Bishal

The wide open plains and arid steppes of Bishal are home to several large tribes, all of whom share a general culture but who are often at war with one another.

Each Bishalian tribe follows a nomadic lifestyle, leading their massive horse herds to fresh pastures or following the herds of bison that they use for food, tools, and clothing.

Aristocratic and Political.

Each tribal lord is responsible for their own tribe’s actions but has little interest in the other tribes beyond occasional trades or skirmishes. On the rare occasions that multiple tribal lords feel that their entire nation is threatened, then the lords will come together where the two major rivers in Bishal join together into one. There, the lords will negotiate working together and for how long they are bound to do so. The largest and most belligerent Bishalian tribal lord is named Tilion, and he has made quite a name for himself and his tribe as a military power to be reckoned with.

Mercantile and Trade.

Bishalians typically trade internally instead of internationally. They use clay from the riverbeds to make pottery, and use every part of bison and other game animals to make food and various tools or clothes. Usually, if they consider trading with a foreign town or merchant caravan, they will instead just raid it.

Militant.

Bishalians make excellent cavaliers, and many Bishalian warriors are more at home on horseback than they are on foot. Capable of firing shortbows while riding, a Bishalian tribe’s warriors can conduct quick and brutal raids on the towns of other nations that border their territory.

Religious and Social.

The people of Bishal tend to be very religious and believe horses to be sacred animals. They worship A’rl’ng, the great steed of the Shibmar Conclave of the Archfae, as a guiding patron. Most Bishalians believe in a cycle of reincarnation where when a humanoid dies, they are reborn as a horse, and when a horse dies, they are reborn as a humanoid. People generally hold that Centaurs are the reincarnations of especially brave or honorable humanoids or steeds.

The Riverflow

Where Bishal’s two rivers come together, there is a tranquil set of hills known as the Riverflow. This is where Bishalian lords come together when they need to confer on a national level.

Quest Ideas

• In his old age, a cruel Bishalian lord has grown militant and violent against the other tribes. The heroes must put an end to his rampage.

• Bishal is threatened by some external force. The heroes must travel to each lord in turn and convince them to travel to the Riverflow and establish a consensus.