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THE HORDE

by Edward Bonny, Brian Cortijo, Richard Farrese, and László Á. Koller • illustrated by Ramon Perez, Eric Dechamps and Chuck Lukacs

Yamun Khahan united the barbarian

tribes of the Endless Waste, massing a

great army that spread east and west, threat-

ening the more civilized nations of Kara-Tur

and eastern Faerûn. Conquering or laying

waste to whole regions, only the death of the

Horde’s leader at the hands of King Azoun

IV of Cormyr ﬁnally brought an end to the

barbarians’ Realms-shaking invasion.

The Endless Waste has never been a peace-

ful region. Ages ago, a series of conqueror-

nations invaded, seeking to bring the dispa-

rate human tribes under their yoke. Each of

these empires fell in time, leaving the native

horse nomads of the steppes to resume their

simple lives of wandering and inﬁghting. No

matter what force united them, the barbar-

ians always—eventually—broke into their

constituent tribes, continuing as they had

for centuries.

Even this truth is changing. Since the

defeat of Yamun Khahan’s great horde more

than a decade ago, the tribes of the Horde-

lands are again stirring. Perhaps it is time for

another great war. Perhaps ancient enmities

are risings. Or perhaps the horse-warriors of

the steppes have grown tired of living in the

shadow of their “civilized” neighbors.

A great many changes have taken place in

the Endless Waste since the death of Yamun

Khahan, some of which would frighten

those in more civilized lands—were they

close enough to see them. A new nation

rises from the remains of the Tuigan Horde.

Dark secrets of ancient empires come to

light, luring the adventurous and the fool-

ish with promises of powerful magic ripe

for plunder. New wealth and trade ﬂour-

ishes again on the revitalized Golden Way,

linking merchants and adventurers from

far-ﬂung kingdoms to the east and west.

The strange lands of the Endless Waste

beckon to native and outsider alike with the

lure of wealth, power, and forgotten ancient

magic waiting to be discovered.

Revealed here are the mysteries of the

Hordelands: its peoples, locales, and magical

secrets hidden in the remains of long-fallen

empires and fresh battleﬁelds. You can ﬁnd

more details on the Hordelands in Dragon

#349, available at paizo.com/dragon .

The Tuigan

The Tuigan, also known as the Horselords, are

the nomadic, warlike people of the Endless

Waste. Until recently, they have long been seen

as a barbaric race scarcely above goblinkind

and other crude humanoids. The Tuigan, how-

ever, are more than a simple, barbaric peo-

ple. Their military prowess has shown them

to be a formidable force when uniﬁed. They

breed horses, raise goats, and farm the dif-

ﬁcult steppes, trading with their Raumviran

and Semphari neighbors. Geographic barriers

and a propensity for warfare and raiding over

trade almost ensures that the Tuigan will not

expand outside their native steppes.

Tuigan History: Some 10,000 years ago

(around –8900 dr), the ﬁrst tribes came from

the east to settle the Endless Waste. For nearly

two thousand years, the barbarians thrived as

herdsmen of horses and goats. In –7100 dr

they fell under the yoke of the mighty Imas-

kar empire, which demanded tribute in the

form of horses and slaves. The Imaskari saw

great potential in the Tuigan and taught them

their language as well as the art of warfare,

employing Tuigan cavalry in their armies

until the empire fell in –2,488 dr.

A number of lesser empires followed,

holding sway over the region but leaving no

permanent mark upon the Tuigan people.

Around –900 dr, the rising Raumathar king-

dom subjugated those Tuigan dwelling in the

northern Endless Waste. Three hundred years

PEOPLES OF THE

HORDELANDS

Two human races dominate the Endless

Waste. The largest group, numbering about

100,000, are the nomadic Tuigan people who

roam throughout the steppes. Far fewer in

number are the Raumvira (less than 15,000),

proud civilized descendents of the Raumath-

ari Empire who dwell around the Lake of

Mists in small towns and villages. Both the

Tuigan and the Raumvira can serve as excel-

lent character races given their predomi-

nance in the region.

