The Tempered Steel
From Mizahar Lore
| "To become a true warrior, one must become tempered in Myri's fire, under the harsh hammering blow of Falyndar's jungles, and emerge just as whole as a sturdy piece of steel...A couple dents and dings are normal of course." - An Old Tempered Steel Proverb |
Contents |
The Tempered Steel
Unlike the name suggest, the Tempered Steel does not ply entirely in the craft of metal works. Though the original founders of the clan, whose history has long been lost, were indeed black smiths, the name has taken a much more symbolic rather than literal approach over the centuries.
Those of the Tempered Steel pride themselves on being patient, dedicated warriors and no matter the skill they wish to acquire, they will spend their lives to mastering the task. This particular trait does translate well to crafters and it is not uncommon to find Tempered Steel members working with bone, steel, leather, and even pottery.
The great driving point of this clan, however, is a supreme drive to spend their lives embroiled in the Taloban Army. Those that are not craftsmen for the military, supplying arms and armor are often the foot soldiers that create the strong foundation from which great fangs are made. Obedient, vicious, and driven are all words that one might find when trying to describe a soldier from the Tempered Steel, and a trait they strive to uphold. They do not know how old they are, or precisely how they were born, yet great stories of soldiers that battled at the bottom, and were content to stay there circle around the Steel fires in the evening, and there is no better person to check the condition of one's weapons before setting off on a hunt or patrol.
Rituals
Birth Blooding
The life of a Tempered Steel is one of auspicious beginnings. Once a new born babe has stopped their bleating and gained their name, they are taken to the Blooding. The hand of the child is passed over a row of weapons, held upright at the shoulder. It is passed over swords, axes, clubs, arrows, and bladed whips, and when the arm flails and spills blood upon the tip of a weapon, it is measured by the clan's shaman. This simple tells of their future personality, and the chosen weapon is also given to them upon their third naming day in miniature replica in order to begin training with.
Trial Through Jungle
Life in the jungle wilds is arduous and difficult at best, fatal at worst. When a child reaches 16 name days, they are sent out with their strongest weapons, and thrown to the jungle. Escorted out far enough to be unfamiliar territory generally a few days trip, blindfolded and led through winding ways before being released they are then commanded to return home. They must complete their mission within two days, and if they have not returned home by sundown of the second evening, have failed. Those who do not survive are given a brief funeral a week afterwards, those who fail the first time are chided and harassed by those who passed endlessly, those who fail a second time are oft shirked by their family and sometimes even their clan... No one in living memory has dared bear the shame of failing a third time.
Marriage
The Tempered Steel marriage ritual is that of combat. It is oft to prove that the female is superior to the male that joins their clan, but not always does a female win. The entire day is a trial of events contesting the two individuals bonding in the matrimony of Taloba, however temporary it may be. While it is centered around male and female, the entire clan participates as well, aiding one side and another at different points in the day, and harassing the two as the day progresses. The day is one of celebration, and so food and drink is shared, and taunted in front of the two marrying, for they cannot gain any until one is truly proclaimed a victor, and every person in the clan has the goal of delaying the proclamation, given by the clan leader.
This ritual is generally only in the case of those females gaining their first male mate. It is not uncommon, but generally less frequent for older females with multiple children to engage in such child-like behavior.
Clan Standing
Clan standing is determined by a combination of combat experience, age, and skill. Because many of the Tempered Steel Dedication their lives to the military, clan leadership is fluid and ever changing as clan members on leave from their duties are constantly coming in and out. The female with the greatest combat experience that is either too aged, or was crippled by military service, generally acts as the Clan leader, supported by three war mistresses that cycle out depending on their current duties.
Usually there is a fourth individual not associated with the military, either a craft person or very rarely a mage that acts as council for the Clan Leader.
Below this circle of four lay all those venerated soldiers, below them, promising younger soldiers, and below them, those have yet to join the military or seek out their life's purpose, not having completed their three years of mandatory service.
While males do not take up positions of supreme leadership, a talented male crafts person can oft achieve a high ranking status of Mast Crafter, and many clan members, male and female alike defer to him in weapon or armor making. It is a very prestigious role for a male to fill, and is oft competed over.
| Player Characters | ||
 | Akua | From Taloba, Falyndar. |
 | Dor'gen | From Taloba, Falyndar. |
 | Kol | From Taloba, Falyndar. |
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Out of character note: This article was written by Tinnok |