatively little opposition. Cadacomd reached all the way to the beginning of the Patni Gorge by midsummer. He made no effort to go further, recognizing that it would be impossible to maintain supply lines in the gorge and that the Kieps must be lured into battle and broken in order to properly quell resistance. He chose instead to send out columns armed with torches and set vast swathes of the grassland aflame. This strategy was sound, for it denied forage to the herdsmen, forcing them to give battle or lose the floodplain entirely, but it completed Kienikipap’s program of unification for him as all remaining tribes flocked to the White Eagle banner.

When winter came the Sei froze, and Kienikipap's horde assembled in force. The usually fractious shamans united in support of the new leader and presented him a sword forged from a single piece of meteoric iron. This might sound a fabulous tale, but the sword is quite real. It resides in the relic caves of Patniemau and I have seen it myself. The Kiep poems claim one hundred and twenty thousand rode beneath the White Eagle banner. This number is surprisingly reasonable, and I have not found a better estimate.

Kienikipap met Cadacomd in battle upon the bank of the Sei River, just outside of the imperial army's winter quarters. The newly minted khan – an ancient title that seems to be derived from the Kaket word for hunt master – engaged carefully. He had his riders circle repeatedly at the very edge of their range, lobbing only a few shots before riding away. This did little damage, for the imperials had fortified wooden screens to shield them, but the Kieps kept up this assault for days. Aided by a full moon, they did not cease their harassment even at night. Facing the possibility of a major assault at any point, Cadacomd was forced to keep his men deployed in freezing weather continually. Any attempt to sortie outward ended in disaster as the Kieps turned and pummeled the advance mercilessly. After four days and nights, with his foe exhausted and frozen, the khan attacked from all sides at once.

One might expect accounts of this battle to record a one-sided massacre for the glory of the khan, and that the imperial chronicles would denigrate Cadacomd as a scapegoat for the failure. Instead, both versions of the history agree that, despite their exhaustion and the limitations of horses and gear not meant for the frigid chill of the Misei winter, the veteran troops gave a solid accounting of themselves. The infantry sheltered behind shields throughout the brutal bombardment, and cavalry reserves were preserved to meet the inevitable massed charge. It was a sound plan and the men who held that line valorous, but the Kiep archers were too numerous and too accurate, and in the exhaustion of winter even small wounds were crippling. The frozen floodplain, which had seemed so defensible, became a trap in its openness, and weakened imperial horses could not manage to close with the rough ponies of the nomads. Faced with unceasing bombardment, the shield wall eventually wavered, and Kienikipap's elites charged home.

Cadacomd did counter-charge, and ordered his infantry to join the assault. The resulting melee claimed many Kiep lives, but the ferocity of the riders was unrelenting. They pushed ahead without stopping, the khan leading his core supporters into the heart of the enemy. When they broke through the cavalry line and began to fire arrows into the rear the rout began.

During the subsequent pursuit tens of thousands of imperial troops were slaughtered. Winter claimed the rest, more than were ever slain by the bow or the sword. It was said that vultures were still feasting upon dead men when the spring flood finally washed the land free of their remains. Out of over two hundred thousand men in the army, less than five hundred would return home. These were all prisoners later ransomed by the khan. Thousands more surrendered, only to be executed. Surrender is not a typical part of Kiep warfare, and the khan had no real idea of what to do otherwise, so he ordered the deaths out of expedience. The slaughter was monstrous, but it was not torturous. The prisoners were simply lined up and beheaded.

Cadacomd was among the captured. Kienikipap interrogated him for days, seeking to learn everything he could regarding the defenses of the Wenoldac Empire. Reportedly the general said not a single word. The khan offered his respect at this dedication and slew the enemy general himself.

Grim as the slaughter of the army was, it can at least be said that the dead were soldiers, and the Wendolac advance had offered few mercies to the Kieps of its own. The true horrors of the reign of the First Khan were yet to come. For Kienikipap's dreams did not end with merely driving out the invaders. He burned for vengeance, and also for plunder. The goods taken from Cadacomd's headquarters gave the Kieps their first true taste of the vast riches of Nalon, and they wanted much more. In time, they would be nearly drowning in it.

In 1451 the Kiep horde crossed out of Misei and into Nen. An imperial army waited to fight them, but these soldiers were mostly green conscripts, not Cadacomd's hardened veterans. They broke within moments of facing the massed barrage. As their resolve crumbled they were enveloped and destroyed. Unopposed thereafter, the khan's forces marauded freely across the countryside. They pillaged whatever they wished, nearly at will. However, as members of a people who had never seen so much as a town, they lacked any siege craft. Even modestly-sized walled towns presented immense obstacles to their efforts. If the garrisons were weak they could overwhelm smaller positions through all-out assault, and in some places barrages of fire arrows would burn out a city and allow a gate to be smashed apart, but larger cities proved impossible to overcome save through strict starvation. The latter tactic did not suit the impatient warriors of the horde. Salganar, which served as capital of the province of Nen, had a garrison of not even ten thousand soldiers, but it repelled no less than five assaults and taught the Kieps to fear the deadly bolts of its crossbowmen. When spring came and the horde rode home the city stood unconquered.

