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We are presently in the month of Tirellus in the year 4240. New threads henceforth shall take place in the months of Akaril, Tirellus and/or Luxorus.
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Pile O' Articles; out of the old Development
Topic Started: Mar 12 2013, 10:27 PM (973 Views)
Mokley
Re: The Small Edits and Additions Thread</td><td class="print">Timeline stuffs:

[b:2r2xfxgi]23[/b:2r2xfxgi] Alexandrios I dies in the autumn, leaving the Empire in the hands of his three sons. Alexandrios II, the eldest, is set to inherit the majority of the Arameian Empire with his younger sons Draganos and Symon.

[b:2r2xfxgi]24[/b:2r2xfxgi] Alexandrios II is assassinated, leaving his wife a widow, and his two sons fatherless. With the Empire now divided between Draganos and Symon the two begin what is known as the First War of Ascendancy.

[b:2r2xfxgi]45[/b:2r2xfxgi] Symon is killed as the fighting reaches the capital of Aram. Draganos ascends the throne and takes the name Alexandrios III as his royal name and spends the remainder of his time as Emperor trying to recapture the land lost during the War of Ascendancy. While the First War of Ascendancy lead to the death of Anthes, or Alexandrios II, and Symon, all three of the sons of Alexandrios are seen as the progenitors of Arameian Nobility and almost all noble families can, or claim to be able to, trace their lineage back to one of the three sons of the first Emperor.

[b:2r2xfxgi]1558[/b:2r2xfxgi] The Coronation of Emperor Symon IV takes place in the Temple of Luxor in Aram, unwittingly setting off the Wishing War.

[b:2r2xfxgi]1559[/b:2r2xfxgi] The Queen of Faerie, enraged at not being invited and being denied entrance to the coronation of Symon IV declares war on the Arameian Empire. The Emperor's court trying to tax several faerie lords situated within the Empire is also seen as one of the deciding factors in the outbreak of the Wishing War.

[b:2r2xfxgi]1560[/b:2r2xfxgi] A series of night raids through the imperial heartlands quickly get named the Nights of Terror and is said to be the source of the tradition of hanging iron above one's entranceways. The Faerie Queen's General, a giant called Jak, shows primary interest in destroying the supply lines of the Empire's armies rather than the armies themselves and therefore the Nights of Terror primarily attack farmers and common folk.

[b:2r2xfxgi]1564[/b:2r2xfxgi] In response to the increasing antagonism from Faerie the Emperor forms the Iron Guard, a small legion specialising in killing faeries.

[b:2r2xfxgi]1565[/b:2r2xfxgi] After a great deal of casualties on both sides the Wishing War is ended by the Treaty of Dagonet, whereby the Emperor cedes the Old Woods to Faerie in perpetuity and the Faeries agree to cease any further assault on the Empire. An exchange of hostages is also made with one of the Emperor's leading generals, the Duke of Carterhaugh, is sent as an ambassador to Faerie and Jak is taken away by the Imperial Administration and put in iron chains beneath Fort Resolve.</td>
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Mokley
Re: [History] The Sunrise Rebellion</td><td class="print">[quote:cb6k3jar]Aaaand maybe a list of times for the various battles and such so I can add them to the timeline.[/quote:cb6k3jar]

Its only a year or so long though.

Fall 3899: Outbreak of the war
Early 3900: Defeat of the legion %2B Sack of Aram
Spring 3900: Breakstorm kills his father and marches out of Aram
Summer 3900: Battle of Ashdown
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The Kingdom of Nikol and the Canton of Mud Gate</td><td class="print">History:

News of the crumbling of the Empire reached beyond the Ribs, to the ears of one Brennus of the Nicean tribe. Claiming the title of King of the North, he marched south with a massive horde, to within three days’ march of the Spire. Archduke Andrik, preparing for a new campaign against the Empire, didn’t have the luxury to deal with a threat to his borders. He allowed the barbarians passage through his kingdom and guided them to more prosperous lands of the Empire.

The Emperor, Theodrian III, had little intention of warring with Brennus either. He invited him and his chiefs to the city of Aram, where he impressed them with the size and culture of the city. Theodrian allowed them to settle in the northern border of his nation, hoping to establish a buffer state between the Archduchy, and Brennus agreed to adapt the Arameian language and style of worship. Thus, in 3734, the Kingdom of Nikol was born.

Old habits die hard, and Nikol was not so ready to abandon its barbarian practices as it was its culture. The Niceans made regular raids into both Arameian and Starkwater lands for food before winter, and this spurred on the secession of Teslan. The Teslanders of the mainland, lead by the indomitable Princes of Lionport, would eventually swallow the kingdom whole, conquering the cantons that weren’t wooed by his promises of titles. The seat where Brennus put his throne, Crown Gate, fell on 3875, extinguishing the kingdom.

Geographic Location

The Kingdom of Nikol was made up of the modern day region of Nikol in Teslan, with the exception of the Dragonfang peninsula. It is a rocky land, bountiful for the Rib-raised men of Brennus, but of little significance to either Arameia or Starkwater, which is why they were both content to cede it. Lionport conquered it only to subjugate the Niceans and to exercise his power.

Political Order

The barbarians, even converted, didn’t care to adapt the agriculture south of the Ribs. They made up a military aristocracy that collected grain and taxes over the subjugated natives from their fortified hilltops called [i:2x9kj0pm]Gates[/i:2x9kj0pm] by the natives because they lay on lines of trade. The kingdom was organized into twelve cantons, each with a chief and Gate. The King, ruling from Crown Gate, was a military leader and nothing more, allowing the chiefs autonomy over their own canton. This lead to many of the chiefs being won over by the Prince of Lionport by promises of titles and riches from the city.

Historical Significance

Nikol had a profound effect on the formation of Teslan. With an immediate enemy before its gates, Lionport had no choice but to ally with Salen to create Teslan and were willing to cede political control to assure aid in their campaigns. The conquered Niceans now form the backbone of Lionport’s military strength and protect Teslan’s borders.

The Canton of Mud Gate

The last of the Cantons of Nikol, the chief (now styling himself ‘tetrarch’ after Arameian fashion) is a sovereign ruler between Teslan and Starkwater, some hundred miles north of the Peak. Mud Gate stays independent because of its isolation. It refuses to play a part in the diplomatic dance between the three states of the Peak, and thus no one interferes with it because of its strategic insignificance.</td>
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[b:2fwgblud]Festivals and Observances[/b:2fwgblud][/u:2fwgblud]
There are a number of holidays throughout the year in Adylheim, varying from large celebrations to small social gatherings, some only celebrated in one town or city, others across the entirety of Adylheim. Some of these are recorded here.

[b:2fwgblud]Primus:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
Spirit's Day: The Rite of the Ending Year The inhabitants of Adylheim gather in a solemn and silent ritual, the citizens of Adylheim say goodbye to the past year, laying to rest old feuds and contemplating the events of the last year.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 3[/i:2fwgblud]
Air's Day: Priests and soothsayers spend this day observing the sky for omens relating to the weather for the coming year.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 4[/i:2fwgblud]
Gods' Day: The Vigil of Disappearing Light in Aram is a ritual that stretches through the entire night, wherein priests of Luxor pray and perform rituals intended to protect the city from evil spirits in the new year.

[b:2fwgblud]Eirwinus:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
Fire's Day: With Primus safely behind them, the inhabitants of Adylheim gather on Fire's Day for a great celebrations including large bonfires and even fireworks in some cities. This is the Celebration of the New Year and the is often a noisy and wild counterpoint to the solemn month of Primus.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 3[/i:2fwgblud]
Gods' Day: The Priests of Eirwin go out among the people and answer their questions on all subjects as best they could. On the Day of Questioning it is said that no sage can refuse to answer a question and must answer it truthfully or risk the displeasure of Eirwin.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 5[/i:2fwgblud]
Fire's Night: The Night of Palaver is celebrated all over Adylheim, where people meet over fires, exchange gifts of food and wine as they discuss peaceful ways of overcoming their differences. For scholars this night is often spent discussing more cerebral matters than merely overcoming boundary disputes and similar, and it is one of the few times tradesmen willingly share (at least some of) their secrets with each other in the hope that knowledge shared is knowledge doubled. A small gift is generally left for Eirwin through the sacrifice of a small portion of meat on the fire.

[b:2fwgblud]Akaril:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
Children's Day: The Growing Rite is celebrated across Adylheim, celebrants sacrifice to Gaern and Akar in the hope of securing large harvests this year.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 3[/i:2fwgblud]
Children's Night: All across Adylheim, young men and women go out into the woods at dusk to find the first blooming flowers of spring. It is believed that the those who return with the pure white flowers called Akar's Stars will find their husband/wife before the year is over and that the year will bless them with healthy children. Whereas those who find lesser flowers will be less fortunate, and those who end up with none will have a bad year. Strangely enough with all the men and women so busy looking for flowers, there are generally a lot of babies born nine months later which are generally referred to as Akar's babies.

[b:2fwgblud]Tirellus:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
Gods' Day: The Feast of Tirell and the beginning of Tirellus is celebrated across Adylheim by impromptu singing and dancing, small parties centring around poets and bards are held this night and sacrifices made in the honour of Tirell.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 3[/i:2fwgblud]
Earth's Day: The Glorious Day, an anniversary of the day the Snakeslayers recaptured the city from its Naga conquerors is celebrated in Lionport. This is considered to be the greatest celebration of the year by Lionporters and the people in its environs. Besides a great feast for the highborn hosted by the Bractons, the Slayers perform an annual mock-battle with half its ranks dressing up as Naga, and the other half &quot;vanquishing&quot; them by chopping off their snakehead masks. The snakeheads are then hoisted onto a carriage, paraded around the town (with the cityfolk throwing mud, garbage, and rotten food on them at every turn) and finally left at a pyre to be burned into a great bonfire.

