Skóguran People

A portrait of a Skóguran couple and their children.

The **Skóguran people** are a group of humans that come from the tall forests of spruce trees in norther Ef'thar. In modern times, many now reside in the primarily Skóguran kingdom, the Holy Kingdom of Beinlandi. All Skóguran people speak the Skóguran language, with their name for themselves meaning something close to "foresters".

## History

### Creation Era

Known as Sköpun Tímabil in Skóguran, Skóguran scholars agree on the folklore which gives the tale of their creation. Verbal tradition states that a proto-Skóguran people did not exist until the first humans were born from the blood of 3 giant humans that sprouted from a branch of a tree like a fruit, named Berg, Viður, and Vatn. One of these humans, was Konungurfaðir, a legendary leader and the first proto-Skóguran man. Among the humans, they began to grow in number, and allied to kill the giants. A great war against the giants began, with battles that shook the earth and created ravines and caves. After the giants were slain, the corpses of these giants formed mountains, the hair that fell out made forests, and the blood that leaked from them made oceans and rivers.

### Ancient Era

Called Gamalt Tímabil, this is the time period of the proto-Skóguran tribe. After the groups of other humans migrated after the War Against Giants, Stríð gegn risum in Skóguran, the proto-Skóguran tribe would be under the rule of Konungurfaðir and would constantly migrate, never centralizing as a people, only living as hunter-gatherers, until 2000 Áður when they obtained the ability to forge iron tools and began to trade with other tribes or groups of people.

### Mercantile Era

Between the Ancient Era and the Mercantile era, not much was recorded to be understood by modern scholars, but it is estimated that for centuries following the Skóguran creation and their progression as a group of people, they assumed roles as merchants. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Skóguran people in around 150 Áður wandered from Fjallaland to Gróðurland, trading and reselling amongst the tribes there. After years of establishing themselves as local merchants on land, the Skóguran people began to transport themselves and their cargo by boat in 1000 Áður. They traveled across the Kannski River to come into contact with other groups of people, and as a result of this they became prosperous. The gave the name Kaupmaður for this occupation, and scholars have named the Kaupmaður Tímabil after it.

### Daudinistic Era

The Daudinistic Era, or Daudinistic Tímabil in Skóguran, is the era beginning in year 1 Eftir, when Einar Einaren discovered the holy ruins and had his prophetic experience that formed Daudinism. With his formation of Daudinism, he returned to his people and mass conversions began of the Skóguran people to Daudinism. After his mass conversions, he returned to the ruins where he declared that a kingdom would be created named The Holy Kingdom Beinlandi. The Daudinistic Era continues until Einar's death in 42 Eftir, when his son Álfþór ascends to the throne.

## Language

   The Skóguran people use a runic alphabet, consisting of lines that forms letters that they form the sounds of words with. The Skóguran language is unique, in the sense that it has stayed relatively the same over time, and that it has no formal foreign influence due to the Skóguran people not having a centralized state until the Holy Kingdom Beinlandi.

Within the Skóguran language there is a unique naming system that is often used to make genealogy easier. An individual often has a Patronymic name used after their first name and before their last name to denote whom their father was. The Patronymic name begins with an individuals father's name as the prefix and uses the suffixes of 'sson for men and 'sdóttir for women.

## Culture

The Skóguran people originate from their semi-nomadic sea merchant ancestors, in that time the Skóguran were dominated by their love for travelling all corners of the world, searching for peoples to trade with, which led to many advancements in naval technology. The Skóguran never made a state, only made temporary settlements or trading camps before moving to the next.

### Calendar

The Skóguran calendar is an 18 month calendar. with 20 day months, and 5 day weeks, and it is used as the official calendar of Beinlandi. Days are called dagur, 5 dagur make a vika, 4 vika make a mánuður, 18 mánuður make an ár, and the years are between Áður which is before Daudinism, and Eftir which is after Daudinism.

### Cuisine

The food culture of the Skóguran people is a rich and varied one that takes influence from many regions in Ef'tar as a result of years as seminomadic traders.

#### Bil Majonais

Perhaps the most quintessential Skóguran dish bil majonais, or as its also known "maidens bonnets" for its shape resembling a woman's bonnet. Dates back to the Gamalt Tímabil and is believed to have originated as a dish designed to use up left over food. Often described by non Skóguran's as 'meat wrapped in stuff' bil majonais is much more. A normal serving of bil majonais is prepared by taking flattened leavened dough and placing a mixture of minced meat, cabbage, potato, pickled beetroot and cheese. The dough is then pinched over the filling, fried and served with a creamy gravy and toppings

#### Dökkum Skógi

Made from rich cocoa imported from Al-Mosil and sweet sugar coated cherries native to Beinlandi. Dökkum Skógi is a cake described as being as dark and rich as the forests of Northern Ef'tar itself.

