dorobo

the great plains

A wild expanse of life and grass, Dorobo was a great land of untamable cultures and uncultivated tribes. The Dry Season brought golden, dead grass as far as the eye could see. But the Wet Season, with its flooding rains and sky-branching lightning, brought life bursting from the soil. Hibernating toads erupted from their slumbers, leaves unfurled on long-dead trees, and rivers gushed on once-dry beds.

Dorobo's population was scattered, organized in small tribal bands. Some tribes headed south to populate the Southern Forests and became the Debwani people; while others headed east and pushed the winged Korofi far into the Eastern Plateaus. Most, however, remained on the plains and simply survived on the feral land. Gods had existed in ancient times, but they had long-since faded to mysticism, superstition, and oral tradition. Remnants of these religions pervaded the culture, however, such as a stigmas against different colored eyes and the 'luck' of those those graced with two horns (as they were made 'in the image of the gods'). Festivals were celebrated both before and after the rains came, with stomping hooves and beating drums around crackling fires.

Eventually, the need arose for a common meeting place of these scattered equines; a place to settle tribal disputes, discuss predator's hunting habits, share safe birthing grounds, and the like. Thus, every other rainy season, selected members from the tribes travelled to this 'meeting place' to argue, discuss, debate, and exchange knowledge. And so, as time passed, it became Makutano, the capital of Dorobo.

Makutano grew roots, establishing itself as a the Great Pillar of Dorobo. It became consistently inhabited, with tribes rotating out representatives however often they deemed necessary (more often for the wise tribes of the west, less often for the wild tribes of the south). Though it was a grand city, it was not heavily populated for most of Dorobo's citizens still existed on the Plains, as they had for millennia. 

Makutano's roots grew into branches, branches gave birth to leaves whispering of other lands. The hornless Debwani in the Southern Forests had sweet, succulent grasses all year long. Why was the great Dorobo starving on dried stems in the Dry Season? And the savage, winged Korofi in the Eastern Plateaus were rich with metal ores. Why was the strong Dorobo still fighting predators with wooden pikes? 

So the wisest of representatives created an army— but not in name, for the many tribes of Dorobo would never have agreed to such a thing. There was no need to wage war and spill blood over year-long succulent grasses. The tribes had survived as they had for as long as time could remember— why change? Thus, Makutano's Representative Council created the Banderi: Watchers of Dorobo's borders. There existed an 'invading predator' from the Southern Forests, the Council informed all the herds, and thus the Banderi was necessary and welcomed. 

The culture shifted, as the Banderi recruited the strong, young males of Dorobo and marched through the Southern Forests. They eradicated this 'predator,' but also conquered the small, primitive, unhorned forest tribes. Suddenly, the Great Dorobo and its Great Pillar had succulent grasses all year long... and the 'predator' was no longer anywhere to be found. The eyes of Makutano turned east, to the Plateaus and their ores. The greedy jaws had been opened, and there would be no sating this hunger.


Makutano's greed did not go without victims of both the conquered and Dorobians. The greatest of empires is no more than the sum of its greatest citizens. And when a great man is moved to vengeance by the greed of an empire, he can bring it to its knees. 

Thus, the Elephant General, family lost to this corrupt war, discovered, with the aid of a Poisoner, a Lioness, and other rebels, the truth of the Banderi's March. And so, bent on destruction and trusting few, he whispered in influential ears, warmed the right sheets, and laughed in the powerful circles. He learned of the Banderi's plan to take the Eastern Plateaus. But the Pegasai of the Plateaus were a violent and ferocious nation, unlike the small and primitive equines of the Southern Forests. The winged ones were organized, ready, and willing to take on the Great Banderi. Thus, the General bled out Dorobo's secrets to the Eastern Korofi savages, who eagerly drank the lifeblood and became thirsty for more. They descended on Makutano, destroying the nation as the Great Pillar fell.


The Fall was a bloodbath that overflowed outside of the Pillar. Tradition warfare between the Banderi and Korofi warriors devolved into guerrilla attacks as the Debwani took advantage of the chaos and began to avenge their losses to the Banderi's earlier marches. Though the Plainsmen were great warriors, they were outnumbered by the Debwani and outflanked by the aerial Korofi. Pandemonium reigned as Dorobian tribes defended themselves, slowly being pushed north by the Debwani and west by the Korofi.

Now an uneasy calm has settled over Dorobo, occasionally broken by small (but violent) skirmishes between the three races. There is no unity and the plains are more dangerous than ever.

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• Sexism exists by necessity. Stallions are naturally larger and stronger for survival in the Great Plains and for fighting predators/enemies.
• Magic no longer exist in Dorobo. It did in ancient times, but now medicines and potions have replaced it.
  
• Having two different colored eyes (heterochromia) is considered 'evil' or 'unlucky.'
• Having two horns is considered 'lucky' and desired (made in the image of the gods), thus most Dorobians have 2 horns from thousands of years of mate selection.
• The blood of predators was thought to endow certain gifts to those that wore it. For example: lions' gave strength, cheetahs' gave speed, leopards' gave stealth, hyenas' gave trickery, and wild dogs' gave powerful groupthink.
• Varying amounts of racism between species exists. Before the Fall, a moderate amount existed. But after the Fall, most Korofi despise Dorobians and look down upon Debwani. The Debwani despise Dorobians.
• more to come

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• Adaeze :: Dorobain tribal leader who mistrusted and rebelled against the Makutano.
• Hasovir :: Brother to Tembovu, an exiled Banderi Captain.
• Imani :: Tribal mystic marked with two-colored eyes whose tribe was destroyed by Korofi after The Fall.
• Imara :: Supporter of the Makutano, Kiuaji murdered her father who was on the Council.
• Kiuaji :: Dorobian poisoner that dealt in the underworld of the Makutano. 
• Mavuto :: Native of and runnter for the Makutano, this frenetic woman eventually turned spy.
• Sanaa :: Dorobian plainswoman and sister to Tsavo, she is a laid-back and quirky.
• Tembovu :: Dorobian Elephant General that helped cause the Fall.
• Toulouse :: A non-native Dorobian with tenuous relations in the Makutano.
• Tsavo :: Dorobian council-member who held no love for Dorobo and had a lover Korofi.  

• Unnamed :: Unnamed design by Nikkayla. There's no history/personality yet, but perhaps a darker/evil Makutano character? Contact smitty if interested!

Anyone is welcome to bring a character from Dorobo! Keep in mind that the characters are naturally-colored and based on African wildlife (so be sure your character isn't the same as one already in Helovia!)

Dorobo's Plains are dominated by Unicorns, with variable sizes. Two horns are common, more than that do not exist. Their cultures range from more 'sophisticated' in Makutano to less civilized in the rural plains' tribes, with primarily Swahili spoken, though some southern tribes speak a mixture of Swahili and Hausa.

The Eastern Plateaus are home to Korofi, a Pegasus race in Dorobo. See below for more information!

The Southern Forests are home to the Debwani which are small, nimble, primitive Equines. See below for more information!

The Desert Oasis city of Uumalah is home to a species and characters of all types. See below for more information!

The Desert Nation of Qumox is home to elegant and beautiful equines, pegasus, and the rare unicorn. See below for more information!

If you would like your character to have a Dorobo-history with a current Helovian character, please PM that character! You may also check below for a current-character relations chart. :D 

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Existing Character Relations
Swahili Dictionary
Swahili cultural references
Swahili Proverbs