Harlskir

*Bjorn wiped the blood out of his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. It should have been an easy raid. Everything was going fine till young Aric let the whisper drop, failing to control his breathing so that he could both sing and run at the same time. He'd payed for it with an arrow to the throat and then all hell had broken loose. To make matters worse the guards were much better armed than they should have been. What was in that carriage?*

*Bjorn's breath caught as he watched Gala face off against the remaining two guards. They struck together but suddenly she wasn't there, ducking down low under the blows and rising up with a brutal upswing of her axe that caught one guard under the chin. Before he could react, the second guard's nose was broken with a quick jab of the haft and then an overhand chop, smooth and languid from hours of practice, split his skull as easily as it would a log.*

*Dammit. That made three to his two. He angrily yanked open the door of the carriage hoping to find one last guard to even the score, and win a share of the spoils. No such luck, just two Baranian noble women, pretty too. Yodin's hairy balls. Two more hostages for his wife. He'd have to listen to Gala brag about the money she'd make ransoming them for weeks. Why couldn't there have been another guard?*

## Comely Seafarers

Harlskir are descended from humans enslaved by the Veterensians and used for experiments in infusing humans with magic. As such they are inherently connected to the element of water and this shows in their features. Being a human race they can range from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weigh from 120 to 250 pounds. They tend to have a rough beauty to them, skin weathered by the sea and hair bleached by the sun. Their skin color ranges from a tanned medium brown to very pale and they can have blue, grey, or green eyes. Some Harlskir are born with blue skin, anywhere from the deep color of the sea to that of a pale summer sky. This trait is said to be more common among Harlskir born to greatness, that they are chosen by the Deep Father to perform great feats. While not always true, the birth of a blue skinned child prompts a great celebration among their clan. Harlskir hair is usually either blue, blonde, or somewhere in between (almost always straight) and males are capable of growing thick facial hair. Their hair always looks like it is wet, hanging in sodden cords, and many Harlskir braid it to keep it out of the way. Harlkskir clothing is surprisingly colorful as the flood plain they make their home is known for it's wide range of dyes. No matter the color of their clothes Harlskir almost never wear shoes, there isn't much of a point when one's skin resists water better than any boot. On warm days it's common for both men and women to go topless.

## Sea Worn Raiders

The main Harlskir gods are ever jealous of each other. Because of this, Halskir view jealousy as a healthy emotion, sometimes even going so far as to try and provoke it from spouses. Harlskir are allowed to divorce, but only when one or both partners no longer feel jealousy when their partners flirt, and sometimes even sleep around, with others. Those that don't ever feel jealousy are viewed as truly impartial and often become shamans or priests. It's common to see a Harlskir husband and wife competing in a raid to take the most thralls.

When going into battle Harlskir paint themselves with Woad, a bright blue paint made from the flowers that grow only in the Flodakr. Harlssons engage in raiding more often than Skirdottirs, but both fall to the practice in hard times when food is scarce. It is the dream of every Harlskir to die gloriously in battle so that they may join Yodin in the deep, where they will feast on the bounties of the sea during the day while raiding and pillaging at night, for eternity. Harlskir make fearsome raiders, their natural affinity for the sea and mist allows them to strike fast and hard. Often the only warning a seaside town gets is a thick cloud of fog rolling in, summoned by Harlskir weather witches.

## Jealous Waves

Harlskir revere all bodies of water but especially the sea, Hafir, which they view as their mother, and the Maw. The Maw is the stretch of Ocean across which no boat can successfully sail, known to them as the Deep Father, Yodin. Other than these main two the Harlskir have a full pantheon, with the gods of most aspects being associated with some form of water or weather. All other gods are descended from either Hafir and Yodin's attempts to make the each other jealous by sleeping with the various lesser spirits of animals or land features in an ever growing competition. Beckkr the god of streams and rivers (also god of clothing as the plant fibers used to make fabric are strands of his hair) was born from the excess of Yodin's seed. Thorrin, god of thunder and war, was born from Hafir mating with the mountains. Tóft, goddess of wells and farming, was born from Yodin "plowing" the soil.

## Everyone's A Target

Harlskir generally have a poor view of Baranians, having descended from former slaves there is a deep seated antipathy towards their former overlords that has lasted through the generations. This makes Esto Baran and the former Veterensian city states a favorite target for raids. Being distant cousins, the Prostoyans are held in high regard. Same goes for the Síamair with whom the Harlskir share Harlnir, the Harlskir taking the flood plain and the Síamair the great wood along the countries southern border. Surprisingly, the Cyperese are the only group of people to receive immunity from raiding, as they are the only race enterprising enough to buy goods 'acquired' in raiding.

## Harlskir Names

Pick Norse sounding personal and family names. All Harlskir have the additional great clan name of Harlsson or Skirdottir which comes after their family name.

## Harlskir Traits

Your character's natural affinity with the element of water manifests in traits they share in common with all other Harlskir.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your wisdom increases by 2.

***Age.*** A Harlskir reaches adulthood in their late teens and lives less than a century.

***Alignment.*** Harlskir don't have a tendency toward any one alignment. They range the gamut from chaos loving reavers to staunch traditionalists, from good to bad.

***Size.*** Harlskir vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, you size is Medium.

***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

***Water Adaptation.*** You can breathe under water and have a swim speed of 40 feet.

***Wave Whisper.*** As a bonus action you can call on the residual elemental magic in your blood you can begin a whispering song once per long rest. Wave Whisper lasts for a minute. For the duration you can walk on water, see through water based obscuring effects (fog, mist, and clouds, but not dust or smoke) and you make no noise while obscured. Upon starting to Wave Whisper all Harlskir within 15 feet may join in, gaining the effects of Wave Whisper without using their own. Once started, another Harlskir can use their Wave Whisper to take over the song and extend the duration for all affected Harlskir. If the lead singer of a Wave Whisper is killed the whisper stops immediately and another Harlskir must spend theirs to restart it.

***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Valdan and Skirdic. The Skirdic language has a focus on oral storytelling and therefore uses the Gottnar runic alphabet for writing. Almost all Harlskir speak Valdan, the Veterensian merchant language, to converse with other peoples.

***Subrace.*** The two main kinds of Harlskir, Harlssons and Skirdottirs are more like closely related clans that true subraces. Choose one of these subraces.

### Harlssons

Harlssons compose the majority of the clans focused primarily on raiding as their way of life. Their villages are tended by the old and young while those of fighting age go off to pillage for months at a time.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Strength score increases by 1.

***Sea Salt Legacy.*** You know the *druidcraft* cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the *fog cloud* spell as a 1st-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

### Skirdottir

Skirdottir are the clans who focus on farming the Flodakr and tending the various flowers and herbs that grow only there. Their cities and towns are the most receptive to outsiders and Skirdottir dyes are of a such a quality that even Baranian merchants send caravans to Skirdottir towns.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

***Flood Guard Legacy.*** You know the *druidcraft* cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the *create or destroy water* spell as a 1st-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest, when you reach 5th level you can cast it at 2nd-level. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.