Player-Character Clans

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See the Lands of the Varati page to find out where these clans' home-bases are located.

Archery and ranged-weapons are the particular specialty of Clan Temjin, located in the eastern half of the mountain range that the Varati call home, and the clan is one of the minor kshatri clans. Other clans, especially the major ones, regard Temjin as rather rough and unrefined. Their signature weapon is a short recurve bow made entirely of steel -- such a weapon takes a tremendous amount of strength to pull, but its arrows strike with force comparable to a light crossbow.

If interested in playing a member of Clan Temjin, please contact Sukhvir

Many ages ago, the clan Mutabir did war with its neighbors. Arrogant and proud of its skills on the battlefield, and easily wounded of its honor, Mutabir was quick to take offense. The Mutabir lost this war and in this loss, all that they owned was stripped away by the victors. The prideful clan became homeless, a kshatri clan without a vara. Still, the victors could not strip away their caste and the pride of the Mutabir demanded that they continue to pretend to the wealth and luxury of their caste. Yet, without a vara, it feed could not feed its members; it could not maintain the lifestyle of the nobility without a vara upon which to gather taxes and grow food. Thus, pride and honor warred with each other and pride won. The Mutabir turned to a life of minor dishonor. They sold their main skill, that of the sword and became mercenaries for hire.

All male Mutabir go forth in the world and work for others: vaisya who need guards, shudra who need crop protection from bandits, candala who need protection service, or other clans who wish to battle their neighbors. In doing so, they tithe part of their wages to the clan. However, the Mutabir keenly feel the loss of honor implied by selling their fighting skill and they have lost none of their pride over the ages. Thus, the clan is filled with arrogent men and women who know that they have the lowest status among all the kshatri clans, yet feel the need to lord their kshatri status over those Varati of the lower castes. They are conservative when it suits their purpose of acting superior to those below them, but otherwise follow the call of money.

In the most recent rebellion against Khalid, Mutabir served on both sides, working for whoever gave them coin. Other kshatri consider them shameful, and the Mutabir are shamed that they have to take orders from employers who might be lower to them in caste, but outside of working, they strut, they boast, they proclaim a greatness that they lost eons ago.

The Mutabir have the lowest status of all kshatri and are seen as being even below the Atarvani in terms of social standing. Not wishing to draw the ire of Khalid upon them, in case the God-King would choose to strip them of their kshatri caste in such an event, Mutabir are respectful to Atarvani and other Kshatri out of necessity rather than true desire. Other kshatri clans refuse to teach Mutabir fighting skills. As all Mutabir males leave home as early as possible to enter the mercenary life, their actual fighting skills are less than the average kshatri. They know many ways of fighting, but none of them well. There are very few specialists among the Mutabir as a horse-archer in a border skirmish one day may be a caravan guard the next. Many male Mutabir die young. Thus, they are encouraged to marry young and spawn as many offspring as possible. The women and children live a nomadic life, often travelling from one place to another to be near the areas of hire. A few of the luckier ones can often find more permanent homes in the towns or foreign cities when their males acquire a job guarding a permanent establishment, like a jewelry store or the Bridge in Parnassus.

Over the eons, as the Mutabir have been continued in their trade, the term, mutabir, has become synonymous with mercenary; it is almost never used in a complimentary fashion.

Applications will not be accepted for Mutabir, meaning that no Mutabir may receive extra points. All Mutabir are chargen-only characters.

By Maat

A minor Kshatri Clan, Clan Rashid has a history of trade as well as intra-Clan disputes with its nearby vara of Nassar.  Hoping to add to their wealth and support of the Amir-Al's ventures in Irha-Esh, Rashid has set up representation in the city.  It is their hope to set up a gemstone trade with the other races living there.

If you are interested in playing a member of Clan Rashid, please contact Zahir.

