The most populous cultural and racial group in the Northlands are, unsurprisingly, the Northlanders themselves. Famed for their size, cleanliness, independence, and ferocity, the Northlanders stand out among the smaller, darker people of the Southlands. Most Northlanders are of above-average height and weight for a human, though they do not exceed human norms for size. In skin, eye, and hair color they tend toward the lighter shades, though dark brown hair and eyes, as well as black, are not uncommon. Northlanders are also well known for being clean and for regularly bathing. These hardy folk see no problem with diving into a winter-chilled stream, providing they can quickly exit and get back into the warmth of a hall.
Men and women wear their hair long and in braids, though women’s hair tends to be longer. Men, and women engaged in more-active pursuits, wear trousers, a long tunic, and shoes of wood or leather. Women’s clothing tends toward dresses, aprons, and smocks, and both genders wear several layers, especially in winter, as well as cloaks and hats. Although women occasionally wear men’s clothing, men rarely are seen in women’s clothing.
The Northlanders have two social classes, thralls and freemen, though the latter has some gradations from simple freemen to the jarls. Thralls are in effect slaves and are owned property of a freeman. They are generally captives taken in raids of Seagestreland, the Southlands, or places beyond, though they are occasionally purchased from Caliphate traders. A thrall may own property and may purchase its freedom, or it may gain its freedom though heroic deeds, the decision of its owner, or rarely by vote of a Thing (though like other decisions passed by these bodies, the Thing does not enforce the freeing of a thrall). Thralls may also bring suit before a Thing, though they may not vote and have no right to speak unless so granted by the assembly. The child of a thrall is also a thrall, but traditionally owners free their thralls upon death. A rare few thralls are Northlanders who have been captured in a raid or who have fallen on hard times and have sold themselves into slavery to pay debts or simply to find food and shelter.
All other Northlanders are freemen, and by tradition considered equal in rights and responsibilities. Freemen can own property, make oaths, and vote or speak in the Thing. Most freemen are simple farmers known as bondi; even craftsmen usually pursue their professions as a side job when not farming. The common farmer barely makes enough to put something away for the next year, and can arm himself only with a light wooden shield, a spear, a long knife or axe, and maybe a chain shirt if he is lucky, but more often leather. Wealthier farmers are known as hirdman and make up roughly a third of Northlander society. A hirdman has a large enough excess income to afford to arm and armor himself at a higher level, namely with a suit of chainmail, a heavy wooden shield, several spears, an axe, a sword, and possibly a riding horse as well. These are not to be confused with hirthmenn who make up the citizen militias of the Northlands nations and derive their name from the hirdmen who originally almost solely comprised their.
First among equals, jarls have enough wealth to support themselves and their families, but also a large household of specialist craftsmen, thralls, and skilled warriors. The most valued members of a jarl’s household are his huscarls — men and women sworn into his service whose support is entirely dependant on the jarl. In effect, to be a jarl a person needs not just wealth, but the ability to convince others to pledge their lives in your service and also be able to provide for their feeding, shelter, clothes, weapons, armor, and all other things they may need. A jarl rides to war (though he fights on foot), and bears the best weapons and armor such as a heavy wooden shield, a sword or axe, and a suit of finely linked chain. Many jarls also own a longship or two — sometimes more — and regularly outfit expeditions for trading or raiding.
Lifestyle:
Contrary to the belief among the Southlanders that the Northlanders are born warriors who spend their days and nights raiding or preparing to raid, most Northlanders are farmers. Wheat, rye, vegetable, and dairy farming make up a large proportion of the Northlander agricultural production. Growing seasons are short in the North, and many areas struggle to produce enough to last from one harvest to the next. Animal husbandry is common, and in addition to cattle (considered a marker of wealth), one finds swine, geese, goats, sheep, chickens, and ducks. Horses are rare and more likely used as draft animals than for riding, and never for war (aside as a means of transport). Hunting and fishing, as well as sealing and whaling, makes up the balance, leading to a greater amount of animal proteins consumed than in other lands.
Other economic activities include logging and some mining, though aside from iron, few readily available metals are in the Northlands. Trade is a major affair, as is raiding, and brings in goods and commodities scarce in the North. The emphasis on farming is so high that, just as with craftsmen, even those who engage in other trades do so as part-time endeavors to supplement their income.
Towns are few, and even villages are somewhat sparsely distributed. Most Northlanders live in scattered communities composed of several farmsteads grouped around a central area that serves as a marketplace and meeting site for the local Thing. This helps to reinforce the independent nature of the Northlanders and encourages tight family bonds. In most ways, each farmstead is self-sufficient, and one can find the same farm raising a variety of crops and livestock.
The family is the basis of Northlander society, though a Northlander family tends to be large. The eldest members, be they male or female, govern the families, which are often composed of two or more generations plus servants, thralls, and guests. It is not unusual for a Northlander to spend a season with a cousin, uncle, aunt, or even grandparents, and some go so far as to move in and make permanent residence in a relative’s household, especially when times are tough.
Women enjoy far more rights in the North than in other lands, and are generally considered the equal of men. Female jarls are not uncommon, as well as with godi, warriors, and nearly every other profession. However, there is not total equality, for it is assumed that shortly after marriage a woman will focus much of her attention on the household and any children produced from the marriage. Still, Northlander women are allowed to own land, vote in most Things and Althings, hold the title of jarl, and if they are so inclined, fight in the shieldwall. In fact, when it comes to women warriors, the North produces more than its fair share. It is considered quite normal in many regions for young unmarried women to participate in raids and other martial endeavors, and all women receive at least a minimum of training to be able to defend their homes while the menfolk are off a-viking or trading during the summer.
