Fringe Settlement
A handful of Kossith Settlements dot remote corners of Thedas— the early footholds of this horned race in the continent. They are small, fortified enclaves, each forging a unique identity in isolation from the rest of Thedas. These Kossith hold a social structure that is a mixture of pragmatic adaptation and faint echoes of their home island’s traditions.
Environment
These Kossith enclaves often occupy coastal cliffs, river canyons, or plateaus that offer natural defenses. Some enclaves reside in abandoned forts, patching up walls and digging trench lines to keep bandits or curious locals at bay. Agricultural efforts are modest—small fields of hardy crops, orchard groves, or penned livestock—just enough to feed their limited populations.
The local climate can dictate daily life: a stormy coast might see well-built stone docks to weather frequent squalls, while an arid plateau settlement relies on carefully managed wells. In each case, the Kossith adapt with sturdy engineering and cooperative labor.
Culture & Society
Kossith settlements rely on communal pragmatism. Elders or council‐like bodies organize labor, ensuring each member contributes to tasks like fortification, farming, scouting, and defense. Honor and discipline are valued, but not codified in any strict doctrine—rather, they emerge from a shared need to survive.
They maintain smithies for basic metalwork, though supplies of high-quality ore can be scarce depending on location. Crafts—like weaving, leatherworking, or rudimentary architecture—develop out of necessity. Many enclaves incorporate symbolic markers reminiscent of Kossith traits: stylized horns on gateposts, carved scale-like reliefs in communal halls.
Politics
Each settlement stands largely alone. A few enclaves might keep tenuous ties, sending envoys across dangerous terrain or by boat to exchange news and surplus goods. But no overarching governance unites them. Conflicts with outside powers vary—some enclaves trade peacefully with nearby human or elven towns, while others face aggression from neighbors who fear the imposing, horned strangers.
Settlements often rely on sentries and patrols to stay informed of hostile forces. When threatened, they defend with disciplined skirmish lines or fortified walls. If a situation becomes untenable, a settlement may migrate, abandoning its structures and trying to rebuild elsewhere. Yet some enclaves endure, forging cautious agreements or mutual‐defense pacts with local tribal lords or petty kings.
Culture Skills
Fringe Kossith Settlements are scattered strongholds, each standing as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of these horned newcomers.
Standard Skills (+5): Brawn, Conceal, Customs, Endurance, Influence, Ride, Willpower
Professional Skills: Acrobatics, Lore, Mechanisms, Musicianship, Oratory, Survival
Requirements: Kossith
Everyone and everything has a place, in which they work for the good of the whole. It is a life of certainty, of equality, if not individuality.