Akoss
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 Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:37 am Post subject: Valnyr |
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{Edited Oct. 25. Note: Need to refresh screen to see revised map}
Valnyr
Overview...
The majestic and mountainous lands of Valnyr are home to a proud civilization, the majority of which live within seven great, but factious, city-states. These remote, fortress-like cities were built to create a truly formidable defense against not only the monstrous beasts that roam their lands, but also the ceaseless plundering from a powerful Frost Giant empire in the north. It was from these cities that the Valnyrians were eventually able to strike back at their oppressors and a great war waged for many years. In the end, the Valnyrians emerged victorious with a decisive victory at sea and ratified a peace with the Frost Giants of Kaldr with the Winter Sea Concord.
It has been over thirty years now since the signing of the Concord and in that time the people of Valnyr have expanded out in their own lands, despite the numerous dangers that still exist, and the city-states have grown wealthy from trade with nations to the south and east. Now Valnyr controls much of the western Winter Sea with their converted merchant fleet. And the Concord they share with Kaldr ensures at least a tenuous peace, even if so-called “rogue” warbands of frost giants and their monstrous allies still prey upon the northern outposts.
Valnyr is still a very dangerous land, known to other nations as “the Land of Monsters”. Some of Namea’s fiercest beasts dwell in the wilds here and even the scattered trade outposts are located in remote, highly defensible postions. Trade caravans plying the rugged mountain roads of Valnyr are always very heavily armed. The people themselves are a boisterous lot believing in hard work and strong drink. They believe strongly in loyalty and are proud, some might even say arrogant, about their prowess in war. While farming and crafting are fine occupations, thier warriors will tell you that only your strength at arms earns you a place in Thunor’s great hall.
The Seven City-States...
The Lands of Valnyr consist of a loose alliance between the seven great city-states controlling strategically vital regions in western Winter Sea.
- The mountain fortress of Agerstad, ruled by Lady Yrael "Ironeye". Pop. 16,772
- The great southern seaport of Astan, ruled by Lord Nael "The Waverider". Pop. 34,312
- The forest city of Ravenheim, ruled by "Lady" Arel the Bloodyhanded. Pop. 9,638
- The icy domain of Hoarstadt, ruled by Lord Hergen "The Korlmaster". Pop. 22,445
- The pinnacles of Nareldyr, ruled by Lady Roeyn "The Mountain Witch of Nareldyr". Pop. 29,873
- The northern seaport of Skolheim, ruled by Lord Hreidmar "The Huntsman". Pop. 15,590
- The underworld seaport of Kronholm, ruled by Lord Taevan, "The Silver King". Pop. 12,014
Many smaller outposts and ports dot the Valnyrian landscape, though some have grown to nearly city-state status themselves. They are heavily fortified and well-manned, protecting the trade routes and offering shelter for caravans, travelers, adventurers and hunters. Trade caravans often stop through to hire on extra mercenaries to defend them in particularly hostile regions. They are often entirely self-sufficient communities living within their walls – craftsmen, traders and armorers, raising livestock and farming. These outposts are great places for adventurers to look for work or pick up gossip.
Most outposts have “watchtowers” strategically placed in the region around them. Though called watchtowers, they are often simply cliff-side caves, treetop fortifications or even a small keep-like structure. They can also double as shelters or to get light reinforcements. Watchtowers are themselves “watched” by experienced thieves and hunters hidden nearby or other light warriors lest the tower fall to sneak attack.
Culture...
As in most civilizations around the world, the level of personal power one can attain has created clear divisions in social castes. Positions of power are held almost exlusively by those individuals with great personal power. Hereditary succession to any position of authority is almost unknown in Valnyr. Meritocracy might be a better word for how they are governed.
Valnyrians work hard, play hard and drink hard. Their mannerisms and bluntness may seem crude to their more refined neighbors to the south and lands to the east but gain their trust and you have an ally for life. As the saying goes, "A Valnyrian you call friend will stand by you at the Gates of Hel itself."
The Valnyrians are a deeply spiritual people, and follow the values set down by them from their gods. As the popular saying goes, "A warrior must buy a seat in Thunor's great hall and glory is the only currency." and "Dying a warrior's death gets you in the door and a seat by the fire, a heroes one a room with a fine wench and a tankard of ale."
The day-to-day governing of each of the city-states typically falls to an oligarchy-style council, made up of prominant merchants, Lord-appointed advisors and guildmasters. The Lord of the City-State has veto power over any ruling, though rarely exercises it in daily affairs. More than one lord gained his position by usurping it from a previous "tyrannical" lord. It is well known that Arel the Bloodyhanded, along with her all-woman berserker honor guard, simply walked into Ravenheim's town square one day and announced her lordship over the city to those present. The current Lord was quickly made to see the value in this transition of rulership.