[b:2fwgblud]Luxorus:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 4[/i:2fwgblud]
Air's Day: The inhabitants of many fiefdoms, excepting Arameia, celebrate Lord's Day and give praise to their betters, the aristrocrats. Nobles throw feasts to show their generosity towards their lessers and many eat well this night.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 5[/i:2fwgblud]
Earth's Day: Crowning Day takes place throughout Arameia. The Priesthood of Luxor grants their worshippers gifts and warm meals this day to celebrate the ancient date of the Crowning of the Arameian Emperor.

[b:2fwgblud]Adiennus:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
The first week of Adiennus are referred to as the Week of the Undine in the northern parts of Adylheim. During this week Undines are said to be especially active and enjoy coming out of rivers to lie on branches by the shore, which would be fine if their idea of playing with humans generally end up with the humans drowning. Swimming during this week is forbidden and almost always leads to a drowning.

Gods' Day: People throughout Adylheim give praise to Adienna and hope that she will shepherd them safely through her month. As is befitting the goddess of doorways and mysteries, most of these rites are held behind closed doors and in the confines of the home.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 3[/i:2fwgblud]
Spirit's Day: In Salen, the night of the full moon is marked by the celebration of the Librarian-knights, they gather at the crossroads, fully dressed in formal uniforms and armour and walk from crossroad to crossroad throughout Salen. Reminding everyone of who guards the secrets and mysteries.

Earth's Day: The Fairy Queen gives audiences in a secluded circle of stones, during these audiences she is said to grant wishes for those lucky enough to be given an audience.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 5[/i:2fwgblud]
Gods' Day: On the Day of the Shield the people of Adylheim sacrifice and pray to Adienna to protect them throughout the remainder of the year.

[b:2fwgblud]Theriumnus:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
Spirit's Day: Every year the ancient battle between Therium and Arthium is played out via proxy in the Display of Valour. As tradition dictates, a chosen champion from the priest of Therium meets his counterpart from the priests of Arthium in Starkwater. Many gather to watch the battle of the death, filling the capacity of the Ice Arena completely.

Fire's Night: The Night of Courage is celebrated in most of northern Adylheim where great bonfires are lit and men show their courage by jumping through the flames.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 2[/i:2fwgblud]
Earth's Day: A grand tournament is held in Dagonet in honour of Therium on Earth's Day and Fire's Day. The tournament includes jousting for knights and warriors, a grand archery competition and melee combat open to all.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 5[/i:2fwgblud]
Water's Day: A test of strength called Erina's Run is held in Spire City, where the strongest swimmers in the city brave the treacherous waters outside Spire City and the winner wins fame and glory for himself and his family.

[b:2fwgblud]Maadrthil:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
Gods' Day: The Blind Bull's Sacrifice is a quiet ceremony performed by miners and priests of Maadrth, it asks for his protection in the underworld for the coming year. The specific rites are kept a secret from outsiders and the only celebration takes places deep underground.

[b:2fwgblud]Gaernus:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
Noble and peasant alike celebrate the beginning of the harvest season by offering the cream of the first harvest (or a selection of goods, as appropriate) to the god of life, Akar, and the twins Gaern and Gaela. The night before the first harvest is traditionally celebrated with bonfires and merrymaking.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 3[/i:2fwgblud]ÂÂ
Children's Night: The Women's Rite is celebrated all across Adylheim, it is celebrated solely by women, men are specifically barred from taking part. The rites involve sacrifices to Akaril and Adienna to ensure pregnancy and an easy birth.

[b:2fwgblud]Elronus:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
Gods' Day: Elron's Feast celebrations are had all across Adylheim. Markets and merchants sell their goods at prices slightly lower than usual. In truth though, nothing matches the celebrations in Nander, where the priests of Elron stage a feast and market the likes of which is only seen once a year.

[b:2fwgblud]Maius:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
Spirit's Day: The Vigil of the Tharen in Spire City, on this night Rivertown in Spire City stops working altogether, all doors are closed, all curtains are drawn and no one is out in the street. It is said that the strange statues that haunt the shores of the Tharen walk the streets this day, celebrating for one night of the year, before returning to their vigil along the river bank. Those who dare may even ask the statues for advice, though few have done so.

Gods' Day: In the Necropolis in Longmoor the priests of Maia leave out a small feast for Maia on Gods' day and start preparing for the onslaught of pilgrims throughout the month.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 3[/i:2fwgblud]
Spirit's Day: Children all across Adylheim gather for the Night of the Wild Hunt and as horrible thunderstorms and weather wrack the fiefdoms, little children run around in the street performing pranks while dressed up as members of the Wild Hunt.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 5[/i:2fwgblud]ÂÂ
Air's Day: All of Adylheim observes Quarter Day, the day all animals not required for work or breeding stock are slaughtered for the winter.

[b:2fwgblud]Il'unnus:[/b:2fwgblud]
[i:2fwgblud]Week 1[/i:2fwgblud]
Gods' Day: On Gods' Day, the inhabitants of Adylheim all sleep in. Items of importance to them are placed under their pillows as they hope and pray these will guide them to prophetic dreams on this night.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 2[/i:2fwgblud]
Children's Day: The Midwinter's Feast is celebrated throughout Adylheim, marking the midway point between autumn and spring. Large feasts are held where everyone partakes in the bounty of the earth and celebrate till the sun rises.

[i:2fwgblud]Week 3[/i:2fwgblud]
Gods' Day: The winter solstice occurs on God's Day of the third week. Across Adylheim, villagers hear the crystal song of moonspiders serenading their goddess's holy day. Dukes and nobles--even the Archprelate himself--travel to consult Nih-ki regarding the omens for the coming year. Fortune tellers and diviners do brisk business.

[b:2fwgblud]Seasonal Observances[/b:2fwgblud]ÂÂ
[i:2fwgblud]Hocktide[/i:2fwgblud]
Hocktide takes place on different times all across Adylheim, but is generally situated sometime in the autumn, after harvest. Hocktide is the day when taxes are paid and thus a man comes out of hock. In cities and settlements not tied strictly to the growth seasons Hocktide may take place more than once a year.

[i:2fwgblud]The Snakebeat[/i:2fwgblud]
In a tradition believed to have been started to spite the Naga, villages and towns all across Adylheim perform the Snakebeat, a partly ritual and partly practical observance where the inhabitants search all over the village or town for snakes and try to rid themselves of them using clubs and sticks. This occurs at different times in different places but generally takes place in the beginning of autumn. It is particularly popular in Longmoor where poisonous snakes are a difficult problem.

[i:2fwgblud]First Snow[/i:2fwgblud]ÂÂ
On the night of the first snowfall people all over Adylheim light candles in remembrance of those they have lost and the ancestors that have preceded them. The tradition of lighting candles at the first snow stretches back to before recorded history and its origins is unknown.</td>
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Ducal Houses of Starkwater[/u:i0wqfr51][/b:i0wqfr51][/center:i0wqfr51]

In Starkwater there are eight ducal houses, from which they select the next Archduke on those occasions when there is no clear heir to the throne. Inside Starkwater, these ducal houses are the most powerful nobles under the archduke and are generally left to their own devices with relatively little interference by the archduke himself.

[u:i0wqfr51][b:i0wqfr51]Northeld[/u:i0wqfr51][/b:i0wqfr51]
[b:i0wqfr51]Location:[/b:i0wqfr51] Northeld is located south of Spire City, in the westmost part of Starkwater. Because of its location it is one of the houses which contributes the most to trade and the only ducal house to have a capital with a harbour.

[b:i0wqfr51]History:[/b:i0wqfr51] Northeld has a long history of holding power in Starkwater. It was the third house to ascend to the status of Archduke and has since held the position more often than any other ducal house. Through their power broking they've made staunch allies with the other western house, Volubrot. And they remain among the most powerful of the houses even when they do not hold the Throne.

[b:i0wqfr51]House Motto:[/b:i0wqfr51] The power of the cliff.

[b:i0wqfr51]Coat of Arms:[/b:i0wqfr51] A pair of silver axes crossed over a field of red.

[b:i0wqfr51]Capital:[/b:i0wqfr51] Fairhollow is the capital of Northeld and it's the only ducal city located on the sea. The majority of it has been hollowed out of a seaside cliff, with very little of it appearing above ground. As a result of which, the city has never become very popular with scholars or others needing light to read by.

[b:i0wqfr51]Assets:[/b:i0wqfr51] Northeld is usually the wealthiest of the ducal houses, and has a lot of income from trade. Its close ties to Spire City also means that Northeld has had more archdukes than any other ducal house.

[b:i0wqfr51]Currency:[/b:i0wqfr51] Northeld's mint produces the coin is generally known as the Crown. It has the crown of Starkwater on one side and the face of the current duke on the other.

[u:i0wqfr51][b:i0wqfr51]Kamban[/u:i0wqfr51][/b:i0wqfr51]
[b:i0wqfr51]Location:[/b:i0wqfr51] Sandwiched between the Arameian Highlands and Haven, with its borders touching on Grey Lake in the east and Rowan in the west.

[b:i0wqfr51]History:[/b:i0wqfr51] Kamban is a remnant of Imperial Nobility which has managed to hold to its power even to this day, making it one of the few ducal houses in Starkwater that can trace its line directly back to one of the sons of Alexandrios.

Kamban has always had more amicable relations with Arameia than other ducal houses and is believed by some to be partly, if not responsible, then certainly complicit in the Silver Theft, which caused one of its major competitors, Austmannar to lose a great deal of its assets. Throughout history Kamban has typically proven itself to be one of the houses most willing to deal with the Arameians, although they have never ceded land or assets to them.

[b:i0wqfr51]House Motto:[/b:i0wqfr51] For Glory Eternal

[b:i0wqfr51]Coat of Arms:[/b:i0wqfr51] Three gold deer running across a field of dark blue.

[b:i0wqfr51]Capital:[/b:i0wqfr51] Coldwater is tucked onto a small island in the middle of a lake. While it is easily accessible by crossing the ice in the winter, for the rest of the year the only way to gain entrance to the city is to get one of the four ferries into the town. The lake on which it is perched supplies an almost never ending fog across the city, giving it the nickname the Misty City. Despite being one of the smallest ducal cities, the city is known to be home to a college of Eirwinian monks known as the keepers of mysteries and their libraries are said to be the best in Starkwater.

