Norn
The Root Elves, The Dusk Elves
The middle aged man at the gate cleared his throat. His name was Andur and he was a representative of House Beogard of Volda, the house whose "turn" it was this year. They had tried for a different solution, but in the end it had proven too... embarassing for the function of the Grand Marshal. So, in order to protect the charge, a new solution had to be found. He had been standing there for several hours, "waiting" for "his" moment. At the opposite side of the gate stood loremaster Gormund, the grand marshal and thus also the master of ceremonies and, at least for this evening, his direct superior. He had announced all those barons and dukes, their sons and daughter, spouses and whatnot of the families of Caldaven, while Andur waited patiently, actually preferring it to be over already instead of being at the butt this painfully long joke . Then a young messenger arrived and handed a scroll over to Gormund, who unfolded it. His lips formed a line, just like they do when you really want to laugh, but have to supress it, out of "respect" for those who are present. They still formed a line as he handed over the scroll to Andur with an expression of "Oh boy... you are so fucked..." written all over his face. Then he signalled the fanfare. Andur cleared his throat... and began. ... ... ... ... Minutes later: "Ka...AAAH Vhach.... Okay Again..." The elven emissary next to him, leader of a rather large group of those who Andur in his head already called "pointy eared bastard elven bastards...", very well aware that he was repeating himself in his own mind, leant over and whispered: "It is Karatak, and i believe he is further down the list..." smiling as he said that. Humans had gathered around them, all with a, spoken from Andurs perspective, stupid smile on their faces, waiting for Andur to "finish". The elves were smiling too. Because it always took so long, they had gotten their drinks already, and sipped on them, while Andurs throat was sore from pronouncing their full alien, tonguetwister names, as well as from having to talk constantly without being allowed a drink, until his voice would falter, and the Grand Marshal would end the "show" with the words "Ladies and Lords, i present to you... the elves". It was degrading. But Andur had pulled the shortest straw. Every year the same show. If the elves would at least send the same people every year, then the Grand Marshal could have memorized their names, recite them almost mechanically, as he did with all the other guests, and be over with it. But they never did. As if they would decide for new representatives every year, with criterias unknown to anyone but them. Somewhat like having a meeting a few weeks before the gala, where the chieftain-in-chief announced "Hey... The humans are having their annual party and we are invited again... who wants to go this time". Telling the grand marshal of this suspicion, he had nodded and answered: "Well.. that's not too far from the truth actually" with a pityful smile, and a gaze that said "Gosh, I am SO glad that i don't have to do this anymore...". However, after 15 minutes of constantly trying to go through the list without failure, Andur wasn't sure about his suspicion anymore. They additionally filtered elves, whose names would prove too easy for the human bastards. He was sure about it.
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
Norn female names always contain a K consonant and a vocal A.
Sometimes, to enhance the name, the parents also extend it by one, or maximally up to two, additional adjectives or comparisons (-ra,-re,-ri,-ma,-me,-mi). In case the name root does not contain A or K, the missing letter is added in the extension, where the female forms are: -ra, -rak , -rae, -rea, -ria, -reka, -rika). Norn female names almost never contain a vocal U.
The full female name is the given name, followed by ka-rul ( daughter of ) and then the name of the father or mother (see: Family names).
Example Names:
Ae(-rak, -rika), Ama(-rak, -rika) , Akka(-ma, -ra,-re), Aku(-ra, ri, -ma, -me), Anka(-ma,-me,-ra,-re) , Anke(-ra,-re,-ma), Aska(-ra,-re), Aske (-ra,-re), Eska(-ra,-re), Kara(-ma,-me,-mi) , Kata(-ma,-me,-ra,-re,-ri), Kama(-ra, re, -ri), Kamma(-re, -ri), Ko(-ra,-rae,-rika), Korra (-ma,-me), O(-rak, -rika),Taska(-ra, -ma), Iska(-ra,-ri), Rakka(-ra, -re, -ri).Full female name examples:
Korika, daughter of Tonrak (father), of the Atukan people (tribe): Korika ka-rul Tonrak Atukan uru or tonguetwisters like: Rakkari, daughter of Katari (mother), of the Karutak people (tribe): Rakkari ka-rul Katari Karutak uru Or in case of queen Amarak, ruler of Cun Moragh Norn: Amarak, daughter of Turok (father), of the people of Cun Moragh Norn : Amarak ka-rul Turok Cun Moragh Norn uruMasculine names
Just like norn female names, Norn male names have to contain a K somewhere, yet usually it is found at the end, giving norn male names a somewhat harder sound. The mandatory vocal A in female names may be replaced by the vocal O or E. Norn male names only (if ever) have one extension at most.
Common male name Extensions are: -rak, -tak, -rik, -tik, -rek, -tek, -rok, -tok, -roak, (speak: row-ak), -toak (speak: tow-ak) -roka, -toka, -ruk, -tuk, - ruak (speak: roo-ak), -tuak (speak: too-ak), -ruka and -tuka.
The full male name is the given name, followed by ko-rul ( son of ) and then the name of the father or mother (see: Family names).
Example Names:
Akko, Annak, An (-rak, -rek, -rok, -raak, -roak, -ruak), Cua(-rak, -rok), Hanak, Hardak, Haro (-tak), Ka(-rok, -ruk, -tak, -tok, -roak), Ma(-rok, -ruk, -tak, -tok, -roak) , Ronka, Razak, Roa(-tak, -tok, -rak, -rok), Ro(k)ka, Takk,Tark,Tarek, Tonrak, Torrak, Tarrok, RotakFull male name examples:
Roatak, son of Karika (mother), of the Atukan people (tribe): Roatak ko-rul Karika Atukan uru Koruak son of Karuk (father), of the Karutak people (tribe): Koruak ko-rul Karuk Karutak uruFamily names
Norn names, the traditional ones, are threefold,just like Sitha names. There is no concept of family names as in many human civilizations, where human citizens are named according to the day jobs they perform, the day jobs their ancestors once performed, or other features.
Norn are named according to a trait wished upon them by their parents, then followed by ko-rul ( son of ) or ka-rul ( daughter of ) and then the first name of the respective father or mother. There is no preference about which parent is chosen, so Norn actually have two full names, by which they can be addressed, leaving it up to the one addressing them to chose.
When formally addressed, the construct is always followed by the name of the tribe and then -uru, which in the language of the norn means tribe, or people.
Other names
Player Note:
The Norn naming tradition is by far not adhered by all Norn. It is quite similar to the naming tradition of the Sitha, and most likely a relic from the time when both kin of elves were closer still.
Among both groups one can still find similar names even, yet the Sitha have another K-sound which for humans is hard to distinguish or pronounce and which is best approximated with a q. Some Norn, especially those still living in the The Eternal Forests might still use it.
Furthermore norn parents have gotten a bit more adventurous in their naming patterns nowadays which led to a greater variety of names especially in places further removed from the Norn empire. One will still not find a Silidrion or a Silverwing among the Norn (that would be Eadun Names) and the familiy relation is still kept in the name usually, but these names are sounding a lot less hard.
If you thus, as a player, don't have a fondness for the hard, very primal sounding names of the Norn, you can of course find another one that suits you better.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Major language Groups:
Common Norn: also simply called Norn is spoken by Norn elves in the realm of Cun Moragh Norn, Caldaven, and all regions east of the Inner Sea. Norn who speak Common Norn sometime speak Onari still, but in the east of the The Inner Sea Norn has replaced Onari as the common elven tongue. Norn of the east refer to their own language as Elvish and to Onari as Onari. Elder Norn: spoken mainly by Norn of The Eternal Forests and the The Evergreen Peninsula ,yet also in regions south of of the Inner Sea (the Cityleague of Eridu and Orom), but also, in another variant, in Culmeria, Aesgard and Oskraja. Quite similar to Onari, so much so that many elves consider it a dialect, even though those who speak it disagree. Related to Sandsprek which is spoken by the Eadun in the The Sea of Sand Western Norn spoken mainly by Norn of the Wolven forests, or in regions west of the Dragon Stones and the Hammer of Ice, yet not on the Evergreen Peninsula, where the Norn still speak a version of Elder Norn or Onari . Norn who speak Western Norn often still speak Onari but call it "the old tongue".Culture and cultural heritage
Norn are diverse people, and thus their social structure also differs. The norn that still live in the lower levels of the The Eternal Forests differ from those norn, who settled in places where Onauru Trees have become exceedingly rare. Then there are the Norn of Cun Moragh Norn, the Norn Empire in the east, which in parts resembles a human empire more, despite centuries of successful defense against the human influence. The cultural background and lifestyle of a norn is determined by all these factors and, where appliccable, even a mixture of all.
Living on a Worldtree outside of the world tree jungles
Not many world trees have prevailed outside of the Eternal Forests or the Evergreen Peninsula , but those who have are mostly in the hand of Norn elf tribes now. Once barred from the top level by the Sitha, the norn now take pride in dwelling exactly there, and leaving the lower levels to their prisoners in the Tarn Caste. Nowadays World Trees outside of the world tree jungles almost always stand alone, with the exception of a small world tree forest which is part of the Norn Forest near Carcosa. And although the broad crown of a worldtree does of course cast some shadow, due to the sheer size of such a tree, the lower parts of a singular worldtree can be reached by sunlight. Compared to the world trees of the Eternal Forests, there is hence much less hostile Fauna (or meat eating flora) on these world trees compared to the trees in the Eternal Forests. The "mid levels" of these trees hence pose a threat mostly only to the Tarn caste members living there, where an already dangerous height mixes with an inability to climb like elves do (provided they were not taken from a hostile elf clan originally).