Similar to the Nabatean city of Petra on Earth, the vara of Samar is located at the nexus of several caravan lines in the middle of the Varati homeland. This propitious placement readily led to a mercantile empire as all caravans were forced, due to natural circumstance, to lay over in the vara or village of Samar either before or after crossing Samar's bridge or the Bridge of the Sky. The clan made a name for itself specializing in furniture, perfumes, jewelry, clothing and transportation items (such as wagons and tents). The clan produces many items for sale, but the aforementioned are the ones for which it is famous. Nobody talks about armor or weaponry from al'Samar, though this does not discount production of these items. Rather, military items are only produced by the clan during time of need, such as a war.

Caravans, both of al'Samar and other vaisya clans, took merchandise from the vara far and wide. Prosperity was a trademark of the clan. Yet, convenient location cannot ensure prosperity. Thus, after many years, Clan al'Samar declined in prominence from being among the first of the vaisya Major clans to being only a mediocre Major clan due to mis-management and the ineptitude of its leaders. In the last ten years, al'Samar has turned a new leaf and begun to reclaim some of its former glory.

• Clan colors: deep blue and silver
• Clan symbol: silver toroid (a non-circular ring with a hole like a distorted doughnut) with a twist on a field of blue

Clan Burzhi is an artisan vaisya clan who specializes in glass due to its proximity to excellent sand. It is most famous for its beautiful blown glass, which is both colored and tinted in patterns that remain a clan secret as the techniques have been unreproducible by other clans. Glassworkers abound in this clan. They make both decorative and practical items which are seen in all walks of Varati life, including but not limited to: drinking glasses, glass beads for jewelry and clothing decor, intricate glass bracelets and earring drops, bottles for perfume, flower vases, liquid pitchers, and even glass statuary. Glass reflects the light of fire and fire-mages among the Burzhi have perfected shimmering glass globes of flame which have become all the rage in the varas, though only recently have these wonders begun appearing outside the Varati lands. Unfortunately, the lifetime of the flame within these globes are limited, requiring new globes to be purchased. Though other fire-mages have tried to re-initiate the fire in spent globes, this usually results in shattering of the glass. Once again, Burzhi has an unreproducible trade secret. A smattering of other artisans are members of Clan Burzhi, but none of them have achieved the fame of the clan's primary export.

A small vaisya clan of entertainers. Their brightly dyed woolen tents are a sure sign that one of their troupes is there to perform. Fire-eaters are quite popular, as are the stilt and tight-rope walkers, or the airborne strength stunts. Their women are all trained in raqs sharqi (belly dancing) used to celebrate Khalid Atar. Their children seem especially dexterous as they hop and bound through a variety of acrobatic stunts, only to be outdone by some of their adult troupe members. It is hard to believe that such tall, broad people as Varati can also be so graceful. Not all of Nor are physical performers - they are musicians as well. The instruments made by the hand of a Nor master is a quality and expensive gift.

Clan Nor also has other talents, such as keeping a breed of goat from which a silky wool is spun into a sturdy, lightweight but warm thread that is used in all their tents and some garments. They have found trade of this wool fabric quite lucrative. There is often three or four goats traveling with a wandering troupe.

Their women perform and do not wear veils while performing, but they still know their place in society. In private, the strict behavioral expectations are more lax. However, if any Nor woman tries to take such intimacies (such as not wearing a veil out in public) and liberties with a male outside of the Clan, they will be punished. Clan Nor as a rule is more open and friendly. They may also be considered wily, as many of their members have traveled widely in caravans and may have gleaned otherwise personal information from Clans they have visited and performed for.

They are also good for weddings, coming of age ceremonies, and funerals. Their rates are considered the most reasonable in all the Varati Lands.

One of the southeastern most clans and one that borders upon Empyrean lands, Clan Bak is a large vaisya clan with long standing trade contacts with those in the eastern realms. Bak was trading in Parnassus long before the Varati/Empyrean war and it was only natural that they create a hold there once the city was split between the warring factions.

Clan Bak's ways are steadfast. Their support of Khalid Atar is unwavering. They are solid contenders in whatever negotiations they may be a part of - may it be trade, politics, or serving as mediators. They may not have offered many warriors to Khalid's army, but it was assured that Bak would have supplies available before they were needed.