According to legend, the master of Coldwater can control the fog so as to make the city impossible to find when he chooses to. Of course, given the city is linked to the mainland with rope operated ferries this is believed to be an old wife's tale.

[b:i0wqfr51]Assets:[/b:i0wqfr51] Kamban enjoys relatively good relations with Arameia, lacking any major rivers and sources of income though the house of Kamban has never been among the most prosperous.

[b:i0wqfr51]Currency:[/b:i0wqfr51] House Kamban produces the currency known as Hunters, with a strung bow on one side and a deer on the other.

[u:i0wqfr51][b:i0wqfr51]Tarnell[/b:i0wqfr51][/u:i0wqfr51]
[b:i0wqfr51]Location:[/b:i0wqfr51] Tarnell is located on the border between Teslan, Arameia and Starkwater.

[b:i0wqfr51]History:[/b:i0wqfr51] Tarnell is and old house steeped in history, the descendants of one of the generals of original archduke. It has since leveraged its military might into becoming one of the most paranoid of the houses with spy networks that almost equal those of the archduke. Ever since the inception of the Red Guard the house has enjoyed a tight working relationship with them.

[b:i0wqfr51]House Motto:[/b:i0wqfr51] Loyalty demands.

[b:i0wqfr51]Coat of Arms:[/b:i0wqfr51] A white hand clutching a black dagger by the blade, on a field of red.

[b:i0wqfr51]Capital:[/b:i0wqfr51] Hamgeld is a city of contrasts, drawing in influences both from Arameia and Teslan. The result can make the city seem somewhat schizophrenic. Despite this the city is known for its creative approach to city defence, with walls only surrounding the central keep. Instead the city itself is filled with murder holes, hidden tunnels and traps, the streets twist and turn leading enemies entering to have to fight their way all around the city to get to the keep. Getting into the city is said to be relatively easy, but leaving it is nigh impossible.

[b:i0wqfr51]Assets:[/b:i0wqfr51] As a result of their location, the house of Tarnell usually has close relations with the Red Guard and a lot of their agents are placed in their area, keeping an eye out for spies, rebels and saboteurs. They are also among the houses known for keeping mercenaries employed on at least a semi-regular basis, on the general philosophy that if the mercenaries are working for them, at least they can't be working for the enemies.

The size of their retinue can also change depending on the current tides of battle as the nobles living on the border often change their minds as to whether they back Arameia or Starkwater, leading their southern borders and accordingly their income to be fairly flexible.

[b:i0wqfr51]Currency:[/b:i0wqfr51] Tarnell produces the coin known as Oxen, with the a dagger on side and a hand lacking one finger on the other.

[u:i0wqfr51][b:i0wqfr51]Grimwise[/u:i0wqfr51][/b:i0wqfr51]
[b:i0wqfr51]Location:[/b:i0wqfr51] Grimwise lands border both on Nevros and Barbarian lands and as such face more combat than most other duchies. They are bordered to the south by Orthleikar and Volubrot to the west, with every other border taken up by enemies.

[b:i0wqfr51]History:[/b:i0wqfr51] Grimwise lands were bought with blood. The duchy has a history that stretches well beyond the Empire. According to the legends the duchy will not fall as long as the Old Hammer, a large iron warhammer, does not leave the head of Grimwise. The duchy was one of the last to join the rest of Starkwater under the Archduke, after having fought the archduke's armies to a standstill the Duke of Heathcliff offered his vassalage in return for peace. Grimwise has always been the house least likely to follow the advice of the archduke and show up for council meetings.

[b:i0wqfr51]House Motto:[/b:i0wqfr51] Hold.

[b:i0wqfr51]Coat of Arms:[/b:i0wqfr51] A black hammer against a field of silver spears.

[b:i0wqfr51]Capital:[/b:i0wqfr51] Heathcliff is a fortress. There is no other way to describe it. It is arguably the smallest of the ducal seats, but it is the most heavily fortified with every house, street and wall made with the express purpose of turning back invaders. Heathcliff is built into the ground and designed to take a punishment. Despite appearances, Heathcliff was not always built this way and the ruins of earlier Heathcliffs can be found nearby, with each new generation adding its own nasty surprises for invaders, as a result of which, it has been several hundred years since the last time anyone managed to get beyond the outer walls of Heathcliff.

[b:i0wqfr51]Assets:[/b:i0wqfr51] Grimwise has some of the most talented engineers in Starkwater and no one is better at quickly digging in than Grimwise soldiers. Grimwise also sports a thriving trade with in barbarian furs.

[b:i0wqfr51]Currency:[/b:i0wqfr51] The currency produced by Grimwise is known as Lines, it has two crossed spears on side and the coat of arms of Grimwise on the other.

[u:i0wqfr51][b:i0wqfr51]Rowan[/u:i0wqfr51][/b:i0wqfr51]
[b:i0wqfr51]History:[/b:i0wqfr51] The Rowans were originally but Eorls sworn to the Dukes of Blackrock. But when their overlords sought to march against Greylake a century ago, Rowan offered shelter to the rebelling host only to murder them whole. It is said that the last Duke of Blackrock fled from the castle only to stumble into to death after getting caught in the treacherous wood that gives Thornegrove its name. For this, the Prince rose Rowan to dukedom.

[b:i0wqfr51]House Motto:[/b:i0wqfr51] Where Man May Bleed

[b:i0wqfr51]Coat of Arms:[/b:i0wqfr51] Iron vines on green, thorns tinged with red

[b:i0wqfr51]Capital:[/b:i0wqfr51] Thornegrove located to the south of Grey Lake, is a fortress even without the stone keep that’s overseen the area before the coming of the empire. It’s backed by the Sault , to which the only bridge stems from the fortress itself. To its front is the grove itself, a small wood whose trees are entwined by vines that the peasants call dukebane. Dukebane too hard to cut even with steel swords and its thorns are large and sharp enough to tear flesh off a horse. Treacherous terrain, even for those aware of the right paths to take.

[b:i0wqfr51]Assets:[/b:i0wqfr51] The lords of Thornegrove maintain an unusually large host of personal retainers even in times of relative peace, ostensibly for the use of protecting its borders. The more cynical, however, whisper that those borders would not be near so volatile if the lords Rowan didn’t take to financing their vassals by way of frequent raids into Arameian and ogre territory.

[u:i0wqfr51][b:i0wqfr51]Austmannar[/u:i0wqfr51][/b:i0wqfr51]
[b:i0wqfr51]Location:[/b:i0wqfr51] Austmannar is the easternmost of the duchies, bordering Nevros and the Arameian Highlands to the east and north respectively, and Longmoor and Rowan to the south, with Grey Lake forming a buffer zone between it and Kamban to the west.

[b:i0wqfr51]History:[/b:i0wqfr51] The duchy of Austmannar was once the most powerful and largest of the duchies in Starkwater. With the Silver Theft the duchy lost its silver mines and much of its lands to the Arameians. Leaving the Austmannar with its much less valuable lands in the east to scrape a living off farming and river trade.

Ever since Austmannar have always been the first to raid into the Arameian Highlands and have always been proponents of outright war with the Arameians.

[b:i0wqfr51]House Motto:[/b:i0wqfr51] Our Enemies Can Never Rest

[b:i0wqfr51]Coat of Arms:[/b:i0wqfr51] Three Silver Coins on a yellow background.

[b:i0wqfr51]Capital:[/b:i0wqfr51] Silverhold is a shadow of its former self, resting almost on the western border of what remains of the duchy. It has reduced in size since the Silver Theft and has never truly regained its past glory. It is nevertheless a decently sized city, with a reputation for still having some of the best silversmiths in Starkwater.

[b:i0wqfr51]Assets:[/b:i0wqfr51] Austmannar has a small enclave of very good silversmiths. With a large part of their border being shared with Nevros, they typically have good relations with the Nevrosi and often intermarry with Nevrosi nobility.

[b:i0wqfr51]Currency:[/b:i0wqfr51] Austmannar produces the currency known as Serpents, they depict a serpent eating its own tail on one side, with the current duke's face in the middle and the skyline of Silverhold on the other.

[u:i0wqfr51][b:i0wqfr51]House Orthleikar[/u:i0wqfr51][/b:i0wqfr51]
[b:i0wqfr51]Location:[/b:i0wqfr51] House Orthleikar's holdings are the most central of the duchies.

[b:i0wqfr51]History:[/b:i0wqfr51] Orthleikar is the second noble house to hold the ducal title over this land, with the first being obliterated at the end of the Snake Wars for collaborating with the enemy. It has since proven to have a strong leadership with very few squabbles over power. This is partially due to a tradition of killing off any offspring of the duke except the firstborn son. This has also led to a tradition of having strong female leaders on those occasions when the firstborn son has been killed or otherwise died before being able to produce a heir. As such, the lineage of house Orthleikar is generally considered to be somewhat less pure than those of others as it hasn't continuously passed from father to son.

Historically house Orthleikar has demonstrated a harsh sense of justice, with those found guilty of crimes often being sentenced to spending the remainder of their lives working in the house's iron mines. When these coins have been treated badly, they're sometimes referred to as Rustysides.

[b:i0wqfr51]House Motto:[/b:i0wqfr51] Steel is strength.

[b:i0wqfr51]Coat of Arms:[/b:i0wqfr51] A crown of silver above a pick axe and a spear crossed on a background of blue.

[b:i0wqfr51]Capital:[/b:i0wqfr51] Jarnheim is perhaps one of the weaker of the ducal cities. It served as a headquarters for the Naga during the Snake Wars and has since never been rebuilt to its old standards. It is, nonetheless, a fairly impressive fortified town, with cast iron an important part of the architecture. It is reputed that very few wizards and elves set foot in the city due to the prominence of iron and the disruptive effects this has on their magic.