However, the ability of some cities to resist attack meant little in terms of the khan's goals. He sought plunder and pillage, not submission. For ten years his riders came each winter to ravage the empire. Several times vast armies were mustered to challenge him on the field. Each one went down to bitter defeat. Though many walled towns were able to endure, this created a complication of its own. The Loc peasantry watched as the landlords and officials preserved their lives behind high barriers while they were left to suffer unprotected. Confidence in the empire collapsed and rebellion took hold throughout Nalon. By 1461 the Wendolac Empire teetered on the brink of collapse between enemies without and within.

However, before the government could fall the veil of Kiep invincibility would break. The governor of Salganar, Banoabab, who later became the first to hold the acclaimed title of General who Subdues Barbarians and was the father of the first Davrol Emperor, took notice of early rains in the spring of 1461 and led his small army out to meet the Kiep forces as they marched back to Misei. There was no need to engage this foe, the horde could have easily simply rode past, but having perhaps grown arrogant or overconfident by his decade of successes Kienikipap chose to offer battle on the ground his enemy had chosen. Yet as the rain poured down in the night the road turned to mush and the Kiep riders walked their horses into a devastating crossbow barrage offered by soldiers up to their knees in water. For the first time under the khan a Kiep army retreated in the face of a Loc one.

The actual damage to the horde was probably fairly modest, Banoabab's forces were simply too small to output the level of fire necessary to overwhelm the khan's army, but the impact on Kienikipap was profound. As a result of this loss he apparently decided he'd pushed the Loc far enough. When he rode up the Sei in late spring he did not return. He would spend the next decade raiding the oasis states, and it would be over a century before any Kiep army ventured deep into Nen. I suspect that it was not merely defeat that motivated this choice, but also a simple matter of diminishing returns with regard to plunder. As the empire grew closer to collapse the rich merchants and nobles pulled their valuables to the south, out of reach of Kiep raids. Consequently, each additional campaign offered less and less in prizes.

It is also likely that by this time Kienikipap was facing a measure of opposition to his leadership. By any estimation he was a general for the ages, with his defeat of Cadacomd alone a masterpiece of military accomplishment, and massively impressive in both tactical and strategic operations. However, the Kiep tales are largely silent on his administration, suggesting a lack of either political skill or, I suspect, simply little interest in trying to establish an overall government for the Kiep people. A warrior born, the first khan lived to ride, fight, and ravage. The idea of crafting an empire simply never entered his thoughts.

In time the chieftains whose loyalty he'd won during the invasion began to be claimed by old age and accident. No mechanism existed for their heirs to acknowledge the leadership of a khan. The position was at that point unique, and many new chieftains felt no need to support the seemingly endless campaigns to the south. This was especially common of those who lived deep within Misei and were content to continue as they always had. Without an external enemy to unify the population Misei proved to be simply too large for one leader to administer.

Plunder from the oasis states served to buy loyalty through 1470, and Kienikipap fought the fatigue of his people by beginning the practice of taking only a portion of his warriors to raid in any given year. In his twilight years, however, he no longer raided each year. In 1473 he was forced to undertake a punitive expedition against the Red Crow tribe when their chieftain refused his call to arms. While the First Khan easily defeated this enemy and executed him in gruesome fashion, it seemed this campaign convinced him that no other would ever be able to command the whole of Misei once he was gone. He made plans accordingly.

Kienikipap had at least thirty five wives over the years, and the total tally of his children stands at some two hundred, with nearly half of them surviving to adulthood. In 1476, struggling with an illness he correctly identified would eventually kill him, he ordered all his offspring to attend him and then disowned all save four before witnesses. Of the four he did acknowledge he declared Misei was to be divided between them. Each would be khan, so long as they could hold the title. The tribal chieftains were accordingly divided and made to acknowledge these new leaders. The shamans approved this division, for four leaders could never override their guidance the way a single voice could.

The First Khan of the Kiep people died near the end of 1477, probably of kidney failure. Kiep legend claims that he perished on the Winter Solstice and the Ukit came in person to collect the great leader, but I suspect this to be nothing but a poetic flourish. He was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere near the site of his great battle with Cadacomd. It is said that every Kiep then living rode desperately that they might stand and watch the passing of his funeral procession.

The Khanate Wars

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As was inevitable, fighting broke out following the death of the First Khan. Not only did the four chosen heirs test each other, but each was forced to face challenges from those sons Kienikipap had disowned. However, the late khan retained his skill at sums to the very end of his life. The divisions he crafted were too well balanced for any one khanate to fall to another. By the time the century turned seven hundred years ago the boundaries were affixed shockingly near their present state. There has been minimal movement ever since.