DRAGON 349 Supplement

BARBARIANS OF THE ENDLESS WASTE

F ifteen years ago, the charismatic

later, eastern kinsmen of the Tuigan from the

Plain of Horses stormed across the Endless

Waste in an attempt to push the Raumathari

out of the steppes. Their eﬀorts failed but

they returned in –150 dr to drive out the

survivors of the cataclysm that destroyed the

Raumathari empire.

For more than 1,500 years, the Tuigan

were left on their own—until around 1335

dr, when a powerful young khan named

Yamun brutally put forth the idea of a uni-

fied people of the steppes. In less than 25

years, Yamun’s concerted efforts united

the barbarians of the Endless Waste, so

much so that all the tribes are now widely

known as Tuigan. Backed by his people

and their military might, Yamun Khahan

began a campaign of conquest, easily over-

running the kingdoms of Semphar, Khaz-

ari, Shou Lung, and Rashemen. Fearful

kingdoms from lands west of the Endless

Waste banded together to field an army

in Thesk to stop the rampaging barbar-

ians. The alliance’s efforts in 1360 dr pre-

vailed and the king of Cormyr, Azoun IV,

slew Yamun Khahan in combat. With the

death of their great khahan, the

Horde army disbanded and the

Tuigan people once again reverted to their

traditional nomadic ways.

Within the past few years, Huba-

dai Khahan, son of Yamun Khahan,

has sought to unite the Tuigan

again, although his methods

diﬀer from his father. Hubadai

called for a true Tuigan kingdom,

the result being the promising young

nation of Yaïmmunahar. The Naican,

Oigur, and Commani tribes support

Hubadai’s eﬀorts and are eagerly mak-

ing the transition to civilization. The

other Tuigan tribes of the Endless

Waste have rejected the new nation, an

act that has caused deadly skirmishes as

Yaïmmunahar forges ahead.

Outlook: Tuigan are accustomed to hard-

ship and share a strong appreciation for

individuals who dedicate themselves to

family, a tribe, or a cause. The tribes of the

Endless Waste cling to warlike traditions

and values that o�en lead to intertribal

warfare. Tribal conﬂict primarily results

from dishonorable acts that demand ruth-

less and frequently bloody retribution.

Despite this troublesome

aspect, the Tuigan are

united in the single

belief that they are

Axe of the Horse Lord

The axe of the horse lord is perhaps the

mightiest weapon forged by the wise-

men of the steppes.

Description: This battleaxe

has a broad, serrated blade of

bright steel. The blade’s sharp

teeth never need sharpening

and the horse-riding nomads

who cra� these weapons claim

the jet-wood handles are unbreak-

able. Although the axe bears no dis-

tinguishing runes or other arcane markings,

the tightly wound leather wrapping the

handle cannot be mistaken.

Activation: This weapon always func-

tions as a +3 icy burst battleaxe. Riding a horse

activates its extra damage ability. You may use

the mount ability once per day as a full-round

action by calling its name aloud three times.

Eﬀect: An axe of the horse lord is a +3

icy burst battleaxe. It deals additional dam-

age whenever you wield it while riding a

horse. When you use it from horseback,

the weapon deals 2d8+3 points of damage

and has a x3 critical hit modiﬁer.

In addition, once per day as a full-round

action, you may call upon a magical war-

horse who is absolutely loyal to the axe and its

wielder. The warhorse has the same stats as

the special mount of a 10th-level paladin (but

its alignment always matches that of the axe’s

wielder). The warhorse has a unique name you

must use to summon it. This mount imme-

diately appears adjacent to you and remains

for up to 20 hours. You may dismiss it at any

time as a free action, but if you do you cannot

conjure it again until the next day.

The warhorse is the same creature each

time you summon it. Every time you call the

warhorse, it appears at full health, regardless

of any damage it might have taken previ-

ously. The warhorse also appears wearing or

carrying any gear it had when it was last dis-

missed. Calling the axe’s warhorse is a con-

juration (calling) eﬀect. Should the warhorse

die, it and any gear it had immediately drops

to the ground and cannot be summoned

again for one week. During this week, the

axe of the horse lord is reduced to a simple +1

battleaxe with no other special properties.