[b:i0wqfr51]Assets:[/b:i0wqfr51] Orthleikar controls the majority of the iron mines in Starkwater.

[b:i0wqfr51]Currency:[/b:i0wqfr51] House Orthleikar is unique in Starkwater for adding touches of iron to all of their coins, earning them the nickname of Ironsides. The coins depict the current duke on one side and a pick axe on the other.

[u:i0wqfr51][b:i0wqfr51]House Volubrot[/u:i0wqfr51][/b:i0wqfr51]
[b:i0wqfr51]Location:[/b:i0wqfr51] Situated at the northern border of Starkwater is House Volubrot, it's usually closely allied with house Northeld.

[b:i0wqfr51]History:[/b:i0wqfr51] Betrayal is at the heart of the history of House Volubrot, the ducal family of Holbark was slaughtered during the a particularly large barbarian raid into Starkwater in the spring of 3814 when the gates of Sweetgrove were opened by traitors, the city was razed to the ground. Every single member of house Holbark was killed in the attack, leaving the ground fertile for up and coming house Volubrot to ascend to take over as the new ducal house of the north, with the aid of house Northeld and the sitting archduke.

Volubrot rebuilt the city of Sweetgrove and gave it the name Cairnhome in honor of those who had died there. From there it rebuilt allegiances with most of those who had once served Holbark, though it ceded some of its lands to the Archduke as payment for the ducal title.

[b:i0wqfr51]House Motto:[/b:i0wqfr51] The dead steady our hand, the dead clear our minds, the dead bring us victory.

[b:i0wqfr51]Coat of Arms:[/b:i0wqfr51] The coat of arms of house Volubrot is a triangular pile of rocks over which is a broken staff on a field of ash grey.

[b:i0wqfr51]Capital:[/b:i0wqfr51] Cairnhome is the capitol of the duchy. It is built on the ruins of Sweetgrove, the former capitol that was razed in a barbarian raid. The House of Volubrot vowed never to let this happen again and reconstructed the city, giving it the new name of Cairnhome, for all the dead that are buried beneath it. The very walls themselves are inscribed with the names of people who have died defending it.

[b:i0wqfr51]Assets:[/b:i0wqfr51] House Volubrot has a close connection to the Witchfinders and will often use them as spies and scouts. Of course, house Volubrot is also one of the few houses without a wizard as an advisor.

[b:i0wqfr51]Currency:[/b:i0wqfr51] Volubrot produces the currency known as Skulls, it has a fortress on one side and a skull on the other.</td>
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>Compilation and Discussion: Ursidaen</td><td class="print">The details about the Ursidaen seem to be all over the place, and most of the people I've talked to point to each other for reference and clarification, so I figured it'd be a good place to start by compiling what we [i:2h3kgfjo]do[/i:2h3kgfjo] know about this race.

First, there's the Intro to the Races of Adylheim[/url:2h3kgfjo]:
&quot;Intro to the Races of Adylheim&quot;:2h3kgfjo
 
Ursidaen are said to be a cursed offspring of humanity. They live in small villages in the northern mountain ranges, where they occasionally participate in raids on the northern fiefdoms. They are set aside from humans in that they are capable of transforming into bears at will.[/quote:2h3kgfjo]

And then we have the article on Ursidaen[/url:2h3kgfjo]:
&quot;Ursidaen article&quot;:2h3kgfjo
 
Ursidaen are generally considered to be an offshoot of the human race, their sole difference is the ability to turn into bearlike form at will. They live in small isolated communities in the North and are rarely seen in Adylheim.

Physical Characteristics

Ursidaen are, in most respects, entirely similar to humans. Their physique is similar, even though some have remarked that they are usually relatively short, sturdy and in possession of more body hair than is usual. Curly hair is especially common amongst the Ursidaen.

When they shapeshift they take on a bear-like form. They are different from normal bears in that they have opposable thumbs, though their paws are not nearly as good for fine manipulation as are human hands. They may look like different types of bear, some looking like black bears, other like brown bears, some even ending up as polar bears or grizzly bears. There is no known reason for why someone ends up as a specific type of bear.

Due to the relatively unstable nature of the Ursidaen, their children are often deformed and if their children are not either fully human or fully bear at birth, they are usually killed by their parents. Because of this unstable nature, mating with any other races do not produce desirable results.

The Transformation

Changing from their bear form to their human form (or the other way around) is a painful process for the Ursidaen. Their body physically changes and they are fully conscious while their bones shift inside their bodies, their muscles grow in record time and hairs sprout or fall off all over their body. The transformation usually takes around half an hour to an hour. Due to the painful nature of the transformation and the length it takes to complete, they may stay in one shape for months without reversing to their other form.

Culture &amp; Organization

Ursidaen live in small villages led by the Council of the Elders. These attend to any day to day needs of those who live there, including picking those who will survive birthing. Decisions are usually made by consensus of the village.

Amongst themselves they speak a language called Sidaen, which can best be characterised as a series of growls and barks. The primary purpose of Sidaen is to be a tongue which can be spoken both in bear and human form.

Ursidaen rely primarily on primitive Low Magic for their magical rites, many of which involve Summoning and contacting local spirits to aid them and their village. Their religion is mainly animistic in origin, often offering sacrifice to local spirits rather than the Gods, though they do not claim the gods do not exist, merely that they do not have time for them and have better things to spend their time on.[/quote:2h3kgfjo]

There's this blurb on Sidaen in the page on Languages of Adylheim[/url:2h3kgfjo]:
&quot;Languages of Adylheim&quot;:2h3kgfjo
 
Sidaen is the language of the Ursidaen. It is mostly used among their race only, since it is the only language which can be spoken in both the form of man and bear.[/quote:2h3kgfjo]

And a bit of relevant information in the Geography of the Known World[/url:2h3kgfjo]:
&quot;Geography of the Known World&quot;:2h3kgfjo
 
To the North of Adylheim is the Northern Lands, these are generally fairly hostile, with tall mountains and small, isolated valleys. It’s all but impossible and very inadvisable to try to cross the mountains without a guide as the passes often freeze up and the paths seem to change every season. Human barbarians and Ursidaen populate these mountains and often field border raids on Adylheim, though they have rarely staged anything like an efficient invasion.[/quote:2h3kgfjo]

In the same vein, a passage from The Principality of Nevros[/url:2h3kgfjo]:
&quot;The Principality of Nevros&quot;:2h3kgfjo
 
The Princes of Nevros are renowned for their iron-fisted rule. Few lands are as heavily taxed as Nevros and their peasant populace is poorer than in other fiefdoms. With this money the nobles of Nevros have standing armies that are the envy of most other fiefdoms. Despite this, raids from Ogres, Northmen and Ursidaen are a constant disruptive influence on the affairs of Nevros.[/quote:2h3kgfjo]

A bit from Random Notes On Stuff[/url:2h3kgfjo]:
&quot;The Mad Professor&quot;:2h3kgfjo
 
Ursidaen have some celtish influences in their society, with a penchant for blue whorls tattooed on their bodies. Lots of animals skins for clothing, that kind of thing. Worship spirits of places rather than gods, because they feel the gods are too busy to bother with them, places which appear strange or out of the ordinary are likely to be targets of worship.

. . .

Ursidaen can live as up to twice as long as humans, usually they do not live past 30 however.[/quote:2h3kgfjo]

And, of course, Random Notes on the Ursidaen[/url:2h3kgfjo]:
&quot;Aix Ghrrak-mak&quot;:2h3kgfjo
 
Most peasants and townsfolk of the northern provinces, those for whom contact with the Ursidaen is a distinct possibility, think of them much like werewolves - savage beings who exist to terrorize them. According to the local folklore, there are many kinds of shapeshifters that live out in the Shifting Lands (aka the Shifting Wastes), and which enter Adylheim to steal infants and devour adults; or in other tales, to marry or rape normal people so that they will bear deformed or cursed offspring (no pun intended). The Ursidaen are merely the largest in size, as far as the peasantry is concerned; and any carnivorous animal may be accused of being a Shifter and killed.

The &quot;sure&quot; test of whether or not a person is a Shifter in disguise is if they can leave a house between midnight and dawn as a human being. According to folklore, various fates will befall a Shifter in human form if they do this; it may spontaneously revert to animal form, begin to sprout hair, be overcome with pain, or fall to dust. Since this is not actually an affliction of the Ursidaen, true Ursidaen living in hiding usually go undetected, while innocent people fall victim to Shifter paranoia.

. . .

It is customary among the Ursidaen that a visitor to one's home or the place where one is residing immediately be offered food and drink regardless of age, rank, species, purpose, or past history; the host and visitor must then consume their morsel together. If the food is not offered, not accepted, or not shared except in dire circumstance (family dying of starvation, etc), this oversight is an affront to the entire village and is considered a viable reason for the beginning of a duel, blood feud, or other physical conflict. Non-Ursidaen are usually given a pass if it's their first time encountering the race.

If the visitor becomes ill as a result of the food and the resident does not, the resident may legally be shaved and banished from the village.

. . .

Hmm. I'd been developing the language (specifically the intricate honorific system) under the impression that their shamanistic religion was animistic, everything-has-a-spirit and stuff. I think it's important to note, however, that religion doesn't have to revolve around worship. It can just revolve around respect for, belief in and ritual manipulation of the supernatural. The western idea of worship doesn't really apply when it comes to non-theistic religions.

As for the swears - I suppose there could be one or two colorful expressions which could be used as curses, but the way I'm setting it up right now, insult is given more by misuse of honorifics than anything else. Swearing is grammatical rather than lexical: anything you say can be horribly offensive to the point of being banned by the FCC, if you leave off or use inappropriate honorifics and politeness constructions.[/quote:2h3kgfjo]

Under a discussion of Clans of the Ursidaen[/url:2h3kgfjo]:
&quot;The Mad Professor&quot;:2h3kgfjo
 
So clans based around the idea that Polar/Grizzly/Black/Brown bears are born in one particular clan won't work very well... with that being said, I can kind of see a Polar bear &quot;clan&quot; not in the sense of an extended family, sort of thing, but more in the sense of banding together because they don't hibernate during the winter.

