A Vol Streneli’s first gift is the breath of life. The second and third are their first dagger, and their first bow. As soon as they’re old enough to toddle, a young Vol is given a soft, padded dagger, and a weak, small bow, with twiggy arrows and stuffed cloth heads. These are lovingly made for them by their elders, that they may begin their education in that which the tribe values most: the hunt. It’s not uncommon to see young toddlers happily shooting each other from across the village road, having mock swordfights, and play-hunting each other. This is encouraged, in fact: to be a proper Vol is to be a hunter, no matter what trade you take up.

This tradition forms the cornerstone of Streneli society. Streneli, no matter the tribe, believe in starting their children in their tribe’s ways very young. The Eev Streneli spend their baby years in the saddle, often bonding with their first slep or kiridir as soon as they can walk. The Kal spend their first years of life happily mixing up paints, dyes, and sauces, in preparation to become alchemists. Young Skri ride upon their parents’ backs, getting used to the feel of the air, the tug of her currents, the subtle changes that bring the weather they love and fear. And so on, and so forth. The exact nature of the gifts bestowed, and the training given, will of course vary from clan to clan, village to village. But the Streneli have a saying: “An apple seed must be watered from its first day.”

The Vol approach produces extremely skilled hunters and woodsmen, famously stealthy, masters of both the chase and the ambush. As they grow, they’re given toy axes, toy spears— the other two members of the Vol’s Sisters of the Wood, the most valued and prestigious weapons in their culture. And indeed, Streneli of all tribes have a reputation for being masters of their tribe’s craft.

Streneli live this way because they believe that to be helpless is to be dead. The first Streneli escaped vampire slavery through cunning, might, and speed; and ever since, they have sought to instill those traits in their young, that no matter what happens, they will be strong enough to face it. They live in some of the most hostile lands on the Rosanian continent, with powerful monsters, difficult terrain, and harsh seasons, and have learned to thrive there. The name Streneli means “unbowed, and indeed, their pride in standing defiant and unconquered after generations burns at the heart of their shared culture. Every Streneli tribe is different, every clan is different, every village, every house, and so on, but as a people, the will to resist is Strenel.

Streneli were the first to escape the vampires, and they returned to settle the score with stakes, salt, and burgeoning magic as part of the Dawn Rebellion. When the Dawn Monarchs came to power, they argued and fought to remain independent, trusting no king or queen to rule them. When Atrea and Rosan collided to form the modern supercontinent, Lutroa, they defended their independence from Sarro-dur, while stubbornly refusing Rosanian protection. And of course, Lusundra warred against them in the night long before he began to prey on the rest of the world.

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It’s said that the Streneli bow to no one, and never will. That said, this approach to life and childrearing has caused poor outcomes in the past. The Streneli are a stubborn people, and they hold the traditional ways of their people as almost sacred. Like any people, the mores of their philosophy— referred to by them as The Way (sometimes Streneli Way)— can be bent for practicality, and often are. Every Vol is a hunter, they say, but go to any Vol village and you’ll find farmers, fletchers, healers, and so on, living life mostly within their village. But bending the ideal is one thing; when the Streneli perceive someone as leaving the demands of The Way, the end result is often tragic for everyone involved. You won’t find a “little Strenel” in any Rosanian city, but here and there, if you know where to look, Streneli whose crime was simply not fitting in can be found throughout the lands. To say nothing of the ones whose exile leads them to banditry or the creation or small enclaves of outcasts. If Streneli life is hard, theirs is often harder. It’s the tribe’s Way or the highway, in most of Strenel.

The Way, and the attitudes it fosters, have led to a historically difficult relationship with most of the known world. Streneli have a reputaion for being difficult to deal with in any capacity. Some would say it’s largely for this reason that they remain, in essence, an independent state that is only Rosanian on paper. Still, their somewhat cool relationship with Rosan proper is downright cuddly compared to their relationship with the dragons of Sarro-dur. Even before the war, border conflicts and banditry between the western Streneli and clans Lusundra, Raonis, and even occasionally Oel were unfortunately common. The horrors Lusundra visited on the Streneli people have only deepened their mistrust and resentment for dragonkind.

It has been many years since I flew on Strenel’s harsh winds. In the years since Lusundra’s War, their isolationist tendencies have only grown more severe, and while it’s certainly not impossible to cross the Forest of Pain to visit, hospitality towards visitors is at an all time low. They can hardly be blamed, though— what news I’ve gotten from traders, mercenaries, and soldiers has painted a difficult picture. The Devil’s Wasteland that now roars on their border, apart from being a font of horrific monsters and terrifying phenomena, has made the already rough terrain and often-harsh Streneli weather worse. The war took many of their fighting-aged men and women from them, many now roaming the wasteland itself in undeath, a bitter reward for helping slay the Dark Dragon. They say there are whole villages simply gone, forced to abandon their lands and melt into other villages for sheer lack of people. And with circumstances being so difficult, many of the remaining Streneli youth, coming of age in a world where their people are worse off than ever, turn to mercenary work around the lands of Rosan to support their people and families.

Will the proud Way of the Streneli ebb away, as so many of those proud people lie dead? Will it only grow darker, harder, fiercer in the face of the war and all it did? Or will something different arise, out of necessity and violence?

What will become of the Streneli people?

—Blair Elliott, “Echoes and New Voices: Postwar Rosan on the Wing”