Nevertheless, so long as living memory of Kienikipap remained Kieps gave their all in fruitless attempts to match his achievements. It would not be until nearly 1550 that the conflict quieted and Kiep life settled into the modern systems that I have described. Much work of tradition building was conducted by shamans, in particular a figure named Hapienikik, who seems to have been responsible for setting up the summer gathering system by restoring and expanding the war forges the First Khan established along the Sei River to supply his great raids. The tales of this person are vague, but the carry the tantalizing suggestion that the shaman traveled to the oasis states to learn masonry, metalwork, and smelting, and returned to share those skills with a new generation of Kiep craftsmen.

The long stretch of early warfare was quite intense at times, and included several attempts by various khans to gain the allegiance of Kaket tribes in the hopes of tilting the balance. Perhaps surprisingly, the constant warfare does not seem to have significantly reduced the population, but it does appear to have expended much of the plunder acquired in Kienikipap's lengthy campaigns. Metal swords and armor broke on the battlefield or rusted in storms and were impossible to replace. Horses perished in arrow barrages and herds shrank from the bloated sizes obtained by regular gorging on foreign grass. This led to gradual refinements in the warfare between Kiep khanates and tribes, with the current focus on the elimination of leaders rather than mass conflict developing during this time.

The Kieps briefly returned to large-scale raiding in the 1580s, with major raids recorded against the oasis states and the once again independent Nen region. This came to an end after a particular incident in 1588 when Panimapik, Khan of Mietpip, led his warriors in an assault of the oasis state of Ynglott.

Garsham Tezad, minister of the city-state and ruler in all but name, conducted a peculiar scheme in the face of this assault. He surrendered the city without fighting and rendered generous tribute. This offering consisted entirely of horsemeat and wine, more than the horde could possibly carry. Panimapik's men withdrew and proceeded to hold a massive wine-soaked feast. They did not realize that Garsham Tezad had refined this date wine to far greater potency than typical for its type, nor did nomads raised on koumiss understand the true impact the clear brown liquid would have.

Inebriation claimed the horde to the point that by mid-morning many could barely even rise to their feet, and thousands were cut down shortly before dawn during a carefully planned night attack by the minister's picked troops. This defeat remains the most complete, and also most disgraceful, Kiep loss in battle known to date. Subsequently the shamans took the extreme step of banning all consumption of foreign alcohol that it might never happen again.

Vengeance was taken, of course. The khans of Kisiptikiep and Mietpiesie leveled Ynglott the next year and put every man, woman, and child in the city to the sword. Every last brick and stone was torn down and scattered so that even the location of the former city is completely lost. Garsham Tezad attempt to seek shelter in Nalon, but Davrol Emperor chose to deliver the minister to the khans as a gift instead. This was doubtless a shrewd move, but also cruel, for the death of the minister was truly brutal. He was force-fed date wine and nothing else for days until dehydration finally claimed him. His body was then pickled in a vat of it and left on the sands to slowly decay.

After this, the Kieps largely gave up on large-scale raids for many years. The gruesome episode highlights that while the Kieps generally treat those who fight them directly with a measure of respect, they respond to what they consider dishonorable conduct with abject brutality. I do not hold with such excesses, but they do appear to have the desired affect much of the time.

The Plague Years

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There has always been plague in Misei. It has been found there as long as there have been inhabitants, with the same being true throughout much of Central Noricia. It seems to be a thing of small mammals, especially rodents, for they regularly succumb to nearly identical symptoms with outbreaks that kill large numbers not uncommon. Occasionally this terrible illness somehow moves from these little creatures to humans, perhaps through the flesh when eaten, or rare defensive bites, and epidemics occur. Once begun, such outbreaks spread like wildfire and claim many, many lives before they cease.

The Olkecod Empire recorded its first exposure to the particularly virulent outbreak that would characterize the Plague Years in 1664, but I suspect that by that point it had already spent several years working through Misei. Regardless of the precise origin, this particular plague spread rapidly and killed quickly. Despite a great many courageous efforts by everyone from Kiep shamans to Loc doctors all medical interventions failed to halt the pestilence. It struck down rich and poor alike, though cities suffered worse than the wide open spaces.

Estimates by Olkecod scholars suggest that the death toll was as high as one in five by the time the plague ran its course in 1672, but as areas were impacted unequally some communities suffered losses as much as half the overall population. The wounds of the plague were too great for the empire to endure, and it began a long decline that ended in fragmentation by the end of the century. Misei was comparatively lucky in the damage it faced, for Kiep families dispersed in the face of plague as they always do, and many escaped the affliction in this fashion. However, they still suffered, and the inability to gather together imposed a burden of poverty upon them for some time. This was doubly true as shamans counseled strongly against any raids during plague times.

When the plague ended, they fought each other. Though the plague killed no more than one in ten of the Kieps, this was enough to upend old hierarchies and set new ambitious youths in conflict for new leadership roles. Tribes, many of them ancient indeed, collapsed, and new ones formed in their place. This major realignment shifted lands and groupings gradually towards their current form. Only the khanates endured without substantial alteration.

The Zacrets

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They came from the distant east, from lands beyond the rugged hills guarding Nalon’s eastern flank. A fearsome people devoted to conquest in the name of their gods, who they claimed were also the Ancients. They believed it was their destiny to one day control the world. They were not especially numerous in their initial advance upon Nalon, outnumbered several times over by the imperial defenders, but they were almost unbelievably successful, and in less than a generation they seized almost complete control from the Caleoc Empire.

