- Altan Saryk
| **Altan Saryk** | |----------------| | **Also known as** | Golden Step Caravan | | **Type** | Nomadic wanderborne culture | | **Primary artifact** | Saryk Cairn (Roadstone) | | **Location** | Variable; migratory | | **Language** | Altan Saryk (oral tradition) | | **Membership** | Sarykhun (true members), Zökhari (guest kin) | | **Notable rites** | Returning Walk | | **Distinct traits** | Continuous migration, collective navigation, no-trace travel |
The **Altan Saryk** are a nomadic wanderborne people of **Mythgaradda**, known for their continuous migration, collective navigational abilities, and association with an ancient traveling monolith called the **Saryk Cairn**, often referred to by outsiders as the *Roadstone*. They do not establish permanent settlements, claim territory, or leave lasting traces of their passage, making them exceptionally difficult to track or politically engage.
Although frequently described as insular or evasive by settled societies, the Altan Saryk maintain regular—if brief—contact with other cultures. Their refusal to dwell in one place extends beyond physical movement to emotional, social, and cultural practices.
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- Origins
The origins of the Altan Saryk are undocumented. Oral histories collected by scholars suggest that the **Saryk Cairn predates the tribe itself**, and that the Altan Saryk formed gradually around it rather than being founded as a single people.
No written records, ancestral homeland, or founding figure are recognized by the tribe. Attempts to reconstruct an early point of origin have been unsuccessful, as the Altan Saryk neither preserve fixed locations nor maintain written histories.
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- The Saryk Cairn (Roadstone)
- Description
The **Saryk Cairn** is a massive, teardrop-shaped stone monolith, taller than an average humanoid. During migration it is observed to hover slightly above the ground and is drawn forward by coordinated groups of Altan Saryk in a ritualized formation.
The surface of the Cairn is heavily adorned with: - 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 tribe halts.
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- Cultural Beliefs
The Altan Saryk widely believe the Cairn contains the **accumulated lived knowledge of all past Sarykhun** (true members). 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 variously theorize the Cairn to be a divine construct, arcane artifact, or collective mnemonic phenomenon. The Altan Saryk do not clarify these interpretations.
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- The Pull
While traveling with the Cairn, Sarykhun experience a phenomenon known as **the pull**, described as a shared instinctive sense of direction and timing. This grants the tribe exceptional navigational capability and is believed to account for their ability 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.
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- Social Organization
- Roles
The Altan Saryk do not maintain permanent leaders or hierarchical authority. Instead, they operate through **rotating roles** assigned according to 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 once the relevant task is complete.
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- Membership
The tribe recognizes 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 later in life and are accepted as kin but are not bound to the Cairn’s full obligations
The distinction is not considered a caste system but defines responsibility and expectation.
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- 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 return.
The Altan Saryk believe the Returning Walk tests **attunement to the Saryk Cairn**, rather than endurance or survival ability. Failure to return is interpreted as evidence that the individual was never fully attuned, and that their continued presence would pose a risk to collective navigation.
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- Kharuun
Those who do not return from the Returning Walk are referred to as **Kharuun** (“Those who did not find the road back”). They are mourned but not shamed, and are believed to have found roads that could not return to the tribe.
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- Philosophy of Motion
A central tenet of Altan Saryk culture is the belief that **stagnation invites decay**. This philosophy extends 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, lasting only while paths align.
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- 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 accommodated and expected.
When a Sarykhun can no longer travel safely, they may choose to remain behind in a location of their choosing, a practice referred to as **choosing a Still Place**. This is not considered exile, but a final act of responsibility to the tribe.
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- Visual and Material Culture
Altan Saryk individuals are identifiable by: - layered, travel-ready clothing suited to multiple climates - muted earth-tone palettes with restrained accent stitching - light jewelry of bone, horn, or dull metal - distinctive stitch patterns on outer garments - practical packs and pouches worn continuously
Tribal identity is expressed through hair binding, horn adornment (among fauns), piercings, tattoos, and subtle textile patterns. These identifiers are worn openly but lightly, and never impede movement.
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- Environmental Impact
The Altan Saryk are noted for leaving **no lasting trace** of their passage. Camps are dismantled completely, waste is dispersed, and temporary anchors are removed.
According to Altan Saryk belief, “if the land remembers us, it will learn how to stop us.”
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- Relations with Other Cultures
Settled societies frequently misinterpret the Altan Saryk as evasive, untrustworthy, or secretive. Common misconceptions include accusations of theft, relic worship, and knowledge hoarding.
Scholars note that such views arise from applying sedentary cultural norms to a fully migratory society. The Altan Saryk rarely attempt to correct these assumptions.
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- Notable Individuals
- **Altaryn (formerly Altairuun Saryk)** — A Sarykhun separated from the tribe after losing attunement to the Saryk Cairn due to divine interference.
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- See Also
- Saryk Cairn - Returning Walk - Kharuun - Wanderborne cultures of Mythgaradda
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- This article is compiled from traveler accounts, secondary observation, and scholarly conjecture. The Altan Saryk do not maintain written histories and have not verified the accuracy of this entry.*