Cavador Faces

Typical designs found in the various bastions of Sierra de Garra. Starting at the top left and going clockwise...

Bastion de Doncellas resides in the far north of Sierra de Garra. Nestled in a thick mountain range, the bastion's history informs their face paint. In its early days, the bastion fell under siege to an enormous force of bandits. While the men fought, the women and children hid in the keep. Slowly, the men were overcome and the bandits began to flood into the bastion. The women took their children and traveled deep into the keep's catacombs, which themselves opened into caverns beneath the bastion's mountain. There they were greeted by a spirit who taught them how to defend themselves and gave them a trove of ancient armor and weapons. The women struck out against the bandits and successfully drove them out, saving their husbands and sons. The bastion's face paint reflects the eyelashes and blush of the women as well as the spirit under the mountain who turned the tide.

Bastion de Fuego straddles the border of Sierra de Garra and Doxanos. The Doxkyrie were once Cavador who shunned the unification of Sierra de Garra. Their failed revolution sent them into retreat, but after a feud between the gods, they attained great strength through their obedient dragon mounts. These Cavador became the Doxkyrie, and immediately struck against Bastion de Fuego. The bastion resisted with all their might, managing to push the Doxkyrie back. Time and time again, the Doxkyrie attacked, but were always pushed back by the warriors of the bastion. The Cavador of Bastion de Fuego stand against the flames they once adored, keeping the dragon fire on one side and their loved ones on the other. 

Bastion de Sangre lies in a great valley formed by the Sierra de Hielo on Sierra de Garra's eastern border. While the Cavador of this bastion did not necessarily hope to unify with the other bastions, they did not openly resist, either. While they pushed back the encroaching desert creatures who had combed their way through the mountains, they made no move to exterminate the invaders they regarded as beasts. Bastion de Sangre keeps an open mind on many matters and tends to go with the flow. These Cavador are sometimes seen as snakes who will side with anyone and allow anything, but this is not true. Bastion de Sangre knows what it wants... But that's not really anyone else's business. Thusly, their paint is a shield and flowing water. Bastion de Sangre will protect Sierra de Garra from eastern invasion, but twists and turns as it pleases.

Bastion de Espadas was once nothing more than a little bastion on the halfway point between the Cavador and their Svetch cousins to the northwest. However, as time went on and Schwurstadt was founded, the two peoples began to take notice of each other. Bastion de Espadas was the home of a young Cavador man who, one day, spotted a Schwur across the river forming Sierra de Garra's western border. The two became enamored from afar and decided they must meet. Together, despite their language barrier, they managed to chop down a tree along the river to form a makeshift bridge. From the day they met in the middle of their bridge, the two never parted and formed a great city along the river that bound their two nations. This city, Gemelodorf, has grown thanks to the wealth of trade (both of goods and ideas) on its now much more permanent stone bridge. Bastion de Espadas was eventually absorbed into this great city, but for all the Schwurs' money and kindness, the bastion remains truly Cavador. The paint of their warriors reflects this. While gold and knowledge flow from both directions into both kingdoms, a sword is always ready to cut ties if the Schwurs give cause.