There are thirteen zebra tribes, differentiated by their origins in zebra mythology and the regions they traditionally occupied. They are sometimes referred to as "the twelve and one". "The twelve" were supposedly the children of the sun and the earth, while "the one" were the children of the moon and the earth. A zebra's tribal affiliation is passed down matrilineally, from mother to child.
Origins[]
Before the current thirteen tribes were formed, there existed dozens of smaller tribes. Starkatteri then attempted to take over the world, which eliminated many of the the smallest tribes. After that the First Empire was formed, with twelve tribes allowed to vote for the first Caesar. The remaining tribes either merged with of one of the twelve tribes, or were left out and together formed Orah, the thirteenth tribe.[1]
Individual Tribes[]
Achu[]
In zebra mythology, the Achu were one of the twelve tribes born from the sun and earth. They were born "of the high and fiery mountains", which probably refers to a volcanic region in the zebra lands. They are known as fierce fighters who developed many unarmed fighting styles, including one that is capable of defeating a power-armored foe (Fallen Caesar). They have thick, triangular stripes.
Location: The fiery northern and central mountains of Zebrinica. Bastion. Rice River.
Great Migration: During the Great Migration, many zebras took the paths that would eventually become the Old Road, so much so that they wore paths into the Equus itself. A lot of more difficult paths over mountains or close to monster territory were naturally avoided. However, a group of zebras known as the Haju looked for new ways of travel, seeking out new places to go during the migration. Haju is an ancient zebra term for “reckless”. These Haju were generally youths and daredevils at that. They weren’t so much a tribe but a clique or a club. As their travels got more and more risky, they responded with an increase in fighting off the danger. The founder of the tribe proper went by the name of Acha-haju. While most haju grew out of being haju, Acha never wanted to grow out of thrill seeking. Instead, he was forced to when he ended up losing a leg. Refusing to be treated as an invalid, he, instead, founded a school for other haju youths to find sanctuary at and learn how to fight. He built his schools in the mountains far from the Old Road, even allowing monsters to move into the territory nearby. This, to his surprise, served to enforce haju behavior, as thousands of young zebra left the migration to live and study at his schools, much to the chagrin of their elders. As a result, the Achu were born.
First Empire: As the Great Migration ended, the Achu were widely recognized and respected by zebrakind. They took on a distinct training dialect called Jihn, which affected how the entire tribe spoke, leading to their distinct naming conventions and even their own system of glyphs. The Achu were loved as protectors and heroes but hated as arrogant blowhards known for causing trouble and misery. Visitors to the continent would come to find Achu competitions, bringing about the assumption that all zebra were like this. The rise of Nightmare Moon humiliated the tribe, since they could not move the sun to save their people. They were outraged at their own impotence, leading to the disillusionment of the First Empire and the establishment of the centralized Second Empire.
Second Empire: The Achu were elevated in stature during the era of the Second Empire, which had a side effect of creating friction between the tribes. Many saw the Achu as outliers, too individualistic compared to the other tribes, elitist, and alien. The Roamani, in particular, have a long-held grudge against the Achu. Allegedly, a master of the Way of Earth challenged a Roamani elder to a tug of war. The elder called the whole village to help him. It is unclear who won, as the Achu claim that the master pulled the villagers and the mountain top they were standing on while the Roamani claim that the elder and the villagers were able to pull the master off his hooves.
Third Empire/The Last Election: The last election led to the Achu candidate losing. Not wanting to back the Roamani due to their perceived weakness and the grudge, the Achu backed the Atoli and even the Orah, considering the latter to be trash and the Roamani to be worse than trash. Atoli pirates took Equestrians hostage, leading to the humiliation of the Last Caeser and his tribe the Roamani. The Achu’s response truly stung, as they essentially mocked the Roamani Caeser and claimed that a single Achu master could have freed the hostages with no killing invloved. The war itself broke the tribe. At first, they were skeptical about joining in, viewing conflict over mass conflict as a true test of strength. Then opportunities to fight Equestrians intrigued the Achu, leading to many joining the war not so much in support of it but for the sake of seeking a new challenge. Hiroto the Mountain Breaker, a Way of Earth practitioner, claimed to have fought an earth pony named Big Macintosh while adventuring in Equestria. The two fought to a standstill with Big Mac utilizing minimal skill and being a natural talent. Hiroto only joined the war effort so that he may fight this pony again. When Luna took over for Celestia, things changed. Some Achu felt that the war went against their pursuit of individual strength. Others felt that their own rhetoric had become too extreme and demeaning. A few still felt that using their techniques simply didn’t work and led to costly defeats. However, the overall majority ended up supporting the Caeser, cementing his power over the empire indefinitely. A great many Achu would die in the many battles they fought. Entire schools were wiped out after the whole student body enlisted together. Masters would be without students and monasteries would be emptied, abandoned, destroyed, and/or repurposed. Several Achu would voluntarily become proditor, outright refuting the idea that fighting proved strength. Hiroto is even said to have fallen into a frenzy and nearly massacring his own side before becoming a drunk exploited for propaganda when an unknown and alleged zebra killed Big Mac before he could fight him again. They were no match for the horrors of modern warfare. Bullets shred through the strong, artillery cannot be dodged so easily, speed is irrelevant if the rest of the unit can’t catch up, the effort needed generalists over experts, and simply playing defense against an invading force is never a good idea.
Post-Day of Doom: Nowadays, they are nearly extinct, coming in second (though tied with the Eschatik) with the Starkatteri taking the lead in that regard. So many adults died that masters died of old age before they could train a new generation of fighters. Masters that commercialized and prostituted their skills were the ones most likely to survive into the next generation. Schools are now targets for legions and raiders not wanting any competition or empowered victims. What remains of the Achu are those that live the monastic life and others that settle down in spots or wander the land. They also encourage haju and take on any apprentice willing to learn their way. Of course, the largest populations of Achu live in the sublevels of Bastion, renting their muscle and skill to those that pay the most.
Art/Culture: Achu culture revolves around the story of Achu and his five children. Achu was the child of the sun and the mountains according to legend. He was so strong his hoofsteps shook the ground and split the earth just from walking. While hailed as a hero, having defended the tribe from primordial monsters, he was also dangerous due to his literal earth-shattering strength. He soon married the meekest of Carna’s daughters and sat beneath a cherry tree for 999 years, granting peace to the land, before passing into the spirit. His wife bore quintuplets and they were all quite competitive. They were Horo the Mountain, Meili the River, Zhu the Flame, Yingjie the Valiant Knight, and Changpu the Fat. Achu got sick of their boasting that he told them to settle the whole debacle and prove who was the strongest amongst them. Horo picked up a giant rock and threw it at Meili. Meili dodged the rock with her speed and mocked him. She tried to grapple and smother Zhu. Zhu managed to fight her off due to her sheer ferocity and lack of fear. Zhu tried to pummel Yangjie but he was able to block her blows and parry with his glorious golden sword. Yangji then tried to fight Changpu but the larger sibling was able to block and weather the blows, tiring him out. Finally, Changpu attempted to fight Horo but he was easily lifted and tossed aside. In the end, they squabbled about who should be the true winner of the little competition until their mother called them over for tea. Achu philosophy stems from this fable with the overall question being “Who is the strongest?”. As a result, Achu try to find strength in physical power, swiftness and speed, the will to act and move forward, skill, and the ability to weather adversity, essentially following in the hoofsteps of one of Achu’s children. Achu masters often point out that their mother was the strongest because she ended the fight by having her children adhere to respect. This explanation doesn’t last long and the debates continue. Zencori say that Achu only went into the spirit to get away from his kids.
Love and Relationships: Relationships between Achu are complicated. Achu families are rare but do occur. Achu typically present their interest in a potential partner directly. Rejections are generally respected, but some may force the issue as a show of strength. This behavior is censured by the tribe. An Achu relationship most often forms when two Achu are matched in skill, leading to competition between the two which turns into romance. Achu marriages of all sorts are acceptable as long as they do not weaken anyone involved. Achu of the Way of Earth and Wood are primarily male-dominated. Those of the Way of Water and Steel are primarily female-dominated. Finally, students of the Way of Fire are evenly split. Children are generally given to adults who have completed their desired level of training to be raised. As the tribe is and always has been made up of zebra wanting to challenge themselves, adoption seems to be more common than child birth.
Achu Schools:
- Way of Earth: Strength training and hitting the enemy hard. Includes the Sundered Hoof school.
- Way of Water: Precise strikes and a whole lot of dodging. Includes the Surest Path school.
- Way of Fire: Fast and fierce fighting without regard to getting hurt. Includes the Fallen Caesar school.
- Way of Steel: Skill with various weapons while eschewing armor. Includes multiple schools for similar weapons.
- Way of Wood: Whethering blows with a fleshy body, meditation, and grappling. Police officers at the Imperial Officer School were taught these techniques for the sake of pacification.
- Blended Schools: Some schools blend different philosophies. Examples include Boiling Kettle (Fire and Water), Gambler’s Merit (Water and Wood), Falling Star (Fire and Earth), Lonely Tree (Earth and Wood). Any school that includes Steel teachings are simply schools that include weapon training.
Practitioners of the ways of earth and wood are predominantly male while practitioners of the ways of water and steel are predominantly female. Meanwhile, practitioners of the way of fire are evenly split, genderwise.
Achu Ranks:
- Infant: The lowest rank. Literally infants and the newly initiated.
- Child: Children and those who have worked at honing strength but have not yet endured their trials.
- Adult: Respected and having gone through trials.
- Elder: Respected further and considered the leaders of the tribe below the wise.
- Wise: Elders who have gone through a spiritual trial that involves facing their greatest fears at the risk of taking an oath of silence.
Proditor: Achu proditor are those that believe that fighting does not prove strength.
Shujaa was a member of the Achu tribe prior to her defection. Xenith was a member of the Achu.
Propoli[]
| “ | Propoli are all about results. Perhaps excessively so. It’s our greatest strength and weakness. | ” |
– Doctor Xandros
Homelands, chapter 21 | ||
The Propoli were born "in a village", and were probably one of the first of the twelve tribes to settle in one place. They are the builders and inventors who founded many great cities. They are marked by thin, horizontal stripes, which do not touch the spine and intersect at the ribs. Their name comes from the words ‘pro' and 'poli’, which mean ‘for the place to dwell’ when put together.
Propoli are practical and rarely engage in art.
Location: The southwestern cities of Zebrinica. The city of Bastion, in particular. Rice RIver, Sanctuary, and Roam less so.
Great Migration: This tribe was the first to break off from the Great Migration and start building more permanent settlements called ‘polis’. The name means ‘for the place to dwell’ or pro-poli. A zebra named Xe led the old, weary, and lame to build the first poli, marrying a lame mare named Xo and having a child named Xae. The goal was to prevent scattering and protect from beasts and the elements. The reason that zebra didn’t initially stay in one place was because they would use up resources and the spirits would leave. Xe made rules. 27 rules that ensure the longevity of the polis. Water, food, storage, preparation, and places to honor the spirits along with keeping villages away from rivers to prevent flood damage and indefensible places to allow for fortification are covered in these rules. As stated before, names start with X. This is to honor Xe and also because marks on a map where people live happen to be X’s. Famines were a problem before, but eventually things picked up. Soon other zebra from other tribes wanted to migrate to polis. The four main polis were Xastio, Xice, Xafer, and Xoan, now called Bastion, Rive River, Sanctuary, and Roam, respectively. The invention of cement was quite a milestone since one could build big walls and things. Propoli are generally assertive, arrogant, and wealthy, especially back in the day seeing as how they accumulated wealth just by staying put. Villages would overpopulate thus leading to struggling to follow the 27 rules.
First Empire: The Starkatteri would seduce them into building a grand city, which would later become Hoofington. Naturally, the Propoli exploited the other tribes while the Starkatteri were in charge of them. Then the Starkatteri were cursed but, for some reason, the Propoli were not. Now the Propoli are sensitive to curses and spiritual retribution, building temples and shrines and knowing not to mess with the spirits. However, they soon became hierarchic after learning from the Starkatteri. Lots of cities rose due to advancement and fell due to various problems. Reform and decline. Generally, however, the Propoli were assimilationists, taking in the cultures of the other tribes and blending them into their own. Their cooking is a pale imitation of the food of the Tappahani and their science went from their own trial and error to a more empirical method introduced by the Logos.
Second Empire: After the rise and fall of Nightmare Moon, the Propoli continued to thrive in terms of progress. They would begin to assimilate other tribal cultures into their own. They even learned inflation and money lending from the Starkatteri, as well as making paper money as a means of accumulating wealth.
Third Empire/The Last Election: The Propoli profited from the war immensely, making weapons and selling them for the war effort. Then they became a major target, being the suppliers of...well everything. Incidentally, their candidate during the last election died in an accident.
Post-Day of Doom: These days, Propoli work under the idea that Bastion is the only “good city” and that they must go out to build new cities. Legions have a parasitic relationship with them, though perhaps it’s more symbiotic.
Hierarchy of the Propoli:
- Zeta: Elites. They are on the top of the hierarchy and do not fix things for themselves unlike Props lower than them. They run corporations, cities, and dynasties.
- Epsilon: Businesszebra and scientists. These zebra are meritocratic and actually present with highly coveted skills. They are rewarded depending on what they provide to the Poli. The pecking order is harsh for epsilons.
- Delta: Overworked, but skilled labour who may have a whole apartment to themselves, and have families. 'Deltahoods' are often the aspirational goal of most Propoli.
- Gamma: Skilled workers that mostly do management. They may have two rooms to live in and may qualify to marry and have children.
- Beta: Experienced and lonely Alphas.