The reason for this was simple. The Zacrets were the first of Noricia’s peoples to fully grasp the potential of the arxs for use in war. They systematically captured eggs and infants of countless creatures from arxs within their borders and raised and tamed them for use in war. This provided their armies with immense haulers, crushing behemoths, and devastating hunters in ten thousand forms to terrify and break their enemies. They would deploy lines of heavily armored mastodonts larger than any war elephants known in the far south to trample all defenses, and rode swift two-legged theropod hunters to outrun and tear apart enemy cavalry. With these creatures and more they defied all attempts by conventional armies to fight them and claimed vast territories.

The earliest Zacret incursions began in the eastern border regions of Nalon in the 1850s. These began merely as probes, but in an unusual reversal of convention the Caleoc Empire took the threat seriously and responded with vast forces from the very beginning. Despite often heavy casualties, they successfully held the relevant passes for years. However, this effort bankrupted the empire, and when the Zacrets finally broke through in 1871 no strength remained to prevent them from taking complete control of almost all of Nalon. The Emperor, Vaolem, refused to surrender, and managed to personally lead the imperial guard and a small loyalist force to hold out in the southwestern border regions. There, within high mountain fortresses surrounded by slopes too steep for the great beasts, he continued to claim rulership of the empire despite repeated attempts to destroy him.

The Zacrets, having conquered the imperial heartland and much of the surrounding sub-regions, did not rest upon their accomplishments. They imposed a brutal draft upon the Loc people, plundered all local arxs for usable creatures, and prepared for further invasions. In 1888 they led an attack into Misei.

The riders under the khans skirmished briefly with this new foe, but soon discovered that the thick skin and massed muscles of the warbeasts made them all but proof against traditional arrow strikes. Not inclined to any sort of foolish stand over territory, they retreated northward across the vastness of Misei even as they called up every banner and the four khans drank together and proclaimed a great horde under the leadership of their eldes,t Eipnapakip. They also sent a trade mission to the Kakets with a request for one hundred thousand of the northerners long-pointed piercing arrowheads used to hunt tigers and bears.

When winter came the Kiep horde caught the Zacrets unprepared, with Misei itself their greatest weapon. The frigid temperatures, and it was reportedly particularly cold that year, forced the invaders to strip the metal armor off their warbeasts lest they perish. The heavy animals also easily broke through the icy crust of the many swamps of Misei, causing many to die of frostbite. The khans surrounded the foe across a front over one hundred kilometers wide and began a campaign of endless harassment. As winds rose and blowing flakes scattered the Zacrets across the trackless snow-covered grassland, individual elements were obliterated by carefully chosen ambushes and brutal arrow storms. Few of those who had gone north would return to Nalon.

For the next twenty years the Kieps raided all through Nen and northern Nalon, harassing the Zacrets wherever they found them, but they did not press hard. Their advantages were dependent upon cold, for the warbeasts of the Zacrets could outrun their horses in summer and tear through any raiding party with ease. An efficient means of siege remained unavailable, and the stone walls of the Loc now protected their conquerors in turn. Nevertheless, this continual harassment, in which the oasis states, Caleoc loyalists, and mountain dwelling villages all joined in persecuting against the outsiders, prevented any further aggression by the Zacrets and gradually reduced their strength. This did not defeat them, but eventually they ran out of time.

Arxs are the creation of the Ancients, and those long-lost masters protected their works. Zacret proficiency in exploitation was greater than any other I have ever heard of before or since, able to acquire almost the entire output of generation after generation of the creatures of the arxs for almost a full century. Many individual war beasts lived for decades in their service. However, collapse was inevitable, as the Ancients took back what was theirs.

It occurred in 1910, swift and complete. A strange affliction spread through the stables and paddocks of the varied beasts. It afflicted all, whether mammal, bird, or reptilian in form. No method could prevent or halt it. In less than a week all the beasts had perished, from the youngest chick to the eldest monster. Their skin and flesh simply melted to nothing, layer by layer.

Emperor Vaolem, then aged, but hoary and ferocious with defiance still, marched out of his mountain fastness within days of hearing the news and seemingly every Loc male in Nalon rushed to join his rapidly growing liberation force. In the north, the Kieps offered their own unasked support by pillaging all through Nen and beyond against a shocked and nearly helpless foe. By 1912 the Zacrets were gone, with only a handful of survivors able to escape across the mountains. Kiep riders in Nen challenged the resurgent Caleoc Empire but once in 1913, only for the seventy-two year old emperor to ride out in person and smash the raid aside like reeds before the scythe.

Not one Kiep rider would ride southeast of Misei until after Vaolem’s death ten years later. The khan of Mietpiesie even sent a delegate to attend the great leader’s funeral and gifted the fallen emperor a Kiep bow. No other gift has ever been sent by a Kiep Khan to a Loc Emperor.