To the Norn the tree however provides safety, simply by its humonguous height compared to everything nearby and by the inherent hardness and stability of the Ironwood of which it's lower levels are made. The ironwood makes it practically impossible to cut or burn the tree down from below, turning any world tree into a natural and almost insurmountable fortress for elves.
This for example made the decision of the Eadun King Conn Benn Calad, to return the Umtyaheluk (a tree which literally grows in walking distance to the City of Amn) back to its norn owners as a pledge of goodwill, a matter of great discontent among the humans of the City of Amn. That only a majority of the numerous Norn in Amn can live on the still young tree of only 400 meter height, while the remaining continue to live inside the elven district in the poorer north of the city, and thus beneath the shadow of the tree like norn of old, did not help the case. Today a good portion of political capital goes to holding the status quo and some peace in the city to honor the peace treaty with the Norn Empire.
Many Norn who live on World trees, or at least close enough to know one, have held onto the myth that once all of Ardu was covered by them. Any norn wishing to rouse his brethren to action against humans or other races uses it, usually paired with the promise that these times could return, if just the other races, with notable exception of the gelf, were gone.
Norn tribes which inhabit World trees usually have less need of steel and other materials, hence blacksmithes and stone masons are more rare, and usually have migrated here from other tribes. Instead many artisans are trained in at least some elvish magic of woodforming, which allows them to pull living ironwood from the tree, and form it into the respective forms necessary for their craft. Norn living on this kind of World trees often have access to other civilized products though, depending on their local political situation mostly by trade, raids or their own production located around the respective tree.
More often than not, especially with big tribes, not all parts of a tribe can live on a world tree (as is the case for example in Amn). Furthermore, other world trees onto which the tribe could extend, as would be the case in the Eternal Forests, just don't exist. In this case a social order is inevitable, and small elven villages form at the base of such trees. Because access to a world tree tends to attract elvish (or at least norn) migration, most of the world trees outside of the World Tree jungles, have this population problem.
At first it is the Tarn, to most of whom the World tree is a dangerous environment anyhow, which are "put to the floor". Hence a central part of that village is usually a "prison camp", in which members of the Croh Caste serve as guards. But, if there is enough space on the tree still, these guards live further up. In Amn this is not the case by the way, as part of the peace treaty between the Empire and Caldaven prohibits them to keep prisoners on caldavian ground. Just so Norn of "Lower standing" can also experience the life on the tree, communal centers and places of gathering are usually located further up a tree.
On the rare insular world trees, where the norn have enough space to keep the Tarn "at height", the norn instead refer to the indifference of their goddess Kaaeya towards the struggles of her creations, and her implicit wish that all life should prevail on it's own, to argue, that everyone is supposed to live on the tree. Non elf members of their Tarn caste hence better learn to climb well, if they don't want to drop to their death. The norn of these trees leave it at that.
Living on Worldtrees in the Eternal Forests or on the Evergreen Peninsula
Some elven wisdomkeepers in the cities of Cun Moragh Norn, the empire which claims to represent all norn on Ardu, use the Norn Rebellion as a basis of definition. To them, any Norn living as a lower class among Sitha anywhere is also Norn, and just "has to be freed". The respective elf inside the Eternal Forests however may not even consider himself a Norn, but rather a Sitha elf, who just happens to be part of the Norn caste of his Sitha tribe.
Then there are those Norn in the Eternal forests who did rebel, but never left the forests, as to them the connection to their worldtree was more important. They for sure would consider themselves a tribe, maybe even name themselves Norn, but surely won't accept that Norn elves of a distant country they never even heard of dictate what they are and what not. Norn tribes living in the worldtree jungles of the south might also still believe in a benevolent Kaaeya, instead of the indifferent one prevalent in the Norn empire.
If there was a sucessful rebellion however, the lifestyle of the Norn depends on the degree of it's success of course: Are they still relegated to the lower levels? Or have they managed to push their "Sitha ruling class" out and now rule over the whole Onauru Tree?
Elves in the eternal forests use Ironwood instead of steel and barely use any materials not found on the tree or harvested from the animals that inhabit it. Where there is access to stone, like on the trees growing close to the mountains, it may be in use as jewelry. (or as a legendstone, if the tribe does not happen to own one of these from the time of the ancients still).
Most Norn artisans and architects thus are woodcrafters who practise their art with druidic spells taught from generation to generation. Norn tribes living close to the border of the world tree jungles and thus to settlements of humans or lizardmen, may have access to steel and other metals too, which they use mainly for embellishments and jewelry, even though they often lack the expertise to form it. Instead they trade it for Ironwood (or tools made of it) and other things harvested from "their" world trees.
Norn cities distinguish themselves from Eadun cities, like for example those in the Silverwood, by an, for elven, more practical design and less unnecessary embellishments. The organic elements are worked into the architecture as a natural part. Also Wood is a lot more prevalent, and usually harvested from the nearby forest, as norn does not share the same taboo in regard to cutting wood if it comes to "normal" trees. But because the forest is so important to them a strict reafforestation politic is almost always in place.
Some Norn tribes who happen to live in these kinds of villages and who are not in any way connected with other elven tribes which happen to know about World trees, like for example in the Norn Empire, have forgotten entirely how big these trees can get or that World trees still exist. These tribes consider them a myth of old. Western Norn of the Wolven forests for example mistake the large Sequoia Trees found there for worldtrees.
Norn in Norn cities (which often harbor more than just one Tribe) have mastered the craft of smithing and tailoring, but also farming, even though they yet fall behind human or eadun capabilities in this regard. Because of the importance of well kept streets, the art of stonemasonry is usually well developed. The aptness of norn in hunting and fishing rivals that of the wolven, hence they usually can make good use of an arboreal environment or nearby bodies of water. Wlven ground settlements are hence usually located in or close to forests, and located at lakes or rivers, which also become part of the overall architecture.
Not all Norn are lucky enough to live in a place under the control of Norn. Sometimes humans have invaded their territory. If the norn haven't been taken as slaves entirely, as it happens with other races usually, they become a new lower class in these human areas, as neither do the "cabbage-ears" trust them nor do they trust the humans. This is also the important distinction to the Eadun, which are elves that have decided to integrate in the human society, and which can reach quite high social standing amongst them.
The places these norn live in are often comparable to slums on stilts, as even here the norn desire their homes to be elevated from the ground. Paltry as it is, to a norn this way of living is "always an intermediary solution", albeit one which, it it prevails over time, can blur the lines between Eadun and Norn. This is something which the Norn are acutely aware of, and nothing will rouse the spirits of such a slum norn quicker than being called an eadun elf. As norn children, just like human ones, tend to more easily adapt and also accept their immediate environment, norn in human cities over time do "turn into eadun" though, which is a never ending source of conflict in norn families forced to live among humans.
Apart from the Silverwood, which the humans of Haven gave the Eadun as a fiefdom, the Norn Empire is the region inhabited by the "most civilized" pure elf society, at least in terms which humans respect, and also in some terms in which it even exceeds them.
The norn of the empire strongly follow the belief into Kaaeya as the indifferent worldmother, which at the same time serves as an alternative draft to the benevolent but partial worldmother in which the Sitha believe, as well as the meedlesome Creator worshipped by the Church of the Creator, which the Norn deeply despise due to it's "meddlesomeness" in worldly matters.
Norn who happen to live close to Sitha tribes, but not as part of their structure, have usually kept the caste structure, yet found another name for the "servant" caste, with Tarn being used mostly in the norn empire and around
Most far removed from the structure presented here are surely those tribes which speak Western Norn. Among them, other structures and also other religious ideas have emerged, which are too numerous to count and certainly to describe here.
Be it as it may, this chapter still gives a pretty valid picture of the structure of most norn tribes that live east of the Inner Sea and still a good number of tribes which live north, south and west of it.
The Caytan must speak justice and also create law in council with the four representatives sent by the four castes: the First Hunter, the Master Artisan, the Shaman and the Wisdomkeeper. It is also up to the Caytan to make decisions which affect the whole tribe. Should the Caytan have been a representative of one of the norn castes before being elected, he must abdicate that role.
In Cun Moragh Norn the Caytan of any norn tribe is considered voice and proxy of the ruler who sits on the throne of Carcosa (In the moment Queen Amarak of the Norn). The word Caytan thus, at least in Common Norn, has changed in meaning from "Chosen" to something similar to "Duke".
The affiliation of a norn with a caste is not hereditary, no norn is born into a caste. Instead he is taken in by one of the four upper castes after the coming of age ritual, if they accepted him as an aspirant beforehand. To this end, upcoming to the coming of Age ritual, a norn attempts to affiliate with a desired caste, and he must then succeed in a feat which proves his aptitude in the castes desired traits. Only when one of the four castes has accepted him as an aspirant, will he be allowed to partake in the coming of age ritual, and taken in as a full member of the caste afterwards. An exception here are the Croh, who sometimes combine both rites by demanding that the adolescent norn brings a slain beast of the underdark as a token of aptitude.