Their merchants are equally known for their hard-edge but honest transactions as they are for the wide variety of quality spices. Less well known is the depth of their mines where it is said they hoard the best quality of gold - especially rose colored golds - only allowing their own people to own it.

A fairly wealthy vaisya clan who specializes in intricate knotted rugs and tapestries.  These pieces have been seen all over the varas as well as in the homes of different races.  Their technique allows for ornate designs and a rainbow of colors without detracting from the feel and craftsmanship of the piece itself.  They also tend to breed a fair amount of magic users and their current claim to fame is the fact that the Imam of Irha-Esh, Niamh Gitanjali bin Mazat is of their clan.

Clan Khudra is one of the few entirely shudra caste clans. It is a farming clan from which occasionally Ushasti and Atarvani herbalists arise. They specialize in vegetables. Members of Clan Khudra can be found among many varas. Though they keep their own names, they are shudra and not land holders, thus many of these shudra are found within the service of other clans, though generally in huge communal groups given the labor intensive nature of farming.

Non-Player Character Clans

The most powerful of all Varati clans, Clan Khalida is led by the Varati god himself -- Khalid Atar. Having absorbed much of the wealth and power of the clans which fell during the God-King's return to power, Khalida is well-known for its superior wyvern breeding-stock, as well as a tight control over ore mining and arms manufacturing. The nobles of Clan Khalida are rumored to be of distant relation to the God-King himself, though many are simply 'adopted' into the Clan due to their intense loyalty and heritage.

• Warlord: Khalid Atar
• Clan colors: red, blue and gold
• Clan symbol: Ebony blades curved and crossed under a golden sun

Clan Messala

Greatest of the Minor Clans of the Varati, Messala is known for two things: its unswerving loyalty to Khalid Atar, even during times when he has been long from the throne, and its large percentage of mages. Many of these mages go on to swell the ranks of the Atarvani, and of the remaining portion, almost all are master crafters of metal or stone. Messala arms and crafts are well known for their quality, even by Varati standards.

• Warlord: Shihab
• Clan colors: navy and silver

This clan once held Major status before being disgraced around twenty years ago for the crime of worshipping false gods. After a short and brutal war, all of the heretics were destroyed, and the clan was demoted to Minor status. Recently, the new generation -- the children of those who remained loyal to the Amir-al -- have begun to make overtures of peace and good will to the God-King. The road back to glory has been paved by misfortune, thus far; one of the recent warlords, Sakhr, is famed for going crazy and nearly bringing the clan to its destruction. The man who eventually drove him away and mantled the role of warlord in his wake met a similar fate; Numair was in the year of 3908 proclaimed not only insane, but responsible for the sad poisoning of Haven's Varati as an act of rebellion against the Amir-al. He was subsequently executed.

While traditionally, Clan Behzad was somewhat liberal in its attitudes of a woman's place, Sakhr during his reign began to demand that his akraba act in the most conservative and honorable of ways. Before proving to be a traitor, Numair seemed to be intending to take the clan back toward its more liberal attitude, and he was also rumoured to have a soft spot for the suffering of women. Whether this will be a continued practise with future warlords remains to be seen.

• Clan colors: crimson and black

Clan al'Gul

One of the minor kshatri clans, al'Gul stood on the rebel side in the civil war that recently harried Varati lands. The Seraskier of the clan's forces, Mehtar Lais ibn Numair al'Gul, led an ensemble of men into the city of Haven to spread worry and discord, and their ultimate goal was to get to Thalia Jovia Tritonides Khalida, Maharani of the Varati people and wife to Khalid Atar. Mehtar was killed, his men dispersed, and al'Gul eventually faced the same fate as the other rebelling clans; to surrender one hundred young boys to the Agni-Haidar, one young woman to the Amir-al's harem, as well as sacrifice the Warlord's heir to the God-King.