The Years of Ice

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The Caleoc Empire lasted until 2028, when a series of earthquakes near the capital led to widespread rebellion and collapse of imperial authority. The period of warlordism and disunity that seems to inevitably follow an imperial collapse is normally a boon to the Kieps, for they can raid with little opposition and the absence of proper garrisons makes it possible to sack major cities outright. In this case, however, everyone was soon to suffer for much of the century.

In the year 2041 an intense chill gripped the land. It barely warmed throughout spring and summer temperatures were low enough that it snowed multiple times. Crops failed across central Noricia, and the calving season of 2042 was an absolute disaster. While unusual cold years are not unknown in the records and my order has correlated them in some measure with great volcanic events, this was not a singular disruption. Though the next year lacked such extremes it was still considerably colder than normal, a trend that would continue for almost fifty years.

Year after year brutally cold winters and miserable summers blasted Misei and the rest of Central Noricia. With the cold came dryness, and forage dropped. Grassland converted in many places to scrub. The Kiep population fell a little bit year over year, and elderly shamans perished on solstice nights. Herds shrank, game grew scarce, and people took to eating bark and pine nuts to survive. Kieps fought Kakets and Uroneq along their borders in a desperate struggle to survive.

One khan after another lost their position to rivals as they failed to produce successful hunts. Tribes traversed vast distances in the search for grass. Desperate individuals even took to hunting in arxs in the hopes of finding food. Across the whole of the continent the population declined.

As is often the case in the face of calamity the grasslands endured most capably that many other areas. Herds shrank and tribes contracted, but the grass still grew and with effort forage could be found. The nomad's way of life is insulated against catastrophic crop failure in successive years in a way settled lands are not. In Nalon warlords ran rampant, and famine grew widespread. Millions starved even as Gradinor, perhaps the greatest general since Vaolem, was unable to use his might to forge a new empire. Many of the oasis states were simply abandoned, their residents fled south across the desert in search of warmth.

The conflicts of this icy time led to bad blood between Kiep, Kaket, and Uroneq far deeper than any that had existed before. This gulf has persisted. Even among the Kieps themselves tribal and khanate boundaries hardened. The once strong central identity forged by the First Khan began at last to waver. Similar effects were felt in other lands, and as people drew inward trade faded across the continent. Much prosperity passed away with it alongside the precious exchange of knowledge.

The chill faded before the end of the century, but it would be almost half a century before the continent could be said to have recovered. The end of the ice is generally marked in the year 2143, when central Nalon once again proclaimed an emperor. In this case it was the Peroc Empire that emerged, and with it the beginning of the current era.

**Mechalich** · 2019-12-17, 11:52 PM (ISO 8601)

Appendix I: Timelines
Outline of Misei History (CCC)

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0-1225: Pre-Kiep Period – the largely unknown early era of Misei, prior to the arrival of the Kieps.
1225-1420: Early Kiep Period – the period between the first Kiep arrival to the emergence of the First Khan.
1420-1477: The First Khan – a period defined by the life and reign of Kienikipap, the First Khan.
1478-1590: Khanate Wars – a period of prolonged internal conflict following the death of the First Khan.
1664-1680: Plague Years – a disruption to the regular flow of history due to a devestating plague outbreak.
1850-1913: Zacret Period – a period when Misei was threatened by foreign conquers from the east who took control of Nalon.
2028-2143: Years of Ice – a period defined by the impacts of a prolonged climatic cooling.
2144-Present: Current Era – recent history, defined by the actions of the powerful Peroc Empire.

Imperial History (CCC)

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0-388: Pre-Imperial Period – competing city-states in Nalon prior to the first unification.
389-620: Ronloc Empire – First Empire of Nalon. Occupied the Kakloc Alluvial Plain and united the Loc People.
649-990: Sonsoc Empire – Successor empire. Though smaller than its predecessor it was more stable and established basic institutions of governance that would remain the core of the bureaucracy for a thousand years to follow.
1032-1155: Brillac Empire – Locked into constant conflict with the growing states of the border regions, this empire possessed only minimal stability.
1181-1248: Zakinoc Empire – This empire subdued the border regions as tributaries for the first time, but lasted only three emperors before a great drought caused its collapse.
1362-1480: Wendolac Empire – A powerful and aggressively expansive empire. Attempted to invade Misei and was almost destroyed by the First Khan.
1490-1628: Davrol Empire – Compact and insular empire born from the collapse of the Wendolac. Crumpled due to decadence among the nobility.
1630-1698: Olkecod Empire – succeeded the Davrol Empire via coup. Collapsed following the death of the second emperor due to the great plague.
1727-2028: Caleoc Empire – this remarkable empire survived many upheavals, including the Zacret Invasion, but was ultimately brought down by a series of devastating earthquakes.
2143-Present: Peroc Empire – unified the land after the lengthy chaos of the Years of Ice. Powerful and expansionist, but its reach has begun to exceed its grasp.

