The Barbosian Thread

[Carbon14sample]

I am very sorry for your loss friend, my condolences to you and your family.

As far as myself, I will Not be able to play tonight. Something important has come up and will not be able to get back home on time.

[Dramavictim]

Barbosians guide themselves by five paths. Below is Kel's explanation of them...


Path of Steel- By far the most common path, this is the path of the warrior. The quest is not so much for wealth, but for glory, fame, and recognition of great deeds. It also involves gaining of a foe's goods so one can present this to their prospective bride. One on the path of steel must show great courage at all times and never break their word. Barbosians on the path of steel are almost always male. Indeed, women on the Path of Steel will find themselves cut off from the people with only one chance of returning: Success! Success, in this case means more making a living, or killing a few measly orcs. True victory over nigh legendary foes must be achieved if a female Barbosian is ever to be recognized by the tribe. Unless she does this, she is to be considered a walker of the Path of Shadow for going against the tribal traditions. At one time, the Barbosians on the path of Steel attempted to conquer hunting and cattle lands for their women, but the Kings of Talagon long ago swayed them from that ancient practice. By befriending the Barbos, the Crown has made themselves immune to any such future attempts. Indeed, other Barbosians would turn on any tribe trying such. After all, a Barbosian on the path of Steel would never steal from a friend or a host.

Path of Gold - Seen as an acceptable (Barely to some), but lesser path, the Path of Gold is well named. A barbosian sells his or her services to the world at large. He is, in short, a mercenary. Some offer themselves as scouts to assist the knight watches in the north of the kingdom. Others put their swords to temporary use when one baron battles another on behalf of which ever pays more. It really is that simple. The danger, as far as we Barbos see it, is of becoming so civilized that you lose being of the blood and become soft. Most Southlanders, as we call the people of the Kingdom, actually prefer to deal with these sorts it seems. I suppose they can grasp the motivation the easiest.

Path of Spirit- Among every people in the world it seems, there will always be those drawn to the gods, and the spirits of nature. Those Barbos who would become druids, priests, or shamans take up this path. They are highly respected, a little bit feared, and both women and men may walk it freely. Indeed, since they are not technically warriors, but this path often requires tending to and aiding the warriors, this is one area where women of the Barbos may take up arms without shame. Those on the Path of Spirit are charged with an additional task of interpreting what our ancestors would want of us. Because of this reverence for those now dead, some Southlanders have worried we are Death Worshippers, but we Barbos believe there is a difference between serving death, and serving the dead.

Path of Ice- Ice in the north can take a very long time to thaw, and on some mountaintops, it never does. It is cold, it is often harder than it looks, and it can cut and numb. Because of this, the name 'Path of Ice' has been given to the road of vengeance. Those Barbosians who have lost loved ones from some monster or foe in a horrible fashion may, if they insist, dedicate their lives to vengeance. If a mother or sister is raped, if a father or brother is slain by treachery, all these things and more can drive one to the Path of Ice, and no true Barbosian will deny the right to it. There are even tales of women taking up this path, particularly if they have no brothers, fathers, or sons to take it up for them. Oddly, neither men nor women object to this when they do. A life of vengeance is not considered much of a life at all. Some women of the Barbos refer to the right to wield weapons after such a loss as "the terrible price of steel".

Path of Shadow- The exiled, the shamed, the crazed, and the cursed, this is the path of Shadow. It is the path of those who are considered a danger to the Barbos, indeed, they are barely considered Barbos at all by most of the tribes. Yet some flicker of hope remains that they might redeem themselves. Any male found with arcane ability, such as myself, is expected to walk this path voluntarily if he has any honor at all or he maybe forced on it (or slain). Any woman who takes up the steel as a warrior is consigned to it, until she performs some great deed where the rightness of her path becomes undeniable.

..............
As always, the above is subject to revision and change by the DM and may vary somewhat from tribe to tribe.