In the arid mountains, the xurtqurm live in small cities carved into the terraced heights. They fashion great aqueducts, tunnel systems, and massive walls and catwalks that create stone fortresses out of their cities, making them impregnable against the dangers of the Horde without. To the xurtqurm (and most geliqurofi), the Horde is the enemy, no matter what clan they are.

The xurtqurm nation answers to an autocratic ruler called the khaisaira. This lord, usually a male though not always, has his authority from a mixture of divine backing, military prowess, and ancestral privilege. Six families have claim to the title, and it passes between them every few centuries as the political and class struggles shift. Each family has their own military which takes over the main force of the nation when they are in charge. The six families have a sigil that is unique to them, and they use this on their shields, banners, uniforms, etc. They give merchants and shop owners the right to use their sigil in exchange for paying taxes to them. The six sigils are the great snake, the five-armed ape, the nine-eyed mink, the two-headed smilodon, the triceratops, and the black ostrich.

The family of the Great Snake (a constrictor called the Gurftn) controls five major cities and the waterways of the country. The snake is a metaphor for the rivers, but also taken very literally, as they keep a variety of pythons, boas, and anacondas imported to their constructed forests. The family also controls the navy and has the most influence over the merchant-fleets. Art among the Gurftn is focused on the rivers; blue is considered a sacred color. They build amazing waterfalls and carve scultpures designed to evolved as the water reshapes them. Those who are loyal to the Gurftn live along the rivers and waterways, and therefore they have the most interaction with other cultures. Most Gurftn folk are multilingual and a little more cosmpolitan. They celebrate the Gurftn family every year on the ninth day of the ninth month. They also have what they call the River Festival every year during the summer.

The family of the Five-Armed Ape (called the Penj) controls seven major cities and a region of the country called the Narrows, a series of massive canyons that connect the west to the east. The ape is a metaphor for their famously having their fingers in everything. They have some control over finance, trade, military, the church, the slave trade, and more. They are known to keep menageries in great towers filled with primates and ropes, vines, cages, poles and bars, and so on. Art among the Penj is abstract and complex, usually red and brown dominated. They create intricate architecture that interlaces the Narrows and have mazes of lines and wires that crisscross the canyons. Most Penj folk are educated and skilled at many crafts. They have five special holidays, each a historical event they celebrate or previous Penj khaisaira.

The family of the Nine-Eyed Mink (called the Dadn) controls four major cities and the tunnel systems. The mink is a symbol of their control of vast spy networks. They are the information brokers, and their political connections mean they are powerful even if they are not in charge. They also control the rudimentary forms of media in the country. They keep minks, weasels, and other small mammals as pets. Among the Dadn folk, furriers and weavers are considered artists, and tapestries (usually bright violet in hue) are popular. Head scarves are worn hanging down their backs, and every Dadn keeps a journal full of information they observe during the day. The secret police of the Dadn family, the najawahaa banfash'h, is the main power in the Dadn cities. The Dadn folk celebrate four main holidays, each one seasonal.

The family of the Two-Headed Smilodon (called the Nash) controls eight major cities and the Dashat Qurmz (Red Plains), the low-lying mountain sides at the edge of the country. This region is the most dangerous, and they use it to train their soldiers to survive anything. They keep very dangerous pets, which they use in their military. They also control most of the agriculture. The Nash favor tan and gold art works, usually murals and paintings, and have a love of red clothing which matches the ues of the plains. Most Nash folk have a secondary craft besides military skill, usually something like smithing or masonry. They celebrate a different major holiday in each major city.

The family of the Triceratops (called the Sheshakh) controls three major cities and the Zaman'haa Skaharah'aa, the rock lands on the northern edge of the country, where the triceratops herds are kept. They also control the major artillery of the military forces and a great number of mines. They are known for being more removed and independent. The Sheshakh have the most distinct culture, with their own foods, more rudimentary clothing, fewer slaves and more workers, a focus on green and blue leatherwork, and holidays based on the argicultural calendar. They are the most religious among the families.

And the family of the Black Ostrich (called the Peraq) controls six major cities and the highest peaks of the country. They are the most vain, wearing black feather capes and plumed helmets. They keep many birds, including black ostriches, and are known to control a great deal of wealth, trade, and luxury goods--and the airforce. They are feared for their deserved reputation for cruelty. The Peraq love music, fine clothing, fine goods. They tend to see education as a low priority except when it comes to trade or war, and they prefer a certain amount of decadence. They have 16 major holidays, each one the birthday of an historical Peraq patriarch.

The economy of the xurtqurm nation is based on ancient slavery (non-chattel enslavement), but there is also basic feudal and mercantile relationships as well. The mixture of economies is due to the different families' influences. Because they are a patriarchal society, gender is limited to the two most common in any official capacity, though among the Peraq and the Sheshakh, some variance is allowed privately. Most families are extended, multiple generations in one home, and the ruling families are massive extended clans.

All xurtqurm come together once a year for the Great Games, a series of combat games where they fight only with their horns. This festival is the biggest day of the year.