Buildings in the Northlands are almost entirely made of wood; even the defensive walls of towns are wooden palisades. Roofs are generally thatch, though slate and wooden shingle roofs can be found in mountainous areas or on the homes of the wealthy. Most houses, even in towns, are long, rectangular affairs known as longhouses. These are built of a wooden double frame, often with tightly laid boards that abut each other, with the area between the frames filled with sod, rocks, sand, or other material. In the northernmost regions, sod is cut and piled against the outer walls for additional insulation. Farmsteads tend to be fenced or walled with enough room for outbuildings, sheds, and some grazing area. Nearly every home has its own well, save in towns were communal water supplies are the norm. Since Northlander society tends to be rather egalitarian, even the jarls have halls much like the common longhouse, only larger and more ornately carved.
Northlanders have a well-deserved reputation as superb warriors and are skilled and cunning combatants. Cavalry is unheard of in the Northlands, and all Northlanders fight on foot save for a few degenerate Hrolf who have adopted Southlander ways. When battle is imminent, Northlanders form up into a shieldwall with the best-armed and armored warriors in front, and the rest of the formation grading down to the freemen who can afford only a shield and spear in the back. Archers, usually youths or old men, form up on the flanks and attempt to send their projectiles into the midst of the enemy shieldwall. If either side has Bearsarkers or Ulfhanders, these stand before their shieldwall and initiate the battle by throwing themselves against the enemy formations.
Spears thrust over the shields, with the front rank either keeping two hands on their shields or otherwise wielding short, stabbing blades. The two formations advance on each other. The main goal of shieldwall battle is to overlap the other formation’s wall and attack it from the flanks. Another option is to break the enemy’s front, though this is very difficult to achieve. The front ranks attempt to stab each other over, under, and between the shields, while the back ranks push on those in front of them, shove spears over the shield wall into the foe, or fling axes, daggers, rocks, and spears. A shieldwall battle may take hours to resolve as each formation attempts to exhaust the other and execute a flanking maneuver or breach. During this entire time, both sides are busy flinging insults and jibes at each other, and individuals are looking for not just the opportunity to gain personal glory, but are seeking out particular foes in order to resolve vendettas or blood feuds.
These same tactics are used when raiding or in battle against non-Northlanders. In a raid, the Northlanders swarm ashore and attempt to overwhelm their targets through surprise. If this fails, the raiders fall back toward their ship and set up a shieldwall, beckoning their foes to come and try it. This works especially well against the Seagestrelanders, who seem to have never tired of their own mad rush tactics in the vain hope they may overcome a shieldwall through sheer numbers.
One other tactic not often used due to the difficulty of pulling it off, is the schweine-kopf, or swine’s head. Unlike the shieldwall, this formation is highly mobile and very aggressive. The warriors form up in a tight wedge with the best-armed warriors along the outside and the most skilled, usually a jarl and his huscarls, at the point. In this formation, there is less protection for everyone, but that is not the purpose of the swine’s head. Instead of meeting the foe’s shieldwall in line, the purpose is to hit hard and fast, gambling all that a breach can be made in the first moments of battle. Failure leaves the warriors at a disadvantage, as they must quickly unfold into a normal shieldwall to avoid being overlapped and flanked by their foes.
At sea, Northlanders attempt to turn the fight into a land battle by ramming enemy ships, linking ships together with boards and chains, or otherwise counteract the unstable nature of the sea and the general lack of effective ranged weapons in Northlander forces. More often than not, sea battles devolve into fierce single combats as warriors board each other’s vessels and attempt to slaughter all on board.
Government:
To the eyes of outsiders, the Northlanders live in absolute anarchy. Unlike the peoples of the Southlands, no governmental institutions are capable of enforcing laws beyond the reach of a ruler’s own household, nor is there a layered bureaucracy like in the Caliphate. Instead, the Northlands are governed by a combination of tradition, democratic assemblies, and charismatic personalities. Northlanders view themselves as free men and women, differing from their thralls and the enthralled peoples of other lands. Every person has the right to self-determination, and if the local Thing or jarl seeks to encroach on this freedom, they better have a convincing case or be ready for a fight. In short, the Northlands are
governed by consent of the governed, at least in theory.
Tradition is the main force keeping the Northlanders together, and even a weak jarl can rely on the force of tradition to maintain some semblance of order in his lands. It is because of the traditional obedience to jarls that most Northlanders treat the commands of the local jarl as words to be obeyed. A person could decide, at least in theory, that his jarl is unworthy of their allegiance and swear oaths to a different jarl. This is rare, for the first action in such an event is that a person must break his oath to his current jarl, something that flies in the face of tradition. To keep one’s word is the cornerstone of Northlander tradition, and oath-breakers are despised, even when they have just cause. Likewise, lying is seen as an abomination, especially to one’s companions, jarl, or during a Thing.
Other traditions govern Northlander society, but most especially the traditions of hospitality, community, and courage. Both a guest and a host are bound by the traditions of hospitality, sometimes called the laws of hosting. A guest is bound to obey his host, to defend his host’s house in the event of attack, to graciously receive whatever food and lodging is available, and to behave in an honorable and sober manner. He is not to abuse his position and overindulge in the best of the host’s food, drink, shelter, gifts, and thralls. The host also has several rights and responsibilities, for he is to provide for the guest the best of his house and, if lacking in anything, to make good the discrepancy even at great personal loss or risk. He is to defend and protect his guest, treat his guest as an honored member of the household, and provide for the guest’s entertainment. Guests are allowed to stay for at most six weeks or the length of one winter, after which the guest overstaying his welcome negates the traditions of hospitality.
Community is of grave importance to the Northlanders, and it is a general assumption that neighbors will help neighbors in need, though this should never be exploited or abused. The people of a community, be it a jarl’s hall, a family clan, a village or town, a farming district, or the crew of a longship (or even a band of adventurers), form one body. Share and share alike is the key motto, for those who share hardships and joys must also share food and shelter as needed. A great deal of property in the Northlands is communal land. Most longships, for example, are owned by a jarl and his huscarls or by the crew as a whole. A community commonly owns even valuable items such as ploughs, livestock, and mills.
