The People of the Confederacy

The Amo are a race in decline. Once occupying the entire range of the Attin River, they have been reduced to a few scattered tribes spread throughout Southern Aleron. A situation many Amo have lost their lives trying to remedy.

The Amo are the oldest human culture still in existence and all of the human nations on Aleron have come from this stock. The Amo people have become a shattered culture with the vast majority having been absorbed by the more prosperous cultures leaving a handful of clans roaming the wilds following their corrupted faith in the Cult of the Devourer.

They are an extremely unkempt people and their tendency to wear furs gives them an “animal-like” appearance. They prefer their hair long and unkempt with colors of blonde and red being the most common; men have large bushy beards the color of which matches their hair. They are a large people averaging 6'.

The Amo are used to traveling through rugged mountainous terrains and are known to need very little sleep. On average they only need to sleep two out of every three days.

Amo have the standard lifespan of most humans, attaining adulthood at the age of 14 and considered middle aged around 45. Most do not live beyond the age of 100.

Amo tend to shy away from civilized areas feeling cramped and nervous around the constant hustle and bustle. They are loners by nature, but enjoy their rare moments with others.

Generous and normally quiet, they can become jovial and explosive when in social situations. Their deep, thundering laughter is legend. As warriors, they are fierce and often uncontrollable. This is particularly true of the Woad, for they have a tendency to enter a berserk rage when angered or overly harassed.

Amo speak their native tongue; Amo. The more civilized Amo tend to learn at least enough Igardian to be able to facilitate trade. It is very rare for any Amo to become literate in any language.

Traditionally Amo fear the construction of permanent residences. It is considered taboo and against the teachings of their primary goddess, Vashti. This tradition still holds true even among the “civilized” Amo that are found in the Igard Confederacy. No Amo will willingly enter such structures.

In general the Amo do not trust strangers and will prefer to keep to their own people. The more civilized Amo, however, have found the other cultures, particularly the gregarious Doresti to be alright to socialize with.

Amo wear skins and furs with cloaks made from the skins of large carnivores. Feathers, bones and animal teeth are common adornments in the form of necklaces and bracelets. Both genders will braid parts of their hair and keep the braid held with bones, leather strips, feathers and beads.

They are not metal smiths and jewelry made from precious metals will have been acquired through trade or from the bodies of fallen foes.

More recently, the civilized Amo have started to take on the dress and decorations of the local Igardians.

Amo are fairly low on the technology scale. What items they have they produce with wood, stone or found through trade or from raids. Metal items like weapons and some bits of armor are the main types of equipment gathered in this manner.

Magic among the Amo is nearly non-existent with shamans being the most common. Very few have converted to the state religion of the Holy Trinity preferring their native spirit worship. Those extremely rare few that are of the A-ar bloodline (and realize that they are) will become Runeschrijvers if the opportunity presents itself.

Art among the Amo consists of stone and woodcarvings that are further decorated with dyes and stains from various plant and mineral concoctions. Generally these objects will be representations of spirits or of some kind of religious significance.

These religious carvings are placed inside or around the Amo tents or caves. The homes are constructed of wood and animal hide and are designed to be assembled and disassembled rapidly and even these are only used if there are no caves nearby.

The Amo subsist primarily on hunting and foraging with limited farming of berries and roots within their camps. The coming of the Igardians, however, has forced the clans to become much more nomadic and they are becoming reliant on hunting and some gathering of nuts, tubers and berries. Some have even become proficient fisherman along the lowland rivers.

Amo put a lot of emphasis on heredity and ancestral lines and each family can be traced back to the Great Darkness. This line is traced through the male's family so fathers are constantly trying to play matchmaker for their daughters. However, the daughter does not have to marry unless she so chooses and whom she chooses.

Marriages are for life and the female will move in to the male's family camp. Familial responsibilities including the rearing of children, gathering of food and community defense are shared equally among all members. Elders and children are generally given lighter duties if any at all and in turn the elders educate the children through oral traditions.

The Amo religion centers on the Cult of the Devourer. This religion teaches that all of the other races and cultures are merely food for the beasts and plants. The primary goddess of this cult is Vashti and it is taught that she has bestowed upon the Amo the chore of bringing down all of the other peoples so that her children may reign supreme.