Appendix II – Background Material
Arxs, a Primer

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The specialized landforms referred to as arxs stand as the best known and preserved legacy of the Ancients. Other fragments have been found, such a bits of statuary and tools forged in metals that resist all degradation, but the arxs are something much greater in scale. Moreover, unlike scattered fragments that offer no more than hints at a lost past, they seem deliberately designed to offer lessons to our current era.

Arxs occupy a grand scale. Perhaps as much as one part in one hundred of the earth is occupied by arxs. This includes even the oceans, for arxs have been documented in seascapes. This represents a massive transformation of our world by the power of the Ancients.

At its simplest, an arx is simply an anomalous patch of landscape, one overlaid atop the base environment. They are usually roughly circular in scope, though their edges will map to the natural contours of the topography. It truth they are actually cylindrical, most clearly seen at sea where the influence of an arx extends from the sea bed all the way up to high in the sky above. Arxs vary slightly in size, but generally have an area of around one hundred square kilometers. As such they are only around ten kilometers across and can be traversed by a determined person quite swiftly.

The key feature of arxs, of course, is that they do not represent our world as it is, but rather as it was long ago. They are pocket environments pulled out of the ancient past, though they match the general conditions of their surrounding geology. An arx located in the mountains will, for instance, present a corresponding mountainous environment most of the time, and the same is broadly true for other cases such a forests or deserts. Everything else will be greatly changed. The flora and fauna are pulled entirely from another time and the base conditions of the arx such as temperature and rainfall are often changed from the present, reflecting some past age where the earth was warmer or cooler than it is now. The records of the Ancients preserved by the arxs themselves indicate that each arx is intended to represent an environment from a specific period in the distant past, one defined as an ‘Age’ in their scale. We have chronicled close to one hundred such periods, each with their own peculiar name in the Ancients’ record language. This is far less than the number of arxs, but repeated displays of the same Age seem to feature surprisingly different life due to different environments or different continents.

Life within arxs tends to be unreasonably abundant for landscape features of their size. This is particularly obvious in deserts arxs, which will contain far more animals and plants than a surrounding area of similar size. In seems that some artifice of the ancients causes anomalously potent productivity. Dedicated observers have chronicled animals that mature and grow to many times their infant size without ever eating, plants that return to full height within hours of grazing to nubs, and other oddities. Though we have no idea how this is possible, it seems clear that the Ancients set the arxs to function in this way to maximize their display potential. The information they attached to them does not state this explicitly, but it matches the purpose we have intuited. This also matches with the general safeguards in place that make it so nothing that dwells within an arx will make any attempt to leave or to grow beyond the unseen boundaries, and how without special provision, anything taken beyond that boundary will almost immediately crumble to dust.

Arxs are also home to the only operational examples of Ancient technology known, and it is from these that we have learned almost all that we know about them. Each arx contains dark blue structures formed of unknowable materials found near the center. These take the form of inverted pyramids, each roughly two meters tall and one meter across at the top. They stand perfectly balanced on their pointed ends and cannot be moved through impact, chains and elephants have been tried to no avail. Four of these stand five hundred from the center, oriented along the cardinal directions, with one is found precisely at the center of the arx. The four are called Archival Interfaces, while the central one is known as the Control Interface.

Normally these strange pyramids appear completely inert and immobile. Creatures native to arxs avoid them completely. However, they do respond to contact. Once touched, their surfaces will shift and distort, forming some strange combination of canvas and slate that can instantly reshape itself to present new images. It can even present a continuous moving image somehow.

All such information is displayed using the Ancients’ recording language, which is apparently called Latin. This bizarre construction bears no resemblance to any language known to us and uses a unique alphabet and often many extremely complex words that have no analogue to anything we have yet produced. The Palaeos Order’s foundation was built around those geniuses who first managed to puzzle out the basic forms of this language, and it took several centuries to arrive at even a modest understanding. Our present-day understanding of the language it solid, but new and otherwise unknown technical terms are still encountered with great regularity. Also, learning to properly interpret the language is very challenging and seems to be nearly impossible for students who do not begin the process in early childhood.

The Display Interfaces mostly offer extensive information regarding the flora and fauna found within their respective arxs and also complex diagrams that appear to describe relationships between them and other forms found in other places and times. This knowledge has taught us much about the natural world, including its present form, but its accessibility remains very low. Outside of trained Palaeos Scholars and a small number of other analogous groups found elsewhere it remains naught but gibberish to most.

The Control Interface will also display Latin text, but it also mixes in a large quantity of symbols that hold no commonality to any known display method of any kind. Most of these remain completely unknown. However, comparison of displayed sets between different arxs and careful mapping of the symbols suggest they map to the functionality of the arxs themselves in some way. Use of certain of these symbols, applied to objects within an arx can make it possible to safely extract them from the space or even destroy them outright. It is also possible to manipulate the Control Interface directly using a Blueblade, but this is a heinous thing. The consequences are almost always disastrous, for the creations of the Ancients are carefully balanced across a suite of conditions we cannot even fully image. Altering them brings catastrophe.

