Flatland peoples live in the great plains and warm savannahs of the world. They travel on foot (otherwise they’d be under the banner of the Rover or Chariot Clan), but like those people, flatland peoples are often pastoralists. This term refers to people who live by and with herd animals: sheep, goats, cattle, etc. – on soil unsuited to farming, pastoralists move across the landscape and thus often escape (or seek to escape) capture by cities and states. Of these, East African groups: Maasai, Turkana, Nuer, and others are some of the most famous – people who live most of their lives off of their cattle’s blood, milk, and meat. For many of these groups, cattle become a vital part of their lives – livestock indicate a person’s status, a well-taken care of cow becomes a point of pride and obsession, and animals are exchanged at weddings. But these are not nomads. The Nuer of South Sudan, for instance, lived in the past century in settled communities. These were, according to anthropologist E. Evans-Pritchard, largely classless and egalitarian, but with a particular "leopard-skin chief" whose sole purpose is to mediate disputes.

A lack of internal hierarchy, however, does not mean pacifism: many flatland groups supplemented their livelihoods with a little bit of raiding – or with tribute money collected from threats of raids. The Nuer and Dinka held and continue to hold a bitter rivalry. And the Maasai of Kenya were and are famous for their weapons, especially their "ol alem" sword-spears. Although horseless, Maasai warriors are famous for their speed on foot – as Kenya’s consistent success in setting marathon records attests!