#### Gamalt Brauð

Gamalt Brauð or Gamalt Bread is a simple baked good named after Sjant Gamalt the Kind, according to the story of Sjant Gamalt this was just one of the dishes he gifted to the poor and sick during the Skarlat Plague. During the Feast of Sjant Gamalt bakers and noblemen are known to gift this distinctive bread out in order to pay thanks to the far gone Sjant; likewise in times of famine the Beinlandish government and the Daudinistic Order are known to give it out as rations. Gamalt Brauð is made from a mix of grains and has decretive designs of flowers, animals or runes often burnt into the crust with stamps.

#### Skóguran Skyr

Skóguran skyr is a cultured dairy product originating in Beinlandi. It has the consistency of strained yogurt, but a milder flavor and can often be classified as a fresh sour milk cheese, similar to curd cheese consumed like a yogurt. It has been a part of Skóguran cuisine for centuries. Skóguran Skyr has a slightly sour dairy flavor, with a hint of residual sweetness. It is traditionally served cold, either plain or with cream.

## Folklore

In the Skóguran culture, folklore is a big staple of their culture. In their folklore they have tales of magnificent creatures, those who wish to annoy you, those who wish to help you, and other that wish to harm you.

#### Gnomes

In Skóguran folklore, there is a known terrorizer that has been described as a gnome. He is known for taking great joy in annoying others and correcting them when they are misinformed. Encounters with this gnome all sound the same, they are speaking and then hear obscenities being yelled at them in a high pitched voice. When they investigate where the noise comes from, they only hear tiny footsteps running away, and that same voice giggling uncontrollably. Other stories of the gnome are very violent, he is known for his wealth of knowledge that he uses constantly to correct people when they're incorrect in any way, and he gets violent when you do say something incorrect. In stories of when they get a detail wrong in a historical tale, the gnome will strike from the shadows. He attacks them with words and corrects them while climbing them and striking them until they either die or are unconscious.

### Amma Norma

Deep within the dark and impregnable woods of northern Ef'tar lives Amma Norna, a wicked and evil woman who eats lost travelers and uses their bodies for her dark rituals. According to legend Amma Norma was once a normal woman who had married a wealth noble, however as time went on her looks and her mind faded away and her groom eventually left her for a younger second bride. In a fit of rage she murdered her former husband and ate his new bride, Amma Norna then fled deep into the woods of the north where she made a pact with evil spirits for eternal life and magical powers in return for her soul. Now Amma Norna stalks the dark wood starving for human flesh, her cracking winkled face caked in mud and dried blood. They say her long gaunt arms with nails as long and sharp as knives drag about the ground as she stalks the underbrush of the woods in search of lost children or wayward travelers.

### Trolls

The troll is a malicious creature known to inhabit the dark forests of northern Beinlandi. Made of the environment around them, they are born of the decay of the forest foliage. Trolls may be ugly and slow-witted, or look and behave exactly like human beings, with no particularly grotesque characteristic about them. Their nature is hostile, attacking everything that may cause a threat to them or that can feed them, and they are often thought to be in league with the witch Amma Norma. Their bodies can vary depending on where they are born, as materials of their environment often stick to their flesh creating a natural armor. Trolls are commonly spotted camouflaging as the environment awaiting for unsuspecting travelers or prey. Often times a troll will claim a bridge as its habitat in search of tribute from travelers wishing to pass. One of the few known ways known to keep a troll at bay is with water or charms produced by the Presturs and Presturas of the Daudinistic Order.

### Húðberandi

Meaning *skin wearer* in Skóguran the Húðberandi are shape shifters thought to be the sons of Amma Norma. It is theorized that their natural form is that of a grotesque human with horns shapped like dead branches. They are said to stalk the tundra's of northern Ef'tar taking the shape of animals or even disheveled uncanny humans in order to entice their prey in. The Húðberandi are believed to be able to imperfectly mimic the sounds of humans and travelers are often warned about following voices late in the evening and night when alone in the woods.

## Technology

### Naval Technology

Due to being a seafaring-merchant people, the Skóguran people made rapid advances in naval technology, specifically ships, to make their voyages easier. The style of ship used by the Skóguran is a longship, specifically made to be long and narrow with a shallow draught, meaning they could travel by river as well as by sea. The Skóguran shipbuilders also created a seal made of hair or moss that was mixed with tar that would be spread between the planks to prevent leaks in the ships. The ships were made to be a lighter build as well, so it would be faster and easier to bring on shore, making a dock not necessary. They have also created a collapsible mast, making it easier to go underneath bridges on rivers.