Aura/Caster Level: Moderate conjura-

tion/evocation; CL 10th.

Construction: Requires Craft Magical

Arms and Armor, chill metal or ice storm, sum-

mon monster III, 54,310 gp, 3,932 XP, 98 days.

Weight: 6 lb.

Price: 98,310 gp.

DRAGON 349 Supplement

superior to the civilized realms around

them. They hold fast to the notion that

so-called civilized people are cunning,

treacherous, and untrustworthy folk, more

likely to try and take the steppes a piece

at a time rather than attempt an honest,

direct war of conquest.

Ironically, this deeply held belief is now

applied by some Tuigan to Yaïmmunahar.

In the wake of that nation’s founding, the

majority of tribes have decided to reject

Hubadai’s new kingdom. Some tribes even

call for Yaïmmunahar’s destruction, while

others adopt the hopeful attitude that the

kingdom will likely fall apart. Traditional

nomads see Yaïmmunahar as a corrupt

outside inﬂuence that must ultimately fail

so that all the Tuigan can return to their

proper ancestral ways. More progressive

Tuigan view Yaïmmunahar as the natu-

ral conclusion of the inspired vision that

Yamun Khahan put forth during the Horde

War. The new realm will not only serve to

rally the Tuigan, it will also point the way

to their future greatness.

Despite these strongly held views about

Yaïmmunahar, and other “foreign” nations,

the Tuigan have beneﬁted greatly from

dwelling on the crossroads of vastly dif-

ferent eastern and western civilizations.

Fedor’s Lance

This burgundy-colored lance bestows

uncanny might to anyone who wields

it from horseback.

Lore: Fedor the Mighty was among

the most venerated ﬁgures of the

ancient barbarians. While little is

known of his personal life, history

remembers him as one of the most

gi�ed horsemen who ever lived.

Indeed, this warrior led his tribe

in countless battles. Fedor greatly

contributed to the survival of his

tribe as well as the remarkable

reputation of its ﬁerce mounted

warriors, whom many today call

horse lords. Fedor’s most remark-

able accomplishments—a hand-

ful of weapons and trinkets he

fashioned with strong materi-

als and ancient magic—were

inspired by the battleﬁeld.

Description: This simple-

looking lance is made of oak.

Stained burgundy and having

a wide grip covered in woven

black leather, Fedor’s lance

stretches approximately 14-feet

long. Its sturdily-constructed

length tappers from a broad

end down to a tip as ﬁne

as a splinter, but the

weapon’s head is

nevertheless sharp

enough to pierce

any foe.

Activation: Fedor’s

lance’s special ability activates

when you use the weapon

from horseback and attack a

mounted foe.

Eﬀect: Fedor’s lance is a +1 lance .

Whenever you make a mounted charge

attack with Fedor’s lance and hit a mounted

foe, you can make a free bull rush attempt

as part of your attack. You gain a +8 bonus

on the opposed Strength check. If your

bull rush attempt succeeds, your target is

dismounted and falls prone (in addition to

taking normal damage from the attack). His

mount remains in place and is unaﬀected.

Aura/Caster Level: Moderate transmuta-

tion; CL 8th.

Construction: Requires Cra� Magical

Arms and Armor, bull’s strength, 4,310 gp,

332 XP, 8 days.

Weight: 10 lb.

Price: 8,310 gp.

DRAGON 349 Supplement

TRIBAL NAMES

Among the Tuigan, names are a point of honor that bring fame and luck to individuals and

their families. Many Tuigan are commonly named a�er their great heroes. Surnames are

rarely used except for noble families. Khans use the name of their ordu as a surname;

Khahans simply use “Khahan.”

Fedor’s Shield

This beautiful and sur-

prisingly light large

shield grants sta-

bility to anyone

who carries it.

