The Iqaba Peoples

The Iqaba peoples are a collection of tribes of Iqaba situated in the northern regions of Estermark, bordering the Grand Chantry of Cadogan Wick to the south and The Bèt to the north east. Rather than being a unified and ordered faction, the Iqaba tribes are more a collective gathering that cooperate out of a neccessity needed for interaction with the wider world and to be able to present themselves as a strong people to the other factions and beings of Estermark.

Iqaba
The male Iqaba look like giant monstrous brutes, rippling muscles, sharp pointed teeth standing well over 7 and 8 foot tall, clawed fingers and feet, with a beast like appearance to them. On the other hand the female Iqaba look almost like normal humans, they are taller than the average human female, most of the female Iqaba are about 6 foot to 6'5. Whereas the males are the epitome of strength, muscle and brute force, the females are the true embodiment of grace, speed and cunning. This is not to say the males and females are exclusive to these traits, most male Iqaba can stalk through the bushes without so much as a single twig snapping underfoot and they can move faster than the blink of an eye, moving faster than their size would suggest.

Culture
The culture of the Iqaba is very simple, they are a people who go day to day making sure they fulfill themselves, a people of very little crime as all that is needed is around them. They live in the great forests, mists and mountains of the northern regions of Estermark and also in the savannah region of Shanai. They live at one with the nature around them, they live amongst the trees, cutting down only what is necessary to make their buildings and fires, planting more trees than they use. From an outside perspective it is surprising to see these savage brutal people taking such precious care with tiny saplings, helping and watching them grow to become gigantic trees as their forefathers before them were.

Contrast to this seemingly gentle nature the Iqaba do practice what can only be called cannibalism, part of their cultures involves engorment upon the dead of their tribe, their beliefs are that by consuming the flesh and parts of their friends and family they can take on the deceased's strength and memories and that in this way their ancestors live on within each living Iqaba. This sometimes makes the other races of the world shy away and look down on the Iqaba as savages, yet the Iqaba look upon the burnt and buried bodies of those people's dead and shiver in horror at all that they believe is lost in doing so.

Religion
The religion of the Iqaba is based upon the thrill and challenge of a worthy hunt, it is due to this the savagery of the Iqaba becomes more understandable, their entire culture and belief rests upon the ideals of finding a bigger and better challenge, the higher the risk of death the greater their devotion to their god, Khamadar, where others enter their churches and scrape their knees on the floors of their churches and abbeys the Iqaba will sharpen their weapons, grit their hands, tighten their bindings and go hunting for the biggest beast they can. An Iqaba who fights or kills an unworthy foe is deemed an outcast, they are below the level of a worm to the rest of their people, such Iqaba who make this mistake are cast out, they will fight any and everything they can until their death at the hands of a mighty beast or foe, only then are they redeemed in the eyes of their god and their people. It is to this end, of finding the biggest and best, that Khamadar, when creating the Iqaba blessed them with a natural aura of power, one that accelerates greatly the growth of all natural things around them, the plants, the animals, even the other individuals of their tribe.