Finally, of the cornerstone traditions of the Northlands, the one that seem to impress Outlanders the most is that of courage. Every Northlander is subject to this tradition, and men, women, and children are expected to be courageous in the face of danger or even simple embarrassment. To show fear is to show oneself to be less than human, and thus risk being excluded from the community. This is not just courage in battle, but stoic resolve against sickness, injury, accident, or misfortune.
The traditions of the Northlanders are not written down; instead, they are commonly held beliefs that have been passed down through the generations. Because of this, and because of their love of freedom, the Northlanders have developed the Thing, a democratic body that serves as arbiters of tradition, as well as makers of laws and passers of judgment. The exact composition of a Thing depends on local tradition, but in general, it is made up of either all adults in a given locality or all adult landholders. Everyone in the Thing has an equal vote and an equal right to speak before the assembled body. Most Things assemble monthly or seasonally, though the Things of Halfstead and other larger towns meet on a weekly basis. The Thing is empowered to pass rulings on any crime brought before it and to pass laws declaring actions that should or should not be taken. It has no power to enforce these laws, though for large public works projects, a Thing may take up a collection to see that a wall, canal, or such be built. Because of this, justice is often in the hands of those who wish to seek it, but the ruling of the Thing as to the legality of taking that justice is of paramount importance in avoiding a feud of revenge.
Family and clan are more important to the Northlanders than Things or jarls and form the basis of the nations Gatland and Hrolfland. These are part of the tradition of community, for family or clan is seen as one community that often cuts across other communities. A family has a head, and this person has many of the same duties and rights as a jarl. Above the family is the extended clan, and the leader of a clan has great influence and prestige, the right to command others of his clan, but the duty to protect the clan as a whole and see to its prosperity.
Finally, there are the jarls, charismatic rulers who govern through a combination of influence, prestige, bribery, and force. Technically, outside of his or her household, the jarl has no true authority. Individuals take oaths to obey a jarl and serve his needs, and it is up to the individual to fulfill this oath. A jarl attracts followers through the power of his own personality and through deeds. Simply being the heir of the previous jarl does not mean that anyone will follow you; however, tradition leads most people to make oaths of allegiance to their jarl’s heirs, though there are always those who prefer to wait and see how the new jarl behaves before making these oaths.
In return for an oath of service, a person expects that his jarl will protect him and reward him with gifts. It is of utmost importance that a jarl be known as a ring-giver, one who frequently gifts his followers with hacksilver, goods, and land. If a jarl fails to fulfill his responsibilities to his followers, he is assumed to have broken his word to them, and thus his own oaths are no longer binding. In the most extreme cases of rebellion and banditry, a jarl may be forgiven for using force against his own people. In all other cases, unless so empowered by a Thing, a jarl that uses force to back his commands is considered a tyrant, an oath-breaker, and an enemy of the people.
One other layer of governance exists in the Northlands, though it is so closely tied to tradition that it forms a subset of the traditions of community. In some areas such as Hordaland, there is a tradition of a køenig. This ruler can be best seen as a higher jarl, one whose sphere includes the entire region. Like a jarl, the køenig must rule with the consent of the governed, but unlike a jarl, a køenig has far broader powers. A køenig need only obey the Althing of his region, lesser Things have no binding power over him. Furthermore, a køenig may call all of his followers to war without their consent, and they are honor-bound to obey. Finally, a køenig may exact a tax on all within his domain, though this may not exceed one piece of hacksilver per person per season.
Religion:
Much like the rest of their society, the Northlanders do not follow an organized or hierarchical religion. They have their gods and heroes, and the worship of them is up to the individual. There are priests, but these are part-time positions that do not produce wealth in any appreciable amount. Instead, priests, called godi, are afforded a great deal of respect, but are also expected to see to their own affairs as any other freeman. Because of this, all godi have a regular occupation, often farmer, which provides a more profitable means of support. Also, godi tends to be an inherited position that passes from father to son or mother to daughter depending on the family. Godi are required to maintain their temples, called godi houses, that are normally simple affairs of wood and thatch. Those that avail themselves of a godi’s services are expected to gift the godi a reward of some sort. However, aside from funerals, births, and deaths, most people are content to worship in their own ways and in private, thus limiting the need for the godi’s skills.
Godi do not dedicate themselves to one deity, except for a few rare individuals who have felt a specific calling. These specialized godi are normally the only ones who gain access to spells; other godi may be of the cleric or druid class, but would consider the granting of a spell from their deity to be a momentous event. Likewise, only those dedicated to one deity ever gain supernatural powers from their god.
Northlander Characters:
By far, Northlander heroes are of the martial-oriented classes, and even then, fighters are the most numerous. After fighters, rangers are the most popular, though these are usually of the non-magic-using archetypes. One would think that their fame as savage warriors would mean a fair number of barbarians would be found in the Northlands, but this is not the case. Those capable of flying into a battle rage are often looked on with fear by their fellows, even if that person is part of the Bearsarker or Ulfhander cults. Cavaliers are unheard of except among the Hrolf who have adopted Southlander ways; the way of war for the Northlanders does not generally include the horse. Firearms are entirely unknown in the Northlands, and thus the gunslinger class is not native and would be seen as a strange, possibly magical, profession. Likewise, the amazing abilities of those Outlanders who have perfected their bodies and minds in such a manner to become members of the monk class are seen as somehow supernatural, and possibly not to be trusted.
Rogues and their ilk are almost unheard of in the Northlands. Theft is a major crime and often results in a person being declared an outlaw. Also, locks and mechanical traps, aside from those traps used for hunting, are unheard of. True, some Andovan ruins or tombs are locked and trapped, but these are scattered widely across the land. No thieves’ guilds or other organized crime syndicates are in the Northlands; the lack of authority and harshness of punishment, not to mention the tightknit nature of Northlander communities, makes these impossible. What rogues that can be found are often combat or wilderness scout orientated, and not the more traditional thief or thug of the Southlands.