- Alpha: Menial laborers. They share a living cubical, eat contraceptive laced food, watch television, and sign up for sex on a white board.
- Sub-Alpha and Negs: The children of betas or refugees. They are the lowest in the pecking order.
Art/Culture: Propoli culture, aside from being a melange of other cultures, involves function over form. Jumpsuits, mass produced art and food, and consumerism are just some traits. Social stratification is the big how-to-do with this tribe. Advancement comes from audacity, risk, and sucking up rather than hard work. Basic people are basic, complex are complex. Propoli believe in the adage ‘up once, down always’. What this means is that the chance success only comes once and must be taken and that failure is something that can always happen.
Holidays: Propoli Technology Symposium
Love and Relationships: Propoli relationships are often strained and love is rare, especially between different ranks. “Tiger moms” are kind of a thing and mental illness and suicide are common. Elite zebra are subject to bizarre social pressures and often have affairs. Foal molestation, sadism, sexual abuse, and even snuff are also common among the elites. Amongst the different ranks, Propoli marry up and breed down. In other words, they try to marry above their rank and have children that end up the rank of the lower spouse.
Proditor: Revolutionaries and reformers who try their hand at building new societies and fixing old ones. Often met with unfortunates and messy ends.
Xanthe is a Propoli.
Carnilian[]
The Carnilian were born "on a fertile plain", and were probably the first zebras to develop agriculture. They are largely farmers, but they are perhaps more infamous among zebrakind for their sexual practices. Their name is derived from a combination of the two main families that formed the tribe; the Caris and the Nalis.
When famine strikes, Carnilian frequently disperse and may be adopted into new tribes. Their descendants are not forever marked as outsiders, though; their unusual curling stripe pattern tends to fade out within a couple of generations. Their stripes are curvy and compliment the body.
Location: Rice RIver. The eastern, southwestern, and northwestern grasslands (including Rice RIver) of Zebrinica.
Great Migration: While mythically, the thirteen tribes were said to have been born through copulation between the sun and his certain parts of the world, historically, there were hundreds of tribes, all family-based. While some tribes would fuse during the Great migration, others were confrontational. In this case, the Nalis and the Caris tribes were well-known rivals during the migration, as each of these clans would race to get the better camping spot, going as far as brawling, bleeding, and, in some cases, dying. Both of these tribes proved to be excellent farmers, offering their own spilt blood to the earth. These tribes would go on to form the Carnilian tribe. Although, if one is to believe the myths, the Carnilia were formed after a duel between Baccus and Carnia, the mythical leaders of the two tribes. These two became lovers as soon as one of the leaders “conquered” the other. Suffice to say, a union between two tribes with large families and exceptional farming skills was forced at some point, forming this tribe.
First Empire: During the era of the First Empire, the tribe were known for their fertility rituals as well as complex rites and pacts with the spirits done in private during the solstice, ensuring that foals would be born after readying for winter or when food was most abundant before harvest. While a lot of tribes honor life phases, the Carnilians worship conception itself. When one of their own died, they would plant a tree or flowering bush atop the corpse such that the spirit would reside within or a new foal would be conceived. The dead would eventually be interred within forests of such plants in a ritual called “soul retirement”. This, of course, could lead to rebirth. However, elders would become selective about who could be reborn, outright becoming gatekeepers to the process while unwanted souls would be left untended. Sex and farming would become wrapped up in the spiritual practices of the Carnilians with sex, in particular, being done to appease the spirits. Other tribes feared that the Carnilians would outbreed them, though the tribe was saved from such persecution due to the fact that their stripe patterns were recessive. The notion of “Carnilian promiscuity” would thus become the “tell” for Carnilian parentage. Suffice to say, Carnilian mares are practically foal factories. They can have upwards of 20 children and think nothing of it. Unfortunately, famine is a major issue that this tribe faces. Overfarming and overpopulation are things that tend to happen with a tribe that holds farming and...populating sacred. Back in the day, other tribes would let in the Carnilians for population growth then kick them out once they crowded the villages then let them back in once a population was needed again. Carnilian stallions are much more welcome than mares due to their knack for farming...though a Carnilian stallion is just as likely to be promiscuous as his female counterpart.
Second Empire: During the rise of Nightmare Moon, the Carnilian way of life and population exploded! At one point, they made up a sixth of the zebra population (either whole or half-Carnilian to be precise). Herbology and medicine would allow Carnilians to control their fertility, though this would lead to a schism between rural traditionalists and urban progressives. Suffice to say, the traditionalists frowned upon birth control. Sex for pleasure, homosexuality, bisexuality, and so on are simultaneously frowned upon by traditionalists and just fine with progressives. Bathhouses, massage parlors, and bordellos would become popular in many cities. The birth control would stave off any hard feelings toward the Carnilians due to fears of being outbred by them. Rural Carnilians hating their lot in life would move to the cities.
Third Empire/The Last Election: While traditionalists would impede progress, the Carnilians and the Propoli would join forces in creating a vast agricultural industry. Carnilians would develop fertilizer, biotech, and organic chemical engineering processes as a result. They would even learn to turn biomass into fuel and plastics, along with flirting with genetic engineering during the last election season. They backed the Propoli candidate before their death then backed the Roamani candidate. Over half the tribe lived in cities working in factories during the war. They were not interested in dying. However, the rise of Princess Luna led to them being pulled into the war effort. Second only to the Roamani, the Zebrinican infantry was filled with Carnilians. Claudio, a member of the Magnificent Twelve was the “bad boy” of the team and qutie famous among the tribe. He was suave when Hiroto was angry and serious when Herne was being goofy. He was said to be the ultimate flirt. His most famous attributes were his shotgun and his wide-brimmed black hat. However, he would soon become critical of the war effort and his “role” among the twelve. It was reported that he died in combat a year before the war ended...though his body was never recovered.
Post-Day of Doom: The Day of Doom, much like everything else, split the tribe in two. Half of the tribe felt it was a well-deserved consequence of their actions while the other half felt it was the end of a golden age. Many of their businesses were abandoned and looted by hungry mobs. The only company that escaped the turmoil was Carnico, a biochemical company. This company has worked closely with the city of Rice River to help keep the tribe alive and healthy...or as healthy as one can get in these times. While the tribe was able to predictably bounce back, they would soon be overwhelmed by the Legions. The Blood Legion, in particular, claimed thousands for their hordes. In fact, most of the Bloods’ leaders were once Carnilians. Another, much more diabolical threat has also been affecting the Carnilians. Razor grass. A single seed can start a clump that can double in size every week. Within years, entire fields were covered in the stuff. Razor grass is, in essence, a silicone-based grass that is inedible, razor sharp, fireproof, and can only be destroyed with a specific weed killer...invented by Carnico. This weed killer (invented by Carnico) poisons the soil. Thankfully, there are special seeds (invented by Carnico) that can grow in previously poisoned soil. Carnilans are common in Rice River but can also be found in the east, south, and in the Free City of Bastion. While the tribe is and always has been in conflict with itself, they are best suited to restoring the zebra population to its former self.
Types:
- Progressives: Promiscuous and carefree urbanites
- Traditionalists: Ruralites who believe that life is sacred no matter what.
Art/Culture: The tribe is rather fond of curved shapes, as this translates to even their architecture. Carnilian villages are laid out in a circle with six circular farms and fields surrounding it. Homes can be curved row houses or domed single structures. (Even their cocks are curved.) The tribe also enjoys silk and other clingy fabric for the same reason. Cuisine is second only to Tappahani cuisine. The food might not be fancy, but there will be a lot of it if you end up eating in a Carnilian restaurant. In other words, their food philosophy is quantity over quality.
Holidays: Bacchanalia. A three day celebration of life that happens once every five years. It involves food, drink, and lots of sex.
Love and Relationships: Oddly enough, marriage is commonly seen as selfish, since it is mostly done for economical reasons. Carnilian families are centered on a farm or business that, should the farm or business fail, dissolves just as easily. Carnilians marry for love...though this is secondary to other advantages. Traditionalists and progressives alike don’t care how many of their own marry, as long as they have kids. Polyamory is common, in other words. Sex is public and can be quite raunchy. However, there are two traditions that Carnililans of all stripes follow. First, “plucking green shoots” or pedophilia is punished with castration or mutilation. Second “seeding a poisoned fruit” or rape is punished with branding. Both of these methods are frowned upon due to the fact that sex is easy for a Carnilian and that these methods of getting sex are therefore inexcusable.
Proditor: As the Carnilians believe life is sacred, those that take the red are those that take life. Abortionist Carnilians are Proditor.
Mendi[]
The Mendi were born "in a deep wood". They are described as healers.
The Mendi tribe were likely skilled at brewing potions, involving healing or curing. Their stripe patterns are wavy and broad, looking similar to bandages. They also look "ponish" compared to other zebra.
Location: Sanctuary (Paradise), the southeastern forest regions of Zebrinica.
Great Migration: During the Great Migration, the first Mendi were one of countless clans and families. They were a humble people that, in most regards, were not particularly unique. However, what set them apart from other tribes was a burning curiosity in healing techniques. As Mendi families stopped to raise their kids and recover before migrating once again, they would seek the healers of other clans and ask to watch their techniques through bribery, flattery, and genuine interest. Soon they would become the ones that others wanted to learn from when it came to healing. Then the Propoli had the brilliant idea of building a house of healing for the Mendi. In essence, the Mendi could stay in the house all year, heal the sick that came through, and learn from other healers. They were hesitant at first due to being okay with the old ways of migration but ultimately accepted due to the possibilities this presented. Immediately after they settled in the house, they realized just how much it was needed. There were clans and the like that had no concept of healing at all. Injuries led to infections and death. Mental disorders were treated like spiritual possession and the poor souls were left to die. Clans left the migration just so they could stay close to the Mendi healers, thus cementing their tribal status. Early Mendi followed the teachings of Mendus, a great healer within their ranks. His teachings could be summed up as “Do no harm unto a patient until knowledge is certain. Do not be certain of treatment until you have the advice of three other healers. Do no treatment that is untested save in the direst of circumstances. Do no action without the patient’s life in mind.”. These teachings helped to practically eliminate quackery and risky treatments that did more harm than good. Some “traditional” treatments were challenged and discarded, even. The ultimate question a Mendi has for treatments would be “Is the patient better?”. Early Mendi lived in the houses of healing in Propoli villages. The sick and wounded could come in for treatment at any time. They also cultivated herbs and supplements which were popular with the migrants, leading to wealth through trade. The most popular of these plants would, of course, be tea. The tribe was able to prosper due to their cultivation and selling of tea leaves, allowing them to treat others for free. The early Mendi practically worshipped the sun with some even believing it to be a cure-all or even something that a zebra could live off of.
First Empire: They were virtually free of the tyranny of the Starkatteri due to being primarily located on the other side of the continent in the forest regions. They would make their home in the city of Sanctuary.
Second Empire: The Long Night was traumatic for the tribe. Nightmare Moon hiding the sun meant that the Mendi lost their object of worship. They were a tribe known for having others turning to them when unwell. The Mendi, having no sun, had no one to turn to themselves. Their teachings and ability to help collapsed and their psyche was ruined. It wouldn’t be until a generation born without having known about the Long Night that the Mendi would regain their footing. It would take years still to mend the damage from the fallout. Soon after this, the skill of the Mendi was put to the test when Daybreaker arrived in the zebralands. This flaming alicorn was wounded but otherwise dangerous, deranged, and quite angry. The zebra could not understand her orders or her demands to return her to her kingdom. The Second Empire prepared to kill the threat but a Mendi asked permission to help the creature. The Empire permitted it for the sake of learning its weakness more so than a desire to help it in any way. Several Mendi brought the creature food and tea, waiting on her patiently as she raged at them. She eventually calmed down and learned to talk to them and vice versa. Then she told her story. She was none other than Princess Celestia, the one who banished Princess Luna, ending the Long Night. The resulting guilt, inability to calm the nightmares of her people, frustration, and longing to have her sister back caused her to break. Meanwhile, rival princesses challenged her rule, deposing her, and attempting to banish her to the sun. She, instead, ended up in Zebrinica. Thus, the Mendi helped her rebuild herself and banish this Daybreaker into the dark recesses of her mind. She even found love among the Mendi and, with the help of the spirit of Equus itself, bore children with shining stripes of gold. However, she would learn that she would outlive her children and theirs. Furthermore, she was forced to return home and end the War of the Nine Princesses, as said princesses were causing her people suffering. This era was omitted from the history books in Equestria. After this, the Mendi were heavily revered, becoming the first tribe to have three consecutive Caesars. They still provided healthcare for free and even do so to this day. Of course, they were able to maintain wealth through trading herbs and generous (well-deserved) donations.
Third Empire/The Last Election: They supported the Zencori candidate during the last election since they could not decide on their own candidate. The war was the thing that brought the divided Mendi together. They all agreed that going to war with Celestia was wrong but otherwise aided in the war effort of the Roamani. Essentially, they provided medical aid while constantly calling for an end to the fighting. Their primary focus was to mitigate harm to their fellow zebra, though there was the occasional bit of radicalism and anti-pony rhetoric. When Princess Luna took over, however, there was a shift. The Conservatives had been the tribe’s anchor, but the Purists would dominate the conversation. They believed that Equestria was sick, Nightmare Moon was the cause, and that they must join the fight. Mendi became medics and headed field hospitals. Euthanites helped develop chemical and biological weapons. Meanwhile, Conservatives led by Zarrabia (aka Bramblewine) tried to work with Celestia in a peace deal, offering her sanctuary and even “healing” Luna if she deposed her. Then the attack on Shattered Hoof Ridge silenced the Conservatives.
