pilgrim_
now a major motion picture
Note: Empty spaces may also be foresty or covered in hills, but cartographers haven't quite bothered to check in case there's monsters. Besides, ink is expensive these days.
Also, this map is facing the sunrise (east), not north. There's no compasses.
Stridsborg is relatively young compared to the settlements of the old Sjomordinga, which was more of a collection of towns and villages that agreed to trade and fight alongside each other. This was in opposition to the Reikiarmen; roaming tribes that tended to prefer war, hunting, and generally not having any law at all. It was founded about a century ago, as the respective "land-of-the-snake-tongue-river" was found to be awfully fertile, and it represented the push towards the Gold Mountains. All in all, it's a rich town with very contentious people who lean between stoking the flames of tradition and bathing in the new ways.
The settlement is two parts agriculture, and one part river trade. This means although they can by all means get some fine weapons and armour, they rarely forge it themselves. This is important, as any lordly advisor would tell you, since it's why Stridsborg's rulers have historically maintained good ties with the Ramvigi fortress, and usually came to their aid in the past. Although things may be different now.
River warfare was a strategy with reliable results in the past, given the quick movement of troops downstream, before water monsters came into relevance. This is part of the fragmentation of settlements.
So, what happened? A question suspected to be asked by children, but usually requested by the elders of any settlement, since they have to agree on a cohesive speech to the people during full moon rituals.
Well, the Sjomordinga "kingdom" was headed by the warrior-lords of Kogurnum and Skogauga, as they provided safety for people wanting to settle down and farm without being raided every other week. This revolutionary idea of keeping everyone safe and letting them make nice things like furniture, swords, and religious shrines was so popular that groups of exploring men took their families to other lands that looked nice, and proceeded to name the places after some particular thing that came to mind.
For example, Stovilk was named after the many wolves in the nearby forests, that the founding men, Madur and Gudsur, allegedly fought. The legend is true, but it usually forgets that they had about forty other men to help them.
After a while, the roaming tribes became less of a problem, but now some settlements wanted the sorts of land, food, and materials that others got access to. This isn't as simple as waging war, however, as one now destroyed town discovered- because once you conquer another piece of land, you have to hold off attacks on two different places. From clever Reikiarmen, and other lords.
Using this to his advantage, the late warrior-lord Veisur drew up a huge army, carried out many rituals, and sent crows to everyone to inform them that if they didn't fall under Kogurnum, then many years of strife and fear would be ahead.
Yes, it was a threat, but he had a point, or maybe several hundred of them.
Much deliberating and discussion passed and the lords of most towns at the time decided that it wasn't worth fighting for your independence. You'd be a lord one day, and a man in a house surrounded by ashes the next. Even if you didn't agree, you had no idea if your supposed allies were going to join you in fighting the huge army of the oldest city.
Thus the Sea-River land was formed.
After this there was a whole lot of cultural things, like the unification of the Old Faith, and some libraries started being opened up and everything was quite nice, for a people that were born to slaughter everything.
One week, however, (nobody was going to notice this in one day) the Reikiarmen stopped fighting with your people. Settlers never sent a crow back to inform towns of what was in the new lands beyond. Livestock was disappearing. And everyone was too soft to raise their arms in fury, and fight for their people.
It cost them.
Although there is much mythology of the normal moral variety, there are a few major gods, who are collectively cited for giving humans parts of their essences to continue the spirit of the gods even if they were to fall. Most people don't like to think about that last part.
Lindus is the god of knowledge and patience- generally called upon during times of long suffering or work, like sieges, farming crops, or learning to read. He is attributed to elders and the wisdom of men, such as advisors who are incapable for battle, or even to warriors who must stand down instead of charging into battle constantly. He also provides, according to the Old Faith, men's use of language and history.
Runus is responsible for the hunt, pursuit, and determination in the face of great odds. He is apparently the patron of men who attempt difficult tasks despite being ill fitted to do so, or otherwise facing exhaustion- rewarding the effort of the attempt itself.
Jusgar is the god of truth, which as one may expect, calls itself on the sympathy of those in trials, argument, and how to live a life. Sometimes he is attributed to fairness as truth must be reached with absolute reason, and unfair practicality is rarely fair.
Sanma is the goddess of flourish, life and fertility. Peace, essentially, or the eternal mother- depending on a state of being protected by a stronger individual, but also having the drive to protect the defenceless. There are some contesting ideas of who receives Sanma's attention- strong, disciplined boys that defend families, or women that sacrifice their freedoms to serve a husband, a child, a community.
Voydur is the father of the warrior who must serve- of discipline for your brothers, or your people. He is not one who calls for blind rage or unrelented strength, but the ability to sacrifice and remain loyal.
Then there's a bunch of other minor or otherwise lesser known members of the pantheon, but one would either have to live with religiously interested parents, or ask a priest about the details.
It should be stressed nevertheless that religion is a vital part of your society. You are expected to defend the particular god you place you faith in most, so long as you don't strike out against people or the community in their name.
Part of this defence is taking part in the Vyets of a community, which discusses public matters and makes requests of the ruling class on a regular basis, the requirements being that you're not enslaved or a criminal. The common free people can act as a sort of jury, relaying advice and judgement in the interest of their common man or themselves. Priests elected by the individuals in Vyetsa (that being the plural) are the ones who make final judgements on significant decisions, such as appointing military leaders, trials, or even electing rulers at times.
Required Listening
(Okay, not all of it, but that's the kind of place we're in folks. Get used to it.)
(...while you're here, go read up about ancient Germanic/Slavic societies. It's fun!)
(Also, what's all this lore for? Well, this isn't some flimsy RP. There's culture involved, as well as war.)
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