Also with regards to Blood Scent, I don't think necromancer magic is such a big deal. I mean, I imagine spirit and ancestor worship would both happen in Ursidaen society and asking one or the other wouldn't be such a big deal. Given that necromancy also pretty much only concerns raising the dead, I'm not sure how they could have used it to stay pure. Not that it's impossible for them to have used magic, and for this to be seen as wrong, but it's got to be something a little more than just using necromancy. Perhaps they traded for demonic powers, imprisoned spirits, poisoned the land, that kind of thing.

One final thing to keep in mind is that they don't live in a vacuum, they live next to both Dragonkin and human barbarians, how do they get along? Who fights them for resources? Who trades and have more friendly relations with them? Etc etc. What happens to someone who is not a member of a Clan? Are they outlaws? Or is there an organized &quot;clan&quot; of those without a clan?[/quote:2h3kgfjo]
&quot;Avimala&quot;:2h3kgfjo
 
* The Ursidaen are pretty big on protocol. Though their customs may seem impolite or barbaric to the more &quot;civilized&quot; people of the former Arameian Empire, they observe them pretty rigidly, and go to great lengths to avoid giving offense to other Ursidaen. (&quot;An armed society is a polite society&quot;; insult an Ursidaen and next time he's a bear and you're not you could be in big trouble.)
** Please note that this doesn't necessarily mean they're strongly hierarchical. Protocol helps to keep hierarchies and systems of organization in place, but it doesn't necessarily imply they were there in the first place.
* Children are realllly important in Ursidaen society, mostly because well-formed (and thus surviving-past-birth) children are so very rare. That's not to say they get coddled, not at all; but the idea of &quot;the children are our future&quot; is very strong in them. A sure way to have one clan step over the line to being hated by all is to have it kill or abduct the cubs of its enemies.
** This should also be taken into account when describing violence between tribes or clans. The Ursidaen have a low fertility rate, and they know it. Their goals in both politics and warfare should be adjusted accordingly: individual grunts have a lot more worth than we humans are used to, simply by virtue of existing.
** Similarly, successful parents should be accorded places of honor in the tribes and the clans. They're just as important to the survival of any given unit of Ursidaen society as great warriors are, and they're somewhat rarer.[/quote:2h3kgfjo]

And .... that's all I can find. Discussion, interpretations, additions?
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Re: Compilation and Discussion: Ursidaen</td><td class="print">Hurm. Well, it's not so much that children rarely live more than a few years as that they're expected to grow up fast, I reckon (though child mortality rates are high, of course). And yeees, for a given value of community. I mean, they live primarily in small tight-knit communities of no more than a couple of hundred. So the nuclear family concept isn't a large part of their upbringing I think, but at the same time, it's not like they have no concept of who their mother and father is (as an aside, I imagine the mothers are fiercely protective of their offspring, but that's just because it amuses me).

Exposure to shamanistic rituals will vary depending on the rituals. I mean, it's basically a form of ancestor/spirit worship, with bits of low magic and such included. They function as a spiritual guide for the community, an advisor, a healer, a historian and so on, so it depends. Some rituals will be very common for them to use. Other rituals may be more secret and reserved only for shamans.

Playtime and misbehaviour is tolerated. Children will be children, I'm fairly certain they'd recognise that. As well as playing is a good way to learn important things you need to learn for when you're older. Just look at, say, lion cubs playing. Not that I'm particularly drawing comparisons, but the same is, to some extent true of humans too. Children would be expected to do their share of the work too though, they can't just laze off the entire day.

Warlikeness? Hurm. Variable. The Northern Ribs are fairly competitive in terms of the people there needing to rely on the same relatively scarce resources. So I'd say they always need to be strong enough to repel potential competitors for their land. At the same time, raiding others is a good way to get resources that you need for your community (and also, if someone dies in the raid that's one less mouth to feed). So it's not focused on war, really, it's focused on raiding. They're not interested in war for war's sake. It's like the ancient celts where stealing cattle was considered something of a rite of passage for the young men.

During hibernation, of course, most of the village sleeps, I imagine. Which isn't quite as defenceless a position as you might think. Considering that winters in the Ribs are particularly rough and the passes through the mountains tend to get covered in snow and impassable. It's a real pain to get around then, nevermind forming a raiding party to attack another village. I imagine those that transform into polar bears might have a place of honour for protecting the stores and the village from raids during the hibernation period. But yush, that's mainly just me speculating.

Re: Compilation and Discussion: Ursidaen</td><td class="print">I just had a weird realization. Ursidaen with bear forms of the types native to warmer climates (sloth bears and sun bears especially, possibly others) likely wear clothes even in bear form, to keep themselves warm in their cold northern habitat.

11:21 Button Wikipedia says that they have really good senses of smell, better even than dogs.
11:21 TheMadProfessor nods
11:21 Button My idea is: Ursidaen are humans with bear forms. Maybe some of them can't handle the sense of smell in bear form.
11:22 TheMadProfessor I know. I actually thought bears have worse eyesight than humans, but they're about the same. <!-- s:( --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" /><!-- s:( -->
11:22 TheMadProfessor Ooooh.
11:22 TheMadProfessor So they freak? <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->
11:22 Button It'd be total sensory overload for a human brain. I'm imagining maybe half of Ursidaen have mangled and scarred their own noses to deal with it.
11:22 Button Exactly. <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->
11:22 TheMadProfessor :D
11:22 TheMadProfessor I'd say half is a little much, they've had a long time to grow used to it. &gt;&gt;
11:23 Button Hmm.
11:23 Button Well I'd expect most of the manglings would happen during childhood.
11:23 TheMadProfessor Evolution takes place, after all, and it would tend to favour the ones with unscarred noses, I'd say
11:23 Button That's true.
11:23 Button So probably only a few of them these days.
11:24 TheMadProfessor Oooh!
11:24 Button But it would be totally possible to, say, blind a bear with a skunk
11:24 Button From the sensory overload
11:24 TheMadProfessor They would probably be the ones doing menial jobs like alchemy/tanning and similar. &gt;&gt;
11:24 Button :D
11:24 Button Underclass!
11:24 TheMadProfessor Jobs that involve a lot of nasty smells
11:24 TheMadProfessor nodnods!
11:25 TheMadProfessor Well... not necessarily underclass.
11:25 TheMadProfessor It's like the witches and things, you know, not necessarily the most popular in the village, but still important.
11:26 Button Mm, fair enough.
11:26 TheMadProfessor Shamans and things like that.
11:27 TheMadProfessor Oh, I'm not saying that's the way it is, it was just a suggestion <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->
11:27 Button Mmmm. Idunno that shamans without a sense of smell would make sense.
11:27 Button I'd think that having a sense closed off to the spirits would be a big disadvantage for shamans.
11:27 TheMadProfessor Smelly herbs and dealing with dead bodies and things
11:28 Button Oh, dead bodies and waste and stuff, defo
11:28 TheMadProfessor nods
11:28 Button Anything an Untouchable would do
11:28 TheMadProfessor Might be similar to those who poke their eyes out to see the spirits more clearly though
11:28 TheMadProfessor nods
11:28 Button Hmm
11:28 Button Idunno
11:29 TheMadProfessor Anything an untouchable would do, especially smelly things <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->
11:29 Button I mean, they're still humans. I'd expect poking the eyes out would be to SMELL the spirits. Joining the animal world more closely. Getting more in tune with the intangible.
11:29 Button For shamans I mean.
11:30 TheMadProfessor nods
11:30 TheMadProfessor Good point
11:30 Button likes the idea of a shaman never leaving bear form anymore
11:30 TheMadProfessor :D
11:30 TheMadProfessor Eh, I dunno, I like the idea of them embracing the duality of their status more than others.
11:31 TheMadProfessor Most Ursidaen rarely shapeshift, after all.
11:31 Button Hm.
11:31 Button But that would make it difficult to deal with poked-out eyes. <!-- s:( --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" /><!-- s:( -->
11:32 Button Which I guess they don't ALL have to do.
11:32 TheMadProfessor Oh, I didn't mean that ursidaen shamans did that, it's just a common theme in that kind of thingies :p
11:32 Button :D
11:32 Button I know you didn't mean it, but I thought it was cool <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P -->
11:34 TheMadProfessor Anyways... hurm, what was I thinking, yush. Shamans strike me as the kind to embrace duality. But that might be my reading of Promethea working against me.
11:34 Button Promethea?
11:34 Button And yeah, when you put it that way I agree
11:35 TheMadProfessor It's a comic by Alan Moore, it's basically his diatribe on how he thinks magick works
11:35 Button Ah
11:35 Button I see shapeshifting as being at the core of some of their rituals
11:35 Button As it's a form of inflicting pain on oneself in a magical way
11:36 Button And embraces that duality
11:40 Button Can mutilation of a sense organ, preferably eyes or ears as they're important in both forms, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease be a thing that Ursidaen shamans usually do? Pleeeeeeeeeease?
11:40 TheMadProfessor Yush
11:40 Button Yeeeeeeeeeeey
11:46 TheMadProfessor also vaguely based Ursidaen shamanism off this <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_shamanism">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_shamanism</a><!-- m -->
11:46 Button And, per my earlier question - how long have Ursidaen been around?
11:47 TheMadProfessor Darn, I was hoping to avoid that one <!-- s:( --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" /><!-- s:( -->
11:48 TheMadProfessor 30-40k years?
11:48 TheMadProfessor vaguely dates it to how long ago the neanderthals were around
11:50 Button Wow, long time.
11:50 TheMadProfessor nooooods
11:50 Button So they are likely a separate subspecies even if they weren't bears.
11:50 Button *would likely be
11:51 TheMadProfessor nods
11:51 TheMadProfessor To some extent.
11:52 TheMadProfessor They're a bit shorter and wider than normal humans, and more hairy, so generally better suited to cold conditions I think.
11:54 TheMadProfessor (without that making them dwarves, because that would be dumb)

What I'm interested in is the way of life in a typical Ursidaen village. Since it looks like children rarely live more than a few years (if they're not killed for being deformed), children must be pretty special in the village. I'd assume kids are raised by the village as a community, not necessarily by their own parents. What might the child's experiences be as he/she grows up? How common or secretive is exposure to these shamanic rituals? Is misbehavior and playtime tolerated?