Arcane spellcasters are extremely rare in the Northlands, to the point of being largely unheard of save in story and myth. Those who exhibit mastery of arcane magic are often shunned, if not brought to suit at a local Thing for being dangerous witches (no matter the actual class of the character). Wizards are at times given some respect for the amount of training required to gain their powers, but even then all consider it best to keep wizards far away from good, normal folk. Sorcerers and witches are greatly feared, and are often declared outlaws and hunted down. Alchemy, being a science of more civilized lands, is unheard of in the Northlands. The magus class is also unknown and appears only among outlanders. Of all the arcane classes, the summoner is the most hated and feared, for members of this class can bring strange beasts — most likely corrupted creatures of the Ginnungagap, demon-gods or giants of the ancient world (at least in the eyes of the Northlanders) — into the Northlander’s reality.
The only exceptions to this general distrust of arcane spellcasters are the cunning woman lineages who are treated as honored and valuable members of the community.
Bards, called skalds in the Northlands, are a different matter. Bards are respected for their ability to inspire men in battle, as well as the skill needed to learn the many tales and legends of the North. Although they can cast arcane spells, most Northlander bards have learned to mask this spellcasting by mixing it into their song, oratory, or through the use of folk cures and curses.
The divinely inspired classes are rare and poorly represented in the Northlands. Few godi actually have any sort of spellcasting ability, and those that do are clerics or druids who have dedicated themselves to a specific deity instead of the Northlander pantheons as a whole. Paladins are even rarer, as only one deity of the Northlanders has the requisite temperament to attract and empower these paragons of virtue. Adding to their troubles, paladins in the Northlands must constantly contend with the scourge of slavery in the form of thralldom. Lacking a formal church structure, as well as the temperament, inquisitors are unknown among the Northlanders themselves. Oracles are well known, and many of those who dedicate themselves to a single deity do so without the normal guidance and training afforded a member of one of the godi lineages.
Languages:
The Northlands are distant from the centers of civilization in the world, and the natives speak their own languages. Those who venture abroad know the common trade tongue of Westerling, but in day-to-day life the Northlanders speak their own language, Nørsk. The written form of Nørsk is Runic, and must be learned as a separate language. Literacy is by no means universal in the Northlands. Other languages native to the region include Andøvan (the dead language of the ancient Andøvan peoples), Seagestrelander, Nûklander (a dialect of Elven), and Ulnat (language of the seal hunters of the Far North).
NEW RULES
Campaign Traits:
The following traits are particularly suited to residents of Silvermeade Hall:
Bondi: You are a small landholder, entitled to vote in the local Thing and bring cases before it. Although the vast majority of Northlanders are freemen, you are in a class above the others. You have a small farm that yields 40 gp a year in profit, though this assumes you or someone else spends a great deal of time working on it. You have a +1 trait bonus on Profession (farmer).
Child of Heroes: One or both of your parents are widely recognized heroes, paragons of the warrior virtues, maybe even figures who have appeared in epic sagas themselves. Due to your heroic heritage, you gain one of the following: a +1 bonus to one ability score, +2 skill points per level, or +1 hit point per level. You are expected to live up to your parent or parents’ reputation.
Dwarf Blood: It is rare that the Dvergar have any relations outside their own kind, but one of your ancestors managed just that. As a result, you have unnatural blood in your veins, something that others would find disturbing if they knew. You are shorter and uglier than average, and likely have an unusual hair or eye color. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Craft, and after reaching 5th level you may take the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat, though if you are not a spellcaster you may only craft or repair weapons and armor that do not have special abilities.
Elf Blood: One of your ancestors is of the Alfar, a Nûklander or more rarely a Southlander elf. It is even possible that your ancestor was stolen as an infant and a fey changeling left in his place. Either way, you have non-human blood in your veins, something that taints you in the eyes of other Northlanders. You are thinner and taller than average, and likely have a strange look to your facial features, hair color, or eye color. As a result, you gain a +1 trait bonus to Stealth and Perception, and one of these becomes a class skill.
Famous Family: You are from one of the famous families of the Northlands, such as the Gats or Hrolfs. Your family connections can help you get into higher circles of power, gives you a bonus of +3 votes when appearing before a Thing, and gives you an extra 100 gp to begin your adventuring career. Unfortunately, you are expected to uphold your family’s honor and ambitions and participate in its feuds. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (nobility) and it becomes a class skill for you.
Focused Devotee: Although not a priest, you have dedicated a part of your life to the study of the gods. As a devotee of a single deity, you place his or her worship above all others (while not ignoring the other gods lest you offend). Your alignment must be within one step of your favored deity’s. Also, you must uphold that deity’s ambitions and virtues. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (religion) and it becomes a class skill for you. Additionally, you gain a +1 trait bonus to damage rolls with that deity’s favored weapon.
Giant Blood: Somewhere in your family’s history, someone lay with a giant. The taint of the evil, demonic Jötnar is in your blood, which poses several disadvantages. You are driven to commit crimes against the natural order of the Northlands. Those who know of your taint will likely shun you, and even the gods may turn their backs on you if you prove unworthy. As compensation, you are unusually tall and hardy, gaining a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves. Due to your unnatural ancestry, you also gain a +1 to either Knowledge (arcana) or Spellcraft.
Halfsteader: Halfstead is the largest city in the Northlands, and acts as a central point for the entire region. Peoples, goods, and ideas from throughout the North, as well as from farther abroad, flow through, generating wealth. You gain a +1 bonus to Knowledge (geography) and Linguistics, and choose one as a class skill.