As there is no difference in social standing among the four "upper" castes, their members see no need to display their membership by any visible features. Members of the Tarn caste however are marked with semi-permanent markings of the tribe upon their skin, which show that they are part of the tribe. Once these prisoners have proven useful, apt and trustworthy enough to be taken in by any of the upper castes, and fulfilled the Coming of Age rite, the markings will be removed in a ceremonious ritual and the former tarn will be accepted as "full member" of that caste." This gives any prisoner, even humans and other non elves, the chance to work themselves out of their state of servitude, even though it happens rarely that they succeed. Especially the trust part becomes an issue in ths regard.
Croh: The Hunter and Provider Caste
The Hunter Caste is often called the Warrior caste, but this is an oversimplification, as to Norn the word for Warrior and Hunter (Croh) is the same, and actually even means Provider, which the warriors of the Norn are first, before being warriors second. One can thus also find those who harvest and collect among their caste. Due to the hostile environement Norn inhabited in the World tree forests of old (and still do, in the The Eternal Forests or on the Evergreen Peninsula) the act of provisioning is mostly identified with the act of hunting and fighting deadly Fauna, hence: the Hunter Caste. The term Warrior caste wouldn't work for the simple reason that all Norn are expected to fight in confllicts, and even the most peaceful Aloy has a bow and sword at home, preferably one made from Ironwood. Given that Croh certainly have the most experience in this regard though, They often become leaders in case of war. In times of peace they hunt of course, but also perfom guard duty and police the tribes territory.
The first Hunter, first among the Croh and speaker in the council with the Caytan, is decided by election amongst all Croh older than 20 summers. He holds this rank until the Croh find a reason to good enough to hold another election. If a Croh deems it necesary to replace the Current First hunter, he can challenge him to a martial, physical and hunting challenge. After this challenge it is tradition to repeat the election. It is a human misconception however, that a won challenge will guarantee the winner the seat of the first hunter however. It is a good start, and it surely might influence the result of the following election, but the election is based on the trust a Croh puts into a candidate to speak in his interest. A current First Hunter, if in good standing and respected by the remaining Croh, can of course reject a challenge without risking to lose the election which inevitably follows. If this respect among the Croh of the tribe has waned though, it might be advisable for him (or her) to better accept and win it.
The word Croh in Elder Norn and Onari has a meaning more akin to that of a farmer, shepherd or herder. This is likely due to the Sitha dominance in times of old, and their better access to ressources in the top layers of the world trees. Onari however has a word for warrior or fighter, and it is... indicative enough... Norn. Hence the Sitha proverb "The root (norn) defends, the leaf (sith) harvests"
Yor: The Artisan, Craftsman and Architect Caste
Members of the Yor Caste, which consists of all kinds of craftsmen, artisans, builders and architects, are the ones who will most likely accept a former tarn into their ranks, in order to learn from him. Depending on the ressources which are available one can find among them smiths or woodforming druids, stonemasons, leatherworkers or woodcrafters. Many a norn of this caste also shares knowledge in a few nature spells, either to shape the living wood or control the elements. To accept an aspirant norn, the Yor demand of him to build a home (either build or form it it from the living wood) or create a weapon, jewelry or piece of art of a certain quality.
Members of the Yor caste are usually more intersted in their ongoing projects rather than tribal politics, hence the Speaker in council with the Caytan, the so called Master Artisan, is chosen from among a few volunteers who agree to give up some time for this matter. A new Master Artisan is chosen when the last one abdicates, which usually happens after a few years, when the old one desires to return to his own projects.
Aloy: The Healer and Mortician Caste
The Healers care for the well being of the tribe and must keep the knowledge about all kinds of herbal drugs and medicine. They are also responsible for harvesting them, which can be a difficult and dangerous matter, hence the athleticism among the Aloy is no joke. Although purely mundane healers are among them, many a norn of the Aloy caste has mastered the arcane discipline of necromancy, meaning the magic which can redirect lifeforce from one place to another. These Aloy are also responsible to hold funerals and take the remaining lifefae from those which have passed away to redirect it to a better use (usually healing).
Aloy accept a rare herb which is difficult to come by, the witnessed healing of a tribemember or feats of necromantic magic as a token to declare a norn a valid aspirant to their caste.
The speaker of the Aloy is called the Shaman, usually a powerful necromancer and spiritseer, although purely mundane shamans have been known. The shaman is elected for life which means, only when the last shaman reaches the age of ailment, or dies prematurely of other causes, a new one will be elected from among the Aloy.
Hala: The Storyteller and Teacher Caste
Also called the Wisdomkeepers, it is the Hala who care for the chronicles and legends of the Tribe. They also often happen to be the ones caring for the Legendstones (if the tribe has one of those). They are oftentimes versed in occult magic resembling the magic of human bards and often employ illusions to support their storytelling. It is to them, to whom the Caytan comes, if he attempts to assess the wisdom of a course of action, and their word even has a bit of extra weight in the council with the Caytan because of this.
The term Wisdomkeeper is also the title of the one sent to the Caytan's council and he is elected by other Hala once every 20th Solstice, so every 10 years, except if something happens to the Wisdomkeeper in the meantime, which would prevent him from fulfilling that role. While the Artisans of the Yor see the role of the speaker more as a necessary duty, to the Hala it is an important role which carries much honor. Hala accept norn as aspirants, if they bring new stories, legends, facts or music as a token of aptitude
Tarn: the Prisoner Caste
Also derogatory called the "Slave" caste by humans, which most norn find unfitting at best.
It is true that the tarn must perform dull and dangerous tasks, which the norn don't want to do themselves, but the word tarn, translated back into human tongue, would be best translated with "someone who pays off his debts", rather than slave. However even compared to human serfs there are some important differences.
First off, the singular norn has only "borrowed" his lifeforce, at least those parts which do not make up his conscient soul (see Religion and Afterlife below), and can thus never be "owned" by anyone. The same holds for the prisoners of the Tarn caste. Because norn of the tribe have paid with their lifeforce to capture the respective prisoners, these are then seen as new parts of the tribe. Thus they can't be "owned" by the singular norn. Instead they, and their workforce, with which they pay back the damage they caused the Norn before being captured, belong to the tribe.
Because Norn believe in personal strength and the indifference of Kaaeya, they wont go easy on the "involuntary newcomers" however and have hence acquired the reputation of being "cruel masters", while in their own understanding they just expect of their prisoners what they would do themselves. Which might be acceptable for other elves, due to their similar physiology, but which for humans and other ancestries can lead to dangerous tasks, for which they are just not cut out, especially in the climbing department.
Any one captured must fulfil the expectations however, and can't hope on Norn showing "mercy" or demanding "less". Even the request is met with disdain and lack of understanding. He may be prisoner, but he is also part of the tribe and has to do his part.
It is possible for a prisoner to leave the tarn caste by the way. If he proves valuable to the norn, be it by deeds or knowledge, and most importantly, also proves to be trustworthy, Norn prisoners can become aspirant to any of the other four castes and join them after performing the coming of Age ritual. It's not any less hard on them though.
The religion of the Norn is a harsh one, circling around the indifference of the creatordeity Kaeeya, the worldmother, towards the daily struggle of the norn. Kaaeya wants her creations to prevail by their own hands and their ability to adapt, an ability thus highly valued among the Norn. Kaaeya is also the Norn word for the Fae, as they believe that this is her body, that she creates all life (as Fae does, for example during Faebirth conception) and that she is created by life just as Fae is.
Because of her indifference Norn either do not pray to Kaaeya at all, as it serves no purpose, or, if they do, are never submissive, because Kaaeya hates that. This marks the major difference to the faith of the Sitha, who see Kaaeya as a much more benevolent goddess, whose will can be influenced by faith and praise. As it also was this faith however, by which the Sitha declared themself chosen, which then again helped to argue the "necessity" to abandon the (non-chosen) norn to the lower levels of the World Trees, norn now reject this interpretation. It is also the reason why Norn think religion should play no role in secular matters.
To the Norn, faith must be clearly separated from "government", turning it into a personal matter at best. The notion that Kaaeya also just doesn't care, that life is a test of aptitude which has to be passed, helps in this regard. Kaaeya would not interact with the world like this.
If unworthy however, the consciousness (aka soul) will remain stuck inside the body. For the respective Norn-elf this would be bad, because the Norn believe, that the personal fae must be returned to the tribe. A few days after passing away, after the soul of the norn had penty of time to pass on into Kaaeya (if it was allowed), his corpse will be drained for the remaining lifeforce, usually by the shaman or other Aloy. This Fae then is returned to the tribe for other tasks, like healing, or helping to grow food etc. Any unworthy soul probably stuck inside still will hence inevitably be destroyed, to create new life or new opportunities for the tribe, effectively ending the norns existence apart from Kaaeya, even if he didn't pass on.
To counter this norn often point out the much more severe transformations eadun elves go through, with barely any of them turning into draugh, but rather human Plaguebeasts but as Eadun are even closer to the humans, the Sitha just take this as confirmation of their theory.
Draugh for Norn represent everything they hate: Duplicity, betrayal, strive for power without regard to cost. Basically everything they hate the in humans, with, admittedly, a very narrow and biased picture of humans. Norn take this "kinship" as proof that the plague came with the humans, and that draugh are nothing else but Norn who were infected with too much "humanity".
