Skenden
Skenden Territory
Capital: Vargarstaad, City of Wolves, at the top of the harbor of Vargenspar, the longest fjord in the territory.
Language: Scandinavian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish.
Naming Conventions: Clan Name (of the Heirs of Eindride), Family Name, Given Name, Deed Name
Ex: Larsson Dyhr Aron Hammaren (the Hammer).
Government: Council of Elders of a given village, Sons of Eindride for interclan disputes.
Current Ruler: None, independent village loosely organized by those who followed Eindride during the Long Dark.
Politics: Cooperation between Clans for resources.
Exports: Heavy furs, leathers, ivory, oils.
Imports: Grain, fruit.
Currency: Barter.
Geography: Numerous fjords, some with high cliffs, snow fields leading to the great northern mountain range which turns south at the eastern edge.
Climate: Taiga to tundra in the farther north.
Physical Appearance: Light skin, brown to blond hair, stray redhead, worn long, braided, full beards for men, heavy build, taller than average.
Clothing Styles: Heavy wool and furs, leathers and hides.
Personal Hygiene: Very clean, bathing in icy streams seen as normal, hair worn either wild or braided, but well groomed regardless, beards common on men.
Diet: Venison, fish, tubers, cheese, honey & wildflower mead and ales.
Cultural Taboos: Wishing ill on another, particularly in a dispute. Either confront the person or be quiet.
Proper Greeting: Heill ok saell! (Healthy and Happy!) Both as a proclamation of one's own status and a well wishing for others. The Old Gods' association with anger and pestilence has only made this greeting more prevalent.
Recreational Activities: Hunting and fishing, carving of wood, bone and ivory, sailing. Raiding was formerly a popular activity, though since the Long Dark and ascendency of the worship of the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter, raiding has fallen out of favor, much to the relief of the other nations.
Arts/Architecture: Ivory and bone carvings, timber longhouses and cabins, simple sod construction reinforced with timber and stone for cheaper dwellings.
Family Structure: Overclan of the Heirs of Eindride, with individual families organized into villages. Several extended families usually lives together in a village, with collections of villages being overseen by their Overclan.
Social Structure: Heads of tribes made up of the Sons (and Daughters) of Eindride, those who fought with the prophet against the Long Dark and the crazed followers of the Old Gods. Having proven their bravery, they are deferred to in matters pertaining to their particular village or domain, each family therein having taken their name as their clan name. family names remain intact and are passed down from parent to child.
Marriage: Arranged between participants. Wife usually joins the husband's clan, though the husband may join the wife's, depending on social standing, if the wife's family has a male heir to carry on the family name, distribution of skills in the clans, etc.
Sexuality: Homosexuality is largely overlooked. As long as one has produced heirs to carry on the name, and is discrete with other relationships, they are unlikely to draw any particular attention, though adultery is viewed as a very serious offense if children could result from the affair. Prostitution is largely unheard of. While one may be able to convince a busty tavern wench to keep them company on a cold night, the idea of paying for company is seen as disgraceful and pathetic.
Education: Primarily conducted by the family, with specialty skills taught by more learned neighbors.
Common Methods of Transport: Snowshoes, skies, dogsleds, longships.
Legal System and Punishments: Judgement by the head of the Overclan, or the Council of Clans should a dispute erupt between members of two Overclans. Incarceration and maiming are almost nonexistent. Working off one's crime is normal, though more serious crimes are often quickly punished with execution for fear of the spread of insanity.
Military: Most men and women armed, spears and shields common, axes and hammers also common, chain armor and helmets considered higher class, large knife common sidearm. To wield a sword is considered the sign of a warrior and the wielder best be ready to prove themselves as such should a fight break out. Armor tends towards heavy hides, with metal reinforcing for wealthier or more combat oriented folk.
Religion: Bitheistic, revere the Lord of Flame and Queen of Winter (elemental lords of active volcanoes and ice fields, show strength and bravery in all things). Anyone found to worship the Old Gods, the gods of the ancestors from before the Long Dark, are put to death if they do not make a quick exit.
Libation, the pouring of a drink offering to the ancestors, is usually offered at meals, with a bit of food being put to the fire as well. Such offerings of food and drink are given to the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter as well as those that have entered their halls.
Though the Skenden were used to preparing for the end times in their worship of the Old Gods, the prevailing belief is that the end has come and gone. While it was previously believed that the Gods would survive through the end times and lead the Skenden onward, that belief has transitioned to the idea that the Old Gods themselves were responsible for the end times, and that the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter were the gods destined to lead the Skenden people in the new world.
