Shoanti

The Shoanti of the Cinderlands: Proud Keepers of the Old Ways

Description
(From Curse of the Crimson Throne 4: A History of Ashes)

A disparate people, bound together by honor and tradition, the Shoanti share a history steeped in conflict, from their brutally heroic legends to the defeats of the recent past and the harshness of their modern lives. Shaped by strife, the Shoanti are stalwart, tenacious, and suspicious people, oath-sworn to regain all that was once theirs and honor-bound to avenge themselves against all schemers who would dare call them barbarians.

The essence of “Shoanti” is more of a set of warrior traditions than it is a true racial group. While by and large most Shoanti are humans, some quahs have adopted foreigners and exiles from other races. Among individual, open-minded tribes, those who demonstrate that they share Shoanti ideals and face the trials of their adoptive quah find themselves welcomed after a measure of persistence. As such, a small number of dwarves, halfelves, and non-native humans on occasion live among the Shoanti. Indeed, in many ways, demihumans have a much easier time overcoming the Shoanti’s ingrained mistrust of outsiders than Chelaxians.

Shoanti possess widely varying skin tones, reflecting the broad diversity of their ancestry from the time of the Azghat, the cruel gods their lore claims carried them to the Storval region in the time before time. Regardless of pigmentation, almost all Shoanti are vigorous, with powerful builds. Most adult males are more than 6 feet in height and adult females are only slightly shorter. Hair is considered a dangerous weakness in hand-to-hand combat, and both men and women typically shave their heads, save for shamans or the elderly. This practice is more pronounced among the eastern tribes, who are typically born with straight hair, and less so amongst the westernmost Shadde-Quah. Some young Shoanti men and women forgo this practice as a sign that they are not bound to another and seek a companion.

Their culture besieged, their world changing, the Shoanti fiercely struggle to hold onto the traditions of their people and fight against a world seemingly intent on their destruction. Yet, having survived against the giants of the Kodar Mountains, the predators of the wastes, drought, starvation, and lands that burn for centuries, the people of the Storval Plateau alone will decide when their time is at an end—and that time is not now.

The Shoanti people are divided into seven distinctive nations called quahs. The seven quahs share a common heritage, culture, and way of life. Although there are many societal variations between the quahs, the gulf between the quahs and other cultures is much larger. Each quah is further subdivided into tribes of varying sizes. Each tribe or sub-clan is lead by its own war-chief, called a jothka. Each tribe’s jothka in turn answers the call of the quahjothka, the military and political leader of the entire clan. Together, the jothkas of every tribe form the quah-jothka’s counsel of war that the quah-jothka calls together in times of need. All jothka are advised by their tribes shamans and thundercallers—wise storytellers and performers who pass on the lessons of ages past.

The Shoanti do not recognize the concept of personal property when it comes to land, although they do define territories as belonging to one quah or another. They do not use coins amongst themselves, but recognize the value of such objects when trading with other cultures. Aside from weapons and armor, the Shoanti own most items (such as yurts) collectively and gladly share within their tribe.

The Clans
(From Curse of the Crimson Throne 4: A History of Ashes)

Sklar-Quah
The Sun Clan

More so than any other clan in recent memory, the Sklar-Quah find themselves embattled by their foes. Since its retreat over the Storval Rise from southern Varisia, the Sun Clan has found itself in a vise between orc marauders from the Hold of Belkzen and foreign invaders. The Sklar-Quah now acts as an unwitting buffer, protecting its two enemies from one another, a reality that has cost the blood of countless sons and daughters.

Sun Clan youth are taught to hate tshamek (non-Shoanti) at an early age. Their day-to-day prejudice is viewed as a necessary component of their well-honed survival instincts. Indeed, the xenophobia is clan-deep; the Sklar-Quah’s shamans are the most warlike among the shaman of any quah. Territory: The warlike Clan of the Sun inhabits the eastern and central reaches of the Cinderlands, both south of the Kazaron River as well as the plains south and east of the Yondabakari River.

