Shevhedil
Shevhedil
Religion
Traditions
+1 Land Leader Manoeuvre
+15% Manpower in Primary Culture provinces
Cartographers of the GatewayPurple weeds are safe to approach, and may be grazed on by cattle: but tan weeds host the Godfeasters, omnivorous plants which look too much like ogres and remind us of what we once were. Never trust the Contach Oasis, no matter how blue and beautiful its visage; it is an intangible mirage (except during the full moon), created by spirits to lure travelers into their own realm. Run when the desert’s buzzing gets too loud, or else you will confront the False Shells, sixteen-foot insectoids who bind spirits into their thick-as-steel carapaces. They have learned our art, and are desperate to use it upon us.\n\nWe have wandered for generations around the unknowable Gateway at the center of this valley. We have seen flora and fauna alike emerge from its seemingly-impenetrable wards, desperately trying to conquer the wastelands we call home. We have seen most escaping life flail and die in the desert: but we have also seen the survivors, strong and horrific enough to thrive in these conditions. We have seen scarlet sands turn green with grass, and then scarlet again with blood.\n\nThrough it all, we have survived, like those rare beasts from the Gateway. We are its keepers, its mappers, and its cartographers. We understand it like no one else ever will.
-15% Land Attrition
The Bounty of the DeadThe great wastes are as full of life as they are of death. The innumerable ruins scattered within may constantly blare warnings in a language we do not understand, but we know better than their long-dead proprietors: for we, unlike them, can find value in what they left behind. The wastes may be in a constant state of flux, but not all uncertainty is unwelcome.\n\nFrom within these forsaken badlands, we have found snape grass, a thin green weed which clears the mind and allows easier attunement with the spirits. We have found vibrant and pastel desert-fruits, which sate the stomach better than anything else we have eaten. We have found gigantic beasts, ranging in forms from octopi to ants to butterflies, who are desperate to join our herds. In short: we have treated this valley with honor, and it has honored us in return. We prosper here, and we do so by embracing the bounties which the dead left to rot.
-5% Development Cost
Caravan Convoys and Spirit OasesLife for the Shevhedili revolves around two constants: caravan convoys and spirit oases. Our caravans, heavily-armored wagons made primarily of hide, bone, and stone (for wood is scarce and only sourced through trade), secure us and keep us safe. We man them in two columns as we wander, defending our cattle in the middle. During the night, they encircle the animals, and bound spirits act as watchmen and guards. Without the caravans, our vast herds would be defenseless against raiders and monsters.\n\nAs we wander through the desert, seeking grazing-lands for our cattle, we move constantly between the Spirit Oases. These small shelters, dotted across the valley, each host wards, spirits, and food. We have built them to honor the spirits, and as waypoints to aid us in travel: but we have also built them to sate our desires to construct, feed, create, and destroy. To create a Spirit Oasis is to put one’s entire will, intelligence, and strength towards the building of something greater than ourselves. There is no greater honor, no greater meditation, and no greater distraction from the churning within our stomachs. We protect the spirits of others to bind our own souls into the purpose of creation.
+15% Movement Speed
An Ogre’s Best FriendA life spent on the trail is a dangerous one, fraught with all sorts of unexpected twists and turns. To survive, one must be able to leave their lives in the hands of those around them, without concern for fleshly squabbles over blood ties or profits. For the Shevhedili, our definitions of family extend far past the bounds of ogrekind. Our loyal herding beasts—typically dogs, but occasionally more exotic creatures from within the wastes—are as important to us as any ogre could be. Without them, our herds would be utterly unmanageable, and the lonely stretches of cattle driving would grow unbearable without the constant companionship they provide. They are with us at our best and our lowest. When they shrug their mortal coils, are they not entitled to the same privilege that any other family member would be? Through the sacred art of spirit binding, we have taken to giving our loyal companions the same pride of place as our venerated ancestors in our spirit homes, so that they may guard our herds and warm our hearts forevermore.
+20% Improve Relations
Soulfound OgresUnlike our brethren, we stand against the exploitation of all life. We refuse to abuse even the most evil of souls, and do not bind them into our weaponry: which, admittedly, is an easier stance to take when we lack the materials necessary to build mass quantities of constructs. We bind them to block them from attacking us, but do not have the resources nor desire to use them in war.\n\nThis does not mean that we fight without spirits. After so many generations of honoring our dead elders, building homes for the lost, and balancing our desires, we have collected a sizable retinue of loyal souls. The many friendly spirits in our Oases and temples—sometimes our ancestors, sometimes not—occasionally agree to be bound into our arms and armor. This is a dangerous binding, even for them; hobgoblins, ogres, and precursor magics all have the capacity to kill them. And yet, despite the risk, we still have loyal spirits willing to fight on our side. Our caravans are defended by dead shieldbearers, sharp-eyed souls steady our aim, and lightning-quick spirits knock bullets out of the very air itself. Our soldiers now fight with the strength of ten ogres, because ten dead ogres often follow them into battle.
+10% Shock Damage
Of Hearts and BloodThe hearts of our clans are the Temple-Holdfasts, where ogres carve our wagons, forge our equipment, and shelter us in times of strife. The blood of our clans is the caravans, where ogres raise our herds, feed our people, and ferry the Temples’ goods between communities for trade. All Soulseekers follow this rhythm and dichotomy, where temple and caravan rely on one another: but ours differs in percentage. Instead of the vast majority of our spirits being bound to our hearts, most are bound to our blood. It is the herders, not the smiths, with the greatest spiritual traditions.\n\nAs we travel, clan leaders—each the descendents of merchants, who were descendents of other merchants, who were descendents of other merchants—squabble with their ancestors over which pathways are best for trade. Cattle are doted on by the dead, each comforted by ghostly farmers who raised them from birth. Local spirits cheer for wandering plays, oral stories told and acted as we walk through the desert. Between our spirit-imbued convoys, master cartography, and mercantile experience, no Soulseekers can compete when it comes to trade. Even our most-hated rivals cheer when a bountiful Shevhedili caravan arrives at one of their temples.
+10% Trade Efficiency
The 1001 SagesTo the Soulseekers, our venerable ancestors, the great sages, bestowed upon us two gifts before they disappeared: the art of spirit binding, and the guidance that we follow to achieve enlightenment. But to the Shevhedili, they have left a third gift, the countless statues which line the floor of Nomsyulhan. Crafted with the uncanny realism that only the very creators of ogrekind themselves would be able to achieve, each and every statue is made in the image of the giants. Their works can only be found in one of two states; some appear in the midst of a deep meditation, as if the stone itself could wake at any moment; the rest are all variously in the throes of death, some covered in wounds, others with pain and fear etched into their eyes. The meaning behind the dichotomy is genius! The stark contrast in their dispositions is a reminder to us that there are only two ways to live in this world: one must master themselves, or succumb to the horrific cycle of pain and hunger that lurks in our souls. As the most well-traveled of our brethren, we are the most familiar with this holy message left behind by our creators, and take special care to keep it close to our hearts.
+2 Tolerance of the True Faith
Ambition
+10% Production Efficiency
History
TBD
Strategy
TBD