Nordures

**Nordures** is a large island in the North Sea above the northernmost tip of the continent of Fayos. It is a harsh land, mostly frozen and covered in thick snow for the majority of the year. It was once home to a handful of small kingdoms and chiefdoms in the early millenniums of the Ancient Era, though they have long been wiped away. The capital was formerly Skjolzir, an ancient city in the heart of the continent, now ruined. Currently, the only regularly inhabited settlement is Night Hall, a town on the southern coast of the island.

## History

### Prehistory

Little is known of the prehistoric era of Nordures, only that certain beasts of an ancient nature have been found encased in the glacial cliffs of certain far flung portions of the island. Justainian archaeologists suspect that Nordures was once semi-tropical, a lush and verdant continent that turned into a more arid and dry plains overtime in the times where the world was still ruled by Justain. The observed beast carcasses were of lightly furred and bulky tigers, ferocious reptiles, and some peculiar birds of delightful plumage. Attempts to recover these carcasses have been unsuccessful due to the thickness and density of the ice. Some artifacts found among the more ancient of Norduren ruins include objects of much older make, clearly out of place in style as well. These objects, mostly fetishes and figurines, seem to be relics of an older prehistoric Norduren people long lost to time.

### Era of Song (7th to 4th millenniums AE)

Norduren history is mostly known through the physical remnants of civilizations left behind by lost cultures and a series of epic poems and songs told through a chain of unbroken oral history among the descendants of the Nordurens. These songs were first compiled in the 10th Century AE but were made popular by a recompiled volume made by Harold the Archpoet which added several undocumented stories. One of these poems, the Annals of Kings, covers the reigns of the kings of Skjolzir from the founder of the city to the last king of Nordures, Rostek the Unyielding. According to this tradition, Skjolzir was made in four days by Skjol, the God of the North, in 7000 AE. Skjol became the first king of Nordures, ruling it for half a millennium until he was challenged by the "gods of the other men". Who these other men were is not known but they demanded the god leave his position on Fayos and return to the gate of heaven in the far northern continent of Vigdures. He held a competition before leaving to determine who among the men of the city were worthy of the throne. The winner was a man called Sig. He became the first human to be king of Nordures and was said to have ruled for three hundred and seventy-one years until being slain in battle with the chief of Hulm.

Sig established a dynasty that flourished for a thousand years. However, the songs tell that Nordures was slowly becoming colder. With each successive year, winter grew longer and the cold forced more from the countryside into the city of Skjolzir which experienced a great famine. During the 6th millennium, King Sigmere Redblade was killed in battle by the King of Uld leading to a succession crisis. His younger son, Sigholm the Unworthy, became the king of Skjolzir during the crushing famine that left many in the city dead or starving. When his brother Sigvening the Navigator returned for vengeance and regained the throne, it became clear that something must be done to secure a future for the Nordurens. Sigvening earned his title by sailing southward on massive skin boats, discovering the continent of Fayos when he landed in Higd. He returned with new plants and animals that helped save the city from famine.

Eventually the line of Sig would die off in the mid-5th millennium, replaced by a succession of smaller dynasties of various importance. By the end of the millennium Nordures had become so cold that nothing could grow in its soil and the people survived only off fish and game. In response, King Anth led a host of settlers to the continent previously discovered by Sigvening, leading to the settling of the far north by the Nordurens. This land, called Higd, is still mostly populated by the descendants of Norduren settlers. With access now to lumber, the Higdian settlers built larger boats that enabled the mass transport of Nordurens to the mainland. By the beginning of the 4th millennium, Skjolzir was largely empty, ruled by a series of warring chiefs and petty kings. Later into the millennium it became apparent that the island was a lost cause and the final king of Nordures, Rostek the Unyielding, ordered the abandoning of the island. He alone stayed behind, still supposedly sitting on his throne in the center of the frozen island.