Post-Day of Doom: After the Day of Doom, several of the Mendi left the tribe due to feeling abandoned by the spirits with many committing suicide. They could not prevent the legions from butchering the continent. So the Mendi retreated to Sanctuary, their last city, falling back on the old notion of helping those who come to them for help. These failures and schisms haunt the tribe. Mendi culture has changed very little. Healing houses are the nexus of their villages. Mendi who walk into a healing house are to be respected as peers, though they have to work extra hard in order to become true equals. These places are clean with isolated rooms for patients and good food and water. There are some gardens on site for growing herbs and relaxation. Bigger houses have schools for teaching techniques and specializations. They range from single rooms to monastery-like fortresses built around a renowned house. Mendi all contribute to healthcare in some way.
Philosophies of the Mendi:
- Conservative: Mendi that help when asked for it. Critical of “newer” methods of healing.
- Preventativist: Mendi who created preventative healthcare initiatives such as safe housing, bettering diets, exercise, and family planning. They were astonishingly innovative but led to some tragedies, such as attempts to “fix” the Orah, starting with charity then leading to things like alcohol prohibition and indoctrination. This, naturally led to suicide and equicide among the Orah, as the Prventativists did not consider how other tribes treated the Orah. The Orah don’t trust them as a result.
- Euthanites: Mendi who follow the teachings of Eutharos who believed that death itself could be a remedy for terminal patients who would otherwise suffer for years. While suppressed, their ideas circulated and led to contraception and managing pregnancy.
- Purifers/Purists: Mendi that started as a movement against Propoli corruption before claiming that injustice, corruption, and outside influences were poisoning the zebra race. Their rhetoric was inflammatory but they did some good...and some harm.
Classes of the Mendi
- Doctor: Diagnosing ailments and their sources.
- Chemist: Studying herbs, minerals, and other treatments.
- Healer: Implementing treatments and overseeing recovery.
- Nurse: Supporting doctors, chemists, and healers, administrative duties, and organization.
- Janitor: Keeping things clean and running.
All Mendi align with at least one of the five, but can pull multiple duties with some attempting to do all five.
Art/Culture: Mendi are dignified, wearing a mask of aloofness, kindness, and respectability. They try to appear helpful, even off-duty, de-escalating conflicts and appearing fair. In truth, they have repressed feelings and hate admitting when they are sick or need therapy. They also shame those that are publicly drunk or disorderly. Mendi art and the like is wholesome but otherwise dull. The Mendi artist’s philosophy is that art is meant to soothe and bring peace, to educate, and to reaffirm. Most tribes find it boring and about “feeling good”. Mendi food is nourishing and wholesome but unseasoned. Tappahani avoid their houses of healing simply because of the food. Mendi fashion is absent, as they only put on clothes when meeting with patients or depending on the weather. They avoid jewelry since it could end up inside a patient.
Holidays: The Summer Sun Solstice is the favored holiday of the Mendi. For one day, they throw all their dignity out the window and get drunk, have sex, and live it up. They believe that babies conceived on this day will be sunstripes and that, on this day, it’s perfectly fine to fight someone you disagree with so long as you buy them a drink after and don’t kill them. The other tribes supply the Mendi with food and music when they’re having fun on this day. They deserve it after all. The next day, they clean up, recover from their hangover, and vow to “never do that again”...until next year.
Love and Relationships: They are fairly repressed sexually and stress monogamy but do not outright condemn homosexuality (save for Purists). Family planning is big among the Mendi and they emphasize quality of children over quantity, leading to high expectations for young Mendi. This encourages them to leave for other houses of healing or leave altogether to get away from these high expectations. Mendi are also known for being attracted to ponies with some full-on fetishizing them (especially unicorns and pegasi). “Paint play” is a popular kink which involves full-body painting and even wearing fake wings and horns. They have developed in-vitro methods of nudging children towards their zebra heritage, so they are more open to zonies. Mendi relationships involve calculating the genetic potential of offspring and heavy discussions of ethical concerns. While this is a touch...clinical, Mendi relationships are ultimately built-to-last, supportive, and productive. Good Mendi relationships can have half a dozen or more well-educated children (unlike the Carnilians who aren’t as keen on educating all their kids). Gay Mendi are equally stable and insist on adoption. Divorce is seen like surgery in that it’s messy, to be avoided, can be unavoidable, and with recovery emphasized afterwards. Mendi talismans can alter sex, so trans Mendi are a thing and considered normal. However, bisexuality and gender non-conformity are discouraged, as individuals are urged to pick a gender in both regards. Mendi may seem passionless in their relationships but in reality they are loving and do not suffer loss of spouse or child lightly.
Taboos: Necromancy and soul manipulation are the ultimate taboos to Mendi of all stripes. Death is a process to be respected, though some deviants argue that it’s the ultimate form of healing. Mendi find the existence of ghouls to be...challenging, as a result. Mendi who dabble in necromancy get good at it quickly and do a lot of harm before getting caught due to their ability to look presentable.
Sunstripes: Among the Mendi are sunstripes, descendants of Celestia. Sunstripes have greater expectations thrust upon them and can appear even if a parent isn’t a sunstripe. Their first and second offspring are always sunstripes but the chances of being a sunstripe lessen with every following offspring. Sunstripes have golden mane, stripes, and eyes and, while considered very charismatic and attractive to other zebras, do not possess any supernatural powers.
Proditor: Mendi proditors are exceedingly rare but do exist. They reject the pressure of Mendi culture and the notion of tribal responsibility. They often become proditors simply to say that the Mendi, that healers need help as much as anyone. They also informally learn, from other tribes, medical techniques that their peers may be reluctant to judge.
Zencori[]
The Zencori were born "on a wind", which may refer to mountains, or to their habits of nomadism. They are the storytellers who maintain the oral history of zebrakind. Since the founding of the tribe, its members have argued whether the stories should be entertaining or accurate. The former focus on poetic value and the moral of the story, while the latter strive for historical accuracy. Their stripes are thin and triangular.
Members of the tribe refer to the established version of world history as "canon". "Canon" can be modified, but it's difficult and requires a lot of formal work to be done.
Location: All over Zebrinica, Zanzebra (especially the great library of Lexica), the western forests of Zebrinica.
Great Migration: There are multiple origin stories of the first Zencori. There’s the story of Zencora, a filly who was put in charge of the foals while the adults worked. She made up stories to keep them out of trouble, deriving inspiration from the migration and making up all manner of bizarre tales. Her stories were so popular that even the adults were amused by her tales. Soon, other clans would give her family food just to listen to tales of the Boulder People or the Magical Cloak of Tippenyaki. She would grow up and spread her tales to a point that others would take up the mantle of storyteller. Another origin story would begin with a zebra named Zen. Zen was a drifter, gambler, and a liar too. He would claim to be a refugee that had his family wiped out by bandits or a prince deposed by a jealous uncle or even a spirit trapped in mortal form. He would tell lie after lie up until the village would discover the truth and they chased him out with sticks. One day he met a strange zebra with a pot of mushroom soup. Upon meeting him, he spun a tale involving him looking for his family. The strange zebra gave him the pot, claiming it was magic. The next day, Zen came across a family and he reluctantly shared the soup. He spun a tale about being a singer that lost his voice. The next day, they met a sphynx that was willing to trade her voice for the stew. He told the sphynx he was a wealthy merchant and, the next day, he met a noble zebra with great riches who was looking for some good food. Zen sold him the pot for a fortune but soon learned that none of his stories came true. He lost the fortune due to his gambling and wandered the continent as a beggar spinning yarns for the rest of his life. Yet another origin would be about a spirit named Curious. Curious lived in a glade and when zebra came to her home, she would ask them where they came from. Anyzebra that entertained the spirit with their stories would be cursed with fortune. One day, a zebra came from the east and, rather than tell her stories, he brought only news. The truth of the news captivated the spirit so much that she transformed into a zebra, left her glade, and went off to find out more. The zebra was called “The Wanderer” and he has observed every momentous event since he began wandering. These are but three of the many tales of the Zencori origin. Myth mixed with history. Drama mixed with reality.
First Empire: What is known about their true origins is that, when the Starkatteri began to excavate the cursed city, zebras called “zenkas” roamed between villages on the Old Road to spread news. They succeeded at warning zebrakind of the Starkatteri’s ambitions before they could involve more unwary villages. For their work, the zenkas were named as a tribe of the First Empire. The first leader of the Zencori was a humorless mare named Xipatha. She went on to organize the tribe, create titles, and browbeat dissenters into following her vision of what the tribe were to be: news reporters. She wanted the tribe to find and disseminate information with little embellishment. She pushed for places in villages where her zenka could gather and read the information of the day, created a system of messengers to move information around the first empire, and made a hierarchy of management to control the spread of information. On her deathbed, she predicted the fall of the Zencori wouldn’t happen from some act by the Emperor or some other tribe, but by some bored idiot making up a story. Her prediction came true not long after her death when a young zenka named Tabo from the village of Red Bridge was tired of endless days of nothing of note to share. One day, he tried to impress a mare with news of a battle. A manticore had attacked a trader. The villagers were alarmed but Tabo reassured them that a hero named Obat came forth to vanquish the monster. Unfortunately, news of this spread and Tabo started to invent other monsters for “Obat” to overcome. Obat was responsible for near-weekly adventures and it got to a point that the Emperor himself came to the humble village with his entourage to honor Obat. Tabo tried to hide the lie but he was ultimately exposed. The Emperor forgave him but also stripped him of his Zenka status. It should be noted that Tabo, Obat, and Red Bridge never existed. However, this is something of a cautionary tale quoted as an example of problems the early tribe had in maintaining the fidelity of information. While Zenkas could threaten or bribe, there wasn’t technology to keep information accurate and unmodified by “creativity”. The stories weren’t the problem. Every tribe had stories. The problem was that the Zenka were supposed to be telling the truth and that nothing noteworthy was happening. The urge to create and fabricate was hard to repress as a result. Thus, some Zenka would practice telling stories on the side. So long as the stories were clearly stories, they could share them without trouble. This worked until the Long Night.
Second Empire: Zenkas were unreliable for information at the time due to wild speculations. Confusion and misinformation became total chaos as a result. In fact, the reformations of the Second Empire involved, in no small part, bringing order to the Zenkas with some wanting to disband the tribe. Of course, this wouldn’t fix the problem. Thus, the Zencori underwent reform. They would be split into three groups. Historians that kept the facts straight with their stories. Dramatists who embellished their stories but were otherwise accurate. And, of course, Librarians that oversaw the accuracy of the other two groups. The hierarchy of the tribe was expanded, making sure that individual liars would be held accountable for their fabrications. For a time, this worked well. The dramatists were free to create plays, poems and songs. The historians were able to use their authority to bring about factual news. And the librarians focused on the health of the tribe. Then the 65th Caesar came to power. This Caesar was one of the many “mad Caesars”. Galdropis, as he was named, was a narcissist elected in a time of political turmoil. Many of his abuses were so heinous that the historians thought they were fictional and didn’t report on them. Meanwhile, the Caesar’s competitors were heavily scrutinized. Dramatists mocked him as an idiot in their plays but they didn’t depict him as harmful. Then, once he was crowned Caesar, he was absolutely horrible to the people. The Zencori failed to address his abuses to a point that they would bicker over facts rather than coherent information. The Caesar killed thousands and brutalized hundrends of thousands before he was removed from power. The fallout did not end, however, as the historians and dramatists would bicker over what really happened. This came to a head in the Canon Wars. Dramatists wanted to release a theatrical production depicting the Caesar as tormented by supernatural forces. The historians feared this would taint the actual history of the events they were still recording. Plus, many “fictional” depravities were factually worse than what was shown. Historians figured that this would open the door for a worse Caesar to rise to power. Historians actually laid siege to the village where the work was being performed. They even set up a trebuchet, lobbing historical books and official complaints into the village as a symbolic protest. A dramatist elder was crushed as a result. The Librarians managed to quell the Canon Wars, though they would occasionally flare up in times where historians tried to employ drama or dramatists tried writing contemporary works. This was further complicated by the Zencori’s “interpretations” of other tribes. Many tribal stereotypes were reinforced by Zencori tales and so, many tribes sought to tell their own truths. Essentially, they would turn to sensationalism and “fair and balanced” coverage of themselves. Suffice to say, the Zencori would become gatekeepers, editors, and critics of these news reports. In spite of the bickering, history and stories flourished during the Second Empire. Even so, this bickering really divided the tribe. Due to these internal pressures, only seven of the 168 Caesars have been from the Zencori. Thus, the Zencori act more like kingmakers, creating blocks to get sympathetic Caesars elected. More than 70% of Caesars have been elected with the Zencori vote. The tribe also practiced censorship despite protestations to the contrary. Storytellers from the historical and dramatic factions alike came to favor some narratives over others and rarely changed positions.
Third Empire/The Last Election: It was ironic then that the Zencori would protest the last Caesar and his crackdowns on artistic expression. The tribe planned on running before throwing support to a candidate that promised them the most. However, none of the candidates offered anything to the Zencori. The Roamani block felt that the other blocks would break first. The Atoli block felt that the Zencori block would split with the Logos and Sahaani joining them. The Achu block refused to yield on principle. Thus the vote became a 3/3/3/3 split with the Starkatteri casting the deciding vote. Suffice to say the Zencori did not like the results. They would question the fitness of the Caesar at about every turn, playing up on his openness with the Starkatteri. The censors even dug up “proof” of the Caesar’s ancestors being favored by the evil tribe back in ancient times. The Atoli’s attempt at embarrassing the Caesar was only made worse by the Zencori running headlines about electing Celestia as the next Caesar. The harassment would change as soon as the war actually started. Sedition laws made criticism difficult so it was done through satire and mocking plays. However, the plays and such were not favored by the public. They changed their tune when Luna ascended to the throne. Imperial propaganda and dramas playing up the worst Equestrian stereotypes became the mainstay.