All arx interfaces accumulate small precipitates of Blue Film in the ground beneath them over time. With the proper tools this can be excavated and synthesized. This tends to be very dangerous, causing aggressive reactions by fauna with the arx among other consequences. It is strongly suggested that this not be done save in cases of extreme need, as while Blue Film has many uses, the costs generally outweigh the gains.

Calendars

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The Ancients possessed an extraordinarily accurate and precise calendar system derived from astronomical measurements using tools far beyond our ability to produce. The resulting formulation monitors the turn of years with a perfection that we cannot even properly measure, but as the interfaces in arxs can be nudged into displaying the dates it can be emulated. The calendar we have developed and periodically recalculate to match theirs is called the Celestial Calibration Calendar (CCC).

Despite the incredible accuracy, which regularly adjusts for lost time increments as small as a single second, the Ancients’ calendar is clearly not designed for everyday use. Notably, it simply numbers the days of the year as one through three hundred and sixty-five, with no further division, and its base year is some unfathomable period of time in the past so the current date has no relevance. The Order has therefore modified the calendar for a more regular purpose.

The CCC calendar divides the year into twelve thirty-day months, each named after one of the broad ‘Periods’ by which the Ancients divided the great swath of the world’s past. The year therefore begins with the Cambrian and ends in the Quaternary. The equinoxes, solstices, and the first of the year – the day following the winter solstice – are outside of the months and represent the remaining five days. A ‘calibration day’ is added following the summer solstice every four years. The months are divided into three ten-day weeks. Officially these days are named for the ten Periods that preceded the living eon chronicled through the arxs, so they begin with Siderian and end with Ediacaran, but this technical terms are not particularly popular and most weeks are simply divided as Firstday through Tenday.

The Palaeos Order has chosen the zero point as its founding, even though the calendar was not properly determined for centuries later. The benefit of this is that, in comparison to most current civilizations and even many lost ones, the Order is quite old and few events predate the founding. Very little need be derived from negative numbered years.

The CCC calendar is not much used in Noricia, save in the distant southwest were the Order has begun to make inroads. The most common calendar with any long-standing historical data indexed against it is the Chronicle of Reigns belonging to the various Nalon-based empires. This calendar is fairly accurate, but does not add the leap day in regularly, instead adding an additional week according to the periodic dictates of astronomers. The calendar also divides its record into segments based on the coronations of emperors, and due to certain imprecisions it is not clear in precisely which year certain events occurred. This is particularly troubling in the case of the extremely long intervals that occur when there is no acknowledged emperor, as errors may compound against each other and records may disagree by as much as three whole years.

This calendar shares the same twelve thirty-day month structure, but instead of having supernumerary days, the equinoxes, solstices, and first day of the year are all part of their respective months, which consequently have thirty-one days and one eleven-day week. The Chronicle of Reigns names the months after legendary emperors from supposed ancient empires that probably never actually existed or were no more than city states, and the days for famous ministers of the same. These are usually renamed by other peoples who have largely adopted the calendar.

The Palaeos Order

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Our ancient organization of monastic scholars known as the Palaeos Order is not native to Noricia. They originated far to the south, on a different continent, and their reach expanded very gradually over time. The Order is a scholarly one, famous for the great of achievement by its founding members in learning how to decipher some measure of Latin and thereby actually read the information displayed by arx interfaces. This information, describing as it does the lifeforms of the arxs, and when prompted, modern species as well, helped to greatly increase their understanding of the natural world. Disseminated freely, it offered significant benefits in agriculture and animal husbandry. This provided the support the Order needed to gradually expand.

The Palaeos Order understands that the arxs represent creations of the Ancients that offer glimpses of the Earth as it once was, long ago. We do not know why the Ancients produced such monuments, but they were clearly highly valued, and represent a sacred legacy left to us that we must not abuse. Members spend their lives locating, studying, and protecting the arxs to the best of their ability. They also work to translate and copy out the vast amounts of information left behind by the Ancients into modern languages.

The majority of the Order occupies monastery compounds build in areas where several arxs are in close proximity and they work to build great libraries for the preservation and use of knowledge. Over time the number of these compounds has expanded, and just over a century ago we at last crossed the ocean and established our first compound in Noricia’s extreme southwest corner. The Order has generally been welcome in most places it goes, but we must exercise caution in disseminating our beliefs. The teachings of the Ancients are clear that gods are naught but fabrications to stabilize the minds of humans, but many are not ready to hear this, especially those cultures who believe the Ancients to have been deities.

Only a small fraction our monks venture beyond the confines of their monasteries. These peripatetic scholars wander widely, seeking to map out the locations of unknown arxs and to chronicle the state of unknown portions of the world. These wanderers also conduct the crucial work of mitigating efforts by others to manipulation or destroy arxs. Every effort must be made to prevent such abominable actions. They are armed with the Order’s understanding of arx control mechanisms and how Blue Film can be used to manipulate them. Such knowledge is closely held and not written, lest it fall into the hands of those who would abuse it.

