Horde

The Horde are an alien species in the Lost Regiment Universe and originate from the planet Valdennia.

Biology
The Horde are devish looking humanoids. Eight feet in height in average, some reaching ten feet. Their faces were sharp, cunning, near devil-like, covered entirely with a matting of hair, as were their bodies.

History
An ancient species, the Horde once explored the stars; from their world of Valdennia, they created the Tunnels of Light, that were capable of opening portals to other worlds. However their civilization fell due to the Great War, ending their golden age and splintering their society.

The Horde on the homeworld regressed to hunter-gatherers, only dimly remembering of a time when their ancestors strode across the heavens like gods. The Tunnels of Lights however went unmonitored, bringing a several alien cultures from other worlds sporadically throughout the ages.

One such race were the Yor, who possessed technology more advanced than the Horde at the time. They quickly enslaved the Horde, however their invaders fell to infighting and eventually the Horde rebelled wiping the Yor. The next race that was transported to Valdennia would have a profound impact on the cultural development of the Horde. A species from a small blue planet known as Earth: Humanity. It was humans that brought the Horde many of their technological achievements. Horses for transportation. Crafted goods. And most importantly meat.

The various human cultures that arrived on Valdennia revolutionized the Horde culture. The Horde developed into a nomadic society, organized into separate clans and united into various Hordes. The Hordes traveled the continent of Valdennia and used the scattered human settlements as feeding grounds. On occasion wars over territory between the Hordes would incite.

Culture & Society
Originally a proud people that mastered travel across the stars, the Horde have been reduced to a broken people, scattered across the universe. The few civilizations of the Horde that still persist are descendants of survivors from the Downfall. The Horde on the Valdennia has regressed to a feudalistic society losing their technical knowledge and history. No longer interested in rediscovering their past or building, the Horde instead chose to glorify the past achievements of their ancestors. Through oral history of their shaman and chant-speakers they memorialize their ancestors of their golden age to be gods that created miracles.

Customs
The Horde on have evolved into nomadic tribes of savage horsemen who for countless circligs have roamed the world of Valdenna. Horde society resembles that of the Mongols of Earth, living in yurts and followed a cycle of seasonal migration, circumnavigating the world. They are consummate horsemen and archers, these disparate tribes frequently fought one another for control of ancestral cattle rights or the sheer joy of battle. The Horde are itinerant nomads, thus they possess no permanent settlements. They have no understanding of agriculture and produce nothing of their own, focusing all their craft to the art of war, and riding. Deeming such menial labors to be unfitting for the Chosen Race. On the Great Ride, all of the Horde’s goods and supplies are received from the tributes humans offer them as they pass through in their territory.

Pets
Horde as notorious for enslaving the humans as pets, that they spare from the moon feasts. These pet humans travel with the Hordes, as servants to repair the Horde equipment and craft new tools. In order to break the humans, they force them to devour and commit cannibalism against their own kind. Once the act is done, the feel it brands the human a pariah so that he or she can never return to his people.

Diet
The Horde and omnivores, however the prefer to eat meat. Their reliance on humanity as a food source has resulted the being fond of manflesh. They especially favor the brain which is only reserved during the Moon Festival. Horde are sadistically cruel to their human livestock to a degree its customary to taunt them before butchering or cooking them alive. Human intestines are used to make sausages, blood into soup, kidneys for pies, etc. The brain itself is a delicious delicacy to the aliens, and is only reserved for during the many moon feasts.

Social Organization
The Horde receives their name from its social organization, which is a confederation of clans that gather together in a massive clan known as a horde. The entire horde is ruled by the Qar Qarth with smaller ones that rule the individual clans. A totally barbarous people, the Horde are morally backwards and staunch conservatives toward change.

Religion
The Horde despite their savagery are a spiritual people. They are polytheistic, believing in various gods. The Goddess of Death being a central figure in their culture. The Horde also practice a form of ancestor worship, chanting tales of past deeds by the fire.

Their shamans utilize ritual sacrifices of humans, where during the Moon Festival they cut open the brain of a human, whilst the subject is alive. By interpreting the discoloration and agonies of the human the shaman will attempt to foretell the future. They believe that the pain and screams are essential to divining thus make every effort to ensure that the human lasts through the ordeal, at least until the brain is consumed by the court present. Despite the importance of these rituals, its an unspoken secret amongst the more veteran Qar Qarths that the shamans auguries are nonsense. However due to their stringent need to follow tradition, the chiefs are forced to acknowledge the shaman's positions as they hold much power over the Horde.