• Eight long years had passed and still, the forests of Cinarau were deep, lush green. The first of the early spring blooms filled the travelers with their aroma, calming all who came that way. The paths had long ago been reclaimed by the forest and going through the people tried to disturb the plants and animals as little as possible. Cinarau, a land where war, hate, violence, misery, and sadness dared not come. It was the only place left by the wars eight years ago. The only place where everyone was welcome and where the clans did not come.
    Raga brought Nimerach, his beautiful gray mare to a halt. Breathing deeply he did his best to forget the past and live only in the now. Nothing else mattered at that moment. He was home and all the weariness of battle was leaving him. Already, the entire group had left their weapons behind them, their greed and blood lust vanquished by the thrill of returning to their homelands. Nimerach's eyes closed momentarily. Even she was leaving it all behind her. Charging as a war horse was no longer her life, and somehow Nimerach understood that. Freedom, as hard as it was to earn, was theirs now.
    At least, until the clans unsettled themselves again and war threatened the outside world. The people of Cinarau were protectors and guardians by nature. Even though they could simply sit back in their own relaxed lands and ignore the rest ofthe world, they did not. Whenever trouble came they stood and fought against it! They were a true people, a people of heart and the always would be.
    The clans, on the other hand, were not. Nine clans. All which fought for land to expand on. They were all troubled in some way. Cursed to live the way they were and banished from Cinarau. Everyone had come from the land of freedom and had a clean heart, until the leaders wanted to enter the outside world, to see more then Cinarau. In such, they found pain and misery. The outside lands were harsh. Too dry, too cold, too wet, too hot, all the outer areas had problems.
    The clans now had changed themselves in their banishment to survive in their climates and dreary homes.
    In the northern tundra, an unforgiving land of cold lived the Esh. A clan of natural warriors and hunter. Born solely to test their skills in life and combat.
    To the Far Northeast lived the Chimra, a clan of silent, undead people. The Chimra were a clever group of people that made deals with anyone and suffered in burning hot climates.
    Nearby to the East was the home in the mountains of the Shirshan. Skilled archers and healers, though they were also very lazy and controlled by their pride. They took every challenge, never thinking, just acting.
    Beyond the southern ocean lay the Tautique merchants. A greedy lot that would do anything in life to further themselves and were generally a self-centered and spoiled people. They had riches galore, but little friendship or compassion.
    The Meznoch in the south west hid away in under ground caves. Few had even seen or spoken to the Meznoch in the last few years. A clan of cut throats who did not believe in a fair fight and plotted every detail. Witty and devilish they were not trustworthy but still given trust due to their dangerous words.
    The Onteca, which was the strongest of the clans were a lazy lustful clan. They were also the leaders of the slave trade that had recently started. It had become common there to buy others and use them for labor, or worst. Some slaves were even sent to death and their masters paid to use them to test poisons on. The Onteca were cold and were truly incapable of feeling emotion.
    Kellsin, a clan with few people that was dying in the close south desert, were expert craftsmen. They made money off of the wars and tried to instigate fights between the rest of the clans. Without the trade and wealth of selling their weaponry, they had nothing and their people ad nothing so they began to fade from the world.
    The lands of the Betnih were that of the marshes in the western area. A quiet and dreadful people they lived off a land that produced little and fought even among themselves for anything that they could get. Telling male from female within their clan was hard as their society was so harsh all that mattered was an individuals survival.
    And finally, the Sencai. Nomads that moved about with no real home and were known as a clan of beast tamers. The skills to tame horses and control large predators made their clan seem godly, though a bit smaller then the others. They were hard to find but welcome with any clan. They were nearly all female and still a thriving clan.