An offshoot of the new religion, the Daughter of Storms looks after sailors who travel far from the frozen peaks of the north. Said to have been born from the fury of the mixing of the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter, her reception has been mixed amongst the Skenden. Demanding only a horn of ale poured into the sea before a voyage is begun and that the first catch of fish for a day be thrown back, her edicts are simple enough to follow. For sailors, having your body burned or taken home for ceremony can be difficult at best. Sailors lost to sea during a storm are said to be taken into the arms of the Daughter of Storms. Bodies of fallen sailors are ceremonially wrapped, weighted down and lowered overboard, given to the sea.
Many Skenden are suspicious of the Daughter of Storms, as she was not mentioned by Eindride during his campaign against the servants of the Old Gods. While some admit Eindride's edicts to be difficult for sailors to adhere to, many still keep a wary eye on professed followers of this new goddess. As such, many sailors keep their beliefs secret, with the offerings to the sea being simply explained away as good luck charms.
Burial Rituals: As dictated by the Sons of Eindride from the tale of the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter. Followers of the Daughter of Storms are wrapped in sailcloth, weighted down and lowered into the sea.
Animals of Significance: Wolf, seen as a warrior or hunter. Stag/moose/elk, seen as a provider or defender. Raven, seen as a symbol of wisdom. The bear, formerly a symbol of strength and endurance, has become associated with the berzerker warriors that fell to the call of the Old Gods and has declined in importance.
Practice of Divination: Casting runes is common, though it has fallen out of favor somewhat since the end of the Long Dark. Many practitioners are worried about association with the Old Gods. While most people do not directly connect the two, evidence of instability is closely watched for amongst the seers.
View of Magic: It is a blessing of the divine if user shows the appropriate respect, but a mark of an abomination and corruption by the Old Gods otherwise.
View of other cultures:
Minzoku: Such an uptight people, so obsessed with order and being proper. Still, their warriors are not to be scoffed at. Few there are with such focus.
Oami: A secretive lot. It always seems like they know more than they're telling. At least they know the ways of the wander and appreciate the value of a good story.
Dascean: An entire people of fluffed up sheep. Especially the so-called nobles. At least the people of the land know how to live.
Ta Atoua: Not a people to be trifled with. You have to admire their steadfastness, even if they don't know how to run their own city without an army of slaves to support them.
Ash-Sh'b: A bit frilly, though who can blame them living in that heat all of the time. Don't they know that you need ice as much as fire? Still, they're nearly as good at sailing as a proper Skenden crew, even if we were here first.
Free Isles: You can't trust a pirate, but they take care of themselves and live free from the rule of some arbitrary king. There is something to be admired about that.
Language: Scandinavian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish.
Naming Conventions: Clan Name (of the Heirs of Eindride), Family Name, Given Name, Deed Name
Ex: Larsson Dyhr Aron Hammaren (the Hammer).
Government: Council of Elders of a given village, Sons of Eindride for interclan disputes.
Current Ruler: None, independent village loosely organized by those who followed Eindride during the Long Dark.
Politics: Cooperation between Clans for resources.
Exports: Heavy furs, leathers, ivory, oils.
Imports: Grain, fruit.
Currency: Barter.
Geography: Numerous fjords, some with high cliffs, snow fields leading to the great northern mountain range which turns south at the eastern edge.
Climate: Taiga to tundra in the farther north.
Physical Appearance: Light skin, brown to blond hair, stray redhead, worn long, braided, full beards for men, heavy build, taller than average.
Clothing Styles: Heavy wool and furs, leathers and hides.
Personal Hygiene: Very clean, bathing in icy streams seen as normal, hair worn either wild or braided, but well groomed regardless, beards common on men.
Diet: Venison, fish, tubers, cheese, honey & wildflower mead and ales.
Cultural Taboos: Wishing ill on another, particularly in a dispute. Either confront the person or be quiet.
Proper Greeting: Heill ok saell! (Healthy and Happy!) Both as a proclamation of one's own status and a well wishing for others. The Old Gods' association with anger and pestilence has only made this greeting more prevalent.
Recreational Activities: Hunting and fishing, carving of wood, bone and ivory, sailing. Raiding was formerly a popular activity, though since the Long Dark and ascendency of the worship of the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter, raiding has fallen out of favor, much to the relief of the other nations.
Arts/Architecture: Ivory and bone carvings, timber longhouses and cabins, simple sod construction reinforced with timber and stone for cheaper dwellings.
Family Structure: Overclan of the Heirs of Eindride, with individual families organized into villages. Several extended families usually lives together in a village, with collections of villages being overseen by their Overclan.
Social Structure: Heads of tribes made up of the Sons (and Daughters) of Eindride, those who fought with the prophet against the Long Dark and the crazed followers of the Old Gods. Having proven their bravery, they are deferred to in matters pertaining to their particular village or domain, each family therein having taken their name as their clan name. family names remain intact and are passed down from parent to child.
