Theriad Caravans
On the edges of everything reside the Theriads. Their steps count cycles into the earth, and the few that settle make their homes in the cracks: they are the ones that brave the icy tundras within the Frozen Wastes; they are the ones trying to settle the edges of the Kimarel Wild Lands; their Heartstone Road connects every country to the other. Welcome nowhere yet essential everywhere, they eternally search for the place one can call home.
Geography
A nomadic civilization.
Architecture
They have painted caravans.
Notable Locations
There are a wide variety of landmarks Theriads note on their journeys, from Kimarel's creeping edge to Coronus's talus screes. A selection of some of the most well known ones are as follows.
Honeyed Valley
A beautiful and lush valley in the center of the Coronus mountains.
Heartstone Road
The main route theriad caravans travel.
Frozen Wastes
The far north. Semi-settled.
Kimarel Wildlands
The thin line of wilderness where people don't up and vanish. Semi-settled.
History
There is one point on which the legends agree: theriads were created from a group of humans who were traveling in the desert and encountered a godbeast. That, however, is the only point on which they agree.
Outside of theriad circles, the prevailing story is this: the humans were criminals on the run. They were thieves, murderers, liars, and cheats; they were a band of the worst of the worst humanity ever had to offer. They tried to run, but instead crossed paths with He Who Will Devour Land and Sea. Not even the sight of the Devourer itself could humble these fools, and their disrespect brought its wrath down upon them. The curse made their monstrousness manifest, contorting their bodies into horrible beastly shapes and revealing them to be no more than ill-bred creatures of hunger. To this day, the filth runs so deep that even their children's children's children still hold these horrid forms.
Within theriad circles, the story plays out much differently: the humans were explorers. They were seeking to map the desert expanses, but befell disaster, and began to run out of supplies. Starved and dying of thirst, they crossed paths with He Who Began All. They were supplicants at its feet and begged for its mercy, and indeed, the Lifebringer took pity on them. It blessed them the only way it knew how: it changed their bodies into a new shape, granting them the capacity to survive just a little longer, and make it to the next wellspring. The endurance of their form is proof of the Lifebringer's eternal blessing and protection.
Technology
They're the mailmen.
Politics
Each caravan appoints a leader. Noncentralized.
Legal System
Restorative justice, but may depend on the caravan.
International Relations
Either really bad or really good.
Economy
Communal.
Cuisine
Hunting and foraging.
Culture
Gentleness and acceptance. Conflict resolution is a very important skill.
Arts and Entertainment
Turned knot-tying into an art form.
Childrearing
Typically, a caravan elder supplies the role of teacher and caretaker for the children.
Death
Road markers and epitaphs.
Family
Long distance lovers are common. Invented the love letter.
Romance
Theriads are credited with the invention of the love letter: it is very common for theriads to form relationships with those in other caravans and only see each other once or twice per year, which has made love letters into a full-fledged art form. This yearning for your far-off lover is heavily romanticized, and it's fairly common for someone to have both a local lover and a far-off lover. Sometimes, they'll even move caravans to switch who is local and who is far.
Religion
Focus on small shrines to local deities.