Altan Saryk

Altan Saryk

The Altan Saryk are a nomadic wanderborne people of Mythgaradda, notable for their continuous migration, collective navigational abilities, and association with an ancient traveling monolith known as the Saryk Cairn (often called the Roadstone by outsiders). They are widely regarded as one of the most difficult cultures to track, define, or politically engage, due to their refusal to settle and their practice of leaving no lasting trace of their presence.

They are sometimes referred to in external sources as the Golden Step Caravan, though this name is not commonly used by the Altan Saryk themselves.

Overview

The Altan Saryk exist entirely in motion. They do not establish permanent settlements, claim territory, or construct lasting monuments. Instead, their identity is maintained through shared practices, oral tradition, and their collective relationship to the Saryk Cairn.

They are multi-ancestry in composition and adopt members selectively, though a distinction is maintained between those born into the tribe and those who join later in life.

Observers often describe the Altan Saryk as practical, emotionally restrained, and resistant to both divine authority and centralized power, though such interpretations are disputed.

Origins

No definitive origin of the Altan Saryk has been established.

Oral accounts collected by scholars indicate that:

• the Saryk Cairn predates the tribe itself
• no living memory exists of a time before the Cairn
• the Altan Saryk gradually formed around the Cairn rather than being founded as a single people

Attempts to reconstruct an early homeland have failed, as the Altan Saryk neither record fixed locations nor preserve written history.

The Saryk Cairn (Roadstone)

Description

The Saryk Cairn is a massive, teardrop-shaped stone monolith, taller than an average person. During migration, it is observed to hover slightly above the ground and is drawn forward by coordinated groups of Altan Saryk in a practiced formation.

The surface of the Cairn is largely obscured by:

• ancient runes of unknown origin
• embedded Seithr relic fragments
• banners, cords, hides, and cloth offerings added over generations

The Cairn is always positioned at the center of the caravan when the Altan Saryk halt.

Believed Nature

The prevailing belief among the Altan Saryk is that the Cairn contains the accumulated lived knowledge of all past true members of the tribe. This knowledge is not understood as memory or personality, but as instinctual understanding—particularly of terrain, wind, timing, and danger.

This belief is not formalized as doctrine and is not subject to internal debate.

Outsiders disagree on whether the Cairn is:

• a relic repository
• a divine construct
• a collective arcane phenomenon
• an unknown natural artifact

The Altan Saryk themselves do not offer clarification.

The Pull

While traveling with the Cairn, true members of the Altan Saryk share a phenomenon known as the pull—an instinctive, communal sense of direction and timing. This grants them exceptional navigational abilities and is believed to be the source of their capacity to traverse routes considered impassable by others.

The pull weakens when the tribe is divided and disappears entirely in individuals no longer attuned to the Cairn.

Social Structure

Roles, Not Ranks

The Altan Saryk do not maintain permanent leaders or formal hierarchies. Instead, authority is exercised through rotating roles based on need and experience, including:

• Path-Readers
• Cairn (Roadstone) Tenders
• Shield-Bearers (guards and mediators)
• Lore-Keepers
• Traders and Speakers

Authority is situational and temporary, ending when its purpose is fulfilled.

Membership

The Altan Saryk recognize two primary social categories:

• Sarykhun — “Those of the Stone”; individuals born into the tribe and fully bound to the Saryk Cairn
• Zökhari — “Those Who Walk Beside”; individuals who join the tribe later in life and are accepted as kin but are not bound to the full obligations of the Cairn

This distinction carries no explicit social stigma but defines expectations and responsibilities.

The Returning Walk

Upon reaching maturity, Sarykhun undertake a rite known as the Returning Walk.

The individual departs alone, choosing their own route and duration, with no assistance from the tribe. The sole requirement is that they find their way back.

The Altan Saryk believe this rite tests attunement to the Cairn, not endurance or bravery. Failure to return is interpreted as evidence that the individual was never fully attuned, and that their continued presence would pose a risk to the collective.

Those who do not return are called Kharuun (“Those who did not find the road back”) and are mourned but not shamed.

Philosophy of Motion

Core Belief

A central tenet of Altan Saryk culture is the belief that stagnation invites decay.

This philosophy applies beyond physical movement to emotional and social conduct. The Altan Saryk discourage dwelling on grief, maintaining grudges, or preserving unresolved conflict, viewing such behaviors as forms of stillness that threaten collective survival.

Forgiveness is pragmatic rather than moral, and relationships are accepted as transient, enduring only so long as paths align.

Treatment of Age and Infirmity

Elders remain with the caravan as long as they are able, often transitioning into advisory or interpretive roles. Physical slowing is accepted and accommodated.

When a Sarykhun can no longer travel safely, they may choose to remain behind in a location of their choosing, a practice known as choosing a Still Place. This is not considered exile or disgrace but a final act of responsibility to the tribe.

Visual and Material Culture

The Altan Saryk are identifiable by:

• layered, travel-ready clothing suited to varied climates
• muted earth-tone palettes with restrained accent colors
• light jewelry of bone, horn, or dull metal
• distinctive stitch patterns on outer garments
• practical packs and pouches worn at all times

Tribal identity is displayed through hair binding, horn adornment (among fauns), piercings, tattoos, and subtle textile patterns. These markers are worn openly but lightly, designed not to impede movement.

Environmental Impact

The Altan Saryk are famously difficult to track. Camps are dismantled completely, waste is dispersed, and no permanent marks are left behind.

According to Altan Saryk belief, “if the land remembers us, it will learn how to stop us.”

Relations with Other Cultures

Settled societies often misunderstand the Altan Saryk, describing them as:

• evasive or cowardly
• thieves or scavengers
• relic worshippers
• secret-keepers unwilling to share knowledge

Scholars note that these misconceptions arise largely from attempts to interpret Altan Saryk culture through sedentary norms.

The Altan Saryk rarely attempt to correct such views.

Notable Individuals

• Altaryn (formerly Altairuun Saryk) — A Sarykhun separated from the tribe after losing attunement to the Cairn due to divine interference. Their status is unusual and the subject of limited external documentation.

See Also

• Saryk Cairn
• Returning Walk
• Kharuun
• Wanderborne Cultures of Mythgaradda

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This article is based on compiled accounts, traveler records, and secondhand observation. The Altan Saryk themselves do not maintain written histories and have not verified the accuracy of this entry.