Post-Day of Doom: The Zencori never believed that a Day of Doom was possible. They always assumed that a resolution would end the escalation. They thought that the Equestrians would give in. That and many stories of ecological damage, Eschatiks being rounded up and disappeared, and spiritual havoc were canned. Even as younger Zencori objected and other tribes questioned peace, the Zencori became the voice of the Empire and always told the Truth. The truest Truth. When Roam was hit, the word spread like wildfire. Multiple tribes called for an end to hostilities while others demanded balefire retaliation. The Zencori did neither. The elders said as little as possible when they were needed the most. In fact, they refused to confirm the attack had even happened, stating that the attack on the capital was a fabrication. Only one Zencori paper in Sanctuary printed anything that day. ‘Victory’. The Day of Doom practically killed the tribe. Lexica, the Zencori’s greatest library was almost washed away by a water megaspell. Print damn near stopped. Broadcasters went silent save for a few survivors. Only a few dozen grim historians continued to document the fall into anarchy, the rise of the legions, the failure to elect a new Caesar, and the damage of the megaspells. A few dramatists focused on the classical plays or the practice of embodying heroes to try and get a semblance of order. Librarians saved as many books as they could. Despite all this, the tribe rebounded better than many tribes. Lexica was restored to a ghost of its former self and many oral stories and legitimate history were preserved. They also relied heavily on other tribes. While the Censor refused to admit that the war was wrong, they at least admitted that it might not have been good. The network of hierarchy helped maintain some order and communication so that new stories could be recorded and older ones weren’t lost. After 200 years, the tribe is back to its traditional roots: seeking news and stories and spreading them around.
Types:
- Historians: News reporters who believe solely in the accuracy of information over drama when telling their stories.
- Dramatists: Playwrights, musicians, and poets that tell stories with dramatic flair and some accuracy.
- Librarians: Bureaucrats that oversee the accuracy of the stories of historians and dramatists and are also shamans that listen to the spirits of various texts.
Art/Culture: To the Zencori, life is a great big story that they are characters in. They believe in figuring out their “role” in the story by letting their life play out and interacting with it. Some Zencori act as embodiers. In essence, these zebra dress up as and play the role of characters from stories or historical figures, taking their roles very seriously. This serves to keep their legends alive. There are also Zencori grandmasters that have memorized all of the tribe’s canon stories. The Tremendous Twelve (a Zencori alliteration of the Magnificent Twelve) are pretty popular with the Zencori. These zebra also have a thing for dancing and incorporate this into their martial arts skills. As a tribe, they were assimilists. When in Propoli cities they did as the Propoli did. When in Equestria, they tried their best to fit in. Suffice to say, they have very little culture that actually belongs to them, save for storytelling and news dissemination. Being a Zencori is more like a job than a cultural identity as a result. Zencori architecture and other cultural aspects are lacking as a result. Really, being historians, dramatists, or librarians (never all three) are the only things going for the tribe. Still, they do have the gift of storytelling and that’s something to note.
Sekashi is a Zencori. Her son, Lancer, and her daughter, Majina, were therefore Zencori as well.
Zecora was a part of the Zencori tribe.
Atoli[]
The Atoli were born "on the islands". "The islands" aren't identified, but may refer to Zanzebra. They are sailors who form a combination of navy and coast guard, though many have gone pirate in the years since the War.
They speak an unusual dialect in which phrases are constructed backwards compared to most Zebra speech. Those who frequently interact with other tribes often learn to speak in the conventional style for the sake of being understood.
They have thin stripes that look like waves.
Adama, a mare with whom Lancer was romantically involved, was Atoli.
Tohi, meaning ‘salt water’ in ancient Zebrish. Prefixes Ah and Est mean ‘west’ and ‘east’. Suffixes Li and Ri mean ‘cold’ and ‘warm’, indicating northern and southern seas, respectively. Pronunciation of this tribes name denotes which of up to 4 sub-tribes a zebra in this tribe belongs to. Each sub-tribe has very different traditions, clothing, and ships.
Location: The coasts and islands of Zebrinica, Zanzebra, Okambo (formerly), Northport, Estolina (Neighpon).
Atoli[]
The most common and civilized members of the greater Atoli tribe. Their ships are military and commerce vessels.
Atoli use everything that the sea provides, making various foods from fish and sea plants. At the same time they respect the sea and don't take away everything they could. On the sea they often kill time with gambling, music, or sex. They don't have strict marriages or partnerships and are open-minded about sex. Pregnant mares are left in a port to give birth and raise the child, then return to the sea.
Atoli are very superstitious and have strong traditions.
Atori[]
Their stripes are painted over with colors of blue, green, and red. Feathers, fish heads, claws and fangs, and other strange organic bits are tied in their manes and tails. They pierce their ears, noses, and lips with all manner of strange decorations. Rather than weapons of steel, they wield wooden paddles tipped with shark teeth or jagged blades of obsidian, or barbed spears made with stingray spines. Oil made their hides shine, the stallions’ straining muscle barely contained with them. The mares moved with a beauty and grace. They also file their teeth into points.
Estoli[]
The Estoli had never known war with the ponies, being on the far side of the continent off to the northeast. Their ships were long, thin, beautiful things that seemed doomed to tip over at a stiff breeze.
Estori[]
This sub-tribe are cannibals and eat parts of their enemies to gain their strength. They do this proudly and openly as part of tradition. They have allegedly done this since before the Day of Doom.
Great Migration: This tribe is actually a combination of four different seafaring tribes hailing from the northwest, southwest, northeast, and southeast seas. These tribes are the Atoli, Atori, Estoli, and Estori, respectively. Before the formation of these sub-tribes, however, there was the Tohi. Tohi comes from the word “Toh”, meaning salt water in ancient Zebrish. While most zebra migrated around the continent, the so-called Tohi had the radical idea to build rafts with sails so that the wind could carry them on the sea. They would become the victims of sea monsters almost immediately, with only a few of them surviving. Rather than quit outright, at least one Tohi figured that they should try it again since it seemed like it was working up until that point. Similar to the Logos, the Tohi were something of a social movement rather than a clan. They loved life at sea. This was partly due to the lack of competition for resources. Others loved the aspect of mobility, which made their journeys much safer and even allowed them to raid or flee from their enemies. The two land bridges and the ocean currents, unfortunately, prevented circumnavigation efforts, though this wouldn’t deter the Tohi. Before the rise of the First Empire, the Tohi lived uniformly, digging and burning out trees before fitting them with outriggers and sails and taking them out to sea. They lived on the coasts with a steady diet of kelp, other seaweeds, and shellfish. Shells were used as a means of trading goods from the tribes still taking part in the Great Migration. The Tohi were capable of picking up their settlements and setting out for land with more food than the previous location, so reliable trade was difficult. The Propoli tried to create coastal villages but storms, erosion, and sea monsters would thwart these attempts, thus making it difficult to place the Tohi in a more convenient location for trade. The Tohi were the ones to find a strange basin on the neighboring continent of what would later become Equestria. They brought back tales of the find and the Starkatteri investigated their claims with keen interest. Within two generations, the Starkatteri and the Tohi worked together to bring slaves and cultists across the pond to raise the power of the Eater of Souls from the earth. The Tohi were soon enslaved by the Starkatteri, even though they were a part of their rise to power...although they were a part of their fall as well. Tohi was the official name of the tribe. However, four distinct variations of the Tohi would develop. That is to say, depending on which coast relative to the continent of Zebrinica, the Tohi had differing cultures. The prefixes Ah and Est mean ‘west’ and ‘east’ while the suffixes Li and Ri mean ‘Cold’ and ‘Warm’, signifying longitudinal positioning (i.e., northern and southern seas, respectively). The term Tohi is archaic (akin to referring to a modern person as a Saxon). Thus, the four sub-tribes were established. They were dubbed the Atoli, Atori, Estoli, and Estori. These sub-tribes were from the northwest, southwest, northeast, and southeast coasts, respectively.
First Empire:
Atoli: The Atoli were the most prominent and interconnected of the four, actively participating in the Empire’s society and establishing ports of trade. They would sell to the Yaks, the proto-Crystal Empire, and the early Equestrians. The Atoli were the first to use timbered longboats and even made contact with the Mighty Helm. The Atoli and the Mighty Helm were something like frenemies, aiding and competing with each other. The Atoli would take culture from both mainlands and synthesize it with their own sub-ruler and shamanistic tradition, along with honoring strength, integrity, and hard work.
Atori: This sub-tribe saw little need for advancement. The volcanic islands of the southwest were comfortable and provided them with plenty of food. They continued to use dugout canoes with outriggers, moving between their islands with a good variety of navigational tricks. The Atori are known for being fierce fighters in combat with stallions and mares holding multiple conflicts as a means of determining social places, including head warrior, head weaver, head fisher, and head shaman. They also love fermented coconut wine
Estoli: The Estoli are arguably the most distant of all the zebra tribes, living on island chains far to the east. These islands were dubbed Estolina, though the ponies also living here referred to them as Neighpon. The two species lived together peacefully. The Estoli and Neighponese intermarried and, though a strange genetic quirk, were able to have viable offspring. That is, they were able to have zonies that were NOT infertile! Many Estoli have colorful manes while many Neighponese have the occasional patterns of wavy stripes. While the Estoli were technically under Empire rule, they did not have to pay the imperial tax. In addition to this, they held their own laws and such, and didn’t even consider themselves zebra.
Estori: The Estori inhabit the southeastern islands closer to the continent. While these zebra are similar to the Atori, they are far more sinister. The Estori are known for piracy and raiding, using rocks, shoals, and coves as a means of creating tiny settlements from which they would fight and pillage each other. The Estori were also known for eating meat, even taking to cannibalism. The best way to tell an Atori from an Estori is to look for sharpened teeth. Estori witch doctors are known for creating terrible and elaborate curses. They are also known for practicing slavery, capturing anyone who comes close to their islands and using them in all manner of ways.
When Nightmare Moon stole the sun, only the Atoli regarded it with any significance. Some Atori offered sacrifices to the volcano spirits while the Estori were just curious about it. The Estoli would not learn about Nightmare Moon until at least a decade. Suffice to say, the four seafaring tribes resumed life as normal while the other tribes languished after the sun came back.
Second Empire: During the advent of the Second Empire, the seafaring tribes acted as intermediaries for the aquatic trade routes. They would also seek out trade and extract resources out of the sea. While the tribe never strayed too far from shore, they would venture to the farthest reaches of the world to a point where they would “discover” an old zebra settlement that had been long abandoned. Shipbuilding proved to be the greatest challenge of the Atoli. Tropical trees were not suited for shipbuilding, so they had to get their materials from the rest of the Empire. They built shipyards in Zanzebra for the sake of carrying goods across the Icebound Sea and fishing. The Estoli and Estori produced their own designs. The Estoli, in particular, are known for making some beautiful schooners. Any and all new ideas for superior ship design were incorporated, resulting in some fine vessels. The use of steel hulls was something of a departure for the tribe. Mythologically-speaking, the life in the trees gave life to the soul of the ship, but this wasn’t the case with iron plates and rivets. Even so, the use of steel had its advantages. Thus, ships made from Propoli metal were made and used, though wooden ships were not left unused. At the time of the Second Empire, Equestrian seafaring was poor. Whole ships would be lost in mild swells, as they barely maintained the traditions of the Mighty Helm. However, the Equestrians would soon adopt steel ships which would make the Atoli eat their collective hearts out. The ponies even used magic as a means of powering their boats. This sparked a wave of reactionary behavior against Propoli/Equestrian trade deals. The Atoli would, thus, be cut out of such deals.
Third Empire/The Last Election: During the last election, they got the Orah and the Achu to back their candidate, only for the Roamni candidate to win after he accepted the Starkatteri vote. This outraged the Atoli. The Atori and Estori, meanwhile, were hardly involved in the election while the Estoli were completely unaware that an election even occurred! The election results led to some Atoli coming up with a plot to embarrass the new Caesar. They would capture a pony tourist vessel, forcing the Caesar to ask them for aid. This backfired for the Atoli, as several Atoli were injured and a Wonderbolt was killed. This would lead to the coal trade embargo which led to the war starting. At first, the Atoli were glad that their Equestrian competitors were fighting the Roamani. This smug satisfaction would not last, as they would soon suffer from the economic strife. The Atoli would take to raiding Equestrian ports, continuing their naval raids even when Princess Luna took control of Equestria. While the Equestrians had the air superiority, the Atoli were able to fight via their superior maritime tradition, using hit-and-run attacks to their advantage. It should be noted that the Equestrians had defensive ships that relied on Raptor aircraft for offensive strikes. Conversely, the Atoli used ships both offensive and defensive. Some even acted as “dragon nests”. That is, entire ships dedicated to housing dragon allies. As the war drug on, the Atoli were afraid of attacks on their ports while the other sub-tribes were worried they’d be next. Some Atori and Estori occasionally served on naval vessels, albeit (usually) far from combat. The Estoli (and Neighponese) did not participate in the war, staying neutral.
