Tribes of Cumana

Cumana possesses seven individual tribal cultures, half-orcish in race. Each tribe is overseen by a congregation of Elders with very limited political power. These tribes are distributed socially or geographically within the Sanjak of Cumana. These tribes are the Bonyaki, Dworka, Gurdut, Sharukan, Torkastra, Yetabeshi and Zolozi.

Each tribe descends from the pure blood orcish Cumans who raided these lands centuries ago, with the exception of the Yetabeshi. The tribes vary in the amount of intermarrying that has been done in that time. Of all the tribes, the Bonyaki are the purest strain of orc; the Torkastra the most human.

Bonyaki

The Bonyaki tribe are farmers who dwell upon the river banks of the Donets south of Mutrakan. These farmers are known for having little imagination or interest in the world. Called "the back upon which the weight is borne," the Bonyaki are a prideful people, resentful of outsiders. It is said that the land is good only for the Bonyaki, that others "dare to treat the land as only dirt for their tramping feet."

However, the Bonyaki can be generous to travelers who are respectful of their ways. In general, the Bonyaki are poor, as farms are small or the land is good for mainly subsistence agriculture. As such, these people suffer the most in times of drought. Nevertheless, the Bonyaki make up the largest part of Cumana's army, forming the strongest pillar in the strength of the kingdom, both in physical manpower and food production.

Dworka

These are half-orc dwarves, whose pure-blood dwarven forefathers occupied lands along the edges of Altslok and Croft. These migrated with the Cumans in the early 11th century as mercenaries, who over a period of seven generations (the number is traditional) were given orc brides as tribute in exchange for weapons and armor that the dwarves provided. These orc brides were chosen by the dwarves themselves, who it is said "smoothed them of features unbecoming to the dwarf eye" by magic.

Today the Dwarka, or Dworkin as they are sometimes called, occupy the hill country along the Donets River in the Donbass, where they keep to themselves and occupy their time in digging for coal, which exists in great quantities. Some Dworkin occupy the low hills north of the Donets as well.

Gurdut

The Gurdut live mostly in two groups centered in the cities of Mutrakan and Itoskhan. They do not have lands of their own, though there are small hamlets of no name that are scattered throughout northern Cumana and the Zaporozhian Sich. The Gurdut are servants, mostly, who perform the lowest labor and who have the least amount of prestige in the kingdom.

Gurdut children are often gathered at six-year intervals (paid as tribute by Gurdut families) and either sold abroad or occasionally made into eunichs for the Court. This is seen as proper; indeed, the Gurdut consider themselves to be blessed if the king should desire one of their children for this honor. It is said that the Gurdut "give in this world to receive in the cherished lands" . . . which hearkens to a mystic Asian belief in the 'happy hunting ground' that all steppe peoples dream of. The more a Gurdut gives in this life, the more it is said a Gurdut gains in the life hereafter. Therefore, giving up a child offers great promise.

Sharukan

The Sharukan dwell largely in the city and het of Sumi, an enclave joined to Cumana at the furthest north of the sanjak. The Sharukan are a small, familial-oriented tribe, known as scholars, interpreters, diplomats and teachers. In many ways they are the least religious of tribes; the most talented of magicians in the kingdom are generally Sharukan. They see the kingdom as "seven sticks that make a club," and are variously given to motivate the king to use the club in the wisest manner possible.

Despite their apparent superiority, the Sharukan behave in the most humble manner possible. They believe themselves to be the "least valuable of the tribes," are modest in dress and appearance, are generous, are more likely to seek peace of any of the tribes (including the Zolozi) and believe that retribution "is the flood that destroys land and people alike." It is said that a Sharukan will not speak first when seated at a table . . . and there is a myth that says of one Sharukan Hetman, Syrchan by name, "He waited so patiently for all his ministers to speak of all that required attention that he did not interrupt for three nights and three days; when on the fourth day his opinion was at last sought, it was discovered that he had died."

Torkastra

These occupy the lands nearest the Sea of Azov and in the valley of the Don north of the Azov Sanjak. The Torkastra are fishermen and teamsters, as well as smugglers who operate between Cumana and the Ottoman Empire. On the whole, they are not highly respected in Cumana, but are nevertheless closely protected by the Zolozi, who of course have great use for a people with less 'character' than the Bonyaki.

The Bonyaki and Torkastra are the most likely tribes to have differences, which is in no small way affected by the passage of Torkastrians through Bonyaki lands on their way to Mutrakan, their habit of treating all Bonyaki as 'mud-snuffling pigs' and so on. The Torkastra possess the largest number of Moslems, having interbred more with the Turks than any other tribe in the Kingdom, so that some Torkastrans are less than 10% Cuman (orc).

Yetabeshi

Occupying the enclave of Itossia, southwest of the main Kingdom of Cumana, the Yetabeshi are a remnant of an orcish tribe called the Nogai Horde. Part of Genghis Khan's army, the Nogai were half-orcs, granted lands along the north and east of the Caspian Sea, in the valley of the Emba River in Buzachistan. However, they were supplanted by the Kalmyks and moved westward at the time the Rus were throwing off the shackles of the Tatar Golden Horde.

Many of the Nogai peoples were scattered from the Dnestr River to Kubanistan, destroyed by orcs and Ottomans, Poles, Russians and even Transylvanians ... but the tribe called Yetabeshi made peace with the Zaporozhians and settled in the valleys of the Vesele and Molochna rivers, greatly expanding the tiny villages of Itoskhan and Vesoi that had been founded in 1342 and 1265. Today, 90% of the residents are of Nogai descent, but there are notable minorities of Catholics, Jews and Greek Orthodox, remnants from the settlement of Greeks in the area 23 centuries ago and Roman Christians 15 centuries ago. Some Mediterranean features are distinctive in the human population of Itossia (shape of the nose bridge and hair), but there has not been time for these features to transfer into the Yetabeshi half-orc character.

While not Cuman in heritage, the Yetabeshi consider themselves part of the Cumanic culture. Each of the other six tribes individually identify the Yetabeshi as lost brothers rather than unwanted interlopers, though this is not reflected in true bloodlines.

The Yetabeshi are herders, ranchers, leather workers and wool gatherers, with handicraft industries of little trading importance - but locally self-sustaining. As a people they are proud, self-directed and highly communal, as well as possessing an optomistic outlook and materialistic certainty of fate. "The world will make room," is a typical Yetabeshi saying.

Zolozi

The Zolozi are the wealthy, powerful tribe who dominate the huge city of Mutrakan. The Zolozi have chosen to embrace trade and civilization in a distinctly oriental manner. There are hundreds and hundreds of shrines in Mutrakan, where people are very religious - but these shrines do not depend upon the 'priest class' that exists in Western/Aryan culture. Like Buddhist Lamas, the most devout people are those who dedicate their lives to the acknowledgement of the gods, but they do not 'lead' others. Religion is a daily, common experience, where each individual gives what respect they wish without the manufacture of western guilt.

As the most religious, educated, worldly tribe, the Zolozi produce most of the sanjaks who rule Cumana (by election among elders). The Zolozi treats the other tribes like a father to his sons - disciplining as necessary, maintaining order, but also providing food and support in times of trouble, often in the form of charity.