During their secluded ceremonies these men and women wear animal skins, painting their bodies with blue dye and recreate their ancient legends and epics using complex dance rituals. These gatherings used to occur at specific holy places that have some connection to Vashti, but with the Amo displacement they have taken to performing these rituals in areas of great natural beauty or exceptional ruggedness. Other sites include the ruins of villages and cities that the Amo have sacked and burned to the ground.

Ritual sacrifice and orgiastic bloodbaths are commonplace within these religious celebrations and dozens of captives are slaughtered in the name of Vashti and her twisted progeny.

Over the centuries, as many clans have been absorbed into the Igard Confederacy, the Cult has lost its prominence, instead, being replaced with the much more ancient tradition of spirit worship that their ancestors originally followed. Some have even converted to the Holy Trinity.

Each clan is lead by two people, the head shaman and a Chieftain. The shaman is the overall leader of the clan, handling internal disputes and decisions as well as handling foreign affairs. The Chieftain is essentially a warlord and hunt master. It is his duty to organize defenses, raids, and training of warriors as well as organizing hunts and insuring that the lands surrounding the clan village are not over hunted or stripped of forageable foodstuffs.

The shaman holds his position for life and can only otherwise be removed by a majority clan decision when he or she is considered to be a detriment to the clan. This has never happened in all the years of the clans.

The Chieftain can be replaced at anytime through tests of skill and strength. This happens less often than expected and a Chieftain can often hold his or her title until their death.

As is the case in most of the Amo society, either position can be held by either gender regardless of social ranking among the community. However, no one ever challenges one of the rare Woad because of their hereditary lines.

Both leaders of a clan will almost always consult with an unofficial council of elders. This council is made up of the eldest member of each family within the clan. These people are highly respected and their words carry much weight between the Chieftain and the shaman, unless of course the two leaders are the oldest members of the clan, themselves. But even then the council will be listened to.

Among the individual families the matriarch or patriarch will be the head of the household; this will also be the member of the family that is on the council.

The Amo have taken to offering their services as warriors and mountaineers in exchange for the goods their clan may need; furs and skins supplement this trade.

The Doresta (or Doresti) are native to the western coasts of Aleron, but are known throughout Kamarathin. The Doresti are supreme sailors and their reputation as coastal raiders stretches back for thousands of years.

Feline humanoids, Doresta have bodies optimized for fast sprinting rather than endurance running. Their feet and four fingered hands have large retractable claws, good for use not only as weapons but to help with tasks, like climbing. They have large, sharp teeth compared to Humans, but not large enough to qualify as “fangs”. Their large, sensitive eyes work well in low light.

As a people, the Doresti are a vocal and gregarious group. They have a lust for life and the experience of the moment. This nature coupled with a strong sense of the individual has made them known as difficult to tame and a bit unpredictable.

Doresta have the standard lifespan of most humans, attaining adulthood at the age of 15 and considered middle aged around 45. Most do not live beyond the age of 100.

The Doresti love the sea and it's a rare child that doesn't grow up having spent time in the riggings of a Doresti galley. Their natural born agility and claws serve them well during stormy weather or military actions onboard ship.

Doresti speak their native tongue; Doric. Many learn whatever language is most common to the lands they spend the most time in and have a reputation for learning many different languages.

The Doresti are virtually fearless as a people, however they do have a tendency to grow restless quickly. An idle or bored Doresta can become argumentative and combative just to liven things up.

The Doresti are equal opportunists, believing every individual should be judged on his or her own merits.

A combination of natural fur covered bodies and a love for the sea has resulted in a people that wear very little in the way of clothing. Short skirts and short pants are generally all the Doresti encumber themselves with. Women will often wear a light vest or blouse, except when nursing their young.

The Doresti often braid their manes and bracelets (and anklets) of ivory and precious metals are very common decorations.

The Doresti are not only great sailors but their natural dexterity has allowed them to become rather good craftsmen. Their sleek and agile galley's are of particular note and Doresti shipwrights are sought after world wide. On the continent of Aleron, another of the Doresti talents is sought after as well, the Runeschrijvers.

