Nokoni Raiders

Nokoni are fleet-footed, difficult to track, and often seem to appear and vanish like ghosts. They can cover vast distances in seemingly impossible amounts of time, having honed their bodies to the task of endurance - knowing when to push and when to slow, but never stopping. To reach adulthood in this pack, one requires more than luck. Few non-Nokoni can keep up with this intense lifestyle, as it requires years of learning the ins and outs of a hostile and unforgiving territory.

Raiding & Leadership

Nokoni are a collection of warbands that all recognize each other as, if not the same pack, then at least the same people. Members may trade, take mates, and change allegiances between bands, and groups may at time merge or splinter off, making it difficult to know how many Nokoni there really are or where they're at. Leadership is an affair of respect. Technically all raiders have a say in where their band raids, but choose to follow the instruction of the most esteemed warrior among them, who is called a Caanus. 

Raiding is a way of life for Nokoni. Their expansive territory is home to sparse wandering herds of game which the pack most often trails behind like heckling ghosts. It's not always enough to feed them. The only thing more elusive than the Nokoni is the food they need to sustain their numbers.

Thus, many take to raiding from other predators and packs, or even chasing herds from one territory into their own. Nokoni are extremely aggressive. Killing foes, stealing food, and bringing back slaves is how all raiders prove themselves and gain rank. The tougher the enemy, the more slaves captured, the higher the esteem.

Anyone who is not Nokoni is a potential target, even if previous interactions with them were neutral or positive. A friendly interaction with one group of them, after all, isn't likely to mean anything to another. Nokoni targets are treated not only with extreme prejudice, but also extreme cruelty. All other packs know and fear these warbands, for good reason. There is no negotiation, the best one can hope for is that the raiders are not in a particularly sadistic mood when they strike.

Raiders can decide at any time to range out, with whoever has a mind to accompany them. More prestigious raiders tend to end up with more followers during these excursions, due to the likelihood that their intelligence, aggression, and/or luck will bring them good fortune. These war parties are generally organized by whoever initiated them, who will dictate strategy and choose a target. Being usurped of command by another wolf is usually considered an embarrassment, and unless a Caanus is demanding the submission, likely to result in a violent battle for dominance. A Caanus taking over command of a lower ranking raider's hunt, of course, could be perceived as weakness too - what need has the Caanus to steal glory from a subordinate, after all? Thus a great deal of politics may come into play during these raids.

Sometimes multiple warbands will converge together to target larger marks, in which case the respective Caanuses may split leadership - or "negotiate" aggressively - for the right to lead. Such prestigious raids may even be the start or end of a warband among the Nokoni. 

Guardians & Child Rearing

Females serve as defense to the pack rather than offense, protecting resting grounds, building temporary dens/burrows, and keeping the slaves in line (usually their mate's). These Guardians do not typically own slaves themselves, but may rarely be gifted some by raiders. While forbidden from raiding like the males, females are nonetheless fierce, as all Nokoni must be to survive in the steppe.

Guardians maintain a strict, if changeable, hierarchy and can be equally vicious and devious as raiders. Mated Guardians enjoy prestige based primarily on the renown of their husband, who's wrath other Guardians might be reluctant to risk. They also maintain significant control over the lives of the young, deciding which are worth keeping and which aren't worth the scarce resources. Some see educating and protecting their brood as an important task. Others may have a tendency to bully and dictate to cubs, venting their frustrations the one "thing" Guardians have reliable control over.

Miscarriages and a high infant mortality rate plague the pack due to its harsh lifestyle - with constant travel hard on mothers who are rarely able to nest. Pups grow up on the move, carried by mothers and slaves until they are able to walk, and then expected to keep up like the rest of the pack. Nokoni will not spare time or resources for the weak.

This, combined with the relatively short lifespan of most Nokoni means they are always looking for new blood. Young pups are frequently kidnapped from other packs to bolster numbers, who are adopted and raised as Nokoni. Kidnapped pups are given new names by whichever Guardian they are handed to, and called only that name from then on to reinforce their new life as Nokoni. While some parents consider their own blood more favorable than adopted cubs, most Nokoni see no difference between adopted or born offspring, as long as the cub shows promise.

Kidnapped pups usually know they were taken from previous families, who may have been "too weak" or "fierce warriors, but not enough to contend with Nokoni." Very young pups, of course, might have no memories before Nokoni and never think to question it. Or others, at the request of their Guardian, may be raised as trueborn Nokoni without knowing they don't share blood. Stolen pups are such a desirable raid prize, however, that it's impossible to grow up without knowing it happens. Nokoni is proud to be fierce and disdainful of weakness, and generally think it better to be raised here knowing your strength than to be soft and vulnerable among outsiders.  Most cubs come around to this way of thinking through their total immersion into the Nokoni way of life. Those that don't tend not to survive.

Furthermore, there is no reason to shelter pups from violence or bloodshed. The world is harsh. You have to accept that to survive. Most cubs become desensitized to the pack's glorification of raiding and dominance early on, and forget or simply don't remember having lives where anything else could be the case. 

