North Region

## Background

Located in the North, this region would have mountains, making it a suitable place to have a city that would have a natural defense against invaders, being surrounded by mountains. The newest and latest region to be absorbed into the Rodhmar country, it was taken in 120 years ago. The people still hold some small lingering resentment over having to change their beliefs on how to serve Sevrn. It was when high priest scholar George began spreading his alternative teachings that it began to resonate with the people. Many would turn to his cause, giving up the teachings of the Children of Sevrn and began to follow George, naming themselves Sevrn's Karlek. This would cause a rift with the other regions and soon a civil war would break out, with the North region wanting to break free and worship Sevrn in their own way.

### The people

Having lived in the harsh cold environments surrounded by mountains, the people of the Northern region are typically hardier, able to live without food or water for longer periods of time. They are also slightly shorter than average due to taking in less nutrients, for food can be some times scarce in the winter months. Before being absorbed by Rodhmar, they were a loosely jointed nomadic people. They would have temporary cities in which they would move to each season to better forage or hunt for food. They are usually very kind people who believe that Sevrn blessed them to live such harsh lands so that they may be more giving to those in need

### Culture before Rodhamr

The people of the Northern region had a diplomatic-like system. The tribe would be voting who would lead the tribe. Their responsibilities were to ensure that the nomadic tribe were properly taken care of, with the small group making sure where would be the best place to settle in a temporary city for foraging and hunting for food. They would also be responsible for taking appropriate action against those who would break the tribe's laws. Other responsibilities would be managing resources, making sure their warriors were properly trained and so forth. A person would have this position for 8 years, if the people feel their leader is lacking, they may request the person to step down and someone else may be elected to lead.

Women were equal to men, they believed that inorder to live in the mountains, everyone had to contribute. There was no division of class or separation of people. Encouragement was made to make sure that all ate at the same table. The elderly and the disabled were properly taken care of, for they believed that to worship Sevrn meant to help those that needed it.

The warriors they had were unmatched when it came to defense. Many were skilled blacksmiths who each helped each other craft armor that was nearly impenetrable. The miners would excavate the mountains for precious ores to create these valuable armor pieces. Combined with the mountainous region along with living a nomadic life, the warriors of the North were swift in combat, easily able to take more damage than usual thanks to their tough armor.

They were able to build temporary cities quickly and efficiently, making use of material that was both easily durable and portable. They would build permanent houses and walls in certain mountainous areas as a defensive structure. Should the tribe ever have to battle someone and retreat, they would use the naturally difficult mountain paths as a first line of defense to sap the enemy troop's morale for treading on such dangerous paths. If the enemy was able to finally pass through the difficult terrain, the fortified cities would be the next line of defense. The most fortified city - Butthole would be their last line of defense. Here, food would be plenty to keep the people nourished for a long battle, equipment would easily be repaired for there would be a mine easily accessed.

### Rodhamr's invasion

The nation of Rodhamr decided 110 years ago that the precious metals of the north would be valuable and that the armor crafted from the ores would prove to be quite useful in their army. They would negotiate trade with the Northern region for their ores. The Northern people would refuse for they were a self-sufficient tribe who had very little desires or needs. Rodhamr would ask for trade for their armor pieces, they again refused. The high chancellor at the time believed that it was necessary to secure the ores for fear that another nation may try to claim it as their own or even worst - the Northeners would advance their technology and be a threat to Rodhamr, should the nomadic tribe decided to unite together and invade.

The high chancellor then declared an invasion would be the best course of action to ensure that the Northeners would not have a chance to be a threat to the nation of Rodhamr, nor could another nation expand it's territory to the mountain mines. The battle took 10 years to conclude, with much bloodshed. The war was one of attrition, Rodhamr had a force 10x larger than the Northeners. But the Northeners had the terrain knowledge advantage. Many lives would be lost in the first year they did battle, with Rodhamr retreating it's forces. During the 2nd year, Rodhamr would utilize salting the Earth tactic. They would slaughter many animal, burn lands and salt it to prevent plants from ever growing. This tactic would sap away at the Northeners strength for they had never farmed for their food, slowly but surely, Rodhamr managed to make it's away to the Northener's last city of Butthole. By year 5 of the war, The Northeners had their last stand at Butthole. A siege tactic would be used by Rodhamr, surrounding the city to starve the people inside. It would take another 5 years but the elected leader would negotiate a surrender treaty with Rodhamr, no longer wishing to see her people slowly die of starvation and mounting disease from the corpses.

The high chancellor would have high respect for the Northeners to be able to prolong the war this long and offered them an opportunity to be absorbed and be apart of the Rodhamr nation. They would have to give up many things and abide by the teachings and laws of Rodhamr. Their once equality society would be replaced with a caste system. Their way of worshipping Sevrn would be considered wrong and replaced by Rodhamr's own teachings. They would have to give up their secret techniques to forging their armor and settle down into a city, no longer being allowed to be nomadic.

## Structure Design

Since they are in the North and have to survive extreme cold regions. Ideas for structures could be taken from countries that live in cold climate. Examples would be Russia, Denmark, Switzerland, etc. Since these European countries already have a certain medieval design to them, the technology they possessed in building maintenance and such could mean that the South used their designs heavily for their newer buildings. The North may have very light Eastern influenced buildings due to the South ruling them very recently and slowly trying to influence them.

Building idea references

https://goo.gl/images/MU39Ly

https://goo.gl/images/QSpUok

https://goo.gl/images/XRQMRk

The Masyaf is also another interesting castle. Having it as the last fortitude city of the North and being very old. It would work well being located around a mountain so that it was hard to conquer. Can show how committed the South were in conquering, wanting to even cross mountains in order to bring the North into their fold.

Reference ideas

https://goo.gl/images/YDVhNZ

https://goo.gl/images/BSXkpN