Joining the Palaeos Order is not a small matter. It requires deep commitment. Our monasteries educate promising youth in many regions, providing education their parents are unable to offer, but one a small portion of these will ever take the step of swearing the oaths. Those who do understand that they are adopting a life apart from the everyday, ephemeral affairs or kingdoms and peoples. They cast aside the prospect of marriage, ownership of land, and most return all wealth they accumulate to support the Order’s works. Such is the least needed of those who would serve as stewards to the wonders of the Ancients.

Glossary
Geographic

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Bouliana: southern large river in the Kexanit Desert.
Darguar: northern large river in the Kexanit Desert.
Dengen Hills: Upland wilds south-east of Misei.
Kacloc River: largest river in Noricia, flows north-south.
Kexanit Desert: hot scrub desert to the south of Misei.
Lehka: large cold grassland region to the north of Misei.
Misei: large grassland region located in Central Noricia. Homeland of the Kieps.
Nalon: broad fertile lowland region, primarily the Kacloc River’s alluvial plain.
Nen: broad valley region immediately southeast of Misei.
Noricia: continental landmass, primarily a temperate region.
Patni Gorge: massive canyon formed by a major turn in the course of the Sei River.
Pnarlen Mountains: highland region to the east of Misei.
Sei River: large grassland river system, Misei is largely defined by its watershed, tributary of the Kacloc River.
Unneth: large forested region to the east of Misei.

Cultural

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Arrl: ethnic group of alpine villages, the residents of the Pnarlen Mountains.
Arx: a specific landscape feature where the biosphere has been reshaped to present a long ago prehistoric period.
Boul: largest of the oasis states, claims a population of over one million residents.
Egdu: ethnic group of alpine villagers, the residents of the Dengen Hills.
Ger: a felt-walled tent, the principle Kiep form of housing.
Igura: ethnic group of agriculturalist, the residents of the oasis states of the Kexanit Desert.
Kaket: ethnic group of nomadic pastoralists, the residents of Lehka.
Kiep: ethnic group of nomadic pastoralists, the residents of Misei.
Kisiptikiep: central-western Kiep khanate.
Koumiss: alcoholic beverage made from fermented mare’s milk.
Loc: ethnic group of agriculturalists, the residents of Nalon and surrounding areas.
Mietpiesie: smallest of the Kiep khanates.
Mietpip: westernmost of the four Kiep khanates.
Milanosolu: Kiep summer gathering site.
Niepu: Kiep summer gathering site.
Nietipappuk: easternmost and largest Kiep khanate.
Palaeos Order: monastic organization of scholars tied to the study of Arxs.
Plumiekkiep: Kiep summer gathering site.
Seipno: Kiep summer gathering site.
Uroneq: ethnic group of mixed-use forest dwellers, the residents of Unneth.

Historical

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Andorul: Wendolac Emperor who attempted to conquer Misei.
Banoabab: Wendolac General, the only such general to defeat a Kiep army.
Blasting Droughts: major calamity that struck Noricia in the 1200s.
Cadacomd: Wendolac General, led the attempted conquest of Misei, defeated and executed by the First Khan.
Caleoc Empire: long-lived Nalon Empire, defeated the Zacrets and later the Kieps.
Davrol Empire: Nalon Empire, maintained a cautious peace with the Kieps.
Edegu: ethnic group that occupied Nen prior to Loc conquest.
Eludui: ethnic group that may have occupied Misei prior to the Kieps.
Garsham Tezad: minister of Ynglott who defeated Panimapik’s horde. Later brutally executed.
Hapienikik: Kiep shaman hero, developed the summer gathering system.
Kienikipap: the First Khan of the Kieps.
Olkecod Empire: Nalon Empire, devastated by the Plague Years.
Panimapik: Khan of Mietpip, led the army massacred at Ynglott.
Peroc Empire: the current ruling empire of Nalon.
Pukutim: legendary shaman hero.
Salganar: Capital of Nen under the Wendolac Empire.
Sonsoc Empire: early Nalon Empire.
Taluikam: Chief Wife of the First Khan.
Wendolac Empire: expansive Nalon Empire, fought with the Kieps and lost.
Uxerbak: Kaket shaman hero of the Blasting Droughts.
Vaolem: legendary Caleoc Emperor.
Ynglott: Oasis state, tricked and slaughtered the horde of Panimapik, utterly obliterated by Kiep vengeance.
Zacrets: society of conquerors from the east, used arx-borne beasts in battle. Controlled most of Nalon for decades and threatened Misei.

Religious

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Achanism: religion dominant in Nalon, centers on the worship of the Ancients as legendary ancestors.
Engamarism: religion dominant in the oasis states of the Kexanit Desert, preaches self-improvement.
Leipu: Kiep sacred site, petrified forest.
Nakiet: Kiep sky god and supreme spirit.
Napunienie: Kiep sacred site, monolith in Sei River.
Ovoo: religious monument, similar to a large stone cairn.
Patniemau: Kiep sacred site, waterfall in Patni Gorge.
Seipna: Kiep sacred site, source of the Sei River.
Tipapku: Kiep earth goddess.
Ukit: Kiep death god.

Thread: Misei: Grass at the Center

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