Slaves

Similar to taken pups, slaves are given new names by their owners when brought to Nokoni, to reinforce their new place in life. They are usually owned by raiders, but guardians may be gifted slaves. All slaves are expected to be useful in some practical way, Nokoni does not keep mouths to feed that do not contribute meaningfully. Slaves have no rights among the Nokoni except what their owners deign to allow them. 

They most often serve as laborers to carry and maintain the hoards owned by Raiders, as pupsitters, or, if they have skills in herbology and crafting, for these purposes. Those able to conceive offspring will all but invariably used for breeding as part of a raider's harem, and Raiders who are so inclined might also keep males in their harems for personal pleasure. 

Pups of slaves born to Raider fathers are treated as Nokoni. guardians who reproduce with males slaves would be looked down upon, and their offspring would lack the support of the pack growing up - but if not killed outright these pups might still survive, giving them the chance to prove their own worth. While most females nurse their own pups, a guardian might take the pups of a slave to raise for her own out of wanting, jealousy, spite, or whim. 

Slaves may become true Nokoni through marriage, if a raider prizes one enough to claim them so formally or a guardian's father permits the union. Slaves may also become recognized as Nokoni through extreme displays of loyalty to their master. The vast majority of slaves are wolves, but it is not unheard of for Nokoni to capture other creatures as well.

Mateship & Gender

Most Nokoni males take only one Nokoni mate at a time, though high-renown raiders might have as many as four, and many keep harems of slaves for the purpose of siring offspring. Guardians do not get to choose their mates. Instead, an interested raider will approach her father, who will determine his daughter's value in slaves, food, raided goods and/or esteem, and demand a dowry payment in order to trust her to her suitor. If the father dislikes the suitor, he may outright refuse. While many take their daughter's opinion into account, she has no formal say in the matter. If a guardian's father has passed away, the Caanus will determine her dowry and vet suitors.

Slaves rarely have their marital status recognized by the Nokoni, as their rights are determined by the Raider who owns them. If one of them was not killed outright, a mated pair would likely be separated, forced into the harems of different raiders - maybe even different warbands, and forbidden to be together. Nokoni prefers not to allow slaves to breed between themselves, and instead want as many pups sired by Nokoni fathers as possible. Male slaves may even be castrated, though this carries a high risk of death from blood loss or infection.

Same-sex relationships are not uncommon among male raiders who occupy a cultural space where choosing their own mates is permissible. Guardians carry the expectation of childbirth with them, and would be shamed for extramarital affairs, making a relationship between females far more difficult to gain acceptance. Ironically, then, due to their lack of social standing, two female slaves might be allowed intimacy by their Nokoni master(s) as long as they continued to serve in his harem, something Guardians would be shamed for.

Sex and gender are not separated in Nokoni convention. Being "born male" and attempting to voluntarily live "as" a female would likely result in shunning, and a guardian trying to claim the right to stand as a raider would be mocked and punished. A neutered male might be called female and treated as such for his lack of virility, and bullied on this basis. Those born with ambiguous genital features would likely simply be killed.

Spiritual Beliefs

Nokoni reveres no gods or spirits save themselves, though some may be superstitious and vaguely animistic. The closest they maintain to religion is an oral tradition through which the greatest of them are remembered in stories for their exploits. Even these tend to shift and be lost over time, however - short lifespans and a lack of elders make it impossible to establish deeper roots. Only Orda and his tale of founding Nokoni can really be considered a permanent folklore, though it's become fairly sensational.

Slaves might bring and disseminate their own religions and beliefs, but do not generally gain widespread or long-lasting traction. What gods, after all, can contend with the storm, the flood, and the fire? The steppe laughs. 

A few mythical creatures populate Nokoni's fantasies. Bison in the sky with wings that brave tornadoes, and hoofbeats like thunder. Great eagles that fall like lightning. Spiked armadillos the size of boulders, and mammoths the size of mountains. None living have ever seen these creatures, but storms have been known to uncover the bones of such beasts.*

* These are bones of dinosaurs, not actual flying bison 

Isolationism

Their reputation for and ingrained culture of hostility means Nokoni defectors are not often welcome in other packs, nor do most Nokoni have much real concern for or knowledge about the cultures of other packs needed to integrate successfully. And alone, it is all but impossible to survive in the steppe. Thus, it's rare - almost unheard of - for wolves to leave the pack. Wardbands may attempt to settle in other lands to maraud out of, but these tend to whittle down and eventually disperse due to their claims bringing them into more frequent un-sought conflict with neighboring factions. 

It's a harsh way of life, but for Nokoni, it means survival, and a place to belong.

Medicine & Drug Use

Many Nokoni have a fondness for sense-addling consumables - combinations of various herbs, mushrooms, fermented fruits, animal parts, and reptile poison - which can create ecstatic highs or promote relaxation after hard days. Such mixtures can improve a raider's focus or ferocity, soothe aches and mask weaknesses, increase pleasure in intimate matters, or make revelry more amusing. With a bit of scheming, they can sometimes be used to disguise poisons meant to embarrass, weaken, or do away with rivals. 

