Amavie
The Nart Saga
@nart_saga
Steppe of heroes, tricksters and iron.
Nart epic / Scythian steppe · ancient era · 600 BC
The world of the Ossetian Nart epic: a heroic age on the steppe akin to the Scythian era. Kurgans on the horizon, felt tents and forges, feasts in the great hall of the Narts, the round table of Uastyrdzhi, honey-mead and blood-oaths, gods who walk among warriors and a trickster whose wit cuts sharper than any sword.
The story of The Nart Saga
Grounded in the Nart sagas and the Scytho-Sarmatian steppe world: the three clans of the Narts (Æxsærtæggatæ, Boratæ, Alægatæ), sky-god and patrons, the smith Kurdalægon, Lady Satana, heroes Batraz, Soslan, Uryzmæg — and Syrdon, the tongue that sows discord. Mythic-historical, no modern anything.
Places
- The Great Steppe · continent. The vast, golden plains stretching from the river fords to the base of the mountains.
- The High Steppe · region. The ancestral territory of the three Nart clans, dotted with burial kurgans.
- The Low Pastures · region. A vast expanse of nomadic tent-camps and grazing herds.
- The Nart Hall · landmark. A massive, circular structure of timber and stone where mead is poured and tales are sung.
- Mount Dzuar · landmark. A smoldering, sacred peak where the heavenly smith hammers metal into perfection.
Peoples
- The Nart Clans · Extraordinary strength, Bound by blood-oaths, Hostile to cowards. A race of heroic, demi-god warriors born from stone or divine lineage, living in the high steppe and foothills. They are bound by ancient codes of honor, strength, and hospitality.
- The Free-Herders · Superb horsemanship, Resilient, Superstitious of the high peaks. The common folk of the plains who follow the Narts. They are master horsemen, bowyers, and keepers of the vast herds that sustain the Nart feasts.
Powers and factions
- The Round Table of Uastyrdzhi · Uryzmæg. The assembly where the three great clans debate matters of war, honor, and the distribution of plunder.
- The Keepers of Kurdalægon · Kurdalægon. Artisans and weapon-makers who maintain the sacred forge-mountain and sharpen the blades of the Narts.
History
- The Awakening of the Stone · -850. The Narts emerge from the stone and the heavens, settling the high steppe and establishing the three clans.
- The Invention of the Fandyr · -720. Driven by profound grief, the trickster Syrdon fashions the first fandyr from the arm of his eldest son, strung with the sinews of his sons, giving voice to Nart sorrow.
- The Age of Iron and Discord · -600. The current cycle of raiding, internal rivalries between the Æxsærtæggatæ, Boratæ, and Alægatæ, and divine intervention by Uastyrdzhi.