As an elf turns into a draugh there is a small fraction of time in which he can decide to leave his kin without causing any further harm. Norn who do this are highly regarded, and their loss is mourned greatly, as it implies a great strength of character to just leave and not come back. Elves who miss this window of opportunity begin to despise their kin, harbor hidden resentments and feel an ever stronger pull towards "the Dark Roads" underneath, a hidden feeling that the "draugh" are right, and that selfishness in face of the threats the elves are exposed to is the only answer. The afflicted future draugh can hide this from the caste and the tribe for a time, but knows that sooner or later he has to go, or be caught by his own brethren and executed, just for the crime of "seeing clearly". This creates even more resentment, until the Norn is a full draugh by all but his skin color.
Prospective draugh, which are able to form wood, and who happen to live on world trees, often form tunnels into the living wood of the tree to reach the underdark and, out of sheer spite and disregard for the culture the draugh once shared, scorch the wood with tainted fae to make sure the tunnels can't be closed anymore. This irrevocably hurts the world tree and opens it to future draugh invasions from the underdark, which is why norn try to recognize prospective draugh in their midst as soon as possible.
World Tree elf tribes then establish footholds in the Underdark, bridgeheads to hold off draugh. Most of these bridgeheads are manned with experienced warriors from the Croh caste, and can grow to the size of small subterranean forts and villages even.
Norn hold no grudge against the elves which went to the dark roads, it was not their fault, but treat them as having died and having been replaced by something else. They do not consider draugh as elves like humans do, just like humans don't consider plaguebeasts still as human.
Norn Lifestyle
Living on a World Tree
"Andulak is ours, has been and will always be... we earned it, we took it, and it will be ours forever..." ...the young norn warrior woman groaned. She was bound to a chair, arms behind her back, so at least these cabbage ears were able to learn from their mistakes. She spat out, onto the floor, barely missing the boots she had been aming for. Her spit was red. First she frowned slightly upon this. then she laughed.
"...You will never get past us further east, and don't think i fall for your displays of strength and violence... you are not my type."
Living on a Worldtree outside of the world tree jungles
Not many world trees have prevailed outside of the Eternal Forests or the Evergreen Peninsula , but those who have are mostly in the hand of Norn elf tribes now. Once barred from the top level by the Sitha, the norn now take pride in dwelling exactly there, and leaving the lower levels to their prisoners in the Tarn Caste. Nowadays World Trees outside of the world tree jungles almost always stand alone, with the exception of a small world tree forest which is part of the Norn Forest near Carcosa. And although the broad crown of a worldtree does of course cast some shadow, due to the sheer size of such a tree, the lower parts of a singular worldtree can be reached by sunlight. Compared to the world trees of the Eternal Forests, there is hence much less hostile Fauna (or meat eating flora) on these world trees compared to the trees in the Eternal Forests. The "mid levels" of these trees hence pose a threat mostly only to the Tarn caste members living there, where an already dangerous height mixes with an inability to climb like elves do (provided they were not taken from a hostile elf clan originally).
To the Norn the tree however provides safety, simply by its humonguous height compared to everything nearby and by the inherent hardness and stability of the Ironwood of which it's lower levels are made. The ironwood makes it practically impossible to cut or burn the tree down from below, turning any world tree into a natural and almost insurmountable fortress for elves.
This for example made the decision of the Eadun King Conn Benn Calad, to return the Umtyaheluk (a tree which literally grows in walking distance to the City of Amn) back to its norn owners as a pledge of goodwill, a matter of great discontent among the humans of the City of Amn. That only a majority of the numerous Norn in Amn can live on the still young tree of only 400 meter height, while the remaining continue to live inside the elven district in the poorer north of the city, and thus beneath the shadow of the tree like norn of old, did not help the case. Today a good portion of political capital goes to holding the status quo and some peace in the city to honor the peace treaty with the Norn Empire.
Many Norn who live on World trees, or at least close enough to know one, have held onto the myth that once all of Ardu was covered by them. Any norn wishing to rouse his brethren to action against humans or other races uses it, usually paired with the promise that these times could return, if just the other races, with notable exception of the gelf, were gone.
Norn tribes which inhabit World trees usually have less need of steel and other materials, hence blacksmithes and stone masons are more rare, and usually have migrated here from other tribes. Instead many artisans are trained in at least some elvish magic of woodforming, which allows them to pull living ironwood from the tree, and form it into the respective forms necessary for their craft. Norn living on this kind of World trees often have access to other civilized products though, depending on their local political situation mostly by trade, raids or their own production located around the respective tree.
More often than not, especially with big tribes, not all parts of a tribe can live on a world tree (as is the case for example in Amn). Furthermore, other world trees onto which the tribe could extend, as would be the case in the Eternal Forests, just don't exist. In this case a social order is inevitable, and small elven villages form at the base of such trees. Because access to a world tree tends to attract elvish (or at least norn) migration, most of the world trees outside of the World Tree jungles, have this population problem.
At first it is the Tarn, to most of whom the World tree is a dangerous environment anyhow, which are "put to the floor". Hence a central part of that village is usually a "prison camp", in which members of the Croh Caste serve as guards. But, if there is enough space on the tree still, these guards live further up. In Amn this is not the case by the way, as part of the peace treaty between the Empire and Caldaven prohibits them to keep prisoners on caldavian ground. Just so Norn of "Lower standing" can also experience the life on the tree, communal centers and places of gathering are usually located further up a tree.
On the rare insular world trees, where the norn have enough space to keep the Tarn "at height", the norn instead refer to the indifference of their goddess Kaaeya towards the struggles of her creations, and her implicit wish that all life should prevail on it's own, to argue, that everyone is supposed to live on the tree. Non elf members of their Tarn caste hence better learn to climb well, if they don't want to drop to their death. The norn of these trees leave it at that.
Living on Worldtrees in the Eternal Forests or on the Evergreen Peninsula
"Okay... just to get this straight... you are a norn?"There is a controversy among norn about what a norn even is in the Eternal Forests (or on the Evergreen Peninsula). This is because humans do not go into these forests often, or at least not very deep, for these forests are dangerous, even for elves, and much more so for anyone who is not as well versed in climbing. The classical human definition (A norn is an elf who opposes the human claim on Ardu) cedes to make sense under these circumstances.
"i am a Norn-uru... but yes..."
"...and... you fight the Sitha on Umalaq"
"We have peace with the Sitha-uru... but it is brittle"
"...and this is Ooliqua, who is also a Norn
"No.. she is a Sitha-uru of Inquoyac!"
"Uhm... Why does she live down here on the lower levels?"
"...Well she is a Sitha-uru Norn of course... not a Norn-uru"
"Whuuuu...."
Some elven wisdomkeepers in the cities of Cun Moragh Norn, the empire which claims to represent all norn on Ardu, use the Norn Rebellion as a basis of definition. To them, any Norn living as a lower class among Sitha anywhere is also Norn, and just "has to be freed". The respective elf inside the Eternal Forests however may not even consider himself a Norn, but rather a Sitha elf, who just happens to be part of the Norn caste of his Sitha tribe.
Then there are those Norn in the Eternal forests who did rebel, but never left the forests, as to them the connection to their worldtree was more important. They for sure would consider themselves a tribe, maybe even name themselves Norn, but surely won't accept that Norn elves of a distant country they never even heard of dictate what they are and what not. Norn tribes living in the worldtree jungles of the south might also still believe in a benevolent Kaaeya, instead of the indifferent one prevalent in the Norn empire.
If there was a sucessful rebellion however, the lifestyle of the Norn depends on the degree of it's success of course: Are they still relegated to the lower levels? Or have they managed to push their "Sitha ruling class" out and now rule over the whole Onauru Tree?
Elves in the eternal forests use Ironwood instead of steel and barely use any materials not found on the tree or harvested from the animals that inhabit it. Where there is access to stone, like on the trees growing close to the mountains, it may be in use as jewelry. (or as a legendstone, if the tribe does not happen to own one of these from the time of the ancients still).
Most Norn artisans and architects thus are woodcrafters who practise their art with druidic spells taught from generation to generation. Norn tribes living close to the border of the world tree jungles and thus to settlements of humans or lizardmen, may have access to steel and other metals too, which they use mainly for embellishments and jewelry, even though they often lack the expertise to form it. Instead they trade it for Ironwood (or tools made of it) and other things harvested from "their" world trees.
Living in forts, villages and cities
Not all Norn live close to a world tree, in fact, outside of the World tree jungles, most don't. Instead these norn live in cities or villages which often, in large parts, resemble human settlements, except in the architecture and in some places of tribal gathering. Norn cities usually look more grown and organic than human settlements and owe this in large parts to the fact that the norn of these places have kept their art of woodforming. And although norn houses can be replicated by humans, and sometimes are, the seams and ridges in places where the elves wouldn't have them usually gives it away. Because of the elven aversion against walking on natural ground, the houses in norn villages and cities are usually built on stilts and connected with bridges. Wherever it is necessary to have a street on the ground it is usually well worked stonework or covered with wooden planks. Furthermore cities are designed in a way, that any part reachable on foot can also be reached via climbing, with a lot of clmibing aids mounted everywhere.Norn cities distinguish themselves from Eadun cities, like for example those in the Silverwood, by an, for elven, more practical design and less unnecessary embellishments. The organic elements are worked into the architecture as a natural part. Also Wood is a lot more prevalent, and usually harvested from the nearby forest, as norn does not share the same taboo in regard to cutting wood if it comes to "normal" trees. But because the forest is so important to them a strict reafforestation politic is almost always in place.