Heir: You are the child of a jarl, and thus stand to inherit some degree of wealth. As a result you are expected to live up to the expectations of your position, and have a bonus of +10 votes when appearing before a Thing. You begin your adventuring career with an extra 300 gp, a chain shirt, a heavy wooden shield, a hand weapon, and clothing befitting your station.
Hirdman: You are an independent landowner of some wealth and status, above the bondi yet below the Jarls. You possess a fair bit of land and have a bonus of +5 votes when speaking at the local Thing due to your position. Your land yields enough to feed you and your family, plus produce 100 gp a year in profit, though this assumes you or someone else spends a good deal of time at work planting, reaping, etc. Also, you begin play with an extra 150 gp, a riding horse, a suit of light armor, heavy wooden shield, and a simple or martial melee weapon.
Hnefatafl Player: You have wiled away many long winters playing hnefatafl board games. Furthermore, you have developed some skill with them. This earns you some respect among your peers, for the Northlanders appreciate a quick mind and good game play. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Initiative due to your experience outwitting opponents.
Hordalander: Your kingdom is in turmoil, which means that you must be well aware of which jarls are aligned with which factions. Being constantly on your toes has given you a +1 trait bonus to Sense Motive.
Horseman: You are one of those who has bothered to learn to ride a horse and ride it well. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Handle Animal and Ride and may take one as a class skill.
Huscarl: You are a household warrior in service to a jarl or higher-ranked personage. As such, you do not need to worry about your daily needs and upkeep as long as you are in the service of your jarl and in his domain. You begin your adventuring career with a riding horse, a heavy wooden shield, a chain shirt, and a simple or martial weapon of your choice. In return, you must perform services to your jarl as determined by the GM.
Merchant: While the screaming vikings are by far the most well known of the Northlanders who take to the sea, the vast majority of seamen are merchants. You have spent a part of your life plying the trade lanes from port to port, perhaps even journeying as far as the Southlands in search of profit. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (geography) and Linguistics, and one of these becomes a class skill.
Rune Reader: You know how to read the runes and write them, including carving them into stone. You thus gain the Runic language and a +1 trait bonus to Craft (scultpure).
Spearman: Warfare is not just a part of Northlands life, it is a central part of the culture and heritage. You were raised to fight in the shieldwall, leap off a longship into the fray, or defend your village against raiders. You gain a +1 trait bonus to combat maneuvers made with a spear.
Tale Spinner: While you may not be a skald, you are skilled at telling stories and have a broad repertoire to choose from. You are considered an educated person in a society that places great stock in oral communication. Your skills at public speaking also gain you an advantage when speaking before a Thing. You gain a +1 trait bonus to two of the following skills, and one becomes a class skill for you: Diplomacy, Perform (oratory), or Knowledge (history).
Thrall: You are a thrall, one of the few non-freeman in the Northlands. Your life is one of a slave, and you likely were not born into that condition. You may not own property, and may only carry arms if your master allows it. Most likely you are from another land, possibly the Southlands or another even more distant place. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Craft (any) and Profession (servant) and choose one to become a class skill.
Troll Blood: Somewhere in your ancestry is a troll, likely a well-kept secret, though if open knowledge, good luck finding a family that will let you marry into it. You have one or more features of the Jötnar, such as coarse hair or skin, reddish eyes at night, long ears or nose, or even a feral cast to your features that can be dismissed away but is also a telltale sign to those familiar with troll heritage. As a result of this taint in our bloodline, you may make a DC 15 Fortitude save to gain fast healing 1 for a number of rounds per day equal to your Constitution modifier.
In addition to the traits above, visitors who have just stayed for the winter might select any of the following:
Estenfirder: A harsh life in the wilds of Estenfird has hardened you and taught you how to get by on your own. Choose either a +1 trait bonus to Fortitude saves or +1 trait bonus to Survival, and make that skill a class skill.
Gatlander: As the paragons of the viking ideal, the Gatlanders are sailors without peer. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Profession (sailor) and Swim, and choose one as a class skill.
Halfsteader: Halfstead is the largest city in the Northlands, and acts as a central point for the entire region. Peoples, goods, and ideas from throughout the North, as well as from farther abroad, flow through, generating wealth. You gain a +1 bonus to Knowledge (geography) and Linguistics, and choose one as a class skill.
Hrolflander: The Hrolf in their ongoing bid to unify and dominate the Northlands have adopted new ideas from the Southlands. Among these foreign ideas are the use of alien and bizarre weaponry such as crossbows. You gain a bonus proficiency in one martial or exotic weapon not normally found in the Northlands.
Outlaw: A Thing has declared you an outlaw, and all hands may be turned against you. Any who slay you are not subject to wergild or any other legal action, and may be rewarded for their actions. Due to the fragmented political landscape of the Northlands, a sentence of outlawry may or may not apply if you flee to another jurisdiction. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Bluff and Disguise, and one becomes a class skill.
Storstrøm Valer: As the heart of Northlands culture, the old ways are the most respected, and the minor jarldoms and small steadings of the Vale are as fiercely traditionalist as they are independent. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (religion) and Knowledge (history) and choose one as a class skill.
Vastaviklander: Vastaviklanders have a reputation for being ferocious and easily angered. They also are known as some of the hardiest and best sailors in the Northlands. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Intimidate and gain it as a class skill. Also, you gain a +1 trait bonus to two of the following skills: Perception, Profession (sailor), or Survival.
Hacksilver:
Hacksilver is the currency of the Northlands, inasmuch as there is a currency of the Northlands. The only other universal commodity that could even come close would be cattle, and it is difficult to make change with them. Coins do exist in the North, but none are minted there, so any extant are extremely rare and unlikely to be in normal circulation. The result, therefore, is the use of hacksilver.
