Human--Nemberi Barbarian Tribes

Human—Nemberi Barbarian Tribes

History

The Nemberi are barbarian tribes of humans that have settled throughout the forests and rolling hill country north and north-west of the Kingdom of Varanthus. The Nemberi tribes originally migrated from lands far to the north-west of the Agerren Sea centuries ago, seeking to escape the growing Vallorean dominion. The Nemberi culture have significantly influenced nearby tribes in the lands of Malyra, Parraena, and Darmacia in many ways, from religion, artistic styles, and philosophy to cultural ideals, clothing styles, armour and weaponry. The Nemberi tribes are related culturally and ethnically to many of the tribal peoples in the lands of northern Vallorea, and more distant realms in northern and north-western Arthann.

Physical Appearance

The Nemberi are a strong, tall, and attractive race of humans. Nemberi are fair-skinned, and have smooth complexions, fine features, and graceful, muscular physiques. Typically, Nemberi have pale-white or ruddy-white skin tone, and auburn, reddish, ash-blonde, or honey-blonde hair. Generally, Nemberi people typically have eyes of bright-blue, blue-green, or blue-grey in color. Nemberi men and women alike enjoy all kinds of jewelry, as well as styles, from ornately-engraved neck and arm-torcs, to necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets, and others. Nemberi men wear solid-colored trousers, and brightly-colored checkered tunics. Nemberi men typically maintain a well-groomed, neat mustache and short beard at the mouth and chin, with the rest of the face, cheeks and neck clean-shaven. Nemberi barbarians speak the native language of Nemberi.


N.B. Player characters are encouraged to review the Nemberi Character Tables, presented below.

Nemberi Character Tables

Nemberi Character Skin Tone
Dice Roll/Skin Tone
01-40%: White-Pale
41-70%: White-Ruddy
71-90%: White-Olive
91-00%: White-Tan

Nemberi Characters Hair
Dice Roll/Hair Color
01-20%: Auburn
21-35%: Reddish
36-45%: Red-Copper
46-60%: Ash-Blonde
61-85%: Honey-Blonde
86-88%: Brown, Dark
89-91%: Brown, Chestnut
92-93%: Brown, Golden
94-95%: Brown, Honey
96-00%: Raven-Black

Nemberi Characters Eyes
Dice Roll/Eye Color
01-30%: Bright Blue
31-51%: Blue-Green
52-72%: Blue-Grey
73-84%: Pale-Grey
85-92%: Ice-Grey
93-00%: Kelly-Green

Nemberi Height and Weight Tables
Male Nemberi Base Height: 5’10”-7’0”; (5’8”+2d8”);
Average Height: 6’4”
Male Nemberi Base Weight: 176-320-lbs; (160+16d10);
Average Weight: 240-lbs.

Female Nemberi Base Height: 5’6”-6’8”; (5’4”+2d8”);
Average Height: 6’0”
Female Nemberi Base Weight: 132-240-lbs; (120+12d10);
Average Weight: 180-lbs.

Politics

The Nemberi tribes are each ruled by a powerful and wise chieftain, whom is also always handsome. Common Nemberi law requires all candidates for chieftain to have many traits—though three main traits are deemed essential; A Nemberi chieftain must be powerful, skilled in battle, and courageous; the Nemberi chieftain must have a reputation for leadership, wisdom, and good judgment; finally, the Nemberi chieftain must be unblemished in features, perfect, strong and muscular in physique, and in all ways handsome and attractive. Likewise, a female chieftain must possess similar attributes. Tribal histories include several examples of tribal chieftains abdicating—or otherwise removed from the position as chieftain—because they had developed a chronic pattern of poor judgment, lost a limb in battle, or had grown too old, fat, and tired to rule effectively. Besides various practical considerations in ruling in the shadow of any of these deficiencies, the Nemberi religious philosophy also embraces a mystical tradition that maintains that a chieftain is a sort of embodiment and reflection of the gods’ favour and blessings upon the tribe—and thus, any chieftain suffering such deficiencies is a divine portent that a new chieftain is needed to lead the tribe, and the often unspoken dictate that keeping such a deficient chieftain in power is an affront to the gods, and invites the judgment of greater calamity and misfortune upon the whole tribe.

