The Caligo

## Appearance

The Caligo are on the taller side with most men and women standing at about 6'0 minimum.

As a result from the cold environment they have lived in most Caligo are extremely pale. But not all, some foreigners have sailed to their continent and settled there.

Blonde is a rare hair color for the Caligo, with most having Black, brown, or Red hair. This does not apply to all Caligo but for many it does.

From living on the cruelest known to man the Caligo have sharp features from years of starvation. Only those with great access to food such as nobles and royalty would not have as such.

## Geography and Customs

Caligo is the nationality of the Caligon continent. The Caligon continent is the barest coldest continent known to man, with food being scarce and the seasons never changing. The tall mountain peaks and thousands of miles of arctic have made it almost inhospitable. Defying such conditions the Caligo have learned how to survive with their skills in hunting and sailing. They have adapted so well to the cold, hot and swampy climates are foreign and completely unknown to them causing them to do horribly in such places. Even with their expertise in sailing it still takes around 6 months to travel from Caligon to Forsvar.

Within the Caligon Continent there is only one kingdom, Kodota. The Oligarchy of Kodota is made up of 1 ruler who is the face and ruler of the country and 6 other council members. The ruler has more power than the 4 council members but regarding major decisions must consult the council. One cannot do anything that affects the country without the other. Depending on what is being voted on the council and ruler must either come to a unanimous or majority vote. Anybody can be elected as a council member no matter their status. Council members can also be kicked off the council if unanimously voted on. The ruler or face of the country can only be replaced if they leave, step down or die. But the next ruler must come from the same bloodline.

The Caligo are very religious people, believing that the ruler must come from Killian Kodota I's bloodline otherwise they cannot rule. This stems from a prophecy that came true hundreds of years ago. They stay true to their religion and believe in their gods, this religion guides them and Kodota. Despite their civilization after Killian they still hold many barbaric traditions.

Besides the council members the Caligon continent is divided up by Clan Leaders or Chiefs. Before Killian Kodota the continent was solely the Chiefs fighting for complete control, it was the darkest moment in Caligo history. The Chiefs are all appointed by the monarch or inherit their position from their bloodline.

There is only one Monarch in Kodota as only someone from Killian's bloodline can sit on the Throne. The heir to the Throne is always the first born no matter gender as Killian was also the first born. On the Caligon continent neither gender is inferior and each plays major roles, women and men are both taught to fight and hunt from a young age. It is considered a great shame to the family if they do not teach all their children how to read, write, fight, and prepare meat.

## History of Forsvar and Caligo

Hundreds of years ago the Caligo realized that their land was becoming more inhospitable each year, animals were not breeding enough to feed the Caligon population. They began sailing to nearby lands with hopes of finding better land to live on, they found no such thing with many sailors dying on those nearby lands. In year 72 of the Caligon calendar Queen Dagmar Jerrick Kodota was crowned Queen. 2 years later she would gather the Kodotan army and sail to Forsvar.

When the Kodotans landed on Forsvar they began work, building farms, homes, a castle. They found the land much more hospitable than their home continent and settled there. Once their settlement grew Queen Dagmar would send ships back to Caligon to tell the rest of the Kodotans to begin migrating to Forsvar. This would eventually not happen as many unforeseen events would take place.

The Kodotans soon realized they were not alone on Forsvar and began growing their political influence. As a result when Jarl Skard of Vinterfold came with his Huskarls to propose marriage, Queen Dagmar accepted. Their marriage was one with no love, purely for power and to cover up a dark secret. Jarl Skard had been granted a son by the gods but the mother had vanished, he asked Queen Dagmar if she would claim him as her own and she agreed. Not long after Queen Dagmar fell pregnant herself, she sent the baby back home to Caligon to protect it from the war and raids the engulfed Forsvar. It is said the baby was Skards as Dagmar had no lovers before him.

Not long after sending the baby to Caligon Queen Dagmar Jerrick Kodota vanished from Forsvar and her own people. The Kodotans sailed home in fear as they were easy prey now that their Queen had disappeared. Queen Dagmar's child would grow to become Queen Dara Jarl Kodota and continue the family line.

Since then the Kodotans had not gone back to Forsvar until the year 129. Queen Davadine Jaroslav Kodota, descendant of Queen Dagmar and presumed Jarl Skard, named after one of the Kodotan settlements on Forsvar sailed back to Forsvar. Many Caligo disagreed with her but Caligon had gotten even more inhospitable and the Caligo were dying. So Queen Davadine one year into her rule sailed back to Forsvar, to accomplish what her ancestor couldn't. To settle in Forsvar and save the Caligo.