### Abandonment (3rd - 1st millennium AE)

While some smaller settlements remained after the vast majority fled, these isolated places would slowly die out with the freezing of the island. Nordures became so cold that the ground could not be broken and snow was near constant. When it was not snowing, the winds that whipped across the hills and plains were cold enough to scour the skin from one's face. The animals that once roamed the inner islands died off, with only the occasional pack of walrus or seals gracing the stony shores. It is clear that by the 1st millennium no one was left alive on the island. All that remained were ruins.

### Resent Interest (600 AE - 116 ME)

In 615 AE a Higdian expedition to Nordures mapped the southern coasts. Recent developing interest in sea mammal products spurred the need for untapped hunting grounds. Nordures proved perfect for such ventures, having warmed slightly, the rocky shores were breeding grounds for seals, sea lions, and walruses. Many companies began regularly harvesting there in between whaling seasons. Dangers prevailed in the water around Nordures, mostly due to unpredictable pack ice and great whales that could break a ship in two. Similarly unruly weather saw many vessels forced to overwinter only to be stuck for years in ice near the shore. Repeated incidents of the latter led to the building of Night Hall, a moderately sized stone and wood great hall that served as protection for any poor souls stranded on the island. As the weather slowly improved into the 5th century AE, more buildings were added and some companies chose to overwinter at the island willingly. Night Hall became a small town, inhabited for the summer months and sometimes used for wintering. A few famous whalers and hermits chose to live consistently in the town, with various degrees of success.

Interest in archaeology on the island began in the 3rd century. A famous joint expedition between Korevna and Arimania in 358 AE made it seventeen miles inland before being forced to return to Night Hall. On their journey they found several small stone ruins, from which they recovered items of historic importance. A second attempt to reach Skjolzir in 352 by Admiral Bird of Fleur left he and most of his men dead. His son Captain James Bird claims to have succeeded in locating the city in 347, returning with crates of mysterious artifacts though his claims are not substantiated and are even challenged by his crew. Captain Bird returned several more times to Skjolzir, in 350, 346, and 342. He died before his scheduled 341 mission in a bizarre highway robbery incident. Many have attempted to perform Bird's routes but all have failed. His fanciful descriptions of Skjolzir as a city frozen in time have inspired many novice explorers to die alone in inner Nordures. Some work has been done along the east and west coasts on small ruined settlements from the days of the Norduren kings though no one has ever been able to make it to the northern coast or interior of the island.

Currently, the island of Nordures belongs to the Justainian Empire, but is largely lawless. Several regulations are placed on entry to the island though they are rarely enforced.

## Topography

Nordures is largely covered in glaciers or permafrost with beaches of large grey slate stones. Some grasses grow there, but they are sparse and course, which no beast desires to eat save for goats. No tree grows in Nordures though at one time they had been mildly abundant. Petrified stumps have been found inland though their age is beyond knowledge. Most of Norudres is flat or simply rolling hills. In the center of the island is a small mountain, more hill than anything which has not been visited but can be see on occasion from great distances with the use of a telescope.

## Wildlife

Nordures is inhabited by only a few animals, mostly marine mammals and sea birds. At one point, it had a diversity of wildlife similar to that of Skjol or Higd, with references in the songs to wolves, sheep, and foxes. These species have all gone extinct since the times of the epics.

## Culture

Ancient Norduren culture was focused on family bonds, duty and honor, and a strange religion lost to modern man. Great importance was placed on the duty men had to their families, especially their parents, as well as to their honor. However, devotion to their god outweighed any other desire, as many heroes of the songs leave their homes behind to finish divine quests. War was also important, as the limited resources of Nordures forced competition and kept populations low. Combat was almost sacred and berserker practices linked to their semi-animism religion turned the battlefield into a sacred temple. Women also played important roles as gift bearers and could occasionally become important rulers or priestesses according to the songs.

Modern culture among the sailors and hunters of Night Hall is similar to the general whaling culture of the North found in places like Gurden and even in the southern ports like Heimdale in Kaiya.