Clan alam'Zulyat

Clan alam'Zulyat's home is located quite some distance away from the rest, to the far northeast -- about as far away from Masada as you can get and still be in Varati land. Yet it is the closest Kshatri clan to Irha-Esh. The clan has never been one to rebel against the God-King. In fact, their vara was one of the places the Agni-Haidar and other followers could hide during the dark years. The minor status of alam'Zulyat is simply a matter of the clan not being one to get involved into politics so much, and they are even viewed with slight distaste from time to time -- being thought of in the manner of country cousins, barbaric, simple etc.

But even though they are not as subtle and slick as some of the other Clans, alam'Zulyat have the opposite good qualities attached to them. Honesty. Firmness. Strength. And fire. Like Xerxes, with whom they have close ties, the men and women of alam'Zulyat are as quick to laugh as they are to anger, a flaming temperament contrasted by a great love of life, food, drink, song, love... and war. When in battle, the warriors have an edge, in that they go berserk. They will rage and kill and not even notice their wounds until they fall dead from them, or all enemies are gone from sight. But alam'Zulyat is never cold. They do not do 'silent smirks' or 'icy gazes.' When angered, their wrath is scorchingly hot.

By Lilita

Clan Meshiid

Clan Meshiid is one of the smallest of the kshatri Clans, but its ancient lineage and reputation for fanatical pursuit of mastery in martial skills extends far beyond its meager holdings. In the oldest of scrolls detailing the Clan's history, it is said that the family of Meshiid was spawned from a poor warrior who lived thousands of years before the coming of Khalid. The name of the warrior was Hamar Meshiid ibn Islan Bukari. So perfect was he in the art of swordfighting that he lost only a solitary diya, and that to six other renowned swordsmen. His style was so efficient and effective that others adopted it and called it by its designer's name -- Meshiid style. But the art of swordplay, especially when practiced so fanatically, pays little. Burdened by poverty and hunger, he allowed himself to enter into the service of a Warlord and his sword helped catapult the Warlord to prominence. The Warlord rewarded Meshiid with his own mulk, to the northeast of what would one day become Masada.

Meshiid warriors were among the most outstanding in all of Aether in armed combat. Yet with this keen martial edge, the Mashiid never sought to expand their borders. Rather, they pursued all knowledge and especially martial knowledge with a monk-like determination.

The rise of Khalid would change that. The son of Ashur Masad demanded the obedience of all clans. Meshiid had yielded to no one and would not now. This blatant rebellion soon aroused the wrath of the Amir-al, who struck with his personal guard, the Agni-Haidar. The two forces clashed in a horribly vicious and legendary battle, which saw Khalid's Black Guard victorious by the day's end. It was an impossible defeat for Meshiid, and one the Clan would never forget... or forgive.

Forced into service to the God-King, the Clan nevertheless continued with their martial study and their reputation for martial excellence never waned in the years hence. They defeated all rivals that sought to conquer their territory. Yet, aside from swordplay, the Meshiid clan also produced an unusual number of renowned poets, storytellers, lute players, and other masters of the noble arts. It is also known that the Meshiid women -- like the mountain roses whose thorns produce a mortal poison -- are just as deadly as they are beautiful, for it is accepted within the Clan for women to master the knife and dagger.

Yet their pursuit of these arts has a price, and that is a lack of wealth. The Meshiid clan has no great fortunes, and the varas of the clan are said to be Spartan and simply adorned, but tastefully so. The Meshiid make great use of embroidered silks, wood carvings, wood furniture, and screens artfully painted to enhance the Vara where gold and silver cannot. Its armsmen must make use of the weapons and armor of their father, and such practices have spawned a great culture surrounding such heirlooms.

When news of the God-King's death surfaced, the Meshiid marshalled its armies to fight on foreign soil for the first time in their history. They refused to bow to the will of a kafir woman (the Maharani), and sought revenge for their only loss to the Agni-Haidar so long ago. The Meshiid host, numbering no more than 5000, marched upon Masada and were among the first to lock blades with the Black Guard in the tunnels far beneath the mountain. Led by the Warlord, Rahman Meshiid ibn Sulkar Meshiid, the clan's efforts were rewarded with near ruin. The warfare in the tunnels was frighteningly brutal, and claimed both the lives of Khalid's warriors and those of Meshiid. When Meshiid finally withdraw from siege, they had only 1000 warriors who could make the trek home.

