Rakkimar (continent)

**Rakkimar**, broadly speaking, was a wide-reaching polar subcontinent on the Cradle. It boasted an extensive variety of cultures, history, and nature, due to its immense size. Rakkimar was not a strictly-defined area, but generally it was anything between the two large continents of the Danderillon (to the north) and Tarkassia (to the south).

## Three Names

The region had three names which overlapped a lot - Rakkimar, Gildegra, and the Yuren.

### Rakkimar

Rakkimar had been inhabited for many thousands of years by a variety of cultures and groups, but there was never a name for the region as a whole because there was never a need for it. Tribal clashes and warfare were an intermittent constant, but from around the 25th century before zero to the 22nd, the Rakki people began dominating tribal warfare and forming more wide-reaching organised society, and eventually a confederacy of tribal councils. Around the year -2100, the Rakki tribal councils declared themselves united and in dominion of the islands. From hereon, there needed to be a name for the region as a whole. In their language at the time, Old Rakki, the name *Ṙikkimaṡ* /r̝ikː.ɪ.mɑʂ/ was coined, which meant 'land of the Rakki conquerors'. The name changed over thousands of years of linguistic evolution. By the time Old Rakki had become Middle Rakki and then Rakki, it became **Rakkimar**.

### Gildegra

Gildegra was the name given to most of the western half of Rakkimar, including the northern fringes of the Danderillon. Its name came from the Proto-Gildegran native word ȝitiȝra (ygitiygra), which meant 'icy winding waterways'. This name was derived into the Gildegran languages (such as Feŋet, Yupiisut, Essuit, and Uuränlainen). The Uuränlainen evolution of the name, Giltłgra /ɣil.t͡ɬ.ɣrɑ/, was borrowed into Euluska as **Gildegra**.

### The Yuren

The Yuren was the name given by early Rakki explorers to the western half of Rakkimar to distinguish it from their homeland. They gave it the name *Jyrenland*, meaning 'land of icebergs'. It was then borrowed into Old Euluska as *Yurenland*, and later just the **Yuren***.*

## History

### Prehistorical Evolution

Anatomically modern humanoids evolved from two places upon the planet - the Luskan Peninsula (about 290kya), and Gildegra (about 310kya) (And yes, if you're wondering, these two supergroups couldn't viably interbreed until relatively much more recently). This attached map should show how the local populations came to be.

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## Ecology

To see just *some* of the animals present in specifically southwest Rakkimar, see the page on Solvenger.

## Notable Ethnic Groups

*In no particular order.*

* Rakki, who spoke the Rakki language *(tavvirakkiella)*. Their language was the lingua franca, spread by trade, and had a lot of dialects
* Volenyan, who spoke Vola. Hardy and traditional, they lived in West Tarkassia
* Fenet, who spoke Fenet. They lived on the isle of Fen and were nomadic reindeer herders
* Yupisuut, who spoke Yupii. They lived in North Gildegra and some settled in mid-East Rakkimar
* Essuit, who spoke Essu. They lived on Anticosti Island in Gildegra
* Owakara, who spoke Ikyara. They lived in mid-Gildegra
* Jikaru
* Elk, who spoke Yilderet. They lived on Anticosti
* Kusk, who spoke Kusket. They lived on Anticosti
* Houc, who spoke Houacara. They lived on Anticosti
* Volov, who spoke Voleret. They lived on Anticosti
* Kaseriniit, who spoke Kasei. They lived at the south base of the Kaserini mountains
* Kalkagir
* Qagqaalit, who spoke Qagqi. They lived in East Tarkassia
* Saev, who spoke Saemhl. They lived on Setfjall
* Ongbraen, who spoke Ongbraensrakki. They lived on Setfjall
* Seiit, who spoke Settish. They lived on Setfjall
* Yuren, who spoke Uurän. They lived in south Gildegra
* Brackian, who spoke Brackian (in antiquity) and Rakki/Euluska (in modern times), in southeast Gildegra
* Darim, who spoke Darim and lived only in Kol Darim and its environs south of Gildegra

