4 – Factions: The Primal Blood

No cities, no borders, no boundaries of any kind. The kiths of the Primal Blood roam the lands of Paxos but do not call it home. They do not, in fact, call any land their home. Although the other nations of Selejia tend to assign Paxos as the dominion of the “blood clans”, they do not recognize it as a true nation, for the kiths don’t have a recognizable governmental structure and war amongst themselves as often as they do with others, if not more.

Contrary to the beliefs of many who have dealt with them, the members of this faction are not “too savage” to understand the notion of nations, borders, or private property. The Primal Blood simply exists in defiance of all of these concepts. They do not restrain themselves to Paxos, but roam all of Selejia like a tidal wave, following nothing but the flow of nature and the Will of Octna, the warrior-prophet that freed them from the clutches of old Osterath and saved them from the Fall. They take what they need or desire because they are capable of it. If it was not to be so, then the currents of fate would have taken them elsewhere or their enemies would have bested them. To them, it’s inconceivable to say that something belongs to a person if that person is incapable of protecting it. To claim ownership over something is to invite challenge to that claim. A common saying within the clans is: “A tarok beast can hold no more land than the ground it stands on. And then it takes a step.”

The oerikan are the people who originally founded the Primal Blood, having lost a war even more ancient than the Fall. They are generally stronger and faster than humans, but their defining characteristic is their endless adaptability. When exposed to a prolonged, consistent, or recurrent effort, their muscles and bones will grow or warp to better suit their needs. This also makes them susceptible to change under the effects of magic. The Ur-Takras, shamans of the Primal Blood, can use this to their advantage, performing rituals that will empower a kith’s warriors. Unfortunately, this susceptibility to mutate under magical forces also makes the oerikan vulnerable to curses, their bodies becoming true abominations. Beyond the oerikan, the Primal Blood will also contain, humans, Erisyr, and Vulkir people, as well as many strange creatures that roam the land of Paxos. As long as you can hold your own, the Primal Blood will take you in.

Although considered a “Faction”, the several clans of the Primal Blood are divided and have been since the departure of Octna. The nations of the world are particularly grateful for this division, because the Primal Blood is, by far, the most numerous faction on the continent. No one knows their exact numbers, but whenever they tire of infighting and turn their gaze north toward Dynas or east toward any of the other civilized territories, the ground rumbles as the warbands charge through. The unification of the Primal Blood is at the core of their central myth but is now considered nothing more than a distant dream by many. The same philosophy of “might makes right” that grants the blood clans their strength prevents them from unifying. They are a willful people who will only follow into battle the most powerful among them, the Takra of Stone. The most powerful of the Takras is prophesied to be Octna returned. Many have tried to claim this title, but death has proven them false prophets. The Seekers of the Primal Blood that brave the Malediction are often trying to prove themselves as worthy of Octna’s legacy. None have done so yet.