By Lalita and Khalid V

Clan Sarazen

A minor kshatri Clan, small enough that it brought a meager two thousand warriors to the Varati/Empyrean war of 3903-3904, Sarazen's recent reputation has been one of austerity and stern adherence to the surahs and the ways of the Varati people. But the Clan has also been touched by scandal, for rumor has it that its last Warlord, Hashim, was forced to take the Jhor during the war -- and that his suicide at the decree of the Amir-al was the result of abuses dealt to a young halfbreed healer found among his people. Even older rumor amongst the Clan suggests that this halfbreed is in fact the unacknowledged daughter of Hashim's wife Yamineh who allegedly died in childbirth in 3887.

The new Warlord of the Clan, Shanjid, nephew of Hashim, is young and painfully conscious of Sarazen's dubious status these days, and is doing his best to repair the damaged reputation of his Clan amongst the Varati... and in the eyes of Khalid Atar. It has not helped in the slightest that Shanjid's brother Telran, who had supported Hashim, attempted to seize the Clan and join the forces of the rebel Clans that rose up against the Hawk of Heaven in 3906. Under Telran's command, the rebel faction of Clan Sarazen was soundly defeated by Sumai and the forces of Clan Messala -- and Telran was captured by his brother as Shanjid regained control of his rightful position.

Although technically he had not rebelled against Khalid, all too aware of the consequences of divine wrath as he was, Shanjid nevertheless accepted the punishment handed out to the rebel Clans when the Amir-al arose again from His apparent death. One hundred young boys of the Clan were sent to be trained by the Lions of Fire. Shanjid's young sister Chasidah was offered up to Khalid Atar to fill the ranks of His new harem. And, having no heir yet to whom he could pass on the Clan, Shanjid executed his treacherous brother -- and sent his head to the God-King.

Moreover, Shanjid has had to make overtures of conciliation to Clan Messala as well, offering up to Sumai a rich tribute of gold and silks -- and a second sister, Nenet, to be taken as a wife or concubine by the Warlord or his brother when she is old enough.

Now that the rebellion is over, Sarazen is struggling even more just to survive, and never mind rebuilding its standing among the Clans of Fire. With all of the troubles the Clan has undergone in the last few years, it is probably not surprising that neither Sarazen's new Warlord nor anyone else in the Clan acknowledge the halfbreed healer who some argue is the originator of Sarazen's current woes: Faanshi, taken into the service of Clan Khalida.

Sarazen's colors are black, green, and gold, and their Clan sigil is a black hawk on a curl of golden flame against a green background.

If you would like a background tying you to Clan Sarazen, contact Faanshi.

Clan Sarlin

Clan Sarlin's lineage can be traced back to the time before Khalid Atar, when Ashur Masad competed with a pantheon of other lesser Gods for supremacy. One such God was the Nameless One, the Goddess of Night and Wrath. Constantly, Ashur Masad struggled with the Nameless One, and this battle marked the passing of night and day. The worshippers of this dark goddess envied the creatures who were active and hunted in the lightless world. Snakes, leopards, rats and the like all became familiars of her followers. Many worshipped her, but none so devoutly as Clan Sarlin.

Their Clan was led by a priest named Ahmund al'Khar. It was said that al'Khar was one of the Nameless One's male concubines, and in return for his faithful service, he gained powers of the night and the creatures active in it. It is said that he could speak to animals and saw as well in night as in day. When Khalid Atar was cast down from the heavens, he began to fashion his earthly Kingdom, which al'Khar opposed violently. The army of the Sarlin Priest did not wait for the new God to build his strength, but rather struck at him while his followers were few.