While to an outsider the Valnyrians seem a strong and united people there is a growing rift between the more progressive and cosmopolitan Valnyrians and those who cling strongly to their traditional, more rural roots. With trade bringing in more wealth into the city-states than at any time in their history, some say greed is pushing aside the values of their forefathers. Tukarr, a young and mostly nomadic nation, has been gaining more and more disenfranchised immigrants from Valnyr who long to return to their roots.
The Valnyrian's once proud warfleets have largely been converted to merchant vessels and the merchant class has gained tremendous influence in the years of peace. The cities have slowly become more cosmopolitan, especially in important trade cities like Astan. However, the fuel for ambition is ever present and speculative forays along the coast of the Great Sea and the unknown lands to the west would strike many as more piracy than diplomacy.
Closer to home, the Orders of the Talist-Magi have steadily grown in power. These societies were historically based around ancient, magical sites scattered throughout Namea. Very few possess the innate talent for magic and their interests were always first and foremost as repositories of ancient lore and rediscovering lost magical sites. Though with the expansion of civilization across the land, the Talists have become increasingly involved in the politics of the land. Even though the Talist-Magi are looked upon by most of the common folk as the chosen of the gods, this new and direct involvement in their lives has not always gone over well. More than a few feathers were ruffled when Lady Roeyn, a powerful Talist-Magi from the Losalfar Vale, cleverly orchastrated her ascention to the rule of the stone-spired city of Nareldyr. Rumors are circulating however that it was not with her order's blessing and fear that the slowly increasing number of Talists in the region mean an all-out Talist War may be inevitable.
Iron Heroes of Valnyr...
Common Background Traits
As might be expected of people living in the wild northlands, Arctic Born, Forest Born and Mountain Folk are fairly common traits for those living outside the City-States.
Within the City-States, Artisian, Child of Faith, City Rat and High Born.
PC Classes
Archers: Archers are an invaluable resource in Valnyr, whether defending the walls of a City-State or a caravan travelling through the wildlands. Archery skill is highly regarded in society and the solstice festival always has games of archery skill. The legendary Valnyrian archer Runyei enjoys an almost religious following. Many statuettes in her image adorn mantles across the lands of the west.
Armigers: Outside the city walls, Valnyrians tend to prefer speed and mobility over heavy armor and stoic defense. Behind the walls, during the war with Kaldr, the heavy spearmen of Astan were key to saving the city. And many will argue it that victory which began turning the tide against the giants. Heavy scale and mail armigers on Korlback make for great heavy cavalry and are popular in Agerstad and Hoarstadt.
Berserkers: To hear their southern neighbors in Torinth tell it, Valnyr is full of Berserkers! The reality though is that while Berserkers are great shock troops, they have seen their numbers steady decline since the peace with Kaldr. Independent warrior tribes societies living in the wildlands still boast a significant number of Berserkers among them however, and many consider it a proud tradition that is being lost in the "civilized" world.
Depite their decline, and a shock to many to many to be sure, the most renoun berserker of this age recently became the ruler the forest city of Ravenheim. Arel the Bloodyhanded with her magical, fire-spouting spear is perhaps the most dangerous warrior in the western Winter Sea and commands a fanatically loyal all-woman honor guard of berserkers.
Executioners: They are rarely encountered outside the city (unless it is one of the Helbound's assassins, looking for you...) but each City-State has at least a few men willing to discretely take care of undesirable trading partners, wayward spouses and tyrannical nobles. The larger City-States will have a guild or secret society in place and it is not unknown for the Lords themselves to have a few in their employ...
Harriers: The harrier's skills work exceedingly well in the often difficult terrain of Valnyr. They are often used in hunting parties and leading off and whittling down single, powerful beasts attacking caravans and outposts. Their mobility is a great asset against the often slower moving beasts though must be cautious as many beasts are capable of adapting quickly to their tactics and many a harrier has been caught by surprise by an Tarkec ambush or a Ghelerym swatting them with a tree or a half-ton rock. Many harriers actually come from the eastern lands such as Ilbasan or Khiva where they are revered and travel to the lands of the west to earn even greater fame and glory.
Hunters: They are backbone of virtually every party heading outside the city. The hunter fills many rolls in Valnyrian society - warmasters, hunters, caravan guides, explorers, sailors... Invaluable to Valnyrian society though they rarely enjoy the glory.
Men-at-Arms: The most common PC class and fills the gaps in any excusion. It should be of no surprise then that most of the revered Valnyrian war heroes were Men-at-Arms. Only the NPC Warrior class is more numerous among fighting men and women.