Lore: Few of

the shields

fashioned by

Fedor remain,

and those origi-

nal items frequently

sell for as much as four

times their actual value as

magic items when sold to collectors. Weap-

onsmiths and armorers long ago uncov-

ered how to make copies of Fedor’s famous

shield, and these copies are not uncom-

mon—especially on the high plains.

Description: This simple-looking round

burgundy-colored shield bears a large

white star emblazed upon it. A battered

metal disk in the center of the star rein-

forces the lightwood shield. Although sim-

ple in its design, a closer look at Fedor’s

shield reveals its masterwork quality as well

as its remarkable lightness. The scent of

freshly cut lightwood also lingers around

the item, regardless of its age.

Activation: This shield’s special abilities

are always active as long as you wield it.

Eﬀect: Fedor’s shield is a +2 heavy wooden

shield of bashing, but the item only weights

2 pounds and confers no armor check pen-

alty. Furthermore, if you have heavy shield

proﬁciency, you gain a +4 bonus on checks

made to resist being bull rushed or tripped

whenever you wield Fedor’s shield .

Aura/Caster Level: Moderate transmuta-

tion; CL 8th.

Construction: Requires Craft Magic

Arms and Armor, bull’s strength, levitate,

8,157 gp, 646 XP, 16 days.

Weight: 2 lb.

Price: 16,157 gp.

Male Names

Baga

Chanar

Donozar

Hisir

Jeorug

Marash

Ond

Kaland

Shanim

Torgon

Yitrik

Female Names

Ayana

Bayalun

Chuyb

Dapik

Eke

Heyen

Ongir

Pekal

Razari

Sirya

Yoltil

Surnames

Chogar

Hojar

Irdi

Jonkai

Kantayan

Kadun

Pyar

Rukku

Shinar

Tak

Yok

Centuries of trade with far away places have

opened their eyes to the various ways that

other peoples live, as well as the material

luxuries they enjoy.

Characters: The vast majority of Tuigan

characters are ﬁghters or barbarians, with

rangers and clerics taking up most of the

remainder. Very few belong to arcane spell-

casting classes, although bards play impor-

tant roles as lorekeepers and mystical enter-

tainers. Intolerance for thievery and a gen-

eral lack of reﬁned social graces make rogues

scarce in Tuigan society. Until recently, pala-

dins and druids were unknown, but this is

changing as an inﬂux of deities from the

western kingdoms alters traditional ideas

about worship and introduce the barbarians

to all manner of new gods.

Society: The Tuigan follow a strict, if

informal, hierarchical social structure. Each

nomadic clan is led by a khan responsible

for keeping the peace, providing adequate

defense, and ensuring that the needs of the

clan are met. Children learn to ride horses

shortly a�er they can walk. Women are tra-

ditionally the keepers of all things spiritual,

while the men are considered the purveyors

of battle and tasks that promote or support

warfare, although both genders are com-

petent with both horse and bow. Progres-

sive Tuigans challenge these traditions by

choosing to live as they see ﬁt, which has

led to an increase of women taking up war-

rior roles.

Honor and respect in Tuigan society are

earned through displays of strength, bat-

tle prowess, and horsemanship. Respect is

accorded to all persons unless they prove

they deserve otherwise. A Tuigan noble’s

social status is reﬂected in the size of one’s

tent and the health and size of one’s horse

herd. Another mark of a powerful man or

woman in Tuigan society is the number of

spouses kept. Displays of fear, uncertainty in

the face of crisis, or sloth cause great loss of

respect, and can be good enough reasons to

depose an existing khan.

Most Tuigan dead are burned in funeral

pyres. Those who die in battle are buried in

decorated hillside tombs that include prayers

and supplication to the elemental gods, par-

ticularly the deity of air who claims worthy

souls for the skies.

Language and Literacy: All Tuigan tribes

speak the Tuigan language, descended

from Roushoum, the tongue of Imaskar,

the ﬁrst empire that subjugated the tribes

of the Endless Waste. The various dialects

of the language are mutually understand-

able among proﬁcient speakers and many

tribesfolk speak at least two dialects.