## The Prophecy of King Killian Kodota

In a land forgotten by time, a man by the name of Killian Kodota worked as a mercenary. He was by far not the best mercenary for hire but he had a good head on his shoulders and got the job done. After arguing with a picky and cruel elderly man about a job, Killian decided he'd go to the local tavern to cool his head. While having a sip of his rum a young woman with unusual features came up to him. The young woman offered him a job, in which the payment was incredibly high. Killian, suspicious, asked what this job entailed.

She said all he had to do was convey a message to her father. She explained her father lived on a distant continent not yet explored by anybody but the natives there. Although the payment was handsome Killian told the woman that he was a mercenary not a messenger. The woman simply shook her head and said it did not matter as long as it was him that delivered it. Even though he was confused by what she meant he happily took the job.

The woman gave him a map, a scroll and half the payment for the job, saying he would get the rest of his payment after the message was delivered. She warned him to never look at the scroll and Killian swore he wouldn't. The next thing that morning before the crack of dawn Killian packed food, water, and clothes, he then headed down to the docks to rent a ship. His father was a fisherman who taught him everything he knew about the sea, this allowed him to sail alone without assistance.

Killian began his journey just as the sun was rising into the sky, he followed the map and the stars when it was night guiding him to this unexplored continent. Many months passed and his rations slowly dwindled, Killian was starting to lose hope of ever finding the continent and cursed himself for being foolish enough to take this job, until he saw land. He was unsure whether it was the land he was looking for but he had no other options with his supply running out. Killian sailed to the island and tied the ship using rope to a nearby tree. Bringing his map, the scroll, and his satchel he set out to find the food and the place the young woman's father lived.

Killian had underestimated the temperature and the distance; it took him days of camping in caves, eating berries, lighting fires for warmth and drinking water from freshwater streams that had not yet frozen, until he found the village he thought he was looking for. At first he noticed the villagers, they were unusually pale and had prominent facial features like the young woman he met. Killian was so relieved he almost sobbed. A woman in a giant fur coat dropped the basket of meat she was holding and screamed. She immediately started shouting something in a language Killian couldn't understand.

The next moment the villagers started swarming him and worshipping him like a god. Confused, he tried explaining that he was here to deliver a scroll, because of the language barrier they didn't understand what he was saying and continued worshipping. He tried showing them the scroll instead, an intimidating man with a large beard took the scroll from him and read the contents. After finishing he immediately bowed to Killian and handed the scroll back. The man could speak the same language as Killian and introduced himself as Nakheel. Nakheel explained that he was the leader of the clan of which they were in.

Things were starting to make more sense to Killian but he had more questions than he had answers. Nakheel escorted Killian to his home where they could talk further. Killian questioned what was going on and why the village people were acting so strange. Nakheel told him that the scroll was part of an ancient prophecy, the prophecy said that a man from a distant place would arrive with it and that he would unite the clans. The clan leader revealed that the clans had been at war for centuries with no end in sight. Killian was dumbfounded, he couldn't believe that he was supposed to untie a continent.

A loud scream cut Killian off before he could protest. Nakheel and Killian immediately rushed outside the house and saw arrows of flame barreling towards the clan. Houses were set on fire and the villagers regardless of age or gender were struck with arrows. The arrows kept coming and as soon as Killian saw the onslaught of soldiers headed straight for the village he grabbed the closest sword he could find. The soldiers were closer and moving at an alarming speed.

Nakheel barked orders at his own soldiers and Killian joined them, willing to protect these strangers from the massacre awaiting them. The two sides soon met in a bloody battle, men and women dropped like flies. Nakheel's soldiers were losing, everything seemed all but lost. Then Killian noticed the scroll was still tied to his waist from when Nakheel had given it back to him. The scroll was emitting a blinding white light. Soon the entire battlefield was engulfed in it.

When the light vanished the soldiers on both sides stood there, awestruck. A few moments passed until the soldiers started bowing, to none other than Killian. Killian realized that these people believed in the prophecy wholeheartedly. He also realized that the bloodshed and war would not end unless he did something about it.

After years of war and negotiation Killian united all the clans under one name, Kodota. He added each clan leader as part of his council and created peace throughout the land. To this day King Killians bloodline still rules Kodota and stories of him are told throughout the kingdom. The scroll was never found after King Killians death, its whereabouts are still a mystery. The young woman that approached the King was also never seen again.