Venfros (/Ven-fros/)
History and Government
Beyond the first row of jagged blades of the Cliffs of Fear and enveloped by the sons of the Bear, there lies an oft-forgotten kingdom. Nestled between the Windy Country's mountain passes lies Venfros, the domain of The Ice Queen and the proud Jezis who hold back the tide that lies beyond. Venfros has been ruled by the Ice Queen directly for centuries predating the arrival of the Aedenskolt, and relations between it and the Aedenhalian settlers are kept tied by an official personal union between the Queen and the Eternal King. Beyond this status, a large array of unwritten rules and traditions regulate policy between the two neighbors - even their official borders are left unspecified. These traditions are taken almost as religion by both peoples, and acting against them would be seen as the highest form of heresy on either side, likely to reinvigorate a war that would be deeply unpopular. Indeed, such a war has already occurred once before: The Veddehjaldr, which established the union through marriage in the first place. The most important of these rules involve domain: it is said that the Queen rules the mountains, while the King rules the plains. Furthermore, the Queen has jurisdiction over her Uggrfyolth, while the King has jurisdiction over the Aedenskolt. Crimes committed by one people on another's land are thus handled by the appropriate side, though typically handled harshly so as to keep the offended side happy. Conflict between these rarely results due to the scarce population of the mountains, though early industrialization has led to the expansion of mines within the Cliffs of Fear, which has resulted in rising tensions. Nonetheless, when tensions do rise, both sides have a means to punish the other and exact their will. For Venfros' part, the Ice Queen can deny usage of the Jezi in Aedenhal's military, and is alleged to be able to summon the wrath of the Greyhail when particularly upset. When such things occur, hatred is not often directed towards her directly - a product of the near-religious reverence the Aedenskolt have for her. Instead, peasants tend to take out their anger on their chieftain, who takes it out on the Eternal King, who has the power to sway the Queen herself. For Aedenhal's part, sheer numbers and political dominance provide an upper hand, though it's partially a bluff; to crush Venfros would mean to lose the power of the Jezi, and to inherit the problem of The Windy Country for themselves.A Magical Matriarchy
Venfros is a staunchly matriarchal society. All of its women are expected to grow into the ranks of the Jezi, while men are left behind to tend to the fields and forges of this glacial, mountainous wasteland. Despite this, a few men are known to belong to the ranks of the Jezi, and there is certainly a somewhat-significant minority of women who remain to tend to the home. The Aedenskolt used to refer to male Jezis in terms that signified that they were transgender, but this is now known not to be the case; in fact, Venfros is quite free when it comes to gender identification, and the gender roles within its society have never merely been confined to gender-at-birth. Thus, male Jezis, while rare, are certainly male; details about them are scarcely known.Cities
Tryrhfjall (Three Peaks)
Tryrhfjall, more commonly referred to as Three Peaks, is the fortress-capital of Venfros and the seat of the Ice Queen. It is thus named because it is surrounded by three tall peaks, its walls built into their sides. Tryrhfjall makes up one of many bastions along a long wall which snakes through the Cliffs of Fear, but it is by far the largest and most heavily-defended. Very few civilians live within, though many merchants come through from Aedenhal.Geography
The boundaries of Venfros are not officially declared, but it de facto lies across a stretch of the Cliffs of Fear. Its geography thus consists of some of the most uninhabitable regions of the world, featuring crawling glaciers, jagged peaks, and deceptive hills interspersed with snowburrows.Resources
Venfros, being situated across the Cliffs of Fear, has historically been undisturbed by Aedenskolt seeking to harvest its resources. Its own people have mined ores and metals and farmed what little land they could, but their efforts have been largely miniscule. Nonetheless, Venfros is metal-rich, and the beginnings of industrialization in Aedenhal have led to conflicts over resource rights within the mountains.Ethnicities
The culture of Venfros has largely integrated into broader Aedenskolt culture, with their peoples' traditional language being reserved for use by the Jezi for their lyristry and runewrit. Despite this, they still staunchly maintain a distinct identity at least in name, and are referred to as the Uggrfyolth. Most of Venfros is made up of ethnic Uggrfyolth, though some Aedenskolt are also present.Diplomacy
Related Articles
Locations
Cultures
Factions
Regiments
All
"The Witch-Guarded Wall"
Adjectives: Uggrfyolth (official Venfskolt (colloquial)
National Animal: Dolyak
National Instrument: Hornastrid
Ethnicities: Uggrfyolth, Aedenskolt
Languages: Aedenslang, Vjtryazk (ritualistic, by Jezi)
Capital: Tryrhfjall
Ruler: The Ice Queen
Government: Theocratic Monarchy
Hallmarks: Widespread magical use, matriarchal norms, life amongst glacial peaks, bastion against The Windy Country
Characteristics: Aggressive, defensive, magical, tough
National Animal: Dolyak
National Instrument: Hornastrid
Ethnicities: Uggrfyolth, Aedenskolt
Languages: Aedenslang, Vjtryazk (ritualistic, by Jezi)
Capital: Tryrhfjall
Ruler: The Ice Queen
Government: Theocratic Monarchy
Hallmarks: Widespread magical use, matriarchal norms, life amongst glacial peaks, bastion against The Windy Country
Characteristics: Aggressive, defensive, magical, tough