Elk tribe

The Elk tribe was an Uthgardt barbarian tribe of the Silver Marches.

Lands
The Elk tribe's ancestral mound was the Flint Rock,  though they'd largely abandoned it. Without the faithful to upkeep it, it fell into a decrepit state.

In the mid-to-late 1300s DR, the tribe typically ranged over the Evermoors, the plains east of the River Dessarin, and along the Dessarin and the lower Surbrin valleys.

Culture
The Elk tribe were seen as the most arrogant, ill-tempered, and self-indulgent of the Uthgardt tribes and they were regarded by most as little more than raiders and pillagers. They regularly raided caravans and villages, even those of other tribes for food, for women, and just for the fun of it. They carried away prisoners to ransom, but if the ransom wasn't enough for their liking, they kept the ransom money and sold the prisoner to slavers.

By the, the tribe had completely shunned all aspects of "civilized" society. They held roughly the same amount of territory.

The Elk tribe's ritual enemy—something young barbarians must face and defeat as a rite of passage and the target of ritual hunts—was "the ancient ones". In practice, any ruin, tomb, or sign of a lost civilization counted.

Leadership
In the mid-to-late 14 century DR, the Elk tribe was led by Chief Zokan Thunderer, whom many considered a rude and ugly brute but also perhaps the most cunning, wealthiest, and most hated and feared bandit king in the North. There was a reward for his head, but he was hard to catch, let alone kill. He was well-protected by his warriors and a shaman.

The tribe had two shamans: Berchtwald Bandylegs venerated the Elk totem and Trothgar Grunald led worship of Auril.

Religion
The tribal totem was the Elk, a great spirit serving Uthgar. Shamans of the Elk totem possessed a beast power known as the Horns of Wisdom; this was similar to commune, but had the side-effect of elk antlers sprouting from the shaman's skull. Every use of the power (usable once a day) made the horns grow further. If they grew too long or heavy, they were shed in winter with a new set grown in spring, darker in hue. They could not be used to fight, as the human body was not built for it. They could however shapechange into elks.

However, much of the Elk tribe worshiped other gods, primarily Auril the Frostmaiden but also Malar the Beastlord and Talos the Destroyer, whose clerics had gained a grip on the tribe by 1357 DR. This turn away from the Elk was attributed to Zokan Thunderer's lax rule. The followers of Auril, Talos, and Malar almost stamped out worship of the Elk totem. Auril's deep influence over the Elk tribe and turning them away from the Elk earned her Uthgar's ire.

Relations
During the mid-to-late 14 century DR, the tribe had gained loose ties with the leaders of Luskan, but they had few other friends.

History
Once a proud people, the Elk tribe joined the Uthgardt alliance against an army of goblins and orcs led by ogres that marched out of the Evermoors in the. Though the Uthgardt defeated the horde, the Elk tribe warriors were nearly annihilated when they defended the Flintrock ancestral mound.

In the aftermath, the Elk tribe was close to dying out. Though they survived, they were not much more than bandits.

Notable Members

 * Chief Zokan Thunderer, chieftain of the tribe by 1357 DR.
 * Berchtwald Bandyleg, shaman of the Elk totem by 1357 DR.
 * Holga Kilgor