Named Praxian Clans

[Leingod]

I've seen a topic or two (most recently the one on the Morokanth) asking about named Praxian clans, and I figured since I have the spare time I'd look through a few likely suspects to find clans (and a baboon troop) that have been named and where a write-up on them can be found, which might be useful to anyone who wants to have a name ready to use for an encounter with a band or clan, or even just a template for people to come up with their own.

 

Angry Serpent Clan: A Sable clan mentioned as the current residents of the semi-permanent Sable Camp near Badside in Pavis: Gateway to Adventure. However, since the description of the camp says only one clan is currently in residence and the next paragraph details the Rock Speakers Clan (see below), this may just be an alternate name for that clan.

Ansil Clan: A Pol-Joni clan known only for being the birth clan of Toltar Gorsborn, a devotee of Urox who now sits on the Cinsina tribal ring. This is detailed in The Coming Storm.

Arinstoli Clan: A Sable clan mentioned in King of Sartar as worshipers of the White Bull, which allowed Argrath to make peace between them and the Bison Tribe. Presumably they live in Arinstoli, a place named for the Impala khan who first led a clan there.

Black Bison Clan: A clan only really known for being mentioned as the home clan of some adventurers who appear in the Sartar Companion and Pavis: Gateway to Adventure.

Black Shield Clan: A Bison clan numbering about 1,000 people and “several thousand” bison. They first appear in Borderlands, but are named in Pavis: Gateway to Adventure.

Blue Llama Clan: The “bloodthirsty and much-prophesied” clan of: Orgwaha, who made all the Chaos of the Lunars manifest itself in Boldhome when he visited in 1613; Yazurkial, a shaman with “strange ideas about magic” who likes to talk to foreigners; and Orgdaka, a shaman who spends most of his time questing in the Spirit World to return Lucky Star (a.k.a. the Blue Planet) to the heavens. Lucky Star played a big role in the creation and leadership myths of the High Llama, and the Blue Llama have a special connection to it that's likely the source of the aforementioned prophecies.

Father Aedan's Big Weapon Troop: A baboon troop of 18 adults led by Father Aedan Big Weapon; they appear as an encounter in Pavis: Gateway to Adventure.

Flower Bison Clan: Also called the Skull Bat Clan. They number about 800 people, and their khan is Narmeed Whirlvishbane. They're apparently detailed in Cults of Prax, but I don't own that book.

Green Stripe Morokanth: A “large” clan of Morokanth that set up a semi-permanent camp near the Bilos Gap for unknown reasons. Other clans seem to drop in every week and leave a week later, and many ceremonies seem to be going on. They first appear in Borderlands, but are named in Pavis: Gateway to Adventure.

Impala Bone Clan: A clan mentioned in the Guide to Glorantha as inhabiting the Impala Bone Grasslands, a “magical place” on the borders of Vulture Country and Wahafanzali, sporadically fed by the Angry Serpent Path. They're also mentioned as being famous for their “serpent fighters.”

Rock Speakers Clan: A wealthy and prestigious Sable clan of about 400 people and more than 2,000 herd beasts who claim the place known as “Where the Rock Speaks” as a holy place and currently reside in the semi-permanent Sable Camp near Badside. Their khan is Boronwaha, but the real power is his wife (to whom he is only the senior husband), Queen Delenda. Their shaman is named “Teaching Stone.” They're detailed in Pavis: Gateway to Adventure. I don't know if they appeared first elsewhere.

Snow Bison Clan: A possibly lost/extinct clan mentioned in the Guide to Glorantha as leading the push against the horsemen of Pent back in the Second Age.

Stone Llama Clan: A lost clan spoken of by the Animal Nomads; known only from a mention in the Guide to Glorantha that the nomads deny that this clan is actually the hundreds of sandstone shapes at Sitting Llamas.

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Leingod said:

Ansil Clan: A Pol-Joni clan

The Ansil are one of the WBRM/DP units.  There's a different take on them in Martin Helsdon's Armies and Enemies of Dragon Pass.  They are certainly a unit of the Barbarian Horde, but may or may not be Pol-Joni.

2 hours ago, Leingod said:

They're apparently detailed in Cults of Prax, but I don't own that book.

Yes, they are.  

[Leingod]

5 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

The Ansil are one of the WBRM/DP units.  There's a different take on them in Martin Helsdon's Armies and Enemies of Dragon Pass.  They are certainly a unit of the Barbarian Horde, but may or may not be Pol-Joni.

You know, I was going to include a disclaimer of "Some of these may have been detailed elsewhere in older material I don't have access to," but forgot to. Thanks for the info!

 

[David Scott]

10 hours ago, Leingod said:

Flower Bison Clan

Is the sample clan for Prax in RQG, page 141.

10 hours ago, Leingod said:

Blue Llama Clan

Vishi Dunn, one of the pre-gens is a member. RQG page 90. Vasana's sage, page 235, has Yazurkial Blue Llama meeting the group.

[Ladygolem]

This is from Tales of the Reaching Moon #6, published 1991. I'm uncertain how "canonical" it's considered nowadays, so take this info with a grain of salt.

Quote

[19] Photius dutifully copies out the old census information which I transcribe here:

“It is estimated that there are approximately 80,000 Bison people divided into 7 major tribes. It is not possible to further breakdown population figures by tribe using the current data.
“The major tribes of the Bison nation are, in order of precedence:

* Bull’s Blood. The paramount tribe. Their leader, the outlaw Akasta Ironspear, is the great khan of the Bison People.

* Skull Bat. Also known as the Flower clan.

* Lance clan. The most severely depleted of the Bison tribes at Moonbroth, the Khan of the Lance People possesses the War Arrow, a medicine bundle of immense power. Thus, though reduced in number, this tribe still commands considerable prestige.

* Midnight. Their tribal totem is the Raven, a darkness spirit. Their ways and customs somewhat set them apart from the rest of the Bison People.

*Sword Clan. This grouping is a recent creation, and is held together by religious rather than family ties - members have come from almost all the other tribes. The Sword Clan are sworn to drive the Lunar Presence from Prax.

* Death Bat. Their Eirithia Queen possesses one of the Horns of Plenty.

[the rest of the quote concerns Lunar diplomatic policy toward the Bison tribe/"nation"]