Post-Day of Doom: The Atoli all but moved to Zanzebra, hoping they’d be spared. Then the Day of Doom struck. A third of all the Atoli were all but destroyed. Celestia One targeted the islands and vaporized them down to the waterline. Megaspells destroyed ports and shipyards. The Atoli city of Okambo was transformed into a colossal megastorm thanks to a particularly powerful megaspell. Megaspells and balefire bombs alike all but annihilated the neutral territory of Estolina/Neighpon. The Estori got out of the whole kerfuffle unscathed...until their food sources ran out. Finally, the Atori, despite their survival skills and shamanistic traditions were all but helpless as the spirits of the volcanoes exploded in outrage, as if the ponies and zebras had upset the very spirit of Equus herself. After two hundred years, the Atoli have barely recovered. They trade with a few ports across the icy northern sea. Most of their ships are grouped together in North Port around the Sea Dragon. The Estolinan/Neighponese Islands are now in struggle with dozens of warlords rising to power. The Atori islands are wild and spirit-plagued. Their villages have all but become primal, offering sacrifices to the angry volcano spirits. The Estori have transformed themselves into the Blue Legion, merging with what’s left of the imperial coast guard. The Blue Legion are known for raiding and pillaging the southern coast. However, their vessels are, for the most part, old and obsolete. The Blues are seen as a joke to the other legions. Overall, these seafaring tribes have still maintained their varying cultures even after everything was destroyed.
Art/Culture: The seafaring tribes have their own unique cultures when it comes to art. Shipbuilding is one of the primary indicators of culture. In particular, the Estoli are known for making beautiful, thin schooners.
Holidays: The First Tide. A celebration that involves sailing around. The Last Caesar banned it because he thought it was silly.
Love and Relationships: In Atoli circles, the captains of ships are married to the admiral of the Atoli. Atoli are also known to fool around on their ships when they get bored. Homosexual relationships are common. Estoli zebra are notorious for forming relationships with ponies on their land. Their zony children are not infertile. The relationships formed between Atori and Estori are likely similar.
Eschatik[]
The Eschatik were born "in the deserts".
They're an odd bunch, deliberately. They're very similar to the Orah in that they're seen as a 'low tribe' and 'marginal'. The difference between them is the Orah try to be a community, while more Eschatiks are solitary. They're a tribe of philosophers, mystics, and madmen. They like to ask unponderable questions, and then spend a few years pondering them. Unlike the Logos, they don't actually do much with it. They don't cross reference things. They don't try to apply it. They just try to know things. Learning is the goal, not the means. Most Eschatiks are mongrels of other tribes, leading to their swirly and abstract stripe patterns. There are few, if any, pure blooded Eschatiks. The only reason why they are a tribe at all is that they tend to (but not always) have the strongest connection to the spirits of any tribe. Rather than a village with a shaman, they will have a village OF shamans. They create lasting and elaborate pacts that not only last lifetimes, but whole generations. Thus, unlike the Orah, an Eschatik must be taken seriously. They almost universally wear some kind of mask at all times, and are frequently decorated with flowers, gemstones, large feathers, or other ornate decorations that favor the spirits they venerate. And unlike most other tribes, some Eschatiks actually seek out spirits to possess them, mutating and warping their bodies even further. A few wise people have noted that while the Starkatteri dealt with evil, corruptive spirits they at least never took any of them to bed. Sexually, Eschatiks are all over the map, ranging from self emasculating ascetics to daily tantric sexual escapades.
Eschatik zebra have swirling, elaborate stripes, resembling curls of smoke in some cases. Eschatiks tend to have strange traits such as cloven hooves, horns, fangs, and carnivorism.
Location: The northeastern desert regions of Zebrinica.
Great Migration: As the Great Migration dwindled and permanent villages were formed, some zebra wandered into the northeastern desert regions of Zebrinica. These ‘Esha’ or ‘lost’ ones wandered off to seek spiritual enlightenment, abandoning their people, family, and possibly even their sanity. While zebras venerated the spirits with temples, shrines, and offerings, the Eschatik wanted to be as close to the spirits as possible or even become spirits. The desert was vast and not at all conducive to building settlements. A lot of migrants followed the Ghost River, a temporary river that ran parallel to the Old Road that carried water only a few months out of the year toward the south. The Eschatik wandered off the road into canyons where strange winds howled and secrets lay in the earth. The wastelanders would be dubbed the Eschatiks or the Eshu. Like the Orah, they are looked down upon by the other tribes and fairly primitive. Unlike the Orah, they were taken more seriously and had settled into the barren wilderness for the sake of enlightenment, becoming powerful shamans in the process. Eschatiks have always had a low population close to the numbers of the Starkatteri. Sometimes even lower. Like the Starkatteri, they are mystically inclined with a strong relationship with the spirits. However, instead of flirting with evil, they flirted with madness. They invited spiritual possession and even went further to become part spirit. Zebra possessed by spirits have that aforementioned smoke-like stripe pattern.
First Empire: Their predictions led to the creation of the caesar when Nightmare Moon came about.
Second Empire: The Eschatik would have a population close to that of the Starkatteri.
Third Empire/The Last Election: During the war, they suffered the most. While the other tribes recognized the legitimacy of the war (some begrudgingly like the Mendi and the Orah), the Eschatik refused. They were subjected to killings, conscription, forced relocation, slavery, humiliation, and being forced to denounce their spiritual allegiances. Spiritual communes seemed best able to resist the empire’s genocidal efforts due to their heavy connection with the spirits and their own powers, thus preventing the total genocide of the tribe. The efforts to quash the tribe were a drain on resources. The spreading of the tribe led to the spreading of their ideas and protests against the war effort and the violation of holy sites for war material. This, in addition to the fact that they were not outright treasonous made them something of a thorn in the caesar’s side. Of course, one of the last caesar’s wives, Yazda (an Eschatik), was particularly known for her vocal opposition to the war and working with the Mendi to negotiate an end to the war. However, she was dismissed and mocked.
Post-Day of Doom: After the Day of Doom, the Eschatik actually saw an improvement. Their traditions involving living in harsh environments helped them thrive in the war-torn lands of Zebrinica. They were absorbed into other settlements, though the tribe itself has entered a symbiotic relationship with the Sand Legion, the Imperial reconnaissance force and a group of some of the most skilled survivalists and markszebra in the army. These guys provide the more sane tribe members with protection that the spirits cannot. However, the tribe is concerned. The spiritual communes have only become more warped in their beliefs, mentality, and physicality and the Sand Legion are a drain on resources. Some Eschatik worry that either the madness or the Sand Legion will consume them. The sages are stumped as to why the world seems to be doing nothing to right these imbalances.
Types:
- Villagers: Spiritual zebra who swear to one spirit or many spirits. They try to appear “sane” so as not to drive off visitors. They are aligned with the Sand Legion for protection.
- Cultists: Shamanic people that seek truths greater and deeper than those found by other zebra, going as far as to warp their very being and their minds. Followers of these shamans are fanatical to say the least. Communes may perform intense orgies or emasculate themselves. There are even death cults with a desire to cross into the spirit. They may also have a penchant for sacrifices that may include a hapless outsider.
- Sages: Lone Eschatiks who meditate atop mountains or in deep caves, seeming more spirit than flesh and finding it difficult to understand the material world.
Art/Culture: One only has to live with them in order to become a part of the tribe, with each tribe having contributed members. They are, essentially, “mutts”. Eschatik communities in general are centered around farming, growing grass in the winter and spring, beans and lentils in the summer, and corn and squash in the fall. Water is incredibly sacred and village wells are hallowed. Tampering with a well will lead to death. Villages are sworn to a spirit or many spirits and are thus dedicated to said spirit or spirits. Villagers thus craft things, perform rituals, and do other things to appease the spirits as a big part of their daily lives. They often try to appear “sane” to outsiders so as not to drive them away. Eschatiks are incredibly talented in oration and music. They also despise material writing, preferring chants and pictograms. Their villages form songs for their spirits and Eschatiks learn these songs and how to drum to keep the rhythm. Their dancing is amazingly provocative, including fluid movements and either cymbals or bells, with some dances being banned in the empire or mythologized as a reason to join with them. Eschatik architecture may seem primitive, but in reality they build towns and cities underneath mesas and atop spires and cliff faces. On the surface, they live in villages centered around a well dug hundreds of feet into the ground. Silk from cave moths are an export of theirs and they originated the stealth cloaks.
Holidays: The Eschatik do not have holidays. During the war they were forced to participate in the Sacred March.
Love and Relationships: Villages are loosely interrelated, thus necessitating a welcoming demeanor to outsiders. In other words, they need outsiders to prevent inbreeding and mares will immediately offer themselves to them while villagers try to gift them with gold and turquoise so that they’ll stay.
Sahaani[]
The Sahaani were "born in the Southern snows", however due to the advent of correct cartography, it was discovered that the Sahaani, in fact, live in the north rather than the south. In other words, they inhabit the arctic regions and several non-arctic glaciers. They are notable for their particularly long coats, which vary from 'fluffy' to 'shaggy' to 'hairy'. They also have thin, dashed stripes that resemble falling snow.
The Sahaani are artists. They believe (to varying degrees) that the purpose of life is to make the world better by creating art, and they tend to think in terms of beauty and adding things to the world. Ironically, Sahaani rarely make a living from their art; rather, most Sahaani art is anonymous. An artist that proudly displays their work is seen as looking for praise for themselves rather than creating something beautiful for its own sake.
In addition to creating beauty, the Sahaani adore the beauty of nature. They particularly appreciate inspirational natural locations such as unspoiled wildernress, rugged mountains, and iceberg-choked bays, even if others would not find them beautiful. In fact, Sahaani reject the entire concept of ugliness. To them, there are simply different kinds and intensities of beauty. As such, they believe that no one should feel shame for their own body; fat, thin, tall, or short, everyone is beautiful in their own way. Unlike the Roamani, who expect an individual to blend into the group, Sahaani expect one to stand out. Their clothes are all highly decorated and personalized to ensure that no two Sahaani look alike.
In the war, rather than being pidgeonholed as artists, most Sahaani acted as engineers who saw architecture as just another expression of artistry. In this role they frequently clashed with Propoli, who favored practicality over form.
Location: The arctic and tundra regions north of Zebrinica, Nowhere, The Empties.
Great Migration: During the Great Migration, it was common to consider practicality over aesthetics. The weight, durability, and practicality of goods were of great importance to the nomadic zebra. However, every so often, a zebra would be possessed to make something beautiful. The folklore around this creative bug had a name in the form of Sahaani. That is, zebra who were possessed by Sahaan, a fickle spirit of creation that flitted from place to place looking to possess zebra with the art bug. This could manifest in the form of children drawing on walls, zebra in the wilderness stacking rocks in interesting patterns (some of which have persisted after the Day of Doom), and even whole villages drawing huge images in the earth to please the spirit. While the rest of zebrakind didn’t hate art, they found that the fickle and irresponsible nature of these Sahaani would distract them from work, such as planting and harvesting crops. Foals visited by Sahaan were likely to be visited again in adulthood. Some zebra feared that Sahaan was infectious and would jump from one villager to the next. The solution to this was isolation in the sick hut. However, populations grew as did the number of Sahaani. A single hut was not enough to house all these creative zebra and so they were sent away to live in the coldest regions of Zebrinica. It was widely believed that possession by Sahaan was, at least in part, due to heat delirium. Hence, the Sahaani found their home in various cold locations. Near mountain peaks, glaciers, or even the far “southern” regions where it was particularly cold. The hope was that the Sahaani would return and become productive members of society. Naturally, this didn’t work, as mares and stallions sent “down south” would settle down and have kids. Generations of being sent away “down south” to the cold regions of Zebrinica would result in the long and thick coats seen on Sahaani today. This tribe could have “died” but instead it flourished due to the high value of their art. For a time, the source of these works of art was said to be the work of spirits that were found mysteriously in the woods. After this, however, many villages realized that supporting the Sahaani would lead to more works of art as a tradable good. Thus, roads were cut to their hermitages and compounds and every few months, new art would be presented in the nearby villages. Soon, zebra would travel to their homes and settlements just to buy the artwork. Enslavement by the Starkatteri affected the tribe, in that it made their population explode. Zebra trying to process through their trauma found artistic expression to be extremely helpful. Sahaani settlements would turn into villages and even towns. Thus, the Sahaani became a tribe of their own.
First Empire: The First Empire saw the Sahaani as valuable, if odd. Propoli would give them gold, jems, ivory, and colorful rocks and get back valuable carvings or junk depending on the artist. Junk was quietly melted down with the hope of getting better art the next time around. But perhaps the most favored medium of the Sahaani would be ice! Ice is a perfect medium for them since it was translucent to light, freely regenerated, allowed for infinite practice, and, if there was too much, it would melt away. Sahaani sculptors often planned out sandstone sculptures using ice as a practice tool. In winter, Sahaani villages would overflow with icy creations with even whole buildings being made of ice. In the largest “southernmost” towns, these sculptures would last year round.