On a moonless night, the warrior-priests of Sarlin assaulted Khalid Atar's fledgeling stronghold, Masada. In the darkness, Ahmund al'Khar sought out the son of Ashur Masad. When his unnatural eyes found him, the shape of Ahmund al'Khar dissolved into that of some monstrous viper. The priest slithered towards Khalid Atar and coiled to strike the divine son, but his poisoned fangs never found immortal flesh.

A young Sarlin warrior and devotee of the Nameless One called Hamas Nahrud was awestruck when he first beheld the fire-slinging son of Ashur Masad. In that moment, he forsook the Nameless One and pledged himself to Khalid Atar. It was then that he saw the priest Ahmund al'Khar readying himself to slay Khalid. Hamas threw himself upon the viper, and with his falcare, tore its neck open so that blood washed the ground. When the Nameless One's priest lay dead, the effort against Khalid Atar was abandoned. Followers of Ahmund al'Khar scattered like so many quail, leaving Hamas with his newfound God. Khalid Atar rewarded the young warrior with the land that the Sarlin Priests claimed, so that he could build a Clan from his line. This Hamas did, and his line still lives today.

In the years after Khalid Atar's birth on the mortal plane, the Clan of Sarlin has become known for the breeding and training of animals for war. In the center of their Vara is the shelter for the oldest living wyvern queen. Her shrill alien screams often shatter the peace whenever a new clutch of wyvern eggs is laid. These eggs are raised as steeds for the vaunted wyvern cavalry for which the clan is known. It is rumored too that the Clan breeds a line of snakes that can distinguish between the scents of different individuals and trained to strike a specific one. These snakes are reputed to be used for assassination, deposited in the bedchambers of rivals or dissidents. The Clan denies such creatures, yet it cannot be denied that the Warlord of a neighboring Clan was felled by such a creature after denouncing Sarlin for returning to the service of the Nameless One.

Sarlin marched with Khalid Atar in the Empyrean War, expecting to be amply rewarded for their martial service. Instead, Sarlin and all the Clans were to be snubbed. They had shed some of their finest warriors in service to the God and received nothing in return. Perhaps worse, the Kshatri houri of the ruling family's seed, who was given to the Amir-al as a gift, was returned to her family when Khalid took his Empyrean wife and disbanded the harem. Insulted, Sarlin rebelled against the throne with the other Clans. Yet rather than assault the Clan of Khalida and their stronghold, Sarlin instead marched on Avalon, to wrest the land they'd won during the Empyrean War away from mongrel hands.

By Sabik and Khalid V

Clan Suiliman

The clan of Suiliman specializes in cavalry warfare -- all members of the clan, even the women, learn to ride even before they can walk. They are also great breeders of war steeds -- not only horses, but also wyverns and, to some extent, gryphons. Their animals are renowned for their strength, grace, speed, stamina, and viciousness -- especially the wyverns. Their lands and vara are located in the western half of the northern mountain range, in a valley near the 'breadbasket' valleys at the slope of the Throne of Fire -- the location of Masada, the earthly home of Khalid Atar.

The clan works very closely with the vaisya clan of Ruthyat, and it is the vaisya clan which actually specializes in the trade and breeding of war and fine draft animals on a large commercial scale. The kshatri clan would not dream of such an endeavor -- their own efforts are largely private and no money changes hands when their steeds find their way into the corrals of other clans -- instead, animals are traded or loaned for breeding purposes. So intense is the clan's preoccupation with the breeding of war animals that they are often the butt of rather unkind jokes, especially when seeking matches for their daughters in the other kshatri clans.

Other Clans

The following clans have been noted on the Lands of the Varati map, but currently have names only; background, history, and other information have not been established. Feel free, however, to reference these names in your background or roleplay. If you feel that your work would flesh out these pages nicely, please e-mail Erzulie with your information.

Clan al'Lam	Clan din al'Far
Clan al'Turgit	Clan Fasi
Clan Amir	Clan Ibrahar
Clan Kazim
Clan Nav
Clan bin Ushas
Clan Taimun
Clan Xerxes

Please see the Lands of the Varati page for general notes.