Literacy is almost unheard of among

the Tuigan, as the written word is seen

as having little purpose. The Tuigan of

the barbarian kingdom of Yaïmmunahar,

however, are working to change this per-

ception as they build their new realm and

have need of a writing system. Tuigan is

the official language of Yaïmmunahar,

and while the language uses the Thorass

alphabet (adopted over years of intercepted

trade from the west), the khahan plans to

adopt Roushoum as the language for state

records once enough of his scribes have

learned the Imaskari alphabet in which the

tongue is written.

Appearance: Most Tuigan have yellow-

ish-bronze skin, stand up to 6 feet tall,

and weigh 170 pounds. Typically, they have

raven black hair and broad, flat facial fea-

tures. Men keep their hair short or shaved

bald and wear their facial hair in long

moustaches and short beards. Women

typically wear long braided hair in pub-

lic—only letting family members see their

hair unbraided.

Arms and Equipment: A typical Tuigan

warrior armors himself with banded mail,

leather armor, or scale mail, with a wooden

shield. For weapons, they typically bear com-

DRAGON 349 Supplement

The Yunïchaar

An elite army answerable solely to the khahan, the yunïchaar has its roots in an age-old bar-

barian practice of kidnapping an enemies’ young and raising them as ﬁerce, loyal warriors.

Yaïmmunahar maintains the largest yunïchaar in the Hordelands, numbering well over 10,000

strong. Most of these soldiers are humans of Shou, Raumviran, Rashemi, and Mulan descent.

Orcs, gnolls, gnomes, and a handful of giant-kin round out this well-equipped, well-trained

ﬁghting force. Other yunïchaar armies serve the Fankiang and Zamogedi tribes.

In keeping with his ambitious agenda to adopt the ways of Faerûn’s western kingdoms, Huba-

dai oﬃcially ended the practice of yunïchaar kidnapping—an act that does not sit well with his

more tradition-minded, warlike khans. That the khahan’s yunïchaar forces still number more

than 10,000 despite ten years of steady attrition has led some to think that Hubadai maintains

secret yunïchaar training camps somewhere in his new realm.

spells, but who had otherwise dwindled in

number so as to be just one of many bar-

barian tribes in the region. Over the course

of the next two centuries, the Raumvirans

gradually conquered much of the Endless

Waste, while the Nars extended their rule

south and west along the shores of the East-

ing Reach. By –900 dr, the Raumvirans had

established the empire of Raumathar, with

its capitol at Winterkeep, stretching from

the northern tip of Lake Ashane to the west-

ern shore of the Great Ice Sea and from Sos-

sal to the Lake of Mists.

Frequent conﬂict with Narfell, a neighbor-

ing empire of demon-summoners, eventually

led to the destruction of Raumathar. In –150

dr, the summoning of numerous powerful

monsters and minor deities consumed both

empires in a great conﬂagration. The remain-

ing Raumvirans descended into barbarism,

although Raumviran civilization survives in

Almorel and Drubiev—thanks primarily to

ongoing trade with the dwarves of Siremun

and the steady trickle of trade that passed

along the Golden Way.

In the years that followed the conquests

of the Horde, a surge in trade has brought

both wealth and a ﬂowering of Raumviran

culture among its populace. Once again

traders are crossing the Endless Waste in

large numbers, bringing gold, knowledge,

and magic lore. New Raumviran villages are

springing up around the southern shores

of the Lake of Mists. Almorel and Drubiev

are ﬂourishing, all of which encourages the

Raumvirans to rediscover and develop their

ancient heritage.

Outlook: Raumvirans view life as series

of challenges to be overcome. Respect and

status must be earned, and, as such, never

squandered foolishly. They believe strongly

in the inevitability of life balancing out over

time. Those who seek glory inevitably court

disaster, while those who fail miserably will

invariably rise to succeed.

