The Plains of Ranna stretch from the Ran Pass in the west to the Gurachnik Valley in the east and between the northern Scythian Range and the southern Cordolian Mountains in the south. Within these boundaries the land is somewhat arid but supports an abundance of grass, shrubs and some herbs which support wild herds of antelope and buffalo which provide the main food sources for the members of the 11 Tribes who make this land their home. The plains also have a substantial population of wild horses who provide the Tribes with transport, milk and an extremely valuable trading commodity which allows them access to such materials as metal and occasional luxuries. aside from luxury goods (which the Tribes have no great need of) however, the plains people are largely self-sufficient since the plains also contain small copses of wood and a limited supply of clay and even some deposits of iron along the northern part of the Ran and its tributaries - not enough for lots of plate armour, but enough for knives, arrowheads and the occasional sabre - an extremely feared weapon in the hands of an experienced Tribesman.
Each tribe has its own particular grounds within the plains but travel between Tribal Lands is permitted provided proper ettiquette is observed and the tribes in question arenŐt currently feuding - and given the recent events in the region such petty squabbles are increasingly being put aside. There is only one settlement in this region which has any degree of permanence and that is Yora, in the east which always has at least some of the local Yoran tribe camping within its walls, the only permanent structure within these walls are the standing stones in the centre - a place of great holiness to a Plainsman/woman and the venue for the meeting of the 11 Great Chiefs and their attendants once every five years to discuss matters of ganeral import and settle disputes. This gathering also has the power to appoint a Warlord, who may lead all the tribes in a united war effort. The last such appointment was over a century ago, but given the worsening relations with both City states and Papacy, some tribal elders are whispering that there may soon be another Warlord and ensuing bloodshed.
The Tribes are basically shamanistic and place great store in ideas of ancestor spirits and animal totems. Each tribe also has its own specific Totem Spirit or Avatar in the form of a spirit composing their tribe's founder and an animal which exhibits their qualities (which doesn't always correspond to the view others have of an animal).
Given how hard life can be on the plains, everyone is expected to know a bit about hunting, animal husbandry and fighting, this extends to women and Tribespeople view any society that is so wasteful as to consign women to the home or allow the old to retire from doing anything useful (even childminding or cooking) as obviously soft. The only kind of stratification in society is through gaining respect through ability or age/wisdom, the old in particular are seen as closer to the ancestors. But they must still help out in daily chores where they can. The only official ranks are those of the shaman (not necessarily a healer, but this is often the case) and the Chief, who is seen as not precisely a ruler, but the person who makes decisions on the Tribes behalf. Each nomadic group has a chief and each Tribe has a Great Chief, only the position of Great Chief is hereditary since they are a direct descendant of the first of the tribe (alledgedly) from whom each tribe takes their name.
This tribe has the largest territory and population, they are the keepers of their raceŐs most sacred site and guardians of the east. They bear these duties with stoicism and are the most reserved concerning direct action on a large scale. However, when the Yoran are angry enough for war, there are few who know them who would willingly stand in their way. Their Totem takes the form of the Man-Bear, protective of its cubs, slow to anger but terrible in its rage once aroused.
The Kurvar are a northern tribe whose totem is the Man-Wolf, they excel in light raids and scavenging. They prefer to work in numbers and are more socially stratified socially than most tribes. Much of the bad reputation Plains Tribes have comes from these nomads, but they also exhibit an almost suicidal loyalty to each other and if confronted by outsiders, to other tribes - all Tribespeople acknowledge that when confronted by an outside threat they can rely on the KurvarŐs aid, as they have recently proved by aiding in raids against the Papacy and even once or twice against the more distant City States.
The Thurad roam to the north-east of the Yoran and are more peaceable than most Tribes, they even have some members who spend part of the year engaged in light mining in the Scythian Range and pottery along the banks of the Ran. They suffered the most during the war between the Papacy and the City States and have slowly begun to turn more of their craftmanship towards things martial. Their Totem is the Man-Otter.
Living in the centre of the plains, this Tribe has avoided most of the recent troubles thanks to its more erratic patterns of movement, despite its lands being in the middle of the paths between the City State's and Papacy's main routes of attack. They continue to breed and train the finest horses and value freedom of movement above all else. Their Totem is the Man-Horse.
These Tribes claim the around the Yoran and are the smallest of the Tribes. Their totems are the Man-Buffalo, the Man-Squirrel and the Man-Snake repectively.
Both Tribes live in the south on neighbouring lands and each adjoin one of the passes to the City States, as a result both suffered during the last war and are among the most vociferous of the Tribes in wanting to strike back. Legend has it that their founders were twins and as a result the two Tribes are very close and have more cross marriages than any other two tribes. Their Totems are the Man-Cougar and Man-Wildcat respectively.
Have had the most contact with the former lands os the Magister and have avoided the sporadic violence of the last twenty years. They prefer to avoid conflict wherever possible (on a Tribal level). Their Totem is the Man-Antelope.
This Tribe has also managed to avoid most of the violence that has dogged the region in the last few years. They are the most adept hunters and trackers of the Tribes and their Totem is fittingly the Man-Hound... oh, and no-one has ever got away with any derogatry comments about this choice of Totem, at least not for long - such an insult will leave a traveller hunted for years if necessary.
In keepin with the game's NOGP (No Orcs and Goblins Policy), there arenŐt any rumours of any Tribesperson having exhibited any were-like abilities like their legendary founders.