Talist-Magi: Of all the nations of the western Winter Sea, Talists find the greatest acceptance by society in Valnyr. Children who display the innate talent for magic are sent to live with one of the reclusive Talist Orders. They will stay with the Order until early adulthood and must pass a dangerous ordeal, unique to each Order, to demonstrate not only their ability control their power in life and death situations, but to have the sense to know when not to use it... Even more importantly it is a test of character and those who the Order feels will only abuse their power are quietly culled. These tests claim the lives of many young, would-be Talists, but the Orders know too well the dangers of such power in the hands of the weak and unworthy.
The Orders' domains are located in places with a deep, magical history. The Magi of the Losalfar Vale, the Lorekeepers of Askell, the Glaedin of Alistrad, The Runir of Koryndl ... After the Talist successfully completes his training he is expected to go out into the world and expand their magical knowledge, rediscover lost lore and ancient magical sites and bring greater glory to his Order. A Talist must do so until such time he is compelled to return and pass on his knowledge to his brethren and the next generation.
Thieves: The merchant class has gained much influence in Valnyr since the war with Kaldr as have advisors, spies and "diplomats" (see: spies). Thieves fill all these rolls and more.
Weapon Masters: The prestige surrounding the weapon master surpasses even the archer among the warrior caste. Lords of the various city-states often have "friendly" competitions that pit their champions against one other in arena-style combat. Weapon masters of note will very likely be offered a position of a blademaster in some minor noble's employ. Skolmir, the "Spear of Astan" and former apprentice to the legendary Grenloke, is the current champion of the Seven City-States.
NAMEA - An Iron Heroes campaign.
The Helbound await...Edited by: Akoss at: 10/31/05 12:08 pm
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Akoss
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 5:22 pm Post subject: The Valnyrian Pantheon |
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Call of the Aesir
The time of Ragnarok, the Twillight of the Gods, is over.
At the height of the End-Times, the world shattered and burned under the might of Surtur's Sword of Twillight, then plunged into the lasting frozen darkness of the Fimbulwinter. The world was left smoldering and frozen ruin with impassible crevasses, fierce storms, lands that burned and lands that were sealed in perpetual ice.
Though as the Norns fortold, the Aesir had prevaled, but the cost to both men and gods was great indeed. Balder the Brave returned from Hela's domain and led the remaining Aesir out of the ashes of the great war only to find a new doom awaited them. In the fires of Ragnarok, Idunn's orchard was lost, and with it the key the gods immortality - the Apples of Idunn.
Though the life of god is measured long compared to that of man, the task of restoring the Aesir to their former glory seemed insurmountable for so few gods. That is, until Balder's great glittering hall was built in the skies high above Midgard. The great hall gleamed so brightly in the sky that the remaining Vanir, lost since the days of Ragnarok, were able to find their way back to their ancient Aesir brothers. Having both sufffered such grevious losses, the old fueds were quickly set aside and a new race of gods was born.
Three generations of gods have passed, marked by both triumphs and tragedies alike. The great warrior-god, Thunor, sits on the high throne of the Aesir. As the great grandson of Thor, the Lord of Asgard wields the mighty axe Skellir, forged from the shattered pieces of his forefather's mighty hammer, Mjolnir. However, his axe and his great golden wolf-hound, Beyr, are his only companions of late. With his wife slain in battle, and his eldest daughter's betrayal and flight from his glittering hall, Thunor's moods have been known to turn dark and the skies above Namea rain down his fury with fire, ice and stone.
This is also a time of light and hope however, the goddess Arnora has planted a new World Tree, Spiralfjaer, and it is taking root around the world, slowly binding it back together and healing the great wounds done to it.
Hela Ascendant
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The Aesir
Major Gods
Thunor - Lord of Asgard
Khol - God of War
Arnora - Goddess of Fertility & Spring
Holmnir - God of the Hunt
Lauur - God of the Sea
Langlif - God of Rogues, Travelers
Lesser Gods
Agani - Goddess of the Sun & Harvest
Ioli - Goddess of the Hearth
Haaken - God of the Runes
Laegar - God of the Thunder
Surwyl - God of the Festival & of the City
Asgrim - God of Justice
Torsten - God of the Mountain
Yrfinna - Goddess of the Wind
Glaeda - Goddess of the Harvest
The Eryvael
Major Gods
Hela – Goddess of the Underworld and Briars
Kurrel - God of Decay
Erales - Goddess of the Night
Arneior - Hela's Shieldmaiden and daughter of Thunor
Dagul - The Scarred God
Aelynn - Goddess of Winter & of Winter's Lasting Darkness
Lesser Gods
Tolveyr - God of Lies & Betrayers
Maelec - God of Warlords and Conquerers
Melkora - Goddess of Secrets, Sorcery
Saedis - Goddess of Vengence
NAMEA - An Iron Heroes campaign.
The Helbound await...Edited by: Akoss at: 10/17/05 8:52 pm
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