Second Empire: The rise of Nightmare Moon actually inspired the tribe artistically and helped them explode outwards into the rest of zebra society. Many sought after creative relief to the point that the Sahaani villages couldn’t handle them all. Sahaani elders would send artists out to towns and cities such that they could make art close to large populations and also teach the arts to other zebra. The Sahaani would be found as the darlings of society. Rich patrons would set up studios for artists to create interesting art. Eventually, the invention of paint would come about, becoming another favored artistic medium. Canvas and wall painting were common. On the other hand, Sahaani art was sometimes seen as inappropriate. That said, the Sahaani attracted the curious, leading to babies. As the centuries passed, the tribe went from celebrity to menace. Having a hundred artists of all sorts was just begging for ordinances. That is, villages would pass laws forbidding house painting and such. However, Sahaani would often “forget” these laws or find inspiration elsewhere. Sahaani art styles developed regionally as a result. One problem that the Sahaani would face would come in the form of their maps. Sahaani cartographers made maps with Roam at the top center. These maps sold better than others. The problem with this was that the Equestrian and later Atoli maps would depict Roam as being on the bottom of the map. Essentially, this led to mapmakers realizing that the “southern” Sahaani homelands were, in fact, northern. This would lead to pieces showing zebras balancing on their heads in protest. The tribe’s irresponsibility was so great that a shaman serving the Emperor claimed to have captured Sahaan forever in a stone-faced book. The Sahaani looked at it and claimed that it was so ugly that any spirit living inside it could keep it. The shaman gave the book to Celestia for safekeeping and she agreed that it was ugly and kept it in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Suffice to say, the Sahaani did not lose their inspiration. During the latter years of the Second Empire, most tribes frowned upon the Sahaani, expecting them to follow societal norms. Some concessions were attempted such as the founding of ‘Academies of Art’ as a means of getting them to conform to certain styles of art and standards of behavior. While seen as prestigious, the Sahaani saw these schools as jokes while conceding that they were useful in making connections in the Empire. The Sahaani maintained the tradition that art replication was abhorrent with several protesting and preventing duplications. Of course, there were some Sahaani that didn’t care what these traditionalists had to say about the commodification of their art. That said, these unorthodox Sahaani were largely alienated from their tribe, as their art was found to be formulaic and devoid of Sahaan. This would later lead to a third artistic transformation in the form of architecture and engineering. Sahaani would see buildings and objects and try to make them beautiful as well as functional, much to the chagrin of the Logos and Propoli. Factories would be cleaned up. Bridges would be made beautiful. Brass and gold would be used to decorate imperial buildings. In fact, a full quarter of Roam was rebuilt in this Sahaani style.
Third Empire/The Last Election: During the last election, the Sahaani saw no reason to upend the arrangement between ponies and zebra, since Equestria was a source of inspiration. In fact, there was a sizeable population of Sahaani close to the Crystal Empire. Sahaani saw artistic cutie marks as proof that Sahaan was universal. The Sahaani would team up with the Zencori and Tappahani blocks to try and preserve the union. Inevitably, they failed and tried to go back to the status quo. However, the Third Empire came to break their creative spirit. As the war began, the Empire had a thing for the ‘imperial aesthetic’ or imperial propaganda for the layman. Sahaani were pigeonholed into making propaganda and nice buildings. Those that didn’t were accused of disloyalty and subject to raids of their studios and the burning of their works. The rise of Princess Luna would lead to the tribe being fully alienated from the rest of society. They found it hard to get supplies and were often accused of being treasonous. Of course, there were some that would attempt to show patriotism by enlisting...only for the realities of war to harrow them severely. The last official artstyle of the tribe would be ‘desolationism’, a prophetic style that used charcoal and blood to depict the horrors of war. These drawings would be painted on walls in terrible detail. At one point, the wall of an imperial palace was “vandalized” with a depiction of the Last Caesar standing proudly over a field of bones. This would inspire protests against its removal which would lead to the peace talks at Broken Hoof Ridge. These talks would fail. It should be noted that Bjorn, the Sahaani member of the Magnificent Twelve, was a failure as an artist and found success as one who destroyed unwanted pieces while also being the demolition expert for the team. He was last seen evacuating civilians.
Post-Day of Doom: The Day of Doom destroyed the Sahaani, leading to their communal way of life being upended by the increased demand for shelter. Then the waves of legion killings would lead to several Sahaani dying or starving. Only a few hermitages survived while others would attempt to be a part of a community or legion that would ultimately shun them. New hermitages did sprout up in isolated reaches, however. Fatalism became the new artstyle. This was used as a means of processing the trauma of the Day of Doom. This style was macabre but also an attempt at finding beauty in death. Memorializing is also common. In the Eastern Empty, a Sahaani created a spiral of pebbles, one for each death. Several Sahaani have contributed to this piece and today it is thirteen kilometers across with over two hundred million pebbles. The piece is not finished. Ironically, the largest population of Sahaani would be the White Legion. This legion was responsible for engineering and fortifications during the war, which included the creation of enclaves. The safety of the White Legion offered sanctuary for Sahaani artists. Murals, carvings, and paintings can be found in White Legion bases. There are also tiny scatterings of Sahaani in places where art is welcomed. Bastion and Sanctuary have a few dozen Sahaani each. Some believe the Sahaani are on the verge of extinction. However, as long as there are creators of all stripes, the Sahaani will always exist. Sahaan persists.
Regional Artstyles of the Sahaani:
- Southeast: Realistic
- Southwest: Abstract
- Northwest: Geometric
- Northeast: Impressionist
- The Empties: Whatever
Art/Culture: The Sahaani are, in essence, the progenitors of art in Zebrinica. Sahaani villages are historically communal. Food, art, and supplies were shared freely, the notion of property was abstract, and even the ideas of ‘your spouse’ or ‘your child’ were sometimes ignored.
Love and Relationships: Sahaani sexuality is just as free as their art in that there are no big rules. Sex between different tribes, same genders, or different species were not frowned upon in the slightest. Sex just happened. Foals were regarded as abused or neglected by other tribes who didn’t understand that leaving paint around a child will lead to someone being painted blue. Sahaani children tended to be terrible in school settings, being treated as unteachable. As stated before, the idea of ‘your child’ were sometimes ignored. All that mattered was that the child was fed rather than who it belonged to. Some Sahaani loved raising children to be artistic while others should not have been parents. Thus, children would be moved to more supportive parents with open hooves.
Orah[]
The Orah were born in "the swamps". Marked by thin, jagged stripes (though others have wavy and blotchy stripes that resemble cypress moss), they are hunters and beast-slayers who inhabit the lonely, wild places in Zebrinica. They are, by and large, isolationists who would prefer to have nothing to do with the other tribes. Most zebra therefore see them as backwards, inbred hillbillies. They speak a slurred, abbreviated version of the zebra tongue. Their name derives from horah, an old Zebra word for garbage, waste, and leftover entrails. In ancient times, migrants who continued the Great Migration (that weren’t Roamani) were called this as an insult.
Location: The northwestern swamplands, various wetlands, badlands, and swamps throughout the continent. All around Zebrinica since some Orah like to travel.
Great Migration: As most of zebrakind settled down after the Great Migration, some zebra continued to migrate. Two categories of migrants remained. The nomadic Roamani, protectors of zebrakind, and…the rest. The Proto-Orah were a part of the second category, a collection of multiple clans. They were considered primitive and filthy by the other tribes. Horah was used as a label for them despite the fact that they consisted of multiple tribes. Part of the reason these zebra were loathed was due to how inconvenient they made life for the zebra settlers. For instance, they would accidentally eat crops planted by settlers and leave a mess that only a crowd of ten thousand zebra could make. Some settlers would try and divert them away from villages, sometimes through dangerous territory. Other times, the migrants would be chased off by angry mobs. However, some zebra saw them as a welcome distraction from mundane life. Others still saw them as a prime trade opportunity and seasonal labor. Eventually, the Proto-Orah would settle, although since the more fertile and viable lands were taken, they would end up settling in the swamps of Zebrinica. Not for the sake of looking for hardship like the Achu or the Roamani but due to the fact that all the good land was taken. Against their desires to be considered a single tribe, they were dubbed the Orah, making them easier to ignore.
First Empire: During the First Empire, they lived on the fringes of established settlements or way out of the way, occasionally attacked or enslaved by other tribes, but otherwise enjoying peace...or as peaceful a life as one can live in the swamp.
Second Empire: The rise of Nightmare Moon brought about change for the Orah. That is, while the First Empire ignored them, the Second attempted to “reform” the Orah into something useful, using concentration and re-education camps. The Orah responded with strikes, compromises, and gestures of assimilation. Some Orah internalized the criticism, seeing themselves as worthless as others saw them. Others fled the continent, settling in the wilderness beyond. They endured generations of persecution, annihilation, and reformation. Only one Orah was elected Caesar as an insult to the rival candidates. The 63rd Caesar, known as the ‘Beggar Caesar’ and often misrecorded as having belonged to another tribe, attempted to help the poor across the empire. He was elected out of office after a year and a half, due to the fact that several wealthy elders were embarrassed by the acknowledgment of their failures toward the poor in Zebrinica. He was popular despite this treatment.
Third Empire/The Last Election: During the last election, the Orah backed the Atoli candidate, who promised more autonomy for the tribe. Oddly enough, the last caesar treated the Orah fairly well...at first. Suffice to say, the war was of no concern to the Orah. However, once Princess Luna took control of Equestria, things changed. The Eschatiks were seen as lowlier than the Orah due to their pacifism. Thousands of Orah left their homes for the promise of jobs, respect, and opportunity. Entire families were relocated as various industries dug up resources in their wilderness. The Orah were initially blind to the damage inflicted upon their territory.
Post-Day of Doom: By the time the world ended, the Orah were exhausted and exploited. Few of them died in the military, but tens of thousands of them died in factory bombings, by toxins, and by balefire byproducts dumped on their land. Many Orah found themselves far from home and absorbed into or killed by the rising legions. The ones who returned found hardship and struggle due to the changes in the environment. Despite this, the Orah thrived due to their inherent survival skills. Thousands were conscripted into the legions, but the tribe as a whole managed to avoid this due to being perceived as “weak” or “unworthy”. In essence, they were able to bounce back quicker than any of the other tribes. They are the most widespread of the tribes in Zebrinica. While holding a grudge, they view the Day of Doom as the day all zebra became “Orah”. Other tribes may have larger population centers, but the Orah outnumber them all on the whole.
Orah Families:
- The Arcadian Family: A family of swamp-dwellers in the northwest. They live in treehouses and on stilts. They have perfected swamp agriculture by growing crops on islands and supplementing their diets with bushmeat. Their dialect is hard to understand and employs Ponish words
- The Calligi Family: One of the largest groups of Orah, known for travelling the continent. They wander with tents and covered wagons. Some of them are travelling performers known for daring feats and tricks meant to thrill and terrify the audience. Others will provide more burlesque and sensual shows complete with their own brand of hooch before robbing the inebriated audience blind. This family is often accused of kidnapping children though, in truth, children often threaten to join them. They don’t mind outsiders joining but prefer not to divulge their secrets to those not in the family.
- The Marker Family: This family was extremely widespread and well-known for their illicit and illegal activities. They trafficked forbidden artifacts and herbs, dangerous beasts, banned eggs, and other questionable goods in a network of underground markets. While very wealthy, they were often the subject of raids and confiscations. They got their name from the elaborate glyphs they used to mark meeting points and potential risks.
Art/Culture: The Orah are the most culturally diverse of all the tribes. This is due to the fact that they are a collection of dozens of prototribes, influenced by the more estaclished tribes. Orah are clannish with villages heavily dominated by but a few extended and intermarried families. Orah plays often depict Orah going against recommendations from elders when it comes to marriage. Spurred and forbidden unions are often depicted with a tragic or comedic end. Orah are also heavily known for junking or taking trash and making it into art or useful objects such as guns. Some families are xenophobic though most are welcoming. Guests are expected to bring simple and useful presents. Bolts of cloth are highly prized. They’re also pretty lax with the notion of property, thinking nothing of “borrowing” from each other. Visitors flaunting their wealth may find it borrowed and spread throughout the village in a matter of moments. Getting it all back clean is highly unlikely.
Love and Relationships: Family is the most important thing to the Orah. Orah elders are called ‘Granny’ or ‘Grandmother’. Respected adults are called ‘mother’, ‘father’, ‘uncle’, or ‘auntie’ (and variations thereof) while peers are called ‘cousins’ and the young are called ‘child’. Age denotes authority but does not guarantee it. An adult Orah that acts foolishly will be called a ‘child’ as an insult. Orah marriage is loose. Orah are supposed to be married to one individual with all the wealth connected to that individual. They are expected to abstain until marriage though ‘fooling around’ is tolerated to an extent. Elders make recommendations for optimal matches when it comes to marriage. Orah marriages are expected to be stable and reliable. Other lovers may enter but the primary family comes first. Incest, meanwhile, is discouraged but not considered taboo. It is often a necessity for village survival to commit incest or to kidnapping strangers and wedding them at gunpoint before allowing them to “escape” after a few years. The tribe is not proud of the aducitions but they see them as necessary evils.
Proditor: The lowest you can go as an Orah would be killing family. Sicarious is what you are called if you kill kin.
Tappahani[]
The Tappahani were born in "the jungle". They are famous for their feasts. Tappahani stripes are twisty and convoluted, and they speak in a rapid, rather rude version of the Zebra language. They also have a reputation for being high-strung. They also have smaller frames than most zebra and are resistant to spicy food.
Location: The southern jungles of Zebrinica and in various cities and villages.
Great Migration: During the Great Migration, the Tappahani followed the Propoli as they departed the migration and set up villages. Generally, they were servants to the Propoli. ‘Tappas’ means ‘one walking silently’ and ‘hanas’ means ‘one who serves’. The Tappahani found identity in service and, while the Propoli invented civilization, the Tappahani were the reason people wanted to live in said civilization.
First Empire: They were often been exploited by other tribes, as they live and breathe the concept of service. They were often cheated, enslaved, put into debt, or simply discarded. On the other hand, the tribe provides service rather than labor and expect compensation for their work.
Second Empire: While wrapped up with the other tribes in convoluted ways, the Tappahani maintained their identity through service.
Third Empire/The Last Election: They are aligned with the Propoli and Carnilians, though during the last election season, they were trying to get more rights, even being supported by the Mendi and the Orah. Their candidate, Jao, had no chance of winning the seat but, nonetheless, ran as a protest candidate. During the war, they elected not to kill but instead serve the Zebra soldiers in various ways. Prince Grubbi, in particular, was said to be able to make horseshoes taste good. The Tappahani, ironically and tragically, had been planning the peace banquet for five years before the Day of Doom.