Skoan-Quah
The Skull Clan

All six of the other quahs still shudder on occasion when they deal with the enigmatic Skull Clan and its impenetrable skull shamans. Warriors of the Skoan-Quah cake their bodies with a mixture of mud and ash, making their skin smoky white. This ritual is said to give them protection against the walking dead, whom they are sworn to destroy. Territory: The Skull Clan keeps to the ancestral burial lands of their people, primarily surrounding the Kallow Mounds of the southeastern Cinderlands and the Life Falls northeast of the Stony Mountains.

Lyrune-Quah
The Moon Clan

Known to be expert bowmen and hunters, the swift-footed and keen-eyed warriors of the Lyrune-Quah hunt by dusk and travel by the light of the bright Storval moon. The Clan of the Moon embraces wisdom as much as strength, knowing that one arrow loosed from a precisely aimed bow can fell a giant more effectively than a band of wildly swinging brawlers.

They are also the only Quah to worship a traditional deity, being Devotees of Desna

Territory: The Clan of the Moon traverses the open lands east of the Wyvern Mountains, ranging between the Kazaron River and the Yondabakari River.

Shadde-Quah
The Axe Clan

The warriors and hunters of the Axe Clan are expert divers and harpooners, and their people subsist on a diet of fish, crustaceans, and black abalone. In lieu of yurts, the Shadde-Quah dwells in sea caves scattered along the coast, many of which are now linked by narrow twisting passages hand-dug by the Shoanti. They are one of the few Shoanti quahs who enjoy permanent settlements.

Territory: The Clan of the Axe claims the coastal valleys of the Calphiak Mountains.

Shriikirri-Quah
The Hawk Clan

The Shriikirri-Quah reveres the animals with which it shares the land. It is the Hawk Clan, more so than any other clan, that believes the study of the nature’s beasts holds the key to victory against its foes. Both predators and prey have much to teach to a Shoanti who watches and listen. As such, the Hawk Clan swells with both expert hunters and animal trainers. The quah’s braves’ skill as horsemen is rivaled only by the riders of the Velashu Uplands.

Territory: The Clan of the Hawk ranges far in its travels, from the Gnashers to the Churlwood, claiming much of the Curchain Hills between the Chavali River and Lampblack River as its demesne. Members of this tribe regularly camp at the bottom and top of the Storval Stairs, keeping this important trade artery open to passage.

Shundar-Quah
The Spire Clan

The Shundar-Quah see themselves as the diplomats and storytellers of the Shoanti people, smoothing tensions between the various clans. Their tribes travel far and continually remind the other quahs that every clan is first and foremost Shoanti, and that brotherhood and bringing honor to their people must be the ambition of every warrior.

Territory: To this day, the Clan of the Spire wanders across the northern Storval Plateau, ever seeking to unite the Shoanti tribes into a single people. They fend for themselves in the custom of the local Shoanti tribes in whose territory they wander.

Tamiir-Quah
The Wind Clan

Cloaked in the skins and feathers of mountain lions, Lurkwood bears, and storm rocs, the Tamiir-Quah know the hardship of their Sklar-Quah brothers to the east and stand determined not to lose their mountainous homes. While not utterly murderous like the savages of the Nolands, they have little patience for trespassers and sternly—even violently—warn off any who come too near.

Territory: The secluded Clan of the Wind pervades the Stony Mountains, claiming all territory within sight of the mountains as their land. In truth, though, most tribes of the Tamiir-Quah keep to within 50 miles of the mountains’ eastern and southern hills.

History
Kyeran was formerly a member of the Sklar-Quah, but has been cast out.

You met the Skoan-Quah shaman Thousand Bones in Korvosa, where he asked you to reacquire the body parts of his grandson, which you completed to his satisfaction.

When asked to seek out the Shoanti to get information on the Midnight's Teeth, Neolandus suggested you sought out Thousand Bones to get you started.