D&D 5E The Xrytosians: Scythian-inspired Pegasi-riding Aasimar Steppe Nomads

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I've wanted to make a steppe nomad culture for a homebrew setting for a long time now, as I've always thought the various semi-nomadic pastoral peoples of the Eurasian Steppe were fascinating. I didn't just want to make an equivalent of the Mongol Empire, and also didn't want them to be one of the monstrous races of D&D (cough, Orcs of Thar, cough), and wanted to make something unique and intrinsically fantastical. This idea has been in the back of my head for months now, considering different playable species (centaurs, elves, halflings) and sources of inspiration (Huns, Turks, Parthians, etc) and I finally thought of something I think works really well.

As the title says, my current main idea is that this culture be primarily made of Aasimar that ride pegasi and are primarily inspired by the Scythians. Why the Scythians? First of all, look at this armor. That's awesome. Secondly, there's way less baggage with the Scythians than the other famous steppe nomads. Third, the religion I made for this setting already has some pretty major inspirations from Zoroastrianism, and the Scythians practiced a polytheistic religion related to Zoroastrianism, so it just feels like it fits well into the setting.

Now, I am interested in including stuff from other cultures. Some examples are prominent female warriors akin to the Valkyries/Shieldmaidens/Amazons. The nomadic army will sometimes be called "the Wild Hunt." I'll include some bits of ancient Egyptian religion, like mummification, afterlife journeys, and maybe animal-headed gods. They'll pour molten gold down the throats of captured enemy commanders. I might include some sort of King Midas figure/legend/Darklord, and some other Greek flavor (chariot racing, maybe some deities inspired by Greek mythology).

But the main visual and artistic characteristics of them will be Scythian. Giant burial mounds filled with treasure and mummified kings. Tons of gold artifacts. Deer-shaped horse masks. Yurts. Red rugs and clothing. Leather made from human skin. Goblets made of skulls. Pillaging settlements for money and slaves. Worshipping a Sky Father god (like most steppe nomads originally did) and war god in the form of a sword (Hexblade patron? Maybe mixed with the Sword in the Stone). Stuff like that.

The Xrytosians (meaning "Golden Archers") will live in forts on earthmotes and fly in armies of thousands of pegasi-riding archers. They'll have a warmongering king that wants to conquer the world (similar to Attila the Hun or Genghis Khan) that calls himself the "King of Heaven." Their arrows will use pegasi-feather fletching and they make the best magical bows and arrows in the world. They're often hired as mercenaries because of how effective they are in combat. They have seers that use divination magic to navigate through the sky and find the best settlements to raid. Maybe elemental priests that help with their aerial lifestyle.

I have some ideas for their religion and society, but that's the stuff I want to solidify. Currently I want them to worship 7 gods (7 is an important number in this setting), but I haven't decided on names, lore, or appearance for them. The main 3 gods will be a Sky Father, Earth Mother, and War god in the form of a sword. Maybe there could be a Sun god and Moon god, but I don't know what the others would be. Hunter god? A Snake goddess (associated with Yuan-Ti, Couatls, or Nagas)? Or a fire/forge god? Travel god? There's also the idea of the gods having animal heads, like in Egyptian mythology. Maybe the Sky Father could have a bird head, and the Earth Mother a horse head, or something like that. I haven't made up my mind and would like some suggestions for the religion. I'm open to taking inspiration from gods from other pantheons, but I don't want them to just be knock-offs of Greek or Iranian gods. I prefer to merge ideas to make something new.

Also, Aasimar are pretty rare in this setting, typically living in isolated, magically-protected city states. Steppe nomad empires were typically multiethnic/cultural, so maybe the Aasimar are just the founders of this culture and the elite class of them, while most soldiers are members of some other humanoid race. Or there could be different factions/groups of this culture, one more xenophobic refusing to admit non-Aasimar to their ranks and enslaving them, and others being more "inclusive" in order to recruit more soldiers.

While I do want to keep the more unpleasant aspects of Scythian culture (human sacrifice, slavery, raiding), I also don’t want to make this culture be one of stereotypical war-mad barbaric savages. Less “blood for the blood god” and more “the king sacrificed someone to the war god in order to intimidate his potential rivals.” The motivations between these evil aspects of their society are political and economic, not because the average citizen of the Heavenly Horde just loves murdering people and worships demons or whatever.

Anyway, this is just an idea I’m brainstorming and thought was cool. Any suggestions or feedback? I'll develop this more as ideas come to me.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Here's what I currently have for the Xrytosian religion. Aluhpet is a mix of the Indo-European sky gods, Horus, and a few other ideas. Zamatra is an evil, chthonic Mother Earth. As I mentioned in the OP, I want there to be 7 gods so each deity needs to have a pretty big portfolio.

Aluhpet the Sky Father​

An eagle-headed humanoid figure stands upright, with arms outstretched. Golden plates shaped like feathers hang from his arms, with silver stars scattering the metal wings. In his left eye is the golden sun and the right is the silver moon. This is Aluhpet, the King of Heaven and Father of Creation. The rains fall like tears from his eyes, weeping for his children to be freed from their tyrannical mother.