Simply put, hacksilver is jewelry made of precious metals (usually silver, but not always) that has been hacked apart and is used as the standard “currency” in the Northlands. Hacksilver also includes coins and other objects of value that are made of a precious metal. A handful of hacksilver might contain fragments of arm-rings and neckbands, bits of coins, and other assorted pieces of silver and gold, or more rarely copper, electrum, or platinum. For purposes of converting this to an easy-to-use game rule, assume that one piece of hacksilver (hs) is a standardized unit. Then use the following conversion:
1 hs = 1 gp
The simple beauty of hacksilver is that when change needs to be made or exchange needs to be made in a smaller denomination, the owner can simple draw a knife and hack off a smaller sliver. Obviously, this is a rough estimation of value, and most merchants and vendors keep scales on hand to better evaluate the hacksilver’s worth, but in the rough-and-tumble economy of the Northlanders, the system works fine. The other coinage exists and still retains its normal value, but is found much more rarely. Therefore, the base assumption is that the PCs are dealing in hacksilver, and any sp or cp they accumulate through receiving change from purchases is actually just smaller pieces of hacksilver.
It should be noted that most of the economy of the Northlands is based around barter and gifting, and thus the PCs may not be spending their money on shopping excursions, save for in large towns such as Halfstead or Trotheim (or when dealing with the Hrolfs, who favor Southlander ways).
Ring-Giving:
The heroes of the sagas were not greedy men who hoarded their hard-won fortunes. The act of giving, and especially giving to one’s inferiors, is considered a central tenet of Northlanders society. To represent this, PCs who give gifts to their followers receive XP equal to one-tenth of the gold piece value of the gift within the discretion of the GM. It is recommended that rewards for gift giving be limited to once a lunar month.
Death Speech:
Heroes in the sagas do not merely die; they die with courage, gusto, and eloquence. If a PC or important NPC dies, they may as a free action regain consciousness to do one of the following things. First, they may take one standard action in order to complete a task interrupted by their demise or make an attack, after which they slip the mortal coil and go to meet their ultimate fate. Second, they may make a death speech, a long and usually poetic summation of their lives. If the dead man is a PC, the GM should award a bonus to that player’s next character based on the quality of the speech, usually an XP award or a story-appropriate magic item.
Alternately, instead of the death speech or final action, the dying hero may choose one of the following: he may lay a curse upon his foes, as the spell bestow curse, or lay a geas on a willing ally, as the spell lesser geas at a caster level equal to the dying character’s level.
Fate:
To the Northlanders, fate (sometimes called wyrd) is an all-consuming force. The Norns measure and cut the thread of a man’s life, and destiny often plays games with heroes. Once per campaign, the player may decide that his character has reached the point where he is fated to die. It is recommended that the player consult with the GM before proceeding, but if the GM agrees that this is a good time for a heroic end, the player declares his character a victim of fate.
First, the player must give a death speech in character (this does not permit the laying of a curse, as in death speech above). After this, the character gains a +20 fate bonus to attack rolls and skills used in the scene and automatically inflicts double damage with every hit or spell (treat like a critical hit for purposes of determining stacking). However, the character also suffers –10 penalty to AC, saving throws, and may not be the beneficiary of magical healing. When the battle is over, if the character still stands, he may utter one short sentence before dying. Nothing can prevent the character from dying at this point; the Norns have measured and cut his thread and his life is over at the fated time. Just to clarify, not even resurrection or the actions of the gods can save the PC, for even the gods must obey fate.
The Thing:
Although on the surface the Northlands appears to be a setting that favors brawny heroes willing to brave the elements and fight savage beasts, it should be remembered that most Northlanders are simple farmers who maybe went on a raid when they were younger, but probably not. This is especially true in Hordaland and Storstrøm Vale. Most may not have even seen a giant or other threat greater than a bad harvest or the machinations of rival clans. For many Northlanders, the greatest battle in their lives is at the Thing, when they must go to court.
The Thing is a combination of democratic assembly, court of law, and market day that occurs with varying frequency depending on the local needs. More settled areas have more regular Things, while those that have fewer or more dispersed populations assemble for the Thing only a few times a year. Also, there is some variation in determining who may speak or vote at a Thing, but in general all adult free men and women may do so.
PCs may be required to appear at a Thing for a variety of reasons, such as to urge action by the people of a community, to bring lawsuits against their foes, defend themselves in lawsuits, or simply for the carnival atmosphere and the debating. Most often, PCs being what they are, their fate may hang in the balance and be determined by the vote of a Thing. To run a Thing, the GM must first determine the number of votes in total, and then how many are being held by what factions. Northlanders are a fractious bunch, and it is likely that the Thing will not break down into simple for and against factions. At the very least, there should be a faction that is undecided, and quite likely each clan, and in the case of an Althing, each region will have a faction. It should also be considered that jarls tend to vote with other jarls in issues that affect them as a whole, as do fishermen, ship owners, godi, etc.
A Thing occurs in half-day increments, with 1d6–1 half-days before a vote must be taken. Each half-day gives all parties a chance to speak before the Thing and attempt to sway the vote. There are three ways to sway the vote: through debate, through heroic actions, or through challenging the leaders of the opposing factions. To sway the vote using debate, a PC has to stand before the Thing and speak at length as to the benefits of their point of view. The speaking PC must target one faction at a time during the speech, and must succeed on a DC 15 Perform (oratory) check, swaying one vote per point by which they make the roll from that faction to his own. The GM should reward bonus votes based on how well the player roleplays the speech, or take away votes if the roleplaying is poorly performed or insulting to the Thing. Heroic deeds completed during the proceedings or in the past few months can help sway the vote toward the PCs’ faction.