How warlike are the communities? We know they stage raids on roads in Nevros, but how organized are they? Are we talking an ambush or an organized trap or a roadblock? How focused is the society on war, and how rigid or structured are they?

And what happens in winter, when most of the village goes into hibernation?

I like the idea of polar bears guarding the sleepy village!

Ok, so what I'm getting is that they're not necessarily violent in the way they look at things, but generally believe that one has to be strong and capable enough to support oneself and protect one's own property. So during a raid, I can't see them killing people just for the sake of killing (as ogres might), but rather in self-defense or if the person decisively gets in the way. The stronger party rightfully deserves the spoils. I'm not sure whether they'd try and be sneaky about swiping things under people's noses; I kind of see Ursidaen as too proud for that, they'd rather give the humans a chance to defend or surrender their property (or even strike &quot;protection&quot; deals) so the Ursidaen can rightfully claim it, but that's just my interpretation.

Berinhardt, I'd love to see what you have!

Re: Compilation and Discussion: Ursidaen</td><td class="print">Also, as a side note: [quote:2ndz3c4s]Polar bears are so well protected from the cold that they have more problems with overheating than they do from the cold. Even in very cold weather, they quickly overheat when they try to run.[/quote:2ndz3c4s]ÂÂ

Means polar bear ursidaen would probably stay human during the warmer seasons.

Re: Compilation and Discussion: Ursidaen</td><td class="print">Oh I definitely think they'd raid each other too.

Would Ursi necessarily hibernate in winter, or only if they happen to be in bear form? If the former, what happens if an Ursi is prevented from hibernating?

I think there should be some racial terminology for human form and bear form. Surely Ursidaen would have one word for each to distinguish them equally (there's no &quot;original&quot; or &quot;alternate&quot;, just two equal guises). As well, a word for the process of shifting (besides the generic &quot;transform&quot; or &quot;shift&quot;) would be appropriate.

It seems weird to have an Ursi character say &quot;I'm going to shift to my bear form now.&quot; That's just so ..... ignorant. XD

>Re: Compilation and Discussion: Ursidaen</td><td class="print">Just a FYI, bear's hibernation is not nearly as deep as one normally thinks of hibernation.
Metabolic rate only drops slightly (hence the reason they stock up so heavily on food before hibernation) and body temperature only drops by about 10 degrees.
Bears are easily awoken from hibernation, and many times will wake up for short periods and re-enter the hibernation state.
In addition, some warm weather bears don't hibernate at all (sloths, etc).

I'd imagine that Bears that leave the persistant snow/ice covered mountains, or who adapt to wearing clothing/layering on more clothing could choose to hibernate or not.

So, based on this, I'd say Ursi would most likely choose whether or not to hibernate in winter (previous to this conversation I was under the assumption that ursi didn't hibernate at all), and that there's no detriment to an ursidaen who was kept from hibernating....as long as there's enough food.

Somewhere in the ursi literature around here it's noted that an Ursidaen's shifting is not something they do often. (of course there are always exceptions, there's at least one NPC companion who's almost ALWAYS in bear form) It's a very painful and not-short process of around half an hour.

Re: Compilation and Discussion: Ursidaen</td><td class="print">Hurm, it was really only an idea I was tossing around last year while I was doing the Queen of the Fairie auditions, but I vaguely thought having the Queen of Fairies being the originator of the &quot;curse&quot; that caused the Ursidaen was an interesting angle.

Edit: Also, yus, Ursidaen can shapeshift into any member of the Ursidae family, so that includes sun bears, giant pandas, that kind of thing. Though only one form, of course, if you were born a polar bear, you're gonna die a polar bear.

Actually, when Kregor and I were brainstorming, our idea was that winter is when the Ursidaen did most of their raiding, specifically BECAUSE resources were so scarce. I actually have a write-up of a few pages for Nevros regarding how they function and how raids increase drastically during the winter months because the barbarians, and ursidaen from the ribs start raiding (and in-fighting...leading to cannibalism) so much. If you'd like to see it.....warfare between different tribes, raiding during scarce months, low birth rate, all served to control the population.

I think the Nevros development thread progressed faster than I wrote (sometimes responsibility is a b*tch), so I abandoned the entire thing. But I still have it.

Oh, it's not just the lack of resources that are an issue when it comes to raiding. Keep in mind that travelling in winter would be extremely hazardous, and not everyone lives close enough to Nevros and Starkwater that raiding them is an option (which is not to say they don't raid each other, but I'd imagine that's less profitable) and of course, trying to take a dragonkin city would be tantamount to suicide, I imagine.

I can definitely see some ursidaen raiding during the winter though, they'd probably be better suited for it than humans.

This may be scattered and not in a uniform flow, since this is mostly coming back to me from memory.
(the first thing to remember is that there are ALWAYS exceptions to the rule.

Based on lore, Ursidaen are formed into mostly Nomadic animistic and spiritualistic tribes.
They're Nomadic, hunter/gatherer, worship spirits (of things and places), and also raid to provide for themselves.
I view them loosely, like the American Indian tribes of North America.

[b:136927l1]I think that we currently have the reproduction rate of Ursidaen listed too low.[/b:136927l1]
1. If the birth rate of the race is low
2. If Mutations are common and pretty much always killed
3. If the society suffers from scarce resources in the ribs that are constantly contested for by the dragonkin, barbarian tribes, ogres, trolls, and nevros
(The Nevros official write up states &quot;Raids from Ogres, Northmen and Ursidaen are a constant disruptive influence on the affairs of Nevros.&quot; [b:136927l1]CONSTANT[/b:136927l1], although from 3 sources)
Add to that war between tribes, which is probably uncommon, and lastly &quot;coming of age&quot; rituals

[i:136927l1]The race would be extinct, or swiftly approaching extinction.[/i:136927l1]

I think the birth rate should be average for humans, maybe even have a slightly shorter gestation period than humans (bears are listed at 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 months gestation, because of a varied delayed implantation that is determined by how much and how fast the bear can gain weight for the pregnancy). This would allow the race to have all the other issues, and still not die out.

Now that that's finished, here are my thoughts on Ursidaen, which are mostly in line with what's already out there, with a little additional:

The tribes are Shamanistic/Animistic in nature.
They believe everything has a spirit, and pay homage to these spirits through sacrifice, ritual, and word.
Some tribes leave sacrifice of everything they take for the spirit they took it from (in one thread, Berinhardt leaves fish heads behind for the spirit of the river he took them from). Many tribes practice ancestor worship, and while there would be no &quot;ritual&quot; burial grounds due to the nomadic lifestyle, they may keep skulls or bones of greatly revered ancestors. Councils of Elders and Shaman often consult the &quot;spirits&quot; and perform sweat lodges/share &quot;peace pipe&quot; like things, etc. etc.
(Berinhardt started to do a sweat lodge in one thread, but the co-poster disappeared before it was finished)

Shaman serve in a multifunctional role.
Each tribe has 1 shaman, unless not possible. Tribes can have more than 1, but rarely have more than 2 or 3.
They Serve as spiritual guide, advisor, healer, historian, peacekeeper, communicator (between tribes), seer.
They use the Dreaming, and spirit realms extensively, along with primitive low magic and rituals.
Through the Dreaming they keep in touch with other tribes Shaman and work to keep tribes from fighting each other, often arranging helpful cooperation and sometimes trades, when a tribe is dangerously defecit in some area.
They preside over the Ursidaen &quot;holidays&quot;.
The two most obvious would be the winter solstice (shortest day of the year, a time of Vision Quest) where the Shaman enters the Dreaming and prophesies about the year to come, and Summer Solstice the longest day of the year, a time for hunting, celebration, and lifegiving (breeding).

Each &quot;area&quot; of Ursidaen nomadic range has one &quot;hermit&quot; shaman.
Normally a wizened old shaman of some skill, his job is to be completely neutral in tribal affairs.
If tribes battle amongst each other, he is who they go to in order to resolve the dispute.
Yearly, he examines all newborn children for talent with magic or the spirits. if found, he takes them from the tribe to train them to become Shaman. They are returned after a period...2? 3 years?
If a tribe does not have a Shaman, he will perform the duties or organize one from another tribe to take the place of the mising one, etc. etc.

Tribes are ruled by a Council of Elders who make all decisions affecting the tribe
The Shaman is nearly ALWAYS on the council of elders.
In the case of multiple shaman in a tribe, there is always one head shaman who is on the council, to prevent them from having too much of a say, unbalancing the tribe's democracy.
Despite this, the Shaman of the tribe usually has a large voice, and his words bear much weight even amongst the elders.</td>

>What is the logic behind killing children with mutations, especially if they're so common? Mutated children are more likely to die early and aren't worth spending resources on in human form, but they could still be an asset to the village in bear form -- though, given, if born in human form they probably won't be able to transform until a certain age. (If born in a form somewhere between the two, might the child not be able to shift at all?) Unless the practice of killing deformed children is spiritually related, or unless the Ursidaen take pride in appearing flawlessly human (which implies shame in their own race), there's not a lot of reason to kill children who may very well survive healthily. Of course, if the kid needs special care, attention and resources that the village simply can't afford, it makes sense.

You've outlined some great defenses against the Ursidaen raids. What kind of offense, if any, might be posed against Ursidaen? I could imagine attitudes going both ways: either the Ursidae are viewed as an unavoidable fact of life and people simply take extra precaution against them, or the humans arm themselves and seek to intimidate the Ursidaen or even attack a village to snuff out the threat at the source. Given the power of the Ursidaen, the latter is probably very rare.

I would agree that Ursidaen are highly disciplined, but not in the way a military force might be structured.