God of the sky, weather, magic, fatherhood, death, and eagles, Aluhpet is the head deity of the Xrytosian religion. He is considered the father of the Xrytosian people and king of heaven. All that is in the sky are his; the stars, the Seven Heavens, lightning, birds, wind, and so on. The Xrytosian practice of sky burials and creating burial mounds on earthmotes is dedicated to Aluhpet, as a way of sending their souls to the God of Heaven and to deliver them from the Earth Mother's grasp. Those that are killed by lightning, tornadoes, cyclones, and other forms of weather are seen as being shunned by Aluhpet, and thus forbidden to be given the proper burial rites.

There are many stories about Aluhpet in Xrytosian mythology, as he is the most important figure of the religion. The monarchs of the Heavenly Horde claim direct descent from Aluhpet, and that they are his stewards on Tibil, as Aluhpet cannot descend onto it. According to the Eschatonomicon, the world will end when the skies fall, killing all living creatures on Tibil and taking their souls back home to Aluhpet.

Domains: Light, Nature, Tempest
Sacred Animals: Birds (especially falcons and eagles), griffons, pegasi, couatls, sphinxes.
Symbol: Probably something like this, or this, or this. Maybe with the head of the Cahokian birdman.

Zamatra the Earth Mother​

An obsidian mare with a glowing orange mouth and magma-red eyes gallops across the plain. Each step of her foot causes an earthquake and her breath spews pyroclastic clouds. Her children scream as their villages are destroyed and the souls of the dead are reborn into new bodies. Although her children fear and hate her, Zamatra cares not. In time they will grow to forgive her and cherish every abuse she "gifts" them.

Goddess of the earth, wealth, the wilds, motherhood, reincarnation, gravity, and horses, Zamatra is the second most important god of the Xrytosian religion. Everything on and below the Earth are hers; gold, gemstones, terrestrial plants and animals, the Underdark, and the buried dead. Zamatra is a greedy mother, the tyrannical world that created karma to keep her children’s souls trapped on earth and away from their father. The Xrytosians believe that earthquakes, sinkholes, landslides, and other earthly disasters are Zamatra’s attempts to trap her children in her embrace for eternity. It is said that when someone dies underground, their soul is stuck in the earth for decades. Eventually if enough souls find an exit at a volcano, they can all escape at once, causing a volcanic eruption. Some claim that they saw the faces of screaming spirits in the ash and clouds of volcanic eruptions.

In Xrytosian legends, Zamatra is often the antagonist, a jealous, spiteful goddess that kills people on a whim. While the Xrytosians do call her the mother of the world, they are terrified of her, often refusing to say her name. She is normally referred to as "the Dreaded Mother" by those that fear her.

Domains: Death, Nature, Trickery
Sacred Animals: Ants, horses, moles, purple worms, flightless birds, the Tarrasque.
Symbol: A silver horse skeleton

Next I'm working on a war/fire deity and a water god of serpents and healing. They might also be gods of the sun and moon respectively. I haven't decided yet. I considered making Aluhpet also the god of the sun, but he already has a pretty big portfolio.

Please give any thoughts or ideas if you have any.

 

[Zardnaar]

Nice pick and detail. I woukd probably do Parthians myself but I like what you're doing.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Nice pick and detail. I woukd probably do Parthians myself but I like what you're doing.

There was a hint to the Parthians in the post (pouring molten gold down someone's throat is a way they punish captured enemy commanders). And they'll definitely be capable of doing a Parthian shot while flying on their pegasi.

 

[Zardnaar]

There was a hint to the Parthians in the post (pouring molten gold down someone's throat is a way they punish captured enemy commanders). And they'll definitely be capable of doing a Parthian shot while flying on their pegasi.

Pegasus Knight in Shining Force 2.

Like your idea.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Tapati the Flaming Lioness​

A golden lioness runs across the sky, endlessly hunting the moon. Her violent anger radiates from her yellow pelt, shedding sunshine on the world below. Though the inhabitants of Tibil depend upon her light for sustenance, she cares not. All that matters to the lioness is her eternal hunt.

Tapati is the goddess of fire, the sun, hunting, chaos, fury, the forge, gold, and cats. She is the mother of Aluhpet and Zamatra, the primordial chaos that birthed the universe. Though she is the oldest deity in the divine pantheon, she is considered less important than her children Aluhpet and Zamatra due to her callous nature. Tapati cares not about the matters of mortals. Whether her solar rays give life or take it away is of no concern to her. All that matters is the Celestial Hunt, and taking revenge on her grandson Mahaxsaya, the Moon.

Tapati’s role in Xrytosian myths largely revolves around her Celestial Hunt and her hand in the creation of Tibil and the other gods of the pantheon. Stories speculate about the origins of her divine hunt, but there is not unified canonical answer in Xrytosian myths for why the Sun Goddess spends her days chasing the moon. Some say that Mahaxsaya stole something from Tapati, or that Tapati wishes to mate with him, or that Tapati wishes to consume the moon and other celestial bodies to reclaim the glorious power she had when the universe began.