Some Norn tribes who happen to live in these kinds of villages and who are not in any way connected with other elven tribes which happen to know about World trees, like for example in the Norn Empire, have forgotten entirely how big these trees can get or that World trees still exist. These tribes consider them a myth of old. Western Norn of the Wolven forests for example mistake the large Sequoia Trees found there for worldtrees.
Norn in Norn cities (which often harbor more than just one Tribe) have mastered the craft of smithing and tailoring, but also farming, even though they yet fall behind human or eadun capabilities in this regard. Because of the importance of well kept streets, the art of stonemasonry is usually well developed. The aptness of norn in hunting and fishing rivals that of the wolven, hence they usually can make good use of an arboreal environment or nearby bodies of water. Wlven ground settlements are hence usually located in or close to forests, and located at lakes or rivers, which also become part of the overall architecture.
Living among Humans
"We have lived here since 15 years. Nothing changes. Then what is the difference between us and the Eadun?"
The difference is, we do not accept it...
Not all Norn are lucky enough to live in a place under the control of Norn. Sometimes humans have invaded their territory. If the norn haven't been taken as slaves entirely, as it happens with other races usually, they become a new lower class in these human areas, as neither do the "cabbage-ears" trust them nor do they trust the humans. This is also the important distinction to the Eadun, which are elves that have decided to integrate in the human society, and which can reach quite high social standing amongst them.
The places these norn live in are often comparable to slums on stilts, as even here the norn desire their homes to be elevated from the ground. Paltry as it is, to a norn this way of living is "always an intermediary solution", albeit one which, it it prevails over time, can blur the lines between Eadun and Norn. This is something which the Norn are acutely aware of, and nothing will rouse the spirits of such a slum norn quicker than being called an eadun elf. As norn children, just like human ones, tend to more easily adapt and also accept their immediate environment, norn in human cities over time do "turn into eadun" though, which is a never ending source of conflict in norn families forced to live among humans.
Living in the Norn Empire
The norn empire covers a huge area. It holds world trees, oftentimes surrounded by norn cities, but also norn cities which stand on their own. It is a place where all lifestyles above, except the one under human rule, mix. And despite the normative nature of living under one governemnt, the norn of the empire have split into local communities each with their own oddities and sometimes dialect. The biggest norn cities are located here, oftentimes home to more than one elf tribe. They are connected with very long stone roads which are well built and broad, to respect the elvish habit to stay off soft ground wherever possible.Apart from the Silverwood, which the humans of Haven gave the Eadun as a fiefdom, the Norn Empire is the region inhabited by the "most civilized" pure elf society, at least in terms which humans respect, and also in some terms in which it even exceeds them.
The norn of the empire strongly follow the belief into Kaaeya as the indifferent worldmother, which at the same time serves as an alternative draft to the benevolent but partial worldmother in which the Sitha believe, as well as the meedlesome Creator worshipped by the Church of the Creator, which the Norn deeply despise due to it's "meddlesomeness" in worldly matters.
Tribal Structure of imperial Norn and (many) Norn tribes around the Inner Sea
Norn today still mostly live in tribes, even the norn empire has tribes as the lowest organisational entity. The further away from the Norn Empire, the Eternal Forests or the Evergreen Peninsula and their normative cultural influence a tribe lives, the more it differs from the model described here. That the Eternal Forests and the Evergreen Peninsula play a role in this regard is due to Sitha having a caste structure quite similar to the norn, sharing almost similar names even, with the notable difference however, that the lowest case is not the caste of the Tarn, but quite significantly called the Norn actually.Norn who happen to live close to Sitha tribes, but not as part of their structure, have usually kept the caste structure, yet found another name for the "servant" caste, with Tarn being used mostly in the norn empire and around
Most far removed from the structure presented here are surely those tribes which speak Western Norn. Among them, other structures and also other religious ideas have emerged, which are too numerous to count and certainly to describe here.
Be it as it may, this chapter still gives a pretty valid picture of the structure of most norn tribes that live east of the Inner Sea and still a good number of tribes which live north, south and west of it.
Player Note/GM Notes:
This is of course a way to ensure that those players who want to come up with their own tribal background (or religion) for "their Norn" can do just this. One can easily argue, that a tribe west of the Dragon Stones does not adhere to the structure described here. And even east of the Inner Sea, and hence very close to the Norn Empire, there are still norn tribes which are organized differently, either completely or partially, and sometimes even follow other gods. They might be in conflict with the empire about this, but can't tell a norn what to do right?
As a structure so prevalent in regions inhabited by the majority of humans, many humans around the Inner Sea believe that all tribes are organized like this however, and are often surprised to find these kinds of variations. A Gamemaster hence has a good basis to jump off, and does not have to come up with everything on the spot (except he want's to).
The Caytan (the Chosen)
The Caytan ((speak: KY-TAHN), Elder Norn word for Chosen) is the elected leader of a norn tribe. The election is usually for life, and one in which every norn of the tribe older than 20 summers can cast one vote.The Caytan must speak justice and also create law in council with the four representatives sent by the four castes: the First Hunter, the Master Artisan, the Shaman and the Wisdomkeeper. It is also up to the Caytan to make decisions which affect the whole tribe. Should the Caytan have been a representative of one of the norn castes before being elected, he must abdicate that role.
In Cun Moragh Norn the Caytan of any norn tribe is considered voice and proxy of the ruler who sits on the throne of Carcosa (In the moment Queen Amarak of the Norn). The word Caytan thus, at least in Common Norn, has changed in meaning from "Chosen" to something similar to "Duke".
The Norn Castes
Just like Sitha Tribes, Norn tribes are separated into five castes, yet unlike Sitha they have no norn caste of course, but the Tarn Slave caste.- The Croh Caste: Hunters, Warriors
- The Yor Caste: Artisans, Craftsman and Architects
- The Aloy Caste: Healers and Morticians
- The Hala Caste: Storytellers and Teachers
- The Tarn Caste: Prisoners and servants
The affiliation of a norn with a caste is not hereditary, no norn is born into a caste. Instead he is taken in by one of the four upper castes after the coming of age ritual, if they accepted him as an aspirant beforehand. To this end, upcoming to the coming of Age ritual, a norn attempts to affiliate with a desired caste, and he must then succeed in a feat which proves his aptitude in the castes desired traits. Only when one of the four castes has accepted him as an aspirant, will he be allowed to partake in the coming of age ritual, and taken in as a full member of the caste afterwards. An exception here are the Croh, who sometimes combine both rites by demanding that the adolescent norn brings a slain beast of the underdark as a token of aptitude.
As there is no difference in social standing among the four "upper" castes, their members see no need to display their membership by any visible features. Members of the Tarn caste however are marked with semi-permanent markings of the tribe upon their skin, which show that they are part of the tribe. Once these prisoners have proven useful, apt and trustworthy enough to be taken in by any of the upper castes, and fulfilled the Coming of Age rite, the markings will be removed in a ceremonious ritual and the former tarn will be accepted as "full member" of that caste." This gives any prisoner, even humans and other non elves, the chance to work themselves out of their state of servitude, even though it happens rarely that they succeed. Especially the trust part becomes an issue in ths regard.
Croh: The Hunter and Provider Caste
The Hunter Caste is often called the Warrior caste, but this is an oversimplification, as to Norn the word for Warrior and Hunter (Croh) is the same, and actually even means Provider, which the warriors of the Norn are first, before being warriors second. One can thus also find those who harvest and collect among their caste. Due to the hostile environement Norn inhabited in the World tree forests of old (and still do, in the The Eternal Forests or on the Evergreen Peninsula) the act of provisioning is mostly identified with the act of hunting and fighting deadly Fauna, hence: the Hunter Caste. The term Warrior caste wouldn't work for the simple reason that all Norn are expected to fight in confllicts, and even the most peaceful Aloy has a bow and sword at home, preferably one made from Ironwood. Given that Croh certainly have the most experience in this regard though, They often become leaders in case of war. In times of peace they hunt of course, but also perfom guard duty and police the tribes territory.
The first Hunter, first among the Croh and speaker in the council with the Caytan, is decided by election amongst all Croh older than 20 summers. He holds this rank until the Croh find a reason to good enough to hold another election. If a Croh deems it necesary to replace the Current First hunter, he can challenge him to a martial, physical and hunting challenge. After this challenge it is tradition to repeat the election. It is a human misconception however, that a won challenge will guarantee the winner the seat of the first hunter however. It is a good start, and it surely might influence the result of the following election, but the election is based on the trust a Croh puts into a candidate to speak in his interest. A current First Hunter, if in good standing and respected by the remaining Croh, can of course reject a challenge without risking to lose the election which inevitably follows. If this respect among the Croh of the tribe has waned though, it might be advisable for him (or her) to better accept and win it.
The word Croh in Elder Norn and Onari has a meaning more akin to that of a farmer, shepherd or herder. This is likely due to the Sitha dominance in times of old, and their better access to ressources in the top layers of the world trees. Onari however has a word for warrior or fighter, and it is... indicative enough... Norn. Hence the Sitha proverb "The root (norn) defends, the leaf (sith) harvests"
Yor: The Artisan, Craftsman and Architect Caste
Members of the Yor Caste, which consists of all kinds of craftsmen, artisans, builders and architects, are the ones who will most likely accept a former tarn into their ranks, in order to learn from him. Depending on the ressources which are available one can find among them smiths or woodforming druids, stonemasons, leatherworkers or woodcrafters. Many a norn of this caste also shares knowledge in a few nature spells, either to shape the living wood or control the elements. To accept an aspirant norn, the Yor demand of him to build a home (either build or form it it from the living wood) or create a weapon, jewelry or piece of art of a certain quality.
