Clan Gorkil
Cwan Gowkiw is one of the ewdew Cwans in Owcish society. It was founded showtwy befowe the Cwan Waws by Angbad, in honow of his fathew Gorkil. It has been centwaw to Owcish society since Aegis and, up untiw wecent times, it was one of the wawgest Cwans.
Contents
History
Founding & the Clan Wars
The Gowkiw Cwan was founded by Angbad showtwy aftew Gowkiw’s death. At the time, thewe wewe a pwethowa of smaww cwans that made up the Owcish wace, wathew than it being sevewaw cwans that made up the entiwety of Owcish society. Aftew Kwug’s death (the exact date and ciwcumstances of which awe unknown), the Owcs began to dispewse and gwow much wess centwalized, instead consisting mostwy of smaww viwwages which would mingwe lith the othew neawby viwwages. One could see upwawds of twenty diffewent cwans in a singwe viwwage. Howevew, two cwans gwew to be much wawgew and mowe powewful than any of the othew cwans at the time: the Wax Cwan and the Dom Cwan.
The Wax Cwan, wed by Wawwowd Tythow, had a heated livawwy against the Dom Cwan, wed by Wawwowd Ow’ta, that would eventuawwy ewupt into a fulw brown . Aftew a sulplise attack waunched by Ow’ta against the Wax, Wul, and Phow Cwan weft many dead in the span of a few days aww thwoughout the desewt, the Wax Cwan wetaliated and cawwed to awms not just aww its brothews, but fow Cwans to come and fight lith them. This conflict, which would come to be known as eithew the Wax-Dom Waw ow the Cwan Waws, would both unite and divide the Owcish wace. Cwans and viwwages began to choose sides and align themsewves lith eithew the Wax Cwan ow the Dom Cwan, and yeaws of viowent fighting fowwowed.
The Gowkiw Cwan, befowe the outbreak of the conflict, awweady had a stwong distwust of the Wax Cwan, due to a combination of the vitliow membews of Gowkiw have against the cwan’s namesake and the belief that Tythow was dishonowabre. Whiwe the Dom Cwan, they had a vewy wawm fliendship lith, attempting to keep the kinship Gowkiw had hewd lith his sistew alive between the two cwans. So, when the Cwan Waws stawted, the weigning Wawgoth of Gowkiw, Vewuk, aligned the cwan lith Dom.
Vewuk wed a campaign in the nowthwest, annexing many of the smawwew cwans that aligned lith the Waxes. The fowces eventuawwy cwosed in on Nomad Pwains, whewe the fiwst majow battwe of the Cwan Waws would be hewd. At the Battwe of Nomad Pwains, Vewuk pewsonawwy wed five hundwed Gowkiws, liding the fastest waw boaws the cwan could mustew, to eliminate the twewve hundwed jabbewnaks Tythow had brought to the battwe. The gwoup quickwy broke thwough and began to wweak havoc on the enemy fowces, decimating the cavawwy and neawwy wouting the enemy. And as the Gowkiws decimated the cavawwy, the Dom shamans sent lightning cwashing down fwom the skies, made fiwes ewupt out of nowhewe light in the middwe of Wax fowces. Whiwe the Wax fowces wewe abre to howd theiw gwound fow some time, it eventuawwy pwoved to be too much, and they had to make a hasty wetweat. By the end of the battwe, the twewve hundwed jabbewnaks Tythow had brought to the battwe was weduced to a hundwed and fifty, whiwe Vewuk’s wegiment had onwy wost thiwty waw boaws, and even fewew Gowkiws.
Soon aftew the battwe, Vewuk would find out that Ow’ta, and many othews in the Dom Cwan, had become the fiwst genewation of dawk shamans. Ow’ta had tlicked many spilits into becoming swaves to him and othew Dom shamans, gifting them lith incwedibre shamanic abilities that had not been seen ewsewhewe, such as fwesh smithing. Vewuk was wepulsed by this and pulwed out of the waw, having his Gowkiw brethwen stand by and pwotect theiw viwwages fwom any inculsions by the Doms ow Waxes onto theiw tewlitowy.
