species [Lore] Viking Caribou

[SteelEagle]

A CLASH OF STEEL AND IDEALS: KNOWING THE CARIBOU FOE

 

(Art by community artist Zeig)

 

From the snowy north known as Whitescar beyond the perimeter of the Crystal Empire and the sea that protect it sallies forth one of the most well known of Equestria's ancient scourges. Tales of their raids and daring stretch as far back as recorded Equestrian history and even into its pre-history, when the ancient pony tribes found themselves assailed in their own lands. The griffons tell tales of four legged beasts of great size, power, and prowess. The zebra speak in hushed tones of Equestria's northern terrors who on rare occasions shatter the peace of the Unyassan savanna. Across the oceans their stories are known; the sky rings with the clash of metal; the ground shakes at their berserker Charge. No corner of the world known to the ponies of Equestria has been entirely free of their presence at one time or another. They barrel down from the capital city of Heil and before them many tremble. They are the caribou and only time will tell whether their past determines their future.

 

The caribou hail from a harsh land where only a few things grow and fewer things grow easy; settlements can be buried by snow and large numbers of Diamond Dogs and elder dragons take up the mountain spaces. The Spine of the World Serpent cuts through the land like an ugly scar, the depths of the world's toughest and most volatile mountain terrain unbearable to all but the most hardy and well armed. In this landscape, the clans of the caribou compete for what few resources can be wrought from the land. The strongest clans get the lion's share while the weaker clans fade away. Such is as it has been since the dawn of time. This has forced them to look elsewhere for sustenance and they have found many cities around the world to provide for them, willingly or not. Their well-made longships take them across the sky and sea, primarily along the coasts of Equestria where they find many settlements to raid. In the air, retrofitted airships fly alongside longships with the aid of renegade ponies, the ancestors of those who fled Equestria and the Crystal Empire at the defeat of their former masters, Nightmare Moon and Sombra respectively. They work alongside their caribou allies, intertwined in daily life if not sharing the same level as respect.

 

In Caribou society, the more successful the raid, the more successful the clan and captains. Occasionally, one clan will become strong enough to unite all others under a single banner and the ensuing Charge will shake the region. Whether it is launching large expeditions to the far corners of the world in the name of exploration, rooting out the diamond dogs and dragons that roost in the mountains, or breaking down the walls of a nation's resistance, the Charge of the united caribou is as awesome as it is unstable. Once the leader of the Charge dies, a plan fails, or the warriors feel fortune is not with them, their loyalty will falter and revert back to their individual clans resulting in infighting.. Many times has an invasion of Equestria been thwarted by some great fortune or a rumor in the caribou camp running out of control. The most notable of this particular instance was more than a thousand years ago, when High King Henpecked the Heavy-Bearded allied with King Sombra. In receipt of more than a thousand of each type of pony as slaves, he prepared the Charge to hammer into Equestria's unguarded flank. When Sombra was defeated however, rumors in camp blamed the Snow Spirit of Saarkaval for it, a sign that the Elements opposed the High King. Enough clans refused to move forward to bring the campaign to a halt, and when that happened, the rest left too.

 

Often times, caribou will have clan symbols and other iconography painted on them in addition to their normal coat. Antlers of all sizes are common, with some of the most honored warriors having misshapen antlers- cutting them off is a source of minor shame until they grow back, revealing for a lifetime the scars of his combats! From birth the fawn is brought up to learn the ways of his or her clan, but there are a few constants throughout.

 

Training for combat is a priority as both a means for sustenance as well as protection from Diamond Dogs and dragons. Almost every caribou will have mastered the axe and the shield, with the sword and spear being widely deployed as well. Arrows and javelins are also not uncommon, but except in the case of experts and marksman, are usually used by teenage caribou in their first few engagements. These often times come in the form of raids, which are mostly conducted by one captain and his crew. The crew may vary depending on the captain, the clan, and the target, but it can range from a longship full of veteran warriors preparing to launch a pincer attack against a port to loot it all the way to a single squad of 'Newfies' preparing to ambush a farming convoy.

 

It is therefore not entirely their fault that the other races of Equestria consider the caribou to be bloodthirsty warriors bent on destruction. And while such notions are not entirely without merit, nor is it entirely correct. Caribou view this as the way of life that the strong must follow in order to prosper, with no ill intent intended towards their victims- it is just business. What began as a requirement in order to survive has evolved into a sacred tradition of their society.

 

Another tradition is the Will Test, when a young caribou is sent into the Southern Wilds to retrieve a flower special to his clan. Through harsh winds and the forbidden magics that mark this place as well as the deadly native creatures that haunt every step, the will of a young caribou is tested. Those who return are considered adults. Those who fail this passage from childhood into adulthood are cast out until they can bring something of worth back to their clan. It is from these Clanless that Equestrians have learned of the many customs of the many clans, with the single identifying being that once an adult, a Clan member enjoys a life that is entirely supportive as well as universally loving and friendly. Civil war inside of a clan has never happened, and acts of violence are a once in a generation occurrence. It is odd that this attitude has failed to take over the species at large, which makes the current political situation all the more dramatic.

 

Recently a new High King has been crowned, the first in over a hundred years. High King Dragonsong of Heil-Barn has proclaimed peace between the caribou and the races of the world in an effort to see a new era for his people, one where they can work with instead of against the world. This was not a popular proclamation, but his absolute annihilation of the invasion of the Shape-Changers and Emotion-Sappers (Changeling) of the Western Reaches of Whitescar as well as his daring counter-offensive that destroyed their local hive in the mountains earned him enough cache with the caribou to have his position secured. With his new found power secure for a short while, he made broad proclamations in order to soften the sharp edges of Caribou social and foreign policy, an incredibly controversial move that only somebou of such stature could attempt. Many decided to follow the new course set by the king and abandon some of the old ways for the new. From his fortress mountain city of Heil, he commands the majority to do good works. From the coastal cities of Saarvagerg and Barn to the nomads in the beating heart of the land of Snow and the Wind they call home, the caribou are turning a new leaf.

 

Many others however oppose the reforming of the old ways. While the High King is safe in his mountain fortress and his allies are numerous, the warlike ancient traditions will not die so easily. More than a dozen clans have left the homeland in a mass exodus, flooding the seas, the air, and the neighboring regions with a tidal wave of desperate caribou with a large number settling in the northwestern Badlands. Others seek glory so they may go back to Whitescar and overthrow the High King and reverse his foolish ways. All are opposed to the High King, and the High King is opposed to them and will do everything in his power to bring them under his control in dog-like subservience and obedience. The only certainty is that nowhere in the known world is safe from either the renegade clans following the old ways or the armies of High King that seek to bring these rebellious clans back into the fold, and that the fate of the caribou hangs in the balance.

- Excerpt from, "The Northern Winds: A Call to Action," By Silverwing, noted alarmist and retired Admiral