* Restricted: Badlander Clansmen only
The Badlands are an area of wilderness dotted with rocky outcrops lying to the North West of the Valdrean Empire. They are normally reached from Caldrick Moor through the North Western Gap, between the North West Forest and the Valdrean Western Mountains, or up the River Miriduin (or Merrybell) from Hobbit Country.
They are populated by the Badlander Clans: a hard people from a hard environment. The Badlands are dry and barren in Summer, storm-swept in Autumn, snow-covered and frozen in Winter, and only fertile in Spring, after the thaw. The Clans are nomadic, only retreating to their strongholds to sit out the Winter. They graze livestock and grow a few crops near their strongholds, but they are great hunters, trappers and warriors. All Clansmen are fine horsemen, but an elite order amongst them, the Children of AMON, have tamed and ride the wild hippogriffs of the area, hunting with bow and spear from the air, on hippogriff-back.
There are Twelve Clans:
Men of a Clan style themselves with "Mc" before their Clan name, e.g. Krell McAndar. Women of a Clan style themselves with "An" before their Clan name, e.g. Mirelle AnOmechar. Each Clan has a Leader, who is supposedly elected, but in reality often self-imposed, and has a Shaman, who is High Priest, High Druid, Prophet, Dreamweaver and/or Inspirer of Madness to the Clan. The Leader's wife is usually Clan Mistress, who rules the stronghold and camp. Amongst Clan Omechar there are several Shamen, who combine the roles of Leader and/or Mistress.
Clansmen are mostly Evil / Chaotic, though other Alignments are represented, with particular Clans favouring particular Gods. ZAKEL, God of War, and TERRIK, God of the Wastes, are the most worshipped.
Each Clan has a banner depicting the animal which is its patron:
Badlander Druids are Beastmasters, favouring the patron animals of their respective Clans.
The Children of AMON take members from all the Clans, and roam the Ranges to the West of the Badlands, but do not style themselves a separate Clan. Their banner depicts the eagle's head of a hippogriff. Many Children have Faith in AMON, Demon of Hunting.
The Clans traditionally come together for a Clanmeet at Horning Crags, which guard the North Western Gap, on the first day of Spring (19 Destri) each year. For a week (two days before and three days after) there is truce between the Clans. Alliances are discussed, marriages arranged, and oaths of fealty sworn for the year until next Clanmeet. Occasionally a Warlord is elected, to lead the allied Clans who have voted for him on a military campaign of raiding and pillaging outside the Badlands. The Valdreans, Bandits and Hobbits have all felt their wrath in past years. At other times the Clans war and raid amongst themselves. Their infighting is usually confined to raiding and retribution, but if a vendetta is declared full-scale war can erupt between Clans. Although many Clansmen die in these struggles, it is the constant warfare that makes them strong when they raid outside the Badlands.
Go to the People page for this territory
Back to Overworld index