The Nemberi tribes are allied together in a loose confederation, though they are politically independent from each other. Each of the various Nemberi tribes may have different trade policies and arrangements with foreign neighbors, and other such details, though the Nemberi are very cautious and wary of any sort of treaty or political relationship that would bring them into conflict with a fellow tribal member of the Nemberi confederation. Politically, each Nemberi chieftain is advised by a council of Nemberi elders and nobles, as well as bards and druids. While most of the Nemberi tribes are led by male chieftains, more than a few are led by women. The Nemberi embrace relative political equality for both men and women—and while the women are not expected to be the equals of men in open combat, they are generally deemed to be quite acceptable as political leaders and enjoying political power. However, Nemberi women are permitted by the Nemberi culture to become warriors, and many Nemberi war bands commonly have several ferocious, women warriors amongst them. The Nemberi tribes are united through common culture, language, and religion.

Culture

The Nemberi tribes are famous for wild, ferocious warriors of great courage, charming, heroic bards, as well as mysterious, powerful druids. The Nemberi tribes are renowned artists, and have great natural artistic skills, from music, singing, dancing, and painting, to various performing arts, poetry, and all aspects of fine oratory, rhetoric and public-speaking. In craftsmanship, the Nemberi are highly-regarded for their skills in embroidery, weaving, and tailoring, as well as metallurgy, weaponsmithing, armoursmithing, and crafting fine tools, implements, and jewelry of bronze, silver and gold. The Nemberi are skilled merchants, and embrace a sophisticated mixed economy, using bartering systems as well as coins to conduct trade.

The Nemberi are typically loud, boisterous, daring and adventurous. The Nemberi embrace a wild, joyous enthusiasm for nearly everything in life, and are often distinctly open-minded, tolerant, dynamic, and creative. While definitely patriarchal, the Nemberi allow great freedom, rights and power to women in their society. Females in Nemberi culture enjoy most of the same rights, privileges and expectations as men, and most of the same responsibilities. While there are certainly professions and tasks traditionally reserved for one sex or the other, such tribal traditions and customs are generally tolerant and flexible so as to accommodate exceptionally determined, skilled, and talented individuals in pursuing something that is unusual or unorthodox.

The Nemberi marriage customs are summarized below:

Monogamous; Loose, Informal, Concubinage

Loose: People involved have varying expectations of absolute sexual fidelity and exclusivity; mistresses, lovers, and so on are fairly common, and generally accepted.

Informal: The culture has no strict requirements concerning divorce, and divorce is relatively easy and simple to do, with no social, religious or cultural stigmas for anyone involved. In addition, children born out of wedlock are not subject to being outcasts, and may be common and entirely accepted.

Concubinage: The culture embraces the custom of maintaining concubines for a married person, whether male or female. In the cases where concubines provide children, the children have some rights of inheritance. In addition, concubines have an official, legal and social status, and enjoy specific social, legal and inheritance rights.

Religion

The Nemberi tribes worship a pantheon of gods, composed of gods and goddesses, as well as honoring and revering a host of natural spirits of the elements, such as river spirits, lake spirits, forest spirits, and the like. The Nemberi tribes celebrate special festivals throughout the year, especially Imbolc, Beltaine, Lugnasadh, and Samhain. The Nemberi embrace a religion that is very mystical, and deeply interwoven with both the natural world, and the spirit world. For the Nemberi, the natural world and the spirit world are intricately linked and blended, never being quite certain where one might end, and the other begins.

