Skaldinavia

## Overview

The Norshame are the people of the twin peninsulas that make up Skaldinavia. The great northern peninsula of Njord stretches down from the lands of midnight sun to almost meet the smaller southern peninsula of Juttla which reaches up from the mainland of Porea. There is a rich culture of poetry and craftsmanship within Skaldinavia, and great respect is given to skilled people. There is also a reverence for warriors and wealth – wealth is almost equal to honour, if it is acquired honourably. They are accomplished traders in many places, particularly to the south and east.

The Norsevik is the term used for both the activity of raiding outside Skaldinavia, and the warriors of the Norshame who do it. Sworn to each other as blood siblings, the Norsvik bands in their longships have plundered and terrorised everywhere they could reach, from Zantian in the east to Evernie in the west and even beyond, along the trade routes leading east to Anhia.

From the outside, they seem a people of contradictions: proud of their honour, yet habitual oathbreakers; taking pride in being just, yet slaughtering the powerless; respecting crafters, yet destroying and stealing their work for the metal content. But the Norshame understand that the laws and honour they take pride in upholding apply only to the Norshame. Oaths taken to outsiders may be upheld out of expediency, but breaking them carries no dishonour.

## Geography

The geography of Skaldinavia has had a huge effect on the people who live there. The great northern peninsula of Njord is 1200 miles from north to south, but only about 400 miles wide, and has a mountainous spine running up the western side. Most of the mountains are uninhabitable, and travel across them is very difficult and slow. Juttla to the south is very different, being flat and fertile, as is the part of the south-east of Njord that is almost touching it. The strait at its narrowest part is only a few tens of miles across. Juttla is joined to the main Porean continent, and the river Deier is its natural boundary.

Because of the mountains, the best way to travel in Njord is by boat, and the Norshame have become very, very good at building ships. The shallow keeled vessels developed for coastal waters can travel a long way up rivers, and are also suitable for portaging if absolutely required. Their vessels have shaped the Norshame and dominate the way others see them.

The northern location means that farming is marginal over much of Njord. In the far north, crops cannot be grown and so people rely on fishing and reindeer herding. The roads are often impassable by wheels or even on foot in the winter, so many of the Norshame are skilled with skis and skates. Over some areas sleds play a big part, but many areas are too steep.

## People

There are three distinct classes of people – slaves, freepeople, and warleaders. Almost everybody farms or herds, even the warleaders whilst they are at home. Crafters and skalds (bards) are all free. There is not much mobility between ranks, but within them it is possible to gain or lose status by displaying positive or negative behaviours. Everything from generosity to martial prowess contributes to status, including eloquence, wealth (both having and increasing), crafting ability, travel history, magical ability, self-control, and fellowship. The standing of first-degree relations (parents, siblings, and children) and spouses will also influence a person’s status, and a person’s blood price depends on their rank and status. It can be extremely complicated for outsiders to grasp – but then outsiders are not welcome at, and can have no say at, Meets.

Everybody is expected to have some martial training, even if they never fight. Names are taken from the gods (except Wod), from honoured ancestors, and from the land. Many people also have a by-name to identify them, as there are so few common given names. These are things like Finehair, Red, Unshod – they can be descriptive, admiring, or mocking.

Day to day dress consists of knee-length tunic and trousers, or of a pleated shift covered by an apron dress secured at the shoulders with brooches. The quality of the fabric and the metal of the jewellery will vary with affluence and status. People will use their jewellery as a way to carry wealth, so standardised metal brooches and rings are common. Boots and shoes are of leather.

One-handed, broad-bladed swords are the most sought-after weapons, then one-handed spears, then axes. Swords and spears may be ornamented, axes are mostly utilitarian. Large shields are almost universal for warriors and may be painted in bright colours. Wealthier warriors may wear some chainmail, but most armour will be hardened leather, including helmets (which are never horned).

Warleaders are of the highest rank, theoretically. If they keep the plunder coming and reward their followers, they are the most admired and have the highest status of any of the Norshame. Successful warriors are idolised, and their bad behaviour may be tolerated up to a point. Some of the Norsvik have brought their raiding ways home and have been banished, because what is allowed against foreigners is not suitably against the Norshame. Banished from Skaldinavia, some of these exiled warleaders have had great success in raiding and become extremely wealthy, but are still not allowed home. Not all warleaders go on Norsvik, though. Some stay on their extensive farms, grow crops, and trade – but if their families are warleaders, so are they (for a generation at least). Their clothes will be of coloured linen and wool, and their jewellery will be silver. Their entourages may consist of many warriors, skalds, and crafters. If they control enough territory, they will live by travelling through it collecting a portion from those working there, and may call themselves Monarch of an area.

