Arcadayn: Northlands

Adventures in Arcadayn
The Northlands
By Tim Emrick

Ruler & Capital: (no central government)

Symbol/Arms: (several tribal standards)

Cities: Garrum, Noldor, Tul, Wolk, [1 TBD].

Culture Level: Barbarian.

Currency: None; barter only.

Divisions: (several tribes).

Government Type: (several small Autocracies)

Languages: Northlander (M/A; several dialects, default to each other at -2). Also Razzak (iron dwarves, M/A); Sivian (M/A) is uncommon in the south, and nearly unknown in the north.

Population: [Unknown]

Racial Stock: The Northlanders are nearly pure North Anidel men, fair-skinned and tall (+3" average height). They have blue or gray eyes and most have blond hair. Red hair is rare, and considered lucky; brown hair is uncommon, and considered unattractive. Both genders wear their hair long, often in elaborate braids.

Geography: The Northlanders inhabit a strip of land 20-60 miles wide between the sea and the mountains. This land is wooded foothills with a few small peninsulas extending into the sea. The "Northlands" extend a couple of hundred miles north from Haldinibar, though the borders are vague. Most of the settlemnts (and all the true "cities") are located on the coast, though numerous streams also support clans. The southernmost portion of these woodlands (between Wolk and Noldor) are known as the Greenwood. The more remote regions have various local names.

The southernmost city, Wolk, is essentially a trading colony jointly controlled by Northlanders and Haldin.

Climate: The Northlands are cool with wet winters (usually meaning snow and ice).

Agriculture & Resources: [TBD].

Religions: Northlanders worship many of the same gods as the rest of Arcadayn, but follow "The Rune Path" instead of the religions known elsewhere. Instead of conventional priests, they have "rune-skalds" who preserve the traditions and oral history of the tribes.

Military: The Northlanders use the "Viking Troop Types" (pp. CII 127 or VI 40: HI, MI, LI, II, R), except that they have no Light Cavalry--horses are rare here.

Nonhumans: Nonhumans are rare in the Northlands. Iron dwarves are possible near the Thunderhead Peaks, and several types of shapeshifters are known (swanmays, werebears, werewolves). Due to the proximity of Haldinibar, elfkin are possible, but very rare and usually shunned as "witches" or "demons".

Northlander Cultural Skills: See GURPS Vikings, pp. VI 35-39, about Viking-style arms and armor. The favorite weapons of the Northlanders are axes and swords; few warriors are without some skill with both. Missile weapons include bows, throwing axes and spears. Occupational skills vary widely, with inland tribes being adept at wilderness and mountain Survival, Stealth, Tracking and Running, while seafarers will know coastal Survival, Fishing, Navigation, Shipbuilding and Seamanship. The Viking Code of Honor (p. VI26) should be taken by all respectable Northlanders.

The Tech Level is generally on the border between 2 (iron age) and 3 (medieval); armoury and shipbuilding are fairly advanced, while medicine and communication are still crude. Writing is nearly unknown except among the secretive "rune-skalds"; the Northlander language has no written form besides that of the magical runes, which requires Rune Lore as well as Literacy.

For several appropriate character types, see GURPS Vikings, pp. VI 21-23. For notes on priestly characters, see "The Rune Path".

Other Special Groups: Skalds are the storytellers and historians of the Northlander tribes. They have a privileged place in this culture: Status 1 or more plus Bardic Immunity. (There is no "Bardic College"; a bard proves his status by his skills.) Some bards seek the arcane knowledge of letters and magic, making them respected and feared as "rune-skalds".

History: [TBD]

Names: Northlanders have names like those of Vikings: see GURPS Vikings, pp. VI 20-24, for name lists and naming practices.

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