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Alright, I just had a quick question regarding the two main human ethnic groups of Brevoy, i.e., the Issians and the Rostlanders.
From what I understand, the human of Rostland are mainly of Taldan decent, speak Taldan (Common), worship Taldan gods, tend towards Taldan cultural norms, etc.
But what about the Issians? I realize that they are a northern people, but which particular group specifically? Would they be considered Ulfen or Kellid groupo? Personally, because they are known for raiding and using ships, as well as seeming to have a more traditional feudal societal structure, I was leaning towards Ulfen subculture, but I could be wrong.
I assume they are all a hodgepodge of Ulfen (Iobarian), Kellid and Taldan. The further south you go in the country, the more Taldan they are. The further north you go, the more Ulfen. The Kellid are just interspersed among the two group.
And the reason I say Ulfen (Iobarian) is becuase, if I remember my Golarion History lessons correctly, Choral the Conqueror came from Iobaria with his 'House' and dragons.
And the reason I say Ulfen (Iobarian) is becuase, if I remember my Golarion History lessons correctly, Choral the Conqueror came from Iobaria with his 'House' and dragons.
Yes, but about 20 years ago, that bloodline famously vanished. Thus it no longer has any impact on the current ethnodemographics.
In my game, I made Issians more Ulfen so that they could contrast with (and be distinct from) the Kellids that operate very nearby.
I assume they are all a hodgepodge of Ulfen (Iobarian), Kellid and Taldan. The further south you go in the country, the more Taldan they are. The further north you go, the more Ulfen. The Kellid are just interspersed among the two group.
And the reason I say Ulfen (Iobarian) is becuase, if I remember my Golarion History lessons correctly, Choral the Conqueror came from Iobaria with his 'House' and dragons.
Pretty sure Iobarian's are Kellid, not Ulfen. Issian's likely are of Ulfen descent however.
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A potentially helpful bit from the Kingmaker Player's Guide:
"Humans
Humans constitute the most populous race in and
around Brevoy, as they do throughout Golarion. Ethnic
Taldans make up well over half the region’s human
population; many trace their lineage back to the explorers
and soldiers who first tamed the wild countryside
ages ago. Descendants of Choral’s conquering army
possess strong Kellid bloodlines, as do the barbaric
hordes of nearby Numeria. Spring and autumn bring
fleets of Varisian flatboats to the Sellen’s waterways
as the nomadic people make their seasonal migration
between the banks of Lake Encarthan and the Lake of
Mists and Veils. Because of the region’s penchant for
attracting outsiders from around the world, Chelish,
Keleshite, Tian, and Ulfen visitors commonly pass
through or make new homes in the River Kingdoms’
many outcast sanctuaries."
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Iobarria is mostly of mixed Ulfen and Kellid descent; Iobar I, founder of Iobarria, was himself from the Ulfen-founded city state of Orlov.
As for the Issiens, I am not sure if there is official statement of it, but I personally believe they are of Ulfen descent, as they appear to be based on real-world Norse river raiders that would eventually mingle with Slavs and form Russia, etc.
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Rostland is pretty straight Taldan yes. For Issia, call it half-half Ulfan/Kellid.
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Iobarria is mostly of mixed Ulfen and Kellid descent; Iobar I, founder of Iobarria, was himself from the Ulfen-founded city state of Orlov.
As for the Issiens, I am not sure if there is official statement of it, but I personally believe they are of Ulfen descent, as they appear to be based on real-world Norse river raiders that would eventually mingle with Slavs and form Russia, etc.
That's the vibe I got too.
That's the vibe I got too.Iobarria is mostly of mixed Ulfen and Kellid descent; Iobar I, founder of Iobarria, was himself from the Ulfen-founded city state of Orlov.
As for the Issiens, I am not sure if there is official statement of it, but I personally believe they are of Ulfen descent, as they appear to be based on real-world Norse river raiders that would eventually mingle with Slavs and form Russia, etc.
I got more of a Stark crossed with Greyjoy kind of vibe from the Issians. Don't get me wrong, the real world analog is at work too, but Brevoy draws very obviously from Song of Ice and Fire (divided regions on the brink of civil war in a country formerly united by a dragonriding conqueror? Nope doesn't sound like Game of Thrones at all), so there is also that at play.
Numeria can supply the clockwork diorama.
Kellids and Taldans. I don't see Ulfens anywhere involved - they're too far to the west.
Actually, it's covered on page 7 of Humans of Golarion - shows all the ethnic expansion routes.
Brevoy may have game of thrones plot, but it's still a Kievian Russia setting to me.
All the more reason for an Ulfen presence. As AsmodeusUltima pointed out, Russia had a large percentage of Nordic peoples. Also Ulfen is strongly implied by the fact that Skald is listed as one of the languages spoken, both in the ISWG & the Inner Sea Primer.
I assume they are all a hodgepodge of Ulfen (Iobarian), Kellid and Taldan. The further south you go in the country, the more Taldan they are. The further north you go, the more Ulfen. The Kellid are just interspersed among the two group.
And the reason I say Ulfen (Iobarian) is becuase, if I remember my Golarion History lessons correctly, Choral the Conqueror came from Iobaria with his 'House' and dragons.
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Knowing that all RW/Golarion comparisons are imperfect, if Taldan = Byzantine, Ulfen = Scandinavian, and Kellid = Slavic, you've got a nice RW parallel. Long, LONG ago, it was Kellid territory, lots of feuding tribes, little organization. Then came a group of Ulfen conquerors who formed a ruling class, but pretty soon just intermarried and blended in, leading to Kellid/Ulfen hybrid population. Then the Taldan Army of Exploration shows up, tries to establish a foothold for the Taldan Empire, fails, but does bring many of the "benefits of civilization" - trade, government structures, organized religion, etc. When the Army crumbled or returned home or whatever, many of the Taldan soldiers probably stayed behind, married local women and went native.
So in modern Brevoy, your average peasant is probably mostly Kellid, but the middle class is more Kellid/Ulfen with distant links to the old Ulfen ruling class, and the ruling classes are probably more Ulfen and Kellid/Ulfen. Pure Ulfen would be rare, but like the England after the Norman Conquest, Ulfen language and culture would be quite stronger in the court. Taldans would be mixed into the peasant and middle classes, but largely absent from the ruling class except in Restov, and you'd be more likely to find relatively pure Taldan enclaves that are less assimilated than other groups.
Varisians migrate there seasonally, so that might explain why their language is spoken there.
Also thought I'd link this old thread, which includes the following quote from James Jacobs:
"The majority of Brevoy is Taldan, or a mix of Taldan and Ulfen or even Kellid to the point where they're basically all Taldan now."