Tahnsko
The Clan of the Bison
The Tahnsko are the eldest clan of Middangeard, and some say the wisest. They are the ancestor clan to whom magic was first bestowed, and it is from their lineage that all the Eórdic clans of Middangeard are descended. When the first humans appeared in Middangeard, they were placed by the Giants upon the fertile plains known as the Giants’ Bed. There the young race was watched over by their guardian deities, kept safe from the wilder world surrounding them and able to enjoy the bounties of the land.
After generations of living upon the plentiful Giant’s Bed, a legendary figure called Eórden entreated with the Cwéne of Roses herself and undertook a series of trials to prove that humanity was ready to set forth into the greater Realm. Upon completing these trials, Eórden was bestowed with the Giants’ Blessing, allowing him to access the flow of magic coursing through Middangeard. He returned to his people to share this blessing with them, and proclaimed them one great Clan - Tahnsko of the Bison.
No longer sequestered to the Giant’s Bed, the people of Tahnsko now lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle as they follow the herds of aurochs, oxen, wisents, and bison in a great migration, or eówod, across the vast lands of the Realm. Their herds feed upon the grasses enriched by the Eórdrún, the magic of the giants across the continent, and the folk of Tahnsko are always on the move from one sacred wellspring site to the next, following both the changes in the seasons and the flow of magic as it moves throughout the land.
Above all else, the Tahnskans revere the land, drawing great power from the Giants slumbering within the earth. Elders reverentially pass on their wisdom from generation to generation, so that many of their traditions have continued unchanged for hundreds of years. With their deep knowledge of the earth and the life it brings forth, Tahnskan priests are the most skilled healers that Middangeard has ever seen.
The people of Tahnsko are humble, stoic, and strong willed. They will always put the good of the community over their own individual wellbeing. While it takes much to move the Tahnsko to conflict, if provoked they are unmatched in strength and numbers. Tahnsko druids wield great war staves as both bludgeoning clubs and fountains of magical power. Even the wild Khode know to keep a respectful distance and mind their manners whenever dealing with Tahnsko.
Staunch traditionalists, if there is one fault that Tahnsko can be guilty of, it is their unwillingness to accept outsiders and their customs. While they generally have good relationships with the other Eórdic clans, their hospitality and goodwill is only given begrudgingly to newcomers to the Realm. The newcomers of Zehir in particular have been met with suspicion by the Bison clan, and there are some who believe that Tahnsko was partially responsible for the cataclysm that destroyed an early Iztani settlement through their beseeching of the Giants.