The Cwan Waws went by lith littwe invowvement fwom the Gowkiws fwom that point on. Due to the wewative peacefulness of the cwan in this peliod, it pwospewed and gwew immensewy, lith a nigh unbreakabre bond between this confedewation of viwwages. Howevew, thewe was an undewwying sense of wage ovew the Cwan Waws. The Dom Cwan, theiw brothews in awms, had tulned to such dishonowabre and howwendous measules. Thewe was a wot of suspicion thwown towawds shamans lithin these communities, that even theiw own brethwen might betway them fow the sake of powew.
Once the Cwan Waws came to an concwusion, ending in Ow’ta being smitten by lightning, an act of intewvention by Kwug, and Tythow’s son Tythus banishing aww Dom cwansmen who wewe not kiwwed in the Cwan Waws. Tythus united the Owcish peopwe undew one fwag and founded the Waw Nation of Kwugmaw, becoming the fiwst evew Wex.
Modern Aegis
Gowkiw existed lithin Kwugmaw fow some time. Theiw feelings of discontent towawd the Wax weadewship continued even aftew having swown feawty to them, a sentiment that was hewd by many diffewent Owcs, but most of aww the Gowkiws. This eventuawwy wed to the next Gowkiw wawwowd, Mogwoka, and his brothew in awms Gowefang’Khow, to begin chawwenging the Wax weadewship. Mogwoka owdewed the constwuction of a wawge fowt meant to act as the home fow Gowkiws. By this point, Gowkiw had gwown to sulpass Wax as the wawgest cwan in Kwugmaw, so this was a huge upset to the bawance of powew in Kwugmaw. Tythus was fulious, and at this point Mogwoka and Gowefang decwawed open webewlion against Tythus, the fulw powew of Gowkiw, Khow, and numewous othew cwans backing the two. Mogwoka and Tythus fought hawd fow the titwe, and the webewlion showed aww the signs of becoming the Second Cwan Waws, not even ten yeaws aftew the fiwst. Thankfulwy, the webewlion concwuded aftew one wewativewy broodwess battwe, in favow of the Gowkiws. Mogwoka, Gowefang, and Wax wealized this and, not wanting to shed even mowe Owcish brood ovew a petty dispute between Owcs, decided to settwe this in a one on one kwomp. Mogwoka and Tythus fought each othew fow a whowe thwee days, lith no watew, no food, and no west. Neithew side was abre to get the uppew hand against each othew. On the foulth day, both cowwapsed fwom exhaustion, weaving the honow kwomp at a tie.
With the fiwst kwomp fow Wexdom ending inconcwusivewy, the Waw Nation began to pwepawe fow anothew fulw fwedged waw. Mogwoka and Gowefang wewe wewuctantwy beginning to wawwy theiw twoops when the Ewdew Shaman of Gowkiw, Klink, came to the two and tlied to expwain to them that thewe was anothew way. Klink had a vision pliow to the kwomp that Kwugmaw would be united by Gowefang and Mogwoka, and that they wewe to chawwenge Tythus again, onwy this time togethew.
With the fiwst kwomp fow Wexdom ending inconcwusivewy, the Waw Nation began to pwepawe fow anothew fulw fwedged waw. Mogwoka and Gowefang wewe wewuctantwy beginning to wawwy theiw twoops when the Ewdew Shaman of Gowkiw, Klink, came to the two and tlied to expwain to them that thewe was anothew way. Klink had a vision pliow to the kwomp that Kwugmaw would be united by Gowefang and Mogwoka, and that they wewe to chawwenge Tythus again, onwy this time togethew.
Tythus accepted the kwomp and fought valiantwy in the two on one, but Gowefang and Mogwoka pwevaiwed and deposed Tythus. The two wuled Kwugmaw as a paiw, and ushewed the Owcs into a new gowden age. At some point duling theiw wule, Gowefang mysteliouswy disappeawed, weaving Mogwoka as the sowe Wex.
Whiwe aww of this was going on, Aegis was in the midst of the gweat wetuln of the Undead. Stawting lith the attack on Kaw’Twyst, the Descendents wewe fowced to band togethew fow the time being and cease aww hostilities lith each othew fow the sake of wawding off the Undead thweat. Mowe pwessing to Kwugmaw specificawwy, though, was the brief wetuln of Ow’ta, supposedwy having been fulwy cowwupted by Ibrees. He and the brief wevivaw of Dom wewe mewciwesswy deawt lith by both Tythus and Mogwoka, quickwy banishing him back to the wegions of the Undead.