It takes a lot of co-operation and discipline to live and function successfully in the harsh environment they live in.
If one task does not get completed, it could affect the entire tribe.
Ursidaen are also large on social protocol, and honor (with exception of course).

I would imagine that adherence to law would vary greatly from tribe to tribe, situationally....
larger, more stable tribes may be less lenient on transgressions while smaller tribes where every man is needed may be more lenient.
Then you also have a council of elders making the decision, so social status, and personalities are going to make adherence vary.

In battle, I would say that tribes would have designated Hunters and Protectors, who are the most battle worthy as both humans and bears. They probably have some structure to how they fight, and are used to working alongside each other in a threatening environment, protecting the tribe, hunting large prey, and raiding. I would say at any one time a portion of the tribe is in human form, and another portion is in bear form.

The rest of the populace would all be competent, especially in bear form where even a young bear can be deadly, but with little structure. The entire village must be ready to defend itself.

Raiding and defense/competition are a way of life. Since the tribes are more primitive and nomadic, metals are unlikely. Bone armor and layered hides are likely the only protections worn. Weapons are natural and simple. Possibly slings, hunting bows, clubs, and spears. Large two handed clubs, staves, and spears are probably the most common weapons as they can be wielded both in human and bear form, since Ursidaen have thumbs, but lack the fine motor skills in bear form to use a sword, or something of the like.

Dragonkin probably rarely attack ursidaen tribes, it's unlikely they have anything that the Dragonkin would want, and Ursidaen most likely rarely try to attack Dragonkin homes because of their precarious perch. However, they most likely have come up with some sort of arrow/spear heads specifically designed to damage wings and impair their flying capability as much as possible, in order to even up the fight.

Most likely conflict comes from other ground-dwelling creatures.
Barbarians would be the most common.
Ogres the second most common.
Trolls are probably quite uncommon
Nevrosians are probably only encountered while raiding (I doubt the citizens of Nevros wander into the Ribs often)
It seems to me the Nevrosians have enough on their plate already to be sending pre-emptive strikes into the ribs.

The ursidaen probably trade uncommonly with Barbarians when they're not warring (after all, barbarians probably can't tell that they're not just another Barbarian tribe when they're in human form).
Rarely, I'd guess they may trade with Ogres.

Trade with any other force is probably slim to none, with the possibility of trading with Nevrosians when in dire need, as this is dangerous, being so far from &quot;home&quot; and in hostile territory. If a Nevrosian figures out what's up, they could have a swift cavalry force down upon the smaller &quot;trading party&quot; of ursidaen before they returned to their tribe.

I'm not really sure of the logic and I'm not sure it's ever been outlined.
My guess would be similar to yours.

#1 Mutated children are more likely to die early and aren't worth spending precious resources on
#2 Superstition, mutated children are &quot;cursed, damned, unlucky, abominations, unnatural&quot;
#3 I would assume that mutations would occur in both forms. I.e. if born as a human with a crippled unusable arm, when shifted to bear form, the bear would also bear the crippled arm (with fur and claw of course)

I would doubt that humans arm themselves and try to attack the Ursidaen pre-emptively.

First, the Ursidaen reside in a very unforgiving, dangerous, landscape.
Second, the Principality of Nevros seems to have its hands full.

They suffer from:
Constant Barbarian, Ogre, Ursidaen Raids.
A similarly (although not as bad) unforgiving landscape.
A Constant struggle for enough food, and to protect that food
(The Principality of Nevros is stationary, and is a larger society which requires agriculture to provide enough food to sustain it. The terrain is not suited to agriculture, and is prone to early/frequent frosts and crop killing issues. The barbarians, Ogres, and Ursidaen are hunter/gatherer societies and raid what existing food/supplies Nevros does have)

As for Offense, give me a bit to think about it, and view what Zhyv came up with in the nevros thread, coupled with my own ideas. I'll post it in a little while (I should get SOME work done today.)

As far as mutation goes, I can imagine a history of crippled children soaking up resources would spawn the superstition that mutated children are a curse upon the village. Therefore, immediately killing deformed children would be justified. I'll assume that it's up to the Elders to decide just how much of a deformity justifies death though. They probably wouldn't kill a baby with an oddly shaped nose or a crooked finger, for example, in a race plagued by crippling mutations.

You mentioned that Shamans would test newborns for magical aptitude, which I assume to mean high magic in a lot of cases, then will take the child away to be trained for 2-3 years. At what age might that training take place?

edit: one more thing! How might mates be chosen?

So, as far as offense goes, the Nevros article doesn't do much.

The Nevros people are almost entirely focused on defense, because while very well-trained, their standing army is small.
The high passes/keeps/castles/strongholds of the Nevros people are designed entirely for defense...so they don't go on the offense much at all. However, they utilize shield walls, and ranged weapons, coupled with Bear riding and war pig riding cavalry. I'd assume pikes/lances/polearms and very heavy draw crossbows (think two handed crank to draw) would be their best offensive tools....along with mobility and strategy.

As for mutations. If birth rate is low and mortality rate high (The article says Ursidaen can live twice as long as humans, but rarely live past 30) I'd imagine that they wouldn't kill children with such minor mutations as you're talking about....it doesn't make sense. But then again, when do the actions of intelligent animals really ever make sense?

Part of the Shaman's job imo would be to train shaman for the tribes, since shaman hold an important role in tribal health/spiritualism/coexistence. When I stated aptitude, I was speaking of both latent high magic talents (which I wouldn't imagine is common) and also low magic aptitude, which would be more along the lines of an open, quick, mind. Followed by the maturity and discipline required to practice such an exact art. If the shaman of that area dabbles in alchemy also, children with large knowledge of herbology, etc might be considered.

Training would require the child to be mature enough to follow instruction, and understand.
I would imagine probably age 6 or 7? This might seem young, but I'd imagine that the harsh environment forces children to grow up fast.

I think I misunderstood the Shaman training. Would a Shaman train other Shamans for other tribes, or just a replacement for himself? If a tribe loses its Shaman and doesn't have a replacement among themselves, would they seek help from other tribes?

Along the same vein (but completely unrelated), I understood that Ursidaen are not monogamous, and the entire village generally rears its children -- perhaps to a point at which a child wouldn't know who his biological father is. It was also mentioned, I think in the original writeup, that parents of multiple healthy children are considered high in status. Because females may mate with multiple males (iirc), this seems to point to a matriarchal society -- but most other information implies something more patriarchal. Unless females hold an equal but very different high status?

How often might tribes breed with other tribes? I suppose it differs according to the tribe, whether they would hold so much pride in their village that they'd risk interbreeding.

the way that I envison it, each area would have it's own (title that I used was &quot;Bearfather&quot;, but each location could have its own name)
A hermited, fixed location, shaman.

Usually the oldest, most wizened, and most powerful shaman from an area would take the title.
the Bearfather is not aligned with any tribe, and completely Neutral in aspects of tribal conflict.
This Bearfather would be the one who does the yearly searching for &quot;talented&quot; future shaman from all tribes in the area.
(he could actually have skill at this, or the local tribe shaman could tip him off as to potential prospects)
He would take the prospect in, back to his fixed location, for training, and then return him (usually) to the tribe that he came from. If a tribe has multiple shaman, and another tribe has none, then one might be pulled, or a new one might be given to the tribe without one.

I'd also imagine that there are tribes and areas of the ribs who don't follow this practice, and their shaman are trained entirely inter-tribal. The only problem being, if tribes that function this way lose all of their existing shaman, it would be much harder to obtain another one.

As for Monogamy, this was in the threads somewhere, but I don't know that it was ever accepted or put into Canon. I'd have to agree that likely the tribes aren't normally monogamous, however I don't necessarily know that this would lead to matriarchy. In the ages that we're talking about, females regularly share lower status than males. So if they held elevated status (due to parents who birth healthy children being elevated), I'd imagine it would bump them up to equal. (I always imagined female ursidaen sharing spots of equality as males anyway) although this might not be likely, considering it's unlikely that barbarians or ogres share equal status with their females.

I'd agree with your tribes breeding with other tribes.
smaller tribes might regularly breed with other tribes, trying to increase their numbers.
It would also coincide with how friendly the tribes were with each other.

Also, I'd imagine if children were so sought after, inter-tribal breeding would be a point of contention....which tribe gets the child? That may be another thing that the &quot;Bearfather&quot; sees over...to maintain peace.
Or maybe one tribe gives a &quot;child dowry&quot; to the other tribe, in order to keep the child.

Hmm. I don't think trade is as unlikely as you make it out <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->

I mean, there are barbarian human tribes living in the Ribs as well, and they're generally not nomadic, so it's entirely possible that the Ursidaen trade with them for weapons/metal items they can't produce themselves, that kind of thing. Ogres aren't really an issue for the Nevrosians in the north, or the Ursidaen, as they mostly live down in the swamps around Longmoor, though they do raid into southern Nevros.

Also, part of the reason why I imagined they'd be hibernating in the winter rather than staying awake is because raiding isn't always going to be an option, you could simply be too far from any other settlement, or the weather could simply be too hostile to allow for anything but very limited travel.

On that note, nothing but what's in the Codex currently is strictly canon, so you guys are pretty free to invent as you like.

I could've sworn I saw the ogre thing somewhere.
Maybe my mind extrapolated it from the fact that Nevros suffers from Ogre Raids, so the Ursidaen would contend with them too...no real clue where I got it from. (Berinhardt's tribe is in the eastern ribs, but still west of the swamps some)

Anyway, I listed trade with the Barbarian tribes as uncommon, not rare =P
I was under the impression that the Barbarian tribes were also nomadic, which is why I listed uncommon. I figured it probably wasn't even common that they crossed paths, let alone decided to trade. Plus, how likely is it that ursidaen, and barbarians who are contesting the same resources in a scarce area, who likely try to raid each other, decide to put aside those differences and trade? I however bow to your creative will.....it's a good thing to have someone for them to trade on a common basis with.