Nokoni has no proper healer role, but individuals may pick up skills they find valuable. Sensation-altering drugs are generally preferred over proper healing medicine or wound treatment, which in contrast is considered a show of weakness to rely on. Slaves which can mix drugs skillfully (and be trusted not to kill you with them) are in high demand, and very valuable, usually the property of a Caanus or other high ranking raider. They provide their owner with a powerful bargaining chip to curry favor among the rest of the warband.

Laws of Nokoni

Nokoni have no formal set of laws, though cultural expectations are fairly consistent and uniform between families, and if a Caanus speaks it's considered a good idea to listen. "Shunning" is not a formal behavior, but Nokoni who have fallen out of favor will be unlikely to find company, making raids more dangerous and life in general significantly more difficult. They may be found unsuitable as mates, and Guardians will have less help raising or protecting their young.

Their primary mandates are:

• Males are raiders, females are guardians (determined by physical sex)

• Any raider may range out at any time, and any other raider may accompany him

• Guardians have dominion over pup-rearing and densites

• Cowardice is shameful and will be shunned at best, or at worst a cause for maiming and exile

• Adultery and premarital affairs are shameful, a cause for shunning ("Use" of slaves or captives by Raiders does not count)

• Theft from fellow Nokoni is cause for shunning or violent retaliation (theft includes using a slave without permission)

• The rights of slaves are determined by their owners, but should not put them on the same level or above a Nokoni

Ranks & Roles

CAANUS - Patriarch of a Warband. Renown locked.

RAIDERS - Males.  Free to create.

GUARDIANS - Females.  Free to create.

CUBS - Pups.  Free to create.

SLAVES - Captured non-Nokoni. Free to create. Escaping this rank to become a Raider, Guardian, or Caanus is renown locked.

Rank and roles are the same thing in the steppe. Jobs are determined by sex, and one's authority is determined by their job. The Caanus sits at the top, and slaves at the bottom.

Raiding males are generally responsible for bringing back slaves, food, and stolen pups to bolster the pack. Cowards have no place among them, and are unlikely to live long.

Females are not allowed on raids, and though males are not permitted to interfere with child rearing or most aspects of denkeeping, females have no direct say in day-to-day affairs. Those that have the ears of their mate might influence decisions indirectly.

A pup will always be subservient to older Nokoni, but their station is also determined by their parentage. Offspring of high-ranking warriors enjoy increased access to food, comfort, and attention, as no one wishes to displease their fathers. Orphans and children of disgraced packmates may be chased from food, denied company, and generally forced to fend for themselves until they are old enough to prove their own worth.

Juveniles are expected to take on the roles of adults as raiders or guardians. The short, violent lifestyle of Nokoni means anyone who can fight, must.

Slaves must do as they are told. They serve as scapegoats of the pack's frustration, currency to be bartered, babysitters, and in harems. Those with skills in crafting, medicine, tracking, or other valuable trades will (usually) be utilized accordingly.

Anyone who cannot fill a useful role in the pack, whether by age, injury, or indifference, will likely not survive very long.

Originally scavengers ekeing a living off poor land following the herds, the Nokoni were only scattered families without solid territory, and often warring over thin prey. A large pack heckled the steppe, preying viciously on the inhabitants.

An orphaned male named Orda, family killed by these pillagers, discovered ambition in his desire for revenge. After proving himself a powerful warrior worthy of respect, he united the many small family groups into a single pack. Those that joined him became brothers and sisters. Those who refused were ravaged and enslaved.

Vicious, eager to repay violence with violence, Orda's bands eventually chased the larger pack out of the territory and set themselves up as a new collection of affiliated smaller raiding packs. They now range out themselves, continuing to pillage in much the same way as their enemies - though perhaps even less predictable. They attack more frequently, more aggressively, and target larger packs than they traditionally did in the past. 

Much of this tale lives on in their oral tradition, though it has been several generations since Orda claimed the steppe. Nokoni is not overly preoccupied with ancestry so much as veneration of valor.

Densite

As the pack is in frequent motion following sparse herds, Nokoni have few, if any, camps that could be considered proper densites. When the time comes to rest, Guardians will dig out makeshift holes - usually straight into the dirt, but if there are useable surroundings like badger sets, boulders, or old camps, these can be modified and utilized for cover as well. 

More well-used and expanded camps can be found near major watering holes, as they are more frequented by necessity. These aren't homes, though, just resting places on an endless trek. 

Prey

Nokoni is a vast, sparsely populated territory. Substantial food is hard to come by, meaning Nokoni will generally eat anything they can catch, and when herds are found they are often tracked relentlessly by the pack. Much of Nokoni's meals come from raids beyond their borders, stolen and poached from other packs or predators.

However, the plains aren't a wasteland, and several creatures can be found, and hunted, by an experienced wolf. These include, but are not limited to: