Burkhdyn Gazar Mountain Culture

High above the surrounding plains, the mountains of the Burkhdyn Gazar stretch toward the heavens. Dwarfing the volcanic mountains of the islands and even the northern Iza Mula, they stretch across the Straight of Shandar and span hundreds of miles from east to west.

In the cold, inhospitable climes of these mountains, a curious culture has evolved. At first they were brought together by necessity, sheltering from the Profane in a natural fortress. Over time, the dwarves, humans, Iswari, and orcs who live there have developed a common tradition. The interplay of the goliaths with this culture is more complex: the portion of the range south of the Straight is dominated by their savage forbears, who have no culture to speak of whatsoever. But those who made their way north are far more civilized, and have become a part of the tapestry of alpine cultures woven together far above the coasts and plains.

Burkhdyn trade is centered around the low-lying coastal city of Khuldani Purda. A poor port by the standards of Moru Kel, it’s sufficient to allow trade with the outside world. To many outsiders, it’s the only glimpse of the mountain culture that they’ll ever see. To them, though, it’s largely a winter haven: come the spring melt, hunting parties will head up into the mountains, and a string of villages will blossom from a small permanent crew of hardy extremists to lively centers of summer life. Even higher up, the Iswari villages never seem to sleep: even in the deep of winter, they can be found in their domed huts, living life the same way they have for a millenium.

The Batya

Loosely translated as “custom” or “etiquette”, the batya is far more than that: it carries a weight beyond that of law. It binds the mountainfolk together, and failing to uphold the batya is a serious breach punishable by branding, ostracization, or death. While it’s too complex for outsiders to understand, some of the broader principles are:

• Hospitality: those who require assistance on the mountains will not be left alone. This is complicated: an unknown traveler found exposed to the elements and starving cannot be left behind without ensuring they have sufficient food and shelter to have a reasonable chance of survival. But they can be killed immediately if the finder does not wish to help them. A quick death is better than being left to the cold and the vultures.
• Territory: violating another group’s territory, especially its bountiful hunting grounds, is taboo. Nominally even setting foot on foreign land without invitation requires immediate death. A complex system of invitations exists to mitigate this, however. It’s customary for marriages to be cemented with an invitation for the new spouse and “all their family and descendants” to visit their new partner’s homelands. Close friendships are often solidified with similar pledges, and such relief is also used to pay back debts of obligation. Consequently when someone from a neighboring tribe does find their way onto forbidden land, it often results in a protracted discussion of past ancestry to determine if some invitation may apply. These discussions can stretch on for hours, with impromptu feasts, stories being told, etc until some resolution is determined. 
  These negotiations of territory can take a long time, so there are documented cases of individuals “overlooking” intrustions that are clearly accidental. If you do not see a violation, you are not obligated to correct it.
• The Moot: a meeting to negotiate solutions to disagreements between mountain peoples, the moot is taken quite seriously. Chiefs of the parties involved will meet at a neutral location under flag of truce. Violating the norms of the moot will expel a tribe from the batya, essentially declaring them the enemy of all Burkhdyn peoples. There are stories of a “God’s Place” where great moots between all tribes occur, but they seem to be at best a muddy memory of something lost to the sands of time: some speak of a great cavern, others speak of meeting beneath the stars, and others seem to allude to a temple with pillars taller than the most towering goliath.

Mountain Life

The mountains are rugged, with the cold and snow being facts of life. Yet there is plenty of life to be found there: mountain goats, nokka, sheep, and yaks form the basis for Burkhdyn food supplies, with both their meet and dairy used by all of the mountain folk. Their wool is also central to mountain culture: the Burkhdyn are all consummate weavers, with the designs and patterns of their hats and clothes forming a part of each culture’s identity. 

The Purdan foundry casts bells and gongs that are used as alarms and in religious ceremonies by the various mountain peoples. A few shrines high in the mountains have large bells which were cast in the foundry and carried up the mountains painstakingly, often with some loss of life involved. Drums are also used both ceremonially and recreationally. Burkhdyn music tends toward the rhythmic, with easily danceable beats and simple melodies.

Weather, ice, and avalanches are not the only dangers of the high mountains: mountain cats, bears, snow wyrms, remorhaz, and yeti and other predators lurk in the heights, some of them capable of assaulting even a goliath hunting party. But the tables can be turned easily, and a large bear can feed an entire village for days. The fearsome perkunas, or thunder-hawk, is a threat as well: by the time you hear the characteristic beat of its wingspan, one of your party is likely being carried away.