Alukhai: interest check

tazi · 4/22/2025

"Spirit of the Blue Sky"

CULTURE

A clan of nomads migrating across the rugged steppe, driven to survive in the face of death, to kill before being killed, and to raise their families beneath the eternal blue sky. This is a savage land and it springs to life in all its brutal glory; terrible, tender, and tragic by turns.

NOMADS During summer, the Alukhai live in high-altitude valleys, chosen to provide lush grazing for the herds while avoiding extreme heat at lower elevations. Come autumn, they move from the pastures to sprawling southern grasslands. Alukhai live in gers, temporary dwellings created by pulling horse pelts over granite stones, drift wood and animal bones. This cluster of gers is called the ordo; the nomadic royal court and social hub.

LEADERSHIP The khaan and his family are considered clan nobility. Strength determines leadership. The khaan can be challenged in a duel during the kurultai.

HORSE HERD A mongol without a horse is a bird without wings. The bond between nomads and horses is deeply symbiotic, historical, and spiritual, thus they have ritualized their care. Horses are seen to have the highest prestige on the steppe and provide the clan with meat, milk, bones, hides and mane/tail fibers. Worn hides from pelts are called deel, and signify good status within alukhai. Spirit banners, or sulde, are sacred standards made from horsehair that represent a mongol’s living soul, vital force, guardian power, and connection to the Eternal Blue Sky. Like their wolf counterparts mongol horses are stocky, resilient, enduring extreme climates and complex, long-distance campaigns. Horses are never slaughtered except for mercy, and are never used to carry goods, neither are they ridden. A nomad with many horses is considered wealthy. It Is common for mongols to have favorite horses among the herd.

RELIGION Tengri is the supreme deity of the eternal blue sky, who emphasizes the Alukhai’s harmony with nature and the cosmos. He is paired with earth mother. Shaman are the leaders of spiritual ceremonies and are said to communicate with regional spirits. However, the clan accepts and promotes many cultures and religions.

ORAL TRADITION Alukhai relay their history through stories, dance, poetry and plainsong, including throat singing. These traditions recount hard migrations, legendary horses, battle heroes and tales of love or tragedy.

HACHI Mongols live by the concept of hachi, a binding social obligation to repay debts; such as actively providing food or care to one's mother to match the grace she showed in raising them, or returning hostility to an enemy. It means to be true to those who are true to you. It is common for nomads to strive after their ancestors’ hachi if it was not honored in their lifetime.

PATRILINEAL Power, inheritance, and tribal leadership is generally passed from father to son. The overarching framework of the empire remains rooted in male dominance and inheritance. However, while generally subordinate, Alukhai women possess a large degree of freedom in managing the camps, holding political roles, and raising pups. Male and female roles are regarded as complementary, each fulfilling a distinct but equally valued purpose.

MARRIAGE Marriages strengthen the clan ties and are heavily promoted on the steppe. The groom's family is expected to pay a bride price to her family to compensate for the loss of their daughter's labor. Men of higher status often have multiple wives, however, his first is the chief wife, and her children have right to inherit family wealth.

BEAUTY STANDARD Alukhai prize traits suited for their harsh, nomadic lifestyle, valuing robust health and strong features in men and women. Frailty is a fault, as stamina and the ability to work and move the herds is essential. The physical demands of steppe survival and long campaigns require nomads to be active, muscular and capable of defending themselves. They are a shorter people, stocky and powerful with broad shoulders, large chests, and thick limbs which adapt them to the extreme climates of their territory.

THE IVORY ROAD A trade route established for knowledge sharing, linking civilizations and exchanging various goods like herbs, dyes, precious stones, animal hides, berries, ivory, etc. The road will seek access and relations through all packs in the wastes. Breeding rights, horses, marriages, hunting territory, shamanic knowledge, and foster children may be eventually be expanded on through linking cultures.

COLORS:

▮#c2622f

+

▮#96a5ed

| LOCATION: Endless Plains

THE STORY SO FAR

The fertile Orkhon River Valley was once the heartland of the pastoral clans whose horsemen, the khans, commanded the great steppe. Fearing the rise of a united nomadic power, the han sought to keep the tribes divided— pitting khan against khan, obstructing trade, and provoking bloody raids that would leave the clans weakened and suspicious of one another. Every child was raised in the discipline of war, prepared from youth for a life of hardship, famine, and battle.

It was Khaan Subutai of Nazgur who saw through the han’s manipulation and rallied the horse clans under a single banner against their enemy. Warriors and women alike joined his army and he became the Great Khagan; khan of khans. United at last, the mongols retaliated, massacring northern han villages and demanding the empire withdraw from their lands.

But they would not succeed. After months of stalemate, tragedy befell the steppe, as prince Jochi, heir to the mongolian empire, was slain. The khagan’s army was forced into retreat.

With his people facing a slow death, Batu, military official and bastard son of the khagan, proposed a marriage alliance between the two kingdoms, a treaty which would buy precious time to recover while spies infiltrated the han borders. What Batu did not know was that the bride offered to secure the peace would be Saikhanbayar, the woman promised to him.

Taken from the steppe and renamed Ye Lanyi, Saikhanbayar was carried into the heart of the han empire, and despite the mongols' best efforts, the damage was done. The Orkhon Valley fell into ruin, the horse people scattered by war, famine, and conquest.

* while some inspiration is drawn from history, this is a fictional mongolia & china, and though the tianlong are related to the han empire, they are not directly responsible for what has happened in this version of mongolia

RANKS

KHAAN

Supreme ruler. Maintains unity of the steppe and oversees the expansion of their influence. The commander of armies & leading conquests. Formulating long-term strategies for foreign expansion, siege warfare, and defending against enemy invasions.