These craftsmen inscribe enchanted runes into their creations that bestow magical abilities either to the item itself or its owner. In fact, Runeschrijver is the only “commonly” used form of magic within the continent of Aleron. The exception to this is the widespread priests of the various gods. Faith based spell-casters are far more common than any other type.

The Doresti are fond of working with wood and metal and nearly every piece will have some form of engraving. Doresti craftsmen love to carve scenes from their legends or symbols of the ocean into all of their woodwork. Weapon and armor smiths will always try to engrave scenes or runes that tell of the heroics of its wearer.

Doresti buildings resemble a ship turned upside down with a door carved into the side. The central beam is, without exception, carved to resemble a long sea serpent from tip to tail.

Bards (musicians) and Skalds (storytellers) are very popular among the Doresti and the more heroic and loud the story or song the better, if the entertainer can incorporate the act of drinking into the tale, even better still.

“Tomorrow I die, so today I drink!”
This statement sums up the fairly carefree existence of the Doresti. As a people, they know that nothing is permanent so they enjoy the moment to its fullest extent. They have no fear of death and thus nothing else seems like it should be a concern. A Doresta is just as likely to start a friendly brawl as they are to sit down and enjoy a good tale.

The Doresti make their living at sea and they cannot stomach fruits and vegetables. Fish, whale, seal and any meat that comes from land fill their meals and are always washed down with honey mead.

Song and dance fill their nights and during the day they work hard at their chosen craft. To the Doresti there is no excuse for not putting in the best effort they can whether that is sailing, drinking or raiding. Laziness is one of the few things the Doresti will not tolerate.

Marriage is for life among the Doresti and despite their gregarious nature it is taken very seriously, though it is not uncommon for either of the married couple to have affairs openly. The Doresti do not believe that the pleasures of life are limited to the married couple, instead the marriage bond goes much deeper and the husband and wife are partners and the best of friends.

Once a young Doresti is married the two are gifted a ship and expected to hire a crew to set forth on their maiden voyage. The couple will consummate their marriage on this ship and perform their first raid to prove themselves. Upon returning the couple may take up their chosen profession, though many find they prefer to keep raiding coastal villages.

Doresti women bear live young after a three month gestation. The kittens remain in a pouch on the mother's stomach for a year after birth. When large enough, they leave the pouch and switch from a diet of milk to one of meat.

Children are reared by the parents and are left to decide what path they wish to pursue in the world. Most will follow in their parent's footprints and take on the family business.

The Doresti personality extends into their worship as well. Each god is worshipped separately and each has its own temple. The Doresti will often favor one god over another based on their profession. Pane (the god of oceans) and Fendirisha (the god of weather) play prominent roles in Doresti faith considering their oceanic leanings.

The Doresti keep a clan structure with each clan lead by the most skilled warrior, called a Jarl. The Jarl can be of either gender and is supported by his Landsmenn who are the captains of the Jarls ships. Every position within the Doresti culture can be challenged at any time through a ritualized duel.

When a Doresti dies the immediate family will pool their resources to commission a Zwart Schip (Black Ship), the larger the ship, the wealthier the family. The deceased is then placed in the ship along with their prized possessions and the ship is doused in oil and set sail. As a priest of Pane gives prayers of farewell as archers along the shoreline launch fire arrows at the ship and once it is alight the entire gathering breaks into the kegs of mead for a farewell party. No other conversation is aloud except to tell stories of the deceased great deeds, and these deeds grow ever more boastful as the night goes on.

The Doresti skills as shipwrights, sailors and marines are by far their most marketable trade. These skills are often supplemented through trade goods such as fish, shellfish, and woodcrafts.

The Igardians are descended from Amo stock. Fifteen hundred years after Vashti destroyed the Castretmus Nation, several Amo clans decided that it was time to re-build their shattered nation. These clans had begun to follow different gods and felt that they would protect them from Vashti's wrath.

Knowing that the other Amo clans would try and destroy them for their heresy they banded together and began to build. As predicted, less than two decades later the Amo attacked, seeking to burn the Igardian structures to the ground. The war did not go well for the Amo and the Igardian Confederacy was born.

Humanoids with orange-yellow skin on the front and bold, deep red stripes running from the spine to the sides. Their eyes are translucent red orbs with no visible pupils.

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