Laggsunde
Brief History
The Laggsunde culture would receive the least influence from Altinum of the three Hilverdoorn tribe descendants. Most of the Altinum refugees preferred warmer climates and stuck with the central and southern regions of the mainland, very few traveled to meet with the northern tribes. Due to this limited influence Laggsunde people are considered to be near direct decedents of Hilverdoorn and the closest to their culture. The little Altinum influence that did affect the Hilverdoorn is however what allows to separate the two. The Hilverdoorn were purely nomadic and had no written language and so much of their history is lost. The Altinum who lived with the Hilverdoorn in the north helped create a written version of their language, as well as convinced some tribes to settle down and form large strongholds where many tribes could visit and stay during the winter. This allowed them to keep proper written records and marked the divergence of Laggsunde from their ancestors.
Laggsunde lived as familial nomadic tribes for a long period until eventual conflict with both Castran and Otwin setting up cities in their territory that provoked a change in their culture. A large convention of thousands of Laggsunde people occurred where it was decided that some Laggsunde would let go of their nomadic ways and set up strong hold cities along the borders of their ancestral lands to help protect against invaders. While Laggsunde retained the Hilverdoorn beliefs that everyone should be welcome, raids from both Otwin and Castran destroying ancestral landmarks and killing other Laggsunde had become to much of a problem. These cities would be manned by youth of tribes who would be required to spend at least a year in a city and then decide if they want to stay in the city or return to their tribe. Many Laggsunde who chose to live in the cities would later in life return to their nomadic ways and start a new tribe with their partners and family.
Arts and Architecture
Laggsunde are not extremely fond of art and are not astounding craftsmen either. Most of their architecture and art resembles many of the Nordic cultures in the middle ages. Most of their structures are temporary and easy to break down. Those that are permanent are usually made of wood and thatch, surrounded by large wood and stone walls.Shared Values
Slaves and Indentured Servitude?
Laggsunde do not believe in slavery or indentured servitude. Their beliefs of everyone being family prevent them from willing enslaving people and even when someone has wronged them and they are forced to no longer treat them as family, they would prefer to simply exile them then to enslave them.Sexuality and Gender Ideals
Laggsunde families are typically made up of polygamous relationships, with a single patriarch or matriarch at the center. A male may take several brides, and a female may take several husbands. Similar to the Otwin, gender means little to the Laggsunde people. Due to the majority of Laggsunde living nomadic lives in the wilderness, they have no need to discriminate who does what. If you can hunt you hunt, and if you can sew you sew.Taboos
Laggsunde are incredibly open people, so much so that they tend to make outsiders uncomfortable. Not much is taboo in Laggsunde society, even sex and nudity. Many tribes practice nudist lifestyles when coats are not needed for warmth. More recently Laggsunde have become aware of the reputation they have among other cultures and now wear robes and light clothes when in public in their stronghold cities.Customs and Traditions
Coming of Age rites
Laggsunde typically live in nomadic tribes that wander vast areas of wilderness. Laggsunde have two major coming of age rites. The first occurs when they are 8 years old. On their 8th birthday Laggsunde children will spend a full 24 hours inside the tribes prayer tent smoking various herbs and mushrooms. This process is said to help free a persons mind and help them convene with their patron god. By the end of the 24 hours the child will have determined which god created their soul. They will use this knowledge to know which god they will work to impress throughout the rest of their life. On rare occasions the children will also receive direct instructions from their god for what they are destined to do in their lifetime.The second rite occurs 8 years later when a Laggsunde youth turns 16 years of age they will typically leave their tribe for a 3 year long journey. The youth will pick 2 foreign destinations as well as one Laggsunde stronghold city and will spend a year in each. They use this journey to help them learn more about other cultures and develop more empathy for others. The journey also exposes the Laggsunde to what more permanent life inside one of the stronghold cities is like. After the three years are over the youth will return to their tribe and celebrate with a large feast. The feast culminates in an announcement from the youth, deciding whether they will stay with their tribe, go to serve in one of the stronghold cities, or travel beyond the Laggsunde ancestral lands and pursue a life away from their home culture. This decision marks the entry of adulthood for a Laggsunde, and regardless what they decide, their choice is celebrated.
Funerary Rites
Laggsunde funerals center around their religious beliefs of reincarnation. Laggsunde believe that souls are trapped in their mortal forms until there flesh is gone completely. Laggsunde seek to expedite this process through burning of the corpse. Laggsunde typically do this by building large funerary pyres that they lay the corpse of the deceased inside. As the Laggsunde believe that a soul is stuck in the body until its destroyed it is customary to burn the body within the first 24 hours. Pyres range in sizes depending on resources available as well as how many bodies will be included in the pyre. The fire is traditionally set by a direct family member of the deceased. The family and tribe typically leave the fire to burn overnight only to return the next morning to clean up the area.Courtship
Laggsunde relationships are typically polyamorous and typically involve a patriarch with several wives or a matriarch with several husbands. Laggsunde simply hold feasts whenever a new person is added as a permanent member. Members of these family's are typically free to leave whenever they feel unhappy with their status in the family. The leader of the family may on occasion offer one of their partners to guests and visitors who stay with there tribe.Religious Customs
Laggsunde believe in a reincarnation cycle that involves a soul cycling through different bodies. Laggsunde believe souls are created individually by the gods to fulfill roles in each of the gods plans. The gods create a soul and begin the cycle at the lowest level of insect. The gods give the souls at these levels simplistic and basic goals to accomplish to help them. For example Arzog may place a soul into a spider and have their goal to cause fear in others, or maybe Nedmia may place a soul into a bee and set its goal to pollinate as much as possible leading to a large harvest. Once a god feels that the soul has done enough at its level it will move it up. Laggsunde believe in 5 levels to the reincarnation: Insect, Small Creature, Large Creature, Mortal, Immortal. The gods are free to move souls up and down these levels as they see fit. The final reincarnation moves a mortal being into its truest form where it ascends to live with their god on its plane. Most souls remain on this level for the rest of eternity unless it does something to offend its god, and the god may demote the soul all the way back to the first level.For worship Laggsunde tribes have large tents dedicated just to prayer. This tent is used during the first coming of age rite as well when tribesmen are looking for insight from both their patron god as well as the other gods. Inside the tent is an incense burner hung in the center of the tent that the tribes men will burn various herbs and mushrooms to receive either a psychedelic or chilling effect. Tribesmen will often offer outsiders the chance to learn their patron gods in a similar ritual to their first coming of age rite. For worship inside the stronghold cities, Laggsunde typically build large wooden temples that are made solely of at least 5 different incense burning rooms, and one large waiting room.
Naming Traditions
Family Names:
Jensen, Nielsen, Hansen, Pedersen, Andersen, Christensen, Larsen, Sorensen, Rasmussen, Jorgensen, Petersen, Madsen, Kristensen, Olsen, ThomsenMasculine Names:
Oskar, Lucas, William, Liam, Hugo, Victor, Emil, Malithe, Jakub, Emil, Mathias, Aksel, Elias, Leo, OnniFeminine Names:
Sofia, Freja, Alma, Ida, Clara, Ella, Josefine, Eevi, Aada, Alice, Maja, Olivia, Ebba, WilmaLineage Skill:
Nature
Culture Skills:
Languages Known:
Lagoon, Common, Neighbor LanguagePick 1 Skill Proficiency:
Animal Handling, Athletics, PerceptionPick 1 Tool Proficiency:
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