Within the class of freepeople is a very broad range of prosperity and influence. Some are landowners, some work on others’ land for pay, and some trade, craft, or fight under the warleaders. It is possible for one of the free to be highly regarded and have a greater voice at the Meets than some of the warleaders. A well-travelled, rich merchant, a skilled Skald (bard), or the owner of an elaborate temple might all have more respect than a warleader who had not brought riches back from their raids. Most people wear woollen clothing, and jewellery may be bronze.

Slaves are often those captured by the Norsvik, but might have been bought, or might have been born to other slaves. They are poorly dressed, but there are laws about their treatment. It is not unknown for slaves, even those who had been brought back to Skaldinavia, to be ransomed by their families. Indeed, heroic tales have been written of siblings or lovers that searched for years to find someone taken by the Norsvik. More prosaically, slaves can be given their freedom or can bargain with their owners, especially if they have a skill in high demand. Captured warriors in particular might fight alongside their captors and be freed for valour. This can only take place outside Skaldinavia, as slaves are not permitted to bear weapons within it. They are likely to be dressed in undyed wool and will wear no jewellery unless their owner wants to make a display.

People of other races are not Norshame. Although they may envy the martial ability and raw strength of the Pasitaurs, the Norshame could not swear siblingship to them. The Herri are only seen in Skaldinavia as traders. The Dowran of Skaldinavia pay levy-fines frequently, and are more withdrawn than in other nation. Although they are theoretically subject to the same laws, they keep to themselves and in effect pay the Norshame to leave them alone. There are only a few families of Dowran left in Skaldinavia.

## Government

The country has been ruled in a patchwork of territories by various warleaders as they gain and lose territory. Recently, these territories have tended to coalesce and a few powerful warleaders are calling themselves Monarch of large areas. Most of Juttla is ruled by Helga; she came to power after the previous monarch died in battle against the [Franks]. Hrolf Finehair is Monarch of the remainder of Juttala and a large portion of the lower lying areas of Njord – the south-eastern tip of the peninsula which almost touches Juttla. In the north, the peninsula is still divided into many shifting territories. In order to claim the title of Monarch of any territory, a warleader must be descended from a previous Monarch. Skalds spend much time searching out connections with past Monarchs for warleaders of ambition. There are many Norsvik abroad who call themselves Monarchs despite having no land, because they lead large numbers of warriors, and this is not against the laws.

Freepeople and warleaders can all attend Meets, gatherings of communities in which they have a part. These range from village to national Meets. The higher the status of the person speaking, the more likely they are to be listened to. Being a persuasive, eloquent debater who has influenced previous Meets will increase a person’s status. A Monarch and their advisors obviously have a large say, but it is not unknown for Monarchs to concede that what they want will not be accepted and change their plans.

The laws of the Norshame do not change with a change of overlord. Many crimes can be settled by payment of a fine (a portion of the victim’s blood-price), but some, such as murder or treason, require physical punishment or personal exile. Crimes committed outside of Skaldinavia are not counted as crimes. Crimes committed against outsiders, even in Skaldinavia, bring lower punishments as those not of the Norshame do not have a blood price of their own. Murders committed in retaliation have a lower penalty. Because honour is important, cheating on a married partner is punishable. Although the laws are important, disputes can also be settled by combat, and if this is agreed beforehand then fines will not be applied for injuries given.

What does change with a change of overlord is who fines are payable to. All heads of settlements must provide levies of people, ships, and equipment when required to, or be liable for a levy-fine. Outlaws may redeem themselves by payment of a fine if the Monarch allows it. A Monarch may have a home base to which tribute is brought, but is more likely to travel around dispensing justice and collecting taxes/tribute.

## Settlements

Most people live in villages of a few dozen people, although in the north more isolated dwellings are common and larger towns do exist, particularly in the south. It is unusual for everyone who considers a settlement their home to be there at the same time – some people are usually off raiding or trading.

