I always wanted to play in the Far North. Icewind Dale, Middenheim, Icewall. Never do that before. Now I am going to open a new story for me and for my group. I want to make my own Adventure Path. We are going to visit Crusader State of Mendev and try to improve status of the Native citizens.
The most interesting part in creation is: What the hell is Mendev?
Mendev lookslike like blend of Crusader States in Holy Land, Crusades to Livonia or Bohemia, with Warhammer-like (or real life) witch-hunts. Ok thats no problem for me. I can settle the setting here. The Queen is like King of Jerusalem, with Grand Master of Templars, and Spanish Inquisition struggling for power within her land. Each Crusader Noble has its own land with feudal tenants, his own rulership and his own military. Then there is Royal Army, Knightly Orders Army, Iomedean Church Army, and The burners...
But who are the natives. According to ISWG they are descendant of Iobaria, same as Brevoy. Kingmaker adventure path shows for Brevoy setting very simillar to cossacs (Ukraine) uprising agains Rzeczpospolita. Etymology of names shows a lot of Slav roots.
Mendev should be simillar. The huge forest is called Taiga (Russian Term for Deep Forest). But natives (according to some notices in the setting) looks more like Picts-Celts, rather then Slav barbarians. Even the "hernes" are developed upon Shakespear's Herne the Hunter associated with multicultular "Wild Hunt", mostly german/celtic origin.
So what is your opinion about Mendev native citizens. What is the country side? Where lives the natives? Are they slavs or celts/picts...?
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I have one other question. Checking the gods, I did not found any god whi likes frost like for example Auril in Forgotten Realms. Who should be the Frostlord or Frostlady? What do you think?
I have one other question. Checking the gods, I did not found any god whi likes frost like for example Auril in Forgotten Realms. Who should be the Frostlord or Frostlady? What do you think?
The only one I can think of off the top of my head (and she's not a god) is Babayaga. That also might be a really nice place for you to put a artic setting too: Irrisen. This land of eternal winter was conquered and created by Babayaga years ago and is ruled by her daughters.
I think Mendev is a really cool setting and I wish you luck on getting your adventure up and running. :) Officially I think the people of Mendev worship mostly Iomedae the Inheritor. You should check and see if there are any Demon Lords who have Ice/Winter/whatever as portfolios. Maybe there are commonfolk who think if they worship that they will be allowed to survive.
rusades to Livonia or Bohemia,
Bohemia was actually christianized by byzantian missionars in the 9th century. There never was a crusade there.
I have one other question. Checking the gods, I did not found any god whi likes frost like for example Auril in Forgotten Realms. Who should be the Frostlord or Frostlady? What do you think?
Not far from Mendev, the kellids worshiped Pulura, a minor godess of the north star. http://www.pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Pulura
Maybe the common people of Mendev also worshiped her before the coming of the crusade (making Iomedae #1 godess at least among the upper classes).
Also, in my Golarion I added 2 ethnicities to fill in blanks. One is Galtish, which is sort off a cross between Germanic and Celtic western euorope, they live in Galt, River Kingdoms, and around lake encarthan.
The Lavs (obviously inspired by Slavs) live in Brevoy, Mendev, some river kingdoms, and Uslalav (which I see as a Lav+Varisian mix).
So in my Golarion Mendev is home to a majority of Lavs, with a minority of Kellids (from the west) and a ruling class that is part Lav part Taldan and Chelish.
Bohemia was actually christianized by byzantian missionars in the 9th century. There never was a crusade there.rusades to Livonia or Bohemia,
Where did you get your history lessons? I am from Czech Republic. See hussite movement and crusade against it in the beginning of the fifteen century. But thats OOT (See Hussite wars on wiki)
Those others, thanks for tips.
As far as I checked all "Weather" demons are about waters, same as Gozreh. However as there is still Ice layer in Abyss I believe that Ruler of this Layer /to lazy to look after that now/ would like to cover the north under Ice.
Morever in my own group there will be Priestess of Winter (Slightly upgraded domains, Rules and Spells, from DnD 3.5 Frostburn). Especialy if I use the Slavs for Mendev, the concept of personalization of Winter will be strong. Same as other personalizations of seasons. There are no "Slav" gods in the world, even though there are strong concepts. I think the rebirth of Pulura through a new goddes, who would like to cover worldwound in purifing ice and frost will be one of the main stories. The Priestess of Winter should be Pulura Reborn!
Brevoy, Mendev, Irrisen all have strong slavic roots, however the natives are Ulfen /germans/ and Kellids /kelts/.
Irrisen is not interesting for me. The Mendev is place where people should be tested. Irrisen is Evil and it will be all agains devils. But in mendev there are a lot of lines you should follow. Begining with tensions between Native Ex-Iobaria tribes, Ulfen and Kellids natives, and crusadic upper class, taint of evil, real and invented heresy, faith and religion. Thats nice place for campaign. Same like Sargava, but in far different, and may be more harsh environment.
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Mendev? Teutonic Prussia. War of inquisition against native inhabitants, uneasy relations with foreign financiers and powers, plate armor and full-faced helmets, big castles and questionable legality.
For myself, I just assumed a fair number of "settled" Varisians that do not share the same wandering habits and gypsy culture. These were my "slavs" when I needed to fill in conceptual/ethnic gaps. There were more than enough such people presented in RotRL and Carrion Crown.
Not sure where you are getting the Rzeczpospolita out of Brevoy, though. Cossack uprising, sure, Slavic and Russian influences on Brevoy and surrounding regions, but there really is nothing on the map I identify as distinctly Polish though.
Hey Gorbacz, thoughts on the matter? Not to threadjack, but it seems like relevant information.
Mendev Crusades
1st 4622
2nd 4638
3rd ?
4th now!
when was the 3rd
ta