Finally, the leaders of the others factions may be challenged to a duel called a holmgang. Holmgangs in the Northlands — often referred to as “stepping between the hazel posts” — are highly formal affairs and follow a set procedure. First, the challenge is issued in public, preferably in front of the entire Thing. If the challenge is accepted (and it almost always is since to refuse a challenge is to lose all honor), then the duel takes place at the next sunset or sunrise. The rules are strict, and no deviation is to be allowed (yet, like anything undertaken under the auspices of Northlander law, it is up to the aggrieved party to see that justice is served). The participants are not allowed to make use of magic or magical abilities, save those inherent in their weapons and armor. Each duelist must arrive armed with a melee weapon and three shields, and must use both in the duel; no ranged weapons are allowed, nor is fighting without a shield. The duel takes place inside a square area 15 feet on a side, bounded by rowan staves or hazel rods. The winner is the one who either kills his opponent, breaks all three of his opponent’s shields, or drives his opponent out of the dueling area. Killing the leader of a faction in a duel splits that faction, giving half the votes over to the faction that won the duel, while the other half will not support the party in any way and will seek to oppose the Thing’s decision if the opposing faction is victorious in the debates.
New Feats:
Axe Bouncer (Combat)
You are particularly skilled with the use of the throwing axe. You can throw an axe in such a manner that it bounces off the ground and up at your target.
Prerequisites: Base Attack Bonus +1, Weapon Focus (throwing axe)
Benefit: Make a ranged attack made with a –2 penalty, if successful ignore the target’s shield bonus to AC, and ignore any bonus to AC received from teamwork feats such as Shieldwall or Swine’s Head.
Northlander Spear Fighting (Combat)
You have trained in the standard fighting style of the Northlanders, a heavy spear in one hand and a shield in the other. This allows you to use a spear in one hand.
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus (spear)
Benefit: You may use a longspear one-handed, provided you are also wielding a shield in the other hand. When you do so, you gain a +1 bonus to your shield bonus to AC.
Shieldwall Breaker (Combat)
You are skilled at breaking the shieldwall formations of others.
Prerequisites: Shield Wall, Base Attack Bonus +5
Benefit: Make a bull rush or charge action against one member of a shieldwall. If you succeed in your attack, that person and the shieldwall members to the immediate left and right of him lose any bonus from the Shield Wall feat until the end of your next turn. However, if part of a shieldwall, you also lose your bonus from that feat until the end of the next turn.
Skilled Kenninger
You are a master of the art of kenning, of subtly creating oral allusions to common objects.
Prerequisites: Perform (oratory) 2 ranks, bardic music class feature
Benefit: You may add half your ranks in Profession (oratory) to the DC to resist your bardic music.
Swine’s Head (Teamwork, Combat)
You are skilled in the rare but deadly Swine’s Head formation, a flying wedge of heavily armed Northlands warriors.
Prerequisites: Shield Wall, Shieldwall Breaker
Benefit: You may run or charge and still enjoy the benefits of the Shield Wall feat.
Throwing Charge (Combat)
You are skilled at flinging a missile at your foes as you charge into melee combat.
Prerequisites: Base Attack Bonus +1, Combat Reflexes
Benefit: As part of a charge action, you may make an attack with one thrown weapon at the target you are charging. This attack is at –4, and may take place from any point in your charge.
Whale Road Rider
You are an experienced sailor, used to the rigors and joys of life on the sea.
Prerequisites: Profession (sailor) 2 ranks
Benefit: You may ignore up to your level from the armor penalty to Swim.
The Gods of the North:
Unlike other areas of the world, the Northlanders have only a vague understanding of their own gods, vague in that most do not give much thought to religious issues outside of feasts and festivals. True, those embarking on a voyage, heading off to war, or building a new hall make sure the proper sacrifices and prayers are conducted and pay a godi to see to these things — just as a carpenter would be paid to caulk a ship or raise a barn. For the most part, the Northlanders are happy to go on paying only the least amount of attention to their religion, and it seems their gods are happy that they do so.
One reason for this is that the Northlanders, and their gods, base relationships around family and oaths. All Northlanders are seen as in some ways “family” of the gods, since Wotan is the All-Father of his people, as well as the Father of the Gods. Each party has privileges and responsibilities, the elder parties (i.e. the gods) have some authority to judge and punish, as well as the power to bless and aid. Godi, especially those who have taken vows to serve one god, are different; their relationship is closer to that between a huscarl and a jarl. Again, this only adds a greater layer of privileges and responsibilities to both parties. This is different from the situation in the Caliphate or Monrovia and the Southlands where one serves one’s gods as a thrall, bowing and scraping, and spending endless hours in worship and veneration. The Northlanders do not so much worship their deities as they carry out customs that have been occurring for centuries and that the mortal and divine find pleasing and beneficial.
A major part of Northlander religion is the belief in wyrd, or fate. The Norns, three ancient goddesses who control the destiny of all, already have woven, measured and cut one’s life-thread. This fate cannot be avoided. To try do so is not just hubris but impossible, and when you are fated to die, you will die, and the gods themselves have no control over this. In the end of all things, when monsters swallow the sun and moons, the gods themselves are fated to die.
The Godi
In its simplest definition, a godi is one who acts as a servant of the gods and the community. A godi’s main tasks are to maintain the godshouse (temple), conduct services, and tend to those in his community in spiritual and mortal peril. Many godi are part-time priests, spending most of their time in a more profitable activity and performing their godi responsibilities on holy days or when otherwise needed. Often, the title of godi, as well as the necessary training, is the province of a particular family or clan in the area. Thus, the rank of godi is passed from parent to child, and is considered a right of that lineage.
Godi do not normally dedicate themselves to one deity to the exclusion of the others. Most godi worship the entire Northlander pantheon, providing prayers and conducting rituals for all in their appropriate time and season. A rare handful, usually those who receive great gifts from the gods, dedicate themselves first and foremost to one particular deity, though no godi would go so far as to exclude any of the gods from his prayers or worship. There is no internal religious strife in the Northlands, for everyone from the godi to the thralls knows that the gods do not wage war amongst themselves. It should be noted that (with a few notable exceptions) Outlander gods are never adopted into the Northlander pantheon, and no godi would willingly offer worship to foreign divinities.