Some villages are at the heart of a large landowner’s farm and consist of those that work there. Some consist of the houses of multiple smaller landowners, each at the edge of their land, and with some common buildings like a smithy along the road. The farmers grow grain and hay close to their homes, and the herds are sent to summer pastures further away – because most of the land is so steep there is a limited amount of arable available. Those that cannot be kept by the land will leave it, often joining the Norsvik. Many farms, particularly those on the west coast, will be close enough to the coast or river to build ships.

Isolated dwellings are usually in the far north, where there may be no arable land at all. Reindeer herding (by taming some of the bulls) is a major part of life there, as is the hunting of walruses and seals for ivory and skins to use in trade for essentials.

Towns are mainly in Juttla or the southeast of Njord, where the ground is flat and fertile. There are quite a few trading towns, where foreigners are commonly seen. Because of the distrust in which the Norshame are held, a guaranteed peace is enforced over these towns by the local overlords. One case of a foreign merchant being attacked in such a town can cause all of them to leave, so the overlord guarantors will punish someone who breaks the peace in the same way they would punish treason.

## The Norsvik

The Norsvik are the raiding warriors of the Norshame. They swear blood-siblingship to each other in small or large bands, and care for very few outside those bonds. The Norshame know that the laws of the Norshame do not apply to outsiders. The Norsvik know that outsiders are lesser beings, and anything goes. This has led to atrocities being committed – the murder of innocents, slaving, hostages being killed after being ransomed, and basically anything that could increase the Norsvik’s plunder of treasure and land. They see themselves as highly honourable, supporting their siblings in battle, sacrificing things for their leader, and never breaking a promise – even as they kill the people they have been paid to leave alone. They see treating outsiders as they would each other as treachery, because it would have a negative impact on their sworn siblings.

Because the Norsvik are what outsiders (particularly to the west in areas that can be reached in a single voyage) see of the Norshame, the general view of the Norshame is evil, bloodthirsty pirates. In any of the countries plagued and threatened by Norsvik, the Norshame are unwanted by the general population and treated with great suspicion. The particular evils brought by the Norsvik are covered in the nations that suffered them.

The Norsvik have raided along every coast and river in western and central Porea, and have established beachheads or more extensive settlements in many places. They have brought back masses of treasure, including high-ranked captives as slaves. They base their values when taking blackmail on weight rather than craftsmanship, and when sacking places have no qualms about tearing the valuable metal from less expensive items like paper or bone. This of course also destroys any Artisan attributes the items might have.

## Religion

The Norshame follow two families of gods, the dominant Virae and the lesser Vanae. Although these two families of gods have feuded over millennia, currently they are in alliance. They live in the far north where people and reindeer cannot live, in a pair of fair farms they have carved out of the icy waste with their spiritual power, a place they call Gaard. The ice-giants are always trying to overpower the gods and reclaim the land for the ice.

Wod, the parent of the Virae, leads them in the way a still-vigorous elder leads a mortal extended family. Wod has always been acknowledged as the greatest of all the gods, and their powers are mystical and far-reaching. They traded an eye for knowledge of the world, and have two ravens that fly anywhere they command bringing back information. The eight-legged horse they ride is known over Skaldinavia as an omen of momentous things to come. Wod may be called upon for advice on any subject, though they have a particular affinity for rulers and powerful mages. Although naming people after the gods is a valued tradition in Skaldinavia, no child is ever given the name of Wod. It is an ill omen to name a child something they cannot live up to.

Wod has had many partners, though their principle one is their wife Rygge, who lives with them in Gaard. Rygge is the god of marriage, invoked at weddings, and of prophecy. The oldest child of Wod and Rygge is Thorn, who has become the god of thunder and strength. Thorn wields a mighty hammer and takes an interest in the affairs of warriors. Their second child is Ador, their third is Njordn. Njordyn fathered two children, twins called Frja and Frjo who became the gods of fertility and abundance.

There are many other gods in the pantheon. The one who causes most trouble is Lokk, who Wod bore and who was fathered by an ice giant as part of a bargain to secure Gaard. Lokk feels as the oldest child of Wod’s body, he should be given higher status than those whom Wod fathered. His resentment has caused a lot of trouble amongst the gods.