Members of the Yor caste are usually more intersted in their ongoing projects rather than tribal politics, hence the Speaker in council with the Caytan, the so called Master Artisan, is chosen from among a few volunteers who agree to give up some time for this matter. A new Master Artisan is chosen when the last one abdicates, which usually happens after a few years, when the old one desires to return to his own projects.
Aloy: The Healer and Mortician Caste
The Healers care for the well being of the tribe and must keep the knowledge about all kinds of herbal drugs and medicine. They are also responsible for harvesting them, which can be a difficult and dangerous matter, hence the athleticism among the Aloy is no joke. Although purely mundane healers are among them, many a norn of the Aloy caste has mastered the arcane discipline of necromancy, meaning the magic which can redirect lifeforce from one place to another. These Aloy are also responsible to hold funerals and take the remaining lifefae from those which have passed away to redirect it to a better use (usually healing).
Aloy accept a rare herb which is difficult to come by, the witnessed healing of a tribemember or feats of necromantic magic as a token to declare a norn a valid aspirant to their caste.
The speaker of the Aloy is called the Shaman, usually a powerful necromancer and spiritseer, although purely mundane shamans have been known. The shaman is elected for life which means, only when the last shaman reaches the age of ailment, or dies prematurely of other causes, a new one will be elected from among the Aloy.
Hala: The Storyteller and Teacher Caste
Also called the Wisdomkeepers, it is the Hala who care for the chronicles and legends of the Tribe. They also often happen to be the ones caring for the Legendstones (if the tribe has one of those). They are oftentimes versed in occult magic resembling the magic of human bards and often employ illusions to support their storytelling. It is to them, to whom the Caytan comes, if he attempts to assess the wisdom of a course of action, and their word even has a bit of extra weight in the council with the Caytan because of this.
The term Wisdomkeeper is also the title of the one sent to the Caytan's council and he is elected by other Hala once every 20th Solstice, so every 10 years, except if something happens to the Wisdomkeeper in the meantime, which would prevent him from fulfilling that role. While the Artisans of the Yor see the role of the speaker more as a necessary duty, to the Hala it is an important role which carries much honor. Hala accept norn as aspirants, if they bring new stories, legends, facts or music as a token of aptitude
Tarn: the Prisoner Caste
Also derogatory called the "Slave" caste by humans, which most norn find unfitting at best.
It is true that the tarn must perform dull and dangerous tasks, which the norn don't want to do themselves, but the word tarn, translated back into human tongue, would be best translated with "someone who pays off his debts", rather than slave. However even compared to human serfs there are some important differences.
First off, the singular norn has only "borrowed" his lifeforce, at least those parts which do not make up his conscient soul (see Religion and Afterlife below), and can thus never be "owned" by anyone. The same holds for the prisoners of the Tarn caste. Because norn of the tribe have paid with their lifeforce to capture the respective prisoners, these are then seen as new parts of the tribe. Thus they can't be "owned" by the singular norn. Instead they, and their workforce, with which they pay back the damage they caused the Norn before being captured, belong to the tribe.
Because Norn believe in personal strength and the indifference of Kaaeya, they wont go easy on the "involuntary newcomers" however and have hence acquired the reputation of being "cruel masters", while in their own understanding they just expect of their prisoners what they would do themselves. Which might be acceptable for other elves, due to their similar physiology, but which for humans and other ancestries can lead to dangerous tasks, for which they are just not cut out, especially in the climbing department.
Any one captured must fulfil the expectations however, and can't hope on Norn showing "mercy" or demanding "less". Even the request is met with disdain and lack of understanding. He may be prisoner, but he is also part of the tribe and has to do his part.
It is possible for a prisoner to leave the tarn caste by the way. If he proves valuable to the norn, be it by deeds or knowledge, and most importantly, also proves to be trustworthy, Norn prisoners can become aspirant to any of the other four castes and join them after performing the coming of Age ritual. It's not any less hard on them though.
Religion
Kaaeya, the indifferent Worldmother
Kaaeya by cyrgan
What use is it to call on her? Little she cares if an elf lives or dies. Better to be silent than to call her attention to you; She will send you dooms, not fortune! She is grim and loveless, but at birth she breathes power to strive and slay into an elf-soul. What else shall an elf ask of the gods?
The religion of the Norn is a harsh one, circling around the indifference of the creatordeity Kaeeya, the worldmother, towards the daily struggle of the norn. Kaaeya wants her creations to prevail by their own hands and their ability to adapt, an ability thus highly valued among the Norn. Kaaeya is also the Norn word for the Fae, as they believe that this is her body, that she creates all life (as Fae does, for example during Faebirth conception) and that she is created by life just as Fae is.
Because of her indifference Norn either do not pray to Kaaeya at all, as it serves no purpose, or, if they do, are never submissive, because Kaaeya hates that. This marks the major difference to the faith of the Sitha, who see Kaaeya as a much more benevolent goddess, whose will can be influenced by faith and praise. As it also was this faith however, by which the Sitha declared themself chosen, which then again helped to argue the "necessity" to abandon the (non-chosen) norn to the lower levels of the World Trees, norn now reject this interpretation. It is also the reason why Norn think religion should play no role in secular matters.
To the Norn, faith must be clearly separated from "government", turning it into a personal matter at best. The notion that Kaaeya also just doesn't care, that life is a test of aptitude which has to be passed, helps in this regard. Kaaeya would not interact with the world like this.
"Kaaeya, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one will remember if we were good norn or bad, only our strength. No one will care why we fought, or why we died. No, all that matters is that few stood against many, that's what's important. Valor pleases you, Kaaeya, so grant me one request. Grant me REVENGE! And if you do not listen, then to hell with you!"
Afterlife
Norn belief that, upon death, if the Norn has passed the test of life that he was tasked with by Kaaeya at birth, then his consciousness passes from the former vessel, which was the personal Fae inide his former body, into the external Fae, which is Kaaeya. Like this, if he is worthy, he or she will become a living rememberance in her for all eternity.If unworthy however, the consciousness (aka soul) will remain stuck inside the body. For the respective Norn-elf this would be bad, because the Norn believe, that the personal fae must be returned to the tribe. A few days after passing away, after the soul of the norn had penty of time to pass on into Kaaeya (if it was allowed), his corpse will be drained for the remaining lifeforce, usually by the shaman or other Aloy. This Fae then is returned to the tribe for other tasks, like healing, or helping to grow food etc. Any unworthy soul probably stuck inside still will hence inevitably be destroyed, to create new life or new opportunities for the tribe, effectively ending the norns existence apart from Kaaeya, even if he didn't pass on.
Norn and Draugh, Footholds in the underdark
Of all elves, Norn are the most common ones to turn into draugh. Although Sitha are not exempt from turning into draugh, they explain this by the norn being more corrupted by human influence, in the sense of "if you stare too long into the Abyss, the Abyss stares back". As far as Sitha are concerned, the decision of the norn not to ignore the humans and instead interfere with them, and be it just to fight them, led to their downfall and susceptibility to the Plague.To counter this norn often point out the much more severe transformations eadun elves go through, with barely any of them turning into draugh, but rather human Plaguebeasts but as Eadun are even closer to the humans, the Sitha just take this as confirmation of their theory.
Draugh for Norn represent everything they hate: Duplicity, betrayal, strive for power without regard to cost. Basically everything they hate the in humans, with, admittedly, a very narrow and biased picture of humans. Norn take this "kinship" as proof that the plague came with the humans, and that draugh are nothing else but Norn who were infected with too much "humanity".
As an elf turns into a draugh there is a small fraction of time in which he can decide to leave his kin without causing any further harm. Norn who do this are highly regarded, and their loss is mourned greatly, as it implies a great strength of character to just leave and not come back. Elves who miss this window of opportunity begin to despise their kin, harbor hidden resentments and feel an ever stronger pull towards "the Dark Roads" underneath, a hidden feeling that the "draugh" are right, and that selfishness in face of the threats the elves are exposed to is the only answer. The afflicted future draugh can hide this from the caste and the tribe for a time, but knows that sooner or later he has to go, or be caught by his own brethren and executed, just for the crime of "seeing clearly". This creates even more resentment, until the Norn is a full draugh by all but his skin color.
Prospective draugh, which are able to form wood, and who happen to live on world trees, often form tunnels into the living wood of the tree to reach the underdark and, out of sheer spite and disregard for the culture the draugh once shared, scorch the wood with tainted fae to make sure the tunnels can't be closed anymore. This irrevocably hurts the world tree and opens it to future draugh invasions from the underdark, which is why norn try to recognize prospective draugh in their midst as soon as possible.
World Tree elf tribes then establish footholds in the Underdark, bridgeheads to hold off draugh. Most of these bridgeheads are manned with experienced warriors from the Croh caste, and can grow to the size of small subterranean forts and villages even.
Norn hold no grudge against the elves which went to the dark roads, it was not their fault, but treat them as having died and having been replaced by something else. They do not consider draugh as elves like humans do, just like humans don't consider plaguebeasts still as human.
Shared customary codes and values
What Measure is a Norn
To Humans, Eadun elves and also some Sitha elves the definition of a Norn is simple: Norn are the elves which oppose the humans. This... is wrong. or better: Not entirely correct.