Xrytosians make burnt offerings and sacrifices to Tapati in hope of avoiding her wrath. Whether or not this is effective is a matter of debate. But Xrytosians hold that it is better to be safe than sorry on matters of celestial wrath.

Domains: Life, Light, Forge
Sacred Animals: Lions and other cats, canaries, griffins, fireflies
Symbol: a fireplace

Mahaxsaya the Silver Serpent​

A silver snake slithers through the sky, hiding from the Sun in the shadow of his mother, Zamatra. Though the fiery Tapati often comes close to catching him, the slippery snake always evades her grasp.

The son of Aluhpet and Zamatra, Mahaxsaya is the Xrytosian lunar deity. King of both the moon and the oceans, Mahaxsaya is a powerful god that owns the oceans and the night. Long ago Mahaxsaya offended his grandmother, Tapati, and now has to hide in his mother’s shadow for safety. Always on the run, Mahaxsaya rarely cares for the affairs of mortals. But on the rare occasion that he can rest, the tricksy moon god loves nothing more than a good prank.

Due to his close relationship with Zamatra, the Xrytosians don’t consider Mahaxsaya to be a benevolent god. Legends about him typically revolve around his nature as an eternal fugitive and the dangers of the ocean. Xrytosians are not an aquatic culture, so they have very little use of honoring the King of the Seas. Xrytosians manage to survive off of the waters Aluhpet gifts them through his rains. Mahaxsaya is one of the few gods in the Xrytosian pantheon that doesn’t receive sacrifices or offerings.

Domains: Peace, Twilight, Trickery
Sacred Animals: Serpents, sea creatures,
Symbol: A silver ouroboros wrapped around the moon

---

Okay, that’s four gods down, three to go. All of the elemental gods are done, now I need to figure out what to add next. One of them will be a War god based on the Scythian “Ares.” He might just be a Hexblade patron instead of a true god, though. Maybe a god of wisdom/knowledge? Or a love/art deity?

 

[Tonguez]

Okay, that’s four gods down, three to go. All of the elemental gods are done, now I need to figure out what to add next. One of them will be a War god based on the Scythian “Ares.” He might just be a Hexblade patron instead of a true god, though. Maybe a god of wisdom/knowledge? Or a love/art deity?

I really love that your Earth goddess is a feared terror who keeps her children bound to the world, its certainly a different take on Mother goddess, but does fit a culture that has taken flight.

As to War gods I always liked that the Scythians had a goddess of War (warfare, sovereignty, vegetation, fertility and wealth) - which sorta explains the Amazons. So It might be cool if you also featured such a War goddess for the Xrytosians.

Are you going to be doing a write up based on Targitavah-Skuδa as first King and 'Culture Hero/Demigod', have him double as Warrior God as a balance to the war goddess? (Divine twins) Targitavah also lets you tie-in the serpent-bride and some Artifacts of Power. (make the Serpent-Bride a daughter of Mahaxsaya?)

and what about combining Love and Wisdom in a god(dess)?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I really love that your Earth goddess is a feared terror who keeps her children bound to the world, its certainly a different take on Mother goddess, but does fit a culture that has taken flight.

Yeah, Zamatra is probably the most interesting deity in the pantheon. She was a mix of inspirations, mostly from Dreaded Persephone, Gaia, Artimpassa, and a bit of the setting's Gnostic theme. The Xrytosians being aerial just made having an evil Mother Earth fit really well.

As to War gods I always liked that the Scythians had a goddess of War (warfare, sovereignty, vegetation, fertility and wealth) - which sorta explains the Amazons. So It might be cool if you also featured such a War goddess for the Xrytosians.

Hmm. The vegetation, fertility, and wealth aspects of Artimpasa are Zamatra's domain, while sovereignty is of Aluhpet. I did consider making Tapati the War Goddess. Maybe I could reconsider this and make "Sword-Ares" a representation of her power/her chosen weapon? I'll mull this over.

Are you going to be doing a write up based on Targitavah-Skuδa as first King and 'Culture Hero/Demigod', have him double as Warrior God as a balance to the war goddess? (Divine twins) Targitavah also lets you tie-in the serpent-bride and some Artifacts of Power. (make the Serpent-Bride a daughter of Mahaxsaya?)

I would like to implement the "We are descended from Demigods" aspect of Scythian mythology into Xrytosian religion, but I haven't decided how to do so. Aasimar are relatively new to this setting (appearing ~500 years ago), so tracing their lineage back to a mythological hero-god might be a bit difficult. Maybe Yuan-Ti could have a version of this myth instead of the Aasimar? Or the Xrytosian Kings fabricated this story as a means of legitimizing themselves. It wouldn't be the first time something like that would happen.

and what about combining Love and Wisdom in a god(dess)?

Maybe. I'm currently more likely to take the "Magic" aspect of Aluhpet and merge it with a Knowledge/Wisdom deity. Something like Hermes Trismegistus. And then Beauty/Love/Art can be its own god.

Thanks for this. You've given me a lot to think about.