Witch Horde

The Witch Horde is a Theegan empire of Skycius. They are the descendants of those came to Bal-Kriav aboard a Helas Vessel called the Spire of Krak-Oth. During the Durkoth Descent (995 HE - 1355 HE), the Theegan became the new masters of the Ak'mrîtun Empire (872 HE - 49). Turning away from their former master's ways, they took up other religious interests. Forbidden by their Durkoth masters, shamanic interests took up the practice of zoolatry. Theegan beast worship came in the form of reverence to horses. For Krak-Oth, then a nascent Higher Power, the loss of followers to this new belief cost him divine power. Krak-Oth cursed the horse-worshipers, creating an entirely new race. They went from being bipeds to quadrupeds, becoming abomination-like centaurs called the Jara. These creatures were so powerful and so unexpected that they ravaged Ak'mrîtun and carried out the most heinous acts on the populace. Responsible for the fall of Ak'mrîtun, the populace fled south into the lands of Skycius and Zyrath. In lands long claimed by the Gnoll, the entirety of the Northern Hordelands, conflict between the two has never ended.

The Witch Horde is a matriarchal society with leadership by a magocracy called the Hex Rangian; a council of witches, shamans, and druids. It the traditional Theegan way of rule, going back to before they became slaves of the Durkoth. Considered a threat to Krak-Oth and the other Saints of Maen, each desiring to become a Higher Power, shamanism was forbidden. In the First Epoch, during one of the lulls in conflict between Briltarn and Kennel, the study of shamanism and the ways of the witch were revived. The Kashu'khas, hoping to destabilize the gnoll's path of nation building, sent educators to Briltarn. Later after a shake-up in the Kashu'khas, secret proselytizers of Demogorgon followed.

The Witch Horde's druidic methods came from a rebel elven people of Taurelin called the Helephor. In return for helping the Helephor battle the Angrods, they educated their new allies on ways of the druid; like the Kashu'khas, this teaching was only provided to Theegan females.

Ten miles beyond the nation's three cities, rule and law is often dictated at the tribal level. These tribes have long been resistant to any overt centralized command. Many of these tribes worship the war-loving god Ares. The shamans and druids typically worship Silvanus and the witches, when the need arises, pray to Demogorgon.

In 1190, the Rampager Horde threatened the empire. Playing on the emotions and fears of their subjects, the witches united the fragmented tribes. Deep Jara raids forced the Theegans of Tadab-Hal into the territory of the Garormuk, causing the Witch-Pack War (1190 - 1240). The Theegans battled both the Jara and the gnoll armies of Garormuk. When the jara horde was defeated and scattered, the Witch Horde marched against their long-time enemies of the east. Stalled by the environmental destruction brought on by the two angry artifacts Blizzard and Firestorm, this war ended in stalemate.

The most dangerous units of the empire are its cavalry. It is said with some truth, that every Theegan knows how to ride and fight from horseback; and though they no longer practice horse worship, wealth and pride of the people is often in the number and quality of horses they own.