Characters: Raumvirans have a long-

standing warrior tradition, dating back

to before their fall into barbarism. Rang-

ers, ﬁghters, and warriors play prominent

roles in Raumviran society. Barbarians are

not unknown, but uncommon, appearing

far from settled areas in the steppes along

the Golden Way. Raumvirans accord arcane

spellcasters great respect, particularly con-

jurers, sorcerers, and practitioners of battle

magic. Clerics, druids, paladins, and monks

are rare, as Raumvirans have no strong tradi-

tion of organized religion beyond the vener-

ation of elemental powers. Rogues are fairly

posite shortbows, daggers, and long swords.

Mounted warriors o�en wield lances.

Magic and Magic Lore: The Tuigan peo-

ple hold interesting spellcasting traditions.

Bards are by far the most common arcane

spellcasters, although barbarous sorcerers are

accepted once they prove their worth to the

tribe. Wizards, unless trained in a far-oﬀ land,

are completely unknown. Clerics are more

common than druids, but adepts are almost

ubiquitous, working and praying alongside

clerics as well as acting on their own among

the many smaller Tuigan tent villages.

Deities: Until recently, the Tuigans ven-

erated two elemental lords. Teylas, Lord

of the Sky and Storms—in fact a mascu-

line aspect of Akadi, the elemental god-

dess of air—was first and foremost of

the Tuigan gods. He is both feared and

respected. Tuigans believe that pleasing

Teylas through proper prayer and sacri-

fice guarantees rain, protection from ill-

spirits, and good luck. The second deity is

Etugen, a feminine aspect of Grumbar, the

elemental deity of earth. She provides the

Tuigan with abundant hunts and is asked

to guard the Tuigan’s most trusted and

valuable companion—the horse.

With the founding of Yaïmmunahar,

Hubadai has decided to embrace many

outside ways, including foreign gods. The

result has been a slow incursion of dei-

ties new to the Endless Waste. The Red

Knight, the militant goddess of strategy,

has become a favorite in Yaïmmunahar,

and is worshiped by Hubadai and by those

in his armies.

Relations: The Tuigan of the northern

steppes have good, if somewhat formal,

relations with the other peoples of the End-

less Waste. They typically trade horses and

furs in return for worked metals, armor

and weapons. The tribes of the central and

southern steppes are prone to raiding dur-

ing tough times, making for strained rela-

tions with all neighboring kingdoms.

The Raumviran

Appearing as the opposite of their Tuigan

neighbors, the Raumvirans are peaceable

human merchants settled around the Lake

of Mists who trace their ancestry back to

the ancient magical empire of Raumathar.

Although Raumviran culture has dimin-

ished greatly since Raumathar’s fall, a

handful of Raumvirans seek to preserve the

ancient arts of Raumathari battlemages and

Raumviran conjurers. Once common in the

lands west and south of the Endless Waste,

the Raumvirans are much reduced in popu-

lation today.

Raumvirans regard the accomplishments

and excesses of their Raumathari ancestors

with a mixture of pride and humility. They

have seen the folly of excessive ambition and

experienced the centuries of slow decline

that inexorably follow the collapse of an over-

reaching empire.

Most Raumvirans are content with their

current lives. They suﬀered little in the Horde

War and continue to proﬁt from the steady

ﬂow of trade along the Golden Way. Some

Raumvirans retain their ancestors’ hunger

for adventure and mastery over magic, and

these few are the ones most o�en encoun-

tered outside the Lake of Mists region.

History: The fall of Imaskar in –2488 dr

caused great tumult throughout eastern

Faerûn and the Endless Waste that divide

the western realms from the kingdoms of

Kara-Tur. The Raumvirans, a tribe native to

the Lake of Mists region and known for its

skill in summoning magic and mastery of

forging steel, had long served as proxies for

the Imaskari, keeping the scattered tribes

of the Endless Waste in check. The collapse

of the Imaskari Empire le� the Raumvi-

rans dangerously exposed to the wrath of

the other tribes, forcing them to withdraw

north and west.

A thousand years later, the Raumvirans

remained ﬁerce warriors who retained the

arts of forging steel and casting summoning

DRAGON 349 Supplement

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