I'd definitely agree that those tribes that aren't down towards the fringes of Nevros and Starkwater would almost definitely hibernate through the winter. And I would imagine no matter where you were, weather could cause you to hibernate out storms.

Might certain villages of Ursidaen be stationary instead of nomadic? My original interpretation of Ursidaen society was actually that they didn't move at all, but had their own established villages (maybe including cave networks?) and small territories where they hunted. Perhaps they'd be established near a main road where they'd raid caravans, or near a human settlement that would constantly be plagued by raids from the same Ursidaen.

Although, a large number of people staying in one place implies agriculture. I'm sure they won't be able to depend entirely on being able to raid the surrounding settlements all the time (and come back with successful spoils).[/quote:121yykz2]

Actually, my version of character history follows a tribe that's hostile/warlike, and is definitely stationary, residing in a cave complex. (there's always exceptions to the rule).

The only thing it seems I have to change though is I had them all as one species of bear....

Most likely though, there would have to be a reason for them to change their nomadic ways.....easily accessible food source....some landmark of special significance....protection...etc.

Really all it would take for a tribe to abandon their nomadic ways is one council of elders to agree &quot;this sacred cave requires our protection, we'll stay here now&quot;....and as long as it's not changed with future councils, and as long as they can survive...they'd be stationary.

ight certain villages of Ursidaen be stationary instead of nomadic? My original interpretation of Ursidaen society was actually that they didn't move at all, but had their own established villages (maybe including cave networks?) and small territories where they hunted. Perhaps they'd be established near a main road where they'd raid caravans, or near a human settlement that would constantly be plagued by raids from the same Ursidaen.

Although, a large number of people staying in one place implies agriculture. I'm sure they won't be able to depend entirely on being able to raid the surrounding settlements all the time (and come back with successful spoils).

A quick thing re: dragonkin, ursidaen, and raids:

The [i:1335gp0s]civilization[/i:1335gp0s] of the dragonkin, their cities, are located quite a bit farther north than a lot of people think. Closer to Adylheim the dragonkin you find are almost exclusively drakeskin (drake-worshippers), except at holy sites, which are mostly abandoned for most of the year and then are full of pilgrims at the appropriate times. (Most dragonkin are likely to go on a pilgrimmage once or twice in their lives, as it's considered a virtuous thing to do; and I expect these pilgrammages would be tied to time periods. Marcus never did write up dragonkin holy sites like he said he was going to though.)

So Ursidaen and barbarian tribes are in general going to come into contact with Adylheim, with the cities of the Dragonkin, or neither.

Drakeskin settlements and dragonkin holy sites are much more raidable than the cities of the kin. Where the cities of the kin are built around mountaintops and include constructed fortifications, drakeskin tend to move around in warbands carrying out the will of whatever drake they're attached to, and sleep upside-down on trees. They're often quite wild. And dragonkin holy sites are often poorly defended, because wherever the supposed relic is, they can't move it from its place no matter how tactically inadvisable that is. That said, holy sites are poorly provisioned during the off season, unless they're near a settlement superstitious enough to give the kin offerings; and kin are happy to give their lives defending a holy site, so attacking it during the on season would be an absolute slaughter.

And in the northern ribs, around the cities - frankly, you don't need to raid the cities themselves to get a piece of the dragonkin pie. Kin are primarily carnivores and carrion-eaters, plus a little bit of farming and a little bit of cannibalism. Over the milennia they've tamed the mountain oxen that live around their cities as wolves tamed the American bison - they don't startle or scare at the dragonkin, even when they're in their midst, largely because the kin go for the dead ones first, then the sick and dying; and the kin will treat injuries among the herds as well, to the best of their ability. Mountain oxen [i:1335gp0s]will[/i:1335gp0s] startle, scare, and defend themselves against hunters of other races - think a cross between a muskox and a bighorn sheep with the temperament of a longhorn - but they're huntable, and the kin do have a big problem with barbarians raiding &quot;their&quot; herds. Ursidaen around the dragonkin cities wouldn't have to hibernate, and would be much better off not, since the kin take a proactive approach to the pests they find infesting the herds. (Kill it with fire.
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I would be more than happy to work on a project about Capport with you. I like the idea of three cities merging (gives it a kind of Budapest or Anhk-Morpok feel), but, as you say, there is little surrounding land. This creates little room for three cities, so why not have a kind of Rome thing going on-three hills dominate the city. Between the hills are pretty marshy (near the sea and on low ground), so three towns grow up on the hills. As Capport becomes rich, it drains the marshes and builds homes in the valleys. However, the valley towns are still pretty damp, so the poor are placed here and the rich take the high ground. Was that the lines you were going along with the three cities idea?

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I might ask a broader question: what's marriage like in Adylheim anyway?

Is there a contract, real or assumed? Is it traditional common-law, live with somebody for X amount of time while claiming they're your husband or wife? Is it along the line of marriage in Britain's American colonies, where a couple will have a trial marriage, and if there's no conception in Y amount of time the marriage is dissolved no-fault? How big of problems are adultery and pre-nuptual sex? What is there in the way of contraception? How does society look at all these female PCs running around without any chilluns?

Here's a quick stab at speculation about these things! PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS ALL SPECULATION kthx.

Obviously marriage is going to be very different between peasants and between nobility. I imagine marriage ceremonies are presided over by priests of Akar to improve fertility. I also imagine that for peasants, a ceremony would be nice, but ultimately not necessary - especially if the woman's already pregnant. I don't expect there'd be much to-do about people having sex before marriage unless one of the parties was already married. If that party was the woman I'm sure her husband would be mighty pissed off; if the party was the man he'd probably face some social consequences if she got pregnant, but otherwise nobody would really care (except possibly wifey and her family). The exception would be, again, in the case of nobility. Nobles marry for alliance, so if a nobleman cheated he'd probably get bitch-slapped by the wife's family if they found out. The woman could possibly have [i:1tdebm91]fewer[/i:1tdebm91] consequences if she was noble, as a marriage was about alliance and her husband might not be willing to sacrifice the alliance just because she was unfaithful.

Because the only marriage-related god there is as-far-as-we-know is Akar, I expect fooling around on the side on the part of the husband wouldn't be too looked down-upon, at least among lower-class families. It probably wouldn't be from a religious perspective for women either, but I doubt guys would take the possible impregnation of their wives very well. Akar's marriage to Maia could provide some justification or at least an example of what's socially accepted.

In terms of divorce? The average person I can't see having much of a problem with it. The easiest way would just be to skip town; if you left the mother of your children the townsfolk might have a problem with it, but it's not like we have a god of honor or of keeping promises <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P -->. Since nobles marry for alliance the priests of Therium might have a problem with not following honor in "battle", and the families of the two parties would probably get super pissed at each other, but even monogamy isn't enforced by law or religion, only exists as part of tradition and because men and women are of roughly equal social status - much less marriage.

Considering that Akar isn't really a &quot;marriage god&quot; per se, is it possible that couples may just as well be married in the style of some other particular god they fancy? To cite an obvious example, there are cities in Arameia such as Capport where Elron is pretty big; does that mean you can grab a priest out of your local bank and he's just as good for officiating a marriage rite as a priest of Akar? Granted, it might be considered bad form to hold a big ceremony saturated in Elronite rituals right under the nose of the Luxorite clergy in Aram, but since even Arameia is polytheistic, wouldn't it then be possible that the clergies of [i:2or4umi6]most[/i:2or4umi6] gods have their own marriage rites and in many locations, some subset of those would be acceptable?

If true, this might alter how the actual marriage is conducted; for example, it might be considered reasonable and necessary to have a written marriage contract in an Elronite-influenced marriage whereas in some circumstances it wouldn't be considered necessary, or even rude, etc.

Possibly a way to add more life and variety to the polytheistic scene in general.

Aaaaaanyway, there's not so much one general rule of how marriage works in Adylheim as there are several, I would think. The rules in Nerin and Starkwater might be wildly different. With that said, there's no one who has a monopoly on marriages, so all you'd probably need is a few witnesses and the approval of members of your family. So contract? Assumed, most likely. I mean, if a man treated his wife like she was a slave and that really wasn't the norm, people would object, of course.

I can see, for instance, marriages done by Akarite priests working along the conception line though. Adultery and pre-nuptual sex? Eh, both will always exist. Keep in mind, I'm mainly just rattling off things off the top of my head, I'm not looking at any kind of rule book here that says &quot;this is the way it has to be <!-- s:x --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_mad.gif" alt=":x" title="Mad" /><!-- s:x --> <!-- s:x --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_mad.gif" alt=":x" title="Mad" /><!-- s:x --> <!-- s:x --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_mad.gif" alt=":x" title="Mad" /><!-- s:x --> &quot; Akar's not really a marriage type god, more of a fertility god, really.

Yus, noble families are a lot about alliances, so if the marriage turns sour or the husband or wife starts looking to be a little on shaky ground then it's entirely possible for them to pull out.

And contraceptives? Hurm. I believe sheep intestines were used, probably herbal people can produce Day After type teas, pills and things.
Edited by Mokley, Mar 13 2013, 01:45 AM.
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Okay, just a compilation of things that are in my head for later use in various contexts. Maradin are vaguely Moorish in their naming practises, but also have names like Native Americans at birth, they choose their own names later. Ursidaen have some celtish influences in their society, with a penchant for blue whorls tattooed on their bodies. Lots of animals skins for clothing, that kind of thing. Worship spirits of places rather than gods, because they feel the gods are too busy to bother with them, places which appear strange or out of the ordinary are likely to be targets of worship. Elves are more akin to some native american cultures, with a largely nomadic society. Fun fact, nomadic societies spend less time gathering food and essentials than agrarian ones. Dragonkin live in their temple cities, they're a very monastic and austere race. Since they're dragon worshippers, they do not use Mantra. Threakians are a combination of Vikings and trophy wives. They're very into honour, one of the primary ways of retaining which is through observing codes of conduct and the like. Ogres actually have more animalistic tribal style than the others. Their behaviour is based off various animal species, including meerkats.
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bring me the muffins!
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