Might makes right, the brutal politics of the Testers
Maylar's primary followers, the Testers of Strength, more commonly just the Testers are known as an independent and often belligerent lot.
Many Scarterrans scoff at the very notion that the Testers are smart enough to grasp even basic politics. They might not have anything resembling conventional politics, but they do have a unified philosophy.
On the surface, it looks like the Testers are just doing what they want all the time, and what they commonly want is to hurt other people. They murder, they steal, and they sometimes spread poison and disease. Everything they do falls under the credos of "might makes right" and "that which doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."
Some even claim that their actions to "strengthen" Scarterrans are actually forestalling the Third Unmaking.
Maylar has some followers who are hypocrites (all the the Nine have some hypocrites among their worshipers), but Maylar does have a code unlike the other so called "evil" deities of Scarterra. If a mortal thwart's a scheme of Greymoria or Phidas they should probably expect some form of future retribution, but Maylar will just shrug, "you passed my test, you are strong" and leave it at that.
The Testers are also expected to not hold grudges, and they are expected to take their defeats in stride. More than a few Testers are little more than selfish and cowardly bullies, but a lot of them genuinely believe that in carrying out harsh actions against others, they are truly making individuals and Scarterran society at large stronger.
Maylar, named by Zeta Gardner
Execution
Most Testers are not a part of wider Scarterran society, they dwell on the fringes and periodically swoop in to engage in their mischief and then disappear into the wilderness before they face retaliation from the rest of the Nonagon or society at large.
The Testers argue that this dance of move and countermove makes both combatants stronger and ultimately serves Maylar's end of making Scarterra stronger.
If the Testers are feeling especially confident that they are strong and the local leaders are weak, they will try to set up protection rackets where they demand tribute for their protection. While Testers don't hold to the values of chivalry very often, they do take the protection aspects of a protection racket seriously. Any outside party trying to harm or extort their people under their protection is infringing on their territory and is effectively issuing a serious challenge against them. No Tester worth his/her spears will refuse a proper challenge.
A few places in Scarterra will arrest Testers on sight and exile them if not kill them. Most don't, so as not to offend Maylar himself or to provoke a wider response from the Tester community at large.
More often, Scarterran rulers are reactive against the Testers rather than proactive. If a Tester is caught stealing or killing or doing some other crime, they are sentenced for that specific crime, not for the crime of being a Tester.
by me with Midjourney
Participants
Because the Testers exist largely as anti-social outsiders, many formal Maylar rituals are carried about non-Testers. Commonly Keepers or the Cult of the Compact will step in.
This old norm is slowly changing. A new breed of friendlier and less violent Testers is emerging, led by the faction known as the Herders of Men.
Most Fumayans and most Borderlanders demonstrate strength, so they have our support. If this leads more Fumayans and Borderlanders to Maylar's tent, even better."-Ujarek, leading figure in the Herders factionby Eron12 on Hero's Forge"Me and my followers have not caused any trouble for King Henryk or his vassals and we have even helped them find and kill inferior Testers who tried to start trouble. Over the generations, Fumaya has endured many hardships and not only survived but thrived. We don't need to test them given that Maylar and Scarterra at large have already done so. As priests of Maylar our purpose is not to punish the weak, but to help people become stronger.
Even these friendlier less violent Testers still don't put much moral weight on oaths and fealty. They obey the laws and avoid making waves because they respect the people of the lands they are in, not because they believe in an abstract value of fealty or honor. The Testers fight amongst themselves a lot, and it surprises no one that the Herders are frequent targets of other Testers, but steel sharpens steel. The Herders are winning these fights more often than not and this is earning them grudging respect from rival factions. Whether not this a temporary fluke or the sign of a new evolution for the Testers as a whole remains to be seen.-Vesstan Heithana, elven school teacher in the Principality of Silfûrhëimby Eron 12 with Hero ForgeI don't know what is more frightening, militant Tenders or friendly Testers. Humans never cease to find new ways to surprise me. I suppose we should give these supposedly friendly Testers a fair shot to prove themselves, but don't ever turn your back on them. Human politics is a many things, but it's never boring.
Feudalistic Monarchs versus Absolute Monarchs
by me with Midjourney
Primary Related Location
Related Organizations
What About Testers among nomadic peoples?
Commissioned camazotzflying, grey background by Diana Rahfoth
Testers among barbarian tribes tend operate similarly to Testers among small absolute monarchies.
They endorse a "Might makes right" philosophy and will generally back up the claim of a very strong warrior to act as tribal chief.
If the chief is a dumb brute who is only good at hitting things and making them fall down, then the relationship will be that of a Puppet Master and Figurehead. If the warrior in question has a functioning brain, the relationship is more like that of a king and a trusted advisor. Most Testers actually prefer serving smart leaders as opposed to puppeteering dumb brutes.
Nomadic tribes including Testers tend to be aggressive and militaristic and are not shy about taking what they want from whomever they want. Very frequently, they expand and conquer, grow strong, then overexpand, make lots of new enemies and then take horrible losses.
After enough sustained losses, the a new tribal chief with a less fanatical Maylar bent will pick up the pieces and rebuild, though after rebuilding a new Maylar backed leader might take over a generation later. This pattern is common among orc tribes, but it is hardly limited to orcs alone.
Not every Tester-aligned chieftain is a drooling warmonger. The rare Tester who can demonstrate courage and discretion can lead a tribe to prosperity long-term.
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