Gathmarig

The Gathmarig (Ga. "People of the Bay") are as diverse acollection of people as are to be found on the Inland Sea. Aproud and industrious city, Mistrand (Ga. "Merged waters")is an amalgam of various cultures and traditions synthesizedto form a unique entity that has come to dominate politicsacross the Sea. Perched as it is upon the bottleneck of goodsflowing through Rhûn, Mistrand subjects many distant landsto its policies on trade, and influences the merchants of manyrealms through its ability to destroy their profits byostracizing them from its markets. Though their landholdings are small in area, the Gathmarig of Mistrand haveachieved a dominant role on the Inland Sea as arbitrators,spiritual leaders, and champions of the eastern perspective. Society and Culture The many contributing cultures of Mistrand include Donathfishers and farmers, Urgath and Brygath nomads, displacedVariag peasants and frontiersmen, and even a few castawaysfrom Folyavuld. Individual occupations within the city varygreatly from family to family, but most are involved in someurban facet of their traditional, rural lifestyles. Merchants of Brygath descent deal in the goods of their rural cousins.Donath commoners are sailors and fishermen. WealthyDonath are shippers, naval captains, and expert boat-wrights.Before the Variag occupation of the city, the Gathmarigviewed their diversity as the single factor which allowedthem to influence so many facets of life on the Inland Sea.Rather than relying on any common bloodline, religion, orset of cultural traits to unite them, the people interacted withand depended upon one another in a spirit very similar to theFolyavuldok. In fact, before the closing of the city by thefollowers of Kerkassk, Mistrand was one of the mostcosmopolitan cities in Rhûn.This changed drastically in T.A. 1280, when Nomid Achef led his Variag horde into the city. The Variag occupation wascrafted by the servants of Sauron to allow the very anti-western religion of Kerkassk to penetrate the city. Before theoccupation, the citizens of Mistrand had staunchly opposedthe religion of Kerkassk as being destructive to the positionof influence thay had cultivated. Under the boot of Variagimperialism, however, the once cosmopolitan city wastransformed into a fortress of eastern conservativism. Thenew religious authority in Mistrand placed stiff controls onthe amount of goods passing through the city and on towestern markets.Daily life in and around the city comprises most of theelements of life found among the surrounding cultures.Farming, herding, and fishing have always been prominentactivities, and those among the Gathmarig who earn theirliving in such pursuits are frequently found in the citymarkets, exchanging the products of their labor for fine waresof the local artisans, or goods brought to market bymerchants. This is still the case under the present regime,though passage in and out is more restricted than it used tobe.Local craftsmen and merchants are organized into guilds thatmeet frequently with the Osvoda of the city to legislate the rules that govern trade. The traditional tribal heads who onceruled the city together, now function as stewards of thevarious districts of the city safeguarding the interests of theirparticular group in the decisions of the ruling body of priests. Religion The religious roots of the People of the Bay are as varied asthe perople who hold them. Perhaps one of the mostinteresting facets of old Mistrand was that her citizensreinforced their unity by universally celebrating thetraditional celebrations and festivals of the city's variousethnic groups. Holidays devoted to the animistic beliefs of the Donath, the Ulgath days of hero worship, andcelebrations unique to the Gathmarig were all observed.Many of these traditions lost some of their original meaningin the adaptation, but also took on new significance as thealtered customs reinforced the commitment each people hadmade to the success of the whole community.With the establishment of the religion of Kerkassk as thedominant religion of the city, all these traditions wereofficially abandoned, though many of the more resistivesegments of society continue to observe the old festivalsprivately. Still, what freedoms the people of Mistrand havelost in their adoption of the cult of Kerkassk have beenexchanged for the strength of purpose that comes with amonolithic authority. The worship of Kerkassk is prevalentthroughout the surrounding countryside, and Mistrand'sposition as the center of the