Marriage: Arranged between participants. Wife usually joins the husband's clan, though the husband may join the wife's, depending on social standing, if the wife's family has a male heir to carry on the family name, distribution of skills in the clans, etc.
Sexuality: Homosexuality is largely overlooked. As long as one has produced heirs to carry on the name, and is discrete with other relationships, they are unlikely to draw any particular attention, though adultery is viewed as a very serious offense if children could result from the affair. Prostitution is largely unheard of. While one may be able to convince a busty tavern wench to keep them company on a cold night, the idea of paying for company is seen as disgraceful and pathetic.
Education: Primarily conducted by the family, with specialty skills taught by more learned neighbors.
Common Methods of Transport: Snowshoes, skies, dogsleds, longships.
Legal System and Punishments: Judgement by the head of the Overclan, or the Council of Clans should a dispute erupt between members of two Overclans. Incarceration and maiming are almost nonexistent. Working off one's crime is normal, though more serious crimes are often quickly punished with execution for fear of the spread of insanity.
Military: Most men and women armed, spears and shields common, axes and hammers also common, chain armor and helmets considered higher class, large knife common sidearm. To wield a sword is considered the sign of a warrior and the wielder best be ready to prove themselves as such should a fight break out. Armor tends towards heavy hides, with metal reinforcing for wealthier or more combat oriented folk.
Religion: Bitheistic, revere the Lord of Flame and Queen of Winter (elemental lords of active volcanoes and ice fields, show strength and bravery in all things). Anyone found to worship the Old Gods, the gods of the ancestors from before the Long Dark, are put to death if they do not make a quick exit.
Libation, the pouring of a drink offering to the ancestors, is usually offered at meals, with a bit of food being put to the fire as well. Such offerings of food and drink are given to the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter as well as those that have entered their halls.
Though the Skenden were used to preparing for the end times in their worship of the Old Gods, the prevailing belief is that the end has come and gone. While it was previously believed that the Gods would survive through the end times and lead the Skenden onward, that belief has transitioned to the idea that the Old Gods themselves were responsible for the end times, and that the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter were the gods destined to lead the Skenden people in the new world.
An offshoot of the new religion, the Daughter of Storms looks after sailors who travel far from the frozen peaks of the north. Said to have been born from the fury of the mixing of the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter, her reception has been mixed amongst the Skenden. Demanding only a horn of ale poured into the sea before a voyage is begun and that the first catch of fish for a day be thrown back, her edicts are simple enough to follow. For sailors, having your body burned or taken home for ceremony can be difficult at best. Sailors lost to sea during a storm are said to be taken into the arms of the Daughter of Storms. Bodies of fallen sailors are ceremonially wrapped, weighted down and lowered overboard, given to the sea.
Many Skenden are suspicious of the Daughter of Storms, as she was not mentioned by Eindride during his campaign against the servants of the Old Gods. While some admit Eindride's edicts to be difficult for sailors to adhere to, many still keep a wary eye on professed followers of this new goddess. As such, many sailors keep their beliefs secret, with the offerings to the sea being simply explained away as good luck charms.
Burial Rituals: As dictated by the Sons of Eindride from the tale of the Lord of Flame and the Queen of Winter. Followers of the Daughter of Storms are wrapped in sailcloth, weighted down and lowered into the sea.
Animals of Significance: Wolf, seen as a warrior or hunter. Stag/moose/elk, seen as a provider or defender. Raven, seen as a symbol of wisdom. The bear, formerly a symbol of strength and endurance, has become associated with the berzerker warriors that fell to the call of the Old Gods and has declined in importance.
Practice of Divination: Casting runes is common, though it has fallen out of favor somewhat since the end of the Long Dark. Many practitioners are worried about association with the Old Gods. While most people do not directly connect the two, evidence of instability is closely watched for amongst the seers.
View of Magic: It is a blessing of the divine if user shows the appropriate respect, but a mark of an abomination and corruption by the Old Gods otherwise.
View of other cultures:
Minzoku: Such an uptight people, so obsessed with order and being proper. Still, their warriors are not to be scoffed at. Few there are with such focus.
Oami: A secretive lot. It always seems like they know more than they're telling. At least they know the ways of the wander and appreciate the value of a good story.
Dascean: An entire people of fluffed up sheep. Especially the so-called nobles. At least the people of the land know how to live.
Ta Atoua: Not a people to be trifled with. You have to admire their steadfastness, even if they don't know how to run their own city without an army of slaves to support them.
Ash-Sh'b: A bit frilly, though who can blame them living in that heat all of the time. Don't they know that you need ice as much as fire? Still, they're nearly as good at sailing as a proper Skenden crew, even if we were here first.
Free Isles: You can't trust a pirate, but they take care of themselves and live free from the rule of some arbitrary king. There is something to be admired about that.