Post-Day of Doom: After the war, a lot of them were enslaved by the legions. As a result, a lot of them died during inter-legion conflicts and the like. Others starved as food supplies ran out. The rest fled to the southeast and remain there in decent numbers. While present in most settlements around the continent, their numbers are severely cut back. These days, a lot of Tappahani have idle hooves and/or mania. Isolated Tappahani (those without masters to serve) are catatonic, just waiting to serve someone.
Famous Tappahani:
- Prince Happihan: Is said to have served caesars, kings, and even two gods. He is said to have done everything for everyone.
- Prince Saharahan: A leader who served his people even onto his eventual death, warning of the burden of leadership.
- Princess Piko Pijo: A compassionate prostitute who brought joy to everyone she served (Note: ‘Piko’ or ‘Pijo’ are pejorative terms toward Tappahani mares).
- Princess Ababjao: Known for saving an entire kingdom from famine by making disgusting food taste good.
- Prince Grubbi: Famous during the war, he was known for being able to make horseshoes taste good, apparently.
Art/Culture: The Tappahani figured out how to change stripe coloration, with a lot of the tribe having colors of purple, pink, green, or yellow before the war. They are quite fluid, known for moving around the country a lot, pursuing interesting services and a master worth serving. As a result, they are connected to other tribes in a variety of ways. Settlements are historically located on the outskirts of other settlements and even form into “Tappahani Town”-type neighborhoods. They don’t serve where they live. Tappahani townies also tend not to like outsiders in their territory, and often serve outsiders extremely spicy foods before sending them on their way. However, they are extremely welcoming to their own, providing food, shelter, companionship, and even employment. In addition to this, when invaded, they would serve their masters but the food would be awful, the social fabric constantly changing, and the general populace hard to manage. They are also immune to spicy food. The Tappahani are stereotypically cooks and house staff (maids, butlers, etc.) but perform other services such as teaching, law enforcement, bartending, barbering, stripe coloring, tattoo artistry, and even public offices. Suffice to say, the Tappahani are born with the gift of gab. Tappahani have no kings but princes and princesses. These princes and princesses are mythic figures to the Tappahani.
Holidays: The Royal Feast. A holiday banned by the Caesar since he didn’t like spicy food.
Love and Relationships: They are also sexually flexible and tend to marry out of convenience, even going as far as forming a living unit as the staff of an employer. Children go with whatever adult wants to keep them and can have dozens of relatives. Generally, however, Tappahani don’t provide sexual favors to those outside the tribe unless they happen to be prostitutes. They tend to be neurotic partners anyway.
Logos[]
The Logos were born "in a library". They kept the written history of the zebras, and probably dealt with all forms of record keeping and bureaucracy.
Logos enjoy mathematics and are very systematic. They treat the life as a complicated mathematical equation, and when they die the equation is complete and one of its sides represents either a positive or negative number. They do not like fortune telling and treat it as a way to "cheat" in solving the life's equation.
All Logos villages are organized in rings of buildings around a central building. The number of buildings in each ring increases, following the Fibonacci sequence.[2]
Their stripes are thin dashes.
Location: Bastion, The Exchange, various settlements outside the cities, with the Green Legion.
Great Migration: During the Great Migration, the typical zebra spent time moving, finding places to camp, finding good sources of food and water, and packing up to go through the process again. Free time was spent listening to stories and such. However, as the Propoli started setting up proper villages and building roads on beaten paths, some tribes found a lot of free time on their hooves. This would lead to a brand new pastime for some tribes. Getting plastered. During this time, some pickled zebras would end up asking some important questions like “Why is the sky blue?” or “Why does grape juice going bad turn into wine and later vinegar?”. This would lead to disagreements, of course, but it would also lead to one drunken zebra claiming that they’d prove their argument. This was the first Logos. The Logos were less of a cultural phenomenon and more of a philosophical phenomenon that persisted through zebra culture. The word Logos means “to ponder” and before the Logos appeared, knowledge was gleaned from stories or shamans asking the spirits for answers. The Logos found that the answers found via these methods were inconsistent and thus sought out consistent answers through scientific measurement and the use of alcohol and stimulants. The Propoli created spaces for these proto-Logos, as they believed that their postulation and philosophical debates could be of use to zebra society. As these debates were often done under the influence of alcohol, watching them was a treasured pastime. Arguments were often concluded “In impactum”, meaning that the loser would grab a stick and whack the opponent. Then came a debate that would shape the world. Literally. Two Logos by the names of Androphenus and Mykospha ended up debating the shape of the world. The former believed that the world was flat while the latter believed it was round. Mykospha ended up doing the debate sober and managed to prove their theory with two sticks and some math. Then, rather than whack their opponent, Androphenus forfeited, claiming that their opponent’s argument was superior due to the fact that it had evidence. The pair later got drunk and married each other. This debate would inspire Logos to believe that the truth can be found in evidence rather than just rhetoric or reason.
First Empire: As the Starkatteri were in the process of raising their grand city. The prodding and questioning nature of the Logos helped to uncover the consequences of the cursed tribe and their desire to pull down a star and what harm the Eater of Souls could do if restored to full health. As a result of their dire warnings towards the rest of the tribes, the Logos would be considered a tribe despite having no land, territory, common bloodline, or common language. They were the smallest tribe of the First Empire. Suffice to say, the biggest challenge of the Logos was their rivalry with the Zencori. While the Zencori got their wisdom from stories, the Logos got them from facts and evidence. The Zencori would often paint them as amoral, unfeeling, or insane, even going as far as calling them a ‘people’ rather than a ‘tribe’. As a result, they would try and have them stripped of this designation. However, this would prove fruitless, as the Logos method of inquiry actually worked. All proposals had to be made with evidence. The evidence had to stand up to peer review and public scrutiny. If an idea failed, examining why it failed was the next step. Logos were known for tearing down each other’s ideas when the evidence was garbage while scrutinizing those that could work. These Provings had enough passion behind them that even the Zencori and the Achu could watch them with awe.
Second Empire: During the rise of Nightmare Moon, many turned to the Logos for answers. All they could do was speculate. Thus, many Logos forums were burned and many Logos zebra were driven out due to the lack of instant answers. The Logos would be changed by this. Rather than living in Propoli cities, most Logos banded together and created their own settlements. They would develop pixelated stripe patterns as a result and thus become more of an ethnicity than just a social phenomenon. At this time, the Logos started experimenting with mathematics. At this time, the Logos would codify their knowledge and distribute it to the rest of zebrakind. They would open schools of wisdom in Propoli houses in order to engage with others and teach their methods. They were in great demand close to the start of the Second Empire. Propoli engineers relied on Logos mathematics for their construction projects. However, the sharing of knowledge was not two-way. The Mendi and Carnilians would not share their knowledge of medicine or agriculture with the Logos, instead being the ones to heal and farm for them and the other tribes. In other words, these tribes were looking to keep their roles instead of extending them to zebra who could usurp them. With the advance of the second empire, Logos research and knowledge would be applied to business, profit, and warfare. Some Logos believed that knowledge was amoral and that they had no obligation to limit the application of knowledge. Just because a Logos made the calculations necessary for someone to build a dam that ruined a local ecosystem does not mean that the Logos should be at fault. After all, they didn’t build the dam. However, other Logos would try and guide knowledge toward a more ethical path. This would culminate in the Pedagogy Wars. The Zencori would have you believe that these wars involved a bunch of nerds debating over minutiae when, in reality, the fighting was vicious. Experiments were sabotaged, libraries were burned, and scholars were murdered all in attempts to control how and to whom the tribe would share their findings. Four philosophies were formed. Romanticism, Pragmatism, Traditionalism, and Progressivism. The romanticists wanted to share knowledge with everyone, the pragmatists wanted to share it with the highest bidder, the traditionalists wanted only pre-approved knowledge to be taught, and the progressives wanted only knowledge that benefited zebrakind to be distributed. Some would abandon Houses of Knowledge and become roaming teachers while others would become proditor and live out in the woods like hermits (essentially, becoming similar to Ted Kaczinski). Ultimately, the winners of these wars were the pragmatists and the progressives, with the former reaching out to allies in other tribes while the latter promoted public education for everyone. This unrestricted education expanded thought and knowledge with no control. Other tribes would invest in and exploit Logos discoveries while accidents and mishaps would be ignored. The losers would become villagers or hermits or seek other employment opportunities. This would lead to two discoveries. The creation of talismans with gems from Equestria and the balefire egg. The former resulted in a trade boom with Equestria while the latter was shelved...for the time being.
Third Empire/The Last Election: The Logos allied with the Zencori and the Sahaani with a mood for isolationism. They believed that trade with Equestria had muddled zebra thinking and thus backed the Zencori candidate. While the Logos were not against Equestrian thinking (so long as it was rigorously proven, of course), they felt that Equestrian accomplishments were infiltrating the Empire too fast. The Logos counsel, upon losing the election (or rather, their Zencori candidate losing) shrugged and went back to work. During the war, the pragmatists would be of great help to the Zebrinican war machine, researching better methods of killing ponies. They would believe that only good would come of this. However, the rise of Princess Luna would destroy any chance of independence from the war. The Logos were fueled by a desire to make up for their failure against Nightmare Moon. A lot of Logos of all sorts would become zealots, trying to prove zebras to be “intellectually superior” to ponies, even going as far as using pseudoscience concocted by the Zencori to “prove” themselves right. However, the Logos became increasingly worried about the advancing of Equestrian technology. The demonstration of a mass healing megaspell by Fluttershy would lead to some Logos to beg the caesar to find a diplomatic solution. They were rebuffed. When the zebras got their hooves on megaspell technology, they realized that they had nothing that could compete with such tech. That is, until some Logos remembered the balefire egg sitting on a dusty shelf. They would test this weapon in the Eastern Empty and later build more balefire eggs to be placed into Propoli rockets. The Logos would, of course, be the ones who designed and made the targeting calculations for the rockets while the Propoli built them.
Post-Day of Doom: As Roam burned, the rockets were fired and Equestria was turned into ash. Some Logos accepted the results while others were horrified at what they had become. As the Zebra Empire collapsed, the Logos packed up their laboratories, burned their notes, and returned to their villages, forever scarred by the war. Thankfully, they were smart enough to avoid the legions and such. The belief in “The Calculation of Life” would soon rule the lives of the average Logos, as they would come to believe that peace could be achieved through acting in a certain way. Those who tried looking in the future would be considered “nulls” and spat toward. Other Logos would try and improve their little corners of the continent. Others would seek refuge with the Green Legion, the Exchange, or in the Free City of Bastion, where their skills and knowledge would get them privilege. While significantly reduced, the Logos are better off than most tribes. Most Logos have decided to look out for their family and villages rather than their race as a whole. While most tinker and research, others pursue personal research projects. Most just want to make a better oven or find good insulation for their huts. Some even calculate pi for fun.
Philosophies of the Logos:
- Pragmatism: Selling knowledge to the highest bidder.
- Progressivism: Teaching only knowledge that will benefit zebrakind.
- Romanticism: Freely teaching all knowledge. Defunct
- Traditionalism: Limiting what knowledge is taught. Defunct.
Art/Culture: Logos settlements run like clockwork with every movement, including foot traffic being perfectly timed. Math is applied to music and art in many ways. The Logos invented ways of writing music and codified the use of octaves. Music is often written in a formulaic or experimental manner with no concern for how it sounds to the ear. (Math rock is likely popular with them). Art, meanwhile, is largely geometric with the Fibonacci Sequence and other shapes being super popular in paintings, murals, and clothing. 5:3 ratios are applied frequently in this regard. Even names are mathematical in nature. The Logos think that life is a big equation called the Calculation of Life that adds up to a positive or negative number depending on how life was lived. They are materialistic by nature and, while respecting the spirits and spirituality, do not rely on them for shortcuts. Fortune-tellers are frowned upon because they “cheat” at solving the equation. “Nulls” are mathematical errors or Logos who go against tradition a smidge (e.g., fortune-tellers). Geometric patterns, especially concentric circles, are used commonly in architecture. Hexagons and triangles are also tolerated.
Love and Relationships: Matters of sex and family are damn near accidental. Logos rarely have families though any arrangement is fine as long as it’s stable. Many Logos are bisexual or asexual, and they express love on an individual basis. Of course, a Logos will never shack up with a Starkatteri due to their curse. Logos relationships tend to be seen as disturbing due to how they ignore certain taboos that other tribes have. Whatever makes babies happen is accepted. Logos will enter relationships with other tribes, looking for stability, though the Logos will try and rationalize the relationship or end it abruptly if it interferes with their research. Some, however, are deeply committed to their family and children, treating the act of raising their kids and loving their spouses like another equation to solve.
Proditor: Those that abandoned the pursuit of knowledge and live out in the wilderness.
Roamani[]
The Roamani were born "on a battlefield". In general, they were the greatest zebra fighters, and were likely the most powerful tribe, and the founders of Roam. Their stripes are thick and horizontal.
Location: Roam, Irontown, Greengap (formerly), various cities and villages all over the map.
Great Migration: During the Great Migration, the Roamani were one of if not the last tribe to actually settle down, as they kept marching. Back then, the Roamani would fight off threats to villages they happened upon before continuing onward. Romani warbands were both celebrated as heroes and feared as potential villains against the tribes or other warbands. The other tribes would attempt to get them to stop their marching and settle down with the Propoli building them cities, the Tappahani and Carnilians throwing feasts and bacchanals for them, and the Achu challenging them to fights. The Roamani would continue their marching.
First Empire: Then the Starkatteri attempted to conquer the Zebra by calling down a star. Thus, the warbands all united and managed to liberate zebrakind from the mystical tribe.
Second Empire: They were unable to counter Nightmare Moon when she came about due to a lack of shamans. They were, however, successful with industrialization, but that was no battlefield. They were the workers while the Propoli owned the factories.
