Editing Deschani History (section)

== The Timur ==

The Timur are the most fearsome and misunderstood of the Deschani. Born in the world’s most unforgiving places, arctic tundras, volcanic wastes, deadly jungles, wind-scoured cliffs, and lifeless deserts, the Timur are survivors above all else. Where the Saen seek harmony and the Garlu seek progress, the Timur seek one thing: to endure.

To outsiders, they are often mistaken for savage, cannibalistic predators, but to their own, the Timur are noble warriors, protectors of their kin, and the last bulwark against extinction in a world that has no mercy.

=== Origins and Philosophy ===

The Timur believe they were forged in the harshest crucibles of nature. Their ancestors left the Saen long ago, seeking refuge in places too dangerous or inhospitable for others. There, they learned that survival is not about balance, it is about strength, sacrifice, and will.

Over time, this necessity gave rise to a hardened philosophy: Life demands blood. If you cannot take it, you will give it. This belief is not cruel or cold, it is simply a truth they have embraced.

While the Saen view the Timur as corrupted, the Timur see themselves as realists, guardians of the Deschani legacy who do what must be done when others cannot.

=== Tribal Society ===

Timur tribes are small, tight-knit, and highly disciplined. Families often travel together as hunting packs, with each member expected to contribute to the group’s survival. Their society is founded on merit, loyalty, and sacrifice.

Each tribe is ruled by a diarchy, two equal Chiefs:

* The Heart Chief (guardian of the people, law, and spirit).
* The Fang Chief (commander in times of war or great threat).

During times of peace, both leaders share authority. But in times of danger, when the tribe goes “on the Prowl”, the Fang Chief gains absolute power until the threat is eliminated. Chiefs are not elected by popularity, but by rite of succession and trial by ordeal, ensuring only the strongest and wisest lead.

Elders serve as judges and philosophers, holding the power to veto or depose Chiefs if they betray the tribe’s values.

=== Code of Survival ===

The Timur do not follow Clan Law as the Saen do, but they have their own Code of Survival, which emphasises hard truths:

* Kill only when needed, but do not hesitate to kill.
* A predator’s life is equal to prey. Both feed the tribe.
* Weakness is not shameful, refusal to fight it is.
* The tribe comes before the self. Always.
* In death, the body feeds the living. Even our own.

These codes mean that Timur will hunt predators, including great beasts, monstrosities, and in desperate times, even their kin. Cannibalism is not taboo, it is ritualised, tragic, and considered the ultimate sacrifice. Those who die in service are sometimes honoured by offering their bodies to feed the young or wounded, ensuring their strength lives on.

=== Religion and the Cosmos ===

Though they share the animist roots of the Saen, the Timur view the spirits differently. To them, the world is not alive and benevolent, it is ancient, vast, and wild. The stars, the aurora, the frozen storms, they are the voices of gods too old and cold to care for mortals.

Some tribes still commune with elemental or beast spirits, but others revere more cosmic forces:

* The Pale Flame – a guiding star that watches over warriors.
* The Stone Dreamer – a slumbering spirit beneath the mountains.
* The Maw Below – the eternal hunger of nature.

Sacrifices, animal or human, are rare, but practised in extreme circumstances, often when entire regions fall out of balance or a great hunt must be blessed.

=== Appearance ===

Timur tend to be larger and more heavily built than other Deschani. Their feline traits reflect the apex predators of their harsh domains, snow leopards, saber-cats, desert lions, and white tigers. Their fur is thick and often pale or muted in colour for camouflage.

Clothing is entirely utilitarian: fur-lined cloaks, bone armour, leather, or woven vines and hide, depending on their region. Every piece serves a purpose, and little is wasted.

Their faces are often marked with tribal paint, ash, or ritual scars, denoting kills, losses, or ancestral honours.

=== Magic and Power ===

Timur magic is drawn from survival and extremes. Their elemental focus is raw and violent, more like a storm than a whisper. Their shamans and warlocks wield powers as a weapon.

=== Relations with Others ===

Timur distrust most outsiders. In their view, the soft-skinned peoples of Tymora could not last a single season in Timur lands. However, they respect strength, skill, and courage. Those who earn it are welcomed; those who insult the tribe or endanger its survival are removed, by tooth or claw.

* '''Saen:''' Idealistic fools. Their morals are a luxury Timur cannot afford.
* '''Garlu:''' Arrogant cowards. They traded strength for comfort and knowledge for lies.
* '''Other races:''' Most are irrelevant. Only those who survive the hunt or respect the hunt are worth naming.

Something is changing. Timur shamans report strange behaviour in the beasts. An ancient hunger stirs in the blood. Some Timur have begun to vanish into the wilds and return as Feral, not just mad, but consumed by primal instincts, attacking even their own.

Some believe it is punishment from the spirits. Others see it as a sign: the world is dying, and only the strongest will remain. The Prowl has begun. Whether it is against monsters, Feral, or the other Deschani remains to be seen.