new religion has given the cityan unprecedented amount of control over the Easterlingtribes. There are many official sects within Kerkassk'sorganization, including several orders of priestesses, spies,and assassins. Most notable among these is the Kharg Huka,an elite order of traveling warriors who fight religious warsin foreign lands (most notably Angmar, though in later yearsthey have also traveled extensively with the armies of Khand). The assassins, known as the Ramanin (Ga "Fists of Dark Sorcery") are another of the most influential sects. Warcraft The Gathmarig have always had to employ and train a largenumber of troops to ensure the safety of their lands among somany raiding Easterling tribes. They learned quickly,however, that more could be accomplished with soothingwords and favorable trade dealings than could be won by thesword. The leaders of old Mistrand always preferred toengage their neighbors rather than shutting their doors tothem, which only led to curiosity and resentment, bothequally dangerous qualities in an Easterling warlord.Relations remained cordial between Mistrand and herneighbors until T.A. 1248, when Minalcar and Vidugavia'soffensive into Gathod began the great backlash of hatred forthe west among the Easterlings.Now, professional soldiers are hired yearly by the osvoda toman the walls and citadel of the city, and to patrol the streetsto maintain peace among the populace. Numerous thieves,smugglers, and even spies from Dorwinion are all goodreasons for vigilance on the streets of Mistrand. The Ri-anov (Ga. " town soldiers") wear uniforms of black clothingcovered with lamellar or scale armor, with brilliant cloaks of purple, green, red, and orange denoting unit and rank.Weapons are a matter of personal preference, but mostemploy some type of pole-arm and a sword. Another specialunit, the Khulpova (Ga. "rangers"), is a company of cavalrydrawn up from nomadic Ulgath warriors who patrol the landsaround Mistrand. Like their street-bound compatriots, thesewarriors wear colored capes denoting rank, but also utilizemore traditional Ulgath designs of clothing and forms of armor. Many of their cloaks are adorned with intricatedesigns denoting their lineage and social status within theirclan.Though the Gathmarig have rarely been attacked in theirhomelands, they are very confident warriors. Indeed, theycarry the haughty demeanor of those who believe they fight aholy cause. It is an attitude that leads them to great examplesof self-sacrifice, which in itself is often enough to unnerve anopponent. Since they have so much confidence in their virtueas holy warriors, they often jeer and taunt their enemies asinfidels and barbarians, which can sometimes lead theiropponents to become rash. Appearance While Gathmarig blood contains elements from Urgath,Donath, and Variag ancestors, this does not begin to describethe variation of people of Mistrand. An odd assortment of other races also make their homes in Mistrand, includingFolyavuldok, Asdriags, Odhriags, and even Northmen fromBurh Armenrik. The occasional trader from as far away asthe Harad might also be encountered in Mistrand, creating avery interesting and varied collection of features and traits onthe streets and in the markets. The bulk of the Gathmarig areeither of Daen or Ulgathic ancestry, so the majority have darkhair and eyes. Men and women tend to stand a bit taller thantheir Easterling counterparts, and be of slightly stockierbuild. Women, for the most part, prefer to keep their hairshort above the base of their neck, and men usually tend towear their hair long and intricately braided, with largemustaches and the occasional goatee.Dress among the Gathmarig is varied as well, with a vastarray of styles and fabrics, both domestic and imported.Vibrant and bold colors are popular, especially crimson,yellow, bright blues and greens. Because the Gathmarig putsuch stock in one's clothing, most have at least one fine set of garments that are worn on every practical occasion. Earrings,nose-rings, bracelets and necklaces of very fine workmanshipcomplement the variety of ornately embroidered cuffs andcollars worn by all.Cloaks and wide brimmed hats are extremely popular, whichhelp the Gathmarig stand out no matter where they go. Infact, most of their caravans and ships sport huge banners orsails that are ornately decorated and often very rich in color.Though the Gathmarig have few physical traits that unitethem, their manner and choice of apparel make them readilyidentifiable as citizens of Mistrand.