The gods are worshipped with sacrifices – human, animal, and treasure – at festivals, at deaths, and to ask for favours. There are small temples in every larger village (though they may not have a dedicated priest), and some hilltops or streams are also sacred. Larger and more elaborate temples can be found in the towns, and even those primarily dedicated to other gods will have at least a small side altar to Wod.

Separate from the pantheon are the Nyrna, spirits of the ice who tend to the roots of the world, who visit children at birth and who weave the cords of the future. Little is known about them beyond this, and varying tales will be heard in different parts of Skaldinavia.

Although the gods of the Norshame have not joined the Thebian congregation, some people (especially in Juttla) have begun worshipping Thebian gods. Norsvik who have been captured or defeated may renounce their gods as a way to get better treatment, but this is usually reversed as soon as they have got what they want. Only in a few cases has a forced conversion either been genuine or so valuable a façade as to never be given up.

## History

Most of Skaldinavia has never been under attack from the outside. Njord is impassable with sea ice and snow to the north, and the more exposed western side is often precipitous with little flat arable land worth taking. Juttla, being more fertile and without mountainous barriers, has been attacked but the Norshame have always repulsed the invaders. When the ice retreated from Njord millennia ago, it was peopled by those from Juttla, moving to empty land. The ice-giants retreated north then also; it is said that the ice retreated with them after Wod made their bargain and Lokk was born.

The Namorian Empire did not take Juttla. More recently, neither did the [Franks], but the long earth wall that crosses the whole peninsula north of the boundary river is testament to the fact that they tried. It was built between fifty and a hundred years ago by one of Helga’s predecessors.

The people of Skaldinavia have been raiders for centuries. After the Namorian Empire lost its northern territories, the Norshame were part of the tribes that raided the remains. However, it was only about two hundred years ago that the techniques and magics that made the longships so dangerous were discovered. At around the same time, the oaths of fellowship that groups of the Norshame often swear before embarking on a combined enterprise became changed into the blood-siblingship sworn by the Norsvik. These two things together led to an explosion of movement of people. Most dramatically this is the raids and piracy of the Norsvik, but there has also been a huge increase in trading, especially to the east.

## Magic

Magic that can influence the weather and thus the crops or the ships is the most highly thought of. Air and water elementalists are thus relatively common, although the effect of armour on Ki and the high status of warriors do mean that there are not as many as might be imagined. A low level of spiritual magic is also common, with Wod being followed particularly by leaders and Thorn by fighters. Wood magic is used by boatbuilders and other artisans. There are no specific places to learn magic in Skaldinavia, just word of mouth about who might accept an apprentice. Many of the warlords have a court elementalist, just as they have skalds or priests.

## Trade

The Norshame trade in luxury goods from the north such as skins and walrus tusks. They also sell slaves, which are perhaps the most lucrative. Lesser volumes of woollen fabric, iron, soapstone, and ropes are also traded.

One of the most noticeable things about trade within Skaldinavia is that they do not mint coins. They either trade by barter or use precious metal (almost always silver) by weight. This has been semi-formalised, so that brooches and arm-rings have set weights, and other objects are often of weights that are exact multiples of foreign coins.

Trade goes on within Skaldinavia, but Norshame also leave to trade elsewhere. Being well-travelled, especially if you return with more money or goods, is a status boost. The majority of Norshame traders go south and east, to Zantian and along the silk roads to Anhia or the Elemental Empire. Porea has a good network of rivers, and with the shallow draughted flexible ships it is possible to cross the entire continent from north to south with only a few portages.

There is an interdict in most of Porea against selling weapons of war to the Norshame. There is also a ban on Artisans and mages setting up portals. This means that fine blades and portal technology have mostly arrived from the east.

## Settlements outside Skaldinavia

There are now many settlements of the Norshame outside Skaldinavia. Some, such as Snowland (settled only thirty years ago) are in uninhabited places and are being occupied peacefully. The vast majority are places where the Norsvik went raiding and stayed, later bringing their families and hangers-on over to supplant much of the local population. In these places, the laws of the Norsham apply within land controlled by them, and overlords may act as guarantors of safety for either individuals of other nationalities, or for a place (as in the trading towns within Skaldinavia). Some of these settlements function as independent states, theoretically owing allegiance and taxes to their Monarch or overlord in Skaldinavia but very much going their own way. These de facto states have their own sections.

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