The eastern steppes

Remember Adarik the Touman,
Descending Khan of Clan Ovkhan
Three strengths he gave us:
The ior's spring that brings the enemy down,
The ior's claws that rend the enemy's heart,
The ior's taste for the enemy's hot blood.
Now give these words to the clans of Othala,
So they know now of our ways and culture.

The Book of Ovkhan, Passage 104, Verse 18, Lines 5-13.

From Ovkhan's rise came thy might
Beneath a banner of truth and righteous light
To lift up those who had suffered and to smite down
With fearful vengeance those who had ruled
The thunder of thy soldiers' feet
And the blood spilled in thy name
Created the Clan spirit, the forge upon which
We have fashioned ourselves to be the weapon
Of the resurrected Clan Ovkhan
Honed to a razor's edge by the trials,
By the remembrance, and by thy words
Of the great Clan Ovkhan, our sires, our saviours.

A weathered, leather-bound book lies in front of the order of the Oaken Dawn, delivered by hooded figure in black, an ambassador to Clan Ovkhan. Here lies the Book of Ovkhan, the center of all understanding of the clan.

And so, Anastasius, historian of the Ovkhan who was raised on Coruscant, writes:

This summary of the clan relies heavily on personal observations and not what historians would consider hard facts. Like other great epics, it tends to glorify the figures and events of the past, rather than present a historically accurate record.

The Book of Ovkhan is unique and well worth study in order to gain the fullest possible understanding of the clan. All Ovkhan warriors can quote whole verses of this marvelous epic from memory, proof of its importance to this strange and alien people of Othala.

The Castle of Thun in the Ovkhan region of the eastern steppes.

Years ago, the Blood Wars descended upon Othala like Fate's hammer and threatened to shatter their world as we know it, including the Ovkhan themselves. Instead of destroying themselves, the Ovkhan quickly seperated after the war and developed their own beliefs and culture, ripping away centuries of old misguided beliefs and assumptions. They have now returned to a clear vision of their purpose in life, but the cost of their awakening still stains the surface of Othala. The countless blackened hulks of destroyed fortresses lie as mute reminders of the days when the Ovkhan, the Queribus, the Teshwan, and many more played with human lives as if they were chess pieces on a game board. Another such holocaust must be avoided at all cost.

So learn well as you descend upon these writings.

In the Khan's own writing:

Return to the olden ways of thy clans is impossible for us. Our heritage and our convictions are different from those we left behind. Thy beliefs of the great clans is a disease that can only be burned away by the passing of decades, even centuries. And though the fighting hath ceased of the Blood War, it will erupt again as long as there are powerful men to covet one another's wealth. We shall live apart, conserving all thy good of Othala and ridding ourselves of the bad, so that when we return, and return we shall, our shining moral character will be as much our shield as our warriors and fighting armies...

The Flag of Clan Ovkhan

Here is the flag of our Clan, the Ovkhan. Here stands the Ior wolfbeast, our spirit, our inspiration, our heritage, proudly displayed over a crimson background, representing the bloodshed of our clan's past.

 

 

 

 

Clan Ovkhan

 

Clan Ovkhan Territories

The Shield of Clan Ovkhan

Our beloved symbol of courage and might is proudly displayed upon our shields when we go to battle. Imagine the sight of thousands of the wolfbeast's image upon our shields when raised to receive the arrows and blows of our enemies! And imagine the sight of thousands of the beast's image approaching swift and steadfast with raised sword, spear and bow in hand!

The terminology of Clan Ovkhan

Hear the words of the Ovkhan, outlanders of Othala, and understand our sayings here.

ABTAKHA - An abtakha is a captured warrior who is adopted into the Ovkhan as a warrior.

BATCHALL - The batchall is the ritual by which Clan Ovkhan warriors issue combat challenges. Though the type of challenge varies, most begin with the challenger identifying himself, stating the prize of the contest, and requesting that the defender identify himself and his weapons at his disposal.

BLOODING - Blooding is another name that determines if a warrior will qualify in the Clan Ovkhan warrior caste. The candidate must first defeat any of his opponents in his Clan. If he fails, he is relegated to a lower caste. If the candidate is successful in the trial, a ceremony takes place. He or she must be ritually defended by several Clan warriors when challenged by other representatives of the Clan, or else face those representatives in mortal combat.