## Languages Spoken in Modern Rakkimar

### West Rakkimarran Family

* Yuren
* Essu
* Fenet
* Plateau Vrei

### South Rakkimarran Family

* Tarkas Vrei
* Brackian

### Central Rakkimarran Family

* Vola
* Yupii
* Yilderet
* Ikyara
* Ikaru
* Kusket
* Houacara
* Voleret

### East Tarkassic Family

* Rakki
* Ongbraensrakki
* Saemhl
* Xantic

### Far East Tarkassic Family

* Kasei
* Kalkagir
* Qagqi
* Settish

### Non-Rakkimarran Languages Spoken in Modern Times

* Euluska (Tarkas Sound Dialect, Danderillic Dialect, and Great North Dialects)

# out o date

## Geography

Rakkimar was comprised of thousands of islands of varying sizes, formed by coastal erosion, giving rise to beautiful fjords. It was very cold overall, and experienced polar night and day - during deepest winter, the sun would not rise for several weeks around the solstice, and during highest summer, the sun did not set for several weeks either. The aurora was also visible across most of the land.

The large bay at the centre of the archipelago was known as the Sea of Rasmussen. It froze over in winter - in the coldest winters, it would almost entirely be frozen as far south as the tip of Dronning Wylfryn Land.

Part of Rakkimar was connected to mainland Tarkassia. This shattered peninsula that extended from near the Kaserini mountains, past Hjarofjall and down to the Ðokrun (Ðok Strait) was known as Dronning Wylfryn Land (Queen Wilfrin Land), named after Dronning Wylfryn the Great (997-1063), who brought an end to the warring along the eastern seaboard around the Sea of Rasumussen.

Rakkimar's largest islands included Dronning Mathilde Land (Queen Matilda Land) to the northeast, followed by Setfjall to the southeast, Eðnir, Fjarri and the Xantic-owned Ksantyr all to the southwest. Beyond that, it had countless smaller islands. Many of the islands were uninhabited and often relatively untouched, either too harsh to support a city or too isolated.

## Economy and Politics

The Kingdom of Rakkimar's main goods were animal products, coal, crude and whale oil, iron, rare earth metals, and lumber. They traded all over the world.

The navy was stationed at Wylfrynfæstning and Vreskil, at the very tip of Dronning Wylfryn Land. These included extra wide icebreaker ships with two rams, which cleared the main shipping routes in winter.

Rakkimar has always been on good terms with their geographical neighbours, The Xantic Imperium. In the mid-late 12th century, Dronning Imelda II the Stout sold the entire island of Solþ Reikur to the Imperium. As such, it was renamed Ksantyr, meaning 'Xantics'. (Rakki lacks a letter X).

In the late 15th century, the Imperium was allowed to set up a small colony in the city of Hjarofjall, known as Nova Scandzia. This brought skilled craftspeople and scholars to the city, as seen in places like the Kraklan Jaernværks and the Martino Memorial Library. This colony was chosen over an offer put forward by The Lusken Empire at the time, which worsened relations at that point.

## Culture

Rakkimarran culture involved hard work and harder play. Lots of drinking was commonplace, and especially strong stuff could be found in Rakkimar, like MacCradhnaich Frost and Eyjafjallabrjotur.

Most people away from big cities made their living as hunters, loggers, farmers or other similar jobs. They were protected by their local clan.

In Rakkimarran culture, honour (*hlutskitpi)* was prized highly. The concept of *enðurskolþr*an, or **reclaimance** was common. An *enðurskolþr* was someone who sought to reclaim something they lost, thus winning back *hlutskitpi* and the favour of their gods. *Auðuri* sought to reclaim a fortune or treasure, *hjerrai* sought to reclaim land, power or lordship. The *Heiðurbarda* were those who had been wronged by a specific person, and sought to duel them to reclaim their own honour again. A notable heiðurbarda *enðurskolþr* was Karrus Weyloran.

Rakkimarrans were very proud of their culture and heritage. Their rich history included many sagas that the more educated would study, like the famous Djévkus Saga.

There were many types of warrior, as fighting was a noble cause. When going to war for a cause, there were the: **vikingr** (warriors seeking to gain glory), **skaldr** (warriors seeking to forge great stories), **berserkr** (warriors seeking to kill), **ruedr** (warriors motivated by revenge or hate) and **drengr** (warriors seeking honourable or meaningful death).