<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">What Binds Us</span><br/>Freya and Rogued1<br/><br/>Characters:<br/><br/>World Building:<br/><br/><strong>Hadju (Easterners)</strong><br/><br/>Politics:<br/>The Hadju are a fierce, proud people whose long history of tribal life makes other more developed nations regard them as savages. In reality the Hadju are simply a modern culture developed from long years of clan fighting, and as such most aspects of their life have roots in war, even though for the most part they are a peaceful people now.<br/><br/>The Hadju (which literally means united tribes, and can refer to either the nation or the people) are less a nation and more a collection of small nomadic bands who constantly roam the vast spaces of their country in a perpetual migration that takes them from the cold northern reaches of their territory to the sun blasted sands of the south and everywhere inbetween. While the east is a place of varying landscapes, the vast majority of it is a massive grassland populated by titanic herds of Ploic (large horned bovids) and other massive grazing fauna.<br/><br/>Trade with the west has opened up a unique opportunity for many of the Hadju people, who have discovered that things common to their daily lives, such as spices and pelts, are hot commodities in the west, and can be traded for vastly more valuable things. While most easterners have little use for gold (it being heavy and hard to carry around) they often trade pelts and spices for more practical things, like clothes, tools and weapons.<br/><br/>Despite the fact that the tribes have more or less ended their constant war, there is still plenty of conflict within the borders of Hadju. Bandits from the west and north are common enough that few people travel unarmed. Even worse, some tribes of truly savage Hadju did not join in the council of elders, and instead take out their fury at the changing world on anyone they encounter. Despite the lasting peace within Hadju, there is still plenty of opportunity for brave men and women to earn names.<br/><br/>Culture:<br/>The Hadju have always believed that ambition and drive are more important than birth, and it isn’t uncommon for Chiefs to select non family members to succeed them if they believe it would be better for their people. Still, if there isn’t a named man or woman within a tribe, power usually passes to the eldest son of the former leader.<br/><br/>The highest honor among the Hadju is to be Named. Naming is a mark of true accomplishment. Often, but not always, because of skills in combat or war. Everyone is given a name at birth, a name which most people carry until their death. However if they do something extraordinary in life, they are given a new name to signify their deeds. An elder’s power within the council of elders is usually reflected by the number of named people in his or her tribe.<br/><br/><br/>