Norn do not oppose the humans (or anyone) by principle, only when it is necessary. They do not live according to human "bidding" as the Eadun do though. A better definition of the human-norn relationship might be this:
Norn accept life alongside humans, but on their own terms...and they will fight for those. They thus often seek out control over certain territories or ressources, which then leads to conflict, if humans aspire for control over the same. If persistence on norn values or standing in for the demands of the norn leads to conflict with humans (or conflict at all, norn fight everyone... if necessary), a norn will not shy away from it. Where these irrefutable boundaries begin is a quite fluent though, and may depend on the circumstances a norn finds himself in.
Being in a situation where a Norn-Elf is at the mercy of humans, and has to work with them or beneath them to survive for example, does not automatically turn him into an Eadun. Accepting it, and not working towards an end of that relationship however would.
Thus there are elves who live in cities among humans, which yet would consider it an insult if they were called Eadun for it. They however rarely amount to anything in the human society, because of the mistrust they face. These Norn often live in humble "elven districts" inside human cities, while their Eadun "brethren" have found ways to adapt to the human society and rise inside the human ranks. Due to the open disregard for the human society and the "unwillingness to integrate", these "City Norns" often face mistrust coming from the humans, which leads to them being treated worse, which, then again, leads to conflict.
Then there are the Norn of the Norn Empire which are Norn "by defintion", even though some of them (the aptly named Sidh-Faction) argue to shut off from the humans more, just as the Sitha do, where others, the Eadi-Faction, argue like Eadun for a softer course and more peaceful interactions with the humans. There is however also has a warlike faction, which would like to end the peace with the humans for good. They call themselves "True Norns", but this moniker didn't stick. Instead, following the term for the hunter and warrior caste in most tribes of the empire, they are called the "Croh faction", an idea of the incumbent Queen, Queen Amarak of the Norn who happens to belong to the Eadi, a fact that gives hope for the persistence of the momentary peace.
Average technological level
Norn have, with different techniques, attained a technological and magitheoretical level quite simlar to the humans. They were not shy to employ human techniques, whenever their own do not work due to lack of necessary ressources. Norn for example do prefer
weapons made of living Ironwood, which are pulled by druidic magic from Onauru Trees, but, by studying the humans, they have taught themselves to work steel, and do so in regions without World trees. And even though most magic wielders of norn origin are actually of druidic tradition or of a tradition resembing the human monks, and thus honor the balance between themselves and the natural world, some Norn have also mastered the arcane and the occult.
Art & Architecture
The art and architecture of Norn is functional, embellishments are rare, but, if present, intricate and hard to copy by artisans of other races. Wood as material is prevalent, however , contrasting human settlements, it is usually alive when in use. This is because Norn do not cut the wood if they can prevent it. Rooms and corridors are not cut into a World Tree for example, but formed into the living body of the tree by druidic magic called woodforming, which at the same time ensures the ongoing health and functionality of the respective tree. Wood that is harvested from a worldtree is not cut either, but taken by druids with the same technic, and always under the premise that the tree in question is not damaged beyond its healing capabilities.
This care is reserved for worldtrees however, whom the norn consider part of their tribe, and does not extend towards the smaller trees, which today make up the majority of the most forests in which norn live. The Norn of Cun Moragh Norn have taken on the human habit to reinforce the ground floor of their buildings with wood from smaller trees like oaks, spruces and so on, and do not hesitate to cut them down to this end. They do however have a rigorous and sustainable reafforestation politic. Wood is bent into shape before harvesting however, such that even average norn houses, like those in the cities of Cun Moragh Norn, keep the organic look that avoids sharp edges or corners.
Over the centuries, all Norn have mastered the art of stonemasonry, their achievements however do fall back behind human or dwarwish ones in this area of expertise. Stone, if used as building material, is usually only used for cellars and bases, or for mundane tools. If no other materials are available, the stone is cut into a form which mimics naturally grown, but shaped wood. Norn Artwork and jewelry is usually made of living (preferred) or harvested wood.
The most valuable art is made of ironwood which was taken from a Hometree, and is always of huge personal importance to the owner.
This care is reserved for worldtrees however, whom the norn consider part of their tribe, and does not extend towards the smaller trees, which today make up the majority of the most forests in which norn live. The Norn of Cun Moragh Norn have taken on the human habit to reinforce the ground floor of their buildings with wood from smaller trees like oaks, spruces and so on, and do not hesitate to cut them down to this end. They do however have a rigorous and sustainable reafforestation politic. Wood is bent into shape before harvesting however, such that even average norn houses, like those in the cities of Cun Moragh Norn, keep the organic look that avoids sharp edges or corners.
Over the centuries, all Norn have mastered the art of stonemasonry, their achievements however do fall back behind human or dwarwish ones in this area of expertise. Stone, if used as building material, is usually only used for cellars and bases, or for mundane tools. If no other materials are available, the stone is cut into a form which mimics naturally grown, but shaped wood. Norn Artwork and jewelry is usually made of living (preferred) or harvested wood.
The most valuable art is made of ironwood which was taken from a Hometree, and is always of huge personal importance to the owner.
Coming of Age Rites
The coming of age rite of the Norn involves a night spent in the underdark. Male and female Norn are expected to pass this. In hometrees a norntunnel is opened and then closed behind the prospective adults at dawn, and then opened again by the druids of the tribe only at dusk of the new day. In places without a Home Tree the adolescent norn find the next natural entry to the underdark and use that to enter it.
Due to the ever present danger of draugh attacks during these rites, they have lost in importance however. Also, while once it was expected that the adolescent Norn wander the underdark for prey, today the Norn accept it when the young norn finds a place to hide and survive the night. A captured beast of the underdark however increases the honor of those who bring it, and it is not uncommon among the Croh to combine the coming of Age rite with the acceptance of the Norn as an aspirant. This means there is no need for the norn to bring a slain beast to prove his worth as a hunter before the coming of age rite: Should the Norn prevail in the Underdark and bring a slain beast from there, he will be taken in by the Croh.
Due to the ever present danger of draugh attacks during these rites, they have lost in importance however. Also, while once it was expected that the adolescent Norn wander the underdark for prey, today the Norn accept it when the young norn finds a place to hide and survive the night. A captured beast of the underdark however increases the honor of those who bring it, and it is not uncommon among the Croh to combine the coming of Age rite with the acceptance of the Norn as an aspirant. This means there is no need for the norn to bring a slain beast to prove his worth as a hunter before the coming of age rite: Should the Norn prevail in the Underdark and bring a slain beast from there, he will be taken in by the Croh.
Funerary and Memorial customs
The Lifeforce of a Norn belongs to the tribe, thats how it is and how it has been since the time when norn had to fight for their lives in the lower layers of merciless worldtree forests, and were forced to exploit every bit of lifeforce available.
As long as a norn lives, his lifeforce (actually the personal Fae) belongs to him or her. When a norn then passes away, after the consciousness has hopefully passed into Kaaeya, which is how the the norn call the external Fae, it is common that the Aloy of the tribe take the remaining personal fae by necromantic techniques, and return it to the tribe in one form or another, like for example healing magic, to support growth etc...).
Only once the body is drained of all fae, will it be discarded without further ado, as Norn do not hold ritual burials and let nature take what it needs of the remaining physical body.
In times of old, when norn inhabited the lower levels of the world trees, the body was then pushed from the world tree leafs to fall to the groundfloor to decompose. Norn in the Eternal forests have kept this tradition. In other places, norn bury the body apart from their settlements, yet more so out of hygienic considerations rather than religious or commemorative ones. Norn do not keep burial grounds, tombs or graves like the humans do.
As long as a norn lives, his lifeforce (actually the personal Fae) belongs to him or her. When a norn then passes away, after the consciousness has hopefully passed into Kaaeya, which is how the the norn call the external Fae, it is common that the Aloy of the tribe take the remaining personal fae by necromantic techniques, and return it to the tribe in one form or another, like for example healing magic, to support growth etc...).
Only once the body is drained of all fae, will it be discarded without further ado, as Norn do not hold ritual burials and let nature take what it needs of the remaining physical body.
In times of old, when norn inhabited the lower levels of the world trees, the body was then pushed from the world tree leafs to fall to the groundfloor to decompose. Norn in the Eternal forests have kept this tradition. In other places, norn bury the body apart from their settlements, yet more so out of hygienic considerations rather than religious or commemorative ones. Norn do not keep burial grounds, tombs or graves like the humans do.
Common Taboos
The Sacred Hometree
Norn, much like Sitha, have an almost symbiotic relationship with their Hometree, if they so happen to live on on one. This is because it is base, home and protection in one. If their tribe happens to claim a worldtree, Norn even consider it part of their Clan.In order to honor this symbiosis, Norn and Sitha tend to not cut from a World tree (which, anhow, would be hard to do in the lower parts of the tree, where norn used to live, because of the Ironwood getting even more resistant than steel there). Instead they form their homes into the trunk by a druidic magic called woodforming. Ironwood Weapons are not cut from the tree either, but pulled from the wood by the same magic, always following a ritual in which the norn ask the tree for persmission. If the magic fails, the permission is considered as not given.
Common Myths and Legends
The First World, a forest that spanned all over Ardu
The Norn, just like the Sitha, believe that once all of Ardu was covered by a mile high thick jungle, and that the elves were part of it.They call this time "The First World". According to norn legends there was enough food and enough trees, such that there was no need to distinguish between Sitha and Norn, and no need for any elf to be cast into the shadow of the lower world tree layers. As a proof that this time existed the Norn often refer to the underdark, or at least it's upper layers, and argue that only Ironwood roots could have dug these tunnels through the rock.
