Nuron Tribe (Paludia Supplement)
From D&D Wiki
The third most powerful tribe in Paludia, this tribe features a sophisticated central town which lies on a tributary of a major river, and several villages around it, as well as control over many more settlements. Overall, the Nuron control a population of around 20,000. Their prosperity is, however, founded on very bad foundations. The Nuron are well-known for hosting, tolerating, and supporting activities which are criminal in most other prts of the world. Demon cults, drug trading, and slavery are well-established in the Nuron territory; the second-largest slave market in Paludia is located here. Most disturbing are a lack of punishments for murder or kidnapping in the territory of this tribe.
The Nuron have no access to any significant natural resources, have access to only average fishing and hunting grounds, and have no great reputation for producing quality goods. The economy of the town is based on normally illicit activities, especially slavery.
Nuron tribe males are considered to be the property of their father, but can only be sold to the chief. Once the males are bought from their fathers by the chief, they serve as warriors. These warriors are kept enslaved until they can buy their freedom with spoils of war (usually, a single successful campaign can bring in enough for a warrior to free himself.) Enslaved warriors have inferior weapons and training. Upon being freed, a male is free to hunt, fish, learn a craft/skill, or continue in the military as a better-armed, well-trained warrior, whose main job is to protect the chief and to keep the enslaved warriors from revolting.
The females of the tribe are considered to be the property of their fathers, who sell them to the highest-bidding male. The male who buys her as property, in turn, will have as many children with her as he can, and sell those children himself. Each female has a tattoo, which is magically added and changed by several mages who serve the tribe. Her tattoo is the same as her father or husband, and is changed whenever she changes ownership; this will let everyone know who she belongs to. Females whose father or husband dies before he could sell her are automatically made into the property of the chief. The chief's daughters are sold to various arena victors, who have to win a fight in order to have the right to purchase one of them; if they win the fight but cannot afford her, the surviving loser who can afford her gets her. The sons of the chief will fight each other for control of the tribe when their father dies; the losers of such a contest will perish.
Females are often sold abroad; this happens when there are not enough free males who can purchase a new wife. The income from the sale of females abroad is important for the economy of Nuron. To make them a more attractive commodity, females are often trained as dancers. Females belonging to the most important males, such as the chief, his sons, the highest-ranking priest, or the most powerful mage are rarely allowed to see another male unless he explicitly allows it; the tattoos on these females are also a magical bond which keeps them within the bounds of the estate of the powerful male.
Many individuals with questionable backgrounds come to Nuron when they have no where else to go. This has given the tribe access to a variety of powerful, yet dark and evil, magics and skills. Pirates, brigands, slavers, necromancers, assassins, demon-cultists, and other evil figures can be found in great numbers.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Campaign Settings → Paludia