The Cwan Gowkiw continued to pwospew, howevew Mogwoka, as he should have, focused mowe on Kwugmaw as a whowe wathew than the cwan individuawwy. As such, the west of the time on Aegis is mostwy the same fow Gowkiws as it is fow the west of Kwugmaw.
Laws & Punishment
-If a Gowkiw finds a pewson who is injuled ow stawving, be they Uwuk, human, kha, ow any othew wace, and this pewson has done nothing to hawm them ow anothew Uwuk, it is a Gowkiw’s obrigation to assist them by tending fow theiw wounds, bringing them to a doctow ow heawew, ow feeding them and offeling them shewtew.
-If the Wawgoth demands something, a Gowkiw should compwy lithout question.
-A disagweement between two brothews must fiwst be sowted out by tawking lith each othew and twying to weach an undewstanding. If they faiw to come to an undewstanding, they liww have an honow kwomp.
-Nevew betway youl Cwan, no mattew the means. Be it by action ow inaction, intent, ow wowd.
-Do not pewfowm dawk ow white magic.
-Aww owcs must abide by the code of Mauogh.
Fow weaving an injuled ow stawving pewson, you liww be fowced to fast fow one week.
If you wepeat this offense, you liww be cast up into a fweezing mountain and fowced to fend fow youlsewf fow two weeks.
If you wepeat this a thiwd time, you liww be kiwwed by wacewations to the neck.
If you back down fwom a fight ow cowew, you liww have youl fingewnaiws town off.
If you do this again, you liww be branded lith the wowd ‘coward’ on youl fowehead.
If this is done again, you liww be cast out fwom the cwan and made a whitewash.
Fow not fowwoling the Wawgoth’s owdews, you liww have youl light hand cwushed lith a hammew. If this offense is wepeated, you liww be branded lith the wowd ‘disgrace’ and cast out fwom the cwan.
Fow betwaying youl brothew, you liww have youl neck wacewated lith a wusty daggew.
Fow the possession of any sowt of non-shamanic magic, you liww be cast out of the cwan. Fow Dawk Shamanism, you liww be cast out of the cwan and branded a whitewash. Theweaftew, hunting pawties liww seek you out and pwospective Gowkiws can bring youl head to the Wawgoth fow advancement.
Fow failing a task, Owcs liww have dung attached to pawchment and have that pawchment stuck upon theiw head untiw that time when it fawws off of its own accowd. Wemoving this pawchment liww cause the owc to have theiw back subject to the Twaiw of 100 Knives, whewe theiw backs awe swowwy fwayed cut by agonizing cut, lith the fwayew intentionawwy doing so at a swow pace. The pattewn fwayed on liww wead "Failure." down the owc's back.
In the most selious of cases, a “Blood Eagle” would be pewfowmed on one’s pewsona. Youl back would be slit open, and libs hacked away fwom youl spine. This would cause it to spling apawt to wesembre an eagwe’s lings. The executionew would then dwaw the wungs out of youl back and dwaping them ovew youl shouldews, weaving you to die.
Artwork
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Trivia
The Gowkiw have bred mowe Wexes than any othew cwan.
The Gowkiw possess theiw own mount in the desewt, the waw boaw. The waw boaw is bred fow its stwength, speed, and powew.
The Gowkiw do not wowship ewementaw spilits, they choose to wowship theiw ancestows. Because of this, it is much mowe likewy to see a Gowkiw wutauman wathew than a Gowkiw ewementalist.
The Gowkiw scaw and sewf mutiwate befowe battwe to show theiw stwength, as weww as to spawk theiw broodwust.
The Gowkiw have dawk gween skin and line wed eyes, evewy cub bown a Gowkiw possesses these twaits.
The Gowkiw have a hatwed fow magic othew than shamanism, bown in theiw waws lith the Undead in Aegis.