Then however, the humans came to the world and ignorant to the pain they would cause Kaaeya, brought the Plague with them. Monsters who sook darkness began to gnaw at the roots of the world trees and made them wither, until only the few we know today remain, to be protected by the Norn. But.. maybe... one day... once the humans are gone, Kaaeya might heal and the world forests return.
The Norn Exodus
(as told by the Elves of the Norn-Empire)"Yeah.. yeah.. we rebelled, wanted to fight the humans, hence we were punished with a place on the lower levels of the hometrees.. yada... yada... as you humans tend to say. You know... that is actually the human and sitha version of the story. Wanna know how i was taught it by our Wisdomkeepers?"Norn know about the Sitha and Eadun myth (which is of course also proliferated by the Church of the Creator) that the norn were punished with their role for the "crime" of fighting the Humans and thus bringing about the great Calamity over the elves. They consider it a stupid myth, and on top of that an inconsistent one, at best. When the Norn Exodus happened, the first age was long gone, and together with it the majority of Worldtrees, so to which lower levels could the Norn have been exiled to?. The old social structure, which put the Norn caste at the bottom persisted however, based on the inherent assumption that the Sitha had been chosen by Kaaeya. It was this which led to the Rebellion and, in places where it failed, the Exodus of most Norn.
"Uh... yeah... i mean...if i get another ale for it..."
"See the Norn right?? The Norn... had always been there from the beginning. We....we...weeee were the lower caste you know... pushed down by the... snobbish Sitha. Literally you know. Down the trees we went. While they dwelled on the tops and had all the fruit and ths sunlight and everything we were cast into the shadow... and we... hicks... we had to fight i tell you. Those lower levels were no joke. Few fruits, meat was almost everything to go by on, and so the plants and the animals preyed on... each other and on the scraps that fell from above. And then come you guys too. How were we supposed to react? But the Sitha i tell you.. the Sitha...."
"What 'bout them... hicks"
".. they sat on the tops of the trees with their heads in the clouds and told us it was our fucking fault for defending ourselves... that we earned to be punished. I tell you...i..tell you, right?... i tell you... they just hate rebels and everyone who shatters their illusion of safety.... I mean... huh... what were we supposed to do right? Just bow down?
"...naaaahhhh... hicks... never...hicks... never give upp..never surrendaah..."
"right.. right... i mean we were stuck between a rock and a hard place as you guys say... no wonder we became hardasses..."
"HARDASSSSESSSSS!!"
Norn of the empire claim that most Norn migrated towards the region of the empire immediately, but truly the Norn Empire did not form at once either. First it were places all over the world in which the norn settled, with some of those places persisting to the modern day. However outside pressure, and the inability to rely on their ability advantage in areas which do not harbor world trees anymore, led to many Norn tribes seeking out the advantage of numbers. This was given in the place which is now known as The Empire of Cun Moragh Norn, which had begun to send out emmissaries into all of the world to seek out norn brethren to "bring them home". Based on this effort, and the myth that its the one place were Norn are safe, such that all norn should strive to be there, the Norn of the empire claim to speak for all norn today. This however couldn't be further from the truth either. Most Western Norn for example have never recieved an emissary, or chased them away, once they came with a tall tale of an empire far away which asked them to follow. And thus today most Western Norn tribes and even some Norn tribes who speak Elder Norn, don't even know about the empires existence.
Stones of Second Chances
According to legend, some Norn tribes have access to a so called "Stone of Second Chances".This stone, according to legend located in the caves of the underdark below their World trees, allows them, to hold a dangerous ritual, which does take a hug toll on the fae and life force of the surrounding environment, but which also dials back time for up to two days, in order to redo certain decisions.
According to myth these stones are an artifact of the first age and located in caves which, next to elvish also contain human architecture and embellishments. If this was true it would be indicating that they were a place in which humans AND elves came together. The norn do not confirm or deny the existence of such an artifact.
Another legend says that even more stones like this are spread around the world, and that they are in some way connected to each other. One legend in Amn speaks of such a stone located somewhere beneath the city, but the Umtyaheluk-Norn (who have been given back their world tree after the peace treaty with Caldaven) do not confirm or deny this.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
"So... uhm... Ayrika... what was it that made you fall in love with me? my... charming personality? My exotic appearance?"
A snort followed, which hid a supressed laugh. That was okay, Sulacio was not a vain man, and he also liked strong women who spoke their mind, and this was definitely one of Ayrika's more appealing sides, at least to him
"Nah... first off: Norn don't fall. We climb to the place we want to be. But we never fall... Also... small.. but cutesy... nose. Round cabbage ears. Your eyes are barely larger than your thumbprint..."
Ayrika winked as she pulled a playfully disgusted grimace...
"...You have that sense of wonder though. And a really clever brain, even though it is stuck in the floor so often. A bit like a young norn. Maybe it was my motherly side and a bit of pity?"
"Hey...."
Norn elf beauty ideals mainly circle around the difference between humans and elves. Norn elves take great pride in long, pointed ears, the flat broad nose which gives them an almost catlike, predatory appearance, and their large eyes. "Human" noses, hence noses with a prominent tip or nostrils are considered less attractive, as are small eyes or round "funnel" or "cabbage" ears.
Oddly enough, due to the wolflike and thus more "predatory" apprearance, Wolven are sometimes considered quite attractive according to norn standards, as they often are also strong and usually even larger than elves, and would thus be able to reach and exploit far apart climbing points. The only thing they miss are long flexible feet with opposable big toes that provide a better grip to support climbing, as all elves have them.
To most norn these ideals are subconscious and not tied to their ideology or any animosity against humans, (or so they think at least). Humans just "happen" to be ugly. These ideals however are less pronounced in orcish areas, as orcs share so many elvish traits, at least facial ones.
Norn do use jewelry or makeup to enhance desired features, like pointed ears or mascara to emphasized the eyes. They have also developed a diverse clothing style, which rivals the human one in diversity, so much so that there are hundreds if not thousands of different ways of how a norn could look like, certainly too many to count or describe here. Therefore just a few examples:
Norn Crown
Cirdaruk Norn with Norn crown
by
cyrgan
Norn Crown, during the festivities on the occasion of the founding of the Norn Empire, worn by a female Cirdaruk-Norn who lives in the Nornridge, close to the Caldavian border.
The crown is meant to emphasisze the ears and does not depict horns, as the Church of the Creator argues to "prove" the norn allegiance to demons.
Traditional ritual clothes of the Shaman of the Carcosa Norn
Aloy-Okuna
by
cyrgan
Shaman (Aloy-Okuna) of Carcosa at the Norn Lake, "Capitol" of Cun Moragh Norn.
Pictures on the noseridge emphasizes it's "width". Gold dust emphasizes the elvish bone structure and the downward pointing nosetip.
Pictures on the noseridge emphasizes it's "width". Gold dust emphasizes the elvish bone structure and the downward pointing nosetip.
Western Norn, in the Wolven Forests
Western norn
by
cyrgan
A western Norn woman as found in the The Wolven Forests.
Thick Mascara emphasizes the eyes, facepaint underscores the norn facial structure, A woodforming technique which allows skin to fuse with wooden embellishments was used to create and fixate the Bindi embellishment on her brow.
Thick Mascara emphasizes the eyes, facepaint underscores the norn facial structure, A woodforming technique which allows skin to fuse with wooden embellishments was used to create and fixate the Bindi embellishment on her brow.
Major organizations
The major political organization which Norn are part of is the Empire of Cun Moragh Norn, located far in the east of Ardu, and ruled by Queen Amarak.
Parent ethnicities
Diverged ethnicities
Encompassed species
Related Organizations
D&D 5e Stats
Norn Elf
Ability Score Increase +2 Dex, +1Str
Size Medium
Speed 30 feet
Elf Traits:
- Darkvision: Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
- Natural Climber: You have an Advantage in Athletics skills used for climbing. Your base climbing speed equals half your movement + 5 (rounded down)
- Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
- Rooted in the material world: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
- Trance: Elves do not sleep. Instead they meditate deeply, remaining semi-conscious, for 4 hours a day. The Common word for this meditation is "trance". While meditating, you dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive after years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit a human would from 8 hours of sleep.
Norn Traits:
- Fleet of Foot: Your base speed increases to 35 feet.
- Hidden in Plain Sight: You get advantage on all attempts to hide.
Languages. Norn or Onari (Elvish), Elder Norn or Western Norn, and Common
Pathfinder 2e Stats
See also the Feats at the Bottom of the page
Incredible article - very well designed and beautifully and simply illustrated. Well done Cyrgan
World Anvil Founder & Chief Grease Monkey
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Thank you very much. In the realm of web design i am not very versed. Work, DMing and Red Cross leave little time to consistently write, hence i never find the time to actually learn CSS, so i used a standardtemplate. Its also the reason why the world grows slowly, i am with WA since 2018 iiirc. However as this is mainly a reference for the players, content also always took precedence over looks for me. What use is a World if its not played in. For the Elf pictures however i trained my AI myself, creating a sufficient set of elf pictures by hand was a hassle, but it supports us in getting character portraits too, so that was a win in the end. So i can't take credit for the layout... only the content.