The Kingdom of Alban - The Wildings & The Moors.

Framing the southern territory of the Dwarves in an expansive semi-horseshoe shape are the Moors, and it is within these Moors that the Wildlings dwell. The Wildlings are rivaled only by the Fae in their sheer wild nature. Creatures that have the shape of animals, but walk upright like Men, the Wildlings live separate from most of the other races of Alban, often being hunted by the Fae, and attacking the Dwarves whenever they are able. Secretive and tending to keep to themselves whenever possible, the Wildlings are known by two names, one of which is given to those not of the Tribes, a formal name; the other of which is a private name descriptive of the individual, whether as a whole or encompassing their most outstanding physical, mental, or emotional trait, known only within the Tribes. The tribes of the Wildlings have no true city in which they reside, but rather in the heart of the Moors is a great circle of monolithic stones, known as Tursachan, that serves as the cultural and societal center for their people. It is there that they gather in times of strife, for the seasonal celebrations that are celebrated by their race as a whole, and for matters of tribal law that involve all the Tribes as a whole. 

Nomadic by nature, the roaming tribes of the Wildlings - known among themselves as the People - are divided into six different sub-tribes. Each of these sub-tribes are banded together by their beliefs and, above all, the animal which represents both their spirit as a tribe, and the physical shape they wear. These are the Wolf Tribe, the Hawk Tribe, the Bear Tribe, the Badger Tribe, the Deer Tribe, and the Aurochs Tribe. Each tribe has an area of support and governance of the tribe as a whole, to which they are wholly devoted, and which defines a large part of their beliefs and behavior, and places them firmly within the Tribal Hierarchy. 

The Wolf Tribe, intense in personality and known for being willful and determined, are considered the de facto leaders of the People as a whole. It is from among their ranks that the representative of the people in the Council of Races is chosen, as the other tribes know that a Wolf will always work for what is best for their pack - whether it be family, tribe, or People. The leader of the Wolf Tribe is not so much chosen, as assumes the right of rule by sheer force of will, combined with the strength of their lineage and their refusal to back down; this individual not only governs his own family unit, but the Wolf Tribe as a whole, and, in times of war, is the leader for the whole of the People. He is the Alpha, and they are his Pack. The current leader of the People, and their representative at the Council, is a grizzled and powerful male Wolf known to those outside the Tribes as Madadh Allaidh, which, in the language of the People, translates almost directly to mean ‘The Wolf’. 

The Hawk Tribe, graceful and wise, but fierce in their own right, create the laws by which the People are governed. Among the People, the Hawk Tribe is one of the more aloof, existing almost solely in small family bands of male and female, and their offspring, congregating in the spring when the Tribes gather at Tursachan to choose mates and participate in rituals. They tend to keep toward the higher, rocky areas of the Moors, making their eyries in the crags and peaks just on the edge of Dwarven lands. Rather than having one true leader, the Hawk Tribe is led by a council formed of the dominant member of each family unit, which is guided by the oldest and wisest of their number, who is elected by the circle of leaders. They are a proud, logical people, second only to the Bear Tribe in matters of spiritual knowledge, who are cunning fighters, heavily inclined to strength in tactics, when the need arises. 

The Bear Tribe, fearsome in form but gentle in nature, are the spiritual heart of the tribe. The Bears often roam alone, meeting only in the fall to choose partners for having children, and spend most of their time in silent contemplation of nature and the ways of the spirit. It is to them that the Hawk Tribe goes when they have a conundrum of law and spirituality, and the Wolf Alpha goes in matters pertaining to the spiritual health of the Tribes in their relations to the outside world. Slow to anger but ferocious in their rage when riled, the Bear Tribe are generally very laid-back and reclusive. They are led by the most ancient and spiritually gifted of their number, a male bear said to be so old that his fur has turned completely silver. 

The Badger Tribe are well-known for their untamed and violent ways, and as such, they are generally avoided - even by other Tribes. Hot-headed and prone to irrational outbursts of temper, the Badgers can’t even stand to be around each other for long, although they roam in loose packs separated into males and females. Meeting in the spring to propagate the tribe and otherwise avoiding each other, everything with the Badgers is a contest of wills, teeth, and claws - every meeting ends bloody, even the mating season. As such, their main use is in defense of the Tribes and the Moors they inhabit, for they are ferocious fighters who defend their territory relentlessly; this is why they are used as effective shock troops in times of war. The Badgers care little for being governed except in the loosest of terms, but they all turn to a single individual when it’s called for, a powerful and fierce female who has led them for years with her skill in battle. 

Unlike most of their fellows, the Deer Tribe are almost wholly peaceful. They are a gentle and patient people, that live in the Moors in a single large herd; they are also far less nomadic than the other Tribes, as they tend to focus on their main skill, which is the growing and tending of crops that are supplied to the entire Tribe. As such, they have a few different fields that are tended throughout various portions of the year, and they often congregate in these areas. A friendly people, they are governed by a single leader, an old and proud male with an expansive set of antlers that seems almost too heavy to bear; a sign of his age and his prowess in battle, those few youngsters bold enough to challenge him are usually swiftly put in their place. 

Last, but certainly not least, are the Aurochs Tribe. Looming over most of the other Tribes in terms of build and determination, they are a large cattle-like Tribe, and much like the Deer Tribe, they live in a single large herd, but they are much more nomadic, similar to the other Tribes. Sturdily built and stubborn, they are the main line of defense for their brethren, their great horns and hooves serving as a deterrent to most who would think to threaten the safety of the People. The females tend to be more gentle and less willful, and the Tribe is led almost entirely by the males, who tend to display their dominance by butting heads - literally. This is how most disagreements are settled within the tribe, and their leader is an old bull whose head is crowned with scars and calluses from countless impacts.