KHATUN

Queen consort; Empress. Usually wife to the khaan and mother of the heir, but also a principle leader beside the king. She leads the camp, advises rulers, manages diplomatic alliances, entertains emissaries, and may lead warriors in battle. She is the foremost lady; overseer of the consorts and served by the harem.

JINONG

Crown prince or heir apparent. Responsible for military leadership, managing the herds, dolling out justice, shadowing the khaan and leading emissary expeditions abroad.

KHUU

A prince. Sons of the khatun and consorts. Responsible for military leadership, helping with herd management, and dolling out justice.

GONJI

A princess. Daughters of the khatun and consorts. Tasked with governing conquered territories, managing diplomatic alliances through strategic marriages, and fighting in military campaigns, as well as coordinating seasonal migrations. They are trained in music and literacy.

CONSORT

Wives of the khaan acquired through political alliance. They are served by the harem, supervise servants, and their primary duty is to bear the khaan children. It is possible for a son of a consort to become jinong.

ORLOK

Military generals and advisors to khaan, guarding the royal camp and family, enforcing discipline, leading hunting expeditions and training the nokud. A trusted inner circle including diverse experts from other territories. They may be assigned to escort specific royals as personal guards.

NOKUR

Warriors, hunters, couriers, and weather readers. They reinforce borders, lead hunting expeditions, spar and train, and tend to/move the herds. They are also tasked with delivering intelligence reports and military orders across the empire, information gathering, as well as providing information on local conditions, potential threats, or revolts to the khaan.

OTOCHI

Shaman, physicians, herbalists. In general, they practice shamanism, bone-setting, and medicine, as well as spiritual healing and herbal medicine and diet management. They may gather and store herbs, and act as spiritual advisors.

EKH BARIGCH

Midwives and caretakers. They may also act as teachers and pup-sitters. Their focus is on prenatal care, monitoring the mother's health throughout pregnancy, assessing the health of the pups, and assisting the otochi in the delivery process.

CONCUBINE

Harem women; entertainers, dancers and decorators. Often acquired from conquered territories and given as wives to the nokud after victories. They serve under the primary wives in domestic and sexual roles, supporting camp life while men are away and often face low social status and strict servitude. They are subjected to the orders of high-ranking wives and are expected to produce children. They serve to increase the status of their master, and may be involved in the defense of the clan in times of war.

BOGOL

Prisoners and household servants. They primarily perform the forced labor of tending to livestock and clearing dung.

LANDSCAPE

Alukhai claims the rugged steppe, a place of great austerity but beauty, too. Think rolling grasslands, winding blue rivers, lakes, waterfalls, boreal forest, geysers and hotsprings, with a ridgeline barricading the north and a desert cusping the south. Set north of satriya, south of tianlong, and west of dusk oasis, so plenty of opportunity for drama and inter-pack connections.

[Image: 9XSFR5n.jpeg]

[Image: MAGONLY-Issue-4-2025-F-MONG-1-High-Quality-JPG.jpg]

interest check to see if anyone would want to play 13th century mongolia with me? if so, Batu is open for family ties and established relationships to his previous clan, or threads beginning to float the idea <3

THREAD TRACKING

Nutuyikruk · 6/16/2026, 12:53 PM

I’ve got Mato and Kinglet if he didn’t just die LOL!

tazi · 6/16/2026, 12:56 PM

(6/16/2026, 12:53 PM)Nutuyikruk Wrote: I’ve got Mato and Kinglet if he didn’t just die LOL!

oo they'd be perfect!!

crowloft · 6/18/2026, 9:15 PM

I would love to send Corvi here!!

tazi · 6/19/2026, 12:31 PM

(6/18/2026, 9:15 PM)crowloft Wrote: I would love to send Corvi here

absolutely where is she currently located? batu will be traveling with tianlong for the royal honeymoon so could potentially meet her on the road <3

crowloft · 6/20/2026, 7:09 PM

(6/19/2026, 12:31 PM)tazi Wrote: absolutely!! where is she currently located? batu will be traveling with tianlong for the royal honeymoon so could potentially meet her on the road <3

last time I posted her she was in the Great Woodlands (Ambrosia Range) but that was like a month ago asdfkjgh so she could be anywhere, I can put her in the Wastes if thats easiest!

Batu · 6/21/2026, 11:49 AM

(6/20/2026, 7:09 PM)crowloft Wrote:
(6/19/2026, 12:31 PM)tazi Wrote: absolutely!! where is she currently located? batu will be traveling with tianlong for the royal honeymoon so could potentially meet her on the road <3

last time I posted her she was in the Great Woodlands (Ambrosia Range) but that was like a month ago asdfkjgh so she could be anywhere, I can put her in the Wastes if thats easiest!

the wastes would be good, she could meet batu and Oyun ! or he could meet her traveling along the way =)

Ayoka · 6/22/2026, 5:31 PM

Would love to send this girl your way!! Her character is open for anything C:

tazi · 6/22/2026, 11:01 PM

(6/22/2026, 5:31 PM)Ayoka Wrote: Would love to send this girl your way!! Her character is open for anything C:

absolutely! if she wants to be from Nazgur, she can have ties to a lot of the characters coming in =) I'll try to get that updated asap! right now they are beginning to form in the endless plains! I'd love a thread with her and batu! <3

tazi · 4/22/2025

Member

Hunter

Member

Member

Member

Member

Khaan

Tsetseg

Member

Member

Welcome Back!

Greetings Stranger!

Member

Hunter

Member

Member

Member

Member

Khaan

Tsetseg

Member

Member