In the Northlands, some godi receive powerful gifts from the gods, while others only occasionally see any great boon. In game terms, all godi have a divine spellcasting class, usually a cleric or druid, though sometimes an oracle. However, those that venerate the entire pantheon (most of them) do not have any class abilities of a supernatural or spell- like type, including the ability to cast spells. Player characters are unusual in that they have these gifts from the gods, making them remarkable figures and obviously chosen for great deeds. However, even those who do not exhibit much divine favor do sometimes receive it when in dire need, especially if that need aligns with that of their community.
Tribes of the Gods
As blood, family, and clan are everything to the Northlanders, it is no surprise that their reality beyond the bounds of ordinary mortal human existence is divided in their minds as well. This includes divisions of the other types of beings that they interact with into families or clans called vaettir. These include the Alfar (elves and fey), the Dvergar (dwarves), Jötnar (trolls and giants), and others. The Landvaettir are the spirits of the land that Northlander seafarers placate — if not a-viking whenever they come ashore — by removing the carved dragonheads from the prows of their ships to show that they come in peace and do not seek to provoke these guardians. The Sjövaettir are the sea spirits that require propitiation during voyages. But the Northlanders do not stop there in their identification of clan and blood; even the gods are included in their systems of vaettir, giving them the Æsir, the Vanir, and the dreaded Ginnvaettir.
The names given for each god are the traditional Northlands names and how they are venerated in Storstrøm Vale, that holdfast of ancient Northlander custom. However, some are known by more recently acquired and popular names in other areas of the Northlands outside the direct oversight of the curmudgeonly godi of the Vale. These alternate names are listed along with the traditional. The names are used interchangeably throughout the Northlands (though they may draw a scowl from the whitebeards of the Vale), but primarily through their older, more traditional names as clung to by old blood of Storstrøm.
The Æsir
The Æsir are considered the highest of the gods to the Northlanders, and they reside in Asgard, the Realm of the Gods. The Æsir form a pantheon of beings that preside over most of the aspects of mortal life that aren’t specifically tied to the world of mortals (Midgard as it is known to Northlanders). As the principal pantheon of the Northlanders, all members of their culture venerate the Æsir to some extent. It is a truly mad Beast Cultist indeed who doesn’t at least whisper a prayer to Thor before going into battle. Very often, the dead of both sides on a battlefield wear the same hammer amulet to venerate the Thunder God, though they were mortal enemies on the field. Except for those rare instances devoted exclusively to some demon of the Ginnvaettir, all godi houses in the North include runestones dedicated to the Æsir as a whole even if their primary devotion is to an individual deity or the Vanir.
Deity || AL || Area of Concern || Domains || Favored Weapon
Baldr || NG || beauty, heroes, war || Charm, Glory, Good, Strength, War || Longsword
Bragr || CG || music, poetry, skalds || Chaos, Charm, Glory, Good, Travel || Spear
Donar || CG || heroes, storms, war || Air, Chaos, Glory, Strength, War, Weather || Warhammer
Frigg || NG || birds, the sky, motherhood, wives || Air, Community, Good, Healing, Protection || Spear
Loptr || CE || fire, lies, mischief, strife || Chaos, Evil, Fire, Luck, Madness, Trickery || Dagger
Tiwaz || LG || law, justice, oratory, Things || Community, Good, Law, Nobility, Protection || Light or heavy mace
Wotan || NG || Bearsarkers, fatherhood, husbands, magic, rulers, travelers, Ulfhanders, war || Animal, Glory, Good, Knowledge, Magic, Nobility, Protection, Rune, Travel, War || Spear
The Vanir
The second vaettir of the gods of the Northlands is the Vanir. More directly associated with the features and inhabitants of Midgard, the world of mortals, the Vanir were defeated in a long-past war with the Æsir, the result of which was that the Æsir lifted them up to share their divinity over the mortals. Though less numerous than the Æsir in the number of Vanir universally recognized among the Northlanders, this is misleading because there are actually innumerable minor Vanir that receive occasional prayers or tributes by scattered mortals at appropriate times — crossing a specific raging river, felling a particularly large tree, laying the keel of a new ship, etc.
Deity || AL || Area of Concern || Domains || Favored Weapon
Freyja || NG || beauty, fertility, love, the Moons || Animal, Charm, Darkness, Good, Healing, Plant, War || Spear
Freyr || NG || hunting, the Sun, the wild fey || Animal, Charm, Good, Plant, Sun || Shortbow
Njördr || N || seafarers, voyages, the winds || Air, Luck, Travel, Water, Weather || Harpoon
Norns || N || fate, the wyrds of men and gods || Artifice, Death, Fate, Glory, Knowledge, Luck || Dagger
Rán || CN || the sea, sea creatures, shipwrecks, storms at sea || Animal, Chaos, Water, Weather || Net
The Ginnvaettir
The third family of divine beings recognized by the Northlanders is the Ginnvaettir. These are the demons of the ancient world, the inhabitants of the Ginnungagap, the primordial void between and below Midgard where howling chaos and eternal darkness reign. It was this void that existed before the creation of the world and the celestial realms of Asgard. And it is this void that continues to exist where the foul spirits and creatures of the universe lurk in their own depravity, banished from the light and condemned to forever strive to escape their mad existence and drag others into it with them. Only the foulest of mortal souls are consigned to the Ginnungagap, and those that are find the Ginnvaettir awaiting them there.
Deity || AL || Area of Concern || Domains || Favored Weapon
Hel || NE || death, disease || Animal, Darkness, Death, Earth, Evil, Plant || Poisoned dagger
Surtr || LE || fire giants || Destruction, Evil, Fire, War || Greatsword
Thrymr || CE || frost giants, the Jötnar ||Chaos, Cold, Entropy, Evil, Trickery, Water || Greataxe