Third Empire/The Last Election: The last Caesar was a Roamani and he won under strange circumstances. The plan was for the tribe’s representative to bow out in favor of the Propoli candidate but she died in an accident, having slipped and broke her neck, meaning the Propoli had to back him. The Carnilians joined their block. The vote between the voting blocks was a 3/3/3/3 deadlock, making the Starkatteri the deciding vote. They went with the Roamani candidate, since he was sympathetic toward them. Enlistment surged before the war, though the tribes had friction with the Roamani, especially the superstitious Atoli. The Atoli would go as far as holding ponies hostage on the sea, forcing the Caesar to ask them for help, when he tried to free the ponies with his army...only for the Wonderbolts to arrive and do the deed. This led to animosity toward the ponies, a need to restructure the military and improve weapons, cold conflicts between Equestria and Zebrinica, unconventional warfare, and finally, warfare. The Last Caesar was on the way out until the attack on Littlehorn happened, turning the war into one for victory above all.
Post-Day of Doom: After the Day of Doom, the Roamni were reduced in half with the rest of the tribe retreating to small settlements to repopulate, though the Legions bleed them dry due to their influence and the Roamani’s tradition towards military service. Nowadays, they are barely stable, weak but still standing, wondering about their place in the world after the war.
Art/Culture: Roamani are very collectivistic as an army would be. They believe in collective strength, good leadership, and unity over all. Individuals within the tribe must contribute what they can despite weakness and lead if able. In fact, the weak often serve as bureaucrats, logistians, medics, and other non-combat roles. In fact, they served as the de facto government bureaucracy and military (or at least, they were the majority tribe in each). Individuals must know their strengths and weaknesses. Romani are put through The Trials, which are a series of tests to take in order to be properly categorized, including academic tests, war games, and debate. These lead to ranking, which equates to status. Elders must also pass trials to demonstrate their fitness at the risk of demotion or retirement. Roamani wear unitarian clothing that is uniform with rank and family denoted by pips on collars and shoulders or plumes on their helmets. They prefer cheap, efficient, and shareable goods to materialism (like the Propoli). They also prefer trains to modern transport since you can fit a whole family in there. Traditions are serving in a military position for at least three years and undertaking the Great Patrol at least once in their life.
Holidays: The Sacred March (The Great Patrol), The Trials
Love and Relationships: Families are polyamorous with hierarchical leadership. Children learn in teams and do chores while elders supervise and educate. All things (toys, clothes, tools, and weapons) are shared and everyone is responsible for upkeep. When a Roamani takes their first trial, they can mate with anyone who has also passed their first trial. Gender is irrelevant, they don’t mind abortion (unlike the Carnilians), and they are encouraged to be bisexual in addition to polyamorous. Elders arrange transfers to prevent inbreeding as needed. Children are a part of the mother’s family regardless of the sire and circumstances. Officers may form exclusive breeding groups.
Proditor: Proditor within the Roamani do not partake in the trials, instead becoming “observers”. While they are pariahs that are not granted leadership or responsibility, their observations are still taken seriously. Often, they supervise the Trials due to their impartiality and have exposed corruption in the past.
The last zebra Caesar was a Roamani.
Starkatteri[]
The Starkatteri were also known as "the One". Unlike "the Twelve" tribes, they are said to have been sired by the moon rather than the sun in zebra mythology. They were the first tribe to build cities, but they practiced strange magics granted to them by striking deals with the stars. Their name literally means 'star branded'.
The Starkatteri grew proud of their strange powers and fought a war to rule all of Zebrakind, which caused the Twelve to unite against them. The Starkatteri called down a large-scale meteor shower, which decimated both the Twelve's armies and the Starkatteri's own cities. The Twelve remained strong enough to win, however, and branded and shunned the Starkatteri. To this day, the Starkatteri are only grudgingly accepted in Zebra society, and they are easily identified by a pattern of facial stripes that are described as looking like the orbital paths of planets. Members of the tribe are shunned, but not killed on sight; some zebras believe that killing or hurting a Starkatteri transfers the curse to the killer and their descendants for thirteen generations[3].
The original role of the Starkatteri in Zebra society is unclear, but Pythia indicated that Starkatteri necromancers originally acted as psychopomps, ushering the souls of the dying to the Summerlands (the Zebra version of the Everafter.) But then some of them started getting "creative" with their charges and gave all necromancers a bad name. This fate seems to be common among those who meddle with powers granted by the stars. Besides, it is common for them to loose one form of sense. Some Starkatteri seers are known to see magic in living and not living beings.
Prior to the Great War, the Starkatteri still had a role in the election of a Caesar, where they cast the deciding vote in case of a tie.
Location: All over Zebrinica in very small numbers.
Great Migration: Once there was a hunter. He was the greatest known hunter. He felled mighty dragons and creatures of the sea. None could escape his wrath...save for time itself. So he lamented to the skies. Pleading for a leg up against Time itself. And so he was given a stone from the stars themselves. He placed the stone into his heart and lived forever. From this, the Starkatteri were truly born. Where most shamans spoke to the spirits of the earth, the Starkatteri sought power from the stars. The first proto-Starkatteri were navigators, then astrologists, then astronomers. With the help of the stars, they found direction, time, seasons, and the future. To other tribes, the Starkatteri seemed strange and had an eldritch connection with the stars. Other tribes would seek them out for predicting the future...for a price. Earlier than the Logos, the Starkatteri used the power of information (and the fear of the unknown) for their own ends. Their form of science was veiled in mysticism, however, and they unashamedly stole knowledge from other tribes before wrapping their predictions in prophesy and augury. Through this, they maintained power over the ignorant. They would demand (and receive) payment in the form of food, treasure, and mates that caught their interest. Because of their egos, they would be exploited by none other than the Eater of Souls. When the first Atoli sailors reached the crater that is now Hoofington, their Starkatteri navigators were tantalized by star metal fragments that sang when struck. The Starkatteri were able to glean visions of the past and the future from this metal. Starkatteri from all over would travel to the crater to study the star metal and later attempt to build a great city that would bridge the earth and the stars. The work was hard and many perished. Due to this setback, the Starkatteri used their sorcery to create weapons made from star metal before sending out armies to bring back slaves for the excavation efforts. They would build a great temple to honor the stars and the star metal below. They would attempt to sacrifice a star (yes, a star) to the Eater. They used all their accumulated wealth for this project and nearly went underway. The only hitch, which would soon be a fatal one, was one Starkatteri. This Starkatteri doubted and questioned the whole ceremony. They would ruin the summoning. The star would not be extinguished by the Eater, instead razing the city. The Starkatteri sought survival in soul jars, creating black books full of their tainted lore and sealing themselves within. As a result of all this, the Starkatteri were cursed with the markings on their fur and reviled by the other tribes.
First Empire: The Empire was established so that one tribe could not consume the rest like the Starketteri beforehand. They were cast out but not wiped out. Killing them would have been a hypocrisy. Instead, they lost their influence, their treasure, and their ability to be trusted. Despite all this however, they would persevere. While many died of deprivation and exposure, others were able to carve out a decent living. Being a tribe related by curse, they are surprisingly diverse. However, there are some key factors. First, the tribe like to present themselves as spooky occultists, either pretending to have dark powers or actually exploring dark magic. Essentially, they take advantage of their curse and use it as a means of exploiting the superstitious and ignorant. Second was their exceptionalism. That is, the Starkatteri are exempt from the traditions and laws other tribes have due to their cursed status. They are, in other words, held to a low standard from the get go. They were even exempt from taxes due to their money being seen as “dirty”. As a result, they would become the first moneylenders with the audacity to lend money with interest in the repayments. The third trait is taboo. As forbidden things have their appeal, the Starkatteri were able to use this to their advantage. They’re taught from an early age how to get what they want in many shady ways.
Second Empire: The Starkatteri were not bothered by the rise of Nightmare Moon, even going as far as wanting to join her. Although they predicted that the sun would rise again and thus kept their place during the epoch of the Second Empire. During this time, the Starkatteri would venture into the business world, underpinning most of the Empire’s economic development with their tendency toward risk taking. They were also known for setting up pyramid schemes and cults. Others would make a life for themselves as moneylenders or “that mare” colts went to in order to learn the ways of sex. Many Starkatteri sought out partners from other tribes or settled for being a mistress or consort despite the risks involved. The tribe wasn’t granted many legal protections. Crimes against members of the tribe were not quite illegal. Assaults on them were common along with burning their businesses. Marriage with a Starkatteri did not count. Still, some Starkatteri served as professional scapegoats or “fall guys” for elders. By the end of the Second Empire, many Starkatteri started seeking out formal protections this time around. Their only leverage was their vote for the Caesar. Typically, during elections, the twelve tribes would vote before The One. If the tribe’s vote led to a tie, the delegates would break up and vote again. Sometimes the Starkatteri vote would make the candidate lose in the following rounds. Bribery was common and even expected.
Third Empire/The Last Election: The vote for the Last Caesar was a four way tie with the Starkatteri breaking the tie. The Caesar, instead of rejecting the vote, took it and won on a technicality. He would later proclaim that the law would cover ALL Starkatteri. The result was the Night of Bloody Stars. Tens of thousands of the tribe were lynched and murdered for daring to ask for legal equality. Many zebras sheltered Starkatteri and would go on to die with them. The Last Caesar tried to exercise justice but all the murder overwhelmed the legal system. A farcical trial was held and the murderers were found not guilty. Only the zebra who killed non-Starkatteri were found guilty. Still, the Third Empire had a Caesar who publicly supported the One tribe. Some would try to be legitimate members of society while others saw it as a chance to exploit the system. In any case, repression was the norm and Starkatteri children were the subject of extreme bullying. This would cause an explosion in black market goods. Many syndicates opened and the Starkatteri were able to cater to the vices of many zebra. One business, Four Stars, an import-export company, would push back against all the chaos. This business was openly led by Starkatteri zebra, employed ponies and griffons, and even opened up a law school to get themselves lawyers. They were instrumental in the trade between Equestria and Zebrinica, working with Flim and Flam, Goldenblood, and even the MoA. They would use the company as a point of infiltration and espionage. Oddly enough, Starkatteri soldiers fought for the Empire with fanaticism. This, of course, was for the sake of getting legitimacy. They would work in sleazy comfort houses, do recon, infiltrate, and even serve combat roles. They were seen as expendable but exceptional nonetheless. Starkatteri units used guile and unconventional tactics over numbers and firepower to win their battles. One squad dubbed “The Rainbow Brigade” painted their hides in bright colors to fool the enemy into thinking they were friendlies. They were promptly killed by a zebra artillery strike.
Post-Day of Doom: The Day of Doom was no surprise to the tribe, as they were a tribe known for looking ahead and into the future. Even so, many Starkatteri died by megaspell and later legion attacks. They were blamed for the end result and killed by zebras and proto-legions despite the many death curses that could have followed. Once again, they were rejected. Despite all this, they have managed to survive. Some have found shelter in places and organizations that valued their intelligence. Some even prefer this life over the legal protections despite the suffering. The One Tribe is, after all, great at surviving the worst conditions.
Art/Culture: Yes, despite all the purges, pogroms, and persecution, this tribe lived on. Manipulation is the key to their continued existence. As a result of this fast lifestyle, a lot of Starkatteri have mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, narcissism, and sociopathy. They are the perfect villain for any story to the point of cliche. Many Zencori find the cliche to be predictable, even. Starkatteri like to decorate with stars to ward off the superstitious. They dress either mysteriously or provocatively. They’re also on the thin side due to missed meals. Anyway, back to fashion. Starkatteri fashion is provocative and often adopted by other tribes...until they come out with a new form of provocative dress. Suffice to say, they dress down in order to hide.
Love and Relationships: Starkatteri families are generally a mother and her children. Marriage is almost unheard of and some children are the result of rape while most are the result of prostitution. Starkatteri mothers are hardly nurturing, teaching their offspring from the get go that life is shit and how to exploit others. Some children may become the wards of other tribes as a “redemption” while others would be sold into slavery or prostitution. Starkatteri are always “that zebra”. The silent partner. The mistress. They are happy to be the “friend with benefits”...so long as the benefits keep coming.
Proditor: Starkatteri proditor or Skakalagados are shaman hunters, criminal investigators, and such. They, in essence, reject their tribe’s rejection, marking them as outsiders among outsiders. They rarely last, often the target of malevolent Starkatteri. Some of these proditors only take the red to live a domestic lifestyle...though this doesn’t last. They are either mistaken for Skakalagados or as “insincere” and killed as a result.
Known members of the Starkatteri tribe include Amadi, Pythia, Atropos, Eurydale, Scylla, Tchernobog and Lamia.
Trivia[]
- Achu: The Achu use Chinese language names
- Atoli/Estoli: The Atoli and the Estoli have Polynesian (usually Hawaiian) names
- Atori/Estori: These zebras use Japanese names
- Orah and Roamani: Both the Orah and the Roamani have Greek and Latin names. However, the Orah accept others into their tribe at a high rate, leading to a substantial number of Orah with non-Orah names.
- Propoli: For cultural reasons described above, Propoli names begin with X.
- Carnilan: Names from this tribe are Spanish, or other Iberian in origin.
- Mendi: Mendi names are Basque.
- Tappahani: Tappahani names are derived from various Southeast Asian languages.
- Eschatik: The Eschatik carry names inspired by the languages of India.
- Sahaani: Sahaani names are Finnish or Sami in origin.
- Logos: Logos names are mathematical or scientific in nature, and may include anything from mathematical terms to element names.
- Zencori: Zencori names are West African inspired.
- Starkatteri: Starkatteri names are based on mythological figures and on animals names from various cultures.