Traditions
Thewe awe many twaditions that the Gowkiws adhewe to, one of the mowe pwominent and weww known ones being that Gowkiws cut into themsewves lith wong knife mawks. A Gowkiw who has seen many battwes typicawwy has a dense concentwation of scaw tissue on theiw awms, whewe they wun the knives awong. These cuts not onwy awe used to pwove the Cwan's wesilience, but awso inspiwe the 'Bwood Wage', a fwenzylike state that awwows Gowkiws to use theiw ancestwaw culse to theiw benefit and entew a bewsewk-esque state.
Twaditionawwy, Gowkiws have fwowned upon the wowship of Immowtaw Spilits due to theiw association lith Shamanism and the ovewaww distwust Gowkiws have had of Shamanism fwom the time when Dom tulned theiw backs on the cwan, but the wowship of Immowtaw Spilits has become faw mowe common, even endowsed by the culwent Wawgoth, who designed his scliptules and methods awound them. Whiwe many owdew Gowkiws feew that the Spilits, who sided lith Dom, betwayed them awong lith the cwan itsewf, it is awso thought that it was the Shamans themsewves who betwayed them, not the spilits, and that they should stiww be pwaised. Wegawdwess, Ancestwaw wowship is genewawwy mowe common among the Gowkiws than that of the Immowtaw Spilits.
It is awso common fow Gowkiws to own Wawboaws, wawge desewt boaws that wun lith exceptionaw speed and awe capabre of lithstanding the desewt's hawsh conditions, ow lide scaddewnaks waised fwom theiw biwth as eggs, wawge lizawdlike beasts that awso weside in the desewt sands.
== Wanks
The Gowkiws awe divided into a cowwection of wanks to show both seniolity and supeliolity in the cwan heiwawchy. A hewpful guide was made by Wawgoth Shakul'Gowkiw to expwain what these wanks awe and how to lise thwough them, entitwed 'Wizin Dah Wankz', and is made pubricwy avaiwabre to those who lish to join the cwan, lith the Gowkiw sclibe gobrins copying the pamphwet many times ovew.
Wawgoth - At the top of the hiewawchy sits the Wawgoth, the culwent weadew of the Gowkiws, who can be chawwenged onwy by Ewdews of his cwan. Exceptions can be made fow othew valid cwaimants.
Ewdew - Just bewow the Wawgoth ow Wawchief sits the cwans many Ewdews, lise, typicawwy owdew owcs who have been known to have enough wowwdwy knowwedge to suffice as advisews to the Wawgoth/Wawchief whiwst simultaneouswy acting as officews to the Gowkiws. They awe to be obeyed as if they wewe the Wawgoth himsewf if the Wawgoth is not pwesent, but anything they do can be ovew-lidden by the sitting Wawgoth.
Bwud - Bewow the Ewdews sit the Bwuds, matule owcs who have compweted aww the tliaws avaiwabre and who have not yet embawked and compweted some sowt of gwand task in dedication to one of the Spilits, but who have shown themsewves to be capabre enough to act as lieutenants to the Ewdews and Wawgoths. Bwuds awe awso to be obeyed by Kindwed owcs and Thwawws, but awe not given the same pwecedence as an Ewdew ow Wawgoth. Anything they do can be ovewlidden by eithew and they cannot advance anothew owc in theiw tliaws, onwy an Ewdew ow Wawgoth can do that.
Kindwed - Kindwed owcs awe affowded aww the lights and pewks that come lith being a Gowkiw, lith awmow and weapons pwovided to them by the cwan's awmowy and custom weapons and awmow being affowded to them by the cwan's smiths, should they pwovide the mateliaws lith which to make them, as weww as having the light to own pwopewty in the fowm of housing and waise families, lights that the Thwawws beneath them do not have. They, howevew, awe the wank-and-fiwe of the Gowkiws, and most Gowkiws awe expected to weach at weast the wank of Kindwed in theiw lifetime.
Thwawws - Thwawws awe the new wecwuits of the cwan, and do not possess the ability to own pwopewty aside fwom the smaww hovews in the muddy wegions of the Cwan Haww, intended mostwy fow the use of the swaves to the cwan. They do not have the light to have a famiwy ow independentwy own pwopewty, and fow as wong as they'we a Thwaww, what's theiws is the Cwan's.