BONDSMAN - Clan Ovkhan can keep prisoners taken during battle. These are called bondsmen, and are considered members of the laborer caste unless and until the Clan releases them or promotes them back to warrior status. All bondsmen wear a woven bracelet called a bondcord, made of cortosis metal which is impossible to remove.

CHALCAS - Anything or anyone who challenges Clan Ovkhan or their caste system is considered a chalcas.

DEZGRA - A warrior that disgraces himself is known as a dezgra. The name also refers to the ritual whereby that warrior is marked and punished. Any warrior that refuses orders, panics in the face of the enemy, or takes dishonorable action is disgraced.


ELEMENTALS - Elementals are the priests of the Ovkhan Clan. These men and women embrace and worship the four elements of Othala and are used specifically to handle clan-developed rituals and ceremonies.

FREEBIRTH - Freebirth is an epithet used by the Ovkhan Clan, generally expressing disgust or frustration. A freebirth is considered an individual born outside of the caste system. If a warrior refers to another warrior within its caste as a freebirth, it is is a mortal insult.

HEGIRA - Victorious Ovkhan warriors sometimes extend the courtesy of hegira to defeated opponents. Hegira allows the opponent to withdraw honorably from the field without further combat or cost.

ISORLA - The spoils of battle that Ovkhan warriors can claim as their right, including bondsmen, are known as isorla.

KESHIK - The Keshik, usually a legion in size, is the Khan's honor guard. All warriors consider service in the Keshik to be the highest honor they can render in the Ovkhan Clan.

LOREMASTER - The Loremaster is the keeper of Ovkhan laws and history. The position is honorable and politically powerful. The Loremaster plays a key role in inquiries and trials, where he is often assigned the role of Advocate or Interrogator.

OATHMASTER - The Oathmaster is the honor guard for any official Ovkhan ceremony. The position is similar to that of a sergeant-at-arms, but it carries a greater degree of respect. The Oathmaster administers all oaths, and the Loremaster records them. The position of Oathmaster is usually held by the oldest warrior among the clan(if he or she desires the honor), and is one of the few positions not decided by combat.

RANSOM - Ovkhan custom dictates that a warrior who has been successful at his Trial of Blooding may be rewarded with a gift by the clan. Depending upon the warrior's success during the Trial, the ransom might range from the right to choose what type of weapon he will use as a warrior to the right to serve under his Khan.

REDE - One of the many forms honor takes in the Ovkhan Clan, a rede is an honor-bound promise. Breaking a rede may be punished by death.

RISTAR - This term refers to a particularly "gifted"(one who has developed Force abilities as a child) Ovkhan warrior. It is probably derived from the expression "rising star." Khan Svelvik Thun is considered a ristar among his clan.

SATARRA - A Khan may cast a veto, or satarra, to settle or postpone disputes between castes. Satarra is invoked only when negotiations seem at an impasse and/or threaten to disrupt the work order of the clan. It seems to be more a ritual than an act of legislation.

SEYLA - This word is the ritual response voiced to express greetings, farewells, or success. No one is sure of the origin or exact meaning of the word, but it is uttered only with the greatest reverence and awe.

SIBKO - A sibko is a blooded warrior accepted into the warrior caste. Once accepted into the caste, the sibko undergo constant testing of their skills by swordplay, hand to hand combat, and tactics. As various sibko become dishonored, they are transferred to the lower castes.

SOLAHMA - Solahma are Ovkhan warriors who have continued to live and fight past what their society considers a warrior's prime. These men and women seek assignment to suicidal and otherwise doomed missions in order to win the opportunity to die an honorable death in battle.

SURKAI - The Ovkhan honor uniformity in thought and belief above all else in their society. When warriors disagree, or when a member of one caste offends a member of another caste, surkai is expected. It is a matter of pride that the offending party freely admit his wrongdoing and request punishment.

TROTHKIN - An Ovkhan warrior will use the term trothkin when referring to someone he considers his peer.

