Great Mother – High Plains Samurai

Khar of the Hawk Clan

Atlas, Khar'Tep avatar, barbarians, Elemental Spirits, Great Mother, Hawk Clan, Jacob Tom III, Khar'tep, raiding parties, Roth of the Goat Clan, Serenity Falls, the Five Cities, Yung Zhi

The mysterious and reclusive clans of the Great Mothers lead a harsh life and it takes a harsh warlord to not only rule over them but prepare them for a war with the rest of the One Land.

by Ali May Sang (the Librarian)
featuring passages from the High Plains Samurai Core Rulebook

To the rest of the One Land, the mountains of Khar’tep are the end of the world. Stories tell of savage wildlands consumed by the anarchy of Chaos’ Wrath in a way we have never experienced, while some believe there are new lands and settlements waiting to be discovered. Only those who have climbed to the highest peak of the Great Mother, the gargantuan mountain range that protects the scattered clans now under the rule of Khar of the Hawk Clan, know for sure. Few not loyal to the barbaric warlord would survive the trek to the bottom, let alone the march to the top. The clans view the mountains as a religious testament to the Elemental Spirits and dare not risk non-believers contaminating it with their apathy and blasphemy.

Perhaps one of the youngest warlords in modern times (though few count the rulership of Jacob Tom III, who was only 33 when he killed his mother to gain control of Serenity Falls and suddenly poisoned by his teenage son only two days later), Khar rose to power as the Hawk Clan’s guardian before challenging his predecessor, Roth of the Goat Clan, to a duel that lead to Roth’s fall from the mountain. Having taken the sacred vows of his clan’s guardianship, Khar literally has the eyes of a bird of prey and proudly projects his qi power – fiery wings – at a moment’s notice. A fierce combatant and shrewd leader, this young warrior-turned-leader has begun to make aggressive expansions without being fully aware of the consequences and reactions that await. There are many who believe Khar’s sole purpose in life was to become the avatar of the children who live on the mountain.

Leading a people renowned for their ability to take care of themselves against all odds, Khar has time and ambition to expand his people’s reach elsewhere. Since his victory over Roth only months ago, Khar initiated an aggressive expansion in the lowlands, with raiding parties marching into the borders of Yung Zhi and ambushing refugees and Outcast camps. Claiming weapons, technology, food, and livestock is the primary goal of these raids, Khar believes the Great Mother will soon be unable to fend off Chaos’ energies unless her people find a new way to provide. To this young avatar, the answer lies in the lands of the other warlords. To keep their way of life secret from outsiders, these raiding parties consist of warriors and hunters from all clans working as one. This has not been seen since before Chaos’ Wrath.

For now, the other warlords dismiss these barbarian raids and the might of their new warlord as nothing more than the wind changing direction. Their focus is with the water that surely exists within the frigid peaks of the Great Mother…

Khar’tep, City of Mountains

Atlas, Khar'Tep Goat Clan, Great Mother, Hawk Clan, Khar, Khar'tep, Roth, the Five Cities

Home of nomadic clans scattered across the northern mountains, they are a people both united by cause and divided by stone.

from High Plains Samurai: Legends

There is a reason why the Five Cities have not turned to outright war due to so many harsh words and threats exchanged between them. When it comes to Khar’tep and its current warlord, Khar of the Hawk Clan, there is the slight matter of scaling the rocky mountains in which this City lies. While not a City in the traditional sense, what it known as Khar’tep is in truth a nomadic gathering of barbarians relocating from one peak of the mountains to the next as conditions demand. Out here, change is a constant. Even the name of the City is altered when a new warlord is proclaimed – its former name was Roth’tep in favour of its previous warlord, Roth of the Goat Clan.

Life is firm and unrelenting in the heights of the northeastern mountains. While each clan tends to their own, they all form groups of hunters, gatherers, parents, gardeners, and warriors working apart but for the same purpose: the survival of the clan. Only their clan elders engage with the other clans and ensure little to no violence breaks out between them. Such peace between the clans is only maintained because of Khar’s wishes as he prepares for the days of total war with the other Cities.

Home to a gathering of numerous clans, Khar’tep maintains order through might alone. These people have been raised to live a warrior’s code: what is desired is taken and fought for. While not as organized and dutiful as the soldiers in Monsoon, they are indeed a force to be reckoned with. All manner of harsh crimes are permitted when raiding parties are sent out, and few that oppose them are left alive. Ruling them all is their unchallenged warlord. Never defeated in battle, it is told, this hulking warrior has slain ten people for every year of his life. The youngest of all the warlords, his quick temper and swift reactions make him the most feared of them all.