Khar'Zul Ashmane

The Bonecallers inhabit the vast and untamed Ashen Savannah, a sprawling expanse of golden grasslands dotted with ancient stone monoliths, gnarled baobab trees, and sacred burial grounds. At the heart of the savannah lies the Obsidian Cradle, a volcanic basin where the earth bleeds black stone and ash. This sacred site serves as the spiritual and ceremonial center of the tribe. Its charred soil, said to be infused with the essence of the ancestors, is where the tribe forges their relics, performs rites, and buries their dead to maintain the balance between life and the afterlife.

Social Structure and Governance

The Bonecallers are a highly spiritual and hierarchical society, with their structure deeply intertwined with their reverence for ancestral spirits and the cycle of life and death.

The Ancestral Council

The governing body of the tribe is the Ancestral Council, composed of the eldest and most revered shamans, warriors, and lorekeepers. Each council member represents a spiritual aspect (e.g., life, death, war, harvest, the hunt) and is chosen not by age but by signs from the spirits during sacred rites. The council interprets omens, resolves disputes, and decrees tribal laws in alignment with the will of the ancestors.

The Savannah Reaper

The Savannah Reaper stands apart from the council but serves as the spiritual and military leader in times of crisis. Acting as the living avatar of the ancestors, the Reaper wields ultimate authority during wars or spiritual upheavals, their decisions unquestioned as they embody the will of the spirits.

The Bonekeepers

The Bonekeepers are the tribe’s spiritual guides and ritualists, overseeing ceremonies, crafting charms, and preserving the relics of the ancestors. They are responsible for interpreting dreams, omens, and the movements of celestial bodies. They also care for the Ancestor Reliquary, a sacred hall of bones and relics that serves as the physical connection to the spirits.

The Warclaws

The Warclaws are the elite warriors of the tribe, chosen through rigorous trials that test not just physical strength but also spiritual fortitude. They act as protectors of the tribe, guardians of sacred sites, and enforcers of tribal law.

The Pridefolk

The majority of the Bonecallers, known as the Pridefolk, are hunters, gatherers, artisans, and storytellers. While they lack direct roles in governance, their voices are heard during The Gathering of Flames, a seasonal tribal assembly where grievances, proposals, and celebrations are shared with the council.

The Bonecallers’ beliefs are deeply rooted in the balance between life and death, the reverence of ancestral spirits, and the preservation of the natural world.

The Cycle of Balance

The tribe believes in the sacred balance between creation and destruction, life and death. Death is not feared but revered as the return to the ancestors. Every hunt, battle, or harvest is performed with rituals to honor the spirits of what is taken.
The Law of the Mask

The Skull Mask of the Reaper is considered the tribe’s holiest artifact. Its wearer, the Savannah Reaper, is bound by an oath to act selflessly in service to the tribe and the spirits. Any attempt to misuse or desecrate the mask is punishable by exile or death.

The Bonecallers believe that the spirits of their ancestors guide and protect them. To disrespect one’s ancestors—or fail to perform the proper rites for the dead—is considered a grave offense.
Sacred Hunts and Offerings

Hunts are deeply ceremonial. Each successful hunt concludes with an offering to the spirits—be it through blood spilled onto sacred stones, the burial of bones, or the crafting of charms from the prey’s remains.

The Covenant of the Cradle

No one may harm the Obsidian Cradle or take from its black soil without proper rites. To do so invites the wrath of the spirits.

Justice of the Flames

Justice in the Bonecallers tribe is swift but fair. Disputes are resolved through council mediation, but grave crimes, such as betrayal or spiritual desecration, are punished by exile or death. The accused must face the Trial of Flames, a test of both physical endurance and spiritual worth.

The Night of Whispers

Once a year, the tribe gathers under the full moon at the Obsidian Cradle to honor the dead. Stories of ancestors are shared, songs are sung, and the spirits are called to walk among the living. The Savannah Reaper leads this ceremony, donning the Skull Mask and invoking the ancestors through chants and ritual combat.

The Rite of Bone and Ash

Young warriors undergo this rite to prove their worth. They must endure days of fasting, carve a weapon from bone, and return from the wilderness with proof of their survival—a claw, pelt, or tooth of a formidable predator.

The Gathering of Flames

Held at the start of each season, this is a time of celebration and council where the Pridefolk share stories, honor hunts, and strengthen tribal unity around massive bonfires. Through their laws, beliefs, and unyielding reverence for the spirits, the Bonecallers thrive in the Ashen Savannah, united by a shared purpose: to maintain the balance of life and death, guided by the spirits and led by their mighty Savannah Reaper, Khar’zul.