ZELLBRIGEN - Zellbrigen means that combatants engage in one-on-one duels, even if both sides have many warriors. Those not immediately challenged are honor-bound to stay out of the battle until an opponent is free (meaning he has defeated his enemy). To attack an enemy already engaged with an opponent is a major breach of clan honor, usually resulting in descending to a lower caste.

Vegetation of the Ovkhan.

Here is a sample of what the Ovkhan farmers harvest and use for food.

Salthia beans- Beans served to the lower castes and grown during the season.

Chak-root - Flavorful red plant. Grows in the marshlands of our land.

Hsuberry - A fuzzy berry. Can be fermented; reportedly has life-giving properties.

Lipana berries - Used as a dessert, served with forest honey.

Namana fruit - Fruit. Served as nector or candy.

Otoowerg - A vegetable. Often served with nerfsteak.

Paricha Root- A root in which a drink named paricha is brewed from. Usually served spiced. Soft flavor.

Tendril nuts - tasty nuts of the imported Tendril tree.

Zoochberry - Small fruit. Used to make juice, pies, and a creamy drink.

 

The Characters

Svelvik Thun is the high chieftan who leads Clan Ovkhan. The people of this noble, but brutal warrior clan wander deep within the lands of the eastern continent of this world. He is the son of Adarik the Touman, the last ruler of their clan until a brutal battle for territory claimed his life. Svelvik was immediately faced with the trials and rose as the next heir of Clan Ovkhan with help from his mother, Goneril. Their clan currently possesses several mines upon their territories that extract the rich cortosis ore. Clan Ovkhan's weapons, armor, and defenses are comprised mostly of this rare metal, which to date is still a major defense against a wielded lightsaber and blaster fire.

Svelvik Thun
Basic characteristics:

Height: 6', 3"
Hair: Golden blonde
Eyes: Aqua blue
Physical Age: About 200
Apparent Age: 25-30

Svelvik's history is clouded and his background is indeed a mystery even to the clan. It is rumored his mother was one of the Nightsisters from a planet named Dathomir, brought from his father's journey into the stars. The mystery of Svelvik has been shrouded by the clan, and do not speak of it often among the outsiders, usually denying all rumors.

As an heir to Clan Ovkhan, his mother Goneril planned great things for her son. She raised him to be strong-willed and to master the traits that an heir to a clan would achieve. Svelvik mastered the art of the sword and wields the same magic as his mother which the outlanders named Jedi have named 'the Force.' This was a trait passed on by his mother, and which the outlanders have named him as a Force adept. It is rumored that his possession of this power is what has fueled his long life. His love for the forests of his land has taught him to survive under the most harsh conditions in the outdoors. His sense of direction has never failed him, especially when he served in his father's army.

When his father Adarik died, Svelvik was devastated and mourned for his loss beside his mother. He helped her erect a memorial on a small island in a lake behind the castle of Clan Ovkhan.

Discouraged and disgruntled, he swore vengeance to the ones responsible for the death of his father. His anger and hate, channeled by the power inherent in him and his mother, helped him to ascend as the next heir to Clan Ovkhan.

Once he gained status as chieftan, he strengthened the warriors of Clan Ovkhan with edicts based on the writings of his father, which he gave his own unique interpretation. Svelvik imposed many laws derived from the Book of Ovkhan, both written by his father and past heirs of the clan. These edicts are written and presented in a way that more resembles divine revelation than orders from a leader. Svelvik seems to have adopted this tone deliberately; he was trying to instill in his people a sense of religious devotion toward Clan Ovkhan.

Five castes make up the structure of Clan Ovkhan's society: warrior, shaman, merchant, technician, and laborer. A sixth caste, called the dark, or bandit, exists unofficially for those who cannot or will not fit into mainstream society.

Distinguishing Characteristics: Svelvik wears the armor and sword of his clan, made from forged cortosis metal and treated to the sharpest edge. It is strapped to his back, sheathed within a scabbard of pristine, jeweled ores. His body armor is forged of cortosis metal as well and deflects the weapons of the outworlder's named blasters. It also deflects the blade of the lightsaber, wielded by the ones named Jedi.