The Nemberi religion also teaches the faithful of the cyclical nature of all of reality, and that death is not to be feared, for life is eternal in the spirit realms, and that the mortal existence is but a temporary stage--a place in time--that ebbs and flows, before the individual moves on to the spirit realm and eternal glory. Every person, every creature and thing goes through such a cycle—and therefore, none should fear death. There is no fear in death—but it is important how an individual dies, and how they face such circumstances.

The Nemberi gods are as follows:

Danu—“Mother Goddess”; supreme ruler and leader of the Nemberi gods. Danu is a goddess of the earth, magic, fertility, storms, animals, forests and knowledge.

Albina—Goddess of love, fertility, marriage, healing and hope

Adnamu—Goddess of travel, the sea, nature, and fortune

Namu—Goddess of spring, fertility, magic, rivers, lakes and forests

Carantia—Goddess of law, wisdom, knowledge, and crafts

Maccira—Goddess of war, death, disease and courage

Sucaria—Goddess of war, madness, fire and greed

Matonia—Goddess of war, lust, fertility, savagery, fate and knowledge

Vicana—Goddess of nature, death, animals, storms and winter

Epponia—Goddess of horses, fertility, joy, and war

Orbianna—Goddess of the sky, storms, stars, prophecy and knowledge

Leucona—Goddess of the moon, darkness, magic, and knowledge

Camberus—God of healing, knowledge, wisdom, and friendship

Dagobius—God of fire, mountains, smithing, knowledge and magic

Vercatus—God of agriculture, farming, autumn, woodlands and animals

Cornutos—God of forests, hunting, nature, and wild beasts.

Deoratus—God of trade, crafts, law, and travel

Martalos—God of war, strength, valor, and nobility

Vallius—God of the sea, storms, destruction, and chaos

Lughanos—God of the sun, knowledge, crafts, music, poetry, summer and hope.

Warfare

The Nemberi wage war philosophically for booty, slaves, and glory, as well as adventure. The Nemberi forces are recruited from the tribal towns and villages, and are led by their chieftains and prominent champions and warlords. Nemberi troops are typically composed of large units of infantry, while more wealthy tribal members and nobles form cavalry units. The Nemberi always go to war accompanied by groups of druids, who bless the warriors, encourage tribal savagery and pride, and use their magical powers to aid the war effort. Eloquent bards are always on hand as well, to degrade their enemies, bolster the Nemberi morale, and to witness glorious deeds for the composition of epic poems and stories celebrating the achievements of various members of the Nemberi tribes.

Cultural Weaponry and Armour

Nemberi Tribal Weaponry and Armor
Tribal Armor
Leather Armor (AC 8)
Hide Armor (Leather, particular treated animal and beast hides, and furs; AC 8)
Studded Leather (AC 7)
Shield (Wooden/Leather/Hides)
Shield (Iron/Bronze)
Nemberi Chainmail* (AC 5)
Nemberi Helm*
Nemberi Great Helm*

Nemberi Chainmail*
Nemberi Chainmail is made of excellent design, providing greater comfort when worn, as well as being 20% lighter in weight from standard chainmail.

Nemberi Helm*
The Nemberi Helm is a well-designed war helm of steel, inlaid with fine bronze. The Nemberi Helm features a raised spine through the crown, providing better strength and protection for the head, as well as cheek-guards along the sides, and a sweeping lobster-tail style of steel mesh and plates that protect the back of the neck. In addition, the Nemberi Helm style provides the wearer with excellent vision.

Nemberi Great Helm*
The Nemberi Great Helm is modeled along the same style as the Nemberi Helm, though the Nemberi Great Helm features a pair of great, sweeping horns from the top sides, in various styles, from sweeping bull-horns, ram-horns, goat-horns, or great deer-antlers. In addition, the Nemberi Great Helm may be open-faced, as is standard, or have a nose-guard, or an entire enclosed face-mask of fine steel, inlaid with gleaming silver or gold.

Tribal Weapons
Dagger, Dart, Club, Sling, Hand-Axe, Battleaxe, Broadsword, Longsword, Javelin, Spear, Lance, Shortbow, Two-Handed Sword