The Hill tribes
The Hill tribes consist of several tribes that are handling their own internal day to day affairs. They usually cooperate and coexist peacefully, although raids between tribes do occur.
The tribes are:
- Horse tribe
- Moon tribe
- River tribe
- Stonebarrens tribe
- Sun tribe
- Wetlands tribe
- Woodlands tribe
The Hill tribes recognise the government of Dracænaia, and follow it's laws as far as they are relevant to them. The Hill Country is well inside Dracænaian borders, although they are geographically closer to Ta'mery than Hearth is to either.
Each tribe is led by a chosen chief, and the chief is chosen by the Council of Elders of each tribe. The position is not hereditary, but does in practice often pass from father to son, as people recognise that the son of a current chief will have an advantage, having been able to follow and learn from his father. Grievances against the Council can be brought before the chief and vice versa. If neither of the two can be trusted to be neutral, the grievances can be brought before the First Chief.
First Chief
To be able to function as a single people, the joint chiefs choose one of their own to be the Chief of Chiefs, or First Chief for short. The position of First Chief has been with the same family in the Sun Tribe for as long as people can remember, though.
The first chief leads his own tribe and handles diplomatic matters on behalf of the whole Hill country. He was also the war chief in absence of the First Amazon, but now that a First Amazon has been named and endorsed by the Dragon Matriarch, Chara, herself, this role will revert to her.
The current first chief is Mazrevan of the Sun tribe.
Amazons
The hill country used to be the homeland of the Amazons, until they were all but wiped out during a protracted period of unrest and war. The Amazons were the elite of the Dracænaian military.
After the Hill tribes lost most of their women of fertile age, they became protective of the girls that were too young and were left behind. This protectiveness changed into possessiveness and the female-unfriendly situation of the present day.
By proclamation of the king and the Matriarch, and with support of the Wetlands tribe, which has kept the Amazon history and tradition alive but closely guarded, the Amazons will be restored to their rightful place now that the First Amazon has taken hers.
First Amazon
The First Amazon is the leader of all the Amazons, and the supreme commander of all hill tribe forces. She is also the head of the King's Hand, an elite bodyguard and the highest law enforcement in Dracænaia. She only answers to the king and queen, and the King's Hand can therefore enforce the law where others can not, including up to the highest nobility and inside the palace.
Traditionally the First Amazon has always been the second in command of the entire Dracænaian military. Even Orcs, Dwarves and Tigrin defer to her during joint military operations.
She often ends up married to either the First Chief or the Dragon King. The current First Amazon is Mierin of the Sun tribe.